#like I didn't vibe with her right away because she reminded me of some mean girls in school ya know?

[yelenasdiary]

Hii, can I request something like Reader is friends with Florence or Yelena (you can choose) and they were traveling for work and had to spend like a week in Las Vegas, and one night they got super drunk and got married to each other. Like, how they would react to waking up the next morning with a ring on their finger (bonus points if they're naked lol).

I just love your writing so much 💙 but don't feel pressured to write it if you don't want to ~ 🐳

Waking Up In Vegas

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Fem! Reader

Summary: When Kate throws a party for an undercover mission, it opens the door to you and Yelena to have a little fun, maybe a little too much fun…

Fluff? Idk, maybe more comfort?

Warnings: Enemies to loves kind of vibe?, Mentions of drinking, Mentions of gambling, language warning, suggestive themes, Mentions of being sick & hung over | 1.9K

AC: I love this idea; I am also a little biased because I enjoyed the movie lmao, but I hope you enjoy this & thank you for sending it! x

"Remember, don't blow this!" Kate's voice came through to your earpiece. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at your friend's reminder, "focus on your mission, bishop" you replied before taking a sip of your drink. Kate's plan was to lure her target by throwing a small party at a casino and to your surprise she was able to get Yelena to help her out, considering that Yelena hated the idea of being an Avenger of any kind. The blonde took a seat next to you at the bar, sighing when you looked over to her. 

"I'm surprised to see you here" you said under your breath just so she could hear. 

"It seems that Kate Bishop needed some real help" she replied, downing a shot of vodka the minute the bartender walked away. You chuckled, "it's always a pleasure to see you, Belova" you replied. You could say that you and Yelena were never really the best of friends, she hated everything you stood for almost and you didn't understand why she didn't want to put her widow skills into helping the world. Although she always told you that she was helping the world another way, you just assumed she hated working in a team. 

"I could say the same about you, but it never is a pleasure" Yelena replied, reaching over the bar and grabbing an entire bottle of vodka. "Hey!" The bartender called out, rushing over to the blonde. "Calm down, I was going to pay" Yelena said, her thick accent making it clear to the man behind the bar that she was probably somebody not to mess with. She placed some money on the bar which he took with an eye roll and watched as Yelena popped the lid off and poured herself another drink. 

"Isn't that a waste of money for you? I mean, does the vodka even affect you at all?" you asked. Yelena looked up at you and chuckled, "it does, eventually. It just means I get to drink more than you can before making a fool of myself" 

You rolled your eyes at her sarcasm before you pulled out a small bottle and placed it on the bar, "maybe you should try this" you said. 

"What would that be?" Yelena asked. 

"Asgardian Ale" you replied confidently. Yelena raised a brow, "you mean what the gods drink?" She questioned. You nodded as you downed what was left of your drink and began to pour some Ale into your glass. With a quick flick of her wrist, Yelena's shot glass slid down to you. 

"You're not one for manners, are you?" You cocked a brow. 

"You offered me a drink, I'll thank you when that glass is back in my hand" 

This was what it was always like for you two, bickering with one another. "Guys your earpieces are still on" Kate's voice rang through the small device in your right ear, "do you both still have eyes on the target?" She asked. You poured Yelena a shot of the strong ale and slid it back down to you, "he hasn't moved an inch" you informed Kate.

"Still gambling away those stolen millions" Yelena added. 

"Just, stay focused!" Kate said. 

"Looks like we're in for a long night, Belova" you turned slightly to face Yelena, drink in hand as you slightly raised it up. Yelena sighed in agreement before clinking her glass with yours. She threw the drink down the back of her throat like it was nothing, you couldn't help but chuckle before taking a mouthful of your drink. 

——

The loud banging on the hotel door woke Yelena, she groaned to herself as she slowly sat up. Her eyes barely staying awake, her head throbbing with a headache, the consistent knocking wasn't helping. She looked to her left and suddenly her eyes stopped fighting the need to be closed. There you lay, naked with the bed sheet barely covering you, peacefully sleeping. Yelena's eyes dropped to her own body before her mind went wild trying to remember the events of last night. 

"Yelena! Open the door!" She heard Kate's call bringing her thoughts back. Yelena stumbled out of bed, grabbing the first two pieces of clothing she saw as she dressed herself as she made her way to the door. 

"Kate Bishop, do you know how to be quiet when somebody is hung over?" Yelena groaned. Kate cocked a brow, "hung over? You? Really?" She questioned. 

"What do you want Kate Bishop?" Yelena asked sternly. 

"Come on, it's been like what? 5 years and you're still calling me by my full name?" 

"It's been 3 and yes" Yelena replied. 

"Right. Well, I just wanted to come by and thank you for the help last night, I know you hate all this Avenger business but it was much appreciated" Kate smiled. Yelena frowned, wondering how somebody could be so cheerful and happy so early in the morning. "You should probably have a shower, might help with the hang over" the archer added. 

"You're welcome, I'm going to take that shower now" Yelena replied, "I'll see you later Kate Bishop" she added before closing the door. 

Her head was pounding more than before, she'd never felt such a strong hangover before she thought as she made her way back to the bedroom. You hadn't moved a muscle which amazed Yelena considering she believed that Kate had probably woken up a few guests on the floor. Before Yelena knew it, she was back in bed and everything was black once more, peace and quiet to sleep off her headache. 

By the time you slowly began to wake up it was already a little after midday, you didn't drink near as much as Yelena, but you drank enough to feel your stomach turning as you slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. It took a second for you to notice the blonde sleeping beside you, your eyes widened when you noticed it was Yelena.

"Oh fuck!" You mumbled to yourself as you pulled the bed sheet over your naked body, "Yelena!" You nudged her. "Wake up!" You said, nudging her a little harder. 

"Mmm" she mumbled as she stirred. Annoyed with her lack of concern, you kicked her out of bed. 

"What was that for?!" Yelena spat as she picked herself up off the floor, "oh I don't know, maybe because I'm naked in your bed in your hotel room?" You snapped, "what the hell happened last night?" You asked, running one hand through your hair only for it to get caught in your locks. 

"All I remember is drinking a shot of that Asgardian Ale and the next thing I know; I'm waking up to Kate Bishop banging on the door and you kicking me out of bed!" Yelena explained. 

"Oh no" you mumbled after finally untangling your hand from your hair. A small silver band on your ring finger only added to the list of worries, you looked up at Yelena who was also looking at a similar ring on her ring finger. "Please tell me we didn't get married" you said. 

"Don't be stupid, we weren't that drunk" Yelena replied, "right?" She added unsurely when she noticed the ring on her finger. You rolled your eyes as you threw your head back onto the pillow, "this cannot be happening right now" you sighed as you covered your face with your hands. The room became silent, you tried your best to rack your brain for any memories of last night but like Yelena you couldn't remember anything after the two of you shared a couple of Thor's drink. 

Yelena wandered into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to keep her from needing extra sleep. "I will never trust you with alcohol again" you heard her say as she made her way back to the bedroom. Slowly, you sat back up and placed your feet on the floor. The bed sheet still wrapped around you as you scanned the room to find your clothing only to find it scattered from the living room to the bedroom. "I can't believe you did trust me" you muttered in reply, walking by her and locking yourself in the bathroom. "Look where that got me" Yelena replied.

----

The evaluator dinged as the doors began to slide open, both you and Yelena were greeted with a very happy, to happy, Kate Bishop with a smile from ear to ear she couldn't help hiding the chuckle that she let out as the two of you walked towards her. 

"What's so funny?" You asked with a cocked brow. After having a shower and returning to your own room to change into fresh clothes, you felt a little better, but a good meal was going to make you feel much better. Kate invited you both to the buffet for lunch in the lobby, Yelena's head still throbbing, not as much as earlier but enough for her to keep her shades on. 

"Just the two of you and the fun you both hide" Kate replied cheekily. 

"Fun?" Yelena questioned. Kate nodded, "you both have no idea what happened last night, do you?" She asked. You looked to Yelena who let out a sigh, "what do you know Kate Bishop?" The Russian asked. You looked back at Kate waiting for her to answer.

"Well, after the team and I got out target, mind you, neither of you were around so thanks so much for the help" Kate started in a sarcastic tone, "I found the two of you drunk as balls in the VIP bar. Y/n, you were dancing on the bar while Yelena threw money at you, from what I heard you both shouted every bodies drinks. So I thought I would leave you both to it, which I did" Kate went on, a cheeky smile on her lips told you she knew more than she was telling. 

"Go on" you said. 

"It was around 4am when you both came banging on my door, stumbling over each other's feet, not making any sense of words but Yelena confidently announced that you both had just got hitched" 

"Oh god" Yelena mumbled under her breath. 

"So, it's true, it really happened" you said, running your left hand through your hair in distress. 

"I honestly couldn't be happier my two closet friends are married!" Kate replied happily causing both you and Yelena to give her an unimpressed look. "Wait, so when you came to my room early this morning, yo-"

"I just wanted to see how you pulled up" Kate interrupted, "and before you ask, no, you both didn't sleep together as far as I know anyway. I tried to get you both to go to bed in your own rooms but you insisted that we go to the rooftop hot tub where you both striped and I had to drag you both back to your room where Y/n passed out in the bed and it took you a another 20 minutes before you too were passed out" the brunette added, looking at Yelena. 

A moment of silence was shared, you couldn't believe the information Kate just had just shared and you made a promise to yourself that you would never drink that much Asgardian Ale ever again. "So, lunch, anybody hungry?" Kate asked with yet another cheeky smile. Yelena turned to you, "divorce after lunch my sweetheart?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. 

"Let's make it quick" you replied.

Taglist: @marvelfan98 | @boredandneedfanfics | @music-4ever | @marvelwomen-simp | @swaqcenix | @scarlettbitchx | @mallyka-blog | @itsalwaysskorpioszn | @caporal-nino | @natashamaximoff-69 | @evilcr0ne | @boredandneedfanfics | @teganmiller | @ihavezeroclue13 | @tobiaslut | @itsmelulu | @axolotllover225 | @koinsss | @nuianced-tck-enby | @springsheep | 

If you want to be on the taglist for my work, please click HERE.

[starrymused]

@lannamused

This place was mad creepy and for what? Just because it was the location of the biggest Pokémon graveyard in the region didn't mean the entire town had to have this weird vibe. It didn't help that the locals 100% played into it all, ready to tell some random ghost story to any traveller that stopped to listen. Just a few minutes ago, some lady tried to tell him he had a ghost hand on his shoulder! The hell? It reminded Blue of that place in America that heavily leaned into alien shit just because there might have been a UFO crash there back in, like, the 60s or whatever.

"Eh?" Blue turned his attention back to Nurse Joy who'd just handed back his tray of Pokéballs. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were going to stay the night in the inn? The rooms here in the center have all been rented for the next few days because of the memorial event being held in the tower."

"Nah, I was just gonna keep going."

Nurse Joy glanced at the clock, which read that it was now 8pm, which wasn't all that late but not the best time to continue on with a journey either. Blue waved a dismissive hand as her gaze returned to him (how she could even look away from him in the first place?) and started for the door.

"It's cute for you to worry about me but I ain't scared of whatever ghosts you people say creep about this place." Obviously, there were ghost Pokémon. It was literally a type of Pokémon! He even had one currently on his team!

"Anyway, catch ya later, don't go missing me now— AHH!" Just as he turned around to open the door leading back out to Lavender Town, Blue ran right into a shadow person in the doorway! Shit! Nobody said anything about shadow people! He immediately grabbed a magazine from one of the holders nearby, rolled it up, and raised it to bash the being over the head with. Okay, so maybe smacking a supernatural entity from the beyond with a flimsy magazine wasn't the best idea in the world but it could work!

Until he realized that the figure standing before him wasn't a ghost at all and was actually just—

"You." He growled as the other person lowered their hood and revealed themselves to be none other than his arch-nemesis. "What are you doing creeping about in a weird cloak?!" Okay, on closer look he could see that it was just a normal rain jacket but it had looked like some freaky cloak in the moment! "Little old ladies live in this town, you know! You could have sent one of them to their grave!"

[angelsanarchy]

One Long Weekend: - Clyde/YN One-Shot Series CH 01

"I'm not like trying to stalk you." "That's a relief.."

FRIDAY, 9PM

Clyde couldn't help but stare at her. She was like a ghost he ran into every weekend that hid behind a camera, snapping shots of the bands and crowds but never actually let herself be distracted with those around her. She was absolutely enjoying herself and the music but it was like she was in another world. He's been caught staring on more than one occasion but she never seems to want to hang around long enough to actually talk to anyone.

"Dude you've got to give it up. Either talk to the girl or move on. The whole creeping thing is starting to make the bartender nervous." Johnny clapped a hand on Clyde's shoulder startling him out of his gaze.

"What do you mean? I'm not even doing anything. The bartender just has it out for me because they lifted the ban from last time." Clyde bragged.

"Well it's still gives off serial killer vibes so chill." Clyde blew off Johnny's concern and turned back to where y/n was standing only to be disappointed she had disappeared.

Maybe Johnny was right. It was time to give up the cute ghost girl with the camera. He's been lucky she hasn't tried to kick his ass for the amount of times she's met his gaze with a concerned look. He should consider that a win.

He felt around in his pocket and walked towards the door to have a smoke, making sure to give the grumpy bartender and snarky wave before exiting. He took a drag from the cigarette and turned to walk to the smoking section when he noticed the girl.

Clyde immediately started choking embarrassingly loud causing a stir in all those who were also standing outside waiting for a ride or having a smoke. He leaned on one of the parking meters until a bottle of water was shoved into his face. He turned to see who was offering the relief, and was surprised to see she actually approached him.

"I don't think you're supposed to inhale that hard..." Clyde chugged the water to catch his breath before chuckling and gaining his composure.

"I will make a note of that." y/n nodded at him before turning away.

"Um thanks by the way. I'm Clyde." He gave a deflated wave.

"Y/n..." Clyde had finally gotten a name to put with the face.

"I guess this was kind of fate. Apparently I've been creeping everyone out by staring at you." Y/n's face froze in confusion.

"Is this the part that's not supposed to be creepy?" Y/n asks taking a step back.

"After saying it outloud, it sounds so much more creepy than I predicted. I promise I'm not some serial killer. I'm not trying to stalk you." Clyde explained himself.

"That's a relief. I was kind of hoping to try out my taser at some point but I guess I'll have to wait." Y/n wasn't afraid of him and it made Clyde smile.

"I mean I'm down to give it a shot but if I'm taking a jolt you'll have to owe me one." Y/n laughed. God she had a sexy laugh Clyde thought.

"Owe you one? Didn't I just save you from trying to suck the soul out of a cigarette?" She reminded making Clyde put his hands up in defeat.

"Semantics." Clyde smirked.

"So if you aren't trying to wear my skin as a meat suit, why do you keep gawking at me? I mean you're kind of ruining my whole blending in aesthetic." She gestured to the plain clothes she was wearing and Clyde shrugged.

"I don't know, you just have a really familiar face. I can't figure out where I've seen you before." Clyde explained.

"Well I spend most weekends photographing the bands at these clubs-" Clyde cut her off.

"No that's not it. I can't put my finger on it but when I first saw you at a show, I could have sworn I knew who you were. Now it's just kind of driving me crazy." Clyde raked his hand through his hair.

"Do you watch porn?" Y/n asked with a serious look making Clyde's eyebrows practically disappear into his hairline.

"W-ha" Clyde was speechless.

"I'm fucking with you! I promise you haven't seen me in your sweaty dreams." She gave him a shove and he felt the back of his neck warm up.

"CLYDE! We're out!" Johnny and the rest of the band stumbled out of the club, noticing the mystery girl standing in front of him.

"Oh wow you sacked up." Johnny gripped his shoulder and Clyde shook his head.

"Yeah we were just talking about her having my babies, you're kind of blowing the mood here." Clyde tried to get Johnny to give him some space but he swung his arm around Clyde's neck.

"My boy is a sweetheart in the streets and a freak in the sheets. You're in for the night of your life, just talk into his good ear!" Clyde shoved Johnny off of him laughing.

"Wow that's a helluva pitch." Y/n laughed.

"Yeah he's stupider than he looks. Did you need a ride or-" Clyde offered.

"As much as I'd love to be a statistic and get into a strangers van, I still have a lot of things to shoot before I call it a night." Clyde smiled a bit disappointed but amused by her humor.

"Ah but we aren't strangers anymore. Some might even call us best friends at this point." Clyde joked. Y/n laughed before pulling out her phone and holding her hand up.

"Hey Baby...yeah no I'm...I'm sorry I got held up...okay don't be an asshole. I'll be there soon." Clyde listened to y/n call someone baby on the phone and felt kicked in the gut.

"Clyde it's been strangely enjoyable meeting you but I've got to go. Try not to swallow anymore cigarettes or get arrested before I see you again." Y/n zipped her bag up and gave his arm a squeeze.

"No promises." Clyde called out to her as she jogged in the opposite direction. He watched her hop into a car with a guy behind the wheel and a girl in the backseat, giving him a small wave. Clyde didn't want his disappointment to show but a series of heckling from the peanut gallery leaning against his van brought him back to reality.

"You kind blew that one man." Johnny laughed.

"Did I? Or could it have been she just wasn't ready for all this?" Clyde waved his hands down his torso making the boys howl. Clyde jumped into the van and silently hoped he would see y/n again, if only just to stare at her a little longer.

[babiebom]

Bachelors and what kind of ~dere they would be

A/N: I thought this would be something cool to write headcanons for especially because I've played through the Sebastian yandere mod and have watched vids on the others being yanderes. Personally I feel as if some of them don't really fit the yandere category and others would fit them more.

Tw: none as far as i know. Does sort of spoil one of Sam's heart events and a game event.

Word count: at least 10 bullet points per character

Sebastian

Kuudere

Describes as often plays it cool and even in the most stressful situations they're calm and collected. They never panic and often remain distant and analytical until the end.

I feel like Sebby doesn't often show his emotions, especially because he seems introverted.

But the thing is he doesn't seem like the shy uwu scared of people introverted he's more of a voluntary introvert and just prefers being along but has no problem interacting with people

So for that I'm saying he's more the type to always be calm around the person he likes, never making his feelings obvious and never treating them any different than he would treat anyone he sees as a friend.

Kinda reminds me of an anime scene(I forgot the name but its space themed)

Of where the girl basically confesses her feelings and calls the guy an idiot after they talk about what they plan for the future and she says her dream is to become his wife and why can't he see that

And his reaction is basically ? I thought we were already together what?

And she's like ???? You've never made it clear that you like me and he's like yeah didn't think that i had to? I thought we were already together.

He gives off those vibes.

I also feel as though if he did open up it would be in a nonchalant way, it wouldn't be dramatic or romantic I think he would just be stating his feelings as facts.

And I feel like people often forget that this man is a huge nerd and super smart at least in my opinion

I mean he codes from home and plays dnd.

Even if he isn't a robotics and super science nerd like Maru is I think he is a smart and rather analytical person. I don't think he would be on the emotional side of things

If you get together he doesn't change much but does show his affection through touch and acts of service rather than his words.

Harvey

Dandere

Described as shy, quiet, and asocial is most situations. Stays quiet to avoid conflict

I feel as even though he's the town doctor he doesn't have many friends

Like he's only close to Maru bc she works for him in the clinic

And we usually see him hanging out alone or in his room looking at planes and stuff

I feel as though if he developed feelings for you either you would notice right away with how weird he acts around you or you wouldn't notice at all because you assume he's quiet with everyone unless its medically related.

So maybe not shy but quiet does describe him.

Obviously he opens up around you little by little the more you interact with him but it takes a lot of effort on both if your parts

On yours you have to consistently bother him and talk to him which is a lot of work especially when its not reciprocated at first

And on his he has to allow himself to be vulnerable and open with a person, its even harder when you feel romantic feelings for that person because what if they don't really like you in that way or they decide they don't like you after getting to know you

Very sweet man when you get together, still quiet but in a more comfy way.

Shane

Tsundere

Described as hostile and cold on the outside and sweet and kind on the inside

And I feel like that exactly describes Shane

While he is an alcoholic(recovering or not based on how you see him and play the game)He is very sweet even if not to people other than you(once you get to know him), jas, and his chickens.

Does seem like the type that once he starts feeling things for you he would start helping in small ways but also tries to not make it obvious

Oh he sees you walking from the woods with a big ass bag of fiber rocks and wood?

He'll offer to carry it if you need help

Sees you out and about in town, asks what you're up to and if you need help with anything

But don't think that he'a doing this because he likes you

He doesn't he just wants to pay back the kindness you've given to him back to you so he doesn't owe you anything

Ends every sentence to you with stupid or idiot if it allows without seeming genuinely mean

Does really like you and slowly starts showing you that once you show you aren't going anywhere

Does still get incredibly flustered when you do something sweet for or to him

Though if you get together is more open with his affection.

Elliott

Yandere

Described as a person that is very loving and affectionate to their loved one until it becomes a constant obsession leading them to become overprotective, violent, and psychotic towards anyone they deem a threat to their loved one, even the loved one themself

First of all his yandere mod was the scariest one yet like ooof

And while he does not seem like a violent person

He is a writer, which means he is some sort of delusional, creative, and or imaginative that I think he could have a mental break and carry out the things he imagines. 

We see that due to him being a writer, he is basically a hermit because all he does is stay in his cabin and write all day

Like yeah he's friends with Leah but how often do you think he actually leaves his home seeking interaction?

I feel like he would meet you and then suffer from a writers block and its your fault because now all he can think about is you

You're his muse

And due to that he becomes obsessive over you, no one else can have you he needs you at the very least more than they do.

Would 1000 percent stalk you, in his mind he's just watching over you to make sure nothing happens to you

Whether that be in town, on your farm, in the mines...he has to keep you closeby.

Speaking as a writer that does get very obsessed with things to the point of me changing what i write about and how often I think about or daydream about it

I think he is the most likely candidate for this kind of 'love' towards a person

Your imagination can delude your thinking, paired with living in a cabin alone with only your thoughts and silence it's no wonder he would be slightly insane.

Sam

Bakadere

Described as clumsy, stupid, and lacking in common sense when dealing with things in their life, but also very optimistic, and having a carefree, child-like innocence.

While this may seem like I'm roasting him I'm not

I do think he sometimes seems clumsy or dumb or even maybe like a teen especially because he's just playing guitar or skateboarding or playing video games

But there are glimpses of him being responsible and caring

Like how he actually had a job, even if it's part time

Or during his heart event when Vincent asks if their dad is going to come home before we find out that he indeed does come home

He covers his true feelings with optimism and happiness even if he's worried, which makes me think he fits this.

He only wants his loved one to be happy, and while constant optimism may seem or be annoying so certain people, he wants to be that light in your life.

And because he's so optimistic he is naturally kinder to others, while others like Sebastian, Shane, or Haley are standoffish when you meet them, Sam is sweet and is happy to meet you which translates well into getting to know you and then shifting into a romantic relationship

So while he may seem dumb to others, even to you with how positive he's being he's actually far from it even if he is a little reckless and clumsy sometimes

He turns down the constant optimism after getting together, but never stops being positive towards you, no matter if you succeed or fail, he's there to pick you up again with kind words and unwavering support.

Alex

Also Bakadere

but for a totally different reason

the dude is basically a himbo, though some of the things he says can be seen as iffy or mysogynistic

im pretty sure he doesn't mean any of it though, and while he can come off as dumb and out of touch he is shown to be sweet and caring and using his frat boy persona as a way of keeping people at an arms length

due to that i see him as similar but different to Sam

both boys seem kind of dumb, annoyingly optimistic, and sort of innocent in a way.

and both boys tend to use that as a surface personality, and until you actually take time to know them(Sam's worries, Alex's background and current worries) they seem like the type of people to be positive in any situation

Also seems as if he would take on a leader role simply because everyone voted for him to be it because of his positivity.

another thing is how certain(though inside he's not as) that he will become a gridball player.

Like the dude only talks positively about his dreams and is constantly working towards his goal

as well as we see in his dialogue that the farmer does indeed sometimes get annoyed at his words such as when he says things like "what why're you looking at me like that"

exactly as an anime character in this role would do.

Though after marriage is still sorta a dummy which is low key kinda cute.

[captain-mj]

I plead with you, on my hands and knees, for some Selkie!Soap x Human!Ghost where Ghost meets Soap's father-

Oh hell yeah! In this au, Ghost is a changeling, I hope its okay that I kept with that

Soap was frantic, going back and forth between pacing and rambling. It was only their second day of leave and his dad asked Soap to bring his new boyfriend.

Ghost didn't want to tell him to calm down since he had Soap's coat on so instead, he just stopped him with his hands.

"Johnny, it's going to be okay."

"You're about to meet my family!"

"I've been talking to your mom for weeks." Ghost reminded him gently. "You're going to be okay."

"My sisters will be there! Both of them!" Soap said softly. "What if they don't like you? What if you don't like them?"

Ghost laughed. "Usually that's my line." He moved closer and held his hands. "You like me and I like you. That's all that matters."

Soap nodded. "My dad is..."

"I know. I know." Ghost sighed. "We'll get through it. It's just two days and after this, we can go back to our cabin."

Soap leaned into his shoulder. "I don't understand why he wants to meet you."

Simon softened and squeezed him. "It's okay, love. Promise." They were rather close to each other.

"You called me love."

"It's a good nickname for you." Simon tried not to blush, aware that he didn't have his mask.

Soap leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Mo fhíorghrá." He pushed Simon's hair back and trailed his fingers through it.

"What does that mean?"

"A devious insult. You probably don't want to know."

"You're a fucking bastard. Go finish getting packed. I'm going to ask Price to extend our leave when we're done."

"Thank God. I want to spend more time here."

Ghost grinned. "With me?"

"Nah. Wish you'd stay outside, you bawbag." Johnny teased back before pulling away to get dressed.

Ghost grabbed his things and waited for him.

The journey there was luckily quick and then they were on Soap's parents doorsteps.

Soap had managed to chew all of his fingers to the quick in anxiety.

The man that opened the door was... well, he looked almost exactly like Soap. His hair was longer though, cut in a more... traditionally male cut to Soap's mohawk. His eyes were green and he was clearly a bit older.

"Hello, sir." Ghost straightened up, glad he had his mask on. The man set him on edge and he couldn't decide if it was what Soap told him or just... the vibe around him.

Soap smiled. "Hey, dad!"

"Fergus MacTavish. So you're my sons..."

"Husband." Ghost saw his eyes go to the coat.

"I see. Come in. Your mom is in the kitchen, Johnny." Fergus made a dismissive motion and Ghost watched him shrink down just a bit before slinking off to the kitchen.

Ghost sat across from Fergus and immediately noticed someone walking right behind him.

Davina, Ghost could tell because her hair was dyed a bright purple, smiled at him. "Are you Ghost? Johnny's talked about about you before!" She was the other selkie.

"Oh? He's talked about me?" He could feel Fergus staring at him.

"Yep. Said you're a giant hardass who works him too hard." She smiled and winked. Ghost huffed.

"He's right. I'm his Lieutenant. Someone has to keep him in line."

Davina laughed. "Cup of coffee?"

"I'd kill for a tea."

Davina laughed harder. "Wow, you actually are that british. I'll see what I can rustle up. Mom keeps some usually." She left him in the room with Fergus again.

The man was still staring at him.

Simon thought about when he came home from the army for the first time. The way his mom's sleeve had lifted up just a little and he had seen his dad's handprints on her. He had dragged him outside and beat him in the street like he was a dog.

This man hadn't done anything in his sight, but already, he felt the same anger he had felt that day bubbling up. His mom had tried to pressure him into seeing his dad in his final days and he hadn't because he was sure he would take him out of the bed and finish the job. The anger was something he knew well. He dealt with it occasionally on missions.

"So Simon." Ghost grit his teeth. "How long have you had his coat?"

"A week now. Not too long. Still getting... used to it." Ghost measured his words carefully.

"I see. Treating my son well?" Fergus tilted his head, looking genuine enough. "Selkies are a bit fragile. Emotionally. I'm sure you've noticed how sad they can get."

No. Ghost hadn't. "In their eyes right? Always so sad."

"Exactly. It's best to keep them busy. So when can I be expecting him to leave the military?"

"What?"

"You're not going to let him reenlist are you? Shouldn't you keep him at home?"

Ghost stared for a minute, more than a little taken back. He was expecting cruelty like he experienced as a child. Beatings or being told you were useless. Not this. It caught him off guard.

"I want to keep him in the military. Keep him close to me."

"Makes sense. Easy access huh?" His tone was light. Normal. Like they were talking about the weather.

"I like spending time with him." Ghost answered honestly.

"If you tell him to shut up, they can't speak until you give them permission to. Comes in handy. Especially with my kids." He laughed and had sorta leaned in. Trading secrets. "You really can make them do whatever you want. As long as they can physically do it, they will. They have these instincts too. This drive to be the best for their person. Best partner. Best friend. Anything they can. Eventually, you barely have to order them."

Ghost felt bile in the back of his throat. "That simple huh?"

"Yep. Snap your fingers and he'll jump." He snapped his fingers. "Just make sure they stay busy. Can't let them find the coats, ya know?"

Ghost held Soap's coat a little closer around himself. "Right..."

Davina came back with a cup of tea for him and cup of coffee for her dad. She perched on the window seat, right behind Fergus. She glared into Ghost, her calm demeanor disappearing.

Slowly, she mouthed at him. "Watch yourself."

Oh thank god. She was cool.

He didn't pay much attention anymore, just staring blankly ahead as Davina and Fergus talked. Already, he was starting to regret this.

Soap sat next to him, almost but not quite touching him which he was thankful for. Ghost picked up that Fergus didn't talk to him with the others around. He tried not to think too much about that.

Soap's mom was lovely. She smiled at him and commented that it was nice to have someone else that doesn't drink coffee.

"I hope vanilla is okay? I don't really keep Earl Gray in stock..." She was a tiny lady, but her hair was incredibly dark for her age. It curled around her and was clearly something she took care of.

Ghost quickly shook his head. "No, vanilla is fine."

"It's his favorite but he won't admit that." Soap laughed and Ghost instinctively pulled him just a little closer. Fergus gave him a sharp look but Ghost interrupted before anyone got the chance to say anything.

"Maybe." Ghost smiled.

"Oh! Do you want to see some baby photos?" Moray, Soap's mom, said excitedly. "I never get to show his partners these!" She grabbed a book and his sister quickly crowded on Ghost's other's side. He tried not to fidget too much at all the contact.

"Mom..." Soap whined but he let her.

Moray put the book on the table. "A little hard to explain that he was born with white hair." She showed him the baby photo of tiny Soap. His eyes were almost black, like an actual seals and his hair was a pure white color like snow. As the photos changed to his toddler years, he looked perfectly human but they were now intermingled with pictures of a tiny seal pup.

''You were so small." Ghost hummed. "So you guys actually turn completely into a seal?"

"Completely." Soap smiled. "It's pretty fun. I'd have to have my coat back though."

"Never going to happen then." Ghost replied like he was told. He saw Moray flinch but one glance between them and she immediately relaxed.

As hard as he tried, Ghost couldn't imagine being this vulnerable and also this trusting. He could be puppeting Soap to act like this around his family and none of them would know.

What a disconcerting thought. He glanced at Soap.

Ghost hadn't noticed it earlier, but around his family, he could see it. This faint sadness. It was more prominent in their mom. Davina had it, though only when looking at her family.

He couldn't handle this. He needed air.

"Excuse me." Ghost pulled away and went outside, hugging the coat closer. He couldn't feel the cold, but he knew outing himself as not human wouldn't be smart. The snow piled up but he just stepped out.

Fucking hell.

He missed his mom.

Ghost jerked up, straightening his posture. Where the fuck did that come from?

He thought about her. She'd love Soap. Of course, she would though.

Mary Riley was a good woman.

What would she do?

She'd help. Somehow.

Ghost should help too.

Simon let out a breath. "Alright. I'm going to find this woman's coat if it fucking kills me."

[foullegussy]

I am making this post because Fontaine Archon Quest made me go down the theory rabbit hole and I need other people to agree with me that I'm not crazy.

Of course this post will have SPOLERS about the Archon Quest and some minor one about world quests, but I'll try to stay vague about them so everyone can still read this.

First thing off, fontaine is super related to Abyss stuff:

So far we have:

Childe actually finally dropping the things from his character story, giving us some weird Abyss fact that doesn't seem to be important yet (but i bet will become later on);

the whole Primordial Sea thing. I don't know if you saw that, but during the Archon Quest (in Marcel's underwater hideout) if you use elemental sight on the water it's black, just straight up black. 

NOTHING has ever been black before, so that to me just screams ABYSS. 

Also, it was flowing upwards, as in, in reverse, which reminds me of the reverse statue, the reverse city in the chasm, and all of that stuff. Then it would also make sense for it to "reverse" the life it created, dissolving people. 

the world quests in Fontaine being very Abyss related, as well as the constant mention all over fontaine of the name Jakob Ingold, the one who allegedly first discovered the effects the water from Primordial Sea had on people (this is said during the Archon Quest).

So far, in every Archon Quest we've had the Fatui as main villains (except in Mondstadt, but then Signora kinda stole the spotlight, so we all forgot about the Abyss Mages), and the Abyss Order stuff has progressed independently with Dain, but I think they're trying to reintroduce the topic in the main quest this time.

One of my main theories is that the Tsaritsa is at least somewhat right in whatever her objective is (even if her Harbingers are deranged psychopaths), so when we'll eventually get to Snezhnaya it's gonna be some huge mess, but we're gonna get the key to piece together some facts that they've throwing at us since the beginning with no context, and find some common ground (Are she or Pierro still gonna be bosses we'll have to fight? Maybe. Will the common ground be fighting Celestia or maybe saving it from the Abyss that is, maybe, taking over? Also Maybe. I have some speculations, but no proof whatsoever. Just vibes)

The reason I think that the Tsaritsa is not our enemy and doesn't want the Gnosis to, I don't know, take over the world or some shit, is because then why are all the Archons so chill about giving their Gnosis away?

Many say that, well, Signora attacked Venti in Mondstadt, that means Venti didn't want to give his Gnosis to the Fatui, otherwise why would she have done that? 

And maybe that's even true, but 

why isn't Venti more worried about it, then? 

after knowing Signora's backstory, she probably did it because of a personal grudge, ngl

Also, with every other archon it went very peacefully, especially with Zhongli. Zhongli who literally gave it away like it was nothing: if he truly cared about it he would have found another way to get his retirement, the Fatui weren't the only ones he could ask for help, but since he was already giving it away he probably thought he should get something out of it.

Ei too (and while she isn't technically one of the original Seven she has always been there as Makoto's twin, so she's still old enough to remember the Archon War), she literally didn't even have it on her and wasn't worried at all when Miko just straight up gave it away.

Even Nahida gave two of them away, the only thing that was holding her back was not the fact that she needed them, or what the Tsaritsa wanted with them, just the fact that one had just been used by Dottore to create a god to replace her, so she didn't exactly want to give him two of them.

So far all the gods we've met are: either old enough to know some stuff or the literal god of wisdom, who still knows some stuff thanks to Irminsul.

None of them seem too worried about the Tsaritsa's plan. (even mf Zhongli that literally signed and NDA is just chilling) (like, i know you know what the Tsaritsa is doing, and you're a really good guy who literally wants nothing more than his people to be safe, so if you're not stopping her i can't really think of her as a bad guy)

I made this long ass premise to say that when Lyney says that Arlecchino yes, wants the Gnosis, but also wants to save Fontaine, I-

like-

I think that could actually be true.

Or at least I don't think they're the ones behind all of the stuff that is going in in there (realistically speaking, we don't know if Arlecchino actually cares about Fontaine. I don't think she has plans about its downfall, but maybe she just doesn't give a fuck, whether they all drown or not), I think it either directly the Abyss Order, or just a consequences of abyssal energy on the land and water.

(also there's like, three Fatui tents in the entire map and from where they're placed it could actually be them just investigating what the fuck it's going on with the Abyss. I have 100% exploration, so i know i haven't missed any,,)

(from the official Interactive Map)

The Abyss being responsible might explain a bunch of stuff, like Childe being judged by the Oratrice guilty even when he's not.

Let's put some stuff together: Childe says that, while in the Abyss, he awakened "something", and that he still carries traces of that "something" inside of him.

The Oratrice is a divine mechanism, as such it is powered by divine energy.

In Fontaine we are introduced to Pneuma and Ousia. 

Each of them is what could be called and "Archè", which (if memories of greek philosophy in high school don't betray me) means something like "original substance", something from which everything else originates (like Heraclitus thought it was fire, Thales thought it was water. I should go back to read it, i might find something there huh).

For Pneuma (the light one) this is easy to understand: after all we know that combined, the seven elements make the Light element, but that is just because the seven elements are actually the spectrum of the Light element broken down, and it is said that the Dragons lived in a realm made of Light. So Pneuma (which means something about life and stuff) is Light, and it is the original substance from which the seven elements derive. 

One thing we know about Pneuma and Ousia is that they are opposites, they are both energy sources, and when interacting they annihilate each other, but also become more stable than when on their own.

Allegedly, this is probably also what Khaenri'ahn machines were powered on (because when the Ruin Serpent charges up he does that AoE attack where he shoot these yellow and purple blocks, which reminds me of Pneuma and Ousia; added to the fact that we know the Research Institute of Fontaine has been studying Dhari machines, this is probably some kind of confirmation).

Ousia literally means something about substance and matter (so on one hand you've got the "divine mind generating life" on the other you've got the matter, which remind me of the whole Descartes's res cogitans and res extensa, but whatever, another thing to look up again i guess).

If we're working on the whole "opposite to Pneuma" thing (so opposite to Light and elemental energy), then all that comes to mind is the Abyss (also referred to as the Void Realm).

This would tie back to Khaenri'ah and the fact that everything that everything that the Abyss touches gets the Mussolini treatment (this is a joke that literally only italians understand, sorry. Basically: it gets hanged upside down. down with the fascism boys)(i need to stop, sorry, i'm just in a silly goofy mood).

So divine things come from the Pneuma archè, that of Light: the Dragons, after them is the Primordial One, Celestia (Paimon??? The Travelers??? you know, the whole battle pass cutscene is hella sus).

The Abyss is a completely different archè: it exists outside of Teyvat and therefore has different laws (time is different there, we know from Childe's backstory), has taken on many different forms (oozing filth in the chasm, forbidden knowledge, etc) because its purest one is incompatible with the other realms.

(Do the Celestial Nails, placed in areas of high abyssal energy, contain enough divine power to generate an annihilation reaction, leading to funky but stable ley line disorders? Ice from Dragonspine doesn't melt, but doesn't spread either. Same for Tsurumi Island, the Eternal Oasis, and the Chasm)

Logically, there can only be one "original substance from which everything is generated", and the Abyss's presence on Teyvat is unnatural (the Abyss is, after all, a completely different world, it was Nibelung who sought out its power and opened the connection), so conflict is inevitable and again with the greek philosophy (still Heraclitus i believe, but i could be wrong): it is the conflict between opposites that generates things (such as energy). 

(The first human civilization in Teyvat, the one that saw the conflict between the Primordial One and the Second Who Came, is based on ancient Greece. DO WE THINK IT'S A COINCIDENCE???)

Abyssal and elemental energy being opposites also explains why elemental creatures are so vulnerable against abyssal energy, why gods defeated in the Archon War escaped to die in the "dark sea" outside of Teyvat, and the annihilation that leads to stabilization probably explains why some abyssal creatures can wield elemental energy (Abyssal creatures that we know where humans at first).

If the waters in Fontaine got contaminated when the Cataclysm happened (and previous Hydro Archon died), then oceanids, elemental creatures, would suffer quite a lot and escape from Fontaine and MAYBE even get a little bit corrupted as well. 

After all, the oceanid lady in the bottle event was extremely chill and lovely, while Rhodeia is as pleasant as hugging a cactus: is it just different personality or something similar to what happened with Apep (when she became a lot more angry after absorbing Forbidden Knowledge)? Doesn't Rhodeia also mention something about the waters in Qingce once being polluted as well (you know, right where the Chi was sealed? The Chi we know has something to do with abyssal energy from Baizhu's story quest)? 

Just throwing these out there, it's very cool to realize how connected the Genshin world really is.

Going back to the Oratrice, a divine mechanism, who, maybe, sensed the Abyss in Childe and either

had a funky reaction 

somehow knew the influence of the Abyss on Primordial Sea water (which after the world quests I can imagine how it could have happened), saw Childe's abyss-iness (abyssussy??? abussy??? amogus???) and went "Ah! Gotcha bitch" 

the Jakob Ingold thing (because Childe is basically a herald at this point, mf can switch forms like my boy Enjou did back in Enkanomiya, god I miss him). 

What would the abyss order have to gain by flooding Fontaine? Yeah, play the world quests. My boy Elynas is taking a nap bro (he chill tho so it's fine)

AND THAT'S MY PREDICTIONS. I guess. I might make more?? eventually?? 

[elvisabutler]

watch the smoke pour out the doors

summary: elvis presley, the real elvis presley, not whatever they like claiming is the man should be dead. at the very least he should be looking about two decades older than the man in front of you. and yet. elvis presley wishes the las vegas hilton- formerly the international- was a pile of rubble or ash. he enlists your help after a chance meeting. fandom: elvis presley | elvis ( 2022 ) | austin butler rating: m pairing: elvis presley x female reader word count: 8012 warnings: major character death! choking. stalking behavior. the colonel being the worst. being trapped in one place. general depression. elvis is an asshole in this. fade to back sex ( p in v ). kind of yandere elvis? blood. vampire bites and general vampire shenanigans. mention of burn scars. fire in relation to buildings. excessive use of nicknames like lil bunny and spitfire. author’s note: heed that first warning y'all. this does not have a happy ending. i've had this brewing since september/october of last year and it's partially based on @venus-haze's vampire elvis headcanons seen here. so what really stuck with me in her comment about the fact that she took "I’ve been playing this mausoleum for 1,000 years" and ran with it. i took bits and bobs from her headcanons and ta da. also the fire i reference happening in 1981 did actually happen. i hope y'all like this even if this ending is a doozy. y'all know the drill real elvis or austin elvis can be imagined- if the moodboard didn't clue you in. also for musical vibes i have literally only ever really truly listened to meant to be yours from the heathers musical. also i did not add a tag list because this is- this is a fic and i was not about to make any of y'all tumble into it without wanting to.

Las Vegas is hot and is so sun filled that you hate it. You've always hated it but that might not have been the city's fault. Once upon a time you thought it would be your salvation but isn't that always the joke with everyone when it comes to the city. The salvation away from LA, because if you fail there Las Vegas will welcome you with open arms and remind you that what happens there stays there. It keeps you from going back to Memphis with your tail between your legs and being forced to tell your parents that you failed at your big dream. The dream that they supported you on but always figured you'd fail at. Your job pays the bills and you keep your clothes on, which considering the amount of bills you have, well that was a feat for you to achieve.

Working the front desk at the Las Vegas Hilton was challenging, mostly due to the customers with their requests that occasionally bordered on silly and nonsensical but you could handle it. It was nothing too horrible and there was certain pleasure in learning that you managed to pull off keeping some of the higher class- the celebrity clients happy. Of course, nights like this- busy nights with half your staff gone because of any number of problems- made you want to set fire to the building so that you didn't have to deal with this job. Your boss has you running around in what you swear is every direction until she physically stops you with her hands, gripping your shoulders and forcing you to stay put for just a minute.

"Elvis wants a delivery to his room." She says, her face twisting into one of sheer displeasure.

You raise your eyebrow and shake your head. "You mean the Elvis impersonator up in the penthouse. Why does everyone insist on calling him Elvis? We all know it's not him him- like-" The look she gives you is one you've realized means you need to shut up right in that exact moment because if you didn't you were liable to get yourself in a whole lot of trouble so you swallow the rest of your sentence and roll your eyes. "Got it, me and penthouse and his delivery of whatever to his room. Got it."

Your boss mouths a quick thank you before pointing to the kitchen area. It doesn't take you very long to reach there despite your heels and aching feet but it does take the kitchen staff a minute to realize you're standing there all gussied up ready to take whatever it is Mr. Presley wants. What he wants is apparently a feast befitting of a king- heh- and more packs of cigars than you thought one human being capable of smoking in any reasonable time frame but you remember those pictures of him back in the day. The pictures you'd see in your parents' house, in your grandparents' house of him smoking something. Maybe it was just someone who was honestly committed to the bit even if it meant wrecking their lungs and their voice. Once you actually manage to get everything, it's a surprisingly quick walk to the elevator and to the penthouse. For once your heels don't wobble as they have an annoying tendency to do so when you get this much stuff needing to be carried and you easily make it to the door of the penthouse and knock only to realize that your series of knocks have made the door open all on its own.

The room itself is dark, the curtains drawn so not even the light of the strip finds its way into it. It feels not like a tomb, you reason, with the temperature reaching levels that feel almost as if you've entered one. The cold wraps around you and has you shivering in your light blouse and work pants as you look for a free space, a table really to set down the items he requested. Your eyes struggle to adjust to the lack of light but you manage to avoid hitting anything and set the tray onto what you're mostly positive is a table- be it an end table or an actual dining table. You straighten up after you set it down and something feels off to you, feels as if you're being watched. That can't be though, yes Elvis- or whoever it's supposed to be up here had requested the items but that didn't mean they were stalking you from the dark.

Except the feeling doesn't go away and you know so very well that you ought to move, that you should get out of the room and back downstairs where it's busy and you don't feel the faint sensation of worrying that you'll be murdered. You don't though, it's as if your feet are firmly planted in that spot, like you want to see just why you're feeling this particular way. After what feels like an eternity you feel the air around you shift, a small gust of warmth pass by your back and that is the cue for your body to finally turn around. What you see when you turn around shocks you to your very core and makes you think you've got to be hallucinating.

It's like you've seen a ghost when you realize who you're staring at in the darkness of the room. There's always been whispers that Elvis is actually still alive, that he's alive and the person who's been recording the music and performing shows was still him. After all, despite so much information about his relationship with his manager coming out there was no lawsuit coming from the family and that had to mean he was alive. Looking at the man in front of you, looking at the parts you can see of his face that aren't obscured by a half mask over his face- you think they might be right just not in the way everyone assumed. After all, if you take off the mask, the man in front of you looks like he hasn't aged a day since about 1972 or maybe 1974.

Your parents had pictures of him plastered among the walls of your childhood home so you're familiar with the shape of his jaw, his nose and those eyes- those stunning blue eyes. You're familiar with all the facial features that make up one Elvis Presley and seeing them up close and personal as opposed to on stage? There's no mistaking who's in front of you. It's Elvis fucking Presley in the flesh, looking nowhere near the almost 60 he should be. His eyes though- the eyes you're looking at are just as stunning as the blue ones you've always heard about but you can see a hint of what looks like red in the pupil. It confuses you enough to have you moving closer to him to investigate. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head.

"That's new. Most of ya jus' hide and run away like scared cats." He huffs, allowing you to step closer and peer at his eyes.

"Do I seem like most people, Elvis?" You ask, you accent thickening as your hand against your will finds its way to his mask-covered cheek in an effort to pull him closer, only to have him practically snarl at you and grab your wrist.

"Do that and I'll rip your throat out with my teeth." His warning is accompanied by his eyes narrowing and his canines finding themselves on full display, showing you just how dangerous he could be. Yet, you find yourself raising your own eyebrows.

"Ya mean like you've done with a lot of my former coworkers?" It's suddenly making sense, how a lot of the times girls who went up here wouldn't come back and would suddenly have family emergencies. "Ya said it yourself, most of us jus' hide and run away. Do I look scared?"

The laugh that leaves his mouth sounds downright evil and sinister, like he truly is a devil waiting to ruin anyone who comes near him and you can't help the rush of arousal and fear that shudders through your system. His grip tightens on your wrist. "Oh, darlin'. Ya don't look it but that heart o' yours. Oh, she's betrayin' ya like nothin' else. Tellin' me you want to bolt like a lil scared bunny."

You hate how you swear you can feel your heart jump at those words, proving him right in the worst sort of way. You want to argue with him, want to tell him that his hearing must be going off and he's hearing someone else's heartbeat but you know better- you know from the glint you see in his eyes that there isn't a chance for that lie to fly. Instead you purse your lips and move to pull your wrist out of his grasp. "I haven't yet. And ya haven't tried to kill me yet."

His grip loosens but he takes the opportunity to pull you closer just enough so when he leans forward his lips are brushing your ear as his whisper is practically a short brush of air against it. "Yet." Finally, he lets go of your wrist and steps away from you, his eyes darting to the tray you brought. "All in one piece. You are better than the rest of 'em."

If anyone else were to say that, if you had heard it from an Elvis that looked the age he was supposed to be and didn't look like Dracula you might have preened, enjoying the compliment for what it was. Hearing it from him? Hearing it from a man who you feel will murder you the second you turn your back? All that accomplishes is making you shiver in fear. When you look at his face you see a grin that tells you that's exactly what he wanted to see.

You realize in that moment that you need to leave, you don't know if Elvis is planning on trying to hurt you or if he's just toying with you. Either way it's- it sets you on edge enough that your feet that had seemingly forgotten how to move manage to remember how as you turn away from Elvis, not bothering to give him a response beyond what your body had already inadvertently done.

"There we go, there's that runnin' I'm used to." Elvis chuckles, allowing you to move further away from him slowly inching to the door. "Even if ya practically movin' slow as molasses. Scared but bein' smart 'bout it, ain't cha?"

An answer dances on the tip of your tongue, a joke or a quip about how you'd be a fool to turn your back on a predator or to bolt from a predator. Either way you'd be seen as his prey and arguably easy prey at that. The answer dies on your lips as you feel a rush of air by you and see Elvis opening and holding the door to his room open for you. His grin looks full of promise and is all teeth in a way that sets you on edge.

"Go on, darlin', I'll let ya go. Ain't like I can't find ya 'round here." His eyes rake over your form and you'd think you'd be disgusted as you normally are when someone looks at you like that. Instead you have to suppress the shiver of something that passes through you. "'Specially if ya do that."

You don't dignify his words with a response as you exit hearing some whisper of the word fun and a dark laugh. If the speed of your steps increase once the door shuts. Well, that was your own business between you and whatever God saw fit to abandon you just a bit ago.

As it turns out Elvis is a very persistent man- a fact not tempered and instead heightened by the years he's lived. True to his word, he did know exactly where to find you though actually meeting up with you seemed to be beyond his reach. No, instead you found yourself being bombarded with gifts. Gifts you'd think Elvis couldn't provide and yet there they were. You wondered just how he was getting these things to you but the thought didn't fill you with any sort of delight so you chose not to dwell. It all comes to a head when before your shift one night there was a new outfit on your doorstep. A simple red blouse with a black pinstripe skirt. That in and of itself wouldn't be a problem and yet the true issue was the note.

Took a guess on your size, lil Bunny. You can tell me if I'm right tonight after my show.

It is your size and you have idea how he could tell that let alone how he knew these were your favorite colors and that you favored pinstripes for your dresswear. If you dwell on it for too long some sense of fear and flattered feelings settle deep within your stomach.

The only reason you wear the outfit is because every other work appropriate outfit you have is currently in the wash. A fact that is true purely due to your own laziness and is something you want to curse yourself for. You consider actually going to the show, entirely aware that you could but you're loath to give him the satisfaction. Instead you wait until around the time the show ends to make your way to his room utilizing your ability to have extra keys of rooms to make your way inside. He's not there yet so you sit in a chair and wait in the dark. Dramatic, yes, but you figure it seemed fitting given the circumstances. Perhaps he might even respect the flourish of it, the flourish of you waiting for his own dramatic person in the dark as if he couldn't rip your throat out in an instant.

You almost doze off waiting for him but when he finally arrives he opens his door with a sigh, completely ignoring you before he walks slowly over to you, silent as a church mouse. He opens his mouth to say something as his teeth glitter in the light of the strip coming from the window but you cut him off.

"Is this all supposed to charm me?" A simple question but one that has him chuckling lowly as you try and get up only to be stopped by his hand on your shoulder.

"It working?" His eyes zero in on your skirt before he shrugs. "Fits you like a damn glove. Knew I guessed right."

"You guessed-" You try and take his hand off your shoulder before realizing it only makes him push down just that little bit harder. "I didn't ask for clothes or jewelry or- for you to even still be trying to talk to me. What do you even want from me? My blood?"

"If I wanted to suck ya dry of all your blood, I'd've done it already darlin'. Nah, that'd be a damn waste of a spitfire like ya." Elvis murmurs as his eyes trace your form. "Think we'll have more fun with you alive and me alive as I'll ever be. 'Less ya gonna tell me you've gotta death wish."

You scoff at him, your lips curling up into a sneer. "I didn't even know ya were honestly still alive, what makes ya think ya were a part of any death wish I might have?"

"The fact that your heart insists on goin' a mile a minute 'round me. Or when you shivered like ya did. Might not have realized I was 'round but now that ya do-" His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "Think ya'd enjoy dyin' with me drainin' the life from ya."

You shouldn't think the idea is enjoyable but you can't help the way your legs reflexively clench together. "Mr. Pres-"

"Elvis. Lil bunny, lil spitfire of a woman. You were waitin' f'me in the dark. Could've rushed in 'n torn out that pretty lil throat of yours 'fore I realized it was you. And wouldn't that've been a cryin' shame. Waste of a woman like ya."

It's flattering the way he calls you a spitfire and the way he leans close to you whispering it to you like a long lost lover. You reason your reaction stems from not being intimate with anyone for a while but truly perhaps it just is Elvis's natural charm. A shake of your head is all you manage to do before clearing your throat to speak. "Elvis. That- That was the point not- Ya needed to be caught off guard. Startled. And-"

The laugh he lets out is low and mocking. "Oh darlin' you wanted to surprise a vampire. You- God, you're somethin' else. Maybe- Stay here tonight. Don't got plans, know that."

The unfortunate truth of the matter that he's correct. You don't have plans but spending the night and staying there with him has you shaking your head once again. That is the exact opposite of anything you want to do. "No. Find- They'll send up another girl if ya ask them to or have- I don't know, I'm not staying here tonight."

His hand that's been on your shoulder moves to your neck and traces the lines of it gently as he leans forward and lets a nail act almost as if he's going to prepare it to be pierced by his teeth. "Not even if I have somethin' to tell ya. Somethin' interestin'?"

Your face perks up for a moment at the thought of just what he might want to tell you before you frown. "Not even- I want to go home Mr-"

"Elvis. Not. Mr. Presley. Not to ya." The words are growls in your ear and involuntarily your mouth opens up and lets out a soft whimper and whine. At the noise his hand moves to stroke your clavicle. "Just for tonight. Won't- Don't plan on doing what your body seems to want me t'do. Just wanna talk."

You use the fact that his hand isn't directly pushing you down to slip out of the chair. His eyes widen in shock before he moves to pull you into his arms. He doesn't bother to move fast, more preoccupied with seeing your reaction. You take a step or two back and he drops his arms to his side before motioning to the door. "'Nother night then, Y/N. 'Nother night." A beat. "I won't stop."

Whatever you want to say just comes out as a hiss of anger almost like you're a cat before you slink out the door. Once you're in the elevator you sink to the floor and try to steady your breathing, you try to tamp down on your arousal and try and ignore the part of your brain craving to find out just what he wanted to talk to you about.

That craving doesn't leave you and if you didn't know any better you'd think it was supernatural the way it worms its way into your mind and settles in popping up at the worst possible times. It only takes a week before you find yourself waiting for him in the dark again, wearing a pinstripe pair of pants and the red blouse he had given you. You don't mean to fall asleep waiting for him this time but you do, only to wake up when you feel the presence of something staring at you. By this point his show had been over for an hour and he's in a robe that looks- soft. "Rise n' shine, lil bunny."

You scramble a bit, shocked and mortified that you fell asleep before you look at Elvis who is just sitting casually as can be in a chair next to yours. Your eyes drift over him before you bite your lip. "I'm only here to- I want to know what ya were going to tell me last week. And I want ya to stop- I want to not have a bunch of gifts every day."

His shoulders move in a shrugging motion before he shakes his head. "I got no problem tellin' ya about it, but 'less you're gonna help, ya still gonna get the gifts."

"Why do ya- I don't want- That's not how you charm someone into helping ya." You cycle through words faster than you mean to, more confused than anything else at what he's saying. "What do ya even need my help for?"

It's a valid question, you figure, after all he's a vampire and you are still very much a human but he hums, waving off the question before moving his chair to face you and to essentially pin you into being stuck in your own chair. "It's how I figure you'll be charmed." He pauses. "Lil outta practice wit' th'other one. As for what I need ya help for-" He trails off and pulls off the mask obscuring part of his face to reveal a burn scar that is noticeable enough to have you gasping. "Need ya to help me avoid doin' this again. Don't feel like burnin' up like that on the other side. Let alone anywhere else."

Several moments pass before you finally find the words to articulate your question that aren't just straight confused noises. "Are ya asking me to help ya set fire to something?" He cannot be asking you to do that. You have to be dead and this is just a very vivid post death hallucination.

For his part Elvis nods slowly, looking you dead in the eye with the most laconic face as he answers you. "I'm askin' ya t'help me set fire to this place."

"The hotel?" Your tone shifts up about 2 octaves and you swear your voice just whistles instead of actually speak. "Where I work? Where you perform?"

That same laconic look doesn't leave Elvis's face. "The one I tried to set fire to in '81 only to burn half my face? That very one, lil bunny."

You can't help but laugh though it's not something normal and sensible that comes out of your mouth. No, it's a high pitched mildly terrified giggle that leaves your mouth. He's- He is asking you to commit arson with him. To help him set fire to a place he's performed at since the 1970s. That you work at. He cannot be serious. "You're- You're joking. I- I have Elvis Presley who is apparently a vampire stalking me so that I can help him set fire to a hotel because you fucked up the first time?"

The giggle is still there before his hand darts out and wraps around your throat, tightening just slightly. "Keep laughin' lil one. Keep laughin' and I'll rip that throat clean out. Won't even be recognizable."

His hand steals your breath away from you as you try to take a breath only to have him tighten it more. He- He won't kill you, you don't think, this is just to scare you, to make you want to do what he's asking for but your vision is starting to blur just a bit and you can't help the way your eyes are starting to roll back in your head before suddenly you can breathe. You cough a little violently as air rushes back into your lungs before you glare at him, pushing the chair back in order to stand up. "You keep threatening to kill me, ya sure ya want my help? I don't- I'm leaving. This is a joke. You're a joke just like ya were-"

In a rush Elvis has you pulled tightly to his chest, his arms snaking around you and tightening like a python. "Stopped being a joke the second this happened to me don't- Heard enough of that from all those goddamn tabloids and from the reports of my death."

You're going to die, this is how you're going to die. Not by starvation or homelessness or by some madman murdering you on the streets. No, you're going to die because a man who was a has been before he became a vampire and is even more of one now despite three more albums under his belt and another Grammy for that eighties gospel album. Still you have to fight him, he's not- if he wants your help he won't kill you. You're- he's obsessed with you, isn't he? Wants your help that bad?

"Elvis, I think you're just a lonely scared little boy in a man's- excuse me- vampire's body." You snarl, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, as if you have any chance of winning against a vampire with superhuman strength. As if you'd have any chance winning against him even if he was human. Elvis Presley never had been a small man and you had never been the strongest of women.

"And if I am? Ya gonna be my salvation? Gonna save me from this hell on Earth? This eternal damnation forced on me by a Dutch lyin' bastard?" He leans closer to you, his breath ghosting over your face, over your lips as he takes breaths he doesn't need to and as he watches your eyes have a fire in them that warms him from the inside out. "Gonna make me feel better about it, darlin'? Ya really think ya good enough t'do that? That I like ya 'nough for that t'work?"

"Ya haven't killed me yet." You spit at him, just narrowly avoiding actually spitting on him. "I'm still alive and ya seem pretty damn obsessed with getting me of all the people in this town to help ya. So, yes, I think ya like me just enough."

At your words Elvis's grip on you loosens and he steps back like you burned him for a moment before he practically hisses at you. "'m only obsessed 'cause ya seem like the only person who could do it." A beat and something flashes in his blue and red tinged eyes. "And ya- yer from home." Memphis is what he means but he doesn't think to clarify. He takes a step forward and grabs at your chin even as you let out a snarl of your own. "Ya hate this place as much as I do. And think ya'd like seein' it burn down 'round ya. Don't lie. Can tell if ya do."

A quick dart of your eyes to the side is all the answer you can give for a moment as you try to compose yourself. "Doesn't mean I wanna help ya. Doesn't mean I'm gonna help ya."

For the briefest of moments, Elvis looks human and looks like a little boy when he looks at you. He's- You recognize the look, it's almost practically begging. "Please. This place- it ain't good for anyone. Me, especially but can't tell me it's done a bit of good for anyone other than who owns it."

He's right, as much as you loathe to admit it and it shows in how you purse your lips. "I'm not- I ain't agreeing to this, but tell me just what your hairbrained plan is."

As it turns out, Elvis's plan takes until the break of dawn to explain and two orders of room service delivered by one man who goes back downstairs and a woman who- well, served as Elvis's food until she fell limp in arms. There was something enrapturing about watching the act, watching how her mouth contorted into one of pleasure as she came in his arms before you could slowly see the life drain from her until his mouth came off her neck with a pop and a squelch. When he looks at you his lips are covered in her blood and he can't help but give you a toothy grin. "Sounds like you're jealous of her and me. Can't risk killing ya but maybe- maybe soon lil one."

That morning you call in and dream of his lips against your neck and of the pleasure he'd give you because- he doesn't want to kill you. You'd just get all the joys of being fed from but none of the tragedy. If you avoid him that night, you blame it on your shift. He doesn't call you out on the lie.

Planning arson between two people, one of whom has a larger bank account but can't leave his residence and the other who has a smaller bank account but can roam as she pleases is harder than one would think. Yet you both persevere, meeting up every other night to gather the items needed. What's been tripping you up for ages has been the floor plans and it shows in how you've been getting snappier with Elvis each passing meeting. He gives back in spades, somehow being worse than he was your first and second meetings but tonight- tonight he seems a little melancholy and a melancholy Elvis is a very human Elvis and one you find- one you could see a future with perhaps. A twisted one but one that flutters into your brain on nights you can't sleep or nights you can sleep despite dreams of the two of you mouths red and snarling as you feed.

"At this point ya might as well kill me." Your accent has been returning with a vengeance the more time you spend with Elvis any acting classes you had to train it out of you falling by the wayside. "We ain't gonna find a proper floor plan and without that we can't-"

"Y/N." His tone is laced with a warning- don't test him, not tonight. "I got time- wanna get this done but 'nother week ain't gonna hurt."

"Says the man who hasn't fed from me and is gonna live forever." Your eyes are blazing when you look at him before you continue. "I wanna get this over with. Wanna have- Wanna see if you'll do somethin' if we get it done."

Elvis's eyes narrow looking at you for a moment before he rubs his hand over his mouth. "Oh. That's- Lil Bunny. That's the problem? Ya want me t'do somethin' to ya? Have my wicked way with ya?"

You can feel your heartbeat rushing in your ears before you can even articulate an answer. "That's not- Ya keep looking at me. Like- like I'm someone ya might wanna- No, I don't."

"Ya do." He moves to lean over your chair, putting your face at eye level with his chest. "Ya wanna know what it's like to be in my bed. Wanna know what it's like to please me."

You do, lord above you do. You're essentially committing a crime for him and for what? For the pleasure of knowing you've set fire to a horrible hotel? That you've freed him from this place? For nothing that gives you any satisfaction. "Is that so wrong? Ya won't kill me when there's a line of bodies I can probably trace back to your first year as a vampire. Ya won't feed from me because then where's your help for this silly scheme. Ya won't fuck me because-"

"Listen darlin, honey, satnin. I- I get a lil lonely up here. I know what ya gonna say- jus' leave but you've seen how it is." Seen how he can't leave the room for fear someone's going to actually realize that he's Elvis Presley and not some impersonator. Seen how people already mock the fact that he's still around- after all hadn't you? Seen how he looks out at the view of Vegas, almost wistful when he thinks you're not looking. "I haven't killed ya but- you're- ya remind me of how I was. Always been- the way I am but not not like this. Don't feel like ruinin' it is all."

His hand reaches out to touch your face and it's so gentle that you can't help but nuzzle into it and take a quick inhale of breath. "Elvis."

He hums, noting how your eyes shut and for the briefest of moments he remembers what it was like to have someone whisper his name like that. Like a prayer you're scared will float away and fail if you say it too loud. He's missed that, he's missed so much of what it was like to be human, to be able to live freely even if back in the day his freedom still had him confined. You just look so sweet nuzzling his palm, acting as if you're the love of his life, acting as if you belong there. Maybe that's why he had been cursed otherwise he doubts he would have made it to this decade or at least made it to this decade in a state you might have wanted him in. "Y/N?"

"Why are you being like this?" You whisper, still nuzzling at his palm. "You- From the stories I've heard you're- you've never been a completely good man. I haven't seen you be a good man."

Another hand, his free hand moves to cup the opposite side of your face and forces you to look up at him. His eyes always such a stormy blue with that ring of red since you came across him have taken on a lighter hue and it takes your breath away as you feel his thumbs stroke your cheek. "Haven't had a reason t'be one. Look where it got me, satnin. Haven't pushed ya away yet, maybe you're- maybe you're the thing to settle this violent angry head of mine. So pretty- so gentle when ya wanna be. Let me take care of ya, hm?"

His hand moves away from you and you chance it almost in a trance before you look at him and bite your lip. "Take care of me?" The subtext is clear as your heart starts to race and your legs clench together.

What was the harm in treating you tonight? Maybe it would give you the right incentive to find the floor plans, to look harder than you had been. Maybe that was the real trouble you were having. You were too distracted by your desire and want for him. His hand moves down to your chest, undoing the buttons of your blouse slowly. "Take care of ya. Jus' for tonight."

That night you find yourself gasping for air, screaming his name, arching your back and snarling all at once. You find that when you leave you play with the bite mark on your breast and shudder remembering his words said against your ear more than once. "Might make ya mine if ya do well enough."

It still takes another two weeks to get the floor plans, the proper up to date ones. Two weeks of finding yourself in Elvis's bed with him teasing you and making promises about his plans for you and him. But, as it turns out someone had been wanting to get a room at the hotel and well, you did work the front desk so you could handle getting them some accommodations for a fee of course. Elvis wastes no time in opening up the plans when you arrive that night with them in your hand, holding a bottle of champagne for you and the number of someone you had met on the bus for Elvis to enjoy his own drink. After she's on the floor and you're nursing your second flute of champagne you feel Elvis behind you wrapping his strong arms around your middle and pulling you close.

"Gonna turn ya when it's all ash. Won't be stuck here any longer, can do what I want again. Take ya all around the world." He whispers against the shell of your ear, nipping once he reaches your earlobe. "You're gonna look so fuckin' gourgous feedin'. Vicious as ya are. Ya did so good bringin' me dinner too. Wish I coulda shared her wit' ya. Soon, lil Bunny, soon."

There's an alarm in your head that goes off at those words, at the way he coos them while holding you. They feel off- fake somehow and you down that second glass the moment he lets go of you. Had- You knew very well he wasn't a nice man, you've known this from the second you first spoke but he- there's no way he has any intention of changing you. He might be obsessed with you but that's because you've been the only person who can handle herself well enough to do this, hadn't it? You were going to get him to the finish line of burning down the hotel only to what burn with it yourself? Take the fall for a dead man? You file away the thoughts in your head for a later moment, if you thought about them now Elvis would know.

You smile at him almost saccharine. "Ya mean it? I'll be your vicious lil vampire queen?"

He grabs your chin and pulls you in for a kiss not caring that he still has a trace of blood on his lips. "The second it's up in smoke. Promise."

Liar.

Las Vegas in August is disgusting, better than some places in the United States, but it's still hotter than Hades and feels nearly as suffocating despite the lack of humidity. A fact you keep pointing out to Elvis as you both hold small cans of gas.

"Should've killed ya like the res' of 'em. No one would've missed ya. Jus' another lil' girl in Vegas runnin' 'round thinkin' she could make it big." You see a flash of his teeth and you figure it's supposed to scare you but at this point you like to think you know better.

"If ya killed me who would be helpin' ya right now?" The way you speak is practically a sneer but you can't help it, not with how he just somewhat threatened to kill you. "Hurry up, people are going to start coming back and I don't-"

"It's 11PM and they're in Vegas the hell are they-" He starts before he starts to trot off to the area he's most familiar with- the stages. "Meet me by the damn elevator."

An eye roll is the only response he gets as he leaves you to your own thoughts as you pour the can of gasoline in a line between the already waiting containers of it. If all goes well the walls of fire you and Elvis hope to create will have the entire building up in smoke in no time at all. It makes it so you both have to be quick on each floor but you had taken precautions for this. You knew every way to get down the floors as quickly as you could and Elvis wouldn't leave you behind. After all, he kept talking about his lil' spitfire queen. Kept cooing the words at you in between planning and buying the gas and finding yourself spread across his sheets or above him.

And yet something felt different, you had that same feeling you did when he talked about how gorgeous you'd look feeding. It felt off. You try to shake the feeling away as you two reach the top of the building, his penthouse suite and cover it in extra gasoline. He wanted every bit of this room demolished, nothing salvageable but to do that you are currently feeling faintly high on the sheer amount of gasoline in the room and wondering just how no embers from the cigar he just lit have fallen yet. You almost miss the words he says when he looks over at you. "Ready to run?"

A shrug is your only answer before you try and take a deep breath. "Get in the elevator first, then toss it."

He obliges, letting you go first with a flourish that rather than delight you has your hackles raising. "Ladies first."

Elvis Presley used to be a gentleman. Elvis Presley is not a gentleman any more.

Right before the doors to the elevator close Elvis tosses his cigar between the door and as they shut you feel the rush of heat from the roaring blast it caused. This is the only floor you have to take the elevator for and it makes each consecutive floor easier. You both light a cigar and toss before running to the next floor, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat even as Elvis pulls you in for a harsh kiss his eyes blazing in the fire he had started with his cigar, looking practically manic with delight. The fire brings out the red in his eyes. It scares you.

"Calm down, Lil' Bunny. Almost there." He shouts practically sing songing the words as you rush down yet another flight of stairs to the second floor. "One more floor and you're mine. We'll be free. I'll be free."

There it is again, that nagging feeling that you're a means to an end for him. You brush it off one final time as you start to cough, the floors of smoke and blaring alarms of a sprinkler system that hasn't produced any water getting to you. "Jus' want this done, 'Vis."

Finally you reach the final floor, the bottom floor which is the most complicated. There's an extra exit, a fire exit in the stage area so you both agree that's the last room, that's the last place to be set ablaze and Elvis finds it almost poetic when he thinks about it. He stares at the doors for a moment before he enters with you, as if he thinks he has all the time in the world. He might, he might be able to run out of there fast enough but the smoke is starting to get to you and the heat from the blaze above and around you is making the area around you sweltering. "You said you'd turn me, Elvis. Once we get outside, right?" You have to shout before you cough over the roar of the blaze and how somehow it's starting blow toward you as you shut the door to leave you and him in the lone area not on fire yet.

The cigar in his mouth is lit and he contemplates knocking off the tip, letting it start to catch everything ablaze before he stops himself and nods. "Course, gonna do it the second you get some air in ya."

Your own cigar- the last cigar is lit and you're about to toss it before you stare at him, stare at him because that tone- that tone betrays his actual plan. "Why not now? I can- I can barely breathe in here, Elvis."

Those words have him tossing his cigar and have a whoosh of fire come up behind him as he walks towards you. "You'll be fine, lil spitfire. Y/N. You don't- Patience. Don't wanna rush forever."

Your mind goes blank as you drop the cigar you were holding and have to jump out of the way as a bit of fire starts to separate you and Elvis. He glances at the fire and growls, realizing he's very quickly going to be boxed in before he wooshes to a spot next to you. "Tryin' to kill me? 'Cause I won't-"

A crash can be heard of a bit of wood falling onto the stage and you jump before you cut him off. "Because you're not plannin' on it. Ya gonna- You're plannin' on killin' me, aren't ya?"

"Eatin' ya, actually. It's what ya wanted back when ya first saw me eat. Wanted to be fucked then sucked. I fucked ya now-" His words are cut off with a slap that he allows you to do because it gives him the ability to grab at your wrist. "Loose end, lil one. Either you go down for this or ya die. Gave ya the more pleasurable option."

"While telling me you were going to change me!" You snarl half running toward the door even as you inhale another bit of smoke causing you to cough more. "You- You've been usin' me this whole damn time! I- you said you'd make me your little queen."

He's faster and he has you pinned up against a wall as he feels the flames starting to inch toward you both and as you keep swallowing more and more smoke. "Ya called me a damn has been and a joke. Darlin' ya don't wanna spend eternity wit' me, ya jus' wanna run around spending an eternity doing whatever the hell ya want to do. Ain't gonna give ya something you think is a gift."

"You- I'm- I can't breathe." You choke out as you try and take deep breaths only to realize that the room is filling with grey smoke. He's fine because he doesn't need to breathe but you- you need air.

"Shame I didn't change ya before. Didn't give ya what ya wanted to use me for. Don't care 'bout me. Lil Memphis spitfire don't care 'bout the thing everyone loves 'bout the place. No wonder your mama and daddy don't want ya to come back." His tone is mocking as he keeps you pinned to the wall, despite inching himself closer to the door. He was going to escape and you were going to die by smoke inhalation if the fire didn't kill you first.

A breath of air enters your lungs suddenly as you find that Elvis lets you go, a bit of the fire catching onto his pant leg right as he reaches the door with you. You seize the opportunity and hit at the door with your body, trying to force it open as he steps on the offending burning fabric. even as another crash can be heard on the stage and you see more and more paint chips fluttering around both of you, or maybe that's ash you've never seen a fire this big. The door finally flings open and more fresh air for your lungs and to feed the fire. Elvis whooshes over to you and attempts to block your way out but for once you have the upper hand, managing to be on the outside of the building while Elvis is still just barely in there. He realizes his mistake, realizes what you just very well might do to him in an instant.

"Lil Bunny- I'll- Don't be rash. I'll do it. I'll do what I said I would." He coos even as the fire rushes around him, his hair becoming more messed up the more he stands there. His face getting more ashes on it the longer he stands there.

"Liar. Liar." You tilt your head and move to push him inside. "Pants on fire."

His eyes look down thinking you're telling him his pants are literally on fire and you take that as your opportunity to shut the door, locking it in a way only you know how. Within a moment he starts to push at the door.

"Y/N!" He shouts through the door. "I'll do it, just let me outta here! I'm- Ya don't want this on your conscious! I wasn't gonna kill ya! Baby- Darlin- Lil Bunny, let me out!"

"Not gonna believe a lyin' dead man, Presley!" You shout, knowing that you sound insane before you start to move away because he's right you don't want that on your conscious. You hear him shouting promises you doubt he'll keep and feel the fresh bite he had made on your chest burn as you walk away but you're able to fake being a victim among the crowd, the ashes covering your face and the way you keep coughing as the building burns and as you swear you hear a series of Southern curses in the wind.

The bite scars over and aches from time to time.

They don't find his body. You try and not let it keep you up at night.

[imaginespazzi]

Long awaited, chapter 8! 

-"The older woman seems to possess some sort of magical power that weaves itself into Azzi’s nervous system, soothing away her frazzled nerves with an unspoken promise of and if you give me the chance I’ll make it all okay." "For the last eight years, Azzi has been her own protector and she’s learned to guard herself" Oof, the independence Azzi has built because she didn't give Paige the chance. I'm not okay.

-"Azzi hurriedly moves away first and she can see the betrayal of if only you’d just let me hold you in front of the world written all over Paige’s face." Well this reminds me to bring up something I'd noticed in chapter 7 but didn't end up mentioning. Ruthie: “what is love if it can’t be seen by everyone?” By this Ruthie means on Paige's face. You can see on her face how inlove she is. But it could very well make Paige think of Azzi not wanting to share their love to the public. And that always hurt Paige, clearly. But going back to the way Ruthie originally meant it then, really it doesn't mean Azzi loved her any less. It's in the look on her face when she thinks of Paige, it's in the way she subconciously pushes Paige-like things onto her daughter, it's in the way she can't get into another relationship, it's there. It's simply a matter of that agrument on to sides:

side 1: Just because I don't show it properly doesn't mean I don't love you.

side 2: Just because you love me doesn't mean I feel loved.

-Paige called back to say goodnight to Stephie. Another promise kept. I know a lot of anons expected Paige to leave that morning in chapter 7, but she didn't, and I feel like you're actually making her keep all her promises and though some may think this is building up to her eventually not keeping one, I actually don't think so. I think she's gonna keep every single one of her promises and though I do wonder what the problem/source of angst is going to be, since it's kinda still all fluff right now, even if there's a moment of separation, that just means Paige can't make new promises to Stephie, therefore can't break any either. And eventually they'll figure out the problem too, bringing her back to Stephie (if there is a moment of separation) and probably making her say something cheesy like "I promised you I'd try to stay". I'll touch on what I think about problems in a bit though.

-"Paige laughs, “I’ll be there as soon as I wake up.”" That will hopefully be next to Azzi.

-"My wife is perfect. She loves me. She loves being seen with me. She loves being known as my wife. Everything I ever wanted from you, she’s willing to give me." I don't know if you've watched that Julia Roberts movie: My Best Friend's Wedding. If you haven't you can pretty much completely ignore this whole next bit cause it won't really make sense to you, but it's really giving me the same vibes. I also therefore really recommend it + it's a great movie. Anyways so, although Micheal ends up with Kimmy (his wife) I always thought that that was weird, and wrong. I felt bad for Kimmy really, just like I feel bad for Olivia. But the point is supposed to be that, though I feel bad for Kimmy, that doesn't mean I was rooting for her. I was rooting for her to go and live her own life and have a good one at that. But Micheal still loved Julianne, at least I thought that seemed clear. They made it seem like that wasn't the case and their last interaction is a simple "platonic" hug, though before he leans in he looks like he wants to kiss her. And the 3 of them have the exact same dynamic as Paige, Azzi and Olivia do here since, really Kimmy (Olivia) is simply what Micheal (Paige) settled for because he wanted to be loved publicly and Julianne (Azzi) wouldn't let him have that. But to me the moral was more that Micheal (Paige) wanted to be loved publicly BY JULIANNE (Azzi). I don't see his marriage realistically working out but whatever.

-"I know- I know your reasons but why- why couldn’t you have just loved me enough to look past them?" Ooohhh, yet another mention of Azzi's reasons, plural at that, but still you're not adressing themmmm! I neeeeed to know.

-"“I didn’t,” Azzi whispers, so soft she’s not sure Paige heard it" DID SHE HEAR IT???!! HEY DID SHE HEAR IT???!!!

-"“And some might say Edwards that being fashionably late is being on time,” Paige quips back." I love my huuugeee stretches and yes, believe me I'm aware this is about to be a stretch. But umm, what if this is mirroring their situation? Like Paige and Azzi's timing always seems to be off, but maybe that doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong, maybe being fashionably late is still on time.

-Ok so Clémence isn't a problem and honestly I didn't expect her to be. I genuinely have no idea what the problem will be. I feel like you have angst planned but, I don't see it fitting in now. Like maybe you're actually just gonna do pure fluff onwards, I doubt it. But the thing is I know a lot of people think the contract thingie with Liberty will pose a problem, idk but I just don't think so. In my head I don't see Azzi getting mad because legally it makes sense and shouldn't the team be aware to some point that Paige's contract is short? I mean if anything I thought it would sorta maybe possibly if you'd let it be perchance be a source of fluff. Like Paige just making it clear she's not leaving GSV, not leaving Azzi and Stephie. No matter how much the NYL offer. I can't even picture like a misunderstanding apart from from Stephie's POV. But Pazzi wise, if you plan on a couple more ups and downs consider me intrigued cause I have no clue what to expect really. Plus I still expect a Pookie reunion and they probably won't go see Drew together if they're fighting soo, with that being like chapter 9/10, the proposal 10/11, wedding 11/12, angst just doesn't fit in into my peaceful fluff schedule.

-"“baby you are the exception to all of my rules.”" Please break the sleepover rule, please break the sleepover rule.

Okk that's it thank you soo much and have nice holidays but ugh I want chapter 9 soo bad, I'll be patient though, it's all good. 

-🪐

-I'm so glad you caught that cause I definitely wanted to show Azzi's -in a way forced- independence where she's had to become her own protector without Paige

-YES! I was wondering if someone would bring up what Ruthie said last chapter and I'm glad you did because that's definitely a part of the conflict. And without giving anything away, I do have a conversation/argument planned where they're forced to confront their different viewpoints on the two sides of the coin your brought up

-I have seen My Best Friend's wedding but it's definitely been a bit but I agree, I always thought he was settling at the end. And the last scene is proof because it clearly wasn't all that platonic if he wanted to kiss her. But he found all his "perfects" in something else or at least he found what he wanted to see, which is exactly what Paige found with Olivia.

-Did she hear if? 👀

-See I did not think of that but it doesn't feel like a reach. Timing has been an issue but better late than never right?

-The team (Azzi) knows Paige's contract is short but the implication is that she'll likely renew because stars of Paige's calibre don't necessarily just go to a team for a year. It's like Stewie with the Libs where she was signed for year last year and then cored now. The deal with the Liberty in the fic is not public and something that's been negotiated off the books. How big of a conflict will that be? Guess we'll find out.

-LMAO well I do have a lot more planned then just proposal- wedding. Suffice to say we're headed for more than 12 chapters lmao.

-Ahahha another one for the let the gays fuck agenda huh?

[sharkytwister]

Pov: Mkulia's first date night was a disaster bcs MK ACCIDENTALLY set the restaurant on fire. With the firefighters still trying to wipe out the fire behind them, both of them sat on the sidewalks outside, wrapped in blankets. (short mkulia fanfic down here!!)

--does undetailed making out count as suggestive?--

Julia groaned as she brushed off some ashes of her now ruined blue silk dress and proceed to adjust her braided hair but had decided to leave it tangled.

She glanced to her right, hoping to hear a sound from MK, but to Julia's surprise, her partner's knees were close to their chest, hands forward and head down. It also sounded like MK was whispering something to themself.

"MK..?" asked Julia as her right hand gently touches MK's, "Are you alright -" Julia flinched as MK quickly looked at her, with tears in their eyes.

MK sniffles as Julia stared at them with confusion and worry. Julia gently touched their face as MK tried to look away, "What's wrong, MK? Hey, what's the big deal here?"

MK slowly held Julia's hand to put it far from her face, "It's nothing, princess..." they replied with a chuckle and with a long sigh,

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Sorry for what?"

"For ruining our first date, Julia. Look, I know I can be mischievous and up to no good but - I swear, I had no bad intentions to bump into that candle! I - I just... can't -"

MK's words died out as Julia embraced them tightly. God, she feels so warm, thought MK.

After a few minutes, the two stared at each other and Julia spoke first, "I know that the bump was an accident, MK. I know that you didn't mean to do that." said Julia. She then looked around her, looking at the rest still on fire,

"Well, at least no one saw it." she continued with a sigh of relief.

"But I still ruined it."

"Oh, shut up you. Stop being so crybaby-ish, that's not like you at all."

"I ruined your favourite restaurant, Julia Prescott."

Julia made a small sound as MK reminded her that her favourite restaurant is now gone but decided to play it cool, "Oh... It's fine anyway... I rather lose a restaurant than you, my dearest!!" Julia giggled as she playfully slapped MK's cheeks.

MK smiled as they admired their Julia. Their Julia. Forever and ever... They started to touch Julia's braid, "It's all messy now... Who knew you look good while being messy."

"You're weird." Julia joked, pushing MK's hand away from her hair, which MK replied with a chuckle. "Besides, it's my fault really..." Julia started.

MK stared at her with their eyes widened. That's not something you would normally hear from Julia. "Huh?"

Julia smiled guiltily, pushing some strands of hair behind her ear. "I was the one who pushed you to take me out before. I knew that you weren't ready for it but I kept pushing you, and pushing, and forcing..."

"I'm so sorry for it, MK. I just keep forgetting that we are more than an alliance now... and I thought a date would be the solution..."

Julia's fingers started fidgeting as she went along with it, "Anyone who is responsible for this incident has to be me because I started all of th -"

Julia froze as her face was quickly pulled in for a big smack on the lips by MK. The kiss was so passionate... and questionably long, the fire had been putted out.

After Julia pulled away, she gasped as she looks at MK with butterflies fluttering in her brain, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!!"

MK laughed as they watched their girlfriend slowly turning red, "You were starting to sound like a crybaby, princess. I have to put a stop to it."

MK continued to giggle like a little kid as they pecked a kiss on Julia's pinkish cheek. "Touché, dearest.."

"Are you two done now here?" asked a male firefighter, "The fire is out and if you two have been checked up by the medic, you are free to go home now and continue this make out session there."

The two looked at each other as the firefighter turned away. Both of their faces has those evil muehehehehe vibes.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, dearest?"

"Of course I do, my princess."

So long story short, they toilet papered and egged the firefighter truck and MK stole the tires for no reason.

The end!!!

[noa-de-cajou]

Day 23 : A mystery / Being old together / Take a drink / judgement

_____

“... So.”

“... Yep.”

“Here we are.”

“We sure are here.”

“It wasn’t easy, to try and find some time to talk face-to-face. You’re always surrounded by other people.”

I smile and pick up the piping hot cup of tea on the table.

“So it's gonna be my fault?”

“I'm merely stating facts, Ether, that's all.”

Ha! Reminds me of someone I knew.

“So. You're married to an empress now. An a half angel, half demon queen. And a werewolf. That’s certainly something.”

“Sure is! I got really lucky. But what about you, miss Director? How’d you even manage all of this?”

“I got some help. From Dal and Demetria, mainly.”

“Demetria… Like Demetria Camarra-Pharos? Oh shit, talk about a trip down memory lane. I was getting weird ass vibes from her back when we were classmates.”

“And you were right. When she learned she was going to become blind eventually, she decided to just lose her sight as soon as she could and managed to get artificial aura vision somehow.”

“What the hell.”

“I know. But she was an excellent diplomat. And I mean excellent. So I got her help despite the “weird vibes” as you’d call it.”

“Was it, uh, worth it?”

“Honestly, I'm not sure. She never specified how she got the intel she gave me, kept bumping into every furniture despite her cane, I always got complaints from everyone in the School about her behavior, she was loud, wouldn't respect my privacy, asked the most intrusive questions, and I had to clean up after her all the time. To the very end. This idiot died attempting a lichification ritual. She gave us so much trouble with all the blood, it was horrendous.”

Hm. I smile, a little.

“... Is that all?”

Nenia averts her eyes away from mine. We’re both more than a century old but her mannerisms are still the same.

“... Well. Something’s different now.”

“What is?”

“I don’t know, exactly. It’s just, sometimes I hold out my hand expecting her to slap papers into it. Or I catch myself wondering why she’s talking so long to come back from her mission. And it feels… wrong, to not hear her voice shout my name anymore. It's strange. She’s been gone more than forty years and I'm still not used to it. She reminded me of some kind of snake and I got Horus some time after, without thinking about it.”

She looks at the vivarium where her snake is sleeping, curled onto itself.

“Do you miss her?” I ask.

“I… don’t know. Dal does, I think. Sometimes he just looks at her old office door with a lost face. He knows better than me what missing people feels like.”

Yeah. I bet he does.

“It doesn’t really matter now, does it? I could never understand her. Maybe I didn't try hard enough, but I had other things on my mind, and… I don’t know. The ritual was sudden. I don't know what was going through her head, to do such a thing.”

“She liked you, didn’t she?”

“I… suppose, yes.”

“Then maybe she wanted to witness the results of what you were building. Or to spend more time with you.”

Nenia looks thrown off guard. Like, fully. She grips her cup tighter and I can actually see her face twist into a weird expression. A childish anger. Maybe some kind of sadness.

“That's the stupidest reason for a ritual I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, to you, maybe. But humans experience it differently.”

My eyes land on my wedding ring. The one on my artificial hand.

“This isn’t my first time marrying a human woman, you know. The first one died at fifty. Before her time.”

“Then why marry another? Even if the Empress lives to the maximum of a human lifespan, she'll probably die before you. You just set yourself up for more pain. Why would you go through this again?”

“Because it's worth it.”

I didn't hesitate. Not even for a second. Nenia stares at me intently, then smiles a little.

“You’ve changed, Lani.”

I wince a little. Haven’t heard that nickname in a while.

“Obviously? So did you. Like, you're taller than me now and your hair has gotten longer…”

“‘No, that's not what I mean. You look… well. If not for the ears and your age, I could swear that I have a human in front of me.”

She says that like it’s something to be sad about.

I understand, somehow.

I’ve lived too many years and too many things to be a human. Yet I tend to forget that I'm an elf, and not, like, three humans stacked upon each other.

“But I'm not human.”

“No. But you understand them.”

She chuckles and takes a sip of her tea.

“I envy you.”

… Is it really something to be envious about?

Maybe it is. Maybe Nenia would have liked to understand Demetria before she died.

But the way she says it… it’s like she doesn't even know how I do it. How to even apprehend me at all. Maybe we’ve been apart for too long.

Maybe we can't understand each other.

…

“This is the worst tea I've ever drank, Nia.”

“Well, you’ll brew it yourself next time, Lani, I have priorities.”

“Like what, ruling a country?”

“You're the worst consort I've ever met. Worse than my tea.”

“My wife does most of the ruling for a reason!"

Eh. I guess we’re okay like this.

[theheromira]

Nimona appreciation post (Part 4 of idk how many there will be)

Sorry that took so long, I was a bit preoccupied with farming for Rizzley (Wriothesley in Genshin Impact) I'm just drinking some Tea and watching Nimona for probably the 50th time lol Sooo… here you go: Part 4 (again: GIF for attention)

Bal waking up, noticing the blanket, looking around, seeing the tea and candles (completely ignoring the hilt of the morning star behind te cup) and just sighing kind of content as if he wakes up like this often is just precious and supptly highlights his relationship with Amb and I just kind of love it, I guess

also Bal being awake and alert right away even tho he was just about to relax cause he prob thought he's with Amb and all is good and stuff is also kind of competent again

Nimona just vibing

"Go" by Santigold is just so good, how did I never heard of that one before?

also how Bal looks at Nim (prob) destroying his kitchen is funny as hell, idk

her eyes reflecting the lightning is a neat lil detail

Nim never bats an eye while she lies like this

also Bals reaction is soooo good, Riz Ahmed nailed this roll (all of the VAs did, but honestly: without him the movie wouldn't be the same)

first time Nim tells him directly not to be so gullible, but he remains so gullible

Breakfast Tacos

She dragged him in what form tho? If his head bounced on the sidewalk it probably couldn't have been her Gorilla or Horse form, I guess. What do y'all think?

"Totally happened."

"Evil Larry" is a much better name than the german version ("Böser Tiger" = "evil tiger" because one wird for evil in german is "bösartiger" and well, they took the pun but it sounds so stupid, idk… it isn't even a name)

Nimonas lil handgesture when she says: "That's a great villain name." also her face when she gets the idea for Evil Larry

"Never gonna happen.", he says with a very much Nope-Face "Whatever, Larry", she says without a fruk to give

Sick murderwall

I will not go into much detail about the contents of the muderwall here, but damn, the really didn't need to go that hard on those details

One thing I'm gonna cram in here tho cause I just saw the portrait of the queen: I recently read somewhere that they wanted to get Dr. Blitzmeyer (I hope I remember her name correctly lol) in the movie but ultimately scrapped her buuut they kept the design/color scheme for the queen and I just… Blitzmeyer helped and supported Comic!Bal, the queen helped and supported Movie!Bal (even if it's a bit of a different relationship, I guess) and that's kinda cute ngl. I kinda missed Dr. Blitzmeyer, she was my fav character in the comic and I was a bit sad that she didn't make it into the movie

Bals face (and probably the camera movement) when he remembers what happened when they broke out of the institute reminds me of some anime protag who goes a bit insane, but I can't remember a particular anime I feel remembered of

Bal always the knight, trying to get his sword when he feels threatened, even tho he doesn't even have it on him

the hand gesture to "Meatball" lol and also: very nice line delivery by Chloe Grace Moretz, she's also a big part of why I liked the character of Nimona (even tho I also like her design and personality, without a good VA a character can be not that likeable, if you know what I mean)

again with the eyes reflecting lightning, I love the lighting in this movie so much

she is in fact a massive, fire-breathing something

Bals brain just overheated and he decided to just roll with it and ask

She's Nimona. (one of my fav lines ever and I love that she get's to say that in at least one other scene)

I have a feeling that Bals answer to "I'm Nimona." ("That is not an answer.") is maybe something trans/genderfluid people get more than me (and def shouldn't cause why do they need to even get that? Why can't everyone just accept stuff like that?)

Bal getting at least one question is actually very nice of Nim ngl

also him not asking something about her but why she's helping him is kinda neat, I think he felt that that maybe would be a bit to much in Nimonas personal space atm

Bals eyes widen for just a second when Nim answers him and he remembers what situation he is in is kinda sad (btw. much of this movie wouldn't worked for me if they weren't so damn much animated/if they wouldn't be so much little details in the gestures, mannerisms and whatnot of the people)

him straight going to thinking-mode when looking at the murder.. I mean innocence wall

Bal looking sad at Ambs portrait is kind of a mood ngl

also him kind of forcing himself to look away (down), breathing in and then looking at the complete wall again is so very human, those charcters just feel to real

best photo of Diego (the squire)

Love how Nim wants to say kill him and stops herself when Bal turns towards her, without a doubt with a look on his face that says: Noooooo, bad shapeshifter

His reaction to "Let's got get him. You and me." is priceless lol

Bals hesitation (and probably inner monolouge) is kinda fun to see but also very undertandable, I mean: he knows her how long now? And even tho he redeems himself fast enough, here he is very much and very heavy still under the brain washing of the Institute and knows now that Nim is not human, so I kinda understand why he's so hesitant but he's desperate and she can (and will) voluntarily help him

Nim just rubbing salt in the wound, cause she knows exactly that he doesn't have much of a choice

He clearly wondered how she got there so fast and I love these kind of little reactions throughout the movie, they show how vigilant the character are and it feels even more real, cause let's be honest: if you're talking to someone who is like 10 steps away, you blink and then they are right before you, you'd also not gloss over that without so much as a second glance, would you?

love that Nim already moved from Sidekick-for-a-evil-villain to clear-his-name-and-be-a-hero-sidekick

Bal still not really trusting her but debating it

the shark transformation is just nice: the fluidity, the sound effect, Nims look, the lighting, the fact that you probably didn't really expect it, just *chefs kiss*

her "I'm not a girl, I'm a shark." is also very iconic, even tho it's used just one time in the movie; still one of the best lines ngl also her face when she says "But I'm not a girl." and the lil bite animation and sound is very nice

"Hey. You ever put your head in the mouth of one of these?", that line delivery and the animation for that and Bal already being done with the convo lol

"Should've just stayed in jail." lol

That's it for this part, I hope y'all are ok with the length, it really feels a bit smoother to write ^^ Have a good one and until next time :)

[helloalycia]

watching TV [two] // kate bishop

summary: you’re beginning to get over your sudden breakup, but it’s left it’s mark on you. And as if that’s not already taking its toll, you’re starting to think of Kate in another light.

warning/s: none.

author's note: here’s part two! hope you like it :)

one / three / masterlist / wattpad

Two months later (after the breakup)

It’s hard at first, getting over Hannah. Even though she broke my heart, I still love her. For a while, even after everything. I can’t just fall out of love with her straight away, can I? But it gets easier, mostly because of Kate and also because of time. Time heals all, right? That's what the saying is?

I'd like to think that I'm better now, but the truth is that there's always going to a be a mark left by Hannah. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Sometimes, I get lost in my head, wondering what could have been with her. And when it's not that, I still let it eat up at me – everything she said, everything she made me feel – whenever a chance at moving on or falling in love comes up again. I could be working and some cute girl will flirt with me at the counter, but I can never pursue it. It doesn't feel right to.

I'm scared to put myself out there. I hate that that's how I am now, but it's something I can't control. What if I find someone again and it works out, we fall in love, and then they realise the truth about me? That I'm not enough? And then they leave? I don't think I can go through that again... so for now, I'm happily single. I'm not sure for how long, but it's better this way. Besides, I'm not alone. Kate always likes to remind me of that.

Part of moving on completely is sorting my life out, which includes trying to find a better job than as a barista. And to my luck, I land an interview at a well-established marketing agency which I may or may not really want, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up for.

As I go over my interview notes beforehand, my phone starts to ring and I realise it's a FaceTime call from Kate.

"Hey!" she shouts with a grin when I accept. "Look at you all fancy for your interview!"

I laugh at her enthusiasm, any nerves immediately dispersing when she speaks. "Thanks, nice to know I look the part."

"Of course you do," she assures. "You're gonna be amazing, Y/N. I just wanted to wish you a final good luck."

"What, like you haven't texted me a million times already?" I joke, making her wave her hand dismissively.

"Barely counts until I say it aloud," she defends, making my smile widen with amusement. "Now, remember. Start off strong with a handshake. A firm one so they know you mean business."

"I got it, Kate."

"And always make eye contact with who you're speaking to. No slouching. Raised chin."

"Uh-huh."

"And don't drink too much water or you'll need a pee and that doesn't look good mid-interview."

"Kate," I stop her, trying so hard not to laugh. "I know all of this."

She exhales softly, giving me an apologetic glance. "Right, I know you do. I just– I'm so proud of you for getting the interview. You're gonna be amazing."

"Thank you," I say appreciatively, my insides warming at her words. "I should go now. But thanks for calling. I feel a lot better."

She flashes me a smile. "Anytime. Talk later."

"See you, Kate."

When she hangs up, I let out a heavy breath, trying to push away any nerves or anxiety I have. Kate helped, I won't lie, always knowing the perfect thing to say. Now I just have to nail it.

The interview lasts an hour and I think it went well. I didn't struggle with any of the questions, the vibes were there and, I hate to admit it, but I can finally see myself leaving that damned coffee shop and actually putting my degree to some use!

With a skip in my step, I leave the building where I interviewed with a relieved smile, glad it's over, but that soon transforms to one of surprise when I spot Kate waiting outside. I have to do a double take, unsure if I've noticed correctly, but it's her. Why is she here?

"Y/N!" she calls when she sees me, a grin on her face. She moves forward and hugs me without warning. "Tell me everything. How did it go?!"

I return her hug, still surprised. "I– it went well. I think– okay, sorry, but what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to know how it went," she says with a cheeky smile. "It's important, isn't it?"

I exhale softly, unable to stop the smile spreading on my face. "Kate, that's so cute. But you could've just called."

"It's not the same," she says with a shrug, before linking arms with me and leading the way. "Now. How did it go? You gonna make me wait even longer?!"

I laugh at her impatience. "Right. The interview. Well, like I said, it went well..."

I tell her about how I thought it went, going into detail from when I first walked in the building up until I said my goodbyes. It’s a good feeling being able to tell her, because if she didn't come to see me now, I would've just rang her anyway. Plus, she’s super enthusiastic, wanting to know everything, and I appreciate the interest from someone other than my parents.

"You'll get it, I have no doubts," she says with certainty, after I finish telling her.

"Let's not jinx it," I joke, but also I don't want to get my hopes up just in case.

"Whatever," she mumbles with a playful eye roll.

"I just realised I have no idea where we're going," I say when I notice we've been walking for a while now.

With a chuckle, she says, "Well, I thought you could, maybe, spend the night at the Compound with me. And Tony could get one of his fancy chefs to make us a nice meal, we could hang out with Yelena who's over visiting Natasha. And then stay up on the roof, do some stargazing. If you want to."

I can't help but grin at her words, trying not to laugh. "Sounds like you've already got this planned out."

She's smiling nervously, avoiding looking my way, only making me smile harder because she looks so damn cute when she's not too busy being cocky and mischievous.

"That sounds good with me," I say when she's too embarrassed to speak. Nudging her in the arm slightly, I add, "I don't have work tomorrow, so we can even stay up late."

I've been to the Compound many times, having met the Avengers and finding it awkward to be around them because even though they are superheroes, they're still older strangers whom I have nothing in common with. Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff's sister, is someone who Kate is the closest with there (when she visits), so she's the only one who I'm less awkward around. And paying her a visit doesn’t seem so bad.

"Awesome. I'll get us a taxi," she says with a smile. "You can just borrow my stuff. Sound good?"

I nod in agreement, not minding since I've shared clothes with her before, and Tony Stark basically has everything else one can need.

"I don't think I'll ever not be amazed by this place," I admit, looking around at the Compound as we walk through the halls.

Kate laughs from beside me. "Honestly, same. Stark has some serious money. And free time."

"You're pretty rich, too, last time I checked," I tease, giving her a sideways glance.

She rolls her eyes playfully, saying nothing. I smile contently, following her to the lift and eventually the communal floor. It never fails to impress me that Tony Stark has a floor for everyone, including separate floors for communal areas and simply to work out and train. Like, imagine being that rich.

On the way, we bump into a few of the Avengers, whom all greet me kindly and, to my surprise, ask about how my interview went. At first I think it's just a few of them that know, but then I realise Kate has pretty much told everyone.

"I can't believe you told everybody about it," I complain petulantly, embarrassed after the fourth person has asked.

"I'm proud, what can I say?!" she exclaims with a grin, trying not to laugh.

I shoot her an unimpressed glance, to which she merely returns with the grin that seems to be permanently fixed on her face. She doesn't look away, eyes flickering between mine with amusement, and I nudge her in the side before looking away, all of a sudden nervous under her stare. It's the attention, I tell myself. That's all.

Eventually we make our way to the games room to hang out, only to find Yelena and Natasha there, chatting away on the couch. When they spot us, they both get up to greet us.

"Y/N! It's good to see you again," Yelena says with a friendly smile, moving forward to hug me. "Kate Bishop said you were visiting us today."

"Again with the full name, Yelena, c'mon," Kate says with a sigh, making me laugh because I know she hates when Yelena does that.

"Good to see you, too, Yelena," I say, returning her hug and smile.

It's strange to think I'm comfortable around her, considering she's a fully trained assassin just like her sister. But I haven't seen her in action, so it's hard to be intimidated by her when she's only ever been friendly to me. Same with her sister, though that one is particularly amusing because the first time I met the Black Widow, I fangirled way too hard. I'd like to think I'm cool around her now.

"Y/N, good to see you," Natasha says from beside her sister, offering me a smirk and nod.

I can't help but smile embarrassingly wide. "Y–you, too, Miss Natasha." I shake my head, correcting myself. "Miss widow. Black Widow. Ah– Romanoff. Miss–"

"Y/N," Kate cuts me off with a stifled smile. "Chill. It's just Natasha."

I sigh inwardly, cringing because clearly I'm not as calm around the hero as I thought. "Right. Sorry, Natasha."

Natasha's smile widens with amusement. "Cute."

Certain that my face is flushing, I look down at my shoes to distract myself.

"Hey, your interview was today, right?" Yelena asks, patting my arm to get my attention. "Oh, who am I kidding? Kate hasn't shut up about it all week."

Natasha laughs as they both look to Kate. I look up at her and she's scoffing, attempting to deflect terribly.

"I was not going on all week," she says defensively. "I mentioned it a few times."

"To everyone, it seems," I say with narrowed eyes.

"And not just about your interview," Yelena continues, looking at Kate with a grin. "Anything to do with you, Y/N, and you can bet Kate Bishop is–"

"Right!" Kate cuts her off, before looking to me with raised eyebrows. "You up for a round of air hockey?"

I quirk a brow, glancing at the blonde who is laughing to herself now. "Er, sure."

Kate exhales with relief, grabbing my hand and tugging me to the air hockey table in the corner of the room. As much as I know I have the ammo to bully her about whatever Yelena was talking about, I know she seems pretty embarrassed, so I let it slide. For now.

We play a few rounds of air hockey before moving to the arcade machines, even inviting Yelena and Natasha to join us. Never in a million years did I think I'd be playing a zombie shooting game with two assassins and my best friend, but there's a first time for everything. At one point, Natasha leaves for work-related stuff, so it's just the three of us and I find myself seriously enjoying the moment with them. It's even cuter seeing Yelena and Kate getting along. I knew Kate had friends at work, but I always worried for her safety, Avengers or no Avengers. It's reassuring to see how much Yelena cares for her and has her back.

"Piggy back time," I say, making a spinning motion with my hand at Kate.

She sighs dramatically before turning and lowering herself to give me room. I jump up and she catches me, holding me upright on her back by my legs. I smile to myself as I wrap my arms around her neck to balance.

"Is this a common thing between you two?" Yelena asks with a suppressed laugh, pointing a finger between the two of us.

"Sometimes," I say with a shrug. "She loves me."

"Yeah, yeah...," Kate mumbles beneath me, and I don't have to see her face to know she's smiling all the same.

After saying our goodbyes to Yelena, Kate speeds down the hallway with me on her back before we both collapse into the lift in fits of laughter.

"One day I'm gonna be too heavy for you to carry, you know that right?" I says between my laughter as the doors close and she hits the button to her floor on the panel.

"Not if I keep working out," she says with an overly confident smile, making me roll my eyes playfully and look the other way, face stupidly heating up.

When we arrive on her floor, she leads me to her bedroom which is bigger than my whole apartment quite frankly. It's not as Kate-ified as I expect, especially considering she's been living here for a while now, but I guess that's down to the fact that she still takes turns staying here, at her apartment and at her mum's place.

"These should fit you," she says, suddenly throwing some clothes into my face.

"Gee, thanks," I say with sarcasm, ripping the clothes from my face. Looking at them, I begin to hold them up to get a better look. "Is this Avengers merch?"

"What? No!"

A smile spreads across my face as I glance from the monogrammed joggers and tee shirt to her. "It literally has the Avengers logo on them. It's merch."

She gets unnecessarily worked up and raises her brows with disbelief. "What? How would that even work? It's official! The real stuff because I'm an Avenger!"

"Yeah, official merch," I tease, standing up from her bed.

She scoffs. "It's official."

I laugh at her pouty expression. "Whatever you say."

"Just get ready," she says before pointing to the ensuite bathroom. "We're gonna eat after."

"Aye aye, captain." I salute her playfully before going to the bathroom to get changed into something more comfortable.

Soon after we both get ready, Kate leads to me the kitchen where she wasn't kidding about Tony's fancy chefs making us dinner. And it's not just any dinner – it's all my favourites.

"If I ever had any doubts that you were my soulmate, Kate Bishop, they have all been squashed," I say with a smile so wide it hurts. "How did you remember all of my favourite foods?"

Kate shrugs bashfully, pocketing her hands and avoiding my eyes. I'm definitely not mistaken when I see her cheeks dusting pink and I begin to laugh at how cute she is when she's nervous. Immediately pulling her into a hug, I squeeze her tight, hoping she knows how grateful I am.

"Okay, time to eat," I say excitedly, grabbing her hand and tugging her to the table where everything is being finished laid out.

"I think I'm bloated."

Kate snickers opposite me. "Well, nobody told you to have the leftover garlic bread."

"It's garlic bread," I say, as if it's self-explanatory, which it is because garlic bread is beautiful. "And it was leftover for a reason, wasn't it?"

She rolls her eyes, shaking her head with amusement. Meanwhile, I lean back in my seat and sigh contently, definitely feeling stuffed but overwhelmingly happy. Good food does that, what can I say?

"Let me know if I have to carve you out of your pants first or if we can go straight up to the roof."

"Not funny."

She's biting her lips to suppress a grin. "Kind of is. I'm hilarious."

"Hilarious-looking maybe, sure."

She lifts a brow challengingly, blue eyes twinkling with mischief. I don't have it in me to bicker right now, since I'm currently trying to stretch my pants to make space for the extra garlic bread, so I flip her off and look away. She laughs, standing up breezily.

"Let's go walk off that extra garlic bread first, loser," she says, holding out her hand and wiggling her fingers.

Reluctantly, I reach for her hand, letting her pull me up and letting out a deep groan as she does. We both grab a jacket and pull on our shoes before taking a walk around the Compound to get some fresh air.

It's quiet as we do, peaceful since we're just outside the city so there's no usual background hum of New York. It's strange, since I'm used to hearing that always, but it's also calming. Especially since Kate is right here with me. Though, that does mean it's easier to get stuck in my own head more than usual.

"D'you think they'll call me back?" I ask randomly, unable to keep it in.

Kate glances at me as we walk. "Who? The interviewers?"

I hum, looking to her patiently.

She nods like it's the easiest, most obvious answer. "Of course. Not even in a biased way. I've seen you in a professional context. They'd be insane not to hire you."

I raise an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "When have you ever seen me in a professional context?"

She cracks a smile. "Okay, maybe not entirely. But at work, when you're talking to customers and your colleagues and stuff, that's pretty professional."

I roll my eyes. "That's not the same, Kate."

"You're overthinking it," she says, nudging me with her shoulder to make me look at her again. Her expression is gentle as she adds, "If they don't call, you keep applying for more. You don't give up. The right job will fall into place."

I exhale softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Just before I can get lost in my own head again, Kate's hand slips into mine, pulling me out of it. She squeezes, thumb caressing the back of my hand comfortingly. I look up, but she lets go as swiftly as she grabbed it, not as fazed as I. Is her hand not full of tingles, too?

When I no longer feel like I'm going to burst out of my pants, Kate and I go back inside and get the lift to the roof, but not before she grabs two blankets and two pillows for us. When we reach the top, I find myself getting distracted by the view of the city in the distance and the stars all twinkling in the sky. I've been here before, yet I'm always impressed.

"You gonna keep straining your neck looking up like that or join me over here?" Kate's voice grabs my attention, and I spin around to see her sitting on the blanket she's laid out.

"Someone's impatient," I joke, jogging over to her.

I get comfortable, laying down next to her on the pillows and tugging the other blanket over the top of us to keep in some warmth.

"It's still quite cold up here, isn't it?" she asks after a moment of silence, and I laugh because that's exactly what I'm thinking.

"Just a little," I agree with amusement, before moving closer to her to feel some body heat. "But it's okay. Doesn't beat the view."

"I believe I'm over here," she says teasingly, and I tear my gaze from the sky and to her, only to see her wiggling her brows stupidly.

"Who's the loser now?" I mumble, trying to fight the smile from my lips as I look back up at the sky.

Just when I think I'm relaxed, Kate decides to speak up again.

"You know, when we do this, I always think of that scene from Shrek."

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying my very damn hardest not to give in and laugh at her randomness.

"The one with Donkey and Shrek looking at the stars and then Shrek always points out the different ogres," she continues, and I massage the point between my eyes as I contain the urge to laugh.

"Kate, I love you, but what the fuck?"

"That's what happens!" she defends, and I finally look to her to see her staring back at me like she's completely sane.

"Okay, yes, you're right," I decide, rolling my eyes and looking back up, not having the effort to figure out the rare specimen that's Kate Bishop.

Pulling up the blanket closer to my chest, I turn slightly so I'm leaning on Kate's shoulder, getting even more comfortable. God, it's so beautiful out tonight. A little cloudy, leaving a dark haze over the night sky, but still clear enough to make out the stars twinkling lightyears away. It's so easy to get lost in it all, forgetting about my day and any of my worries. Kate really knows how to make everything better.

"Stark has pretty good taste in Compounds," I say lightheartedly. "It's so nice out here. Away from the city."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Kate jokes. "You're a New Yorker through and through."

I chuckle quietly. "Yeah, but you can't get this in the city. It's a nice break sometimes."

She hums in agreement, and I feel her head rest against mine as she sighs contently. "It is... I prefer it here more than I do back home sometimes."

I suck on my lower lip when I think about her situation, how much she clashes with her mum and how it's only getting worse lately. She never talks about it and I never want to push her, but it still hurts knowing I can't do anything to make her feel better. Not completely.

"The only downside is that it's too far from you," she continues, and that's when I scoff quietly in response, making her snicker.

"Kate."

"Seriously," she says, and I don't hear an ounce of insincerity in her voice despite how playful she sounds. "Why do you think I keep going back to my apartment?" Before I can think to answer, she nudges me in the shoulder with hers. "It's close to yours."

I raise my eyebrows, surprised and also convinced that she's lying to make me feel special or something. But when I pull away to look at her properly, she's already staring at me with a soft smile and a piercing gaze. I don't mean to feel a thrum in my chest at the sight, but it's impossible not to. I've never really paid attention to how beautiful Kate could be. And not in the physical sense, but in everything she did. In every effort she makes with me. In every reassuring glance she's sent my way. In every plan she's ever made to make my day better.

Of course, her smile right now is beautiful, too, matching her bright blue eyes which are as bright as the blanket of stars above us, the ones she should be staring at but isn't because she's staring at me instead. A stare that is making me feel gooey inside and warm all of a sudden. Why am I suddenly attracted to Kate – my best friend Kate – right now?

Backing up inconspicuously, I focus my eyes on the sky once more, trying not to overthink whatever that just was. Because it was nothing. It's Kate. It's my Kate. Not somebody I've thought about in a different way. It's Kate.

"So, I've got a mission coming up soon," Kate says, as if nothing happened, which I have to keep telling myself nothing did. "I'm pretty excited."

I try to push away my confusion and enjoy the moment like it should be. "Oh, really? What is it?"

"Top secret," she jokes, and I blink when I realise what she said.

I kick her under the blanket gently, making her laugh.

"I don't actually know the specifics," she admits, and all she does is move a little closer to me, our arms rubbing against one another, but my body feels like it's on fire. "I'm meeting with the others at the end of the week to discuss."

"Be careful," I warn her, worried as I think about the potential danger she could get into. She's about to speak, but I instantly shoot her a glance. "And don't say you're always careful because you're not. Look at you now? Littered with cuts and scrapes."

Unfazed, she smirks sloppily. "Would I be me if I wasn't?"

I roll my eyes. "Still."

"Okay, mom, I'll be careful," she teases, but I don't let it faze me because I just want her to be okay.

"Good. You better, Kate."

She mumbles under her breath but I ignore it and resort to kicking her gently once more.

The rest of the evening is as good as our afternoon we've shared together, and I try very hard to keep my previous split second thought about her out of my mind. It doesn't return for the rest of the night and I certainly don't intend for it to ever.

Until it does.

"We can't not wear what she bought us, Kate, that's very disrespectful," I say nervously when Kate shoots me an unimpressed glance.

"What's disrespectful is forcing me to go to this boring event in the first place," Kate complains before groaning and laying down on her bed. "The only nice thing my mom has done is let me bring you as my plus one. And even then, she only said yes because then I can't back out."

"I believe her words were to keep you in line," I correct, and when Kate looks to me with a glare, I try not to laugh. "Look, it'll be fun. Think about it like this. Free food. You can hang out with me. Dessert. It'll be great!"

Letting out a groan, Kate covers her face with her hands dramatically. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal. Kate's mum wants her to attend some important work event, a formal one that Kate definitely needs to be on her best behaviour for, and she said I can come, too. It's not my sort of thing, but if it means I can hang out with Kate, I don't mind. The only thing is, she's already bought Kate and I outfits so we can fit in (her words, not mine), but Kate refuses to listen to her mother – no surprise there.

"I have to get to work," I say after realising the time. Standing up, I give Kate a knowing look. "Wear the damn dress, Kate. The last thing I need is to annoy your mother because you didn't listen to her and, somehow, to me."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Patting her on the leg, I smile her way even though she's still sulking in her hands. "Catch you later."

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: STILL NOT ready to share part one of chapter six (and am not totally sure that's happening this time around). So, this is another teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

I won't keep you. I'm 35% done w/ this chapter, and have a goal to post it to Ao3 by the last Friday of the month. So, I gotta focus on my focus, and ask for y'all to send me all the positive vibes. Until then, here's another out of sequence and context peek at chapter six.

I appreciate you!

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK 3

Before retrieving the file they were sent to pick up from Catherine's home office, Evan stops in the kitchen to grab a bottle of Pellegrino for the road. They find Jonathan Cartwright sitting in Tommy's lap, and Beth propped on the table, leaning towards them both. 

Jonathan is playing in Tommy's hair, and Evan feels like they walked in on an intimate moment between the three of them, which is emphasized by the audible gasp heard in reaction to the discovery. Beth, Jonathan, and Tommy had gone out after brunch the day before, and Evan didn't think much of it but passed on joining, with the work week resuming the next day. Apparently, they were still going strong. Not knowing what else to do, Evan quickly turns and walks back out of the room. They want to get what they came for, and to banish all other thoughts from their mind. But, they're stopped by someone tugging their arm. 

Tommy: "Why did you rush off?"

Evan: "I'm in a hurry."

Tommy: "Because of that…?"

Evan: "Look, I know I'm pretty fluid, but poly just isn't my thing. To each their own, but I personally feel like there's plenty of me to go around and prefer someone who sees me as enough."

Tommy: "Babe, I'm all yours. You don't have to worry about that."

Evan: "Being pretty doesn't make me dumb."

Tommy gets close, so he can speak in Evan's ear. 

Tommy: "Of course not. I find your big brain very attractive, but you are also very pretty."

Evan doesn't pull away, but that doesn't mean things are okay.

Evan: "I'm also not easily manipulated. Whatever you're trying to pull on all of them, count me out. I want no parts of it."

Tommy: "I would never-"

Evan: "Wouldn't you though? I find it interesting that you're so suspicious of Robyn, considering. Maybe you've always just been projecting."

Tommy: "Look, I've been honest with you. And I'll continue to be, but neither of us is going to get anywhere if we don't take advantage of our opportunities. I need you to trust me. My success will be yours too. We're in this together, right?"

Evan doesn't know what to say. Kate is important to them, and so is Mary, and Robyn too for that matter. But they can't say they feel an allegiance to the elder Hamilton Kanes, or the evil twin. Moreover, this was only supposed to be a stepping stone, and maybe Tommy was right to remind Evan of that. They might have different tactics for their pursuits, but their goals weren't entirely dissimilar.

Evan: "I don't trust her…"

Evan nods in the direction of the kitchen, indicating Beth.

Tommy: "I'm not asking you to, but she likes to talk, and she doesn't like her parents very much. I'm learning a lot that I can leverage. Proximity to her is advantageous."

Evan sighs, and Tommy places a quick kiss on their cheek as a form of appreciation for the forgiveness. 

Evan: "I do have to go. Just remember what I said. And maybe take a shower? I can name every bar you traipsed through last night by how you smell."

And with that, still not totally thrilled, Evan leaves Tommy to whatever he was plotting and orchestrating before they arrived.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I've got two Fridays to finish this chapter. I believe I can do it. Do you? Lie to me if not. LOL!

Hopefully you've been following the Writer and Actor strikes. If not, now's the time to get informed. I support the people that gave us these characters and this story. They deserve to afford to eat and have health insurance while many of them are still in between jobs since they cancelled our show. #PayWriters #PayActors #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[wearytaco]

Visited by Papa Legba?

So I want to preface this with I am a white (trans) man, I do not practice any sect of voodoo and am aware of the sensitivity around voodoo with people of other cultures, etc. While I grew up Christian I am not any longer and never was associated with Catholicism, I have no particular spirituality but follow closer to New Age than any specific type. And I am confused. I also want to clarify when I say "see" and "hear" in the following text, I mean in my minds-eye, not with my physical eyes/ears.

So a few years back I was visited by a spirit I later googled to be Papa Legba based on colors and vague attributes like cane and hat and such. I don't recall if I was high, meditating, dreaming, or just in a trance state. It was literally years ago. When I learned it was Papa Legba, I got really confused and decided to file it away as a one off and didn't touch it again because I have heard that there is a lot of cultural sensitivity around other cultures engaging in voodoo (idk if that's wholeheartedly true, but I didn't see a need for me to be involved for something that seemed like a one time shenanigan).

Skip ahead to a few months ago and I moved to Botswana, Africa. I recall I was attempting to look into the original religion of the area before colonization and learned about Orishas and Yoruba. I never actually got around to reading the books I downloaded, which I will be rectifying soon.

Recently I saw a video (yeah just a TikTok) about Eshu. The video strangely caught my attention and I ended up actually watching like the whole 3 minutes lol. It was mentioned Eshu was connected with the Orishas/Yoruba. Which reminded me I still have yet to read those books.

Two days ago I had a (sober) trance like experience, which I haven't had in quite a while. First there was this spirit that came. She was speaking with me, she had long dreaded like hair with beads and shells, she was wearing a white dress which almost resembled a dress slip, and she didn't seem good nor evil just neutral maybe leaning chaotic but not a proper chaotic neutral vibe. She also told me she was Haitian, which I found really strange being in Botswana. I don't recall everything we spoke of, but she mentioned she is living in the house with me, calling it "our house". While I don't see her having any ill intentions to me, I do very much get the vibe that if there was something happening to me she would end that threat. I haven't felt her here before, but I also haven't exactly been paying attention to the spirit world lately due to other distractions that have recently left my life.

While speaking with her behind me I heard the name "Eshu" being repeated over and over and over again, getting louder, but never like aggressive. Just something I couldn't keep ignoring.

I turned to look behind me towards my room and when I turned back she was gone. Cliche, in my opinion...

So I went towards my room and then felt the strange urge to use some of my spit to write "Eshu" on the wall of my room. After I had a spirit I hadn't seen in years appeared in the doorway of my room. But when he was trying to speak to me it sounded like he was being drowned out by static. It was like when you are almost on the right radio station so you can hear the song, but you can't hear the lyrics only the static. I tried asking his name because I couldn't remember it as it had been years. At first I heard "Papa" and then after another 5 or so minutes I heard "Legba" (but I legitimately thought I made Legba up and didn't believe that is what I was hearing.) It was so hard to communicate with him and all I recalled was his connection to voodoo.

Strangely, when he disappeared behind me yet again, but not in a doorway, instead near my window, I felt a spirit that called themselves Eshu. I suddenly got really sleepy. Things were clearer, but I was basically told to go to sleep by the spirit and he would give me a message in my dreams. (I remember when I first woke up going, "oh. That was the message" but then I went back to sleep and I have absolutely no idea what I was dreaming of). Before I fell asleep I looked up "Papa Legba" and realized that was his name, and then.... I saw another name in Africa, I believe it said in Nigeria and other countries, he is called Eshu. I am both floored, and really confused. Especially since it felt like two different spirits?

And then last night I felt incredibly nauseous and that was hardly able to stand up right (I am on a medicine for a few weeks now and that unfortunately is a side effect). I got the same urge to write Eshu on the wall in spit, and again at the doorway Papa Legba appeared. But this time clear and not speaking through static. However, I was mostly bent over or on my knees for s lot of the conversation due to the horrid wave of nausea I was experiencing. He offered me a deal of sorts. He asked what I wanted more or less, like we kind of just had a conversation about things I have been wanting (such as confidence, spiritual connection, sexual liberation, things I just wish I could improve upon myself). And then he asked for spit and I was about to give it to him without any thought but then I realized that may be the "handshake" so to say. So I stopped and asked why. He basically confirmed it was an offering. I asked what he wants in return if he's offering to help me with these things. He didn't really have an answer. But he did say he wants me to tell someone something. And I told him I would likely forget what he asked of me (which I have forgotten what he told me to say as predicted lmfao). And a few hours go by and ... Well I know making deals is always risky business but let's just leave it at yeah I ended up making the deal and gave him spit (I just don't understand the spit thing?? I read he likes tobacco, alcohol, and candy??) but it never truly felt like a trick. I know from briefly reading he can be considered a trickster in some circles, and I'm absolutely sure he has his own agenda. But it never felt like he wants any harm to me. In fact it truly felt like the opposite. Maybe I'm just absolutely naive. Very possible. But... I can't explain it. Anyways, after he left the woman appeared again but this time she was behind the static. I know she was saying something but I couldn't hear her not really see her in my minds-eye, but physically I felt I was closer to actually seeing her for a first. I tried for a while but then I apologized and had to walk away from her and go to bed where I felt the sleepy urge and "there will be a message" feeling again. I am truly at a loss from this experience, and since I do not engage in voodoo nor know anyone who does I can't even come close to understanding this situation. And I don't want to enter a spirituality/religion that is culturally defined where I may not be welcomed, either. Honestly I don't have much interest in voodoo other than general curiousity but I have that for most religions and spiritualities. I really would like some guidance. Please?

[mlobsters]

supernatural s10e9 the things we left behind (w. andrew dabb)

all right so i think this is the one i knew was lurking ahead of us, again thought there'd be more mark-related buildup before we got here

deleted a rambling paragraph about thinking the show is out of ideas, yet another troubled teen

he never laughs like this, reminds me of the scene when sam gets glitterbombed by the clowns in s7e14 also written by dabb (and loflin) (i included a clip of that scene because it was so cute). sam's always so confused/concerned when dean's laughing that much (but i mean it rarely happens on screen so i'm concerned too this time around)

but i'm glad he relaxed and enjoyed it too. and that dean was so into the grilled cheese sam made for him. but like, could they find a more uncomfortable place to sit to chill and watch tv? maybe on the cold concrete dungeon floor next time? were the men of letters anti-couch?

how many plotlines are we gonna jam in. dean and sam's business, claire and cas, rowena and crowley

claire novak / big little lies - kathryn newton as abigail carlson

she's so pretty and i like the styling they did for her

CLAIRE You’ve changed. The Castiel I met? He was crappy. Like super stuck-up and a dick and you just wanted to punch him in his stupid angel face. CASTIEL I don’t think I was THAT bad. CLAIRE You totally were. And now you’re just … I don’t know. Nicer. And kind of a doof. No offense.

no lies detected

DEAN Cas, listen to me. There’s some stuff you just got to let go. Okay? The people you let down, the ones you can’t save … You got to forget about them. For your own good. CASTIEL Is that what you do? DEAN That’s the opposite of what I do. But I ain’t exactly a role model.

mhm

working the wet kitten heart eyes overtime

DEAN Cas, I need you to promise me something. CASTIEL Of course. DEAN If I do go dark side, you got to take me out. CASTIEL What do you mean? DEAN Knife me. Smite me. Throw me into the freakin’ sun, whatever. And don’t let Sam get in the way, because he’ll try. I can’t go down that road again, man. I can’t be that thing again.

don't like it

didn't we do creeper dad with orphans in a house schtick already? god what even was that episode about. ugh. was that paige? whatever her actual name was. okay, yes, krissy. s8e18 my post where i mentioned cult vibes. (i searched for cult in my blog. no dice. so damned frustrating because i link to my shit all the time and i know the words i used and it doesn't even help. rrrgh tumblr pLEASE fucking fix this)

is the mark making dean extra hungry?

DEAN Whoa, hey, Miley Cyrus. Settle. CLAIRE Eat me, Hasselhoff.

ooh (fully justified) burn

the exact last thing dean needs to hear

i dunno, man. yeah, the whole business with angels swooping in and taking how many people away from their families? a very valid problem that they just ignored basically. so now we're gonna have a big moral reckoning over it via this kid? just feels. forced

ruth connell (rowena) is listed at 5'2" but she seems smaller than that. maybe it's these full length nearly hobble skirts they have her in

mark sheppard just seems to bring out the best in everyone, quite compelling scene here between crowley and rowena (esp considering i'm hard pressed to care). and well, a character likely just as wily as he is, good match to play around with

CASTIEL I thought I could make it up to her. SAM I don’t think you can. I mean, Jimmy was her father, and to some people, that’s … that’s everything, you know? CASTIEL No, I don’t. I never knew my father. He was distant, to say the least. What about you? Did you love your father? DEAN With everything I had. SAM Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it wasn’t always easy, but yeah. DEAN I mean, look. John Winchester’s not going to win any “Number One Dad” awards, you know? But you know… damn if he wasn’t there when we needed him.

right, you know i have major beef with john over the child neglect. i can't let it go. like, he was there when you needed him? when exactly? like all those times canonically we saw you calling him and he didn't show up? dean's dying in the hospital? (nevermind the not being there for their childhood that we see onscreen) i just. no :p

DEAN Somehow, we convince him to let us go. So, we all go. We all, you know, see all the sights, and uh, ride the subway, eat too much pizza. The whole nine. Well, by about midnight, Sam and Dad are zonked, and I figure… Screw it. I’m going to CBGB.

love sam's face listening to dean's story. i don't think we've had a long stories like this before? it's cute. like jackles and padalecki telling a story at con :p

CASTIEL I know. It’s where The Ramones and Blondie got their start. DEAN Right. SAM Wow. Anyways, he was WAY underage at the time.

--

DEAN Then this girls walks up and she says “Hey, why don’t you come over and sit down with me and my friends at our table?” All right! SAM Yeah, and they get him drunk. First time. DEAN But not fun drunk. I’m not quite sure what was in that stuff, but the room starts to spin, and I feel like I’m going to puke … forever.

dad saved him from being roofied? i don't see how else that could be understood. fucking weird.

DEAN Yeah, and you know what he got for that? Me whining about how much he embarrassed me. Me telling him that I hated him. But then he stopped and turned around and he looked at me and he said, “Son, you don’t like me? That’s fine. It’s not my job to be liked.” SAM “It’s my job to raise you right.”

Y'ALL. i had to cover my mouth and if my kids weren't sleeping i would have screamed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. whew

per usual i could do without the attempted rape.

SAM Tell me you had to do this. DEAN I didn’t … I didn’t mean to. SAM No. Tell me it was them or you!

well, there it is. i truly don't know where we go from here

[mt07131]

*cracks knuckIes*

katrina, pIs:

1, 2, 5, 12, 13, 16, 48, 49

Katarinaaaaa my beloved bitchy warlock. One of these days the campaign she's SUPPOSED to be in is gonna start but until then I have my own vivid imagination and tumblr. Answers under the cut bc I'm gonna ramble I know it

Ask me detailed questions about my OCs

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

So her full name is Katarina Petrova. I'm gonna be honest, I chose it completely randomly, like with a random name generator and it stuck. I made her quite a few years ago and it wasn't until recently that I was informed by a friend that there is a character with a very similar name from the vampire diaries (which I've never watched) but it's too late now bc I got attached to it <3. The name "Katarina" specifically means "pure", which is fitting giving her story, and the last name was random

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

As of right now, she doesn't have any titles. That might change once the campaign starts up and I actually get to develop her beyond her backstory, but for now there's nothing

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

OH BOY DOES SHE. Okay so, she had a younger brother named Dimitri. He was born when she was 10 and due to their parents' "job", she basically raised him all on her own. This made them extremely close, and frankly he was the only one in her family that she truly cared about. I can't talk on their relationship as kids vs adults because,,,, well,,,, he kinda died (or she at least assumes he did) the same day she got her pact (and y'know, she was supposed to die to but didn't <3 the horrors are unrelenting but so is she)

12. What is their favourite food?

So I don't have anything specific for this, however I would say it would be some sort of fish dish. She grew up in a fishing village, so that was obviously a prevalent part of what she ate, so I imagine that would be somewhere present

13. What is their least favourite food?

Again, a more general answer since this isn't something I've fleshed out, but I'd say she doesn't love anything sweet. I think sweets were always used by her parents to kind of brush away them being gone for so long, but she's bitter about that so instead of seeing it as a treat/reward, it's just a reminder

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it?

So the collection is small right now (i.e., she has one), but she is planning to collect the medallions that belong to the members of the cult that her parents were secretly a part of and that subsequently ruined her life. She only has one right now as a lead to finding members of this cult, but she uses it as iconography to track them. She keeps it in a small pouch at her side, and it essentially never leaves her because it's the ONLY lead she has

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

She does not enjoy parties, she really doesn't enjoy people. She's more of,,,, they're a means to an end type of person. If she HAD to go to some kind of party, she would probably just turn up and stand in the corner and brood and glare at people. Basically the biggest "do not fucking talk to me" vibes she can muster, she's giving them off

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

So I've already talked about the cult medallion, that sort of always stays with her. In a more sentimental way, however, she has a fishing lure that Dimitri made her when he was younger. She pretty much cut herself off from her previous life after making the pact/his death, so this lure is really all she has left of him