#le just a jump to the left and then a step to the right has arrived

[pomefioredove]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Cauldron of the Reborn: Escape from Black Castle

a fanwritten Halloween event

summary: when Malleus receives an invite from a distant relative to a historic castle in Briar Valley, he can't refuse characters: malleus, lilia, sebek, silver, vil, rook, epel, jamil, kalim additional info: reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu

[I needed a break from requests. no idea if I'll continue this or not, I figure most aren't too interested in this sort of thing, but I love halloween events and wanted to write one]

Main Street - Evening

"A little lower," Crowley says, standing with a hand on his hip as you rebalance yourself on the rickety step ladder.

Grim is beneath you both, grumbling about being woken from a nap to help with the annual Halloween event.

"Like this?" you ask, lowering the black crepe banner an inch or two.

Crowley hums, his hand on his chin. And then he nods. "Well enough. I'll have more work for you to volunteer for soon, so keep lively, Prefect!"

You climb down from the ladder, shaking your head. That man...

"Well," you sigh, hands on your hips. "What do you want to do now?"

Grim scratches his head. "Eat?"

"You just did,"

"Ehh, I'm outta ideas. Let's not bother 'lookin for anyone. I don't wanna get dragged into helping. Let's just go home,"

You sigh, but you can't argue with him; you've been decorating since classes had ended for the day, and it's almost dark.

On your chilly walk back to Ramshackle, though, someone comes looking for you.

"Prefect!" a voice calls from behind you on the beaten path.

Grim sighs. "Oh, brother. Here we go..."

Jamil Viper stops behind you, and gives Grim an unamused look. "I heard that, you know. I wasn't looking for any favors. I simply wanted to know if either of you have seen Kalim,"

"Kalim?" you and Grim share a look. "You lost him?"

"Lost? Certainly not," Jamil crosses his arms. "He has relatives visiting for the weekend, and he left to purchase more food for their party a few hours ago. I haven't seen him since."

Grim sighs. "So... you lost him?"

Jamil glares at the direbeast, though his eyes soften when he looks at you.

"He insisted on going himself, and I foolishly let him. But he's not at Sam's, and no one has seen him. Kalim has a tendency to wander, and I'm afraid something might have happened,"

Grim tugs at your coat sleeve, trying to pull you towards Ramshackle, but your feet stay firmly planted on the dirt path.

"We'll help you look for him," you say, ignoring Grim's groaning.

Jamil sighs. "If it's not too much trouble... I would appreciate that,"

Pomefiore Lounge - Evening

"I really doubt he's in here," Grim mutters, clinging to your leg.

Jamil sighs again as you all wipe off your feet before entering the dorm. "We've checked the library, the halls, the courtyards, the cafeteria, Sam's again, and Scarabia twice. Trey Clover, Jack Howl, Azul Ashengrotto, Ortho Shroud, Sebek Zigvolt and Silver have all confirmed he is not at their respective dorms. This is the last place he'd..."

He trails off, and you follow his eyes to a head of white hair and a blinding smile.

And then a frown. "Took you all long enough," Vil Schoenheit says, waving Kalim al-Asim away from a length of lace.

Jamil's dark circles suddenly look much darker.

"Jamil!!" Kalim exclaims, jumping over an expensive couch (to Vil's dismay) and stumbling to the three of you. "You have to see this! It's the best thing in the world!"

"Kalim... what are you... how long have you been here?"

"Two hours and fourteen minutes," Vil mumbles, smoothing out the delicate black skirt he's in.

Jamil grimaces. "Kalim, did you even go to Sam's at all?"

"Huh?" Kalim's smile drops, and he crosses his arms in thought. "...Oh, right. I forgot all about that."

You place a reassuring hand on Jamil's shoulder.

"But- look, I ran into Vil earlier, and he said he needed help!"

"I did not say that,"

"So I had to!"

"Kalim," Jamil pinches the bridge of his nose. "Your cousins will be here in mere hours. We have not the least amount of food to host them."

Vil rolls his eyes and returns to collecting the black lace, pins, and thread strewn across the floor, no doubt the aftermath of Kalim's "help".

"But it was an emergency!" the boy protests. "A fashion emergency!"

You raise an eyebrow. "A what?"

Jamil sets a hand on your shoulder, but when you turn to him, his arms are crossed and close to his chest, which-

"Une urgence couture, Trickster,"

You jump, and the light, merry sound of Rook Hunt's laughter fills your ear. He circles around to your front, Epel Felmier following, mouthing a quick "sorry" for his upperclassman's behavior.

"Pomefiore will be hosting a magnifique fashion spectacle the weekend after this, courtesy of our own Roi du Poison!"

"Yes, yes," Vil waves him off and looks at you. "I was planning on surprising you with invitations at the Halloween event, but I may as well just give them to you now."

He leaves the room to retrieve your invites, leaving you with a chatty Kalim, an exhausted Jamil, a smiling Rook, a whiny Grim, and... Epel.

"You doing okay?" you ask him, and he sighs.

"Vil's 'havin me 'an Rook in the fashion show, so he's cut all processed sugar from our diet for a month,"

"A month?!" Grim exclaims. "What about Halloween treats?!"

Epel shakes his head, sadly, and Rook grins.

"For the best, Monsieur Pommette. As I recall, you have a penchant for stomach aches when you indulge,"

Epel blushes and crosses his arms. He looks about ready to argue, but then Vil returns with invites for yourself and Grim, and so he keeps his mouth shut.

"I hope to see you both there," Vil says. Epel rolls his eyes.

The upperclassmen leave to talk, Jamil drags Kalim outside, and Grim sniffs the scented envelopes Vil had given them.

You smile at Epel. "Hey, at least it's almost over, right?"

He sighs, sulking a little.

"I guess... I just wish there was some way I could enjoy Halloween this year, without Vil knowing a thing..."

Diasomnia Lounge - Evening

"Mail's here,"

The imposing doors of Diasomnia swing open and Sebek Zigvolt and Silver return to the dark lounge with a stack of letters in each hand.

"You know, I really don't know why more fae don't switch to emailing. It's much faster," Lilia Vanrouge says, draped over the arm of a couch as the boys hand out the scrolls and envelopes.

"Or instant messaging. I hear "sliding into DMs" are all the rage nowadays."

Silver rolls his eyes.

"For you, oh... this one is mine, and another one for me..." Sebek says, smiling. "And another, from grandfather... and this one-"

He pales, and his eyes widen. Silver stops between letters and raises an eyebrow.

"Sebek? What is it?"

His hands are shaking. "It... it's for OUR LIEGE!"

"Volume, Sebek," Lilia says merrily, kicking his feet up on the couch.

"B-BUT... IT'S AN INVITATION... FOR LORD MALLEUS!"

"An invitation?" Silver walks to him and reads the yellowed paper. "Is it from the Prefect?"

"CERTAINLY NOT! OBSERVE THE PENMANSHIP! THE PAPER! THIS IS BRIAR VALLEY QUALITY!"

"There's no name on it," he remarks, handing it to Lilia.

Lilia squints, reading the fine calligraphy aloud.

"To the Prince Malleus Draconia,

I, blood relative of the Draconia line, would be honored to host yourself and an entourage of your choice for the holiday week-end at my family's ancient castle. Food, drink, music, and tours of local ruins and wildlife will be provided at no cost. Yours."

Silver and Sebek wait in silence as Lilia reads it, reads it again, and then smiles.

"No name. How peculiar. I recognize the coat of arms here, though- this is certainly a distant relative of Malleus, but I can't remember which family it belongs to... no matter,"

"And the castle?" Sebek asks. "I've never heard of it."

The elder fae hums. "Oh, yes. Black Castle is thousands of years old. I thought it had been abandoned a millennia ago, but I haven't been keeping up with politics," he smiles. "This part of Briar Valley is rather isolated, after all."

Silver crosses his arms. "You're sure this is a relative of Malleus?"

"Positive. It's far too obscure to be an impersonator. Not even the Senate has records from Black Castle,"

"What's this about a castle?"

The three go silent and look towards the mouth of the room, where Malleus Draconia is standing, arms crossed. Silver still looks wary, and Sebek is restless, but Lilia is smiling.

"Oh, Malleus- it's the strangest thing. You've been invited by a distant relative for a weekend getaway,"

"A getaway?" Silver mumbles under his breath at the word choice.

Malleus' eyes widen, and he comes into the room and takes the letter from Lilia's outstretched hand.

He reads the cracked, yellow paper... and then he smiles.

"...My. How kind. We should accept, should we not?"

[conceptofjoy]

[The doorbell rings and Dirk warps on to the transportalizer right next to the front door because walking is for chumps, and also because he lives in a fuck off massive mansion that he and Jake decided it was a swell idea to live in at the tender age of 16.]

[He sees a glimpse of bleached blond hair and purple and instinctively goes to close the door despite knowing who the fuck it is because this is Dirk Strider, of course he's got the best home security of all the other Gods of Earth C. A foot comes between his half-hearted attempt and he lets up just as fast.] [Rose and Dirk stare at each other appraisingly for a moment. His gaze flits over to the shoddy bindle she's holding, then to car parked directly on top of the mailbox out front. It wasn't seeing any use due to the fact he lives in the middle of fucking nowhere, an ironic gesture more than anything, but because of that same fact, it would seem that Rose had uncaptchalogued the car there on purpose and just flew here.] DIRK: Who's car is that? ROSE: My wife kicked me out. DIRK: Okay. ROSE: You don't think I have a car? DIRK: I respect the fact you alchemized a car just for the banished husband shtick. ROSE: The seats came pre-stained with cigarette residue and burns all over. I thought about camping there for the night parked at a motel, but the energy was too depressing. ROSE: Thought maybe a drastic change of natural scenery be more fitting of an crisis. DIRK: Isn't the point of exile as a punitive measure that you are supposed to reflect on your actions? ROSE: They put Napoleon on ST. Helena, did they not? DIRK: Are you comparing my house to a remote island right now? ROSE: I wasn't, but perhaps there is a point to be made here about your choice in local. DIRK: Not a great way to ask someone for a favor. ROSE: ROSE: I- [He steps away from the door and turns around, expecting her to follow in. She does, hesitantly.] DIRK: Call her tomorrow, it's best to clear the air as soon as you can. ROSE: I wasn't expecting a therapy camp. [He shrugs, points down a hall when she's close enough.] DIRK: Take a left then the fourth door down should have a clean room. ROSE: What's in all the other doors? DIRK: Stuff. ROSE: Oh, I see. DIRK: I'm coming by tomorrow morning. ROSE: Highly unnecessary, I'll be leaving by noon. DIRK: Where to? ROSE: I fail to see how that is any of your concern. DIRK: Perhaps. [He doesn't say anything more, and she takes it as a cue for her to leave. Her steps stutter when he speaks again.] DIRK: Don't immediately expect people to not want you around as soon as they show frustration. ROSE: Wonderful, well I'll be sure to pass that fortune cookie tidbit to the next person... [She turns around to find he isn't there anymore, peeved that she wasn't able to get the last word in.] [The walk there is stuffed with random objects, like if a geek store barfed all it's merchandise stock into an 8 foot wide hallway. She has to shimmy past a bust of Spiderman's head on the way, but she makes it to a plain room and a bed with orange sheets.] [She tosses the stick to the ground, and unties the cloth to fetch the small photo book she didn't have an opportunity to use as a prop for. She pointedly does not flip through the pictures she has of Kanaya and captchalogues it for safe keeping.] [Against her better judgement, she checks her phone messages and it opens to her last text with Kanaya saying she's going out to cool off, her text responded to with a single thumbs up. She contemplates jumping out of the window before opening the new texts from Dirk.] TT: http:/goo.gl/WjfJ2 TT: Marked everything you would need on the floor plan. TT: What's the large obstructed section on the bottom right? TT: Horse statue. TT: Naturally. TT: I'll be at your room by 9 AM. TT: Le sign.

[v3nusxsky]

Hi so this is based of a pov i just watched. But could you do Lady Lesso x reader platonic. Where r is hearing voices it could be over thinking or an unknown ability but she cracked and lesso found her about to junp of something like a bridge or tower. And she says ‘i’m hearing voices all the time and their not mine, i’m hearing voices and there haunting my mind’.

X

It's the voices

*Authors note~ based of some of my own experiences so please keep in mind these aren't everyone's experiences. Not everyone has an understanding Nora *

(The thought feels hard to control. Intrusive thoughts are often repetitive and won't go away. )

And I love this idea smmm yes Harley Quinn pops into my mind here for the title. *

Trigger warnings~ intrusive thoughts, mental health, possible trigger of suicide or attempted suicide swearing? Panic attacks

Prompt~ see ask^^^^

The first time it happened you honestly thought you'd misheard someone's conversation but the thought wouldn't leave, you couldn't make it stop, which in turn made you so anxious you had a panic attack. You felt like your whole lungs were completely collapsed. No air could enter or leave the vital organ which in turn made you panic more. But once you'd somehow managed to calm yourself back down you realised one massive thing. You were alone. But you had hope that it was just a bad day.

It wasn't a bad day though. These thoughts began to come and go more often, you found yourself thinking and saying the most horrid things, sometimes about you, sometimes about others and it always made you feel so terribly guilty. Truly, you didn't want to hurt yourself or anyone else but you can't control them. They were loud and overwhelming and so realistic, all you could do was surrender to them until they passed.

Exhaustion seemed to be a permanent fixture of your life these days and the headaches didn't help what so ever. You noticed how withdrawn you were and how irritable people were finding you to be. One by one you watched people give up on you now. It was like you were too much to deal with and not worth the air you're breathing. Immediately you knew what you needed to do to fix the problem. To fix you. You were numb as you made your way to the top of the tower, you didn't care you were skipping class, or what you were going to do. You didn't feel sad or scared, the voices loudly guiding you through your journey. They were right, you couldn't fight them any longer than you have.

Standing on the edge of the tower the first thing you noticed was the beautiful sunset glowing over the trees in the horizon. It was truly something magical and a fitting send of for you. Yet you didn't want to miss a single thing of the sun setting. As the sun set you said goodbye to all you knew and attempted to calm your mind by imagining what your after life would be like. You didn't want to give too much thought on who would find you, or if you'd even be worth a funeral, you already knew you weren't. Your thoughts agreeing with you and encouraging you to jump. The thoughts were horrid and they promised the only way they'd stop is if you'd just step over the edge. Blindly you stepped out expecting to fall only to be grabbed by the last moment and tugged backwards to safety.

"Let me go" you whined trying to get back to the edge, "let me go! I want them to go away" your temper was flaring as the voices got louder. "Y/n, stop" lesso boomed in her regal dean voice and you immediately halted. "L-ady Le-sso?" You stuttered in  your evident shock. "Now little dove, why don't you step back into my arms and we can talk about this?" You could tell she let a kind edge seep into her voice but there was still no room left for arguments so you allowed the red headed dean to pull you into a hug.

One thing you forgot in the whole process is Leonora loves you more than life itself. She views you as her own.  She didn't know you would hear voices and you'd pulled away from her, she wanted to give you space but hearing you skipped you lesson and knowing how lost and alone you'd seemed recently she had to follow you. Just to make sure you were okay, thankfully she found you just in time. And for that she'd always be grateful to anyone out there who helped her save her dove.

"I'm hearing voices all the time, I'm hearing voices that aren't mine" you mumbled into the woman's neck, red hot tears burning her skin. "Oh my darling, you could've come to me darling, they aren't real dove I promise you that" she tried to reassure but the voices grew louder in an attempt to block her out. "Stop please fucking stop. I don't want to do this anymore. Shut up, shut up. Shut the fuck up" you ranted through ragged breaths, Leonora knew you well enough to know this was a panic attack now and you weren't really seeing hearing or feeling the real world.

"Shhh dove, can you follow my voice? I know there's lots of loud ones in your head but you know which one is your Nora's?" She murmured a hand gently rubbing circles in your back. "Nora" you whimpered clutching at your chest, "can't breathe, help me." If you could've seen her heart you would've saw it break at that but luckily you couldn't and now she could remain strong on the outside even if her heart ached for you. "Shh dove I'm here, I'm here and you're safe love, come let's go inside yes? Your much to cold my little bird. Let nora mend that broken wing of yours, so then you can go fly again." Leonora always had a way with words, it's one of the many reasons you love her, and it's one of the skills she's thankful for as she managed to coax you into your bed. You hadn't t noticed the sunset had faded into an onyx sky, but you did notice being in your chosen mothers arms and hearing her heart beating quietened the voices.

Word count~ 1058

[heavensthorn3]

Bruh, if I had any sympathy for dysphoric, filthy, perverted crossdressing m*les, gay or otherwise, it definitely got stomped to death last night. Working at fast food is a trash job, ignoring the shit pay and also having to deal with scumbags all day. Yesterday though, was something else, and I was doing a double shift, and this has been the SECOND time something bad has happened when doing a double shift. I was also on my period and already stressed out, and I'm saying this because I do believe it played a part on how I reacted much later. Ok, so as you may know, there tend to be two registers in most walk-in fast foods, and I was working on the one on the left side. There was a line on my side (on the left) because I was mostly alone taking orders while the other cashier was doing food behind me (sometimes she jumps in and out to take orders or make food). So, get this, the tr*nny freak was standing on the right side, literally in front of the right register, and I take the order of the m*le on my side and I do it pretty quickly to the point that when that thing started complaining about "him" being "first" the m*le had already put in his card to pay. I look confused momentarily because that guy was definitely not on my side. Then I just tell him that I was almost finish with him and for him to just wait (literally the interaction with the m*le client didn't even take ten seconds cause I did it that fast, but the freak wanted to be first, (who's surprised?), then he repeated the same thing but more aggressively (as if that's going to make me stop from finishing) and I repeated that I was almost done, and that's when that thing started insulting me. He was black, btw, so you can understand my situation. I've had a lot of encounters with rude customers, most are more subtle about their passive aggressiveness, others more blunt, but I've dealt with them either way. Most are hispanics, like me, the rest are black, and then some white, and before you knee-jerk and start calling me racist, half my family (on my mom's side) is black, my father is white, keep in mind, they are also religious and reserved, and most of my relatives have shared going through some discrimination or bullying from nigerians in the area (mostly women) and black people in general. If you follow me by now, you know I speak my mind. Most of my bad interactions have been with both black m*les and women. They have a lack of respect for workers, they are far more demanding than anybody else, and are rude about it all the while, and don't have any self-preservation about getting in your face. This has always struck me as strange. I'm quiet when I'm out, reserved, that's how my mother raised me. So this has always struck me as strange.

Anyways, the degenerate was calling me stupid, insulting my looks, literally called me an alien (he was projecting, I know) and saying ugly-ass bitch, ass - then another insult about ass - and whatever else. They do have an obsession with ass, I found, but anyways, I was literally just standing there, quite apathetic to the parasites hollering, and then, you need to understand that its words didn't effect me, but the confrontation seem to tip my emotions over. And I can't stress enough that I've had some customers and people in my life imply the same thing, so its words didn't affect me personally, but I wasn't feeling well, and I honestly had to step back and tell the other cashier that I wasn't going to take its order and then I continued to the next person, and that thing just kept going, insulting me, saying how stupid I was, and I felt such unadulterated RAGE inside of me, I wanted to tell him so many damned things, SO MANY, but at the back of my mind I still needed this job and I was sure I would get fired if I said what I wanted to say, and I was just stuck in the middle of those two emotions. I felt at the edge of exploding, and what usually happens when I'm frustrated and stressed from weeks working at this job, I cry. And that was literally the nail on the coffin for me. Not only did I feel like a coward, but I cried at work. I also have to add that I've had a couple of uncomfortable interactions with black m*les trying to get my number or more information about me (it became a problem because one of them wouldn't order and kept harassing me for personal information), so I'm not so unattractive to the BLACK M*LE, I guess, so it had nothing to do with the insults. I had to step to the back then, and people I worked with, mostly hispanic, asked me what was wrong, and I just kept telling them, I was fine, it's nothing, and I just felt so tired and angry. The second manager was there, a woman that I'm kinda negative-neutral on, and she asked me what happened while she was making food in the back, and I didn't tell her, but the others did, and I almost laughed when she said "was it the person that looked like a man", cause lol, bruh, she was at the back and even she could tell a m*le when she saw it. The m*le thing wore makeup and everything, it would've passed for a black woman, but the voice and the build gave it away. It was an uncanny thing.

The encounter was truly strange. But I do believe it was a lesson, and yeah, I'm not religious, but a part of me does believe I'm being taught something here. At this point in time, it's too coincidental not to.

[marshmallowprotection]

chain anon here! thank you for answering :D I'm super excited to share! I tend to come across more variants of GE!Suit, who I very much adore, but I don't tend to see SE!system content. Maybe I'm just not coming across it on Tumblr? It's crazy tho because Unknown exists so far down the line that of course Suit and Ray would have already been there....I think Unknown/SE!Saeran (and by extension, his system during that timeline) tend to be left out a LOT in comparison to other kinds of content. It's really unfortunate for someone who adores the SE, but I'm happy to find someone to talk about it with!!!

Anyway this is super generalized since I'm just starting, but- I just imagine MC stumbling across SE one day. Maybe they exist similarly- she spots him watching the clouds in the park she frequents and is captivated by him. They keep showing up at the park at the same times. Saeran is super aware of his surroundings so of course he notices her popping up. Eventually MC approaches and asks to sit next to him and they kind of just very very slowly go from there, just quietly existing together and getting closer over time. Eventually they're close enough that MC is coming over to see Saeran at his house or hers and....well, I would imagine Grave wouldn't be too happy about the vulnerability around someone he himself doesn't know. I'd maybe expect him to lurk around and pay attention to MC before something happened- I tend to jump down the line to where MC and Grave are already interacting and have a harder time focusing on the first steps of interaction with him in this kind of scenario. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A little bit of vague details about about my MC as a side note!! - she's super short, long blonde hair, dresses really edgy, and is most easily described as having a personality that's a mix between SE!Saeran and Suit Saeran. She's fiercely protective and passionate about what she cares about, has super strong opinions she's not afraid to voice, is really strict with her moral boundaries, and is also very emotionally drained around others really easy. She carries a lot of heavy trauma and is really drawn to SE!Saeran for many reasons, and a big one being that sense of connection- even if she doesn't quite know the whole story yet, and most definitely is head over heels for Grave when he stops giving her the cold shoulder and even pushes against her

Oh! See, the thing with Suit Saeran is that protection is the root source of everything he does even if it doesn't make sense to some people. His idea of protection can be flawed at times, doing some of the most questionable things for Ray and later, SE Saeran, but... this gets the job done. He doesn't want them to suffer, and as soon as he knows they're safe, he knows he can retreat to his own space and do what he likes to do. He can be alone with his thoughts and not fester in agony about what might go wrong.

He can continue learning how to play the violin and enjoy what little time he has to himself... and that's how he finds peace. Being alone with his music, far, far away from the world. He's afraid to open up to other people when Ray and SE Saeran are just as bad. He wants the two of them to have a good time, and to enjoy being alive, but it's so hard to make that happen when they put themself into situations he can't control.

Like, with someone they don't know and can't fully know no matter how much research he does.

If I can offer a suggestion for the area you're struggling with, it's that you need to focus on building trust and proving yourself to Grave. He doesn't trust people right off the bat. He's waiting for them to show him he can trust them. He will do whatever it takes to make sure the people around him won't hurt SE Saeran or Ray. Even if his boys do enjoy someone's company, he's not going to screw around and let the world break them when they're still learning how to fly. Anyone who has poor intentions has to go, and while this isn't the best way to let them experience life, he's been burned too much to readily offer up trust to a stranger.

It's one of the things he has to learn to move forward in life. He has to trust other people, and he has to trust SE Saeran and Ray to be able to handle some of their battles alone.

Even if you're similar to him in this way, that doesn't mean he's as apt to trust you! You both have some hurdles to overcome but it will be a lot easier once you have one another to lean on.

[eveandtheturtles]

Started with a Kiss Chapter 12: Forgiveness

Summary: Kara and Seth have a lot of catching up to do.

Pairing: Donnie x OC

Rating: T for siblings.

<<Previous All ChapterS Next>>

A/N: This chapter was also co-written with @singinghands Seth is also Kay's character and it has been a pleasure to have him here. Beta Read this time by Topazpearl on Discord who came to my aid in my time of need lol. As usual it can also be read on AO3. AO3 has also a little bonus content in the Notes! (sorry it took me ages to post).

Distracted by the game and the food, Seth didn’t notice how quickly the time went by. Too quickly. He planned to duck out of sight and surprise his sister, but her sudden appearance ruined it. Instead, it was him who jumped when an unfamiliar voice rang through the lair. As he stood up quickly he dropped his controller, ignoring the screen as his character veered off the track. 

Like Kara, he was just as surprised, though for different reasons. Part of him, irrationally, expected her to still look like she did when she'd left home. Thirteen years old and frozen in time. Obviously, that couldn't be the case, and he was silent for a moment, hands empty but still. His sister grew up. 

<Hi?> Seth finally managed once the freeze wore off, knowing that was hardly enough of a greeting or explanation for him being here.

Kara's eyes immediately switched to look at Cheryl. Her friend had enough decency to look apologetic as she signed <Sorry.>

Nevermind that. She could deal with Cheryl another time. 

With a few leaps she got to Seth, nearly tackling him, as she hugged him. There would be time for shame and guilt later. Right now her brother was there. And she had missed him. 

Stumbling back, Seth had to fight to keep his balance. There was no hesitation before he was hugging Kara back, his own eyes welled up seeing his sister again.

<You ass, you are so much taller now!> She grinned as she pulled back, taking a few steps backwards, ignoring the tears gathering in her eyes. 

Her complaint about his height got a bark of silent laughter shortly before Seth stuck his tongue out mockingly. <I am not, you just shrunk.>

She snorted, wiped her tears and lightly punched his side. <Ass.> She took a deep breath and smiled.

Light punch or not, Seth was still acting like it hurt. He watched Kara with mock pain on his face and a barely hidden amusement beneath it. <How could you say that, huh?> Not waiting for an answer he just shrugged it off with another short, silent laugh. He had missed this; the old habit of teasing was as easy to slip into as a forgotten jacket that still fit.

Despite Cheryl's explanations earlier, he still wanted to hear it from Kara too. <Everything okay?> Adding to that was a quick look around the (admittedly more homey than expected when he'd first heard about the lair) room.

Both siblings noticed Cheryl and Donnie trying to discreetly shoo Raph and Mikey out of the entertainment area to give them space. Cheryl smiled at the duo and gave them thumbs up. The two kind of needed to be alone for this.

<Yeah, I'm good,> Kara told Seth. <Do you wanna sit down? I need to know everything about you now.>

<Good. And yeah. This is a lot. I probably should.>

To Kara it was a relief he wanted to talk.She wouldn't be surprised that once the shock and excitement of meeting again wore off he would get angry at her. She fully expected that.

They sat down, and now the awkwardness set in. Without the distraction of video games, the fact of where they were and with whom was unavoidable now. Kara took a deep breath in, rubbing her hands over her legs, wondering what to say.

<Maybe then let's start with just…,> she wiggled her fingers trying to find the words, <are you here for long? Do you study in New York?>

<No, but it's semester break. I have a bit.> Not long, but hopefully enough to catch up. Though Seth doubted there would ever be enough time for that; so much had happened, both of them having missed years of the other's life.

Seth leaned forward a bit, getting comfortable before beginning to talk again. <Found a place kinda close to home, a couple hours out.> Far enough away that he had space and more of a heads up before their mom dropped in, but still close enough that he could get back home if he needed to.

<What about you guys? All, uh, all of you?>

Kara nodded. Right, the semester break. It was almost Christmas time. God, the time really got away from her. 

<You mean the turtles too?> She snorted. <They're okay. We are missing one at the moment.> She looked at the crowd that was trying hard to pretend they weren't interested in what was going on. She could see the orange bandana snapping back into Splinter’s room 

<Cheryl's fine, but she probably told you that.> She sent a sharp look at the dark blonde head poking out. It immediately disappeared as well. None of them were slick. <And I am okay, for now.> She gave him a brave smile, despite worry squeezing her stomach like a vice. <How much did she tell you?>

<Oh, enough.> He could guess what Kara might have been hinting toward, but it was always easier for both of them to default to teasing. The more serious parts of all this could wait, for both him and Kara to feel ready to talk about it. With that in mind, there was a spark of mischief lurking in Seth's eyes as he waited for her full attention again.

His attempt at a neutral-to-serious expression kept not quite getting there, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. <What's your fursona, sis?>

At first she thought he meant the whole situation with the mob and/or ex problems but one look at his face told her otherwise. 

She felt her face heating up. <I am not a furry!> She huffed and slapped his arm again with the back of her hand.

It got her another look of mock pain as Seth pretended to test the arm for injury. 

<You sure about that? Looks like it to me,> he teased further.

Kara gasped in faked offense and started poking his sides to tickle him in revenge.

Squirming away, Seth's sudden need to get out of Kara's reach had him unbalanced on the sofa. Suddenly he was on the floor, palms stinging from catching himself.<Weaknesses are a low blow!> 

<Suffer!> She grinned evilly. <I have the high ground, Anakin!>

Seth couldn't help his snort of laughter at that familiar line, deliberately looking her in the eyes to keep her guessing about his retaliation.

<You underestimate my power, Kar-bi Wan!> It was her only warning before her legs were under tickle attack.

She squeaked and kicked her legs, with one accidentally flinging at his head.

He tried to dodge, but Seth's realization came a hair too late; at least it wasn't a full kick, but the side of his head was going to feel that for a bit. <Still a kicker?> he teases, albeit weakly, the eye on that side watering.

Kara gasped this time in concern but snorted at his joke. <Are you okay?> She checked his head then reached one hand to him to help him up. 

<Will be. You lost your edge.> The offered help was welcomed though, and he was glad to take it. <Thanks.>

She snorted. <We should get that checked out before you leave though.> 

She helped him sit down. There wasn’t much of a warning for her next move. As she held his hand, she grabbed a pillow with the other hand and smacked it into his face.

The split second between that annoyingly familiar grin and his face being full of pillow wasn't enough this time to react, and Seth needed a second longer still to come to terms with what just happened.

As soon as he did, he was quick to put a mock wounded expression on when the pillow dropped. <First you kick me, now this?>

She laughed, she laughed so hard. This familiarity was nostalgic. The past just dropping right into her lap. It was overwhelming. She started crying. The tears started flowing, and she couldn’t stop them. It was like something unlocked inside her, and she couldn’t stop. It was an ugly cry, and she sniffled trying to stop. She raised her hands to sign, but her words weren’t coming out, they were shaking so badly. She just reached out to her brother. 

As soon as Kara started crying, the teasing stopped. Her seeking comfort was all it took for Seth to reach out as well. Even as a child, it wasn't often that she got like this. Kara rarely let her emotions out. He still was her brother, her first best friend. He quickly recognized of what was going on came quickly.

She couldn’t see what he was saying like this, but he was still spelling <okay> against her back. It still took her a moment to register him doing that.

She held on tight, letting it all flow out. All the repressed emotions. Once they stopped she remained still for a few moments, until she knew it was over. Until she felt safe enough to face him again. Only then she took a deep, shaky breath and pulled away. <I am so sorry,> she said. <I didn't mean to ever leave you behind. You must hate me, huh?>

<You're my sister. You know I don't.> Even if she was hard to get along with sometimes, that was just how things worked. At least, for their definition of sibling. <You're okay, right?>

Her lips quivered in a weak smile and she nodded. <I'm okay. You?>

<Yeah. Still getting used to my sister being a furry.> Seth adds, not willing to resist the tease.

She looked at him with a glare. <I can still absolutely whack you with that pillow again.> She puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

<Sure you can still do that if my glasses are on?> He wiggled his eyebrows at her. 

Kara rolled her eyes. <He's nice. We're friends. And not dating!> 

<Oh, he's still single then?> The question wasn't in the least serious. Seth was not even hiding the continued sibling mockery in it. 

She deployed the pillow again, smacking him over the shoulder. <Keep going and I am coming for your kneecaps.> 

<Hey!> The protest is weak, and one Seth drops immediately. <You can try, if you can reach them.>

She stuck her tongue at him. <What about you? No bears in your life you try to seduce?>

Sticking his tongue out in return, the gesture on his side is brief. <No, I wouldn't say there was.> Not that there wasn't someone, but the category didn't apply.

She ignored the taunt and narrowed her eyes, reading his expression. <But there is someone,> she stretched the signs, teasing him with a grin. There might have been almost ten years, but his face was just as open as ever.

Seth couldn't help it, feeling his face heat up with a blush in response to the teasing. <Maybe there is, maybe not.> he hedged, looking to one side instead of directly at Kara.

HA! She got him. Her grin got wide. She moved her whole body to put herself in his line of sight. <There iiiiiissssss. Who is it? Do you need a wingman? I totally can wingman for you. Or kick their ass as your sister! Do they need shovel talk?>

<No. Nope.> The denial came quickly. Seth was more than aware of what normally happened when Kara started on that particular line of thinking. The highschool experience was more than enough. <You're too late anyway.> Which was lucky, at least in his opinion. Of course, now that this was her train of thought that admission would only move her onto a slightly different related track.

Her eyes sparkled, face stretched in a smile. <My bro has a boyfriend!> Damn, her brother had a boyfriend! Shit… she missed so much… But she didn’t let herself get down again. <What’s his name? What does he look like?>

<Nope, don't know what you're talking about. They aren't.> He's playing word games and knows it, but that was part of the fun. <I'll ask if I can show you later okay? And you better not.> Some protectiveness sneaks onto the words as Seth signs them, along with stubbornness, both similar enough to the way he acted about family that Kara might recognize the expression he has now.

She giggled. <Please do. I am dying of curiosity.> She winked but then sighed. This was good. Really good. It was familiar. Comforting even. 

<I will. Promise.> To show his sincerity, Seth used for the word ‘promise’ their own homesign the two came up with as children. It was nearly a reflex to do so as well.

She nodded, trusting him on that. But there was an itch of discomfort at the edge of her mind. Best to jump to the meat of things, now that the tears were out of the way.

<Seth do you hate me? Aren't you mad at me?> She asked again. 

Seth dropped his earlier teasing when the mood shifted. <I don't hate you. You're my sister.> He pushes a hand through his hair, sighs. <Maybe when you first disappeared? But I didn't know why. And that was years ago. It wasn't your choice, whatever it was.> Cheryl had shared some, but he hadn't pressed for more than what she felt able to say.

She sighed and dropped her hands learning that he knew some things. It brought up more shame and guilt and some annoyance. Mostly at Cheryl, but she also understood. Her friend probably had to calm Seth down before they could meet. It takes a moment to swallow it. Her mouth turned into a thin line as she processed that.

<How much do you know?> She finally asked.

<The hospital. And someone breaking into your place. Nothing more specific.> He wanted, needed, to know. For his peace of mind in some sense, at least. Though Seth doubted it would bring much of that. <It's your business, right? Your decision on how much to tell.> Something serious like this? That wasn't anything to insist on prying into when the people involved might not want you to. Even if he wanted to.

Kara wrung her hands and bit her lips. Okay, so nothing too specific. That's good. Wait, no. She rubbed her face, annoyed at herself. Why were secrets her default? She did share some stuff with Donnie recently and…. She didn't feel like recounting the events again but… this was Seth, and he deserved to know some things. 

She shook her hands, trying to shake some of the nerves and fear of judgment. 

<I have an ex. His name is Ryan,> she started slowly. <And yeah. It was very bad. Really bad. I didn't notice when–.> When what? When she cut off almost all her support system? She still felt like it was her fault. She shouldn't have done that and yet. <After the hospital, I won the court case. Barely.> She sighed and rolled her eyes. <I may or may not have had some less than savory help in it. He got released early for 'good behavior'.> She grimaced at the words. <Somehow got in touch with one of the crime lords and I don't know, convinced him to help make my life difficult again?> She paused, drumming her fingers together. <I may or may not have been doing some not entirely legal stuff on the internet, and Donnie found me out. They offered me protection, and I got a deal with the Chief of Organized Crime so I have been here for now. So, that's me. In a nutshell.> She gave him an awkward smile.

The amount of information had Seth quiet for a moment to process. A name, but one that, now that this person was out of the picture, he would set aside until it was needed. Trouble he didn't know about, danger she'd had to deal with on her own.

The legality of what she had done aside, she was still his sister. Maybe not the right mindset for someone on the career track Seth hoped for, but he'd never been the best at heeding the letter when not doing so was the more right choice.

<He's for sure gone?>

<Working on that, the guys are taking down the organization and yeah.> She smiled awkwardly. <Your turn now. How's…. Everyone? What are you doing these days and uh… how's- how's mom?> She had a couple years to catch on.

Sighing, Seth rubs his neck while working out how to reply to that. <Working, a little. Studying the rest of the time. Getting some outside interaction with people when I can. Glad everyone's patient when I'm out of reach.> He grimaces, but briefly. <Mom's mom. You know how that is.> Her insistence on focusing on him and ignoring Kara still itched.

Unlike with Cheryl there wasn't the urge to sugarcoat things, moreso when doing that would hurt worse later.

Ah, it did sting and annoyed Kara as well. It’d been years and she just wouldn't- okay, deep breaths, no time for ranting. 

<Right, can't say I am not surprised.> Her face was twisted in a bitter expression. Fine, if she didn't want to acknowledge she had a child, then Kara wasn't going to think about her either. 

It wasn't his thing to say it for, but… <I'm sorry.>. The apology was reflexive, one he'd made before, and prompted by the familiar look of pain on Kara's face.

<Hey, it's not your fault.> She gave him exactly the same reply as back then as well. She decided to focus on him more. <What do you study? And where? Said you work? Do you need any cash?>

<The local back home, and I'm good on cash.> Seth looks sheepish to admit just what, with everything that Kara's shared, but she did ask. <Answer to the first one is law.> 

She giggled. <Great, next time I'm in deep shit I'm gonna call you instead of my lawyer.> She grinned and nudged him. 

<Conflict of interest, sis.> Seth teases automatically, the shift in her mood to something less jagged welcomed compared to earlier. 

She stuck her tongue at him. <Mean.>

He smiled. <You're safe here, right? Comfortable?>

She slowly nodded. <Aside of it being the sewers and> she raised her hands higher making her signs louder knowing the audience behind them, <Raph's gigantic fart bombs!> She dropped her hands again. What she didn't hear were the loud protests and laughs from the brothers that resulted from it. <Yeah. I'm good. I just can't wait to go topside. From what I heard it won't be long now. I will invite you over. You'll love it.>

Seth was relieved to hear that Kara would be safe enough soon to go back to her apartment, and he nodded in return. <Must be pretty bad if you can smell them down here.> he teased, though Raph wasn't around to be in on it. <You have a new cell number right?> After everything else that was hopefully a given, and getting it would make staying in touch easier.

She snickered and pulled her phone out. She had to get a new number after all that went down with Ryan. She should have saved Seth's number, but she didn't think of it when she should have. Too late for should haves now though. Now was what was important.

She quickly told Seth her number and waited for him to send her a text. As soon as her screen lit up with his number she saved it as 'Stinky Bro'. She also sent him back her home address.

Seth had hers saved under a sibling nickname of his own, one that had him grinning behind his free hand. If she saw her name was set to "small annoyance", the lifespan of his phone would be in question.

Only when he hears the sound of a text arriving does Seth look settled. It being able to send properly down here had been questionable.

She recognised the small flash of brief surprise. <It's all Donnie Tech. He is really smart.> She praised the turtle. Her face lit up a little, badly hiding feelings she didn't want to fully acknowledge.

Hiding his grin on seeing how proud she was of Donnie's work was difficult enough that Seth didn't bother with the effort. <Are you absolutely sure you’re not a furry?> he teased, unable to resist the barb.

She narrowed her eyes at him and chucked a pillow on his face.

Taking the smack full in the face, once the pillow fell away there was a look of mock anger and mischief mixed on Seth's face. <No fair attacking an unarmed man.> he reminded, holding a hand out then expectantly for his own pillow.

<Oh you think, I would give you an ammunition, fool?> She stood up on the sofa, holding the pillow under her arm and balancing shakily. There were of course other pillows around. <Again – I have the higher ground!!> she signed dramatically, stretching her signs. 

"So you guys are playing or what?" Mikey suddenly popped behind Seth, signing as he spoke. 

His sudden appearance caused Kara to lose balance and she fell, caught by Donnie last second. 

Seth yelped and whirled around. How someone that tall and bulky could be so quiet was a mystery! He slipped on one of the pillows from earlier and had to fight for his own balance, a fight he only half-wins.

Blinking up at the turtle, it takes him a minute to recover. <Uh, yeah? Sort of?>

"Mikey," Donnie hissed, scolding the younger brother. He set a blushing, a bit stunned Kara down. He then moved away, clearing his throat.

"Whoops, my bad," Mikey shrugged, with a not-so-innocent smile. 

It only took one look at that smile to recognize it, once Seth was fully sure of his balance again. A comrade in arms, he assumed, and he had to force his expression back to neutral despite the flicker of a grin threatening to appear.

Turning his attention to Kara and Donnie, he equally feigned innocence. <You okay, sis?>

Kara looked at her brother. Her eyes quickly narrowed, recognizing the twitches in his face. He hadn't changed all that much since they were 13.

<I am okay,> she signed slowly. She looked at Donnie. <Seth, this is Donnie. Donnie this is my brother, Seth.>

Donnie looked a bit confused at Kara for a moment as she introduced them. <Oh! Nice to meet you, S-,> he paused and looked at Kara, who was biting her lips trying to hide in an impish grin. 

Did she just use a middle finger to name her brother?

Seth for his part doesn't look surprised, forgetting that they're not around people in the know before flashing a return bird in Kara's direction. Then he's back to including Donnie in the conversation.

<Sorry, she forgets her social training sometimes. Good to meet you too.> With that jab he was purposely avoiding looking at Kara in a way that Seth hoped gets under her skin the way their teasing used to.

With that display Kara fake gasped silently. She then tried to position herself in front of Seth, even jumping a little to get into his field of vision. 

<I know that too well,> Donnie replied, amused at her bouncing. 'She is adorable,' he thought but tried not to show it. Which wasn't working very well judging by the grin Mikey was giving him.

Seth was trying and failing at keeping his expression straight while continuing to pretend he couldn't see Kara. <So that hasn't changed, huh?>

As he spotted the fond look (or what Seth assumed was a fond look) hiding in Donnie's amusement, there was a spark of mischief equal to Mikey's grin in his eyes. <You’ve been keeping her safe?>

<Trying our best, but I think she has been causing at least 60% more headaches to Leo than what normally Raph does,> Donnie replied, either missing Seth's intention or purposefully evading it. <They are a team.> He sent a look towards Raph who huffed in response, not hiding his smirk very well. 

Meanwhile, Kara, annoyed with being ignored, jabbed her brother in the stomach.

‘<Only sixty? That's lucky. Used to be ninety per–> And then the jab, catching Seth off guard. <See?> he signed while giving Kara a look of 'excuse me?’ that hadn't changed even after growing up. <And there's two of her trying, too, she's gone soft.>

With that last sentence he deliberately angles himself so both Donnie and Kara were included in the conversation. If she was going to elbow him, it would be for a reason this time.

Donnie tried to hide his smile from the sibling duo. He met Kara the Hacker, worked with Kara the Scientist, the Friend and the Mischief Maker. This was Kara the Sibling.

<90%? I am really sorry and thank you for your service,> he joked.

Meanwhile Kara seemed placated with her inclusion. She snorted at Donnie’s response and shook her head.

She stuck her tongue back at him then snorted and grinned. <You rehashed that idea when we were 11 and shoved a whole plate of ‘pie’ in my face.>

<Don't feel sorry for him! When we were younger he shoved me into a washer!>

<Your attitude stunk, that was the fastest way to deal with it.> Seth shoots back, grinning at the memory even as his nose wrinkles. <She used up half a jar of Vicks on my pillow; the smell never did get out. It had to be replaced, and my hair stunk the entire time until we did. She still doing that?> Now it was funny, but at the time having to deal with their classmates and parent's friends asking if he was sick for weeks afterwards had been infuriating.

<No, not that I know of,> Donnie bit his lips to not laugh.

<That was because you framed me for eating all of the mini jalapeño cheesecakes mom made for a garden party!> Kara tried to defend herself. <I didn't even like those.> She pouted. <And I was the one to get grounded!>

<I'd do it again, they were delicious.> With that he stuck his tongue out at Kara, not caring how childish the gesture was. <You would have done the same thing if she made your favorite. Tasted better than the shaving cream you told me was whipped cream anyway, had to get rid of it with something.>

<Hey, nobody said we couldn't copy each other,> Seth answered with an exaggerated shrug, hands palm up as if asking 'what can you do?’ as he does so. <Good to know you kept it going.>

Donnie turned his head to look at Raph and Mikey. It was hard to imagine being separated from his siblings for as long as Kara and Seth were. Even if they infuriated each other to no end…

Their prank wars were ridiculous in eye of time. Thinking up what to do next, waiting for the reactions, both of them had enjoyed that even if their parents had gotten tired of it not long after they'd started. It was after their dad… wasn't around anymore. The good ol’ prank wars were to cheer each other up.

<Good to have you back, ass.> Kara chuckled and bumped her fist over Seth’s arm. <Beware though, I will find a way to get you.>

<Hey, don’t want to ruin the happy reunion, but there’s pizza with yours and Donnie’s name on it, unless you are fine with Mikey hoovering those in,> Cheryl joined them, standing at Donnie’s side.

<Oh, I better go get it then,> Donnie jumped up at that a little. There was no joking with pizza and Mikey involved. <It was nice meeting you Seth,> he said and offered his hand for a shake to Kara’s brother.

In the middle of trying to squirm away from Kara's poking, batting her hands away, Seth gives her a look she'd recognize that she better wait a minute for him to talk. <You too,> he returns, hesitating a second before accepting the handshake.

The obvious aside, as a person Donnie seemed alright.

That wouldn't keep him from his brotherly duties, however, but Seth hoped it wouldn't come to that for multiple reasons, the clear strength difference being one of them.

Kara looked between him and Donnie. With a small smile she bumped lighty into him. <Thank you,> she signed. 

Seth shook his head. <Don’t mention it.>

She was probably going to say more but this time her stomach protested, reminding her it was time to go eat. <Let’s talk later. Maybe Mario Kart? Been a while since I destroyed you in a game.>

Seth laughed soundlessly. <You’re on.>

Tag list: @madammuffins @leosgirl82 @m1dnyt3-w0lf @pheradream-15 @kikithedreamerwriter @fyreball66 @tinkabelle24 @dilucsflame33 @raphsmuneca

(lemme know if you want to be removed! or added! Thank you for reading! Leave me a comment! Reblogs are super welcomed!)

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Autumn's Concerto (2009)

AKA Next Stop Happiness, AKA the reason that I don't hate time jumps anymore

Synopsis

Liang Mu Cheng has had a tough life. Between her parents dying young, having to give up her passion for playing the piano, and being forced to live in a house with her step-mother's predator boyfriend, she can't seem to catch a break. When fate forces her in the path of one Ren Guang Xi, a law-school-flunking rich kid with anger management issues, things only seem to get worse. Meanwhile, Guang Xi, though he appears to have it all, is being torn apart from the inside--physically and emotionally. The accidental meeting sets in motion a drama that takes place over the span of years, complete with political intrigue, amnesia, courtroom trials, and of course, beef and carrot stew.

MZ Overview: 11/10, can't wait to watch it again!

I watched this at the recommendation of one of my friends who said it was a good entry into the world of Taiwanese dramas, and she was absolutely right! Each one of the 34 episodes was a treat where I was left wanting more. I went into this knowing nothing about the plot, so I was confused at first at the pacing of the show. Surely, I said, there isn't anywhere to go from here? But reader, there WAS. In the best way possible. One major component was a time jump, which was done so well and with so much story afterward that I didn't even mind. Hell, I even liked it! The cast of characters in the second half are so endearing that I kept forgetting that they weren't there the whole time. Don't even get me started on Liang Xiao Le.... one word: ADORABLE. I will most definitely be watching it again, especially when I need to constantly ask "WILL THEY JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY?" (Because that's a thing I need in life, apparently) Be prepared for major second lead syndrome!

MZ Review (spoilers): I'm not crying YOU'RE crying

CW: Sexual Assault

We meet our heroine, Liang Mu Cheng, as she is trying to transport an expensive fish back to her family, who have designs to use it in a VIP's lunch. The VIP, of course, is none other than the president of the university where Mu Cheng's family now runs the cafeteria. She is warned as she sets out on her journey that the fish needs to be brought home in a certain time, otherwise it will go bad and will not be suitable to be served to such an important person.

With this warning she hops on the bus to her house, which is stopped dead in its tracks by a couple in a fancy sports car ahead of them. Desperate to arrive home on time, Mu Cheng decides to intervene. That is when Ren Guang Xi, the driver of the sports car, is introduced.

What ensues from this point on is in turn touching and traumatic, yet it manages to toe the balance between them, as any good drama does. Yet I do have to say that if I didn't love the characters I would have major issues with the plot lines in this show. Mostly because of the use of sexual assault/trauma over and over again.

I would say its definitely worth watching even with this in mind. The characters are SO GOOD. Not so much in a character development way, but in an exaggerated personality way. Take Mu Cheng for example-- she is the ultimate martyr. Time and time again through the show, she makes the decision to sacrifice for others over herself. While this could get annoying, I appreciated that she was consistent. You know what to expect from her, which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of other main leads.

The best (or worst) part of the love triangle was that I had MAJOR second-lead syndrome from the jump. Hua Tuo Ye is so cute and wholesome, despite the hard edge he tries to portray as a farmer who isn't afraid to throw hands when necessary. We should really call him Hua "I'm his human dad while his alien dad isn't here" Tuo Ye. When he said that to Liang Xiao Le, my heart MELTED. I knew the entire time there was no chance for him and Mu Cheng to end up together, especially since he was already the "big boss" of the house, but I HOPED. At the same time, I couldn't be too mad about this development, because SIX YEARS? Dude, you have to make a move in that time. C'mon.

Everything between Ren Guang Xi and Liang Mu Cheng developed as I expected, so it was nice to watch their love overcome the multiple hurdles that were placed in their way. The only thing that I hadn't really predicted was the way Guang Xi's mom would develop. She starts off as your typical chaebol mom who wants to control the life of her kids, but ends up a loving grandma. I was surprised since I thought she was going to be evil the whole time. So it's not 100% true none of the characters had any development, but I'd say its still pretty accurate.

I'm really glad I watched this show! It was a journey from beginning to end, and as promised the next stop is happiness!

[trikruismybitch]

Angst Prompts

* “Imagine the worst things you think about yourself. Now how would you feel when the one person you trusted most in the world, not only thinks them too, but actually used them as reasons not to be with you.”

* “I know I’ve hurt you, but I still love you” “Well, excuse me if I don’t fall for that or you ever again.”

* "well at least she treats me like im somebody!" "Yeah will she love you if you were nobody!?" "Nobody loved me when i was nobody!" "i did"

* “Does she make you laugh?” “She doesn’t make me cry”

* “I feel like I’m in the wrong world. ‘Cause I don’t belong in a world where we don’t end up together. I don’t..there are parallel universes out there where this didn’t happen. Where I was with you, and you were with me. And whatever universe that is, that’s the one my heart lives in.”

* “You took a piece of me, and I let you. And that will never happen again.”

* “The worst thing I ever did. The darkest thought I ever had. You said you would stand by me through anything. This Y/n is anything” “I never thought that the worst thing you’d ever do, would be to me.”

* “You and I loved each other. And then you broke me heart.”

* “I can’t keep being your second choice. Not when your my first.”

* “Oh this is nothing” “You’ve had worse” “Have you ever loved someone that didn’t love you back?”

* “All I’ve ever wanted to be is loved.”

* “My mother thought I was a monster, she was right, of course, but it still hurt.”

* “I love you” “then prove it”

* “She’s not worth it” “yeah she is”

* “I wish I had done everything on earth with you.”

* “I wish I knew how to quit you.”

* “But the hearts not like a box that gets filled up, it expands the more you love.”

* “I would rather die tomorrow, then live a hundred years without you.”

* “Your so stupid (name)! Why did you do that! Why?” “You jump I jump right?”

* “Can’t you see? Every step I have taken, since I was that child on a bridge, has been to bring myself a step closer to you.”

* “I’m also just a girl standing in-front of (gender), asking (gender) to love her.”

* “You were my new dream” “And you were mine”

* “This, this part of you, don’t destroy it.”

* “I don’t want to be worshipped I want to be loved.”

* “And the last thing you will ever see will be me because I love you.”

* “You stole what was left of my heart and now I have lost you forever. I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live. And not a day shall past, that I don’t miss your smile.”

* “Because I want you! All of you. forever.”

* “You can rest now.”

* “You have your mothers eyes.”

* “I waited for you for seven years, and now it’s too late.”

* “All of you, liars. You’re only happy when you can see something die.”

* “But I am, so lonely.”

* “(Name)? (Name) come on, you got to get up.”

* “I will never let go, I promise.”

* “Take her to the moon for me.”

* “Don’t put me in the dark. I’m afraid of the dark.”

* “Stop crying.”

* “Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere.”

* “You still go to bed every night, going over every detail, and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood.”

* “Well I am fine, I will be fine, really.”

* “You are the saddest girl I’ve ever met” “your the first person who has ever said that. I am usually told how happy I am.”

* “I want to be great or nothing.”

* “And all the while, I feel I am, standing in a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even looks up.”

* “I don’t know that I find myself anywhere.”

* “Trust is for fool. Fear is the only reliable way.”

* “Most of the time, most days I feel nothing. I don’t feel anything. It is so boring, I wake up and I think, again? Really? I have to do this again?”

* “If your going to let one stupid prick ruin your life.”

* “Now you respect me because I’m a threat.”

* “Because that’s what you are, that’s what you’ll always be.”

* “Why do we fall in love with the wrong people?” “We accept the love we think we deserve.”

* “You have to let me go, you have to let me let you go. I need you to do that for me.”

* “You know, ever since we were little I would get this feeling like, like I’m floating outside of my body looking down on myself and I hate what I see, how I’m acting, the way I sound, and I don’t know how to change it and I’m so scared that, that feeling is never going to go away.

* “I know a lot of you probably hate me right now and I get it. If I could be a different person, I promise you I would. Not because I want it, but because they do.”

* “There’s all of this pressure to be all of these things to be fucking perfect but I’m not. I’m not fucking perfect.”

* “I’m fine, yeah besides from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant overwhelming crushing fear that something terrible’s about to happen.”

* “I’ll always love you cus’ we grew up together and you helped make me who I am. I just wanted you to know there will be a piece of you in me always and I’m grateful for that.”

* “I will not be the person you settle for just because you can’t have her.”

* “I used to think you were the best thing that happened, but now I think you might maybe be the worst thing.”

* “I told my story and you judged me?”

* “You are afraid to be alive. You're afraid to live. You're a conformist. You're a liar. I opened up to you and you judged me. You're an asshole. You're an asshole!”

* “I don’t want to survive. I want to live.”

* “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”

* “Love cannot be found where it doesn’t exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does.”

* “Only if you find peace within yourself will you find true connection with others.”

* “I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly."

* “I love her. She breaks my heart again and again, but I love her.”

* “I love every broken bone in your body.”

* “I miss you. I miss not touching each other. Not seeing each other, not breathing in each other. I want you all the time—no one else.”

* "I want to tell you with my remaining strength that I love you. I always have. I'll drift next to you every day as a ghost just to be with you. Even if I was banished to the darkest place, my love will keep me from being a lonely spirit."

* “To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves."

* "You are the love that came without warning; you had my heart before I could say no."

* You never loved me. You just loved how much I loved you.”

* “You always have a choice.”

* “You don't have any idea what I have or haven't done to get to where I am.”

* “I keep thinking about all the things I never said because I was so sure, there would be other days to say them.”

* “The greatest gift, what truly sets people apart. Is the ability to feel.”

* “I never wanted you to come back to (place), I always knew there was nothing here for you but pain and tragedy and I wanted something more for you then that.”

* “What happened to us?”

* “You abandoned me” “I needed you”

* “Why didn’t you just tell me that?” “Right, because when things go wrong you do the horrible thing, you do the ugly thing.”

* “So that’s it then? Your writing me off?”

* “I can’t wait around every time to pick up the pieces, every time you freak out!”

* “Don’t this, ok? Don’t leave me again.”

* “We are done, ok? No more surprises. No more excuses. No more chances, we’re done.”

* “They’re never going to understand me they would’ve even try.” What’s the point? I haven’t got anything” “everybody I love I lose.”

* “I am a crap person. I’m damaged, it’s no wonder everyone wants to leave me. I destroy everybody I love.”

* “I think you should go. You see I love you so much I just want you to be happy, even if that happiness no longer includes me.”

* “I don’t love you anymore.” “Since when?” “Now. Just now. Now please go.” “Don’t do this. Talk to me.”

* “Life is pain! I wake up every morning I’m in pain. I go to work in pain. You know how many times I wanted to just give up? How many times I’ve thought about ending it?”

* “The worst day of loving someone is losing them.”

* “What difference does it make? Because in the end, when you lose somebody, every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be.”

* “What happens when the one who broke your heart is the only one who can fix it?” 

* “One day you’re going to have to stop pretending everything’s okay.”

* “You don’t know what it’s like being in love with you. You know, when you and I were together, every single atom in my body told me that it was the right thing, that we were a perfect fit. And that kind of love, it can change your whole life.”

* “I don’t want to face my future without you.”

* “All I needed was for you to tell me you felt something…and you didn’t.”

* “You don’t know what I look like, when I’m not in love with you.”

* “When you lose someone, it stays with you forever. Always reminding you of how easy it is to get hurt.”

* “I’m scared that if I let myself be happy for just one moment, the world’s just gonna come crashing down. And I don’t know if I can survive.”

* “My nightmares are usually about losing you.”

* “I don’t wanna hate you. Because if I hate you, then I have nothing left.”

* “The truth is you’re better of without me.”

* “I wake up everyday and I feel okay, but there’s something missing. Like a hole. Some people they fit in life, or whatever. I don’t.”

* “You know you’re making the wrong choice, yet you make it anyways.”

* “Truth is I’ve tried to stop thinking about you. But I can’t.”

* "Just say that you missed me as much as I missed you."

* “I need to say it once. You need to hear it. I love you, (name).”

* “Despite all that we've done, all those we've lost, we're still here. You're not alone.”

* “If you lay even a finger on her I swear I will make you suffer in ways even your evil mind can't imagine.”

* “No, you don't get to ignore me for days and then suddenly act like you're concerned, (name). Just for once, would you please trust me that when I say I will do something and it’ll get done?”

* “You came back” “I always come back”

* “Why are you trying to put together your family when it's so clear that one part of it is broken?” “The definition of the word broken suggests that something can be fixed.”

* “If I’m gonna die might as well make it epic.”

* “(Name), you may think that I don't care about you, but you're wrong. I know what it's like to have your life stripped away from you because of other people's bad decisions. How do you think I became a vampire?”

* “I...let this person in. I let her in. I don't let people in. You knew this, and you've taken her from me. I needed her and you've broken me.”

* “You're scared. Because the people you love are angry with you.”

* “Deal with your jealousy. Deal with your shortcomings. Don’t put your crap on me.”

* “You never think that the last time is the last time. You think there will be more. You think you have forever but you don’t.”

* “Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we’re wired that way. Because without it, I don’t know; maybe we just wouldn’t feel real. What that saying? Why do I keep hitting himself with a hammer.”

* “I’m not in love with you, I’m in love with not being alone.”

* “I want so much for you. For both of us. So much more than this. More then being stuck with someone who feels stuck. I want you to feel free.”

* “Don’t look at me like that. Like I’m damaged goods. I’m still me. I’m still here.”

* “Don’t let what (gender) wants eclipse what you need. (Gender) is very dreamy, but he’s not the sun. You are.”

* “It’ll hurt every time you think of her. But over time, it will hurt less and less. And eventually you’ll remember her and it will only hurt a little.”

* “Grief may be a thing we all have in common but it looks different on everyone. It isn’t just death we have to grieve. It’s life, it’s loss, it’s change. And when we wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes, it has to hurt bad.”

* “If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. Because if you truly loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.”

* “I want you, I choose you!” “If you truly loved me you would have never fallen in love with someone else. I shouldn’t be a choose, I have enough respect for myself to not get back with you no matter how much you mean to me.”

* “Isn’t it frustrating. Wanting someone who doesn’t want you back.”

* “I want you to be happy even though we’re not together. Though I’m no longer part of that happiness, I’m so happy that you were part of my life.”

* “It's okay. We met and we talked and it was epic, but then the sun came up and reality set in.”

* “Tell me it isn’t true. Please. Tell me I heard wrong.”

* “Please tell me your joking.”

* “What did I do?” “Doesn’t matter it’s done, we’re done.” “Wait, what are you talking about?” “Did you feel sorry for me? Was I your charity case is that why you asked me out?” “What does that even mean” “You figured you could toy with me until someone better came along and I wouldn’t mind.” “You know what sucks about falling for a (gender) you know you're not right for? You fall anyway 'cause you think (gender) might turn out to be different”

* “I could’ve held you in my arms forever, still wouldn’t have been enough.”

* “Don’t do that, please don’t do that! You do not know how I feel!”

* “You gotta let go of that stuff from the past because it just doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now.” “You’re right.”

* “Some days I can’t stop thinking about you and other days I wonder why I’m wasting my time.”

👇 optional

* “Then leave! I don’t care if you leave, I was doing fine without you once. I can do it again.”

* “Love is just not enough. You need space so that you can be fully you.”

* “You are my first love And I want-more than anything, for you to be my last..But I can’t do this anymore.”

* “I want you to hear you say you don’t love me. Because if you say that-Than I won’t call you and I won’t be in your life.” “I don’t love you.”

* “Act normal, mom (or other). I wanna be normal!”

* “You still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how....you could have misunderstood

* “But mostly i hate the way, I don’t hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.”

* “You know ever since we were little, I would get this feeling like, like I’m floating outside of my body looking down on myself, and I have what I see, how I’m acting, the way I sound and I don’t know how to change it, and I’m scared that feeling is never going to go away.”

* “Words cut deeper then any blade.”

* “The longer you love the more you realize that reality is just made of pain, suffering and emptiness.” “What about love?” “Love brings pain and suffering and you left with emptiness.” “But the memories of those you love. Aren’t they better then never loving?”

* “Do you regret what you did?” “Yes of course-!” “Then learn from it and move on. There’s no point of looking back.”

* “Be strong and move on! It’s for you you to be happy again!”

* “If you push me away I promise you, you won’t find me where you left me. My hearts big but not big enough to deal with people, who only decide to love me when it’s convenient.”

* “Things end. People change. And you know what? Life moves on.”

* “My heart shattered in pieces when I see the way you look at him-the way you used to look at me.”

* “You won’t know real pain until you watch the person you love most in this world slowly give up on you...and all you can do is watch as they leave you stranded to deal with all the pain on your own while they already found someone to replace you with (or they’ve already moved on).”

* “Shhh it’s okay.” “Crying is how your heart speaks, when you lips can’t explain the pain you feel.”

* “You didn’t lie to me because you didn’t want to hurt my feelings, you lied because you knew I would’ve never stood for it!” (Implied cheatin)

* “This can’t be happening, this can’t be it.” “Then how come it is.”

* “A relationship that starts with a breakup ends is doomed to end with a breakup.”

* “Your back” “Yeah, I just got back. You’ve changed.” “A lot can change in a year.” “What can change in a year?” “Everything.” “Even the people you love?” “Especially the people you love.”

* "Hurts, Doesn't It? Being Lied To. Being Told You're One Thing And Then Learning It's All A Fiction."

* “I am not the villain in this story, I do what I do because there is no choice.”

* "Sometimes the person you'd take a bullet for is behind the gun."

[letterstotommy]

Dear right leg.

Dear Right Leg,

I remember the first time I noticed your power. It was the 2008 Summer Olympics—Tommy was barely one month old. Rowing was on TV while Tommy watched from the floor below, lying on his back. During the race, you were kicking away in unison with left leg in consistent, rhythmic motion as if you were powering your own invisible rowboat. I watched in awe as this tiny baby vigorously kicked away as the boat coasted along in the water. I knew then that Tommy was a natural-born athlete, destined for greatness.

Tommy was born with a skull fracture and started having seizures 24 hours after birth. We weren’t sure what life would look like for our boy, but we knew we’d be there no matter what challenges arose. You helped put our minds at ease when you got Tommy up and crawling so quickly—and even more when you helped him take his first steps at just ten months old. We were so relieved to watch him hit every developmental milestone early. You wasted no time forcing his parents to chase him down at a very young age. We loved it.

I remember watching you dance to the beat of “Gimme Some Lovin’” by Spencer Davis Group. That deep, steady bass line. Is there anything more adorable than a toddler finding his groove?

I can see you chasing our new buddy Duke around, landing effortlessly on the ground when he accidentally knocked Tommy down. He knew he was safe and started cracking up. It wasn’t long before you got Tommy kicking a soccer ball around, the beginning of 16 years of love for the most beautiful game.

You began to take Tommy places that we’ve been so lucky to witness—all of it. Every big moment. You made Tommy truly fly when it came to running. We were mind-blown when he won his first official races with ease. I can only dream of running a 5K in 18 minutes—but you, dear right leg, made it happen for him. A remarkable accomplishment.

You shine the most on the soccer field. You made 90 minutes of nonstop running look so simple. I’ll cherish our photos of you + Tommy in action, the momentum and power you so beautifully show.

I’ll cherish the sound of two little feet shuffling into our room every morning to greet us, and the days in Tommy’s childhood when I'd wake him up from naps by whistling “Habanera” from Carmen and pretending to play the leg as a piano, growing the intensity as the song hits the crescendo. This became less funny for Tommy once adolescence began to strike.

It’s been years since he even dared to attempt a classic leg fight on the ground with you, but I’ll never forget you were a worthy contender. You were, and frankly still are, an excellent force of propulsion for cannon balls off the diving board. You kept Tommy playing soccer daily, even when a tumor started to grow inside of you. From nothing to eight centimeters of cancer in just seven months, yet barely missing a game. What a remarkable thing to do.

You took Tommy so many places. You had him jumping at concerts + lighting up dance floors at weddings. Now he has to find his rhythm + his passion without you. It makes sense we are grieving your loss. You gave my favorite human so much. Thank you for taking him to so many places, walking hundreds of miles through incredible travels all over the world, fueling his curiosity and sense of discovery. You’re a damn good leg.

And it’s breaking our hearts to say goodbye. We try to tell ourselves it’s just a leg, but you’ve been so much more. A life force and a sense of ease are not just insignificant things. The greatest tragedy of all is you don’t even hurt anymore! But the risk you now carry is too great to bear—and it is truly a shame.

We must be grateful that you’ve kept Tommy moving, growing, and pushing forward for these sixteen years. We’ll keep your ashes with us as a reminder of how capable we can be and the remarkable sacrifice Tommy has made to have the best shot at a life like the one you made possible for him, for us—for sixteen beautiful years.

Thank you, Tommy’s dear right leg, for carrying our boy all these years and supporting such a beautiful, active life. Thank you for giving us hope, peace of mind, ambition, the absolute gift of movement we will never take for granted because of you. We know that Tommy will continue to feel the sensation of you even in your absence, a testament to your power in his life. He will continue to move forward because of you.

[proudaussieboomer1957]

so just through the end of act 3 and some way into the intermission thing

I still don't understand what the fuck is going on with the future thing with the desert-y type mail lady and the assault rifle dude and the Mayor of Beans and how that interfaces with the kids in the "present". And it's been weird because my brain places it as a reference to Journey, which didn't release on ps3 till like 2 or 3 years later than this? It happens, there's that shael riley and the double ice backfire song that nominally predicts the underlying idea of like, Ingress and then pokemon go by a few years.

idk. It's deliberately obtuse and it feels kind of good to understand the little things that do filter through to me, a lot of it is just seeing NONSENSE WORDS that are CAPITALISED and glossing right over them. Every joke is still every joke from Kingdom of Loathing. The feel is tangibly, palpably le epic bacon era, with all the ~isms very much intact.

What I enjoyed from this chunk of reading was the inkling of John having a character arc, and taking a couple of steps towards resolving it.

As it is, the 4 main (?) protagonists have largely been used as vehicles for references and jokes (oh hey this girl who lives on the JURASSIC PARK island with her HUNTER FROM JUMANJI [1995] Grandpa (a ghost? I already can't remember) is a FURRY, has (mental health conditions outlined in the then-contemporary DSM-4) etc etc so it was nice to see some movement at the station regarding his feelings around his relationship with his dad.

Also I don't know how I feel about this intermission thing. I already have to try and remember so much half-explained stuff to keep up to date with the main story and now you're dropping all this shit on me about following past trails and future trails? We can't jump to hearts McGee or we try to jump to spades in the shades but can't and we have to actually go back to seal clubber lang? Who the fuck is who? What the fuck is going on? Are they trying to kill the Lord English guy or destroy all the clocks or steal something in a vault?

If there's not a "catch-up" thing for the main story at the end of this I'm going to have to read back through the last couple of acts again just to fucking remind myself about what the fuck was going on. I also might go back to act 1 at some point and go back over it now that I grasp what a "captchalogue" is and why it's called that and who the other kids are etc etc.

I only have so many braincells left at my advanced age and I don't know how beneficial it is to have so many of them filled with the phrase "I FUCKEN WARNED YOU ABOUT THOSE STAIRS, BRO"

Still confused about where the grey body paint cosplay comes into all of this.

[beardedmrbean]

[small-sinclair]

I has some prompts for you 😊

How about either 59. "Why are you crying? Aren't you happy to be with me?" With Vincent

Or

76: "Why weren't you there? You should have been there!" With Bo or Lester

Ooooo I like these :3 I'll do 76! Hope you like vampires...

Fear

Vampire!Bo x reader

Tw: Car crash, blood, yelling, fighting, somber ending?

You limped as you made your way from the car crash. How you lived through that was something short of a blip in the universe. It didn't feel like a blessing or a miracle. A deer jump in front of your car late in the storm, making you turn too hard to have your car flip. You remembered fire and kicking the glass out to get away. Now, you limped away in the night in the thunder storm, but you had somewhere you needed to be, someone was waiting for you to come back from your little trip.

Ambrose was just through the trees and on the other side of the washed out road. Bo always told you to be aware of the road and surrounding trees when it rains. It makes it hard for him to find you if you don't leave a track for him to follow. Louisiana had plenty of things: werewolves, ghosts, and vampires. Bo is one of the three along with his brothers. Well... not Lester. Lester didn't want to be a vampire like his brothers, but it wouldn't hurt to become one.

To be honest, he was closest to you than the town. It doesn't hurt to see if you could sleep there for the night, right?

Your shaking legs brought you in front of Lester's cabin by the road, and you went up the steps to knock. You didn't see his truck, so you thought he parked it in the garage, which sat in the dark on the right. Hopefully, he was home because you didn't know how much pain you could take. Your leg burned like hell and your shoulder hand glass shards sticking out of your skin.

Going up the steps felt like labor. Every step you took only made you want to throw-up, but you kept trucking on. You made it to the door and raised your shaking hand. At first, nothing. Then you tried again and again, but your hand was losing strength. Your knees buckled and you slid next to the door, leaning against it for warmth. The storm brought noting but cold winds and wisps of what would bring. You brought your legs to your chest and closed your eyes...

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

"What are you doing?" Bo asked you in the kitchen.

You looked back at him and smiled. "I found a good recipe! Cherry pie with little vanilla stems." You tuned back to the cherries in your mixing bowl. You felt him come behind you, his boots heavy as he walked, the smell of oil and smoke coming off his shirt. His arms wrap around your waist with his head on your shoulder. His eyes lingered over the note card as you mixed the cherries with crushed vanilla stems. "Vincent gave me a small bag of blood, too! So you can eat it." You looked at him and kissed his cheek. "Making two: one for me and Les, one for you and Vincent."

"Bless 'at bleedin' heart of yours," he hummed, nuzzling into your neck. You felt his fangs ghost over a soft spot before he planted a kiss, causing you to shiver. "Reckon 'at's the nicest thin' someone's done fer me and my brother." You giggled as he placed little kisses down your shoulder. "Best be setting the table, huh?"

"Gotta wash up, too, fruit bat," you teased. I know you didn't wash up after work." Then you shook your head. "And I know you didn't just walk over the clean floor with your boots. Because if I turn around and see a trail of mud, Bo Sinclair, you're going to wake up with a stake down your throat."

He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Do ya promise, sweetheart?"

You swat at his chest as he left kisses over your cheeks. "Wash up and get your brothers."

"Alright, sugar cube." He hugged your waist and kissed your lips quickly. "Be back in five." Bo flashed you a smile and left the room, heading to get his brothers to bring them back for dinner.

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

By the time Lester came back from the town over, your lips were turning blue. He dropped the blood bags, splattering them over his pants as he raced towards you. He knew you were driving home tonight from work, but you told them not to worry about driving home in the rain. You promised you'll be safe.

He was careful when he scooped you up and brought you inside. He was panicking when you started shivering. When your hand grasps his, his heart broke. he took you to the tub, helped you undressed, and carefully placed you in the warm water. Once you were in, he pulled out his phone and dialed his brother.

It ranged and ranged and ranged then--

"'S Bo."

"Bo, hey, um..." Lester looked over his shoulder then back at the rain outside. The darkness seemed to have eyes, but he knew better. He knew it didn't have it. "Come to my house," he swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "It's y/n. They're hurt--"

The phone call ended without Bo saying another word. He stood in his house and waited for the worst. He didn't need to get blood bags for his brothers tonight, but he was near the blood bank and the backdoor was open... what did he do? What has he done to you? Bo's beloved is cold and...

Bo didn't even knock when he entered the cabin. He kicked it in and looked wildly around the room until he say Lester. His once blue ocean eyes turned to a blood red, and his body stronger and stiffer. He looked at Lester then down at his pants. He took in a deep breath through the nose then eyed him.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't--"

In a blink, Lester was thrown across the room, his back going through his bedroom wall. Bo was on top of him as he pinned him to the floor, fangs noticeable. "T'hell did ya do, Lester?" Bo hissed through grit teeth. "What did ya do?" His grip around his brother was deadly, and Lester felt like he was one of Bo's victims.

"Bo, git off!" Lester was afraid. He hasn't seen his brother like this in a long time. No matter how mad he made Bo, he's never used his full strength to scare him, to threaten him. He hasn't seen him like this before and it scared him. "Y/n is in the tub!"

Bo pushed down on his brother violently, breaking his shoulder. Lester cried out in pain as he rolled on to his side. He held his shoulder as he cried on the wooden floor.

Bo hurried to the bathroom and almost threw-up. Your shoulder was badly bruised as dry blood stuck to your skin. The glass shimmered on the title floor next to your wet and dirtied clothes. Some color as returned to you, but it wasn't enough to make you look alive. You were weak and tire, and Bo couldn't do anything to make it better.

He knelt next to you on the side of the tub and pushed your hair away. He leaned into his touch as your glazed eyes met his. You forced a grin but it fell as your eyes rolled back. Bo felt your pain, your heartbeat, your blood rushing time and time over. The more he looked over your bruised body, the angrier he got. He leaned down and kissed the crown of your head.

"Be righ' back, honey," he whispered. "Promise."

He stood from the tub and turned to find Lester holding his broken arm, tears falling. He didn't feel anything for Lester as he stepped out of the bathroom, making Lester coward away.

"What happened?"

Lester swallowed hard. "Was in town an'--"

"And what?" Bo spat, his red eyes burning in flames. "What were ya doin'?" He looked at Lester's pants. "'At's not their blood." His eyes snapped at Lester's. "I tol' ya we didn' need more blood! What's th' matter wit' ya?!"

"I-I thought you an' Vince needed more!" Lester said, his voice shaking. "So I's went an-an got more. Just two bags!"

"Yeah," Bo scoffed. Thunder rumbled outside the house. "And what happened? Came home an' then?"

Lester's heart was beating in his throat like a hammer to a nail. "I found 'em at t'door! They-they must've been 'ere for a while!" Then his voice went low. "Maybe two hours."

"Why weren't you there?" Bo's hands grabbed his shoulders roughly before pushing his younger brother back. "You should have been there! Ya didn't need t'get us anythin'!"

Lest stumbled back, but he regained himself. "I was only tryin' t'help!"

"Yeah, I c'n tell!"

Lester opened his mouth to respond, to defend himself, but he was met with a hard punch to the gut. Lester lurched forward as he felt to his knees, holding his stomach, gasping for air. He looked up at his brother to find some type of forgiveness, but he was met with a hard slap across the face strong enough to make his head hit the floor. He let out a yelp a she tried to scramble away from his older brother, but Bo's hand caught his ankle and pulled him back. He towered over his little brother as he whimpered to himself, chocking back tears.

"'M sorry, Bo! 'M sorry!"

"Tol' ya we didn' need it!" Bo forced him to looked up. "Why don' ya listen? Huh?" Lester let out a sob, and that made Bo angrier. "Wha'? Ya lookin' fer a death wish? Tol' ya if anythin' happened to y/n on y'er watch or Vincent's, 'll kill ya where ya stand! Didn't I say 'at?"

Lester let out another sob. "I-I'm sorry! I-I jus' wanted ta help!" He struggled against his brother's grasp, trying to push back. He didn't like this Bo. He didn't like his brother like this. Brothers fight, but this? This wasn't his brother! It wasn't him! "Bo, 'm sorry! I-I should've been home! I'll do betta! I swear! I-I'll do betta!" His words strung out in sobs and deep breaths. Bo promised never to be like this towards him. He promised! "Bo! Please!"

Bo took in the sight of his brother under him. He felt powerful, strong, better than his brother! But the high left once he realized who he was talking to. His baby brother looked up at him as if he was monster, the same gaze his victims had before Bo took their lives. The same gaze you had when he first tried to kill you. Bo looked behind him at the bathroom as he looked back down at Lester. The blood that fell from his brother's nose made him sick. He did this. He made his brother bleed and scared.

Bo pulled away from his little brother and stood, hands shaking. He need to kill, fight, hunt, but he needed to make sure you were okay. He looked back at his brother then pain circled his body. His little brother was curled into a ball as he coward away from his older brother, sobbing into the floor, as he apologized over and over until his body shook violently in panic and fear.

Bo enjoyed the smell of fear, but he didn't like it coming from Lester. He didn't like it one bit, but what was he to do? He can't take back what he did! He's too hurt to be held in his arms!

The thunder faded as it rained lightly on the tin roof when Bo turned and left his brother there on the floor to find you again. He knelt next to you and gently washed your shoulder with soap. Your eyes fluttered open to meet his blue eyes.

"What happened?" He asked lowly.

"Car crash."

"Made it here?"

"Yeah, but Les wasn't home."

He swallowed hard. "Yeah..." He closed his eyes and kissed your head. "Yer safe now."

Your eyes lingered over him then past his shoulder. "Where's Les? Is he okay?"

The lies he tells you, y/n, was enough to flood the Nile.

"He's okay," he whispered. "Just restin'."

"Okay," you said, believing him. You leaned your head against his shoulder. "Can you carry me home, Bo? My leg's busted good."

He swallowed hard. "Yeah, I reckon I c'n. Le'me finish washin' y'er arms then we c'n go." Then he thought to himself and nodded at it. "We c'n take Les home, too. Don't want him t'be alone."

He'll never be forgiven; that's what Bo wants from Lester. Don't forgive the monster that he is, the monster his mother made him and Vincent to be.

His finished washing you up and helped you getting dress. He gave you his shirt instead of your wet shirt. He kissed your hurt shoulder then your lips. Bo led you to the living room, and you noticed the broken down door. What in the world did Bo do?

He left for a moment and went to his brother, finding him passed out on the floor from pain. Bo searched his pants and found the truck keys. Carefully, he threw his brother over his shoulder and found you again. With his other arm, he helped you out of the house, holding you up as you walked to Lester's truck.

[dollfxcx]

hey!! could I ask for a pennywise smut where he just... fucks reader's mouth? and moving them around like a ragdoll and shit? (only if you're comfortable with that!!!)

[this was honestly so fun to write (him moving me around like a fucking toy is my biggest dream so I was happy to fulfill your wishes🙌🏻). I used she/her pronouns only once (literally), I hope it's okay, if not lemme know and I'll fix it right away<3]

TW: nsfw, emotional manipulation, food gore (? does that even exist), hate sex.

context: reader tried to leave neibolt house dozens of times yet she always comes back. yet this time penny's a little pissed at how long it took you. oh shucks what is he gon do😔🤭

word count: (1.7k +)

The house no longer looks like the one you left a few months ago. It's ruined, decadent, dead. It slopes perilously to one side and the once gleaming wood is now rotten and dusty. The lawn around has no longer been taken care of, tall blades of grass reach about a meter in height, yet they are not of a beautiful bright green, but yellow and dry, with curled and sharp edges. There is no trace of the hammock, as well as the small vases of flowers that used to rest on the balconies next to the main door. You place the heavy backpack on the ground, in front of the entrance, and take out the set of house keys. You try to insert them in the lock, but the door is already open. It invites you in, subtly, as if it wants you there. You place your hand on the handle, a shaking grip just begging you to step back and run. Yet you don't, perhaps stupidly, you keep your feet firmly on the ground. You lower the doorknob, the palm of your hand wet from the raindrops that were resting there, and you enter the house. Against all odds, everything is as you left it, in total contrast to the conditions outside. Everything is almost too tidy, to be honest.

"Is that you, Y/n, darling?" Your heart begins to beat almost spasmodically when you hear his voice, it seems like a gentle singsong that caresses your ear, sweet and familiar timbre. It comes from the kitchen, so you walk towards it, almost stealthily. He's facing the counter, tinkering with a steaming baking tray, but when he turns around, he is exactly as your best memories depict him, no claws or abominable razor-sharp teeth, just his sweet painted nose and buck teeth peeking through his full lips. Your legs feel feeble when he turns to look at you, sky blue eyes you've dreamed of seeing again for too long and an almost feline smile on your face.

"I made you lasagna." he points out to you as he places two plates on the dining table, his hands, beautifully gloved, comically undoing his apron. With still a shroud of suspicion, you sit down at the table, watching his every move. Pennywise grabs the baking tray where the lasagna should be, but, for a second, you can swear you saw something else altogether, something mushy, something throbbing. Something red, slimy. Alive. You blink and everything is as before, the lasagna gives off a hot and inviting steam and Pennywise looks happier than when you set foot in the house. He sits across from you and serves you a piece of lunch, a watchful and expectant gaze as he watches the movement of your fork as it approaches your lips. And when the first bite tickles your taste buds, you feel like puking, the rotting taste of raw 

(human)

meat coating your tongue. You jump up, not even noticing the slight smile on his lips, and run to the bathroom.

***

"Doll, is everything okay?" You hear him speaking through the thick bathroom door, but you can't take your eyes off the mirror, your reflection, your (blood) red-stained lips, a metallic taste on them. You turn on the tap grudgingly and moisten the towel to clean yourself, but when you're about to bring it to your face, the stain is gone in the blink of an eye. Pennywise knocks on the door again, an insistence typical of him and, with an exasperated snort, you open it, the vision that appears in front of you makes your legs feel weak. His chest rises and falls slowly, straining the fabric of the silk grey costume he's wearing, a tuft of ginger hair dangles merrily in front of his eyes, very cheekily, full and plump lips slightly parted, and he's handsome as hell.

(The eyes cannot see what the heart sees

The mind cannot know what the heart knows

The ears cannot hear what the heart hears

The hands cannot give what the heart gives

There's a storm coming

There's a storm coming, feel the electricity

There is a storm coming to my city

It brings novelty, it brings novelty)

One of his hands gently grips your hair, tilting your head back so his lips, warm and slightly moist, like wax, can rest on the skin of your throat, the other grips your side, fingertips digging into your flesh.

"What took you so long?" he hums, sucking at the skin of your neck, tugging at your hair harshly for more access. You recoil from the jerk against the wall, one of his knees makes room between your legs for you to grind against it, his breath tickling the shell of your ear in a soothing tone.

"But you're back now, yes! Beautiful, beautiful

(fear)

Y/n, she always comes back to me, mh?" Pennywise bites your earlobe, his finger caresses your collarbone with butterfly-like lightness. You melt at his words and sigh, trying to convince yourself that this is the real him, that everything that has happened in the previous months has been all imagination, that maybe you are just schizophrenic, or that you dreamed it all up.

(And my mind is split inside one body)

His lips barely touch yours, you feel a slight smirk on your skin.

“You could be so good for me…” he comments, as if he's sorry that, until now, you haven't been able to be like that, yet. His hands move to your shoulders, yanking you down harshly, and it should hurt to land so hard on the floor, but you can't even feel it, too focused on his eyes gleaming golden when they meet yours. He gently takes your chin between his fingers, stroking your lips with his thumb, a little smile peers down at you.

"Can you be good for me now? You can give ol' Pennywise a reason why he should keep you, yes?" You don't quite understand why he said keep you, but you honestly don't care right now, you can only nod slightly under his light caresses. He hums appreciatively and spreads his legs slightly as his hand reluctantly leaves your face to fly to the hem of his pantaloons.

(Life is much broader than a definition

And everyone's waiting for something to happen

That will remove the veil of dust from reality)

You don't realize you breathe a sigh of relief when, pants around his ankles, his cock is freed from the garment's grip. The last time you dealt with it, you didn't get a chance to see it, it all happened too fast and the way you felt it inside you didn't seem human at all. What you are facing now, indeed, isn't human in the slightest, it's hard and it wriggles with tentacle-like enthusiasm, tip flushed and somehow already wet, eager. One of his hands is on his hip, the other is leaning against the wall behind you for support.

"Come on" he smiles, accommodating, reassuring, so loving you can't help but obey. You part your lips, palm open to grab his cock and lift it slightly, tongue flattened to caress the entire length. You hear him hissing above you, his hand moves from the wall to run through your hair, pulling it lightly, as if he's trying to hold back.

(And everything we know is not true

The origins are lost in the void of time

But everything is preserved in the depths)

You take it in your mouth slowly, without going too deep, teasing the tip to make soft pleased moans come out of his mouth. The taste is unexpectedly sweet, like 

(rotten meat)

cotton candy, so you suck on it harder, tongue concentrated in passing through each slick crease to savor the sweetness of its pre-cum. He moans softly, you look up to see how his eyes have rolled into his skull in pleasure, slightly parted lips quivering, Adam's apple rising and falling as he swallows, a slight streak of drool dripping from his corner of the mouth.

"Yeah, like that..." he murmurs softly, his hand pressing against the back of your neck to push himself deeper. The feeling of gagging that starts building up in your throat can't be helped, even if you try to back away there's the wall behind you, so, with tears starting to sting your eyes, you allow him to fuck your mouth, his cock so deep that your nose presses, at one point, against his crotch. His movements go from rhythmic to spasmodic, carelessly thrusting in your mouth like an rabid animal and while it's not entirely pleasant, you hope it doesn't end. May this be what awaits you tomorrow too. And the next day. And the one after that. Pennywise cums in your mouth with an intensity you didn't expect, but his hand doesn't release from your hair, preventing you from moving, as if not even a drop could be wasted.

"Swallow." he orders hoarsely, voice not his

(I have found memories that are not mine

I have only one name but at least a hundred identities)

but you do it anyway, as it's the only solution for you to be able to breathe normally again. You hear him giggling almost maniacally, but it doesn't last long because then he lowers himself to your height, stroking the skin of your cheek with

(hunger)

sweetness, a lopsided smile on his lips.

"Bet you liked it, huh? Sooooo greedy, my Y/n." he takes your chin between his fingers again, this time squeezing harder than before, with less care, the tip of his tongue, which for a moment seems you strangely pointed, emerges between his lips when he moistens them in anticipation.

"You're gonna try to be loyal to me, yeah? You can do it, doll. I will give you all that you need, just say you'll serve me. Say you will sell your soul to me and I won't leave you alone... Do you like the idea? Yes?" he gets up, tugging his pants up and leaving you on the floor like a wet and used rag. Without even giving you time to speak. The both of you already know what your answer would have been. You realize only now that, since when have you set foot in the house, you still haven't said a single word to him.

—

feedbacks always appreciated

[requests open for headcanons too!!]

[harley-sunday]

World without End

Summary: After the 2022 French Grand Prix it seems like Charles no longer has luck on his side but of course Lourdes is already waiting for him. 

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x reader

Warnings: None, except the trauma today caused.

Word count: 1.7k

AN: Yes I know I said I didn’t have time to write but Jesus, that scream over the radio? It will never not haunt me. The pain, the frustration, the anger- Oof. It hurts. It took me back to last year’s Sochi Grand Prix and how I wrote Lourdes after that, and so this is sort of a continuation of that story. You could read this as a standalone but I think Lourdes might give you the backstory needed to at least understand the theme I was going for this time... Love to hear what you think ♥

Part of Rituals

"So yeah, if we lose the championship at the end of the season by 32 points I will know where they are coming from and it's unacceptable. I- I just need to uh- Yeah, get on top of those things."

It- Your chest tightens and your heart aches and the tears you've been trying to fight ever since you saw him crash into the barrier earlier this afternoon are starting to spill over, running hot down your cheeks. You turn the TV off, nothing wanting to see the rest of the interview because God, it hurts. 

It hurts to see him like this, emotions raw and clearly visible in the way his shoulders are sagging and his eyes are glossed over, his entire demeanour screaming defeat in a way you've become all too familiar with this season. It hurts that there's nothing you can do to help lift whatever spell or- Whatever he's under right now. It hurts that there's nothing you can do to make this better. Most of all it hurts that you're not there with him and instead are here, alone, with at least two hours and a hundred miles between you. 

It hurts and you're crying and Freddy drops his head in your lap with a whine to let you know he's hurting too. 

XXX

It's been two hours since the race finished, two hours since you've made your way outside, desperate for some fresh air.

Sitting on the top step on the stairs that lead from the porch into the garden you want to hug your knees close to your chest but you can't anymore and so instead you lean back and close your eyes against the low-hanging evening sun as you feel Freddy sit down next to you. He nudges your stomach with his nose, letting out a whimper as if he wants you to know he gets it. Maybe he does, you think, because don't dogs feel these kinds of things? You reach out and scratch him behind his ears, "It's ok."

You're not sure whether it's the dog or yourself you're trying to comfort although it seems to be to no avail either way because next to you Freddy howls just as you let out a frustrated sigh. The dog seems restless, keeps on whimpering quietly as if he's still hurting too and you guess maybe he is because when Charles' voice came through the speakers after the crash, Freddy jumped up from where he was laying next to you on the couch and rushed to the TV, frantically searching for his other human, barking when he heard Charles' scream before he let out a wounded howl when he saw Charles climb out of his car. 

"It's ok, boy," you tell Freddy again as you lay down your hand, palm up, and wait until he puts his paw on top. "He'll be here soon."

It's a lie.

The drive from Le Castellet to Nice takes a little over two hours and you're not even sure Charles has left the track yet. Because even though the race ended a while ago there's press to speak to and a team debrief to attend and- You shake your head and take a deep breath, now even more determined than before to wait for him here, no matter how long it takes, like some sort of penance. 

Charles' scream echoing through your mind like a curse. 

XXX

"Loulou?"

The voice of your neighbour pulls you out of your thoughts and it's then you notice the sun has long disappeared behind the trees in your garden. Freddy's curled up next to you, quietly snoring, and you figure you must have been out here waiting longer than you thought. 

"Loulou?" Thierry says again and he sounds- 

He sounds worried and so when you look up to where he's standing on his balcony you try your hardest to smile, "Salut, Thierry."

"You ok, ma puce?" 

"Yeah-" it sounds unconvincing at best but Thierry seems to understand it might be best not to push it. 

"I saw the race," he says, as if that explains it all. Then again, it kind of does.

You nod and have to bite your lip to keep from crying again.

"It was not his fault," Thierry simply states.

"I know," you reply, not sure if he's heard you because your voice is barely above a whisper. You clear your throat and try again, "Thank you."

It's then Colette, Thierry's wife, pops up next to him, a worried look on her face, "You've been sitting there for a long time already, sweetheart. Why don't you come up for some tea and something to eat?" 

You shake your head, "I'm ok." Colette eyes you suspiciously but doesn't say anything else. Thierry looks equally as worried but also keeps quiet and so you quickly add, "He should be here soon." 

"Ok," Colette agrees quietly even though she doesn't look convinced. "We're here if you need us."

"Thank you," you call out and watch as both of them make their way back inside. It's when they close the door that a fresh set of tears spills over and you try your hardest to blink them away but it's a losing battle and you can't help the sob that escapes you. Next to you Freddy stirs awake as a result and lets out a yawn before he gets up and nudges your cheek with his nose. You put your arm under his chin and scratch his cheek, whispering a quiet, "Hi boy."

Freddy lets out a quiet whine and you can't help but agree, "I know."

XXX

It's getting colder now that it's almost dark but you're still in the same spot, Freddy sitting in between your legs and your hands running through the fur of his chest absentmindedly as you rest your chin on top of his head, a chorus of, "He'll be here soon," stuck on repeat in your head, almost like a prayer.

XXX

Freddy's ears perk up not much later and when he stands up he's wagging his tail and even though you don't hear anything yet you just know Charles is almost here. You run a quick hand under your eyes, trying to get rid of whatever's left of your earlier tears and stand up then, Freddy almost bouncing at your feet.

Sure enough, the familiar faint glow of his Ferrari's pale yellow headlights illuminates your driveway not much later and as he pulls up and parks his car you take a deep breath and try to ground yourself, not bothering with a smile because you know he'll see right through it. 

The car door opens then and you watch as Freddy rushes at his human, letting out an excited yelp as he jumps into the car and onto Charles' lap.

"Hi boy," you hear Charles whisper as he buries his face in Freddy's neck, arms wrapped tightly around the dog's body. Freddy puts his head on Charles' shoulder then and your heart, oh your heart feels like it's about to explode.

You wait until Charles tells Freddy to get down before you hold out your hand to him and pull him out of the car and straight into your arms, whatever you wanted to say stuck in your throat.

He doesn't say anything either but you can feel the way he leans against you, almost as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and wants you to take some of this burden from him. 

You wish you could.

XXX

"I love you," you say, as if that's enough.

Maybe it is.

What if it isn’t? 

XXX

"I love you," you say again, much later, in the quiet dark of your bedroom. Charles is wrapped around you, one leg draped over yours and his face buried in the crook of your neck. Your fingers are running through his hair as you tell him you love him over and over again, the repetitive motion reminding you of praying a rosary and then all of a sudden a Hail Mary rolls off your tongue and into existence.

XXX

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Charles whispers against your lips the next morning, his alarm waking both of you moments earlier.

You shake your head ever so slightly, willing him to understand that there's nothing to be sorry about. Not on track, not on the radio, not in the press pen, but most of all not here. You deepen the kiss, trying to push yourself against him when you taste him on your tongue and letting out a frustrating groan when you can't get closer. 

Charles smiles into the kiss and sneaks his hand between you, his fingers ghosting over your stomach, before he settles the palm of his hand over your belly button.

You cover his hand with yours and move it a little higher, pressing down gently, "Here. Just wait."

He pulls back a little and watches you intently, holding his breath until- His eyes widen, a smile breaking through and immediately he seems lighter, as if yesterday is just a distant memory now. Charles captures your mouth with his, an admiration behind the kiss that makes your heart burst at the seams. When he pulls back he lets his forehead rest against yours, "I forget it sometimes."

You don't say anything, trusting he'll explain.

He does. 

His voice is barely above a whisper but still you hear him loud and clear, "I forget sometimes that what happens on track does not matter when I'm with you. That you will never judge. That you will always be my safe place. My lady luck. Now even more than ever." He takes a deep breath and something changes, as if the weight of the world is finally lifted off his shoulders, "Je t'aime, ma belle."

The first rays of morning sun break through the window then and when you look at Charles, pressing down his hand even more so he can feel your little one moving around, there's another well-aimed kick that makes him laugh. A real laugh this time. It's at that moment you realise just how blessed you are and the belief that everything is going to be alright is stronger than ever, a quiet Glory Be running through your mind. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

You lean in and let your lips brush against Charles', "We love you too, papa."

[arosesstorm]

le dormeur du val -  Alec Lightwood

words count: idk, not much    

gender neutral reader! x Alec Lightwood

warning: soft Alec

summary: night was made for monsters to hide and for lovers to whisper

English is not my first language loves, trying my best, enjoy :)

it didn't mean that you were stupid, nor that you were wise; but when you slept in your bed at night you just felt it.

you had fallen head over heels for Alexander Lightwood and there was no coming back.

you felt so tired but sleep couldn't seem to catch you, so you jumped down the bed, the moon light shining just for you, guiding you out of your door room.

your steps were light, your eyes heavy, when you stumbled into the Institute's corridor.

night ate all the building up, but you still could see its walls, old and gray, they smelled like home.

your bare feet softly brushing against the ground, its coldness sending a light of excitement through your body.

Church was looking at you in the dark, its body swirling on itself to your right, as he hinted with his head to follow him.

you were looking at the cat half amused, half confused, but your feet were already guiding you, : "what is it Church? what do I need to see?"

you were softly chuckling by now, as Church abruptly turned into a door on the left, its trail disappearing into the soft light who emerged.

candles, the room was lightened up with candles.

as you stepped into the door you recognized it was the Institute's library.

with his hands reaching for a book, Alec burntly turned around, the book sliding through his hands, falling to the floor.

"you startled me" he said, kneeling to reach it.

Damn Church.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep then I met Church in the corridor and it brought me" you sighed "here".

Alec was standing again, his eyes buried in yours.

As if the cat heard you, he reached for the man's ankle, softly brushing against him.

Alec smiled down at him, taking a step forward, nervously looking everywhere but at you.

his hands were playing with the book's cover as he asked "couldn't sleep?"

you shook your head, knees too weak to form words, you were exhausted.

"I can read something for you" Alec suddenly said, his eyes coming back to your face again.

you chuckled "like when we were six?"

alec smiled too "yeah, I always had a sleep inducing effect on you".

"yeah right because you're boring" you teased as his smile deepened.

"or because I'm a great story teller".

he reached for you as he stroke your arm, "come on, you look exhausted".

as you walked back to your room, Alec walking just behind you, you could feel Church's eyes burning in the back of your head.

what a traitor cat.

when you got back in bed, Alex took the wooden chair of your desk, placing it in front of you.

"why are you awake?" you asked, covering your body with blankets.

"no reason" he cut short, as he opened the book.

"It’s a green hollow, where a river is singing Crazily hanging on the grasses rags Of silver; where the sun, from the proud mountain, Is shinning: it’s a little valley bubbling with sunlight."

you smiled softly "Rimbaud?"

Alec quickly looked up at you, smiling.

feeling nostalgic, you couldn't help but think.

"A young soldier, his mouth open, his head bare, And the nape of his neck bathing in cool blue watercress, Is sleeping; he is stretched out on the grass, under the skies, Pale in his green bed where the light falls like rain"

his breath was slow and steady, a lullaby to you.

"Feet in the gladiolas, he is sleeping. Smiling like A sick child would smile, he takes a nap: Nature, rock him warmly: he is cold."

you couldn't help but close your eyes, let his voice rock you to sleep just like when you were kids running around the institute; like time hadn't passed and Alec was still the same Alec and you were still his petty torment.

"Fragrances do not make his nostrils quiver; He sleeps in the sun, hand on the breast, Peacefully. He has two red holes in his right side."

you softly opened your eyes, sighing "I hate it when you read this part, it is so sad".

Alec chuckled, his hand softly brushing against your cheek, taking a strand of hair out of you eyes as he stroke your skin.

warmth was radiating from his palm as you breathed "it is your voice" a moment of silence then you whispered, sounding almost inaudible "your voice always calmed me down".

Alec took his hand back, a sad smile plastered on his face, his eyes falling to the ground "I'm sorry" he breathed "I have to go".

he quickly stood up, his back facing you immediately as he headed for the door.

"you're getting married tomorrow" you stated as he stopped in his tracks, his back still facing you.

"you better get some sleep" you added, shifting position as Alec looked to his right, his heart heavy as he closed the door of your room.

you were not going to sleep, but at least you knew he couldn't too.

masterlist

mia

© 2023 of Mia (arosesstorm). All Rights Reserved.

[redrobin-detective]

the only ghost in Amity Park

Continuation of Half Of

______________________________________________

Only in Amity Park did the revelation that a local teenager was sorta, kinda a ghost just blow over in a few days. Sure, people still stared at Danny Fenton as he walked by and everyone was still wondering what exactly he was, but overall life had moved on. Star sighed to herself as she organized her notebooks, waiting for class to begin. Just another day.

Star herself really didn’t want to get involved in whatever was going on with Danny. She didn’t like him before he was a celebrity and didn’t plan on starting anytime soon. While Paulina still relentlessly, and vainly, pumped him for information on her dead boy crush, Phantom and he and Dash formed some weird macho bond or whatever, Star avoided him. He’d given her the chills since the day he’d walked into Casper High. When Danny’s secret had been exposed mid-attack, Star hadn’t been surprised. She didn’t need some ghost to tell her that there was something deeply, unsettlingly wrong with Danny Fenton.

Danny didn’t seem particular bothered, by his inhuman nature or by suddenly having his secret exposed. If anything, the nerd looked more relaxed than ever. Star had been watching him, they all had, but Fenton kept his ghostly antics to a minimum when in public. The occasional flash of green eyes when emotional, a grin of sharpened teeth. He made Mikey’s locker lock intangible the other day when the kid had forgotten his combination and he floated down the stairs instead of walking sometimes. It had been a week and it was  frightening how quickly such strangeness had become almost normal. 

“Alright kids, phones and notes away we’re starting class with a pop quiz. Hope you’ve all kept up with your weekly readings,” Faluca announced cheerily. The whole class, including Fenton, moaned and packed up their bags. Star supposed being an undead being haunting his own life didn’t make him immune from normal human problems. She was biting her lip trying to remember which antibody caused allergic reactions when she got an uneasy feeling. She looked up and was not surprised to see Danny Fenton looking around too. It had been a solid week without ghost attacks, looks like Fenton’s supposed vacation time was up.

Star stopped her writing and adjusted the bag at her feet to prep for evacuation. She briefly wondered what Fenton would do, what he could do? Did he also hunt ghosts, like his parents? Like Phantom? There were no blasts, no screams, no monologues but the dread increased when a ghost shield descended over them. Actually, it looked like it was just covering their classroom. Now everyone was looking up from their quizzes and out the window at the flickering, green shield.

“You’d think the administration would’ve warned me we were going to do a drill,” Faluca said but his voice was hesitant. Clearly this wasn’t planned so despite the lack of alarms, there was a good chance this was real. “Pencils down for the moment while I figure out what’s going on.”

“Mr. Faluca, I need to go,” Danny said, raising his hand. Star was so used to hearing the request she almost ignored him but the dread curling in her stomach made her look again. His face was pinched, sharp and his eyes burned with an icy fury like a sudden storm blowing in without warning. 

“Mr. Fenton, I don’t think...” Faluca murmured uneasily. Danny frowned harder.

“It wasn’t a request, actually,” Danny said roughly as he stood up and began walking towards the door. He was almost there when the door slammed open and Fenton had no less than 3 ectoweapons pointed in his face. A few kids jumped back in alarm but Danny held his ground as half a dozen Guys in White agents entered the room and surrounded him.

“Spectral scum formerly known as Daniel Fenton, you’re coming with us,” one of the agents said. 

“Danny not Daniel and it’s still my name,” Danny quipped, eyeing each of the government officials and their weapons. “And no, I’m not. I’m still alive, somewhat anyway, so I have rights. The courts backed me up.”

“Everyone who signed for your freedom doesn’t know ghosts like we do,” Another agent said so forcefully, some spittle flew out of their mouth and hit Danny’s cheek. Star watched it freeze and fall away the instant it hit his skin. “Your kind are too dangerous to wander around, you need to be contained and eliminated. Don’t worry, your parents will receive a sizable check as recompense.”

“I’m the one who needs to be contained?” Danny said slowly, evenly but there was a static to his voice that caused the hairs on the back of Star’s neck to rise. When she breathed out, she saw her breath was misting. Everyone’s was as the room temperature continued to plummet. “When you come in here and take hostages to threaten me?” Danny hissed, he took a step forward and his eyes took on a neon green glow. “You didn’t come to my home or on the streets, you came to take me in the middle of biology when I’m surrounded by civilians, kids.”

“You delude yourself into thinking you’re still human,” another agent scoffed. “Everyone knows ghosts are weaker when giving into their obsession.” Danny laughed, it was loud and mocking and like fingernails running down a chalkboard. Faluca, stuck in between Danny and the agents, was white as a sheet and gripping his desk like it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing.

“You know nothing,” Danny hissed, his voice barely recognizable as human. His hair and shirt floated in an invisible but angry breeze. Frost crawled up his arms and his face. Various ecto alarms were ringing on the belts of the agents and they started to look a bit nervous. He looked nothing like the kid who, minutes before, had clearly been struggling with their bio quiz. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with. You cannot come into my haunt and threaten my people to get to me. Protecting what is mine will always make me stronger!” 

“This whole town is constantly under attack because of things like you!” One particularly brave agent said even as a few others had backed up. “Amity Park is on the verge of collapse because of all the ghosts!”

“There is only one ghost in Amity Park,” Danny said, he tilted his head, his black and white hair dangling in his face as he gave a sharpened smile. “There is only me and the ghosts I allow, ghosts who know the rules, who respect my authority here by keeping damage to people and property down. I am the only ghost haunting this town and why do you think that is?” One agent threw down his gun and ran through the open door.

“You’re-you’re a monster!” Another woman shouted, shaking as she stepped back before fleeing.

“I’m not the one who needs to threaten innocents to get to their target,” Danny sneered. “It’s a good thing you did though, I wouldn’t hold back if I wasn’t worried about collateral.” Another three agents turned tail and ran. Until there was only one left. His gun was still trained on Danny but his hands were shaking. 

“You don’t scare us,” the agent trembled through the obvious lie having been abandoned by his comrades. “We’ll get you monster, if it’s the last thing we do.”

“Looking forward to it,” Danny drawled sarcastically as some of his horrifying aura dissipated along with the freezing grip on the room. Within moments Danny has settled back into more human form. While he’d been angry before, now he looked almost bored. At no point had he seemed afraid. 

“You take your people and your equipment and you leave Amity’s borders by sunset tonight,” Danny declared resolutely. “If you have continued problems with my existence, you take it up with the courts. We settle this as humans but if you treat me as a ghost then I will fight back like one.” His eyes turned green again as a threat. As a promise. 

“I don’t take orders from spooks!” The agent shouted, securing his finger on the trigger and preparing to fire. Star had ducked to avoid the blast so she missed exactly what happened. All she saw was the green glow and heard a strangled scream from the agent followed by a series of thumps. By the time Star had gotten back into her seat, Danny was aggressively pulling apart the ectogun with his bare hands. There was no sign of the agent and, around them, the ghost shield fizzled away. 

“Jerks,” Danny grumbled, kicking at the remains of the ectogun he’d destroyed. “Sorry about that, Mr. Faluca. I knew they’d cause problems but I didn’t think they’d come to school.” Their teacher stared at Danny like a rabbit facing down a lion. “You okay?”

“Fine, Mr. Fenton, just fine!” Falcua grinned in a high pitched voice. “Shall we get back to our quizzes?” The bell rang just then and Danny did a little fist pump.

“Tomorrow then? After I get a chance to study more?” Danny asked with puppy dog eyes. It looked wrong on his face that had just threatened the government with bodily harm. Faluca just nodded dumbly, not sure what else to say. “Yes! I’ll pass tomorrow for sure. The attention kinda sucks but it does come with some perks.”

He walked back to his desk, ignoring the wide-eyed looks of the class when he stopped and gasped, his breath fogging in front of him. His lips pursed again with annoyance. A few people jumped in surprise as the Box Ghost, a familiar annoyance, poked his head through the wall.

“Child! Your requested reprieve is up and the Box Ghost is here to cause insurmountable square shenanigans!” He laughed heartily, stopping when the room temperature dropped again. Danny didn’t even turn to face the ghost. 

“Your watch is off, Boxy. I have another 10 hours before I have to deal with you annoyances again,” Danny growled. “I’m feeling good right now, take advantage of it and leave in one piece.”

“Uh right okay then,” the ghost stammered, sinking back into the wall. “See you tomorrow.” Danny cracked his neck before he walked to his desk, grabbed his things and walked to the front of the room.

“Late bell’s gonna ring any minute, you guys should hurry if you don’t wanna be late,” Danny said as he left. Falcua’s strength gave out as soon as Fenton was gone and he hit the floor, one hand clutching at his chest.

“Jeepers,” Mikey surmised appropriately before stuffing his things in his bag and leaving as well. Star watched everyone loosen up themselves and begin gathering their things to leave. No, she would never like Danny Fenton but he and his ghost weirdness was just part of the deal now, whether they wanted it or not. Such was life in the most haunted city in America which was only haunted by a single ghostly entity.