#in fact the garage and basement are on the same floor

[anthropwashere]

I ask two (2) things from my roommates:

Leave me alone unless absolutely necessary. Do not perceive me, I will not perceive you.

Keep the noise to a minimum, like live your lives and all but y'all know I'm three seconds of vacuuming away from full-blown migraine hell.

Anyway today they dragged one of their 5 fucking motorcycles up the hill into the entry hall and GUNNED IT while cackling madly.

[chaotic-orphan]

Intoxicating Fear (XX)redraft*

Revealing the Monster

Read part one here // Masterpost // Continued from here

Here's the tea, I am redrafting PART XX of this series and uploading it here, this is the canon - but I WILL POST THE NEXT PART TOMORROW!

The new part starts about halfway down XD

I am sorry, I wasn't happy with part XX! SO part XXI tomorrow, thank you for your time. :)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kit was wary about following Ambrose down a very dark, a very concrete set of stairs. “If this is the fucking torture basement I woke up in initially—”

Ambrose waved the accusation away, as if it was daft for Kit to be wary. “It’s to the garage,” he told him, keying a code into the pin-pad beside the metal door.

Ambrose walked through the door and held it open, rolling his eyes when he noticed Kit still lingering at the top of the stairs.

“Come on.”

“I’m not going to willingly follow you into your torture dungeon.”

Ambrose blinked, tilting his head. “The sex dungeon is two floors down, Mallory.”

Ambrose laughed at the face that Kit pulled. “Come on. I can always force you to come if I want, and we’re kind of a time crunch here.”

Kit glared daggers at the man and begrudgingly walked down the stairs. He stopped at the last step, trying to get a peak into the room. Ambrose walked away from the door letting it close before Kit could. Kit lunged forward to catch the heavy metal door, but relaxed immediately when he saw it was in fact a garage.

Kit let out a long low whistle after stepping into the garage. The door shut with a buzzer after him. Ambrose opened a lock box with keys hung up in a numbered order.

He grabbed the keys named ‘01’.

“You’re such a control freak,” Kit snorted. “Do you have OCD or something?”

Ambrose shrugged, taking off through the cars covered by different tarps. The only car that wasn’t covered was the one closest to the garage door. The same car that Ambrose kidnapped Kit in last night.

He hated that Ambrose had a good taste in cars. He hated that Ambrose had this many cars when Kit couldn’t even afford one, nevermind a garage full.

Ambrose grinned at Kit over the roof of the Wraith as he unlocked the door. “If you like, I can give you one of the ones I don’t like.”

Kit rolled his eyes. “I thought I told you to stay out of my head,” he said, opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. The cream leather was so comfortable under him as he put his seatbelt on.

“Seriously,” Kit went on, anger curling around him the more comfortable he became with all of Ambrose’s luxury. “Don’t you have any thoughts of your own?! It’s fucking creepy, man. Just ask questions if you want to know my thoughts.”

Ambrose laughed as he opened the garage door with a remote and they rolled out of the house and onto the road again.

“I mean, don’t you have any friends?” Kit demanded hotly. In all honesty, he didn’t know why he was getting pissed all of a sudden, it’s not like Ambrose invading his mind was a new thing, but now? It pissed him off. “Don’t you know how to talk to people?!”

“Relax, Mallory. You’re the only person I relay their thoughts to. It might shock you, but generally, people love when you know what they’re thinking. It’s why humans seek connection. To feel understood.”

“Okay, Socrates,” Kit grumbled. “It’s just fucking weird. I don’t like it when you do it.”

“All of a sudden.”

“Yes!” Kit snapped, glaring at the villain beside him as the forest zoomed past them. “All of a sudden!”

What had Ambrose seen? What parts of him did he know? Could he see everything or was it selective?

“After you found out I’m Mentor’s son,” Ambrose said pointedly. Kit scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring out the passenger window. They drove in a terse silence for a while, cause Ambrose was a psychopath and didn’t have the radio on.

“We have to talk about it, Kit.”

“Well, you already know my thoughts on it all, so enjoy having a conversation by yourself.”

“Mallory,” Ambrose said with a tired sigh, flicking on the indicator as they pulled to a stop. “I know it must seem like a weird coincidence to you, but I swear I didn’t know you were Mentor’s s—”

Kit’s hands tightened into fists. Son. He was about to say son.

“Prodigy,” he settled on, taking a right and messing with the gears until they were coasting again. The air seemed tighter. “I didn’t know that he meant anything to you. I swear— I just assumed that when you were scared of me turning you into him, that you had heard the horror stories in the academy, or Superhero told you. Not that you… not that you were personally affected.”

Kit’s eyes burned as he stared out the window, the forest growing sparser the closer they got to the city. “I didn’t know. You have to believe me.”

“And if you did?”

Ambrose hesitated.

Kit turned his head to look at him, studying the villain’s reactions.

“And if you knew that he was like a father to me.” Like a father, not an actual one. “If you knew how much it hurt to see a man who plucked me out of nothing be destroyed. Would it have been any different?! Or would you have laughed and rubbed it in like salt in a wound?”

“Kit—”

“Oh, come off it. There’s no one here, Rosey. It’s only me and you,” Kit said, his voice dripping with a horrible hysterical knowing. “You can be your usual sadistic, unfeeling, monstrous self and I can tell nobody about it—”

“Mallory—” Ambrose tried to interject but Kit spoke over him again.

“But you know the funniest part in all this? You already took away the one person who would have given a shit about this! About me, not the Hero. Me. And you made him a monster!” Kit roared, something wet hitting his cheeks and flowing like a stream down his face. “And now, because clearly God hates me, I have to team up with you of all people, to go and stop — the one man who ever treated me like a person — from becoming a monster like you.”

The silence was deafening. In some strange way, it was comforting. No electricity crackles or malfunctioning lights accompanied his breakdown with the power dampeners locked around his wrist.

It was cathartic.

They had just pulled into the main road that brought them to the outskirts of the city, the skyline visible over the horizon when Ambrose spoke.

“He wasn’t a hero to me,” said Ambrose quietly, almost imperceptibly. Kit glanced at him, but his eyes settled on the white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

“Don’t fucking tell me you have daddy issues.” When Ambrose didn’t answer Kit let out a strangled laugh. Blinking in bewilderment, Kit raised his brows. “Are you telling me you have daddy issues? Mr Big Bad villain?”

“Oh fuck off, Mallory. At least I had parents.”

The words stung. They cut deeper than Kit would have ever admitted out loud or shown physically, but Kit knew that Ambrose was in his head after the villain winced.

Shifting in his seat, he said: “I’m— I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off snarky. I just—” Ambrose let out a groan. “You just rub me up the wrong way.”

“Well who’s fucking fault is that, dickhead?!”

“Do you want me to explain, or are you just going to argue with me the entire drive to the hospital?” Ambrose snapped. “I can only do one of those things in our limited time, so choose.”

Kit clenched his teeth, glaring forwards at the car in front of them. “Fine. Tell me.”

“Mentor is my father. As you know, he only rose to prominence within our lifetimes, though you may be too young to remember. Before him, heroes and villains weren’t really a thing. There were a couple dotted here and there, but mostly they were vigilantes. The good guys and the bad guys.”

“Yeah. I remember learning about that in the academy.”

“Right. So after my father rose in public opinion and word of mouth, well the government started stepping in and trying to regulate it. Which they did and the rest is history, but he wasn’t the same heroic good man when he came home.”

Kit swallowed, tightening his fingers into fists. He didn’t want to hear this, he realised. He really wanted Ambrose to shut up and not tell him anymore, but he asked for this, didn’t he? To know the side of Mentor that Ambrose knew?

“He wasn’t abusive,” Ambrose said softly and Kit released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Not physically, anyway. When he discovered that I was born with powers he sought to train me, to make me in his image. A family of Superheroes. My Mom, she didn’t want that for me. She saw the toll it took on him to be the city’s saviour everyday, and that’s when they started fighting.”

Kit sat rigid in his seat, staring forward. He couldn’t imagine Mentor fig— well, no. He could, actually. How many times had Kit walked in on Mentor and Mr Silver arguing? Or Superhero trying to tell Mentor that the next step was a bad idea, that it was too risky.

“I trained hard. When he wanted me to push myself, I pushed myself. When he wanted me to commit 100%, I did 200%. It was never enough for him. None of it was. He wanted a son and a wife who adored him, who worshipped the ground he walked on, and instead he had a family. His ego was a problem.”

Kit cringed at that. Even he knew that Mentor wanted people to adore him, no matter who or why. He wanted to be the city’s saviour, the man on everyone’s tongue and in their thoughts.

Kit let out a breath of a laugh, running a hand through his hair.

“I guess… that’s why he adopted me, isn’t it?” Kit asked, his voice hollow. Ambrose didn’t answer, and that was answer enough. God, how could he be so stupid? How could he not have seen that to Mentor, Kit was just some charity project he knew would always support him. Worship the ground he walked on, defend him even when Kit knew he was in the wrong.

Ambrose opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, setting his lips into a thin line.

“Mallory…”

“No. It’s okay,” Kit replied, letting out a long breath. “It’s fine, go on.”

Ambrose hesitated, fingers lifting from the steering wheel, before curling around them again. They passed the memorial garden in silence, taking the diversion around the square towards the hospital. They weren’t far away now.

“He started the Hero academy when I was twelve. A school for children with powers to develop their abilities to become heroes. I saw it for what it was though, incentive and resentment. He failed to teach me to control my abilities, and found a fault in me that I couldn’t rectify. My ability wasn’t flashy enough, or showy enough for him, for the great Mentor.”

“He wanted a child who would make the world stop and look at them. Someone who was as fast as him, as strong, but not stronger. In his eyes, I may as well have been born with strong charisma because you couldn’t see the effect of what I could do, only experience it.”

Kit looked down at his wrist, at the power dampeners locked around it. Lightning was flashy. Lightning gave Kit strength and strong reflexes, he was fast, he was flashy. He trained hard, to the point of exhaustion everyday in the Hero Academy. Not caring if he had no friends. Not caring if he passed out from pushing himself too hard. He just had to be the best. It was all he had. It was all he could do.

It wasn’t until he was beating people three years above him that Mentor started to pay him any attention. It felt good at the time. It felt like somebody finally recognised him for what he was.

Mentor made him feel seen. He saw that Kit had put his everything into training, because everything in him was all he had to give.

He didn’t have a family to worry about him getting hurt.

He didn’t have friends that would mourn him if he died in action.

All he had was being a hero.

Of course Mentor would latch onto that. Of course he would pick up on the fact that Kit was desperately trying to prove himself. Of course he would take pity on the orphan and bring him home like a trophy. Show him off to the world.

But that… that wasn’t the Mentor that Kit knew.

He brought him home, but it was after Kit denied him so many times. Told him to piss off, and asked if he was a pervert that prayed on boys his age. Kit had grown up on the streets, he knew what happened to skinny kids like him. One day they’re there, and the next, you never see them again.

Mentor was patient, and kind. He didn’t push Kit after Kit said no, told him he had everything he needed in the academy.

“Then my Mother got sick, and well…” Ambrose said, trailing off, pulling Kit from his memory and back into the car. “After she died it was like he… he didn’t even care. All he cared about was building the city up, saving everyone from possible Villains that lurked in the night. He didn’t sit with her in the hospital because he knew he couldn’t rescue her. He wasn’t there when she—”

Kit was quiet beside Ambrose, head tilted down. He knew what loss was like. He knew the absence a parent can leave behind, but losing someone who meant that? Kit didn’t know how to relate to that. When Omen destroyed Mentor’s mind, it wasn’t the same as if he died because Kit could still go and see him. Still talk to him, even if the Mentor he remembered was dead.

“I’m sorry,” Kit said softly. Ambrose cleared his throat, turning his head so Kit couldn’t see his face.

“Yeah,” he agreed, going rigid. “Me too.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence. It wasn’t far. Five minutes in the car, and two minutes to park.

“Are you…?” Kit began, then cut himself off when he met Ambrose’s black eyes. What was he going to say? Are you Okay? Alright with going into see the unfeeling man who wasn’t a good father? The man you cursed for being…

Ambrose shook his head, no. “Of course I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Kit said with an awkward shrug. They got out of the car, closing the door in unison. Kit thought nothing of it.

It was borderline awkward in the lift. Ambrose kind of just, stood there like a totem pole. His hands behind his back, standing straight up like a serial killer.

“Would you relax?” Kit said, rolling his neck. “You’re making me nervous.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

“I’m fine,” Ambrose said slowly, voice cold. Kit shrugged and said: “fine.”

He ahead and almost cried in joy when the doors opened to the ground floor. He stopped at the reception desk. Ambrose was walking and stopped when Kit stopped, two steps ahead and glancing back to see what Kit was doing.

He joined him a moment later, standing beside him and glowering at Heather when she turned and beamed at Kit.

“Hi Heather.”

“Hey, Kit. You goin’ up to—” her big blue eyes trailed to Ambrose beside him, who looked as if he was under a storm cloud, or extremely constipated. “Oh. Hi. Is this your brother?”

Kit’s eyes blew wide, but Ambrose didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Older. We’d like to see—”

“I didn’t know you had a brother, Kit. Of course, darlin’s, go ahead. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”

Ambrose nodded stiffly and stepped back. Kit blinked, shaking his head, and smiled at Heather. “Oh, actually. Was there anything strange with him? Any new visitors or—”

“I’m sorry, hun. I’m just the receptionist for the main desk. You’ll have to ask the nurses up there.”

Kit nodded, standing up. “Thank you, Heather.”

“Anytime. And nice meeting you.”

Ambrose nodded at her. “You too.”

Kit clapped him on the back, a wide grin on his face. “Let’s go, bro.”

Ambrose made a noise and Kit had to stifle a laugh until they were in the stairwell. “What was that!” He barked, laughter bubbling up his throat.

“I— panicked.” [***RE-DRAFT STARTS HERE***]

“I thought you weren’t nervous,” Kit teased. He was turning to walk up the next set of stairs when Ambrose slammed his forearm against Kit’s throat, shoving him back into the corner of the stairwell, pinning him there.

Ambrose’s nostrils flared, his eyes blazing with cold fury down at Kit. “Of course I’m nervous, you fucking child. Tch. Don’t you ever switch off?”

Kit pushed Ambrose’s arm off him, and to his surprise, Ambrose let him, running a hand through his hair and letting out a breath.

The realisation only dawned on Kit, his mouth opening into a small ‘o’.

“You’ve never been to see him.”

Ambrose straightened. The villain returning as he stared down his nose at Kit, a sardonic smile on his lips. “And why should I? He didn’t give my mother that courtesy.”

Kit put his hands up, showing Ambrose he meant nothing by it. “Hey. It’s your decision. Not mine. He’s your dad, not—” the words choked up before he could say them. Ambrose didn’t pry. He knew what Kit was going to say.

Ambrose stared for a moment longer before glancing up the stairs and nodding stiffly.

“Yes. Well.” He cleared his throat and started walking up again. “What floor is it?”

“The fifth,” he replied, starting up the stairs beside Ambrose. “Top floor. They don’t want anyone stumbling amongst the crazies.”

“Probably for the best,” Ambrose muttered. Kit had meant it as a joke, but, he didn’t disagree with Ambrose as they climbed the stairs. Thankful that their footsteps filled the silence he couldn’t in the lift. They knew something had happened when they got to the fifth floor.

Kit stepped in first, Ambrose craning his neck around the door into the hall. Kit breathed a sigh of relief. No police tape, no police, no anything. That meant there was nothing to worry about.

Kit smiled at Ambrose and slapped him on the back, walking towards the door to the locked ward. “See! You were irrational. Overthinking everything. Nothing’s insidious about Mentor. He was here the whole time.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because if he did somehow magically vanish, there would be police and Superheroes and politicians here to interrogate him about what happened.”

“And if they just moved him down to the station to do that?” Ambrose asked, raising his brows. Kit’s smile dimmed a little, but it remained on his face.

“Too much risk. Trust me. Everything will be fine.”

The door buzzed open after Kit waved to the camera and the pair stepped through. Kit walked his usual path to Mentor’s room, and only realised halfway there that Ambrose wasn’t following him anymore. He paused, looking over his shoulder for the villain, before turning after laying eyes on him.

Ambrose stood in the middle of the hall, his eyes blazing and his little finger twitching by his side. A muscle in his jaw clenched and tightened when he met Kit’s questioning eyes.

He swallowed. “This was a mistake.”

“No,” Kit said, coming to stand beside the Villain. “It wasn’t. He’s out of it most of the time anyways, Rosey. He probably won’t even recognise you.”

Black eyes flashed like two burning coals. “He’ll recognise me.”

Kit didn’t tell him that Mentor didn’t recognise Kit for months after his accident. Then again, he didn’t have to. Something smoothed out in Ambrose’s face as Kit remembered his first meeting with a stark raving mad Mentor, who screamed at Kit to get out and leave him be. Kit thought for a minute that Ambrose could see the memory, but quickly remembered that the ward was built of the same power dampening material as the supers-prison and power dampeners.

Ambrose swallowed. “Let’s get this over with,” he said through clenched teeth. This time Kit led the way beside Ambrose, and let Ambrose walk into the room first. Ambrose didn’t falter as he stepped through the door, black eyes settling on his father for the first time since he drove him insane.

Kit followed him in, leaning against the wall beside the door. Mentor was sitting in an armchair, gazing out the window when they arrived. He turned his head and locked eyes with Ambrose and didn’t even glance over at Kit.

The tension was palpable in the air, tied like a three-way noose over their throats as nobody dared breathe in the room.

“Oskar,” Mentor said softly. Kit’s eyes blew wide, glancing at Ambrose who stiffened at the mention of his name. Mentor recognised him? He— remembered Ambrose?

“Hello Father.”

Mentor grunted a huff of a laugh. Almost like a derisive scoff, but Kit had never heard Mentor make a sound like that. A sound so like— well, Ambrose. Kit didn’t dare move, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Mentor didn’t notice, or if he did, didn’t care, that was Kit was in the room too.

“Is that all you can say to me, boy?” Mentor demanded, his voice hard, like gravel grating against gravel.

Ambrose shrugged, but Kit noticed the tightness to his usual casual gesture. “I can say a whole lot more, but word on the street is you have trouble remembering things lately, old man.”

Mentor’s eyes were cutting. “I remember the important stuff.”

The words came like a sharp slap to Kit’s face, almost staggering him out of the room, but Kit didn’t move. He just stared, eyes burning at the man that helped shape him into who he was today. But this man he was staring at may as well have been an alien. This wasn’t Mentor. This was the cold father that Ambrose told Kit about. The man who looked like Mentor, but was a monster beneath skin.

“What are you doing here?” Mentor spat. “Have you come to take more from me, hmm? The breath from my lungs.”

“Well it would be a wasted trip if I didn’t take something from you,” Ambrose replied with the cold smile that Kit was so used to seeing.

What he wasn’t used to seeing was Ambrose flinching. Kit pressed off the wall, eyes wide as a cold, dark chuckle filled the room. An empty laugh that caused shivers to run down his spine and freeze him in place.

“You’re still good at talking, Oskar.” Black eyes met Kit’s across the room, aware that Kit had just seen him flinch at Mentor’s raised hand and it was like the world slowed down around him, his heartbeat rushing in his ears.

Then it was as if a switch flipped of indifference. Ambrose straightened, black eyes smiling as he faced his father again. He slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, shifting his weight to lean on one leg and shot Mentor a cold smile.

“You’re still good at being a piece of shit, only, now you’ve exposed yourself to a witness.”

Mentor’s eyes narrowed and he got to his feet, turning his body to face Ambrose. He had only just turned when his eyes found Kit’s frozen blue ones staring as if he were a deer in headlights.

Mentor’s expression shifted into something softer, something kind. “Kit my boy—”

Kit’s eyes burned, his nostrils flaring. “Don’t.”

“This is-” Mentor began, gesturing between himself and Ambrose. “Family issues. They go back a long while.”

“I don’t care about your explanation,” Kit told him, shaking his head.

Mentor’s hard eyes looked between Kit and Ambrose, scrutinising. “What are you even doing together? Aren’t you a strange pair.”

“Not at all,” Kit said before Ambrose could even open his mouth. Kit stood talk, feeling Ambrose’s black eyes slide over to him as he commanded the space. “He’s helping me on a case. A new Supervillain.”

Mentor scoffed, folding his arms over his toned chest. “Have you considered him?” He asked, nodding his head to Ambrose.

“I have,” Kit ground out through clenched teeth. “But it turns out this new Supervillain has telekinesis. You wouldn’t happen to have an alibi for last night, would you?”

Mentor’s mouth fell open. Even Ambrose raised a brow at the accusation in Kit’s hard voice. He had never seen him so angry. It was very entertaining to watch, especially when it was directed at his father.

“I was here,” Mentor said, spreading his hands in a helpless shrugging gesture. “Obviously.”

“Can anyone corroborate that story?” Kit demanded, spitting venom at his old Hero and Mentor. Mentor glanced between Ambrose and Kit, his expression tightening as some understanding flashed across his face.

He rubbed his temple with the palm of his hand, kneading it into the soft flesh, letting out a disbelieving huff. “I can’t believe this. You’re seriously trusting this man over me, Kit? You're like a son to me.”

“Clearly I wasn’t,” Kit practically yelled, but he didn’t shout. His voice was surprisingly level despite everything. “Or you would have told me you had an actual son.”

Mentor’s gaze was cutting. “Surely you know what he did to me,” Mentor said, his voice a quiet fury. “What he did to our family, to this city! He—”

“Is Omen,” Kit finished, his eyes flashing. Mentor took a step back as if he’d been hit. Kit didn’t stop there though. “Yeah. I know. And I know he’s not a liar. So do you have an alibi or not?”

Ambrose was quite happy to let Kit take lead on this interrogation. It was true, Ambrose wasn’t a liar. If he said he’d torture you, he would. If he told you he liked you, he did. If he said he was Omen, he was. Something Ambrose didn’t think Kit picked up on, but was happy by the turn of events all the same.

Mentor was halfway through stuttering out a reply when a Doctor walked into the room, a clipboard in hand and already speaking. “Mentor, how are we tod—” Doctor, sensing the tension looked up and smiled at his obvious intrusion. He put the clipboard under his arm and stood taller. “Ah. Sorry, Mentor. I didn’t know you had visitors. Ah, hello Kit.”

“Doctor,” Kit replied not taking his eyes off of Mentor. “Can you confirm Mentor was here last night?”

Doctor’s eyes went around the room before bouncing back to Kit. “Uh, yes. I mean, CCTV and the hospital logs can probably. I wasn’t on personally, but as Mentor’s doctor today I can tell you there was no anomalies last night.”

“Great. Thank you,” Kit said, nodding at Ambrose. “That’s all we needed to know, we’re leaving.”

“No, wait—” Mentor protested, but Ambrose was already talking to the Doctor and walking back out the door. Kit turned to do the same when a hand was on his wrist, stopping him from leaving. Kit glanced back over his shoulder to see Mentor clinging to him like a desperate, old man.

“Kit…” he said with shining eyes. “M’boy. Please, let me explain.”

“You lied to me,” Kit hissed, finally letting the hurt shine through his features. “You told me, you— you made me feel special.”

“You are special, Kit, and not just to me.”

“Was I only special to you because I was strong?” Kit asked. Mentor hesitated. Kit pulled his arm from Mentor’s grasp. “You never saw me as a son. You saw me as a tool that you could mould and use to further your great image. Superhero. Saviour. Good charitable man,” Kit spat, tears springing suddenly to his eyes. “He even rescues orphans, the übermensch. Mentor: The great man.”

“Kit—”

“You were everything to me,” Kit said, his bottom lip trembling. “My only normal in the world. My family. My father. I worshipped you, and you used me!”

“Kit, please. Let me explain.” Mentor said again, pawing at Kit’s jacket. Kit recoiled, shrugging his hands from his shoulders.

“You have two minutes before I’m walking out that door.”

“In the beginning, yes, I wanted to be close to you because I saw your potential. Nobody else in that academy ever came close to you. You were extraordinary. I wanted a sidekick when I walked through those doors on the day of your exams, and instead I found a second chance.”

Tears streamed continuously from Kit’s red rimmed eyes as he listened, occasionally wiping them on the cuff of his sleeve.

“I found a son in you, and from that day onwards I decided that I wanted to help you. To give you the start in life that you deserved, not the one you were given. I patrolled the Rookery looking for you every night because one of the other kids told me you slept rough on the streets. I wanted to offer you kindness, and you had such hard eyes. It was weeks before I ever saw you smile, and when I did, m’boy, I swear the heavens themselves opened.”

Kit sniffed, his breath catching in his throat, taking in fretful breaths once he saw the glisten in Mentor’s eyes, and the tears welling up behind them.

“I never wanted to use you as some piece of equipment to further my image. I wanted to make sure you had bread, and safe water to drink. I wanted to give you a home.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me you had a son?” Kit asked, barely above a whisper. “Why… why- why didn’t you tell me you had a family? I would’ve understood.”

Mentor shook his head. “I had already left them at that time, Kit, and I was too ashamed to tell you. To tell you that I fucked up my last family. How could I tell you that? A child yourself when I was trying to gain your trust so I could help you, and the way you looked at me…”

The pair of them stared at each other, tears streaming down their faces the longer they spoke. “You saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in years, and it made me feel special, Kit. It made me want to be the better man you thought I was. To change, for the better, for you. For us. I thought it was my second chance when I met you, and I can tell you now for certain, it was.”

Kit looked away, afraid he might collapse if had to listen to any more of this. Mentor touched a hand to his cheek, thumbing away the tears, drawing Kit’s attention back to Mentor.

“Just please,” he blubbered. “Please say you don’t hate me. I will fall to my knees and beg for your forgiveness, Kit. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Please.”

Kit didn’t say anything. He just stepped in and hugged his old man, wrapping his arms tight around him and holding him up when Mentor sobbed harder into Kit’s jumper.

“I’m sorry,” Mentor cried into Kit’s jumper, muffling the sound. “I’m so sorry. I love you, I’m so sorry.”

Kit held him tighter, trying to compose himself but there was nothing to be done except wait it out. Ambrose stood outside the door, leaning against the wall to his father’s room, downcast eyes staring unseeing at the clinically clean floor in front of him.

Kit stepped out after a few minutes, his tears dried but the red rimmed eyes gave him away. Ambrose stood, face impassive as he took a deep breath. “You good to go?” He asked.

Kit nodded dumbly. They walked to the exit of the ward, but Doctor shouted from down the hall and the pair turned. “Oh good, I caught you before you left. Here. I’ll walk you out.”

Doctor quickly caught up to them, half-jogging towards them with a self-deprecating smile. “Sorry. Shall we talk outside?”

Kit glanced at Ambrose before nodding. Doctor fell into step with them, flashing his keycard on the control panel and the doors to the locked ward opened with a beep. He pushed through them and held it open for Kit and Ambrose to walk out. They stood just outside the ward, Kit tilting his head at Doctor.

Doctor smiled at the pair, a handsome smile. He was a little older than Ambrose, his eyes crinkled at the edges when his smiled. His tan skin contrasted against Ambrose’s paleness to a stark degree that Kit would’ve laughed if he didn’t feel so drained.

Kind green eyes found Kit’s. “I double-checked the log’s after you asked about Mentor’s whereabouts last night,” he said. “He was here all night, I can confirm with 100% certainty.”

“Okay, thank you Doctor.” Kit said nodding.

A copycat? Ambrose said in Kit’s mind. Kit glanced at him, but Ambrose was still looking at Doctor.

Maybe. Or maybe another telekinetic… Kit thought, pushing it towards Ambrose.

“Well,” Doctor said, clapping his hands together. “I hope that is everything you need?”

“Yes, Doctor, thank you for confirming the alibi,” Kit said. Kit reached his hand out which Doctor took and shook it. Doctor turned to Ambrose as well, offering his hand which Doctor took with a smile.

“Nice meeting you.”

“Thank you Doctor,” Ambrose said coolly before withdrawing his hand and stepping away. The pair walked down the stairs, hearing the buzzer of the ward door open and close again.

“What now?” Ambrose asked. Kit ran his hands through his hair, letting out a sigh.

“I don’t know. I need to get my phone from my apartment, just to see if anyone’s been trying to call.”

“Right. Of course.” Ambrose said as they walked to the car. Sensing the stiffness in Ambrose’s body language, Kit kept quiet, not wanting to poke the bear, but feeling too bad to just remain silent and not say anything.

They got into the Wraith in silence. It was only when Ambrose turned the key in the ignition that he broke the silence. “It’s not your fault, Kit.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Ambrose turned his head to look Kit head on. The expression on his face would’ve floored Kit had he been standing up.

Ambrose’s eyes were like two rainbows, his eyebrows drawn low over them, his lips were curled up on his face, exposing his smile lines that usually looked so annoyed.

Was Ambrose smiling?

When Kit wasn’t even covered in blood or bruises or struggling to breathe?

“Really, Kit. It’s okay. I don’t have any ill will towards you. Just think of it like, we both had one good parent and leave it there. Okay?”

Kit nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. Ambrose’s face went back to neutral and Kit felt like he could breathe.

Then his eyes narrowed as they pulled out of the parking lot. “What?”

“I just—”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I don’t think you should smile, Rosey. It doesn’t suit you.”

Ambrose almost hit the roof. “What?! My smile is charming.”

“I feared for my life. It is mortally terrifying. Do you smile at babies like that?”

“Babies love me,” Ambrose hissed.

Kit laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Actually can you drop me off at a therapist before we go back to my—”

“Oh yeah yeah,” Ambrose grumbled, turning the indicator on and taking off onto the main road. “Laugh it up.”

Kit did, and he felt good after it. The laugh smoothed everything out in his chest, unwinding the tension that weighed heavy on it and for a little, fleeting moment, he felt lighter than he had in a while. Ambrose turned the radio on.

*~*~*~*~*

Continued here

Orphanage roll-call (lmk if you wanna be added or removed): @beatenbruisedandbloody @404lunar1216 @whumpyworld @nameless-beanie e @andithewhumper @annablogsposts @whumpasaurus101 @0eggdealer r @rejectedbytheempty @sleepy-pearl @n3rv0usn0v4 @whumpatize-me-captain @sunshiline-writes @burningkittypoet @honeyed-euphrates @sacredwrath @theonewithallthefixations @m3rakii @xxgalgurlxx @princess-bubble-blossom @blood-enthusiast @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @andtheysaidspeaknoww @dutifullykrispyland @mononeigbour @tippytappytyping @shinokoro @bedtimescenarios @whatwhump @memepsychowhowantsuperpower-blog @ehobep @acer-whumpstuff @fa1rie

[thevoidstaredback]

How's your night going? Mine's going horribly

My cousin got married yesterday (congrats to him and his new wifey). My grandparents were invited up, but g-ma wanted me to dogsit for her because the hotel doesn't allow pets. (Why she wanted to bring Sasha to a wedding in the first place is a very good question.) It's only for the night, so I said sure.

I don't sleep upstairs. I sleep in the basement. It's cool and quiet and dark and familiar with exactly one window (covered by bushes) and one door.

G-ma wants me to sleep upstairs, expects it, actually, so I'm up here with the dog and cats.

It's loud up here. Unfamiliar to be sleeping, too. And really warm. It's also really bright.

I was told to sleep in one of the recliners, so that's where I'm at. The garage door is in the kitchen behind me, smae with the sliding backdoor. There's two windows in the kitchen and one to my right, all of which have the curtains closed. There's an archway leading to the entryway, but I can't see the front door or windows from where I'm sitting (doesn't change the fact that those curtains are lace).

All of the floors are hardwood, so sound is extra loud.

The fridge and extra freezer are both really loud; I can hear wind blowing through the open window in the laundry room; I'm hyper-aware of the clock ticking on the wall by the T.V.

About ten minutes ago, all of the lights flicked on before fading off again. Idky, but it freaked the fuck outta me.

The house settling and cars driving by? Not helping.

I've had the stair light on, so I'm not sitting in the dark, but it's really bright. Too bright to sleep.

I can also hear everything in the downstairs kitchen because the door opens up right to tile floors.

Dad dropped cup. Scared the shit outta me.

None of you asked for any of this, but I figured I'd share how my night's going anyway. I only have about 2 hours of charge left on my laptop (the cord is still down in my room), so I can't even work on everything I wanted to right now.

Even if it wasn't too bright or loud to sleep, I can't sleep without a wall to my back. A solid wall, no windows. And, I don't know if you know this, but a recliner sitting in view of four different access points(3 windows, 1 outer door) is not registering in my mind as a safe place to sleep. It doesn't help that I can't see the front door or down the hallway.

I know I'm paranoid. The dagger I have on me right now is keeping me very aware of this fact.

But I can't help it. I need to sleep in my own bed, or I need to be armed with eyes on all access points.

(Believe it or not, the mountains are a safe space for me, so I have no problems sleeping in a tent)(as long as wolves don't scare the crap outta me again during the Witching Hour)

I do the same thing in my own living room. My is placed in such a way that my back is to a wall, I can see the window, I can see down the hall, and I can see into the kitchen. (Not all at once, obviously, but moving my head a bit to the left or right is better than turning my back to one of those three points)

Again, the dagger laying on my is keeping me very well aware of my paranoia

[aroihkin]

Five years after my first and last use of the 'mah house tag', and I have bought a house. It's 1254 square feet above ground with a full basement under it, two functional fireplaces, and it's on a half acre of land with way more than that of forest behind it. Paved double wide driveway, one carport space, a utility shed, and an old busted up outbuilding I'll have to clear out at some point. Also it's on a fuckin culdesac, so it's damn near private.

One fireplace is in the living room, and the other is in the basement, both using the same chimney structure that runs up the center of the house. It has central heat too, so they're for lighting for chilling out with or for emergencies. The basement one especially, down there is like the ideal storm shelter.

The fact that I cope with shit by doing ridiculous amounts of research and website-scouring really fuckin paid off for me this time. The only way this place could be more perfect for me is if it had a garage, and on a half acre I suspect I can find the space to stick one in later. Same for a greenhouse/garden, etc. It's even situated and has an ideal roof for putting solar on eventually.

This is the whole reason I moved out to STL, and after all that's entailed it's finally paying off.

Oh and only the bedrooms have carpet, the rest of the place is hard flooring, including actual brand new hardwood through half of the upstairs. This is also good, dust is gross and it's easier to mop than to vac and occasionally deep-clean a carpet. Though even that would be easier in this place (and will be for the bedrooms) because it has a functioning central vacuum system.

It's intense, and honestly the fact that I have it all official and in writing, down payments and first month paid, and definitely mine, is still sinking in.

Now to move out of this shitty apartment by the end of the month. And in the summer, I can go get my shit out of storage in Cali and get it trucked over by a moving company, and unloaded into my house.

So anyway that's some of what I've been up to.

Edit: Also, 2 bathrooms, one has a shower and the other one has a big claw foot tub. Fucking ideal.

[aspenwriter]

Stepped Sister

(Done as a commission for @Jayne_AD on Twitter with his OCs)

Jenn looked out of the window of her cab to the sprawling suburbs. Autumn leaves covered the streets, giving the whole place a picturesque and peaceful look. The houses, all of them pretty new, built just in the last decade, looked ancient under the afternoon light of late November.

The woman sighed and shifted her focus from the background to her reflection in the window. With her hand she brushed her black hair and adjusted her ponytail to her liking. She thought the haircut gave her a very professional and capable aura. And it combined well with her black blazer and pants, and her clean white shirt. In fact, Jenn couldn’t bring herself to appear unsuccessful to her family.

She was born in a wealthy asian-american family. Her dad was of the strict types. He ensured Jenn attended an elite high school, and was very concerned at all times with her grades and the contacts she made. He ensured she entered law-school. And even now that she was an independent adult, he always asked about work whenever he was on the phone.

And about a boyfriend.

Jenn looked to the side, to the empty seat at the side. This was the third Thanksgiving in a row without bringing a boyfriend home. She sighed. Why couldn’t she get a boyfriend? She had everything. Good looks, wealthy, stable job…

Maybe you’re just a bossy bitch? The words echoed in her mind and she almost let out a loud groan. They belonged to his little step-brother, from the last Thanksgiving they shared.

His name was Oliver. Jenn’s dad and his mom got together while Jenn was starting college and he was still in high school. As such, they didn’t share a childhood together and mostly interacted through family meetings and vacations where the two happened to coincide in home.

While Jenn’s dad was a strict helicopter parent, Oliver’s mom was a laid back wealthy new age type. Jenn loved her though, and always felt her advice to be useful and found her to be sincerely concerned about her stress during college, even though she was her daughter by law only, and the two had met when she was already an adult.

Still, she could have done a better job with Oliver.

“Here we are ma’am, 553 Laurel drive”

Home sweet home, Jenn thought.

She walked out of the cab and retrieved her luggage from the trunk. She gave the cab a generous tip and a five star review on the app. She sighed and looked at her family’s home.

The place was a true McMansion. Over three stories tall not counting the attic and extensive basement. A garage that could fit around eight cars. Walls of a rather ugly mix of white and gray bricks. And an extensive lawn. Jenn walked the brick road that connected the street to her family’s home, stopping in the entrance to get her keys from her pocket. Only for the door to be opened for her.

“Jenn! It’s so great to see you again!” said a woman. Jenn instantly recognised the voice. It was Maeve, her step mom.

She looked rather young for her age, sporting a long, curly red mane. And rocking a black sweater and some loose elephant pants with a floral, autumn colored design.

“Mom!” Jenn greeted, giving her a tight hug. She had always called her mom, no epithet.

“How’s life in the big city?” she asked, breaking from the hug and giving Jenn a kiss on her cheek.

“Ah, you know…” Jenn said, not wanting to get into discussing work, her home economics or her rather disastrous love life “same boring stuff as always…”

“Don’t worry about it, Jenn, we’ll have a lot of time to talk, you must be tired from the long trip” Maeve said “And here I am holding you hostage in the entrance, come in, come in!”

Jenn smiled and walked into the house. She was, honestly, really tired. Her old room was on the third floor, and not wanting to carry the luggage over the long stairs, she set it aside and walked straight to the living room. Maeve excused herself and returned to the kitchen.

“Hey sis!” said the voice of a young man. Oliver’s.

He was lying down on one the various sofas around the coffee table, with his feet up resting on the sofa’s arm. He was wearing a striped t-shirt and a dark gray cardigan over it, along with some relaxed-fit jeans. Big white headphones that connected to a Nintendo Switch were resting on his neck. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, having his old white socks up in the air. Said shoes were laying a few feet away from him, as if he had kicked them off. He had a rather messy hair, the same shade of red as his mom’s.

“Oliver” greeted Jenn, hiding a groan, walking past him and hiding the fact that she was very disgusted by Oliver having his feet up for all to smell.

He was playing a game on his Switch, and only paused it to briefly greet Jenn. As soon as she had sat down, he returned to it and put his headphones back on.

Jenn grabbed her phone from her pocket and began absent mindedly scrolling social media. Although, as she breathed in, the small hint of Oliver’s feet intruded in. Mixed between the natural smells of the living room, and Maeve’s favorite cleaning products.

Soon she couldn’t help herself but to stare, very coldly, at Oliver. It was almost automatic. She just kept looking at him, shooting daggers through her eyes. Oliver was very focused on his game, but he eventually felt Jenn’s stare through the corner of his eyes. Eventually he looked up.

“Your feet” Jenn said.

“What?” Oliver said.

Jenn motioned, as if playing charades, for Oliver to take his headphones off. He did.

“Your feet” Jenn repeated.

Oliver groaned “Oh come on, you’ve been here for like, what, a minute? and you’re already bossing me around…”

“I’m not ‘bossing you around’ Oliver, I’m concerned about this room’s clean air”

“This room is pretty big, It’s not my fault you’re on my smell’s trajectory” he said.

“Ohhhh ‘trajectory’! That’s a big word, little man!” Jenn said, not even trying to put a layer of sarcasm between her and her words.

“Wh-what is that supposed to mean?” Oliver said. Jenn knew he was insecure about being only 5'9". 

“Nothing, nothing…” Jenn said.

“You really need to learn to be softer, sis, that’s probably why you can’t land a boyfriend”

“Now what is THAT supposed to mean!?” Jenn said, the remark getting under her skin.

“Gee, you really need to get that stick out of your ass…”

“You know what? I just got here and you’re already being a bratty asshole!” Jenn said, standing up from her seat. “I just wanted to rest, the flight, the cab, the airport, everything is so tiresome, not that you’d know about it”

“What do you mea-” started Oliver, getting instantly cut by Jenn’s interruption

“You’re just a kid, you know nothing about responsibility, you just lay back there with your feet up in the air”

Oliver was about to answer, but Jenn just stormed out of the room. He returned to his game with a groan as he heard her going up the stairs.

Stupid fucking brat, Jenn thought. Oliver was thinking the same, although replacing the word `brat´ with the word `bitch´. They just couldn’t see eye to eye.

Jenn was walking now through the hallway absentmindedly, tired and angry. Ignoring everything, she just wanted to get to her room and lay down for a damn minute. However, that wasn’t going to happen.

She was distracted by a green glow, coming from a room, Oliver’s room. Although that was the least of places she wanted to get herself into, this time there was an abnormal exception. 

In the middle of his room, there was a green floating dodecahedron, transparent and glowing. Jenn had no idea where the thing came from, nor what it was, but she felt drawn to it. Almost hypnotized. She didn’t even feel her feet moving towards the green object.

The object had this mysterious allure to it. As if it was a beautiful flower and Jenn a frail butterfly coming to suck a bit of its delicious nectar. She felt powerless. And yet there was no fear in her mind. She wanted the object. She wanted it all for herself. She didn’t know why.

Jenn was in the middle of her bratty step brother’s room, a step away from the green gem. Without even thinking about it, she stretched her right arm to the jewel, and…

It disappeared.

As if it were nothing but a dream, the gem was gone, the greenish light was gone, she was just standing there in Oliver’s room all alone.

Jenn felt as if a spell was broken. She blinked once, then twice. She felt a warm touch on the tips of her fingertips, right where she was supposed to have touched the gem.

“Huh?” Jenn said, out loud. To no one.

But the warm touch didn’t go away. To her surprise it started… spreading, first up her arm, then to her chest and then to her entire body. She felt this heat slowly and surely overtaking her entire self.

She noticed she was frozen in place, she wanted to move her muscles but her body wasn’t responding at all, as if she was inside a statue.

Then she noticed the furniture in Oliver’s room all getting bigger and bigger. The desk getting farther away, the bed she was sitting in became like a plain. The floor down and the ceiling above become each like a chasm and the sky respectively.

This wasn’t happening, Jenn thought. She was shrinking!

And then her worst nightmare came to pass.

“Stupid Jenn, all high and migh-” Said Oliver, entering his room, and immediately noticing her dwindling step sister on his bed.

“What the fuck?” he whispered. His heart started to race, he looked to his sides and outside the hallway. Then, almost instinctively, he closed and locked the door behind him.

Jenn had finished shrinking when she heard the lock on the door. That made her flinch, and in the act of flinching she knew she had at least regained control of her body, that was a relief, and it would have been great if only Oliver wasn’t in the room and had he not locked the door.

“Well, well, well…” he began saying “just look what we have here!”

“Oliver” Jenn asked “What the fuck was that stone or gem or something doing in your room!?” she said, panicked.

“Stone? Gem?” said Oliver, genuinely puzzled “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Come on this isn’t the time to play games with me! What did you do to me!”

“Hmm, one correction! This just happens to be the perfect time to play some games!” he said, grinning.

That grin genuinely scared Jenn, she backed off, but her step brother was getting closer and closer to the bed, each step echoing with a boom through the pillowy surface of his bed. All of this made running away impossible. And with a step from Oliver roughly measuring up to who knows how many of hers it was beyond impossible.

Then, she felt two enormous fingers picking her up by the waist. Soon she was greeted by Oliver’s freckled smiling face and green eyes that gave off some of the most wondrous joy she had ever seen, as if he had found a little tressure.

She was frankly too terrified to even say something.

“Aw, what’s wrong big sis, scared?” he said

Jenn said nothing. And after noticing she was actually shaking, took deep breaths to calm herself, gather some courage and confront her step brother.

“Unhand me Oliver!” she barked.

The boy was taken by surprise, he didn’t expect that at this scale his step sister would remain so defiant and even a little arrogant, as always.

“You’re in no position to make demands, big sis” he replied, the smile not leaving his face still.

“You will unhand me NOW!” Jenn said, mustering the most commanding tone.

“And if I don’t want to?” said Oliver, his grin widening, getting even a little malicious.

“I w-will scream!” replied Jenn, with the first thing that came to her mind, hoping Oliver hadn’t noticed her voice cracking.

The giggle that came from his mouth sadly proved her wrong.

“Okay, okay sis, I’ll unhand you” he said.

Next thing she knew she was falling down in the air. She didn’t have a moment to scream before falling on her back on Oliver’s bed.

“THAT WAS NOT FUCKING FUNNY!” she screamed at Oliver.

“Gee sis, is that the loudest you can shout?” Said Oliver.

The obvious implication settled immediately on Jenn’s mind.

There was nothing she could do now.

She was at the complete mercy of her step brother.

Her stupid fucking brat of a step brother.

She wanted to scream, but as Oliver said, that thing that must have felt like a squeak to him was the loudest she could get. She gained nothing with screaming.

“Aw, don’t look at me like some sort of scared rat, sis, it’s not like I’m going to hurt you or whatever…” said a slightly disappointed Oliver. Because there was a little disappointment there, he had hoped Jenn would be humbled, not completely terrified.

“Y-you won’t hurt me…?” Asked Jenn, like a true scared rat.

“I promise, I really do Jenn, you might be small but you’re still my big sis” Said Oliver.

Jenn sighed a sigh of relief hearing that.

“However-” Started Oliver, and Jenn’s heart sank immediately.

“-that depends on your definition of hurt” he finished.

“No, no no no no no…” Said Jenn, shaking her head and getting on her feet.

“I’m joking! I’m joking!” Said Oliver, motioning with his hands to get her to be still.

“Stop fucking playing with me!” Shouted Jenn.

“Sis, I haven’t started playing with you yet” Said Oliver.

“Wha-” started Jenn before being interrupted by Oliver coming at lightning speed to the bed. making her bounce a few inches in the air, but to her it felt like several feet. She landed straight back on the bed, again with on her back.

But this time she was pinned to the bed by Oliver’s face, his nose was firmly planted on her abdomen, right on her tummy.

“You know…” he said “I always thought you were very pretty…”

Each word sent a mouthful of warm air down Jenn’s legs. It was strangely comforting. The little warmth there. But she wouldn’t say it outloud ever.

“Wh-what do you mean?” She said, this time barely hiding her voice cracks.

“What I just said… you’re, you know pretty…” he said, now his voice cracking a little. Jenn could feel him even shaking a bit. Regardless of the size difference this was still a the first time Oliver got so close to a girl.

“Oliver… please, tell me exactly what you mean…” she begged.

“You’ve always been like, perfect, Jenn…” he said “Since I was a little teen I had hoped you would at least acknowledge me, pay me attention… I don’t know… it was nice when you were around without being bossy and stuff…” he said

“You… please don’t tell me you…”

“I like you Jenn” The words she feared the most.

“Oliver… we’re siblings…” She said.

“Step siblings… there’s not a drop of blood we share, so where is the problem in liking you?”

“It’s j-just wrong” She said, as calmly as she could, she was getting nervous.

“Who cares…” Said Oliver, unpinning her, crawling back on the bed. But this wasn’t with the intention of freeing Jenn from his grasp, he was just accommodating himself. Jenn was soon on his hands again.

His hands were a little shaky and Jenn could feel the sweat on his palms.

“Oliver…” She started before being interrupted by her brother’s kiss.

The kiss encompassed her whole face instead of just her lips, but it was a kiss nonetheless. Short, very short. The whole affair felt like a decade for both of them but it was shorter than a second.

“Sorry” Oliver said “First kisses are always awkward…”

Jenn was so thoroughly dumbfounded to say anything at all.

“Oh come on Jenn! It’s not like we can be, you know, a couple or anything” He said “I don’t like you like that”

Still dumbfounded.

“Wh-what I mean is that now you can be like, I dunno, a pet to me! You’ll be the little hamster ill bring to campus!” he said, trying to salvage it.

Jenn was, still, absolutely dumbfounded.

“Well not technically a pet since pets are animals and you’re like a shrunken person, but like what’s a word for a little person that has to rely on a big person now? This is completely new, they have to invent a new word for your situation!”

Jenn touched her face, where she was kissed. She didn’t feel disgust nor like her consent had been violated. If anything she felt slightly aroused. And yet still dumbfounded enough to say anything at all.

“Why don’t we go with shrinky? I have been thinking it over and it sounds way less dehumanizing than toy or pet and it doesn’t carry the baggage that slave does so I say we go with that”

Jenn finally spoke again.

“Yeah, let’s go with that”

“Nice! So you’ll be my little shrinky to play and have fun with and-”

“Oliver, I don’t trust your definition of fun” Jenn said.

“Well didn’t you have fun with our little kiss” he said, slightly petting her stepsister’s back with her index finger.

“I mean y-yeah it was a bit fun” she admitted, trying to hide the reddish hue her face had taken.

“You know I can think of more fun stuff to do now, to like, you know, have fun” he said, awkwardly.

Jenn felt like fighting an inner demon. This shit was wrong on so, so many levels.

But admittedly it was indeed fun.

Jenn was too embarrassed to say anything at all. Too visibly embarrassed on top. And she knew Oliver was going to enjoy every second of her embarrassment.

And the worst part is that she felt like she was going to enjoy a little bit of it too.

So she just nodded to her step brother.

“Perfect!” he said.

The first thing Jenn felt after those words came out from his mouth was his warm, fleshy, moist tongue coming towards her whole body. It was a completely alien sensation. At this scale, she felt it like a soft and yet porous surface, like a giant wet sponge. It was frankly indescribable. Jenn couldn’t relate the thing to anything else she had experienced in her entire life.

The next few licks were more confident than the first one. A little less awkward, but the awkwardness of the situation was almost inherent to it. They were step siblings, one was shrunken down to a few inches by a mysterious object and the other was a clumsy virgin who always wanted to do this kind of stuff but didn’t know precisely how to do it or what you were supposed to do.

And then frankly what are you supposed to do when faced with this situation? It’s not like there is a guided manual for what to do with your shrunken step sibling isn’t it?

He was in fact so clumsy with it that he had forgotten completely about taking her clothes off. The thing that would probably be step one in the guided manual if there ever were one. Probably written by them.

And then there was the other thing going on. The fact was that Jenn liked it. Jenn was absolutely into it. As much as also an unwilling part in it. A living contradiction. She wanted to get out of her brother’s clutches as much as she wanted to keep this going.

Oh god, this shirt is completely ruined now, she thought. The little rational part of her brain that was still working and not overwhelmed by her situation.

But the other part, the darker part, the one at the bottom of her consciousness, where the primal, animalistic instincts and desires are stored and kept away from our ‘civilized’ parts whispered to her: let him continue, let’s see where this is going.

And in this moment, that was the strongest part of Jenn’s mind.

She started to lose herself in the moment, just to be gently caressed by her step brother’s gentle licks. She was so lost in herself that she didn’t even notice the moment she was completely inside his mouth.

To Jenn this was like a wake up call, but only partially, she turned on herself to hold on to Oliver’s teeth, in an attempt to avoid the dangerous pit that was his throat. Grabbing on to teeth, she rolled over to the other side, on to his cheek.

Jenn was completely covered in saliva by this moment and admittedly she was starting to like it. Meanwhile, Oliver was now licking her in the back and ass, even though they were still covered by a blazer and pants, she hadn't even taken her shoes off.

Maybe it was that she was so occupied with her work or that she never got into dating but something broke inside Jenn while inside his step brother’s mouth. This was it. This was genuinely good. She felt loved. She felt warm.

However, just as she was about to actually moan, Oliver took her out of his mouth by picking her up by the waist, as he did earlier. The poor girl was a complete mess, her carefully kept attire now a wet rag. Completely ruined.

“Oh, sorry sis, I got carried away there…” Said Oliver, genuinely sorry.

“It’s… fine… it’s just fine… I can… always get new clothes” Said Jenn, the change in environment was so radical that she was a bit stunned. Her thoughts weren’t flowing right. 

Oliver almost felt pity to see her sister reduced to a wet, blushy mess. But just as Jenn had a darker inner side that wanted to see where this was going, so too did Oliver. He was way more empowered and emboldened by Jenn’s predicament however. And he was a bit more playful than Jenn’s. An idea occurred to him and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.

“I need you to get somewhere warm fast… I uhh…” he didn’t know how to properly finish that sentence. So he just proceeded with his plan. 

Carefully he set the wet mess that was Jenn on the floor. Then he kicked his shoes away.

Jenn knew perfectly ahead of time where this was going and that rational part of her didn’t want to get to it at all. This was going to be the lowest of the low for her but her inner demons were stronger.

In a weird mix of willing and unwilling, she turned herself so she was facing upwards, just as Oliver was taking his socks off. She swallowed saliva, and began to unbutton her wet shirt.

“P-please… be gentle” she said, almost a whisper, she wasn’t sure Oliver could even hear her. There was no purpose in her saying that. It was almost just a formality.

Oliver’s feet came for her, clumsy and awkward as he was, he didn’t know where to particularly start. He was just hovering his feet above her. The smell was just as bad as before, when Jenn had the power to at least attempt to convince him to back down. Now she was completely powerless, completely at the mercy of his little step brother.

And it was glorious.

She was starting to lose herself here. She was starting to find that being reduced to this weak, powerless, pathetic form was the best thing that ever happened to her, that it was good for her to be here at the mercy of her step brother. That even if Oliver didn’t want to use the words `pet´ or `toy´ that was absolutely what she was reduced to now and it was glorious.

Oliver started to massage her. His bare soles came into contact with her skin now that she had at least unbuttoned her messy shirt. He didn’t lie, his feet were warm. The sole was even softer than she had expected. And the smell was completely overpowering.

“My, I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t like the smell of my feet, what’s up with that now huh big sis?” Oliver said.

Oh God.

The sole mention of the words `big sis´ almost altered Jenn’s brain chemistry completely. But the battle wasn’t lost yet. She bit her lips to hide a moan but damn she just wanted to scream it out. So she buried her face in between Oliver’s toes.

He giggled “no need to kiss my feet big sis” he said.

Very honestly whatever this massage was he was horribly clumsy at it. He was just grinding his foot on Jenn’s body. No concern for her pleasure or, well, her overall safety. He was inexperienced with women his own size already. It was no surprise that he didn’t exactly know what got Jenn’s ball rolling.

So he started to go lower, and lower, and then lower still. Until he got it. Something he did was just right. He smiled with pride in himself. This was the thing that got her ball rolling.

One of his toes was just above Jenn’s crotch. His massage had gotten gentler by this time, slower, less grinding and more like sweet and soft rubbing. 

For Jenn it was all over. From this point on all that was left on her mind was animalistic desire.

She couldn’t control herself at this point and under such pressure. She was literally twitching with pleasure, her mouth open and drool coming out of it. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell her step brother that he kept on doing that, that he kept doing that forever. 

Biting her lips and hiding her face and mouth was no option at this point. To her utter embarrassment, she moaned loudly. If she was her normal size everyone and their neighbors would have heard that, her panties were completely soaked now, and not in just Oliver’s saliva.

She even passed out. For a few seconds.

Oliver himself was almost too tired of all that rubbing and playful teasing but this was completely different. He hadn’t expected to get her this far. It was not a scenario he was planning on.

He was beginning to notice that he was horny too. A lot. This had beaten every porn video or hentai he had consumed before by miles. There she was, the aloof and cold girlboss step sister, reduced to a wet, limp mess and covered in a combination of bodily fluids.

Oliver wasn’t thinking anymore, he was acting on impulse.

Next thing he knew he had picked her up. The girl was conscious now. Breathing heavily.

“More… more…” was the little gentle whisper coming out of her mouth.

He would be happy to oblige his big sister.

Still with Jenn in his hands, Oliver quickly went to the door to make sure it was properly locked, as he always did before doing this kind of stuff. 

Then he took his pants off and returned to bed.

Jenn was hugging his finger now. Still whispering, still lost.

Oliver didn’t think it twice. He dropped her into his underwear.

Jenn was so limp that her body didn’t generate enough adrenaline to wake her up even as she was falling for several feet into the soft fabric of her step brother’s underpants. She was still breathing heavily and hadn’t completely washed off the previous orgasm from her body.

And once she saw Oliver’s dick, almost as big as herself, she felt a mix of intimidation and the most horny thoughts she’d ever had.

This is fucked up. This is completely fucked up, back off now! Her brain screamed but her passions said otherwise. It was in fact hotter because it was fucked up and not despite it, this was going to be it.

Oliver carefully put a pillow between him, Jenn and the mattress. And then began to grind hard. His most sensitive skin feeling all the elegant curves of his step sister’s small and delicate body.

He was completely blinded by lust but he could still feel his step sister rubbing herself against his hard dick like a madwoman down there.

Jenn had, certainly, gone mad. She was ravaging his poor step brother’s dick. This was paradise. This was better than the damn office and that stupid college and being the perfect kid all the time. Fuck being the mindless pet of her bratty step brother was the way. It was simply the way the world worked right now. And it was perfect. 

Poor Oliver couldn’t keep it in for much longer. He exploded, muffling his moan by biting down hard on a pillow. 

After taking some mouthfuls of air, he sighed and rolled over. He could feel Jenn going limp again in his underwear.

He lifted his cum stained boxer to see his step sister absolutely covered in his load. From head to toe, a film of cum encroached her completely.

Jenn slowly crawled out of there, up to Oliver’s belly, and sat there. Silently.

“What the FUCK Oliver!” Jenn barked, returning to her old self.

“What? I thought you’d like it!” he replied

“I mean, I m-mean, I loved it but there was no need to fucking, you know, this” She gestured exaggeratedly at her cum covered body.

“Oh that, oh, yeah… uh… let me get you some wet towels”

Oliver picked up his step sister and left her on his night table. Jenn just stood there, completely covered in her step brother’s load, and she thanked God there was no mirror anywhere nearby.

Meanwhile, Oliver went to his desk, not so far away in the room where he retrieved some wet towels for her step sister. Still a little dumbfounded by the whole ordeal. He returned with one that, at this scale, was like a beach towel to the poor girl.

“By the way, you really seemed to have fun down there” he said, as Jenn was cleaning herself.

“Yeah, I guess I did” she said, getting a sticky heap of his step brother’s bodily fluids out of her otherwise perfect hair “and ruined a perfectly tailored suit in the process”

“Being grinded against my dick and all that…” said oliver before being cut off by Jenn

“Please don’t make this any weirder than it already is by saying it outloud” she pleaded.

“I mean yeah but you really did enjoy it” he said

“Y-yes” she said, again trying and miserably failing to hide her voice crack, to her step brother’s glee.

“And you really, really did enjoy all my footwork there!”

 “I did not…”

“Oh come on, you were literally squirming and moaning and-”

“ALRIGHT I GET IT” she barked, the good old Jenn really was back.

“No need to get all aggressive sis, we’re in this together now” Said Oliver

“Whats *this* huh?” said Jenn

“You know, we’re… uh, together…” Oliver said, trying to salvage his way out of this.

“Together *how*?”  she insisted

“Ugh I told you they haven’t invented a word for that yet, unless you’d like to go with pet?”

“I wouldn’t, thank you”

“I guessed so” he said, with a hint of disappointment, deep down he was already picturing himself enjoying this ‘pet’ idea.

“So what now?” asked Jenn

“Well… we need to brainstorm some ideas about how to hide you if I’m ever gonna get you to campus”

“What the hell am I supposed to do on campus?” asked Jenn, with a groan.

“Well, I can’t leave you here, what if someone discovers you?” he replied

“Alright, alright, you have a point…” Said Jenn thinking that one relative discovering her like this was embarrassing enough, she didn’t want to become the family’s little freak “We’ll go to campus together but please, before that, buy me some new clothes…”

“Consider it done big sis-” Said Oliver, before he was cut off by Jenn’s rather cold voice.

“Don’t call me that, please just don’t. I’m not lost on the irony but… you know…”

“Yeah… right” Said Oliver, his words leading to an awkward silence for a while.

He stood there silently, watching his step sister thoroughly clean herself. For some reason he turned away to give her some privacy. And heard a meek ‘thanks’ from behind him.

“So, about hiding me and whatever, do you have any ideas?” asked Jenn 

“That’s not how a brainstorm works, you have to start by saying a concept and-”

“Ugh alright!” Said Jenn, annoyed. “An easy one, hiding me in your dorm”

“Someone could get in easily”

“Hiding me in your backpack then”

“What if I get robbed or someone steals it from me then uh?”

“Uh, hiding me in your clothes then”

“Alright we’re getting warmer there but there’s the issue of not being able to use big hoodies or parkas all the time and they sadly have all the more convenient pockets”

“Alright somewhere else than a hoodie or parka”

“Hmm, I think I got something but it depends” said Oliver

“Depends on what?” asked Jenn

“How much did you like my feet?”

—

Oliver went down the stairs to get some snacks. It was deep in the night already. Everyone in the house was already asleep.

The cover story was very simple, Jenn had a work emergency and had to return as soon as possible to the big city. His mom was very sad that she skipped saying goodbye and had to return so soon but she understood. It was going to get harder when they actually had to file for a missing person but he wasn’t worried about that at all.

He was more worried about not crushing his big step sister underfoot. As it turned out hiding a tiny person in your shoes is a lot easier said than done.

He was in the kitchen know, a lot of food leftover from thanksgiving, and he promised his step sister some turkey after all.

She was completely back to her old self even after all they went through and all, he could hear her openly complaining a lot even muffled by his foot.

But well there was no one there to listen except for him.

It was weird, being step siblings and all but they would find a way to make it work.

His mind was racing with exciting thoughts about what to do with her. Hell, having her inside her shoe was already an exciting experience on its own. But what about college? She could use Jenn to get to know all the things the girls liked the most, use her as practice so to speak.

She would be hesitant at first, she would never change, she would always be hesitant and defiant and even bossy. Even at her reduced size Jenn will always be Jenn.

But even then, they were together now. His dream, thanks to a strange floating gem no one knew anything about and no one would ever know anything about, came true. He had her own little personal ‘word that hasn’t been invented to describe a tiny person in the care of a bigger one that wasn't a pet or a toy���

And fuck, even Oliver had to admit that this was all weird as fuck, but there would be no one to judge him nor her.

After all, no one would ever know.

Jenn was Oliver’s own little secret now.

[onlymurdersintheafterparty]

A Murder at the End of the World: Homme Fatale

FX has a new Murder mystery series and I’ve been avoiding it because I thought it was another true crime documentary 🤣 The show is described as a mystery series about a Gen Z hacker and amateur sleuth named Darby who is invited to a isolated retreat by a billionaire along with 8 other guests. When one of the guests is killed, it’s up to Darby to figure out who the killer is and stop them before it’s too late. Here is my recap and thoughts about the first episode. Spoilers ahead!

The series opens with Darby walking down a street listening to The End by The Doors which makes for a very creepy beginning to the series. Darby arrived at a book signing where it’s revealed that Darby is an author herself and has come to read from her book The Silver Doe. The Silver Doe is a true crime book that Darby wrote about herself and her lover named Bill on the hunt for a serial killer. Based off of how Darby has described this killer and that several women may have been their victims, we can assume that this will be the same killer that Darby will be chasing at the resort she ends up at with the other guests.

Darby’s reading is told through a flashback of her and Bill not only visiting but hacking into this suspected killer’s home. We learn that while yes Darby is a good hacker, she is lacking in discernment. From allowing Bill to park in the garage, to going into a basement of a house that she hasn’t even checked to see if anyone is inside, it’s clear she makes terrible choices. Not only did the two break in, they tore up the basement floors to try to see if they could find any bodies. AND THEY SLEPT THERE. Now I will give Darby props for discovering the stairs were redone to cover a buried body, but that whole scene was so anxiety inducing. I get wanting to be the first to crack a case but you can’t reap the rewards if you’re dead. When asked by an audience member what happened to Bill she refuses to answer so we know there’s a lot to unpack there.

At twenty minutes into the episode, we finally get into the main plot. Andy Robson, a reclusive billionaire and tech genius who Darby previously mentioned at her book reading, has contacted her. This already feels super shady, but especially so when his assistant shows up at her place and demands to be let in but can only be seen on the cell phone. Andy Ronson has invited her along with 8 guests to meet on a paid for retreat because he wants to meet all of their brilliant minds to discuss technology. Darby is hesitant but agrees after learning that Lee, Andy’s wife will be there. Lee is a hacker who Darby looks up to so there was no doubt that she’d attend the trip. It feels like a set up but we shall see. All these precautions taken just to board and the fact that Andy has been keeping tabs on her just gives me a weird feeling idk.

After a strange dream/flashback we learn that the guests have been taken to Fljot Valley in Iceland. I love a Good snowed in and isolated mystery and it’s giving me the same vibe as the HBO limited series The Head. But on to the suspects:

Martin Mitchell, a filmmaker who wants to make a film about missing Black women in D.C.

Lu Mei, a woman who builds smart cities in China, Yinchuan to be exact

Dr. Sian Cruise, a doctor who is researching colonizing the moon

David Alvarez, a venture capitalist born in Argentina

Ziba, an Iranian activist

Oliver, works with robotics

The mysterious Bill in question, Bill Farrah

Rohan, ???

Marius

Lee Andersen

Andy Ronson

Lu Mei’s assistant who never speaks

Todd

Ray

I’m starting to think Darby is an unreliable narrator with her Silver Doe book 🤔 What really happened with Bill? And Lee is giving me unfulfilled housewife vibes which is sad because Darby describes her as being brilliant.

After a dinner of introductions and being absolutely shook at Bill’s reappearance, the two end up having a small chat before both return to their rooms. I can’t help but feel that Bill will be the first victim because he said there was something he needed to tell Darby before leaving alone which breaks mystery/thriller/horror rule #1 to never go off alone,especially when you have important info to share. And sure enough, he’s dead. This sucks because he was such an interesting character and I wanted to see more of him and Darby together.

My first theory:

Darby was invited because she was needed as a fall guy or the murder was anticipated and they needed a sleuth but didn’t want to use the police. Lee and Bill knowing each other is very suspicious but it could very well be a red herring. Martin and Sian both seemed like fans of Bill so maybe they’ve met before and we’re either obsessed or had a bad encounter after dinner. It would be so wild if Ray did it on Andy’s command but the question then is how since he’s ai. But then again the room could have been rigged to be tampered with. I hate that Bill died without even hinting at who killed him because that would have given us something to work with.

All in all I’m liking the show so far and I’m glad to have a new mystery series to focus on. What do you guys think so far?

[odin-energy]

Ways To Decorate Your Home With Insulation

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Insulate your basement ceiling

Insulating your basement ceiling is a great way to keep it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. There are several types of insulation available, but for maximum effectiveness you should use either fiberglass or cellulose.

If you can access your basement ceiling from above, then it's possible to install insulation yourself by attaching clips or screws along the edge of each board. If this isn't an option for some reason (for example, if there are pipes running through), then hiring someone else may be necessary.

Insulate your garage door

If you have a garage or attached carport, insulating it is an easy way to reduce noise and heat loss. This can be especially helpful if your home is located close to an airport or train tracks.

The same goes for any other exterior door that leads into your home, including storm doors and front doors. If you want to take things a step further, consider adding storm windows on top of the existing ones; this will help prevent condensation from forming between panes of glass when it's cold outside--and keep those warm breezes out during summer months!

Insulate that old shed

If you have an old shed, it's a great place to start insulating. Here are some things you can do:

Insulate the door. Use foam board and weather stripping to seal up gaps around the frame of your shed door. Your goal is to prevent heat from escaping through this area so that it doesn't get into your house or apartment when it's cold outside.

Insulate windows and walls with batts if possible; otherwise use polystyrene boards cut into strips (for example) if they're not accessible from inside your home or apartment building--just make sure that whatever material you use is thick enough for adequate insulation value!

If possible, insulate floors as well by laying down polystyrene boards cut into strips (again). This will help keep warm air trapped underfoot while reducing condensation buildup underneath them during humid summer months--which could lead otherwise harmless water droplets freezing onto surfaces beneath them instead of evaporating into thin air like they normally would due to high temperatures outside causing such events instead!

Insulate that drafty window seat

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Insulation! You can use fiberglass insulation or even newspaper to fill the gaps between your cushions and walls. This will help prevent cold air from seeping through the cracks of your seat and making it uncomfortable for sitting on in winter months.

A thick blanket or comforter for extra padding if necessary--and maybe even a pillow if you want more cushioning on top of everything else! Just make sure that whatever fabric choice you make has no holes in it so that no more drafts sneak through when someone sits down here (or lays down).

Finally, if there are any exposed pipes behind this area (as there often are), consider using them as an excuse not only because they look cool but also because they provide excellent heat sources during colder seasons without having too much impact on energy bills since they're already running anyway."

Freeze insulation around potted plants in the winter to help protect them from frost

If you want to protect your potted plants from frost, insulation can help.

In the winter, it's important to insulate your home and yard so that the heat stays inside and doesn't escape through cracks in walls or windowsills. You can use insulation for many things: it's great at keeping heat inside during cold months and blocking noise from outside when it's hot out (like on a summer day). In fact, if you have an attic space where there are gaps between joists or rafters--or even just around light fixtures--you might want some extra protection there too!

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[coelsometimescan]

Hi! I am a native Houstonian, and I did volunteer at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) while I was in High School as well as going there several times when I was a kid. And while I don’t disagree with a lot of the points that you've made, especially with the art gallery design of a lot of the exhibits and several exhibits either lacking some information or being biased, I would like to respond with how I view HMNS, I am going to try to not be completely biased in my response although I do really love this museum and I do really think that  HMNS has greatly improved since I was a child. I am going to try and go in the same order that you did for continuity.

Gift shops!

uh yeah there is one in the entrance for the parking garage, although, I do often forget that that's a main entrance, because that's just simply just not where I park? Largely due to the fact that the parking garage isn’t free and there are several 3hr parking lots in the nearby vicinity as well as the zoo parking lot so I often prefer to park in one of those locations instead.

And yeah the location is most likely due to funding for the museum. As for the other two gift shops, I am not sure of the location of them? and this might just be forgetting, unless you're talking about the shops connected to the special exhibits, which I think is partially just a product of not wanting to put all that merch in the main gift shop as well as trying to capitalize on people coming out of the special exhibits. If there's more, I genuinely don't remember where they are.

Basement

I do think that the last time that the space hall was updated was when they initially designed it /hj. I am not sure why its never been fully updated beyond a few temp exhibits that have related to it. Additionally, half the time its closed for one reason or another. I don’t know if this is because of competition with NASA or for some other reason, but it really is kinda sad that that is the representation that HMNS gives the space program and space exploration in what is supposed to be space city

First Floor

A lot of the first floor is under construction for the new chemistry hall so no notes on that. On the topic of dinosaurs, I do agree that the hall is very artistically laid out. However, there is a path through the hall that does not require much doubling back, or rather not any more than I remember doing at any other museum. Yes, it can be confusing, yes, I do think that the path could be a little more clearly marked, and yes, you can cut between the different geological times, but there is a path. There is a section where it does require you to double back, but its really only one area. I do agree that informational plaques could be more visible. As for the dioramas, particularly in the Mesozoic area and a few in the Cenozoic the dioramas are between the islands. Or at least that's how I’ve always viewed it. 

I am not going to speak on the human evolution section, I, quite frankly, don't know enough on the topic and don’t remember the specifics on the information given.

Second Floor

Love the malacology (shells) exhibit, it recently just got an update and is a huge improvement to what it was. 

From what I remember of the Africa hall, it was fairly well lit, especially in comparison to other halls. The Texas Hall, I know is relatively dim, but it also cycles through day and night cycles with the sound tracks changing to reflect that as well.

Cabinet was specifically designed for a few reasons. 

to be interactive

everything at eye level to the person is available to touch, just don't grab things off the shelf.

It’s the attic

all the artifacts would just be in storge otherwise. I think that they took this as an opportunity to display artifacts that would otherwise just be in a warehouse. Additionally they rotate the artifacts quite often. 

I do think that they could be more information on the pieces, but this part of the museum is largely for kids and being able to take part in the experience hands on and actually touch pieces. 

While I do love the minerology hall from an artistic perspective, it is heavily lacking in information. I do believe that that hall is going to have the next update after the chem hall, and I do have high hopes for it. 

You didn’t mention the Faberge hall, which is located in the back of the gem hall, I think, from what I remember, is well done and is by far the most educational part of the hall.

Third Floor

I agree with you on almost all points of this floor, and while a lot of the displays are take-and-display bases, I do know that a lot of our artifacts are there after discussions with Egypt. I do think that we have a good relationship with the Egyptian government, and that the artifacts at HMNS are there fairly, and I will honestly be devastated if I find out there not, and we are actively keeping artifacts from their cultures and people. Semi-recently the President(?) of HMNS was in Cairo negotiating the movement of the Ramses and Tut special exhibits as well as overseeing the creation of several modules of artifacts to be used in at HMNS. Tut is still there actually!

I do know that the Hall of the America did just undergo an update and it was a huge improvement in actually trying to do right by native cultures. Although, I do agree that it is still a underrepresentation of the impact  of colonialism and manifest destiny has had on these peoples.

Fourth Floor

You are very very correct. Houston is an oil city, and it very obviously shown here. For this to be a true “energy hall” there needs to be more information on renewables. There also needs to be a lot more information on the impacts of the oil industry. This is absolutely true.

Things I like:

Energy city

There is a 3-D printed city that has lots of fun visuals and easter eggs

It cycles through energy types and is where most of the informational on renewables is. HOWEVER it takes a while to get through all the cycles.

The formation of oil section

it has micro organisms!

Geological time scales!

They have a section of trap types

this is really only because I think rock formations are cool.

Lot of technology (especially in the first half) that I think is interesting 

This could of course be expanded to show other technologies especially for renewables. But I just think that some of the tech it cool.

But yeah, very petroleum focused.

Final Notes

I do really like HMNS but I do absolutely think that the information presented can be greatly improved. There are guided tours (I do love the docents and tour guides), but those cost money. If you go during the summer there are teenage volunteers who know the information and don't require paying extra for the information.

HMNS is very very large. I tend to take several hours to go through and often I take several days when I want an in depth refresher, which is not always feasible. I do disagree with you on you saying that one leaves the museum with no new knowledge beyond that gained regarding the petroleum industry, there was at least one exhibit (malacology) where you admitted that the hall was well informed and well organized. Presuming that most people are not experts in every field I think that is quite possible to say that that most people might walk out of HMNS learning something not related to oil. Are updates needed? Yes. Without a doubt. But saying that the only new information learned it how to drill for oil, I think is unfair. But again as stated in the beginning I might be blinded by my love and nostalgia for HMNS. In the end both of our critiques are just opinions, and I hope that you did at least enjoy your visit somewhat.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science

I'm a big fan of Science Museums. The collections carried by museums are incredibly important to science (particularly paleontology, archeology, etc). So when I found myself in Houston for a day with a few hours to burn, I decided hey, let's check out the museum.

Note: I purchased the student, permanent exhibit ticket. So I cannot comment on the special exibits.

But I left a bit disappointed. In the end, the museum felt well stocked but poorly executed.

First, let me dole out my complements. The collection they possess is very impressive. The Dino hall had an impressive number of complete skeletons; there was an entire exhibit of sea shells; the mineral collection was pretty good; the archeological pieces from the North American indigenous civilizations and the ancient Egyptian civilization were numerous. They had a lot to work with.

However, almost every exhibit felt like it was trying to be an art gallery more than a museum (the dino hall and the minerals were among the worst offenders). The exhibits were also very child-unfriendly, with many of the pieces completely unprotected. They were very much trying to sell an experience more than educate. There were three separate gift shops one of which was a main entrance (though, to be fair, I expect this is as much a result of poor funding as it is poor form). Let me explain further by going floor by floor.

The lower floor: Uh, Houston. We have a problem.

The space exhibit was a small hall with some scale models of craft, a few suits, and a mercury era capsule (an actual capsule, not a replica). That's it. Humanity's greatest achievement on lackluster display. Took me literally 5 minutes to view the entire collection. For the city that's arguably the most associated with the space program, I expected more.

The first floor: dinosaur, an art form.

The first floor was partially under construction so I'll give that a bit of a pass. But the life history/dinosaur hall was really frustrating. First, it was poorly lit and confusingly laid out. If you wanted to view everything in order, you had to double back at several points. The labeling was also very poorly executed. Individual fossils weren't clearly marked, information plaques were white with small font (which in the low light were hard to find). Smaller fossils were displayed like paintings while the dinosaurs were displayed like sculptures. Seriously, the dinosaurs were on these weird white islands with lighting under them, devoid of any diorama-like scenery (see photo). It was odd.

But the most egregious thing, in my opinion, was the inaccuracies in the human evolution section. Weirdly, they were concerning homo neanderthalensis each time. They mentioned Neanderthals in a few seperate places and each time listed a different time range. And on one timeline, there was shown a considerable time gap between h. sapiens and h. neandertalensis, despite the two having considerable overlap. This is a huge oversight.

The second floor: a cabinet of curious display choices.

The second floor contained animal dioramas, the seashell exhibit, the gemstone and mineral exhibit, and the, "Morian Cabnet of Curiosities." Apart from the seashells (which were in a very well-organized, well-informed exhibit), this entire floor was simply disappointing. The animal dioramas were pretty good, but very poorly lit. I felt it really detracted from the displays. The Morian Cabnet of Curiosities was a homage to the private museum-like collections that were kept by the gentry of ages past. While it was entertaining, I felt the pieces could have been viewed better if placed in proper exhibits. It also felt a bit to be glorifying a sort of imperial/colonial, take-and-display mindset of yesteryear that really has no place in modern museums.

Honestly, the biggest disappointment on this floor was the mineral and gem exhibit. As a chemist, I find minerals really fascinating. So when I see a mineral exhibit in a museum, I go in expecting to see at least non-specific metal complex names listed by the minerals being displayed. No such luck here. There was literally nothing of educational value in the entire exhibit. The whole thing was like a gemstone exhibit I would expect at a jewelry gallery. Dark room with artfully lit pieces on black satin, common names and places of origin listed. Nothing else. If I had not already had a pretty broad understanding of minerals, I would have left knowing literally nothing. The gems were also just disappointing. Several had large, visible scratches and others were covered in layers of dust. Honestly, appalling.

The third floor: a thin layer of whitewash.

The third floor contained an exhibit on the native peoples of North America and one on ancient Egypt. The Egypt one was very well stocked and incredibly well designed, visually. The information (as far as I could tell) was also accurate. Only major gripes I had were the very slight glorification of the same take-and-display mindset I mentioned earlier and the reinforcement of common Egyptian-based cinema stereotypes (music and imagry mostly). Also, Sobek was nowhere to be found, much to my personal disappointment.

To their credit, the NA peoples exhibit is clearly trying to do right by the cultures discussed. However, I felt the language used in some aspects minimized the history these cultures have been put through.

The forth floor: brought to you buy the ENTIRE FUCKING PETROLIUM INDUSTRY

Before I tear into this, let me be absolutely clear: the extraction of petroleum from the earth is a vital, necessary industry. It's pursuit has truly been beneficial to humanity in a number of ways. Similarly, the energy industry is an absolutly vital part of human civilization.

HOWTHEFUCKEVER

It is my honest opinion that petroleum is a resource we're squandering by simply burning it. We can do so much more with it as a chemical stock for making shit than we can just mindlessly setting it on fire (and destroying the planet in the process). And with access to far safer and renewable forms of energy (nuclear, geothermal, solar, wind, hydroelectric) at this point burning shit to produce energy is just mind-numbingly vacuous.

So imagine my frustration when I arrive at the fourth floor and see nothing but a glorified marketing campaign for every oil company on this forsaken rock. They called it the, "Wiess Energy hall," but it really was just the petroleum industry on parade. There was a tiny section describing the various renewable energy resources on boring displays. And not a single explanation on nuclear fission power, anywhere. Literally the only place I saw it was in one spot in a diorama detailing the energy sources in a city. Meanwhile there were dioramas of oil rigs, models of generators, an inspiring statue of an oil worker, interactive displays of deep-sea drilling, whole-ass holograms in a diorama of a coal mine, interactive displays showing how oil is separated, vr rides for exploring aspects of the industry, and a host of other superficially really cool exhibits glorifying the continued destruction of the planet. But hey, they did include one single fucking sentence mentioning climate change. So they're being responsible, right? And at every fucking one of these displays, "provided by generous donations from [insert oil family/company here]." It was abundantly clear that this was bought and paid for by the oil industry.

For some reason, the whole thing gave the same energy (pun fully intend) as this line from Jurassic Park:

Final words.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is a paradoxical crossroads where a first rate collection meets a failure of design and management. It's absolutely clear to me that the entire institution has forgone the idea of educating its guests in favor of entertaining them with curosities that glorify the less-than-noble aspects of science's history. One should expect to leave a museum with some amount of new knowledge. But I expect most leave having only learned how to drill for oil.

[smeddiemunson]

(part 1 here)

After they narrowly escape being fucked up by what Eddie had planned for them (a goblin ambush they were completely underprepared for), the Hellfire members took their sweet time in clearing up after themselves; an unspoken agreement between the older members to hang around long enough to see just how Eddie behaves around Steve.

Gareth didn’t think Dustin had figured it out. He just connected dots he doesn’t know are on the same playing board, Eddie’s mystery crush and Steve’s favourite song nothing more than a coincidence. Or at least Gareth hoped that’s how it’s playing out, he knew it took a lot, more than his posturing would ever imply, for Eddie to reveal his big secret to the band. He didn’t want Eddie to have to confront that again until he felt ready, even if it is just to some kids.

Jeff was kneeling on the floor, reaching under the table where he pretended to drop a bag of dice when Steve began to make his way down the stairs.

Over his shoulder he called out, “Thank you, Mrs Wheeler!”

Jeff didn’t see the way Eddie perked up just at the sound of his voice, but Gareth and Grant certainly did.

“Are you flirting with Mrs Wheeler again, Stevie?” Eddie teased, ignoring the way Mike retched and groaned about it being gross.

‘Stevie?’ Gareth mouthed to Grant, who just shrugged. Nicknames are a dime a dozen when Eddie decides he likes a person. Gareth had been Gare-Bear for as long as he’d known him, Jeff was Jeffy, and Grant got to be ad-Grant-age. Stevie was a bit different, Stevie was close, affectionate in a way that the nicknames that usually spilled from Eddie’s lips weren’t.

This was maybe worse than they thought.

The last crush Eddie had was there and gone almost in a blink of an eye. Connor from his home room who doodled stick figure drawings of their teachers to pass to Eddie every morning until the jocks got to him and Eddie was cast aside again. But for two precious weeks, Eddie was happy, nice, and didn’t freak when Grant snapped a guitar string that meant they couldn’t practise until he got his hands on a replacement.

This was wholly different. Steve didn’t even bat an eyelash at the affectionate tone, in fact, Gareth thought he saw a faint pinkness colour his cheeks; though he didn’t know if it was just the heat of the basement that did it.

“Convincing her you haven’t yet corrupted her children more like,” Steve laughed.

Jeff, who had now appeared from under the table, made a half aborted motion towards Mike that only Gareth and Grant could see from their side of the table. There was no question that Eddie had sunk his claws into Wheeler and the boy was fully corrupted. If they didn’t know better, they could’ve confused Mike for Eddie’s brother, the resemblance now so uncanny.

Eddie smiled. A real one that took up his whole face and made his eyes sparkle.

Definitely worse than they thought.

Steve turned to the kids. “Henderson, you’re with me. Byers you’re with Eddie. Sinclair, I trust you can walk next door without supervision?” He glanced at his watch while Lucas nodded as if this weren’t the first time he’d been questioned in such a way. “And we’ve got thirty minutes until curfew so get moving.”

The kids, naturally grumbled but they didn’t argue, which was yet another weird thing for the Corroded Coffin boys to experience. Those kids argued with everything.

“Oh hey, Ed, Argyle is getting in late Friday night so pool party at mine on Saturday. You in?” Steve dug his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, trying to act casual, as if he didn’t care about Eddie’s answer. But it was clear as day to Gareth, who didn’t even know him, that Steve really really cared.

Eddie’s face fell. “Sorry, band practice on Saturday. We’ve got a show coming up so…”

Gareth jumped in before he had to watch either of them start crying. “You can go after, Eddie. My mom’ll kill me if we spend all day in the garage anyway.”

Steve’s face lit up like it was Christmas morning.

Now Gareth couldn’t be certain, he wasn’t certain about anything in his life except for his love of Iron Maiden and the reality that he was never leaving Hawkins, but he was fairly sure Steve Harrington might just return Eddie’s feelings.

“Awesome! Hey, you guys should come too! It’s only gonna be a small thing: me, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan and his friend Argyle.”

“Um, thanks, but—“ Jeff cut off in his refusal with a groan as Gareth and Grant not so subtly dug their elbows into his stomach.

They were going to have to spend more time in the orbit of Eddie-and-Steve if Gareth was going to be able to figure out if feelings were a two way street. He wasn’t super excited about the prospect of spending all afternoon playing nice with rich kids, but he’d done worse things for the sake of making Eddie happy. He could do this as well.

“We’d love to!” Grant filled in a little too excitedly. Gareth shot him a look that hopefully conveyed his need to calm down.

“Where do you live?”

Steve smiled. “Teddy knows, he’s been enough times. Oh and you’re welcome to crash after, if you want. There’s enough space.”

“Teddy,” Gareth echoed. They all knew about Eddie’s mom’s nickname for him. Eddie’s dead mom’s nickname for him, and the way he never wanted a reminder.

Steve laughed. “Yeah because he’s just so cuddle-able!”

Eddie, through clenched teeth and a bright red blush, hissed. “Shut up.”

Oh and his eyes pleaded with Gareth to let it go, that they wouldn’t talk about it later.

Clue 5. Eddie was completely aware of how smitten he was.

“We’ll be there, Harrington,” Gareth said, the finality on the matter that Jeff would be arguing with him about later.

Steve smiled so wide it was almost blinding. He left with a squeeze to Eddie’s shoulder, hand lingering longer than necessary, and Dustin moaning about why the kids hadn’t been invited to a pool party.

There were two things Gareth knew for sure. One: Eddie wasn’t just crushing on Steve Harrington, he was well on his way to being in love with him. Two: Steve was either just the chillest guy alive (unlikely) or he returned Eddie’s feelings.

Either way, Gareth had some meddling to do.

(part 3)

[just-a-sleepy-idiot]

Billy & Stu Imagine: Them making you part of the team after you kill your abuser

Content/Warnings: TW attempted rape!!, Reader murders the person, Gender neutral Reader but female slurs used towards reader, honestly this is basically a revenge fantasy that comes from my rape phobia so.., parts of the first movie included

Stu Macher was having one of his parties and the fact that he had this idea despite a Killer going after the students of their school was a perfect example of his infamous lack of seriousness. So it was said, and yet all the people who said that ended up coming to the party anyways. You were there too, you felt safer joining a crowd this evening than being by yourself all night.

But little did you know that this party was the target for the next killing spree, that the killer or rather the two of them weren't afraid to go after someone with others so close by. It made the thrill even sweeter for them.

One of the guys from your class had asked you to help him out with a problem, proposing you'd talk privately upstairs and you followed after him. You were always glad to help someone out, and since the others were just downstairs there was no reason to assume he was going to kill you. But.. he had something else on mind.

You sat down with him, listening to what he had to say. He started off talking about how lonely he felt lately, subtly asking if you felt the same. You thought he just wanted to share with feelings and hear out yours, and as this conversation slowly carried on you were more and more uncertain what he was going for with all this talk.

Billy meanwhile had joined the party a while ago, but not officially yet. No his entrance would follow later, but until then he had something to do- he caught the first one who parted from the group, she went into the basement to grab some beers but in the end she found an unfortunate end in the garage door. Unconventional but an interesting kill none the less.

Lots left to see their work on the schools principal, only few stayed. Sidney didn't come like they expected her to, this whole party was meant to be a set up for her finale- but even without her they could let out some steam. Build up more fear in the people.. at least in those that were lucky enough to leave the party before the others were killed.

The only people left were upstairs, but what they expected to find wasn't what they ended up witnessing in the end.

The guy had started off innocently, offering that you could help each other in these times of fear, talked about how you make him feel less lonely and how he could.. make you feel comfortable as well.

"Let me make you feel good.." that was what he said when he leaned in and forced a kiss on your lips shortly before you broke it off and tried to stand up- but his hand rushed to your shoulder and pressed you down on the ground you had been sitting on.

You struggled against him, "Stop that! I don't.. want that..!"

Billy and Stu were on their way up when they heard these unexpected sounds coming from behind the door, these muffled sounds of distress.

The guy pried your legs open with his knee and pinned your wrist to the floor to stop you from pushing him away. "No! No..!!" Tears welled up in your eyes, you tried to crawl back, go into any direction to get away from this assault.

"Come on.. don't be such a bitch about it, you went up here with me after all. You knew what was coming! Now take it you slut"

He ripped your shirt of, when you tried to turn away he also got a hold of your sleeves and ripped some of them as well, you weeped and struggled against him with all your strength but he forced you back down right away.

Billy and Stu had been determined to go in and get it over with but stopped to figure out what sound it was, that was muffled through the door. "Is.. someone crying?" Stu asked, Billy looked at him through the mask but didn't answer, instead he opened the door now. It was time to end this, they didn't have all the time in the world.

When the door was pushed open the guy didn't even really look back, he just slurred "Get the fuck out, we're busy!"

The two of them were insane, preferably called psychotic though, and the fear and desperation in their victims eyes.. it set them off, it was the thrill from the movies that became insufficient a long time ago. But your tear stained face, the broken look in your eyes when you gazed at them when they stood in the door.. that wasn't fun at all. It wasn't amusing, it wasn't fun in any way it was just.. wrong. It was the wrong kind of fear.

Billy growled in annoyance and rushed in, kicking the guy off you so he fell to the side, and Stu crouched down holding up his knife ready to kill him when-

"No!" He actually stopped, the two of them looked at you now. Where you seriously going to plead for this guy?? This man who chose the most pathetic form of violence towards you?

But the way your gaze dropped to the knife, the way how anxiety mixed with anger.. you reached out to him. "Y..You have to kill me right..? You will kill me too.." you paused, and looked down at the guy. "But.." a shaky breath left your lips, you couldn't even say it.

You fell silent, but they realized what it was that you desired. This wasn't planned, this wasn't part of any scenario they could have expected or imagined but they were in awe of what was happening right now. They felt a glimpse of what you were feeling, they knew this strange temptation as well. And slowly.. Stu handed you the knife, their eyes were fixated on you. You took it, your eyes wide while your shoulders raised and fell from your heavy breath.

Your lips parted slowly, tears were welling up in your eyes again but this time it wasn't fear but ecstasy that made your heart beat faster. The tears started streaming down your face, but a low dry laugh left your throat. "So.. you want to be inside of me.. huh.." you straddled him and your breath fastened once more, "How do you like this fucking penetration then!?"

You stabbed him, the knife cut deep into his chest, then his stomach, you took swings over and over again. Your face felt heated from the tears and the blood, you didn't care that he was already bleeding out at this point you just stabbed him until you couldn't anymore.

Sobbing loudly, you then dropped the knife and threw your hands in your face, gazing through your fingers and gasping for air. You heard the faint rustling of fabric, Billy had taken off his mask.

"..Y/N.. isn't it?" You turned your head to look at him. It was.. Billy Loomis..?? Stu now also removed his mask and curiously looked at you. "I don't think you'll get out of this one with a self defense claim." The dark haired boy mused, you furrowed your brows. Was he mocking you..?

Stu picked up the knife and played around with it, looking from Billy to you. "You really did him good, but that scumbag deserved no better." It was Billy Loomis.. and Stu Macher.. they were the killers?? You slowly realized what must have happened downstairs, realized that you might be the only other person left now..

"I assume you don't want to deliver yourself to the police?" You were still silent, you couldn't follow, it was all too much right now. Stu seemed to get what Billy was after, his eyes widened but a grin followed.

The blond now gently helped you up, "Let's get you away from that mess hm?" Stu put an arm around you and the two of them led you downstairs, you just followed still struck by the shock.

The two of them sat you down on the couch and took a seat on each side of you, Billy gave Stu a look. It didn't take long for the first words to spill from your lips now, "I.. I killed him.." it was almost like Billys gaze softened, Stu put a strand of hair behind your ear.

"With that many wounds no one will believe that you acted in self defense you know, they might think you are the killer." Billy begun, "but it will be hard for the police to determine who killed who here and why." Stu added and continued, "That guy upstairs might as well have been the Woodsboro Killer."

Now it slowly started to dawn on you what there were saying, "Are you.. willing to cover for me..?"

Billy chimed in, "We could cover for each other. We all saw the Killer and locked ourselves in, he knew he couldn't get us when we're together so he made a run for it."

Stu now gently grasped your face with his hand and turned you to look at him, gently wiping a way the blood from your face with a tissue. "How could we get rid of you when you showed us such a stunning performance just now."

His hand was warm and despite the insanity in his smile his gaze was playful and sympathetic. You felt something touching your skin and saw how Billy now put his shirt around your shoulders to cover you a bit. "What you did was right, if someone deserved to die tonight it was him. Just imagine who else he could have done this to if you didn't put an end to this." He said lowly.

Your gaze was tilted with exhaustion, your cheeks red from crying and you looked so completely done. Maybe they just caught you in the best moment, right after your shock, maybe it was how they lured you in with arguments but what they said.. it felt right. This is what you wanted to do.

You slowly nodded, looking from one to another. "I'll do what you need me to do." You pulled your legs up and rubbed your eyes, "Just.. can I maybe stay with you.. just this night maybe?" It was strange, to ask literal murderers something like this. You already thought about taking it back, but they seemed to understand why you felt this way.

"Of course!" Stu said, he might be clueless at times but he figured that you couldn't be alone after what has been nearly done to you just now. And they were the only people who knew what this guy was about to do to you, the only ones who knew what you did afterwards. They were the only people that could imagine right now what you were going through because they have seen it happening.

"After the police came here we can get your stuff and you'll sleep over." Billy determined sternly.

"Ready to call the cops?"

- - -

If you liked this please show it by commenting

[chaotic-orphan]

Intoxicating fear — (XX)

The World Turns Upside Down

Alternate idea, changed after publishing this, the canon part XX link is here.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kit was wary about following Ambrose down a very dark, a very concrete set of stairs. “If this is the fucking torture basement I woke up in initially—”

Ambrose waved the accusation away, as if it was daft for Kit to be wary. “It’s to the garage,” he told him, keying a code into the pin-pad beside the metal door.

Ambrose walked through the door and held it open, rolling his eyes when he noticed Kit still lingering at the top of the stairs.

“Come on.”

“I’m not going to willingly follow you into your torture dungeon.”

Ambrose blinked, tilting his head. “The sex dungeon is two floors down, Mallory.”

Ambrose laughed at the face that Kit pulled. “Come on. I can always force you to come if I want, and we’re kind of a time crunch here.”

Kit glared daggers at the man and begrudgingly walked down the stairs. He stopped at the last step, trying to get a peak into the room. Ambrose walked away from the door letting it close before Kit could. Kit lunged forward to catch the heavy metal door, but relaxed immediately when he saw it was in fact a garage.

Kit let out a long low whistle after stepping into the garage. The door shut with a buzzer after him. Ambrose opened a lock box with keys hung up in a numbered order.

He grabbed the keys named ‘01’.

“You’re such a control freak,” Kit snorted. “Do you have OCD or something?”

Ambrose shrugged, taking off through the cars covered by different tarps. The only car that wasn’t covered was the one closest to the garage door. The same car that Ambrose kidnapped Kit in last night.

He hated that Ambrose had a good taste in cars. He hated that Ambrose had this many cars when Kit couldn’t even afford one, nevermind a garage full.

Ambrose grinned at Kit over the roof of the Wraith as he unlocked the door. “If you like, I can give you one of the ones I don’t like.”

Kit rolled his eyes. “I thought I told you to stay out of my head,” he said, opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. The cream leather was so comfortable under him as he put his seatbelt on.

“Seriously,” Kit went on, anger curling around him the more comfortable he became with all of Ambrose’s luxury. “Don’t you have any thoughts of your own?! It’s fucking creepy, man. Just ask questions if you want to know my thoughts.”

Ambrose laughed as he opened the garage door with a remote and they rolled out of the house and onto the road again.

“I mean, don’t you have any friends?” Kit demanded hotly. In all honesty, he didn’t know why he was getting pissed all of a sudden, it’s not like Ambrose invading his mind was a new thing, but now? It pissed him off. “Don’t you know how to talk to people?!”

“Relax, Mallory. You’re the only person I relay their thoughts to. It might shock you, but generally, people love when you know what they’re thinking. It’s why humans seek connection. To feel understood.”

“Okay, Socrates,” Kit grumbled. “It’s just fucking weird. I don’t like it when you do it.”

“All of a sudden.”

“Yes!” Kit snapped, glaring at the villain beside him as the forest zoomed past them. “All of a sudden!”

What had Ambrose seen? What parts of him did he know? Could he see everything or was it selective?

“After you found out I’m Mentor’s son,” Ambrose said pointedly. Kit scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring out the passenger window. They drove in a terse silence for a while, cause Ambrose was a psychopath and didn’t have the radio on.

“We have to talk about it, Kit.”

“Well, you already know my thoughts on it all, so enjoy having a conversation by yourself.”

“Mallory,” Ambrose said with a tired sigh, flicking on the indicator as they pulled to a stop. “I know it must seem like a weird coincidence to you, but I swear I didn’t know you were Mentor’s s—”

Kit’s hands tightened into fists. Son. He was about to say son.

“Prodigy,” he settled on, taking a right and messing with the gears until they were coasting again. The air seemed tighter. “I didn’t know that he meant anything to you. I swear— I just assumed that when you were scared of me turning you into him, that you had heard the horror stories in the academy, or Superhero told you. Not that you… not that you were personally affected.”

Kit’s eyes burned as he stared out the window, the forest growing sparser the closer they got to the city. “I didn’t know. You have to believe me.”

“And if you did?”

Ambrose hesitated.

Kit turned his head to look at him, studying the villain’s reactions.

“And if you knew that he was like a father to me.” Like a father, not an actual one. “If you knew how much it hurt to see a man who plucked me out of nothing be destroyed. Would it have been any different?! Or would you have laughed and rubbed it in like salt in a wound?”

“Kit—”

“Oh, come off it. There’s no one here, Rosey. It’s only me and you,” Kit said, his voice dripping with a horrible hysterical knowing. “You can be your usual sadistic, unfeeling, monstrous self and I can tell nobody about it—”

“Mallory—” Ambrose tried to interject but Kit spoke over him again.

“But you know the funniest part in all this? You already took away the one person who would have given a shit about this! About me, not the Hero. Me. And you made him a monster!” Kit roared, something wet hitting his cheeks and flowing like a stream down his face. “And now, because clearly God hates me, I have to team up with you of all people, to go and stop — the one man who ever treated me like a person — from becoming a monster like you.”

The silence was deafening. In some strange way, it was comforting. No electricity crackles or malfunctioning lights accompanied his breakdown with the power dampeners locked around his wrist.

It was cathartic.

They had just pulled into the main road that brought them to the outskirts of the city, the skyline visible over the horizon when Ambrose spoke.

“He wasn’t a hero to me,” said Ambrose quietly, almost imperceptibly. Kit glanced at him, but his eyes settled on the white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

“Don’t fucking tell me you have daddy issues.” When Ambrose didn’t answer Kit let out a strangled laugh. Blinking in bewilderment, Kit raised his brows. “Are you telling me you have daddy issues? Mr Big Bad villain?”

“Oh fuck off, Mallory. At least I had parents.”

The words stung. They cut deeper than Kit would have ever admitted out loud or shown physically, but Kit knew that Ambrose was in his head after the villain winced.

Shifting in his seat, he said: “I’m— I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off snarky. I just—” Ambrose let out a groan. “You just rub me up the wrong way.”

“Well who’s fucking fault is that, dickhead?!”

“Do you want me to explain, or are you just going to argue with me the entire drive to the hospital?” Ambrose snapped. “I can only do one of those things in our limited time, so choose.”

Kit clenched his teeth, glaring forwards at the car in front of them. “Fine. Tell me.”

“Mentor is my father. As you know, he only rose to prominence within our lifetimes, though you may be too young to remember. Before him, heroes and villains weren’t really a thing. There were a couple dotted here and there, but mostly they were vigilantes. The good guys and the bad guys.”

“Yeah. I remember learning about that in the academy.”

“Right. So after my father rose in public opinion and word of mouth, well the government started stepping in and trying to regulate it. Which they did and the rest is history, but he wasn’t the same heroic good man when he came home.”

Kit swallowed, tightening his fingers into fists. He didn’t want to hear this, he realised. He really wanted Ambrose to shut up and not tell him anymore, but he asked for this, didn’t he? To know the side of Mentor that Ambrose knew?

“He wasn’t abusive,” Ambrose said softly and Kit released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Not physically, anyway. When he discovered that I was born with powers he sought to train me, to make me in his image. A family of Superheroes. My Mom, she didn’t want that for me. She saw the toll it took on him to be the city’s saviour everyday, and that’s when they started fighting.”

Kit sat rigid in his seat, staring forward. He couldn’t imagine Mentor fig— well, no. He could, actually. How many times had Kit walked in on Mentor and Mr Silver arguing? Or Superhero trying to tell Mentor that the next step was a bad idea, that it was too risky.

“I trained hard. When he wanted me to push myself, I pushed myself. When he wanted me to commit 100%, I did 200%. It was never enough for him. None of it was. He wanted a son and a wife who adored him, who worshipped the ground he walked on, and instead he had a family. His ego was a problem.”

Kit cringed at that. Even he knew that Mentor wanted people to adore him, no matter who or why. He wanted to be the city’s saviour, the man on everyone’s tongue and in their thoughts.

Kit let out a breath of a laugh, running a hand through his hair.

“I guess… that’s why he adopted me, isn’t it?” Kit asked, his voice hollow. Ambrose didn’t answer, and that was answer enough. God, how could he be so stupid? How could he not have seen that to Mentor, Kit was just some charity project he knew would always support him. Worship the ground he walked on, defend him even when Kit knew he was in the wrong.

Ambrose opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, setting his lips into a thin line.

“Mallory…”

“No. It’s okay,” Kit replied, letting out a long breath. “It’s fine, go on.”

Ambrose hesitated, fingers lifting from the steering wheel, before curling around them again. They passed the memorial garden in silence, taking the diversion around the square towards the hospital. They weren’t far away now.

“He started the Hero academy when I was twelve. A school for children with powers to develop their abilities to become heroes. I saw it for what it was though, incentive and resentment. He failed to teach me to control my abilities, and found a fault in me that I couldn’t rectify. My ability wasn’t flashy enough, or showy enough for him, for the great Mentor.”

“He wanted a child who would make the world stop and look at them. Someone who was as fast as him, as strong, but not stronger. In his eyes, I may as well have been born with strong charisma because you couldn’t see the effect of what I could do, only experience it.”

Kit looked down at his wrist, at the power dampeners locked around it. Lightning was flashy. Lightning gave Kit strength and strong reflexes, he was fast, he was flashy. He trained hard, to the point of exhaustion everyday in the Hero Academy. Not caring if he had no friends. Not caring if he passed out from pushing himself too hard. He just had to be the best. It was all he had. It was all he could do.

It wasn’t until he was beating people three years above him that Mentor started to pay him any attention. It felt good at the time. It felt like somebody finally recognised him for what he was.

Mentor made him feel seen. He saw that Kit had put his everything into training, because everything in him was all he had to give.

He didn’t have a family to worry about him getting hurt.

He didn’t have friends that would mourn him if he died in action.

All he had was being a hero.

Of course Mentor would latch onto that. Of course he would pick up on the fact that Kit was desperately trying to prove himself. Of course he would take pity on the orphan and bring him home like a trophy. Show him off to the world.

But that… that wasn’t the Mentor that Kit knew.

He brought him home, but it was after Kit denied him so many times. Told him to piss off, and asked if he was a pervert that prayed on boys his age. Kit had grown up on the streets, he knew what happened to skinny kids like him. One day they’re there, and the next, you never see them again.

Mentor was patient, and kind. He didn’t push Kit after Kit said no, told him he had everything he needed in the academy.

“Then my Mother got sick, and well…” Ambrose said, trailing off, pulling Kit from his memory and back into the car. “After she died it was like he… he didn’t even care. All he cared about was building the city up, saving everyone from possible Villains that lurked in the night. He didn’t sit with her in the hospital because he knew he couldn’t rescue her. He wasn’t there when she—”

Kit was quiet beside Ambrose, head tilted down. He knew what loss was like. He knew the absence a parent can leave behind, but losing someone who meant that? Kit didn’t know how to relate to that. When Omen destroyed Mentor’s mind, it wasn’t the same as if he died because Kit could still go and see him. Still talk to him, even if the Mentor he remembered was dead.

“I’m sorry,” Kit said softly. Ambrose cleared his throat, turning his head so Kit couldn’t see his face.

“Yeah,” he agreed, going rigid. “Me too.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence. It wasn’t far. Five minutes in the car, and two minutes to park.

“Are you…?” Kit began, then cut himself off when he met Ambrose’s black eyes. What was he going to say? Are you Okay? Alright with going into see the unfeeling man who wasn’t a good father? The man you cursed for being…

Ambrose shook his head, no. “Of course I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Kit said with an awkward shrug. They got out of the car, closing the door in unison. Kit thought nothing of it.

It was borderline awkward in the lift. Ambrose kind of just, stood there like a totem pole. His hands behind his back, standing straight up like a serial killer.

“Would you relax?” Kit said, rolling his neck. “You’re making me nervous.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

“I’m fine,” Ambrose said slowly, voice cold. Kit shrugged and said: “fine.”

He ahead and almost cried in joy when the doors opened to the ground floor. He stopped at the reception desk. Ambrose was walking and stopped when Kit stopped, two steps ahead and glancing back to see what Kit was doing.

He joined him a moment later, standing beside him and glowering at Heather when she turned and beamed at Kit.

“Hi Heather.”

“Hey, Kit. You goin’ up to—” her big blue eyes trailed to Ambrose beside him, who looked as if he was under a storm cloud, or extremely constipated. “Oh. Hi. Is this your brother?”

Kit’s eyes blew wide, but Ambrose didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Older. We’d like to see—”

“I didn’t know you had a brother, Kit. Of course, darlin’s, go ahead. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”

Ambrose nodded stiffly and stepped back. Kit blinked, shaking his head, and smiled at Heather. “Oh, actually. Was there anything strange with him? Any new visitors or—”

“I’m sorry, hun. I’m just the receptionist for the main desk. You’ll have to ask the nurses up there.”

Kit nodded, standing up. “Thank you, Heather.”

“Anytime. And nice meeting you.”

Ambrose nodded at her. “You too.”

Kit clapped him on the back, a wide grin on his face. “Let’s go, bro.”

Ambrose made a noise and Kit had to stifle a laugh until they were in the stairwell. “What was that!” He barked, laughter bubbling up his throat.

“I— panicked.”

“I thought you weren’t nervous,” Kit teased. He was turning to walk up the next set of stairs when Ambrose slammed his forearm against Kit’s throat, shoving him back into the corner of the stairwell, pinning him there.

Ambrose’s nostrils flared, his eyes blazing with cold fury down at Kit. “Of course I’m nervous, you fucking child. Tch. Don’t you ever switch off?”

Kit pushed Ambrose’s arm off him, and to his surprise, Ambrose let him, running a hand through his hair and letting out a breath.

The realisation only dawned on Kit, his mouth opening into a small ‘o’.

“You’ve never been to see him.”

Ambrose straightened. The villain returning as he stared down his nose at Kit, a sardonic smile on his lips. “And why should I? He didn’t give my mother that courtesy.”

Kit put his hands up, showing Ambrose he meant nothing by it. “Hey. It’s your decision. Not mine. He’s your dad, not—” the words choked up before he could say them. Ambrose didn’t pry. He knew what Kit was going to say.

Ambrose stared for a moment longer before glancing up the stairs and nodding stiffly.

“Yes. Well.” He cleared his throat and started walking up again. “What floor is it?”

“The fifth,” he replied, starting up the stairs beside Ambrose. “Top floor. They don’t want anyone stumbling amongst the crazies.”

“Probably for the best,” Ambrose muttered. Kit had meant it as a joke, but, he didn’t disagree with Ambrose as they climbed the stairs. Thankful that their footsteps filled the silence he couldn’t in the lift. They knew something had happened when they got to the fifth floor.

Kit stepped in first, Ambrose craning his neck around the door into the hall. Police tape on the usually locked door and two police officers stationed outside it like sentries.

Kit’s eyes widened as he half jogged up to the doors. One of the officers placed his hand on Kit’s chest. “I’m sorry, sir. This ward is cordoned off.”

“Why?”

“I’m sorry sir—”

“Tell him.” Ambrose ordered, and Kit shot a glare back at Ambrose, feeling the familiar coldness of Ambrose’s ability brush past him to the Officer.

“There’s been a security breach,” the officer said. Before he could say anymore a hand snapped onto Kit’s shoulder and he whirled.

Mr Silver stood in front of him with a Doctor that Kit recognised was on Mentor’s case. This couldn’t be real. This… there was no way that…

“Hi Kit.”

“Mr Silver,” Kit replied, nodding at the doctor. “Doctor.”

“Hi Kit.”

“What is it? What happened?” Kit demanded, but Mr Silver’s eyes went to Ambrose and his expression changed. Recognition flashing across his features. Kit glanced back at Ambrose who looked away from the man in a suit, his jaw clenched.

“Oskar?” Mr Silver asked. Kit’s brows rose to the roof, eyes as wide as golf balls. Ambrose’s name… Kit studied the villain, assessing whether or not Oskar suited him. Why didn’t Ambrose make Silver forget? Make him overlook the fact that he was here? Did he want to be seen? To be known?

“Hello, Henry.” Ambrose’s reply wasn’t curt or cold. It was a little strained, but, Kit glanced between the two. Were they… friends?! What the fuck was going on?

Mr Silver was the first recover, shaking his head. “Forgive me. I just… never expected to see you both together. I never expected to see you here, Oskar.”

Ambrose’s smile was wry.

“Yes, well. Things change.”

Doctor looked between the three bewildered. “I’m sorry, I only know Kit. Are you related to the missing patient?”

“He’s missing?” Kit and Ambrose said at the same time. Doctor looked between them, then to Mr Silver who nodded.

“Yes. They’re his sons.”

Kit swallowed at the casual classification of sons.

“Yes,” Doctor nodded, his expression troubled. “Mentor has been missing since late afternoon, yesterday.”

“Isn’t this ward supposed to be locked? Doesn’t it dampen powers?” Ambrose snapped.

“It is,” Mr Silver replied, not at all bothered at Ambrose’s tone. “Which is why your father couldn’t have gotten out alone.”

“You think he’s working with someone?”

“He couldn’t be,” Kit muttered, raising his head and looking at Doctor. “I’m the only one who ever visited him. Can I see his visitor log?”

Doctor nodded slowly, his hand on his chin. “Yes. But I don’t think you’ll need to check.”

Ambrose cocked an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Because Kit and one other person were his only visitors.”

“Who?” Kit asked, searching the gentle Doctor’s face. “Who else visited him?”

A muscle in Mr Silver’s jaw clenched as he raised his gaze to Kit’s, sliding a hand into his trouser pocket. “Superhero, Kit. He’s the only other person that visited him.”

Kit stared at Silver. A smile cracking his face. This was a joke. They didn’t seriously think that Superhero was helping Mentor be a villain, right? Right?

Kit glanced at the Doctor who looked uncomfortable. “You’re joking.”

“They’re not,” Ambrose said, and Kit stiffened beside him. Ambrose must have scanned their brains, going over every possibility, looking over the visiting logs.

Kit felt as if he was being punked. He reached into his jacket pocket, looking for his phone but he didn’t find it.

“Fuck! I must’ve left my phone at home,” he cursed, looking at Silver. He’d have Superhero’s number. “Mr Silver, can I borrow yours?”

Silver gave him a flat look. “He’s not picking up, Kit.”

“Well then, the Hero tower or—”

Ambrose pressed his phone into the hero’s hands. “Here.”

Kit glanced up at him, wide eyed. He nodded and walked to the stairwell, away from the trio. He dialled Superhero’s phone and like Silver, no answer. Then he dialled the Hero tower, but hung up when it went through to the automatic receiver. Ambrose had a civilian phone, it wouldn’t patch him through.

Finally, he dialled the number of someone he knew would answer, no matter what. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, trying to smoothen it down as he paced the floor below Mentor’s ward. Footsteps echoing against the walls.

It answered on the third ring.

“Hello.” A grumbling voice answered.

“Sawyer, it’s—”

“Mallory. Where have you been?” Sawyer hissed, tone changing immediately. “We’ve been trying to contact you since yesterday.”

“I don’t have my phone.”

“We thought the new Supervillain got you.”

“No— wait, what? Why?”

Sawyer hesitated on the other end of the line. Kit’s eyes hardened. “Why?” He pressed.

“Have you not seen the news? Supervillain has telekinesis, Mallory. He’s- well, we think it’s Mentor.”

Kit was starting to get really tired of hearing that, though he couldn’t deny that this looked… bad.

“I know. He has Tides. Have you spoken to Superhero since the attack?”

“No,” Sawyer snapped. “He’s missing in the chaos too. The tower is basically running on fumes, it’s like a ghost town.”

“What?”

“Look, Kit, I got to go. It’s fucking mayhem down here. If you find Superhero, call me—”

“But—”

The line went dead. Fuck! FUCK!

He had to get his phone, it was probably still at home and call Superhero and find Tides wherever she was being kept and clear Mentor’s name because there’s— there’s no way this was all Mentor’s doing. He loved the city, why would he want to destroy it now?

And if Ambrose was to be believed, he had double the reason to make sure it stayed perfect. Kit walked up the stairs, back out into the hall of Mentor’s ward.

“Well?” Mr Silver prompted, raising his brows. Only him and Ambrose were left, the doctor probably tending to his patients. They were leaning against the opposite wall, talking in hushed voices when Kit interrupted them.

“Nothing. Superhero is missing too.”

Mr Silver’s clever eyes glimmered. “Hmm.”

“I know what you’re going to say.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. You’re going to say that all this looks very suspicious but I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for it! Like—” Kit looked between the pair, searching for any kind of sympathetic glance. “Like the security cameras. Surely they must’ve—”

Mr Silver shook his head. “Wiped.”

“From the whole hospital?”

“Kit,” Mr Silver said with a sigh, pushing off the wall and approaching him. “Sometimes the most obvious explanation is the answer. Sometimes the only answer, no matter how much we wish it were different.”

Mr Silver put his hand on Kit’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. Right now the most logical explanation is that Superhero has been working with Mentor behind the scenes to destroy the city. He broke Mentor out, and I will put a search warrant out for them both.”

“But—” Kit tried, but it was Ambrose who stopped him with a shake of his head. Kit deflated.

“I wish it was wrong, Kit. But it’s what we have to go on.”

Ambrose stepped off the wall too, approaching the pair. “Thank you, Henry.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Come on, Kit. We should find your phone.” Kit stared at him, at the man who tortured him just yester-fucking-day, but was somehow the only person he could rely on at the moment.

Kit nodded mutely. He followed Ambrose back down the stairs and to the car. Ambrose didn’t offer any words of support, or anything frivolous like that. They just moved in silence.

Maybe he didn’t need to say anything, because Ambrose could probably read every thought going though his head anyways. It didn’t matter if he did or not. Everything Kit thought he knew or believed in or trusted, none of it mattered because everything was wrong anyways.

Mentor was a villain.

Superhero knew the whole time and helped Mentor plan it.

And now, well, he couldn’t even trust Ambrose anymore. The man who was making his life hell is the only fucking person who’s here with him right now, driving him home to find his phone so he can find some fucking sense in his life that was just flipped completely—

“Kit…” Ambrose said, his voice like thunder through the overwhelming silence that was choking Kit. “I can… I can quiet your mind, if you’d like.”

Kit almost burst out crying. Instead, he glared out the window. “Oh Fuck off, Ambrose,” Kit said without any real bite behind it.

“Offers open.”

“Yeah, you’d love that. Dickhead.”

“Alright,” Ambrose said, drumming his fingers on the wheel. He turned on the radio. Kit stared out the window.

“Thanks.”

Ambrose didn’t reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Orphanage roll-call (lmk if you wanna be added or removed): @beatenbruisedandbloody @404lunar1216 @whumpyworld @nameless-beanie e @andithewhumper @annablogsposts @whumpasaurus101 @0eggdealer r @rejectedbytheempty @sleepy-pearl @n3rv0usn0v4 @whumpatize-me-captain @sunshiline-writes @burningkittypoet @honeyed-euphrates @sacredwrath @theonewithallthefixations @m3rakii @xxgalgurlxx @princess-bubble-blossom @blood-enthusiast @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @andtheysaidspeaknoww @dutifullykrispyland @mononeigbour @tippytappytyping @shinokoro @bedtimescenarios @whatwhump @memepsychowhowantsuperpower-blog @ehobep @acer-whumpstuff

[dokifluffs]

Papa and His Baby Owls | Bokuto Kōtarō

Pairing: Bokuto X Reader (female) 

Genre: fluffyyy!! Domestic dad headcanons 🥺 

Author’s Note: it feels so good to be writing again after this dreadful first semester!! it honestly feels weird but I hope to be writing a lot more so I can stock up and give you all baby fever again🥰

warnings! Post time skip!! Kids!! 

gif from @rivaillerose​ ✨

Bokuto huffed as a cool breeze blew through the neighborhood as the leaves on branches swayed in the wind, moving to the natural rhythm set by Mother Nature

With a swift motion, Bokuto unlocked the door to the front door, shutting it behind him

“Y/N, I’m home,” he called somewhat annoyed and tiredly into the seemingly normal house of the bright living room yet you were nowhere to be found

He dropped his heavy practice bag to the side where he normally did as he slid out of his outside shoes and into slippers, stripping off his team jacket and hanging it over the banister of the stairs to the basement

He heard light thuds, clicking sounds approaching from the dim living room, finding Bo, the family German Sheppard

“Hey, boy, is mama home?” He rubbed the happy doggo as Bo sat before bokuto before sinking down to the floor, turning onto his back

“Oh you want your belly rubbed, huh?” He slowly hovered his hands as they crept closer to his dog’s stomach, Bo playfully frozen on the ground yet his tail still wagging excitedly

“Oh you do!” Bokuto broke into a smile as he frantically rubbed his dog’s belly before patting him on the side

“Y/N?” He called yet you were nowhere to be found or heard or seen

He scratched the back of his head until he saw it

A clear note you had left on the table

“Hey kou, I ran to the store really quick to get something. I called and messaged you but you didn’t respond and I couldn’t wait. I should be back soon!” You signed your name with a heart and the time you left

“Hmph,” he pouted to himself wishing you were here to play with his hair, Bo rubbing against the buff wing spiker’s toned legs

He had such a bad practice today, he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong or what was happening

He ate as much as Kirby did, slept like a baby, he was pumped yet all the balls Tsumu set just went right out of bounds or barely in bound

His serves were no better as they all made it over the net except for a few that bounced over the net but they were just barely in

No matter what he did, it felt like everything was just going wrong and there was nothing he could do to change it

This upset feeling felt so nostalgic

It felt like he was in high school again with Akaashi, someone who kept up with him when others couldn’t

And then it hit him

If you weren’t here to cheer him up or Akaashi, there was someone else

In fact, two others alongside Bo, but he was always a given

He went upstairs, followed by the clicking sound of the jingling of the tags on Bo’s collar and his nails muffled clicks on the rugs over the wooden floors toward the nursery to the shared bedroom and there they were

The cribs of his baby owls

He knelt between the two cribs that stood beside each other, end to end, with Bo beside him, sitting up straight like a good boyo as the two glanced back and forth as if they shared the same brain cells at his little babies, his twins

Bokuto D/N and S/N

The sun and moon of his life that were just a month over a year old

He rest his chin on his folded arms over the corner edges where the two cribs met, his gaze softened as he glanced down at his baby owls

They were so small and they were finally here

They had been here for a little over a year

He could remember the first time you started feeling sick, the months passing as your belly swelled bigger and bigger, confirming the news the doctor had already given you two

And instead of just one angel coming into his life beside you, two flew into his life and he couldn’t have asked for a better life despite all his hardships no matter how big or small

He would always show a smile to his baby owls no matter the anguish he faced

It felt that just being here with them for these moments as they passed second by second

Thunder rumbled as a vicious wind blew, making the branch of the tree sitting in the backyard slap against the backside of the house, just beside their window

They stirred from their late afternoon naps

He could see their comfortable sleep unfolding as he peered down to themes they began to stir from the sound of the storm

Bo leaned in close to the daughter’s crib, sniffling her little curled up fist as their tiny faces contorted and turned sour as his son let out a little pouty whimper, lip quivering, followed by his daughter doin gathering same as she took short breaths, her cries beginning to get louder

His hair perked up like a dog’s ears as he looked down to his babies

He couldn’t and wouldn’t have his babies so distressed, not on his watch

Naturally with his fatherly instincts, he scooped up his babies, each on his shoulder as they cling to his shirt as they sniffled, and he stepped into one of their cribs

He laid down with the two of them on top of him

His daughter laid down and his son sat against him before his little boy moved out of his grasp in a way so that instead of laying on his father’s chest, he laid beside him

He nuzzled his damp little face into his shirt as his whines and whimpers faded to nothing

The two little twins melted into Bokuto’s loving hold, his head supported by a small pillow meant for his son

But to Bokuto, no discomfort bothered him, especially now with his baby owls

If it meant they weren’t crying, that’s what made him content

“Shh, don’t cry, I’m here, I’m here~” he sort of whisper yelled but in a loving, non-aggressive way as he rubbed his daughter’s back, looping his hand around to wipe her eye with the side of his thumb gently

His eyes fell to his son, only to find him already fast asleep, his hands still clinging to Bokuto’s shirt

His daughter did the same as she calmed down, as little hiccups made her body jolt

Bokuto hummed peacefully in the small space with his babies as the storm blew on, blowing away with it the memory of his bad practice earlier today

Nothing else mattered anymore than this moment, this space with his babies

They were so small, so innocent and pure

It amazed him that he was a father to these precious beings

His heart could never stop fluttering around them

You drove carefully through the windy road of the neighborhood until you turned to your block, finally back through the storm that only got worse when you left

It almost felt like a sign that you shouldn’t have left in the first place yet here you were back home, relieved to see Kotaro’s car already in the driveway

You slowly drove your car into the driveway past his into the garage, safe from the rain pouring down outside

As the garage shut, the bags crinkled as you walked with them in hand

You were success in your little journey to get more formula, though it was most likely the last as you were beginning to wean them off of formula to whole milk

The door opened to a dimly lit house

Although bokuto’s car was home and you could see traces of him - his shoes and bag, it sounded and felt as if no one was home besides Bo and your twins

“Kotaro?” You called

Your note clearly had been moved as you settled your bags and belongings on the kitchen table

You were normally greeted by Bo yet he was nowhere to be seen or heard, but this only confirmed that Kotaro was home

The only thing was just: where?

“Ko?” You called again, mindful of your voice projecting up the tall stairwell and echoing, disturbing, as you hoped, your twins’ nap time

“Are you in here?” You whispered as you peered into the nursery, finding it just as you left it

Or so you thought

A warm and gentle light that illuminated stars from the same wall the backs of the twins’ cribs still shined, bouncing faint stars and moons around the room

But Bo was in there

And last time you checked, you don’t remember your son having a giant foot with toes that could barely squeeze through the wooden bars of the crib

As you stepped in, Bo wagged his tail upon seeing you, while also peering back into your son’s crib in particular

Glancing down, your daughter’s crib was empty and now you weren’t surprised

It was only a matter of time before he did this

You were actually more surprised Kotaro didn’t do this earlier

Bokuto laid fast asleep in what seemed to be a very uncomfortable position for his back and neck in the crib for your son, your daughter laid out like a starfish on his chest

Her cheek squished against his collar, face nuzzled into his neck as your husband slept soundly with his mouth agape, light snores coming out

He rested his hand on her bottom, holding her close while with the other, your son clung to his father’s large forearm like a koala

Seeing Kotaro like this, it reminded you of what Akaashi told you once about what he realized whenever Kotaro was having a bad day or time

In order to make himself feel safe and secure, he curled up in small places despite his huge and broad stature

From the lack of messages and from what you heard from Hinata and Atsumu earlier, today wasn’t his best performance

But he was here

“Kotaro,” you whispered as you silently undid the latch, lowering the front gate of the crib as you knelt close

He took a semi-sharp inhale as his eyes fluttered open, mindful not to make any too sudden movements  

“Welcome home,” he breathed out as he blinked slowly, looking down to his twins as they slept attached to him

“Do you wanna move them to the bed? So you don’t hurt your back or neck?” You pat your hand to his head, brushing your fingers through his soft locks, grazing your hand down the side of his face as he nuzzled himself against your touch

“It’s alright. I’m just gonna nap here for a bit with them before they’re too big for these cribs.” He leaned and kissed the palm of your hand before you took it away

“They’re not going to stay this small forever,” he mumbled as he never took his sleepy eyes off of them

“Okay, baby,” you whispered. “Sleep well, I’ll bring you a pillow,” you leaned close, pressing long kisses to his temple and cheek

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

Tags (let me know if you wanna be tagged for all my haikyuu posts): @yams046  @mazey-chan  @sunboikyo00  @kara-grayson04  @fortheloveofbakugo @tsumtsumsemi @1-800-wholesome @yamagucci @realityisoftendisapointing @plantisnotplant @pink-panda-pancakes @differentballooncollection @osamusamusamu@therainroguefanfiction @euphorihan​ @turquoiselace​ @macaronnv​  @oxmaddy​ @mrkoala4prsdnt​ @curiouslilbeast​ @plantisnotplant@therestless101 @abcdaichi @oyasenpai @kaaidalupita @lovinnoya @wisepandaslimeland @killuaking @kattykurr @bbymilkbread @tsumtsumland @suunikimchi @woah-there-cowboy-or-cowgirl @amandahh626 @nabisonyeo94 @wntrmn @dai-tsukki-desu @peteunderoos @ohyoumakemelive @aka-a-shii @shinhiromi @wompwomphq @lollypop-lam @isentsworld @blue-melody @u-wakatoshii @moondriplets @lovinnoya @yuueisteria @humanitysbiggestsimp @cjphoenix135 @inarizaki-captain @closetfurrytsukishima @chibichab @kageyama-i-want-tobiors @kuroosbixh @lavearchives @sweet-sour-devil-ish @daichis-kitty @creepyproxies @itsmarziapei​ @skyh20​ @yehetstudies​ @that-chick212

[slasherhaven]

Soo, if you're still taking requests, how would the slashers react to a S/O that steals a part of their clothing to cuddle with as to not feel so alone while their gone?

The Slashers reacting to their S/O cuddling with a piece of their clothing while they’re gone:

Thomas Hewitt

On a busy day, Thomas can work in the basement until pretty late. You understood but you still missed him when you went to bed.

That’s why you pulled out one of his shirts before climbing into bed.

When Thomas comes back as sees you, his heart just melts.

He loves seeing you wearing one of his shirts, they just hang off of you and it’s adorable. In fact, you usually do wear them to bed.

But even if you’re just clutching it to your chest, cuddling it as a replacement for him, Thomas is in awe of you.

He just admires you for a moment before climbing into bed, tired from working all day and needing hold you in his arms.

When he climbs into bed and you instantly cuddle up to him, he can feel all his worries just fading away. He’ll try not to make you go to bed alone again.

Michael Myers

Michael would leave at night when he was going on a kill. He’d be gone until the early hours of the morning and that meant you had to go to bed alone.

So, you grabbed one of his tee-shirts that he wore under his coveralls, and curled up under the covers.

When Michael got home, he washed up and headed to the bedroom, pausing when he saw you cuddled up with his tee-shirt.

Of course, he’s not going to admit it because he’s Michael but something about the sight does warm his heart just a little.

And maybe, just maybe, he’s a little annoyed that it was a tee-shirt getting your attention instead of him.

He just isn’t all that gentle about pulling the tee-shirt from your grasp and tossing it to the floor. Not that you minded when he got into bed and you could cling to his arm instead.

Jason Voorhees

Jason was dealing with some trespassers in the camp and he told you to just get some sleep because he could be all night, so you had to go to bed alone.

So you found one of his tee-shirts before going to bed.

When Jason returned, he was tired and just wanted to get into bed with you.

And when he walked into the bedroom, he saw you clinging to his clothing as a replacement for him. He couldn’t help but smile, knowing that you missed him even when is was only gone for a few hours, but then he felt bad for leaving you alone.

But at least he made it better when he got into bed and wrapped his arms around you. His tee-shirt was soon forgotten about when your sleeping self realised that Jason was home, cuddling up to him with a small smile.

Brahms Heelshire 

Brahms was having a bad day and had decided to hide out in the walls for a while. You understood and were glad that he was doing what was best for him but you still missed him.

Luckily, he had left his cardigan on the couch, so you snatched it up before going to bed.

Brahms saw you from behind the walls, seeing you cuddled up with his cardigan.

He still wasn’t feeling like his usual self but he just thought you were adorable and had the urge to hold you. So, he quietly came out of the walls and climbed into your bed, wrapping his arms around you from behind and burying his face in your hair.

Him holding you just like you were holding his cardigan.

Bo Sinclair

Bo was at the garage, doing whatever it was he did, and still hadn’t come home. You had waited up for him but eventually decided to go to bed.

But not without fishing out one of his tee-shirts first. If he wasn’t here, this was the second best thing.

When he got home and quietly let himself into the bedroom, he couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.

He wasn’t even gone for the whole night but you had missed him enough to need to cuddle up with his tee-shirt.

He’ll chuckle to himself, shaking his head at you, as he climbs into the bed. It’s not long before you realise he is there and cuddle up to him instead.

He is definitely going to tease you about this in the morning.

Vincent Sinclair

Vincent was working in his workroom and you knew he would be down there for a while, probably cleaning up, and he wouldn’t want you to force yourself to stay awake.

So you curled up with one of his sweaters.

Whether you’re wearing the sweater or just cuddling with it when he returns to the bedroom, Vincent loves the sight. He thinks it’s adorable and just you having missed him so much makes him feel so loved. And his sweaters are so big on you that you look so comfortable and cute.

When he gets into bed, he will wrap an arm around you and press his chest to your back. He’s sorry that he made you got to bed alone, he didn’t like it either.

He absolutely melts when you turn around and cuddle up with him instead.

Lester Sinclair

Some visitors had passed through so Lester was in town, talking to his brothers late into the night while you were at home.

You had no idea how long he would be so you decided to go to bed, not forgetting to grab the shirt that he left on the dresser.

When he gets home, seeing you cuddled up with one of his shirts, he just thinks it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen. 

He still can’t believe that he was lucky enough to get someone like you. And you actually missed him so much after him being gone for less than day, that you needed to cuddle with some of his clothes to fall asleep. He just loves you so much.

He wants to hold you but the sight it so precious that he’ll get into bed and just leave you to it, but is grinning like an idiot when you turn around and cuddle up to him instead.

Bubba Sawyer

Bubba was dealing with some trespassers. The chaos had ended but he needed to finish up and that could take a while, so you went to bed. 

But you didn’t fall asleep until grabbing one of his shirts.

Bubba loves seeing seeing you in his shirts because they’re so big on you and you just look so cute in them!

But he also thinks you’re adorable when he sees you just cuddling one of his shirts while you sleep.

He just joined you in bed and wraps his arms around you. He always cuddled with you, even on the warmest summer nights, and tonight you clearly missed it so he was happy to provide!

Billy Lenz

Billy was having a bad day and needed to be alone for a little while, which you completely understood. But you still missed him clinging to you when you went to bed.

Thankfully, you found one of his sweaters laying around and decided that would have to do.

It was the early hours of the morning when Billy started feeling better. He knew that you would be asleep but he wanted to join you in bed now.

When he got to the bedroom, you were cuddling up with on of his comfortable sweaters. Your face practically buried in the material.

He smiled because it reminded him of himself and how he feels about you, having to resort to your clothes then he missed you. He’s glad that you feel the same way.

But no worries, he’s here now. He climbs into the bed and clings to you like he usually does, smiling and giggling when you turn around and cling right back to him, making sure not to wake you.

Asa Emory (The Collector) 

Asa was at the hotel tonight, leaving you to sleep alone until he returned in the early hours of the morning.

But you missed him, so you grabbed a sweater and went to bed.

When Asa gets home and sees you cuddled up with one of his sweaters, he just shakes his head at you.

He wants to be a little annoyed, that the sweater was now going to be creased, but...he isn’t.

You’re adorable...and you clearly missed him while he was gone, and he can’t be mad at you for that.

He’ll take the sweater from your hold, either hanging it up or tossing it in the wash basket, before getting into bed with you.

The smallest smile forming on his face when you sleepily cuddled up to him instead. He had to admit, this was better.

Jesse Cromeans (Chromeskull) 

Jesse was away on one of his business trips, and you always missed him like crazy when he was.

That’s why you always sleep with one of his black shirts.

When Jesse returns home, he’s quiet as to not wake you up yet. And when he sees you cuddling with one of his shirts, he just thinks it’s sweet. He missed you too.

If you’re wearing the shirt, even better!

Jesse has just gotten home after being gone for far too long, if you think he is just going to get in bed with you wearing one of his shirts and go to sleep, you are sorely mistaken.

He’s going to wake you up in the best way possible so that you both can celebrate his return.

Otis Driftwood 

Some new victims had been brought in, so Otis was down in the basement, pretty much making sure that none of them are stupid enough to try to escape.

It could take all night so you had already gone to bed, taking one of his shirts with you.

Otis washed up before heading to the bedroom, knowing you would already be asleep.

He smirks when he sees you cuddled up with one of his shirts. You’re just the cutest. The sweetest thing to ever come into his life.

You missed him this much? He was only gone for a few hours. So, he decides to wake you up by kissing your neck, wanting to know exactly just how much you missed him.

Baby Firefly 

Baby was down in the basement, dealing with a victim who had tried to escape and needed to be taught a lesson. 

You missed her in bed beside you, so you decided to take one of her tops to bed with you.

When Baby returns to the bedroom, seeing you cuddled up with one of her tops, she just smiles.

You’re just adorable!

She’ll join you in bed, of course, laughing fondly when you turn your attention and cuddles to her instead. 

She’ll kiss your face and tell you that you’re adorable, even if you are asleep, before falling asleep with you.

[chooseyourownavenger]

[START] [ABOUT AND WARNINGS] [FAQ]

IRONHAWK/ The townhouse on the west side that needs all the work

The three of you opt for the townhouse on the west side.  Yes, it’s further from anyone’s work than any of the other houses, but the fact it’s a stunning building with views of a park and is open for you to set up exactly how you want it is very appealing.

It is a lot of work.  The eight-story townhouse has been completely gutted, the previous owners had big dreams but small pockets.  All that remains is the framing and staircases, and both need work to stabilize and beautify them.

It takes almost a year to finish and in that time the three of you end up staying with Tony in the tower.  It gives you time to deal with the public and your work so that there’s no conflict of interest.  By the time the house is finished, you’re already well into the rhythm of your relationship and have dealt with all the issues that living together means.  The gossip. Learning to cohabitate.  Crazy fans.  Everything that might have been too hard to deal with is made easier by the fact you’re still waiting for your perfect home to be ready.

There is no denying that it is your perfect home.  FRIDAY is installed throughout.  She can tell who is at the front door and acts as both a security system and messenger service.  The house runs on its own Arc Reactor, meaning it’s completely clean, self-sustaining, and creates enough energy to power the Upper Westside even on such a small reactor.  It’s on the same basement level as his newly installed underground garage with a hidden entrance.  It’s not enough to house more than two cars, but a home with its own parking in the city is almost unheard of.  The same level also has the laundry and storage rooms.

Below that is the pool and Tony’s new workshop.  The workshop isn’t as big as the one at the tower, but it’s big.  Big enough that he can get actual work done without needing to go in every day.

The first floor is the entertainment area.  There’s a sitting area by the windows that overlook the park, a bar, tables and chairs, an entertainment system, and Tony’s grand piano.

The second floor contains the kitchen, with a breakfast nook at the parkside windows, and an outdoor terrace that shares the same view.  It also has a formal dining room out the back and a media room for watching movies and TV shows.

Floor three is the master bedroom.  It’s so big it makes you feel a little guilty.  The closet space alone is bigger than your old apartment.  The bed overlooks the park and the entire back end of the floor is the bathroom which contains a hot tub, a bath that’s big enough for all of you, and a shower that takes up a whole wall with more showerheads than you know what to do with.

The fourth floor is what you start thinking of as yours and Clint’s floor.  There’s a library with views of the park, and a daybed by the window to snuggle in and read.  There’s an outdoor terrace just to sit in with a small garden.  Down one side is Clint’s training room.  Long enough to practice archery.  Wide enough to practice his swordsmanship.  The room at the very end is set up with game consoles and an arcade machine.

The fifth floor contains three guest bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.  And finally, there’s a rooftop terrace and gym.  There are bathrooms on every floor and an elevator runs from the sub-basement to the roof.

It’s a huge house, and one you need cleaners to come through regularly to help stay on top of things, but it never feels like it was too big or empty.  There’s usually noise coming from somewhere and all the floors are used regularly enough that you don’t feel guilty about the space.  There’s also room for your family to grow into it if that’s what you choose.  The secret entrance and FRIDAY’s cloaking capability means you can get in and out unnoticed and the three of you spend a lot of time in the park.  Taking runs, lying in the sun reading, or having picnics.

After a couple of months, Clint convinces you and Tony to get a dog.  A few months after that, Tony brings home a ginger kitten.

The house is your home and it helps you move from three people dating, to a family.  The future looks bright, and you can’t wait to see where your choices will lead you next.

~ END ~

[sahmandbean]

How to Build a Ranch Home in The Sims 4 Like a Nerd

Ah, the Ranch. The Ranch is as American as Apple Pie... kinda. More on that in a minute. If you are looking for the perfect one-level family home that is beginner friendly, wildly customizable, and nearly everyone has lived in at some point, this is the build for you. Let's build!

If you prefer video tutorials, you can find that here.

The Ranch home originated in the American Southwest in the early 20th century, descended from styles like the Spanish Colonial, and started its spread across the states in the 1940s. Most have basements, where climate allows. This style is extremely versatile, which explains its popularity, and it was featured in popular at the time Western films, so it’s basically a movie star. This house can be anywhere, any size, and is as American as apple pie. (Apple pie was actually invented in England in the 1380s and wasn’t popularized in America until WWII, which is actually like the Ranch.) Anyway, although there are five subtypes of Ranch homes, they all have a few things in common: one story, although finished basements really add to the living area; open floor plans; low roofs; porches at front and back; family-oriented living; and are fairly simple shape-wise. One last fun fact: the main reason these homes took off was due to WWII vets receiving home loans upon returning to the states had few options, thanks to the Great Depression, and opted to have simple and stable Ranch style homes built. Alan Hess, author of The Ranch House, said “While architects in Western Europe and the Soviet Union met the need by building high-rise-apartment blocks, Americans created a consumer product that people wanted to buy. And that was the ranch-style house. It deserves respect because it solved the housing crisis of America in the midcentury.”

Floorplan

You will enter into the main living space, which has the living room at the front and the kitchen at the back. Of course, there have been many modifications and adaptations over the years, but this is Building like a Nerd so we stick with as original information as possible. The backyard-facing kitchen allowed the hardworking mother a clear view of her children as they played in the large backyard. Most bedrooms will be on the main floor, although some can be added to the basement if you have one. The overall footprint will be a rectangle, with front facing bump-outs on the left, right, or both sides. These homes were created with family life in mind, so a large deck and multiple child bedrooms are very common.

Exterior

The siding will be brick, siding, stucco, or some combination. This is a great build to use the wallpaper options that have automatic columns on the corners because it is so simple you likely won't have any issues with angles and whatever else it is that bugs them out. A garage is pretty key, but you can always use it as a gym or office space since we don't have cars...

You have a lot of freedom when it comes to landscaping. Simple suburban classics like a couple of hedges and hydrangeas are as applicable as a full fledged flower bed.

Interior

Because this home was so heavily featured in Western movies at the time of their initial construction, homes across the nation adopted the Western décor style. Patterned wallpapers, wood, paneling, iron decorative elements, and so on were incredibly common. The kitchen would be large enough for one or two people to cook together comfortably, with an island or table nearby for easy homework supervision. Bathrooms will be plentiful, as this is a new enough style that indoor plumbing was a major consideration.

If you want to bring the Ranch into the 21st century, try these tips:

Replace all that wallpaper with some nice, plain, neutral paint

Instead of having siding and brick on the same wall section, break it up to have only siding on some parts and only brick on others (or stucco or stone or whatever else you are using; they ain't picky).

Update cabinets and bathroom fixtures.

If you would like to check out my build, it is on the gallery. My ID is sahmandbean and the lot title is Ranch Suburban Shell.

If you want to learn more, you can find all my resources in this Pinterest board.

You can find the full original video tutorial here.

Thanks so much for building with me today! I developed such a new respect for the Ranch home when I researched all of this, and all of those random western wallpapers suddenly make sense.

[thebookreader12345]

From Real Wife to Work Wife

Pairing: Jay Halstead x reader

Summary: Y/N and Jay, who have recently gotten married, must now discover how to leave their relationship at the door of the district when they become partners in the Intelligence Unit

Requested: Yes, by anonymous

Warnings: kidnapping, mention of guns and killing, light swearing

Word Count: 2,025 Words

“Ugh,” I groan as Jay and I stopped in front of the district. “I hate this stupid ‘leave your relationship at the door thing.’ Why couldn’t Voight keep Hailey with you instead of pairing her with Vanessa?”

Jay shrugged. “Don’t know, but come on, I know you’ve wanted to be my partner since the day you got up here.”

I laughed and pushed my satchel higher up on my shoulder. “You wish. I’ve been partnered with Kevin since starting in Intelligence, and I love it with him.”

“Uh-huh. All right, give me a kiss,” Jay said and opened his arms.

I smiled and fitted my body in the space between Jay’s outstretched arms. Jay pulled my body closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist as I tugged at his shirt to bring him down closer to me. As I pressed my lips to his, Jay strengthened his grip around me, and our lips moved in sync with each other. When we finally disconnected our lips, Jay held me close to him, resting his chin on top of my head.

“Well, I guess it’s time I become your work wife instead of your real wife now,” I declare, causing Jay to laugh.

“I guess so. Lets get to work,” Jay stated.

Inside of the district, Jay and I walked up the stairs side by side without holding hands, which we usually would have done, but not couldn’t because Voight said so. The only thing that kept me from getting through this was the fact that Voight said Jay and I would only have to be partners until Vanessa had gotten used to being with the team. When I entered the bullpen, Kevin was waiting for me, and he extended a cup of coffee in my direction.

“Thanks, Kev. You’re the best,” I confess and give him a hug. Kevin was way taller and bigger than me, but that made our hugs even better. It almost felt like I was being smothered, but in a good way.

“Anything for you, Y/N. Hey, any word on when we’ll be partners again?” Kevin asked me.

“Not yet,” I reply. “For now, you’re stuck with Adam and Kim and I’m stuck with Jay.”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing, which it isn’t,” Jay pointed out and took a seat at his desk.

“I know, but I liked the way things were before. Kevin and I have the same connection you have with Hailey. We just work,” I say.

“Hey,” Adam spoke and poked his head out from the hallway that led towards the stairs and garage. “Voight wants everyone to suit up.”

“Copy that. We’ll be right there,” I respond.

...........................................

Jay held his radio up to his lips. “Anyone got eyes on our suspect?” he asked.

“Negative. Rojas and I are going to check out the side entrance,” Hailey replied.

“I’m going to make my way towards the middle of the factory. Maybe Mike is hiding out there,” I inform Jay.

“Okay. Be safe,” Jay told me, giving my hand a small squeeze.

“I will,” I say and emerge from my hiding spot with my gun raised, scanning the surrounding area. So far it was quiet, and from what I could tell, there was no one here. Maybe we had the wrong location? I continued walked into the factory, and soon, I was out of everyone’s sight. Just then, someone came up from behind me and slapped my gun from my hands, causing it to clatter against the cement floor feet away from me. I went to call out for backup, but Mike wrapped his arm around my neck, pressing his forearm against my throat. With his other hand, he covered my mouth and began to drag me away from the direction of Jay. I kicked and struggled in the arms of my captor in an attempt to get away, but nothing worked. That’s when I came up with a plan, but it wasn’t a good one. I bit the hand that was covering my mouth, and Mike cursed, shaking the pain out of it.

“Jay! Help!” I scream out into the abandoned factory. I was really hoping that Jay or someone would hear me because I did not want to be taken by our suspect, who, by the way, was a serial killer. As Mike was distracted trying to cover my mouth again, I managed to free myself from his grip and lunged for my gun. However, I came up short, and as I went to reach for my gun, our suspect grabbed my leg and dragged me back towards him. 

“Get off of me!” I shout and kick at his body as he got me back into the same position as before with one of his arms around my neck.

“No can do, lady. You’re my ticket out of here,” Mike admitted. At that moment, Jay came around the corner, and when he saw the position I was in, he aimed his gun at Mike, who tightened his hold on me/

“Let her go,” Jay spoke.

“You’re going to let me out of here,” Mike stated. “Or else I’m going to blow her brains out.” That’s when I felt cold metal being pressed against the side of my head, and I knew it was a gun. I could see Jay strengthen the grip on his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger. “I would think twice about firing” Mike said and clicked the safety off on his gun.

“Jay, its okay. I’m okay. Just put your gun down,” I say.

“Y/N, he’s got a gun trained to your head. I’m not putting my gun down,” Jay explained.

“Please,” I beg. “Just put it down.”

Jay sighed, but followed my order, placing his gun back in his holster. “Now its your turn,” he told Mike. Mike did the same and placed his gun away, but kept his arm around my neck. “Let her go, Mike.”

“No. She’s coming with me. Lets go,” Mike snapped at me and started dragging my body towards the back entrance, the only entrance that was unguarded at the moment since Hailey and Vanessa had moved to the side of the building.

“Y/N,” Jay called out after me, but it was too late, because Mike had already yanked me out of the building.

Jay’s POV

“Voight, Mike’s got Y/N. I’m going after her,” I explain over the radio.

“Halstead, you can’t. What did I tell you? Leave your feelings at the door. We’re going to get her back, but you chasing after a psychopath with a gun is not going to help Y/N out. Stay put,” Voight asserted.

“But Sarge,” I protest.

“Stay put, Halstead,” Voight demanded.

Y/N’s POV

“Where is everyone?” I mumble and glance through the bars of the cage I was sitting in. Mike had taken me back to his “secret lair”, which was in the basement of some other abandoned factory. Then he had taken anything off of me which could, according to Mike, “prove to be harmful.” That meant he took my handcuffs, pocketknife, and for some reason, my jacket and shoelaces. What made things worse was that he used my own handcuffs to keep me situated in the cage.

At that moment, Mike walked into the room with a backpack and started packing his things up. He grabbed clothes, money, and all sorts of other supplies, meaning he was going to run. I just hoped the team could find us before Mike took off.

“Hey,” I announce and rattle my handcuffs against the cage bars. “You said that I was your ticket out of that other factory, so why haven’t you let me go yet?”

Mike turned to face me at the sound of my voice, and he smirked. “Sorry sweetheart, but things change. I’ve got other plans for you now. As soon as I’m done packing, I’m going to have to kill you.”

“W-what?” I stutter. 

“I’ve got to tie off loose ends, and you are one big loose end. If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you choose how you go out. Would you prefer to be shot, strangled, or stabbed?” Mike asked me.

“None of those sound very appealing,” I grumble as I recounted that those methods were how Mike had killed his previous victims.

“Well, I’m done packing, so either you choose, or I’m going to choose for you,” Mike informed me.

“I’m not choosing. You’re not going to kill me,” I say.

“Stabbing it is,” Mike spoke and reached for the knife next to him before kneeling down in front of the cage I was in. When he opened the gate, I backed myself up as far as I could go, which wasn’t far seeing as the cage wasn’t that big. As Mike reached for my foot to drag me towards him, I slipped my foot free of his grasp and kicked him in the face. “You bitch,” he spat and lunged for me.

With my hands cuffed behind me, I was at a severe disadvantage, and I knew that if I didn’t do something, I was going to die down here. “Help!” I scream at the top of my lungs, still kicking at Mike to keep him at bay. “Help!”

“Shut up,” Mike barked at me and grabbed me by the leg, tugging me towards him.

“Let me go!” I cry out and attempt to get out of his grip. But it was no use because Mike now had me pinned down, the knife twirling between his fingers.

“Drop the knife. Drop it!” Jay shouted and appeared behind Mike, his gun trained at the back of Mike’s head.

Mike growled, and instead of putting the knife down, he stabbed it down towards me. That’s when I heard a gunshot, and just before Mike could reach me, he fell limp in my lap. I kicked his body away from me, but not before the blood had already stained my jeans.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Jay questioned as he went around the back of the cage to uncuff me.

“Yeah. I’m good. I’m fine,” I answer. Right when Jay uncuffed me, I climbed out the cage and threw myself into his arms. “Thank you for saving me.” Jay rubbed his hand up and down my back as I inhaled his familiar scent, and that’s when Voight walked into the room.

“Jay, I thought I told you to wait out back,” Voight chided and looked around the room, spotting Mike’s body almost instantly.

“Look, Sarge, I know you want Y/N and I to leave our relationship at the door, but I can’t. We can’t,” Jay clarified. “She’s my wife, and I would do anything to protect her.”

Voight sighed. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll lift the ‘leave your relationship at the door’ rule. But if I do that, I need you both to promise you won’t let it get in the way of work.”

“We promise,” I confirm.

“Good. Jay, take Y/N to the hospital to get checked on, and then head back to the district once you’re done,” Voight ordered.

“With all due respect, Sarge, I’m fine” I challenge. “I’m not hurt.”

“Knowing how Halstead is with hiding his injuries, I’m sure you’re not. You’re bleeding,” Voight pointed out and gestured to my leg. I looked down, and sure enough, I had a gash on the front of my right leg. I must’ve gotten it when defending myself from Mike. “Hospital. Now.” Voight demanded.

“Yes sir,” I say and take Jay’s hand, leading him out of the building.

���So are we heading to the hospital?” Jay asked me as we climbed into his truck.

“Hell no. I can just bandage this up at home. Voight won’t know the difference,” I respond.

Jay laughed and started up the engine. “You really are the best wife ever. Did you know that?”

I smiled. “It may have occurred to me once or twice. Now, lets get home. I don’t want to bleed all over your seats. I know how much you love this truck.”

“Yep. Best wife ever,” Jay stated.

______________________

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