#let her have a ''get three coffins ready'' moment pls

[biitchcakes]

HELL YEAH .

( personals DNI . )

[pleom]

Hi :) May I request a fluff with kevin where you both like each other and the members rat him out pls? Thx

wc: 2.1k | CW: one (1) mention of weed

Saturday called your name. You had to wait painfully as the day dragged its feet through presentations and lectures. By the time the school day ended, you held no more excitement for the weekend as you sat in one of the university’s lounges waiting for your friend to drive you home.

All tuckered out from discussing and convincing your classmates of topics neither of you particularly cared about, you almost ignored Kevin when he approached you, phone two-inches from your face, headphones blaring in your ears at maximum volume, but then you remembered that he’s Kevin Moon, and when he’s got something to say, you listen. 

“Sorry to interrupt you there,” he started, and from his backpack he pulled out a small container of—, “Brownies. I had baked them this morning and wanted to give some to you as thanks.”

“Oh,” was all you squeaked out, though it wasn’t a sound of disappointment or even mild surprise. You had heard about Kevin’s godly baking skills, from the full mouths of those he generously gave them to. Usually his classmates, sometimes the professors, and it was enough to instill that hope that maybe you'll be one of  the receivers one day. Today, it seemed like an arbitrary gift. “Thanks for what?”

“For helping me with my group project.”

“Oh...Oh, yeah!” You gently took the container from Kevin’s hands. Soft confusion still lingering in your mind. “It wasn’t that big of a deal, I barely helped.”

“We got an A because of you!”

“Are you sure it was me? Because last I remembered, you guys did all the brute work, I just filled in the minor details.”

“Aren’t minor details the toughest part?”

You shrugged. You took a single brownie out of the container and put the rest in your bag. Kevin watched as you bit into it, humming a gleeful tune at the way you melted. It tasted even better than you expected. “This is too good to eat for free. How much do you want? Twenty dollars? Fifty?”

Kevin bit down a smile and waved his hand, sheepish. You noticed a brown mark on the back of his hand that wasn’t there the last time you saw him. You figured he must’ve burned himself. 

“You’re just gassing my head.” 

“No, I’m serious.” Kevin looked pleased to see you finish his brownie. “Did the others get some?”

The others being Sunwoo, Jacob, and Juyeon, the three who were assigned to the same project. You were actually called to help by Sunwoo, who pleaded and whined and bargained after your many attempts to say no, you had too much on your plate. Then, as a last resort, he began naming his teammates; guilted you with Jacob, tried to lure you in with Juyeon, and finally—the nail in the coffin—mentioned Kevin. You could imagine the cocky face Sunwoo must’ve had when he realized he had reeled you in. 

You gave up on trying to deny his accusations. You wouldn’t say you had a full-blown crush on Kevin Moon, but you were definitely fond of him in a way that could be described as infatuation. 

Now that the project’s done, you would see to Sunwoo’s promised reparations for the emotional damages he dealt. You were pretty sure he owed you five free milk tea bobas. 

“The others?” Kevin’s face contorted in confusion for a split moment, like he had already forgotten who had worked diligently on the project with him. He didn’t sound completely sure of himself when he answered, “yes, they did. I baked an extra large batch for everyone involved. Even gave some to the professor.”

“Is that why you have that burn mark?”

Kevin looked down at his hand before covering it with the other. “Oh, that. Yeah, this is what happens when you have an oven only as big enough as you can afford.”

“When I say I feel that…” You became increasingly aware of the dwindling topics to speak about, so before an awkward silence has time to settle in, you stand up from your seat and raise a hand for Kevin to shake. “My friend is probably waiting outside for me right now. Thank you again for the treat, really appreciate it! I’ll make sure to share some with her to spread the love around. Seriously, you should patent that recipe.”

“Learned from the best,” Kevin chuckled. “Thank you for helping. See ya later.”

“See ya!” And you were outside less than a minute later. 

Maybe you were the one that owed Sunwoo free drinks.

-

Saturday called and you answered, a bit more jubilant this time. Now that you had finished most of your homework and spent an hour cursing yourself to sleep over missed interactions with Kevin, you felt revitalized. 

You took the bus to Sunwoo’s dorm and let yourself in. On weekends, Sunwoo’s dorm room was rarely locked, considering that it took the name as the unofficial common room of the apartment building. Today, it was less crowded than usual, which to you was a relief. That meant there were less people you had to fight for access to Sunwoo’s computer. At times, you felt silly for acting so starved, but when you’re a broke college student with only one shitty laptop to your name, you had to take your graces as they came. 

Juyeon and Eric lied by the foot of the couch, competing with each other over some game displayed on Sunwoo’s TV. Sangyeon snacked by himself in the kitchen, and you spotted Changmin, Sunwoo’s roommate, quietly moving from room to room down by the hall. 

You decided to head into the kitchen first, whether to steal change off counters or food from the fridge. 

The fridge was destination number one, and frankly, it was empty. It was normally the usual sight, but you still had the faint taste of chocolate fudge on your lips that led you to ask, “you guys finished the brownies already?”

“What brownies?” 

“The ones Kevin made yesterday.”

“Ah, man, Kevin made brownies?!” Eric shouted from his seat. He screamed a second later, which was followed by Juyeon’s laughter, then rose to his feet to mirror you at the fridge door. “I told him to wait till Haknyeon gave me my $20 back! Can’t believe he made edibles and handed them out without me.”

“They weren’t edibles. Kevin made regular brownies for me, Juyeon, Jacob, and Sunwoo. Said it was because we worked on a project together due last Monday,” you said. You found a seat by Sangyeon on the kitchen island. Juyeon, who had set down his controller to stroll in after Eric, looked puzzled.

“Huh? Kevin didn’t give me any brownies.”

“Kevin made brownies? Where the hell is he?” Sunwoo barged loudly into the room thereafter, with mussed hair and grease-stained shirt and looking wholly comfortable up till he heard the commotion in the kitchen. He swept the room and the living room for signs of the boy, and brushed aside ingredients in the fridge for a confectionary he apparently did not receive. He came back empty-handed and confused; you were no different.

“Uh, didn’t you get them yesterday?” You asked. You were met with Sunwoo’s blank stare. “He said he baked them for all of you. I have a few left back at my house.”

“Yeah, as far as we know, there are none,” Juyeon peeped, though he didn’t look half as bothered as Sunwoo did.

“Are we sure you’re not playing us right now?” Sunwoo narrowed his eyes at you. He looked just about ready to kick you out. Changmin walked in, eyes wide but mischievous. It’s obvious that he’d been listening this whole time, and something in his gaze said that he knew much more than both of you, and that he was withholding it for the sake of drama. 

“Why would I lie?!”

“I dunno, to brag? To make us look like second-rate friends? You’re not even in any of Kevin’s classes!”

“Maybe he pulled a raffle…” Changmin said not-so-absentmindedly.

Sunwoo’s face was contorted with semi-offense. He patted his pockets before turning to dash down the hall to his bedroom, just in time for the front door to open and reveal the star in question. Kevin entered the room with exasperation etched clearly on his face. He didn’t seem to register you, his eyes glazing over people’s faces in search of one in particular.

Changmin, this time wide-eyed with panic, darted to hide behind the island.

“Hey, is Changmin here?”

“No!” Changmin yelled, slightly muffled. “But Changmin did relay a message. He said that he’s really, really sorry for any unfortunate events his actions may have caused. But he requests an extension on—”

“I’m too tired for this, Changmin. Just give me my—”

“Kevin, that burn mark still hasn’t healed?” You found yourself speaking without ever really considering what to say. You spoke on pure reflex, when Kevin came and leaned over the island kitchen with his hands curled around the edge, and the mark had turned less brown than inflamed red; the sight made you wince. 

“Is that…!?” Eric’s jaw dropped when he laid eyes on the same sight. He dramatically fell against one of the kitchen stools. “Oh man, he really did bake brownies without telling us.”

Sunwoo came back just in time to witness the climax of Kevin’s-secret-brownie-adventure story. Kevin looked like a deer in headlights. Changmin took the moment to crawl out from beneath the island to escape into his room. Sunwoo looked genuinely betrayed by Kevin’s arrival.

“Yeah, sorry bro, but that constitutes a two week ban from our place unless you pay us back in both brownies and cookies with interest.”

“I don’t even care about the brownies itself anymore,” Eric said, still curled up over a stool. “How come they got to have some but not us?”

Something about Eric’s question set something off in Sunwoo. Suddenly, his dramatics cooled down, and he looked at Kevin slyly. 

“No idea,” you said. At this point, as confusing as the whole thing was, you quickly grew tired of it. It became too much trouble for what seemed like a simple act of gratitude by Kevin, which was never out of character for him. And to top it off, now Kevin seemed to actively avoid looking at you, and the following disappointment was hard for you to swallow.

“I have some idea,” Sunwoo said, but he made no attempt to follow up on that statement. He sat down on one of the kitchen stools, pleased with himself.

“I do, too.” Juyeon said and sounded like he had an epiphany.  “I think Kevin must really like (Y/N) to be able to do that!”

Silence. All eyes in the room shifted from you to Kevin. Too scared to look directly at the boy himself, you peeked at him from the corner of your eye and saw the look of pure devastation on his face. Juyeon seemed oblivious to it all. Sunwoo, luckily, was there to reel it in. 

“Hey, Juyeon, can I borrow you for a second?”

“Gah!” Unfortunately, the damage had been dealt. Kevin hightailed it out over Sunwoo’s apartment with you hot on his tracks.

“Kevin wait!”

You found him sitting out on the apartment steps, face buried in his hands. He didn’t respond when you called out his name, nor when you sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. The sight broke your heart, so you thought of ways you could help soothe his panic.

Reaching down you pulled Kevin’s hand into yours, the one with the bright red burn, and massaged it with the pads of your fingers.

“To be fair, I don’t think Juyeon’s assessment really holds any weight, so please, don’t worry about it,” you said. Kevin took a while to respond, but eventually he lifted his head. He didn’t look you in the eyes when he spoke.

“It does though,” he sighed. “I was going to wait for the right time to confess.”

His words made you halt.

“Confess?” You shot up straight, dropping his hand into your lap. “Kev,  do you actually mean that?”

You watched as his ears and cheeks began to redden. He chanced a shy glance your way, and you could feel his fingers flex in your lap.

“Uh...depending on your reaction, hopefully…?”

Returning your hand on his, you pulled it closer to you. You traced around his injury, keeping an eye on his reaction in case he pulled back or winced with pain. Then, bravely, you interlocked both of your fingers and inhaled with relief when he tightened his grip. 

You did it all without ever breaking eye contact, and with a small smile, you asked, “do you want to give it a try at least?”

Kevin’s stress seemed to have dissolved from him completely then. He mirrored your smile.

In the back of your mind, you hoped Sunwoo wasn’t scolding Juyeon too hard.

----

me mentioning sangyeon in the kitchen once before dropping him entirely from the fic 🤡🤡 anyways anon thank u for requesting!! this was kinda cringe but also kinda fun to write so lol

[humanrebel]

Serpents and Lions Ch.3

Fandom: My Hero Academia Characters: Ochako Uraraka, Katsuki Bakugou, Class 1-A Relationship: Bakugou/Uraraka, Slow Burn Summary: She can hide her identity, but not her personality.

A/N: So if I remember correctly, tumblr stopped showing posts in the tags if they contained an outside link. I’m not sure if this is still in effect, but just in case, I’m not going to link the AO3 or FFN links yet. I am going to reblog this post with them, though, so please be patient :) (also pls review ;) )

2K // First // Last // Next

When Ochako wakes, she is immediately nauseous. She rolls onto her side, cheeks bulging with bile, and spews right into the bed. There’s nothing in her stomach after that, but still she heaves, saliva dripping from her lips and onto shaky arms.

“Not used to the sea, are we?” she hears, along with a good-natured chuckle, and it occurs to her that she just made a mess of a bed that’s not her own.

“I’m so sorr-” She shoots up, apology half-spoken, then falls back onto her pillows. She only half-notices the vomit that she lands in because her head is just swimming . There’s not one thought that can travel straight through her brain; everything in there is currently a twisting, winding labyrinth of pain and dizziness. She groans, throwing an arm over her eyes.

“Oh, come on, now.” A hand rests against her shoulder and pulls her up, steadying her to rest against the wall. A bowl is pressed into her hands. “Here you go. It’s just broth and bread, but I have a feeling that’s all you can stomach at the moment.”

Ochako looks up to find an elderly woman standing beside her, with neat pink hair and a kindly face. A white shawl is draped around her, and though she stands no taller than Ochako’s hips, she exudes a powerful aura, as though she could topple a giant with barely a wave of her arm. She smiles.

“You eat, and try to keep that down. I’ll go call in some other young’ins to help you bathe and such.” She starts out the door, but doesn’t go much farther. “The name’s Chiyo, by the way. And yours?”

“Ura–” she stops, spoon halfway to her mouth, thoughts flying a mile a minute through her scattered mind.

Shin. The Uraraka name. Hysa castle. Betrayal. Fire and blood. Blood blood blood.

Shin, wearing a mask. Secret identity.

Ochako recalls the dream she had the night before her parents’ death–a dream of herself, floating high above the castle, bobbing in the wind, as if the earth had no claim to her. A name floated through her mind, brought to her by both a summer breeze and a winter tempest.

“Uravity,” she says, like the final nail in the coffin of Ochako Uraraka.

Chiyo purses her lips. “Sounds like a pirate’s name to me.” Her face softens. “But if you’re not ready to share your true self just yet, we’re willing to wait.”

Her strength had returned with every sip of broth, every bite of bread. And though her stomach still churned like the waves, and she had to lean heavily on someone to walk about, she couldn’t stand being cooped up in the infirmary. Instead she walks the ship–because that’s what’s she on, she realized during her bath–on wobbly legs. She tries to walk, at least, but is more being dragged around by Yaoyorozu as they tour the ship.

“This is the main deck” she says, pulling Ochako along. “Most of the crew is either here or in their rooms below. The main mast is this way, Kaminari and Kouda should be up there now. Over here…”

Ochako lifts her eyes, trailing the mast into the sky before it disappears. “I’ve been asleep for three days, right?” she asks, interrupting Yaoyorozu’s impromptu lesson.

“...Yes,” is the answer, and tears well in Ochako’s eyes that she won’t allow to fall. She wipes away one that does escape, then reaches into the pocket of her borrowed breeches to put it away. It was a tradition her family always held, to put their emotions away for a time better suited to exploring them. Aboard a rocking ship, sick to her stomach and on wobbly knees, in front of an entire crew of strangers is definitely not the best time for an emotional breakdown.

There won’t ever be a good time for that, not until she reclaims her throne, at least. There’s an inner strength she can feel, a voice inside that tells her she can’t rest until then, and she’s not about to disappoint it.

She tries to walk again, though she’s still unsteady, she does manage a few steps almost on her own, with just her hand perched on Yaoyorozu’s shoulder. Yaoyorozu smiles, lifting a hand to her back, and begins droning on about life on the ship, remedies for seasickness, and other crew members–just about anything, mostly, though the gleam in her eyes says she’s proud.

And then Ochako falls. Well, not really. The deck bucks beneath her, practically disappears into a shower of splinters, and she flies upwards. Yaoyorozu calls her name but is nowhere in sight. She screams, a short, shrill sound that comes in bursts. She spins through the air, direction completely lost to her, her meager meal close to coming back up.

“Sorry!” Gentle arms embrace her, resting across her shoulders and beneath her knees. She clings to the boy’s collar and neck, her fingers digging into his exposed skin. When she peeks over his shoulder, they’re back on the ground, at the edge of a freshly-made hole in the deck. Splinters cover the floor around it, and annoyed groans come from all around.

“Sorry!” the boy says again. “We were sparring and I just…” He laughs sheepishly, and Ochako takes the chance to get a good look at him.

He’s very plain, is her first thought. His hair was dark and curly, and his face was amicably round. He looks at her curiously as he sets her down, then catches her again as she stumbles.

“I’m sorry,” she mutters, “this is my first time on a ship this big.”

“Ah, no worries! I was the same way!” He guides her hands to his forearms, a blush spreading quick across his cheeks as he does. His next sentence is stuttered, like he can’t quite get it out right. “I-I-I… it’ll f-fade eventually! Only took me a week or so to..to um…get used to it.”

“Right! I hope it’ll go away soon.” Ochako, too, blushes at their proximity, right until someone else storms up and starts yelling at the boy. He lets her go, a light blush still dotting his cheeks.

“Uravity! Are you okay?” Yaoyorozu runs up. Her lips are swollen, and there’s a cut across her nose, but she only worries for Ochako.

“I’m fine!” she assures, brushing splinters off her blouse. She gestures to the young man behind her. “He helped me.”

“Midoriya,” Yaoyorozu scolds, and he turns away from the crowd already scolding him. “You knew we picked up a new passenger a few days ago.”

“Sorry,” he says, a hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wasn’t thinking. You know how Todoroki is, though.”

Yaoyorozu sighs. “Yes, I know.” She peeks down into the hole, standing closer to the edge than Ochako would’ve liked. “Are you okay, sir?”

“Just fine, Momo.” Yaoyorozu blushes, and another boy–an odd one, with red and white hair split straight down the middle–jumps up to join them on the deck. He’s familiar to Ochako, but she can’t quite place him. The way he looks at her, though, says he does, in fact, remember her. He tilts his head and opens his mouth, probably to ask what a princess is doing this far out on the ocean.

“I’m Uravity!” she says, all smiles and laughter, like she isn’t about to freak out.

The boy purses his lips, because he knows she’s lying(through omission, she convinced herself), but after a nudge from Yaoyorozu, he just nods.

“I’m Shouto Todoroki. Nice to meet you, Uravity.” And just like that, he turns to the other boy to discuss their training session. Yaoyorozu sighs and unbuttons the bottom of her blouse.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Ochako squeaks, blushing and looking away.

“Covering the hole,” Yaoyorozu says, as if it’s the most casual thing in the world.

“With your shirt?”

“With my Gift. We can’t just leave a big hole in the ship. We can get Mr. Nishiya to fix it once we return to port, but until then, this will do.” She pulls a wooden plank from the skin on her stomach and lays it flat across the hole. Or she tries to, anyway. It’s five feet across to the other side, and she can quite get it balanced right, and it keeps smacking the underside of the deck. “Can you go get that settled for me?”

Ochako nods and starts towards it, but stumbles, dizzy now that the adrenaline of soaring through the air has worn off. “Oh, right,” Yaoyorozu mumbles, then louder, “Will you get the other end for me, Lord Todoroki?”

Lord Todoroki?

“I’ll get it!” the first boy interrupts. He jumps, and in a flying leap, clears the six-foot gap. He grabs the board, then calls out, “Where’s Sero?”

Can that boy fly ?

Another boy comes over, swinging from the rigging on a rope that extended from his elbow.

“Is everyone here Gifted?”

There’s a beat of silence where no one really moves, and Ochako realizes she said that out loud. “I’m sorry!” she squeaks. It’s a breach of etiquette to just ask about one’s Gift, and to assume someone even has one is a major faux pas, especially when they don’t.

But Todoroki comes in for the save, placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding to Yaoyorozu and the others. He guides her to a private place at the edge of the ship and they sit, Ochako with her head between her knees. Todoroki sits beside her, leaning against the railing.

“So where did you get that name? Uravity?” he asks. The name sounds heavy in his mouth, and it’s as he says it that she hears a slight accent in his voice.

“What’re you talking about?” She mumbles, words slurred by her churning stomach. “S’my name.”

“It’s a pirate name,” Todoroki says, sure as if he knew her personally. “An alias.”

“And how would you know?”

He changes the subject. “You came from Hysa Castle, didn’t you? What did you do there?”

“I was an apprentice seamstress.” The lie slips off her tongue easier than she would’ve liked.

“What happened?”

Ochako says nothing, her words dried up like a desert. But Todoroki is waiting, looking like he can see straight through her, so she scrapes them from her throat in visceral roughness.

“Ostford,” she spits like she’s trying to erase it from history. “They attacked the castle. Killed almost everyone inside.”

“Why?” Ochako doesn’t have an answer for that, but it’s not like she has a chance to answer as he continues his train of thought. “It’s not like Hysa is rich or powerful. Their main export is cloth, and strategically it’s not a good place to start a war. In fact–”

“I don’t know!” Ochako yells. “I don’t know what he wants! I don’t know why he-” sniff “ -he would do something like this!” She cant cry now, so she buries her head on her knees, wiping her eyes one the fabric of her pants.

“Who?”

“General Shin,” she murmurs, quiet once again. “He led the attack. Chased me to the beach through all the hidden tunnels.”

“The king’s brother,” Todoroki whispers to himself. “And what of the King and his family?”

Ochako gasps and turns, sticking her head over the ocean to finally empty her stomach. Todoroki says nothing, but he doesn’t need to. He knows the answer just from her reaction, and rubs soothing circles across her back. She keeps gasping, trying to hold back the tears.

Her body trembles as she sits back down. She takes deep breaths, eyes closed and hands to her chest.

“My condolences.” She peeks tired eyes at him. “It must have been bad when you found your parents like that.”

She doesn’t have the energy to deny it, and if she’s honest she can’t even remember the lie she told earlier. She just nods and shuts her eyes, leaning her head against the rail. “There was blood everywhere. As bright as rubies and dark as garnets…”

[furidojasutin]

Main pairing: Fraxus (Freed x Laxus)

Side pairings: mentions of Canajane, Elfgreen, Nalu

Characters: Bixlow, Freed Justine, Laxus Dreyar, Evergreen, Makarov Dreyar and mentions of other characters

Universe: Canon

Rating: T

a/n: Five days late for Halloween but just in time for Fraxus Day! I was pretty excited for this especially because this is a collab with the nerd @damasath-art. I love the pic she drew so so much and you can go check it out right >here<. I'll also link the inspiration art for this idea which was also drawn by her, right >here<, and the costumes for Bix and Ever right >here<. Go check out her art pls and give it many reblogs and comments! While I'm at it I'll also link you to the costume ideas for Cana, Mira, Lucy and Natsu. Go look >here< for the Canajane art drawn by lovely @peoniespoppiesandowlsohmy and go look >here< for the Nalu art drawn by the sweet @arikafd <3 But now I really hope you'll enjoy this oneshot and happy Fraxus day y'all!!

“What's you guys taking so long, eh?” It was Bixlow's voice echoing through Freed and Laxus' house while he was lounging on their huge couch. He was all done dressing up and so was Evergreen who was standing in the middle of the room with crossed arms.

They all had decided to go with kind of matching costumes this year. Finding an outfit for Evergreen and Freed had been comparably easy in contrast to the ones Bixlow and Laxus required but they thought that the search had definitely been worth it.

“Ya can make out when yer back home tonight!”

“Shut it, Bixlow.” This time Laxus replied, his voice rumbling through the rooms. The blond heard the seith mage cackle and sighed before he turned back to see how Freed was doing. “How's it going?”

“I'm almost done,” he mumbled. He was too concentrated to say anything else as he was trying to adjust his boyfriend's cape to the best of his abilities. Laxus' outfit was a pain but it suited him, really. It looked incredibly good and the theme was purposefully fitting as well. “Almost... Now, done!”

Freed eyed his handwork proudly. He'd done a good job with it although the kind of armor Laxus was into had been a pain to adjust. Bixlow's had similar troubles, though. And Evergreen had been just a tad bit nervous to go without her glasses even though they all knew that she had no issues control her stone eyes. It just wasn't something frequent. Freed's outfit was the simplest of them all but it did its job. That, and he'd gotten a little extra from Bixlow to use at the guild hall to make his costume choice even clearer.

“Hell yea. Now I sure am the Thunder God.” Laxus looked at himself in the mirror, as he was readily dressed in his Thor costume, a bright grin on his face. He may not care much about such festivities, parties let alone costumes but he had to admit that this one was more than acceptable. Nothing ridiculous. Actually kinda nice.

Hands curled into fists and the dragon slayer couldn't resist letting some lightning cackle around him. Yes, this was good.

Freed just gave a huff before he arched up an eyebrow for a patronizing look and adjusted his glasses, commenting dryly. “Laxus. Professional please.”

Now raising a brow in return Laxus glanced at him but a new grin wasn't long in coming. “Good thing ya don't have to practice those looks, huh?”

“Now what's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin'.” Laxus just grinned wider when Freed shot him a tiny playful glare. They just looked at each other for another moment and Freed was just about to take a hold of the taller man's collar and lean up for a kiss, and possibly whisper something in his ear, when they heard Bixlow call for them again.

They sighed almost in unison but then the rune mage smiled. “He's right, we should get going.”

Laxus gave a semi-serious groan of annoyance. “I wouldn't mind just stayin' here... with you. And do other things.”

“Right.” Freed chuckled and then nudged him. “All the effort will be wasted if we don't attend the guild party. We can still do other things later.”

“Yea, yea. Understood, Dr. Banner.” He was ready to follow the other out of the door when suddenly a thought struck him and made him stop walking. “Oi, ya have the hammer set up?” Because what would Thor be without it, right? Of course they had thought of this, too.

“What do you think?” Freed had briefly stopped in his tracks as well, looking back over his shoulder with a pleased curve on his lips. “Of course I have. It wasn't much work anyway. Your hammer is located near the guild doors on a particular field of runes that will only allow you to lift the hammer. Of course the runes aren't visible. I planned on placing it in the middle of the stage but Mirajane said that it would be needed for something else.”

“Heh, sounds perfect.” Laxus' lips curved again as well and they finally left the bedroom. “As expected of ya. They'll have no idea what's going.”

“Perhaps not but they aren't stupid either.” And he smiled at the small compliment he had received of his boyfriend. It made his heart flutter and had brightened his smile by the time they joined Bixlow, dressed up pretty impressively as the Iron Man, and Evergreen, dressed up as tough Black Widow.

“Finally!” Ever sighed and stroked a hand through her hair upon seeing the missing two of her male friends walking in. “What on earth took you so long?”

“Oi, Bixlow took a long ass time to get dressed as well,” Laxus grumbled whilst Freed went to fetch something.

“You took longer. And needed two more hands, apparently,” Bixlow promptly defended himself but showed a grin as he followed Freed with his eyes, his babies floating around him. “Ya gettin' yer mug?”

The seith mage got his answer when the rune mage turned back around with a 3D mug of the Hulk's green fist in his grip. Holding it by its handle almost made it look like a real huge fist and Bixlow still thought that it was the perfect little addition to Freed's comparably simple costume. He would just drink out of it all evening long. It was better than abusing his demon form to prove a point for such a ridiculous reason, something he'd never do anyway.

Alright, perhaps he wouldn't use it for different kinds of liquors and drinks.

“Time to party, babies!”

xxx xxx

The atmosphere at the guild hall was breathtaking. All of them had decorated and created stuff together to turn it into the perfect location for a Halloween party and it was a complete success.

There were pumpkins and coffins, skeletons and fake blood messages on the walls that glowed when it was dark enough. Of course they searched for the perfect music, soundtracks that would be suitable for a party and for Halloween just as much. They even had a small maze in the guild's outdoor area, one Freed helped setting up traps for.

It had been lots of work to dress the entire hall in such things but it had been worth it.

One hour had passed since Freed, Laxus, Evergreen and Bixlow arrived at the guild. Most of their guild mates had already been there when they set foot in the hall, the music loud and the chattering lively.

Despite having helped to set up the location all of them were still amazed. Everyone had honestly done a good job.

Mirajane and Cana had been the first two to greet them and it wasn't hard to notice that even Mira had already consumed a fair bit of alcohol. For once they had an entire buffet for food and drinks so Mirajane and Kinana wouldn't have to miss out on things and the eldest Strauss giggled as she leaned against her girlfriend. Their relationship was fairly fresh still but they were adorable together.

Funnily enough, Cana was dressed as Harley Quinn whilst Mirajane had chosen to go with Poison Ivy. What a coincidence! They looked amazing, though, and it didn't take long until Cana and Mira had dragged Evergreen off to the bar.

Neither Bixlow nor Freed and Laxus had missed the looks their female bestie had thrown towards the spot Elfman was sitting at, dressed as zombie complete with a big screw going 'through' his head.

“Oi, ya think she'd have liked to have a couple costume with Elfman? They'd be adorable as the Beauty and the Beast.”

Laxus snorted, and Freed went ahead to voice what they all were thinking. “Truth be told, she would most likely like it but the stage she's in wouldn't allow her to admit it. Eventually, for certain.”

All three men shook their head.

Somewhere on the other end of the big hall Natsu, who was in a vampire costume, was chasing Lucy. It seemed as though these two had chosen to go with matching outfits as well as the celestial mage was wearing a beautiful damsel's dress.

She was flailing and shouting at the cackling fire dragon slayer to stop running after her because he wanted to 'bite' her but the soon erupting giggles revealed that she was just having some playful fun with this dork of hers. Nobody really knew whether these two had finally confessed to each other and became an actual couple or if they were still tiptoeing around each other, really. But it was kind of adorable watching them either way.

“Ya think Natsu's found the hammer already?” Bixlow had excused himself for some unknown reason, which was highly suspicious and all they could think of was that he was up to something. Though Laxus didn't really mind just chattering with his boyfriend who was sitting beside him with his Hulk mug filled with cold beer.

“I'm not sure. Something tells me that he would still be standing there trying to lift up the hammer and not giving up until he's managed to do so which would be never unless I undid the runes. I could doom him to a future filled with the will to lift this damned hammer,” Freed responded rather dryly before he turned to look at Laxus and then chuckled quietly.

“I'd love to see this.” And he secretly indulged in the imagination of watching Natsu struggle and get exasperated because he just wasn't able to lift that damn thing.

“Me, too.”

It was amusing, honestly. Though if Freed was completely honest then he knew that somebody would figure out that his magic was to blame for this circumstance. The runes may not be visible but the magic was sensible if one concentrated and focused on it, so if somebody really put effort into trying to find out the reason for the unmovable hammer then he was sure they'd figure it out pretty quick.

Their attention got drawn to something else when a certain fight of words erupted and Gray was left in his underwear when he promptly stripped out of his skeleton costume.

“There they go again... Halloween is apparently no exception,” Freed muttered as he watched and listened to the verbal fight between Natsu and Gray that sure as hell wouldn't stay verbal only. Though one look to the side told him that Erza was already on her way to separate these two. She was especially sensitive with such stuff when it happened on special occasions like this one – she wouldn't let anyone ruin the evening.

“She's in no mood for their bullshit and neither am I.” Laxus snorted before he emptied his own beer. He heard his boyfriend mumbling agreement while he glanced around. With narrowed eyes he spotted Bixlow and apparently their suspicion had been justified when suddenly Levy ended up squeaking as the seith mage threw a huge fake spider at her face.

“Typical.” Freed smiled faintly as he followed the dragon slayer's gaze. He had to admit that he himself wasn't exactly innocent when it got around Halloween pranks. In fact he could actually enjoy this holiday to a fair amount and, if he was completely honest, then he indulged in the horrified reactions he could elicit with such mischievous moves.

“Yea. I'm actually feelin' sorry for Levy and whoever's gonna be next.” Laxus shook his head, then turned it to focus on the rune mage instead. It wasn't often that he got to see Freed with glasses but he sure rocked them, especially when he did this thing with his eyebrow.

“Mh-hm...” Holding the eye-contact was all the two men did for a moment. All sounds in the room blanket out and then Freed leaned forward slowly to press a kiss against Laxus' lips.

But just when their lips were about to come into contact, somebody softly cleared his throat right behind their chairs. It caused them both to blink and their noses almost bumped slightly when they turned their heads in unison to find that none other than Master Makarov in his dwarf outfit had sought them out.

“I'm sorry for the interruption,” Makarov grinned up at them.

Laxus just rolled his eyes, the tiniest of blushes on his cheeks. “No gramps, yer not.”

“Well well, looks like you got me there.” He gave them both a far too wide smile but then tilted his head to the side in sincere curiosity. It was obvious that he's had the one or other mug of sake already but it wasn't enough to have him completely wasted. “Are you two having fun? Have you eaten something already?”

“No, not yet,” Freed replied after lightly clearing his throat himself and offering a small polite smile in return. “But we certainly plan on doing so.”

Laxus was just glad that his grandpa hadn't planned some stupid event for the Halloween party. He had a way of thinking of the most embarrassing stuff to ever exist and he could do without that.

“You should, you should.” Makarov nodded to emphasize his words before he let his gaze wander around the filled hall. Erza had successfully kept Natsu and Gray from fighting and was now sitting with Bisca while Alzack was giving little Asuka in her witch costume a piggyback ride. Lucy and Wendy were chattering happily before Natsu jumped into the scene and hugged them close. Cana and Mirajane were sitting somewhere, cuddled up close, and listened to Gajeel and Juvia bickering softly. Elfman and Evergreen had found one another but looked unsure about how to act around each other.

The guild's Master turned his attention back to the couple in front of him. Freed and Laxus had merely observed him in silence and waited for him to say something else. He surely must have approached them for a reason?

“I'm happy for you, brat.” He briefly looked at the dragon slayer, the smile gone but loving joy in his eyes before he turned to Freed. “And you, too, Freed. You two have my unconditional support, I hope you know that. But now go and have some fun or try something from the buffet before everything tasty is gone.” Makarov instinctively squinted at Natsu before he turned around and headed towards where the alcohol was located.

That was definitely not what the two men had expected. Not that they had known what to expect anyway but this small reminder left especially Laxus speechless for a moment. It wasn't like Makarov had never sensed that something was going on between the two. Freed had been in love with Laxus for quite a while whilst it was far more of a slow realization for Laxus. It took a while until they became official but Master Makarov had never expressed anything else than his joy and support for them, praising how he'd always seen it coming anyway.

The dragon slayer was so caught off guard, and inwardly happy, that he even temporarily forgave his grandpa for calling him a fucking brat again.

“Well, that was unexpected.” The rune mage said calmly and glanced at his boyfriend again after watching Makarov leave their side.

“Yea. No idea what the old man's thinkin.” Laxus furrowed his thick brows. “'course we know that.” But it was nice to hear it again. After almost losing his grandpa their bond had grown even closer in silence and he was so utterly thankful that the old geezer wasn't gone for good. He may not always be the best at expressing it but he sure loved him a lot. The entire guild did. It would just be different without the occasional bickering with his gramps.

Freed nodded in agreement but he too felt quite happy about this reassurance. It wasn't like he ever doubted that they had Makarov's approval but it was still nice to hear again. Smiling, the Raijinshuu's captain exhaled softly. “But I think we should take his advice and try something from the buffet.”

And they did. Their Master hadn't lied when he hyped the buffet. The taste of the food was exquisite and the variety astounding.

After eating something Freed and Laxus had the one or other conversation with some of their friends and apparently Bixlow was tipsy enough to let himself get dragged onto the dance floor by Lisanna and Lucy. It made for a quite hilarious view though the girls seemed to be having fun while Cana had laid out some of her cards and was entertaining Juvia, Levy and a quite skeptical Gajeel with her fortune telling.

“You want another drink?” Laxus asked as after he came back from the bathroom and allowed himself to wrap his strong arms around his boyfriend's waist who was looking up at him.

“Later. I don't plan on ending up intoxicated.” He hadn't been able to avoid slight tipsiness but that was hardly an issue. Freed knew he had to be careful though; not many of them got blessed with a high tolerance for alcohol. “What about you?”

Laxus shrugged. “I'll take another beer, I guess. I dunno what they put in there but it's fucking delicious,” he thought out loud and then emitted a soft snort when he felt Freed fumble with his red cape. “Havin' fun?”

“Am I not allowed to like your outfit?”

When his boyfriend arched up a brow at him again the dragon slayer couldn't help but give a deep chuckle and turned away without another word, ready to head back to the main hall.

But then he felt Freed getting a hold of his wrist with a grip as firm as it could be from a swordsman only and that was more than enough to get Laxus' utter attention again.

With a determined tug the rune mage dragged the broader man with him as he vanished around the near corner in one single movement and once they were standing in the faded light of the hall way Freed leaned back against the wall and cupped the lightning mage's face in order to tug him down for a kiss.

Caught off guard but pleasantly so the taller man went with it without wasting a single thought and resisting the gesture of affection. A quiet growl slipped past Laxus' lips when a little more urge came to surface and he pressed up against Freed's body just a bit more.

Encouraged by the movement and the sound of his boyfriend the captain gave a calculated nip to Laxus' lower lip and when he got the tiny groan he wanted to educe from him he boldly slipped his tongue into his mouth, giving the quietest of pleased groans as well when he felt Laxus' tongue brush against his own.

The kiss didn't last as long as they would wish for it to but it was enough to leave them blissfully breathless for a moment or two and when Laxus withdrew his head and brought a tad bit more space between their bodies again he looked down at his boyfriend with a small curve on his lips. “What was that for?” His voice a rumbling whisper, his hands found Freed's hips and gently stroked up his sides for a moment. He didn't want to ruffle his neat outfit after all.

“I just wanted to kiss you.” It was a simple answer but it was just as true. A loving smirk on his lips the rune mage rested his head against the wall behind him. “And I wanted a moment just for the two of us before we head back to the main hall.”

“Makes sense.” Laxus grinned, love in his orange eyes. If he was to decide then he had absolutely no objections staying here for just a while longer. “Ya think I can I get another one?”~

Freed blinked once at the question but then rolled his eyes in a playful manner before he leaned up to press a chaster kiss against his boyfriend's lips.

“Thanks.”

The rune mage just smiled before adjusting his glasses and straightening his shirt just in case. Laxus' armor had been hard against his own body but he didn't mind. Not when he was kissing the love of his life. Freed didn't take note of the spark in the lightning dragon slayer's orange eyes as he was busy admiring his attractive appearance for a couple of heartbeats so his boyfriend directing another question at him took him by slight surprise.

“So... when will I get to see yer Hulk? Later tonight?”

And Freed didn't understand, not at the very first moment. Perhaps it was because he had been distracted a moment before or perhaps it was because he hadn't expected Laxus to make such a playful, suggestive comment right now but when the dragon slayer shot an obvious look down at Freed's crotch he understood.

“That's...” The rune mage blinked again. But then he couldn't stop the one single deep laughter that slipped between his lips. “I cannot believe you said that right now. That's a really bad pick-up line.” He shook his head, cheeks flushed softly. Honestly, this man!

“Hey, I was complimentin' ya and it's fittin', isn't it?” There was something happy in Laxus' grin and eyes that only Freed ever got to witness and in the end the dragon slayer gave a quiet chuckle as well. He leaned down to give the rune mage a second quick kiss before they both agreed to go back to the main hall before anybody would miss them. The evening had passed by pretty fast but there was still the one or other hour to go and they wanted to spend them together with his friends.

There would be enough alone time at home.

When they stepped back into the hall it looked as though Mirajane had started a karaoke challenge. Gray and Natsu were battling with each other, what sounded pretty hilarious, and Erza was preparing herself for the next song. Bixlow's cackling along with the chanting of his babies could be heard coming from some other corner and all in all everyone seemed pretty happy.

Freed looked to the side just in time for Laxus' gaze to meet his own and he couldn't stop the anew smile from appearing and the other returned it with a twitch of his lips. Their fingers touched for a second, an absolutely purposeful movement, and after another moment of just looking at each other the dragon slayer began to walk over to the table Evergreen and Cana were sitting at.

“I'll pick up my hammer once these idiots are done singin'. Can't wait to see Natsu's face,” Laxus declared and grinned to himself while Freed watched the karaoke group for a moment before looking back at his boyfriend, smirking lovingly.

He was sure that they would indeed be having some more fun this successfull party night.

[thevanishingomens]

HELP PLS

So we have this English Coursework that basically was supposed to be done this week- but I'm in Portugal so I thought I'd write it while I'm here. The main theme is either change or loneliness. Which can branch out to many things. I chose the loneliness after a family member dies. But somehow down the road of writing this story it just turned completely different. I was wondering if anyone out there would be so kind as to read it and hopefully give me feedback before Sunday night 8pm. Thank you~ 'Running Out' Blair Johnson never thought that even after all she'd been through she'd get a chance to start again. To say "i'm sorry". A chance to somehow make up for what had happened. To change destiny. Re-write her fate. "I never thought to this day that after loosing my brother I'd be able to gain another. Yet somehow- whether it was fate, destiny or some God out there...I got Logan. And although we have our differences and I'm a huge pain in the ass-" The class interrupted with a burst of laughter while looking back to the embarrassed Logan. Blair was up at the front of the classroom, pages crumpled in-between her sweaty, nervous, unsteady hands. Beads of sweat slowly making their way down Blair Johnsons' forehead. Her teeth showing through her nervous smile as her pool blue eyes looked at Logan look away embarrassed. Her long ashy blond locks of hair were straightened and located somewhere over her back and held behind her ears. "I'm glad you decided to come Logan. Even if it is for just three days. And even if by the end of it you hate my family and never wanna see them again.... I'm thankful that you at least tried to reason with us. And that's all I could ever ask of you. To try" Blair said as she shied away from the looks of classmates. She stared at her paper as she read the last few words. She looked up only to receive the next horrifying thing. Silence. It was a sweet moment really. As a way to ensure that Logan would fit in at a new town, new school and new family, Blair had to ensure that taking Logan to school would be a piece of cake. So far, four classes in, it had all gone alright. But maybe centring her English essay on him and her new step-dad wasn't a good way about it. Logan clapped along with the class- but had he really liked it? Blair's thoughts were all over the place.  "Well done Blair, you can take a seat now. And I'm very pleased to welcome you here Logan Fox. And remember that even if you never wish to come to this school, the school will be here for you" Mr. Hendrix stated with a smile before moving the lesson along by picking the next reader. Blair walked back to her seat next to her new brother, Logan, as soon as Blair sat down he quietly mumbled out a thank you before turning his face out to the window. Blair let out a sheepish smile while setting her now crumpled up essay neatly on her desk. Logan kept his face and expression forward to not let Blair know how he really felt, miserably happy even though Blair had just centred her English essay on him and his dad. Definitely not the finest idea Blair Johnson had, had. It was now home time, the best feeling any student could have on a Friday. Going home to stuff your face with junk, take huge naps at 5 in the evening and game until morning. Ugh- I mean do homework and study....obviously.... Blair stood, leaning against the pole of where 2 bikes were tied. They were tied with chains that had padlocks which kept incoming criminals at bay if they ever tried to break the bikes free from their capture. She could sense that something was wrong, that something was going to happen. The same feeling she had when Eric Johnson left that night. She could feel it in the air. But with her depressed mentality she couldn't trust her guts feeling. Instead she shook the feeling away and tried to think positively. Logan was here and she was prepared to ensure he would have as much fun as possible. Knowing full well he was an alternative punk kind of guy and preferred to keep his emotions to himself, Blair had the perfect weekend planned out. Plus a little bonus surprise. With every bone in her body Blair tried to sway away from the fact that her depression had to be kept secret, that she had to hide that part of her and only show Logan her fun, kind, and sunny self (I.e a completely different person- a character if you will). She kept quiet and thought of how her plans would work out. Devastatingly enough the sky began to turn grey with a dark blue tinge to it. It was going to rain. How did Blair know? She could feel the warm humid air wrap around her as the dark grey clouds formed into one huge cumulonimbus, ready to erupt with thunder, lightening, strong winds and buckets of rain. Blair had put on her bright neon blue raincoat over her black skinny ripped jeans and her bright yellow sweater which was fashionably ripped over her collarbones and forearms. She walked around in black combat boots which matched her black leather bag which contained all her school books and anything she seemed would be fit to take to school. I don't know why anyone would bring an old flower with them to school but Blair surely did... To pass the time as she waited for her new brother and her friends to make their way over from the gym, Blair had decided to reminisce through old memories of her late brother and how much she'd grown due to that accident. An accident the whole town had heard and would never forget. The town had its secrets. Since it was found by Magdalena Arden, a young Dutch woman who was travelling in her college days, the town had always seen tragic endings for different families. Murders, disappearances and tragic accidents. Things that often ended in death. Just like the late Eric Johnson. Who had decided he would sneak out one night only to be found by the young 12 year old Blair, and although she kept it a secret, when she later found out the next day that her brother had been in a car accident and died she could only blame herself. If she had stopped him- if she had told her parents. If only she had done something! Surely Eric Johnson wouldn't be laying in a coffin, 6ft below the ground with half his face mutilated and an arm that had been ripped right off when the car had a head on collision with a drunk truck driver. Neatly dressed in a black suit with a red rose in the front pocket, stitched and cleaned up to look presentable to the god who had done this. At least that's what Blair's dad Kendrick had stated, that it was his fault, the man upstairs who wore heavenly white and had decided Eric wasn't fit to be in earth. A subject that nowadays can only cause confusion, treachery and murder. Crimes of the highest order. Blair kept as far away from religion as she could, ever since her brother died and her parents divorced Blair believed no-one upstairs was real. Or at least that if they were, they were sadistic monsters. Blair looked up at the sky as light rain drops hit her makeup covered face, she felt as if the weather was mirroring her depressed feelings of sadness, anger, guilt and blame. She hadn't felt like that in a long time. Since she was 16 to be exact. But after meeting her new brother Logan and finding out her mother was pregnant with a fiancé she hadn't met yet- Blair's life turned upside down once again. Leaving her confused once more and wondering if this was her mothers way of replacing Kendrick, Eric and Blair. She shouldn't have been thinking like that. But anyone mourning would have had their mind jumbled up like that if it had happened to them. "Boo!" Rey, Blair's only male best friend had yelled as he used his hands in a claw like motion to grab onto Blair's shoulders and scare the day-dreaming Blair. Blair let out a scared yelp, which attracted the eyes of onlooking pedestrians as they made their way home from school by many ways. It went back to normal after Blair turned around to grab Rey's shoulders and ask what was wrong with him in the most scared and loud tone she could possibly let out after that terrifying experience. Blair felt as if she'd aged 100 years and had lost all energy. Or as if her heart was about to be ripped out of her chest. It was now currently palpitating at 90mhp, or so it seemed to Blair as she grasped hold of her chest after hitting Rey's slightly muscular arm in retaliation. Rey grumbled at Blair's attitude- even though it was purely his fault that he decided to scare her while she was zoning out. From behind the scenes stood Rey's girlfriend Clementine Ross. A young and talented 18 year old girl. Whose short navy tinged black hair was curled and her dark green eyes behind some fashionable yet nerdy looking glasses which she used only for reading, writing and watching movies. Clem stood wearing some hipster slash alternative clothes which consisted of a lot of black and dark maroon. Beside Clem stood her best friend (and slightly annoying cheerleader type of student) Mackenzie Denver. She was tall yet wore 9inch heels which made her tower over most boys. Her long ginger dyed hair was kept in her natural tight curls while her dark brown eyes always had her long eyelashes to flutter over. She was mostly dressed in the most high-end fashion. Sometimes wearing Gucci and Channel to school. Rey Bailey might be Blair's only male best friend but he doesn't act like it, and although Blair has many friends of the opposite sex she finds Rey to just be her friend and not her BOY friend: something many confuse. But enough about introductions, this isn't some movie in which the friends of the lead character are needed to make an impact on the story. No. They're here for closure. Because Blair Johnson's escape from the reality that her brother is dead and her mum has constructed a new family is of coarse, her best friends. And although Mackenzie acted more like a bully towards Blair it was only because everyone else slightly babied her due to the accident. Blair was thankful, to whoever spoke to her she always kept a smile, even if it was Mackenzie's silly jokes or slurs. "So tonight? Is everything ready?" Blair asked with a smile towards her friend who had previously nearly killed her of a heart attack. Rey stood with a smug smile plastered on his face as his eyes shone with a glint of mischief. Rey then used his palms to clean the non-existing dust off his shoulders. Blair just stared with no expression, a sigh and then proceeding to do a face-palm with a shake of her head while mumbling incoherent words. "Why can't you just say yes like a normal person?" Blair asked before looking over at Clementine who was scratching the nape of her neck awkwardly while turning to look away from her boyfriends stupidity. Mackenzie was just glancing at Rey with a mixture of both anger and an essence of being dumbfounded. Logan, who had been silently watching all of this broke the silence by asking what was happening that night. Obviously the group wasn't about to ruin the surprise that they had been planning for the past two weeks. After being informed that Logan would be staying over for a weekend, Blair decided she would make Logan Fox's welcoming warm and the best surprise he'd ever have. Meaning; the only surprise he'd have since he was born. All apart from that one time on Christmas when his mother had surprised him with exactly what he had been asking for three months prior. A remote control car, the best one in their local shop. But it was around £50 and although Logan's father was well off- he wasn't going to waste £50 on a piece of plastic and metal made to look like a car. Anyway- when Logan had asked about the events that would be happening that night everyone looked away and decided to act as if what they had said, hadn't been said. "Ah! The shopping!" Blair exclaimed in an out of tune acting voice, she couldn't act but she had made everyone else sway from the topic at hand. Back to being Blair Johnson, the scared, guilty and angry 12 year old who blamed herself for Eric's death. When she had woken up with the noise of the backyard door opening and she had ran down to see Eric standing there with shock and a guilty expression. When sweet filled words and cheery smiles persuaded Blair to remain all of that a secret and go back up to bed. Taking one last look at her brother wave her good bye with a smile as she sat atop the stairs with sleepy eyes and a guilty conscience. Little did little Blair know that that would be the last time she would see Eric, alive at least. She didn't know that in just a few minutes, while she got into her bed and snuggled up to her teddy bear that Eric Johnson was speeding down the highway with friends, stoned out of his mind and that in a few seconds he would be ripped to shreds. Literally and metaphorically. Days later was the funeral. Blair never imagined herself at a funeral until her late 60s or something when her parents tragically die after long years together. Instead...she stood there as she watched her older brother, 18 year old Eric, being slowly lowered into the ground as he was nailed into a mahogany polished coffin. His tombstone with the usual sappy old quote, "a great brother, son and person. Taken too young..."- blah, blah, blah. That was gossip for the next 3 weeks, where locals would chatter about how Eric was too young to die, or how Blair should have said something, that it was the parents fault. The schools fault. His friends fault for letting him drive. Anything to put the blame on someone else other than themselves. Which is exactly what Kendrick had done to Blair and her mother. Bluntly accused them of their treachery, that they were the culprits, the crazy common criminals who had caused Eric's death. But that wasn't the hard earned truth... Kendrick never once believed it was Blair's fault, but he needed a reason to leave, a reason to make his cheating on his wife a normal mourning reason. To leave, disappear into the night with his labelled lover. His radiant romance and forbidden love. Cheating on his wife was the least of Kendrick's problems. Bankruptcy, dept and gambling mixed with an alcohol induced state of mind was the silver platter of it all. His worlds 'pièce de résistance'. And so that's how Blair's parents divorce came about. Not due to Blair's guilty actions, or Eric's death- or even mourning for that fact! It was all because Kendrick cheated, was an alcoholic jerk and all he wanted to do was waste his life away playing money for poker. While Blair's mother May, just wanted peace. Quiet. Anything to make her crashing down world still. Frozen in time, where they were back to being a happy family. Everyone together, well and alive. But reality stared Blair in the face with a hard yearning stare and a grin from ear to ear. It terrified Blair to even think of the possibility of living like her mother. A religious catholic who believed everything happened for a reason. The town called her 'the crazy woman' from down the road. She'll only talk about god. And when death was mentioned- It wasn't great. All Blair wished was for Eric to be back. Or for her leave that wretched town. To escape the rocky-road reality, the rollercoaster that is her life, except this wasn't much like a rollercoaster but more like a boat ride down a waterfall. Just a huge drop until....splat. Death. It seemed that, that was all that Blair could see, hear or speak about. Death was all around her. It's all around us. It's on our clothes and on our hair. We inhale and exhale death. We're surrounded by atoms of dead things. We walk on dead things every single day of our lives until we ourselves are dead. It's a ridiculous and betraying truth, a fact not a myth. A controlling cycle that repeats itself. Going on, and on, and on, and on, and on and on. With no escape. Blair knew she would forever be guilty of how she had acted, blaming herself and wishing to turn back time somehow to make it up to her mum, dad and Eric himself. Apologise for his death. Blood was on her hands that should never have been. She could ever wash it out. Blair could feel it again, as she called a taxi, her bones shuddered in fear. She could feel the cold shock against her spine and her weary hands shake in either anticipation of terror. She didn't know what was wrong. But she wanted whatever it was to stop. And fortunately enough it did. And as if fate could only repeat itself. Once more another tragic accident happened in the town of Greenoak. July 4th 2016- The day that Logan Fox. Blair Johnson. Rey Bailey. Mackenzie Denver and Clementine Ross entered a taxi to make their way to the local supermarket. Except they never came back. What Blair couldn't guess was that this never was about Eric's death. It was just waiting for her own. Passing time. She had felt remorse for years, every day of her life she would feel guilty. But she could have never guessed that "everyday of her life" would be cut so soon by the scissors of death. A group of escape convicts took shelter in a local supermarket- they took hostages and escaped with over £3,000. But they didn't leave without killing everyone in the supermarket. Another tragic accident for a tragic town. Another 5 young people taken too soon. As Blair laid on that cold, hard tiled floor. Blood oozing out of her gut where she had been shot with a shot gun, all she could replay in her mind was the good times. And how much she felt blame for the incident. But even more so with what had just happened, she used her last few impulses of strength to look over to Logan who laid beside her. Tears rolling down his face as he held onto his open chest. Breathing heavily, gasping for air. Blair held his hand, as if she was back to holding Eric, except she knew it wasn't Eric- it was Logan. She tightened her grip on his hand as she used her other hand to grip the gaping hole in her lower abdomen. And with a last few strengths all Blair Johnson could do, what she had waited to do, had been done. She knew she didn't have a lot of time, Logan was already about to shut his eyes for ever- except she kept trying to make him look at her. He did and just as he was about to draw his last breath Blair Johnson said her last words. "I'm sorry....." Quiet. Peace and quiet. It seems as if Blair was never supposed to have a brother. No one knew what would happen that day. No one could guess that deranged thieves and murderers would escape a state prison and take hostage over a small supermarket in an unknown town. No-one knew that 5 young students would be there along with 3 seniors and a family of 4. No-one knew that they would openly shoot at the hostages and run off with products that ranged to over £3,000. No-one knew. "Blair" a mysterious yet familiar males voice let out, Blair could hear it but couldn't make out who or what it was. All she could see was the dark. It was Pitch black. No source of light anywhere. Just a void. A black hole of nothing. But then- a bright holy light erupted, surrounding Blair in a hug of warm and radiant light. As if the gates of heaven had opened. "Welcome home" the same voice stated. And all at once everything was sucked back into the void of darkness. It was still. And quiet once more, but Blair wasn't there....no one was.