#man if i was missing and i learned my friend hooked up with a vampire to distract from the sorrow i'd be pissed as hell

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 7 thoughts

hmm. hmm. that is the sound if me pondering what i just watched.

(i understand that this episode was an analysis into mulder's self-destructive behaviors when faced with overwhelming grief, but. that does not mean i enjoyed vampire hookup time)

well. we shall start from the top!

i read that it was an episode about vampires which i thought was a weird narrative choice because. hello. scully still gone??? but then i remembered that i too ignored the main quest in skyrim to hunt some vampires and that i had no place to judge

(granted, my main quest wasn't finding scully though. might have given that a bit more priority than saving the whole world. because she IS my whole world)

we open with a guy that looks like joe biden meeting with an attractive young woman. they're making out in a hot tub and we just know someone is gonna get slurped upon. and woe, it be upon us! double vampire attack.

back in DC, mulder gets his old office back! it's covered in plastic. he takes some of it off. he adjusts his calendar from may to november, so we see how much time he and scully had been assigned to other tasks, which also has me wondering how she managed to get a new house that quick.

(also, this calendar is... scantily clad women posing next to tools such as hammers and saws. was this allowed? was this acceptable? was it normal? were the 90's a lawless wasteland and mulder an irreparable freak?)

well. scully is an x file now, and he puts her glasses and id into an evidence bag and closes the filing cabinet which was sooooo evil. but he can't bring himself to put her necklace away. oh man. oh he's gotta have it in case he finds her. he has to hold her close. i'm Fine this is Fine.

so. he goes out to california to deal with the joe biden looking fellow being murdered. and he is not wanted on the crime scene. we know this because someone greets him by saying "nobody called the bureau" and he says "well, they should have" and lifts up the tape to let himself in. because one thing about him is that he's gonna let himself into a place he isn't wanted.

he sees the writing of a bible verse in blood on the wall and says something about their grasp of biblical knowledge being "feeble and literal" and i was like okayyy need to have a theological discussion with him

he then scares the other guy who originally wanted to kick him out by reciting a LARGE amount of facts related to similar cases and it's very much giving photographic memory. got me thinking, have we ever seen this man forget something? (directions don't count. they're confusing. but everything else sticks in that man's brain)

he just needs one thing: a phone book. which he uses to call a blood bank and ask about a new guy. who must be the vampire who did this!

so he rolls up to the blood bank and i'm over here struggling because i do Not Do Blood, and i knew at this point this was gonna be a tough watch, but i didn't anticipate the non-blood related reasons why this would be true

anyway he's sniffing around the blood bank and he hears some slurping and wouldn't you know, this dude is tearing into a bag of the red stuff like it's a capri sun. somehow he gets him into custody, where the dude refuses to talk because the lights are on, and mulder comes in with a lamp he put a red filter over, because he was prepared for vampire interrogation.

the vampire is going on about how what he did isn't murder because it's not like animals hunting prey is murder which is. not the greatest approach in terms of legal defense. mulder tells the guard that the guy is delusional and it's best to play along, and he believed this to be true... until he, quite literally, burned to a crisp in the sunlight. and died.

he's talking to the coroner and rattling off a bunch of vampire facts and says he didn't believe in vampires which is so funny to me because like. why is that where you draw the line, my friend. not at bigfoot and definitely not at aliens. but man. vampires are just too out there for spooky mulder. until now!

the coroner has a very funny line: "you are really upsetting me... on several levels" which seems to be the general effect fox mulder has on people. and also because i felt the same way about his dumbass actions during this episode.

coroner finds a stamp on the dead body's hand, which seems to come from a nightclub. so naturally our fbi agent ends up there.

you often see posts saying that "(insert character here) should be at the club". i fear that this is not the case for fox mulder, but it's possible that it's his suit and tie that are throwing me off. he just doesn't seem like he belongs there. i ask myself, where should he be instead? perhaps some sort of star wars convention would suit him better. a book signing with some author he likes. idk, an interior decorating festival. not here.

i shall use my verbatim words to walk you through the next scene:

"pause. he's talking to a woman who was looking into a compact without a mirror. so. vampire suspect. and now why are they getting so close together. and getting a drink. okay now they're leaving to a new spot together? AFTER she admits to vampirism"

(here she did some stuff that required me to look away from my screen due to my Weak Constitution. but also it would have felt necessary to look away anyway because it was getting... charged)

she tries to get him to... suck on her finger... but he won't do it because aids. which is fair. i think that's a smart move, actually. it's just that getting flirty with a vampire he knows was involved with a ton of killings was such a stupid move, i don't know why it's now the braincells start to kick in.

that kills the vibe, though, so she gets another guy to take his place and things escalate.

mulder pulls in at a restaurant called ra. nice! the sun god! and he is... through a window, witnessing some more slurping action. he seems to want to intervene and save this poor soul being feasted upon...

but the poor soul is no poor soul at all! he comes out and decks mulder, and delivers this line with stunning conviction: "i don't know who you are, freak, but we're two consenting adults" and with this, he is forced to flee.

and yeah. it made me laugh. my expectations for the genre were subverted. he signed up for that shit! what he did not sign up for, however, was the next part, where he was killed by the other vampires.

cut to investigating the crime scene. mulder has brought along a forensic dentist, which is a job i had no idea you could go into. he needs to see about those bites, which are very human.

next they go to vampire woman's house. it's a very nice place. mulder... opens her oven. and sees a loaf of bread in there. and i'm thinking, man, i hope this doesn't go where i think it's going. baked goods... ovens... i never want a vampire pregnancy arc. but he cracks open the loaf and something red spills out and somehow, this to him means that she is gone and isn't coming back. he can read the signs of the bread. so add that to his resume. what did the bread tell you, my liege?

he seems to have stayed in her house, however, because he's there when she's back, and says he knows she was using the bread as a charm to ward off evil. because apparently that's an eastern european thing, blood bread to warn off evil. sound off if any eastern europeans in the chat wanna confirm or deny.

anyway. he's IN this woman he thinks is a vampire's HOUSE? what the hell. mulder seriously i need you to stop and think. like you should have stopped and done some thinking a while ago. honestly i'm not mad i'm just disappointed. and he's like "i want to save you come with me before they kill you" ohhh big tough man needs to save her huh. make him feel good inside. huh. certainly no ulterior motive here...

she's monologing about her horrible childhood and how sweet blood tastes. um girl. don't lie to him like that. i have busted my lip open before that stuff does NOT taste sweet and dangerous. it's like a penny with rust that you found in a parking lot.

it seems her vampiric origin story, if to be believed, is that things simply got too kinky. which is a new take on the genre.

(it's also about being caught in an abusive relationship and the damage that inflicts, but it seems abusive boyfriend came into vampirism at his kinky parties and things escalated from there. which. well. it blew the eyebrows clean off my head, to be fair)

at this point we see that he is WEARING SCULLY'S NECKLACE? he says something like "it's from someone i lost" and she says that she "hopes he finds her"

i did not like the undertones here and certainly not the overtones. because i knew where this was going. he was shaving in her bathroom. and let me tell you something: there is only ever a shaving scene in media because the writer needs a way to get some blood out of someone's body and into the real world. and man. i knew it was coming.

but what i didn't see coming was her SHAVING HIM??? girl. i am uncomfy. and she does, of course, cut him, and then they kiss. aggressively. terribly aggressively. can anyone answer what was going on in a satisfactory manner?

but the gag is: the original vampire- who burnt to a crisp in the jail cell, and was the abusive ex she spoke of- HE'S WATCHING THEM THROUGH THE WINDOW!

he breaks in and taunts the vampire woman about how he had to "wait for her to finish" and i was like cool. thank you SO much for that mental image i'm super happy with it. i definitely don't feel like i need a shower. but then he's going on about how he can't be killed.

here, at the tail end of the episode, we learn the rules of vampirism in this world: a vampire cannot be killed by a non-vampire. and a non-vampire BECOMES a vampire by consuming the blood of a believer and also taking a life. it is only here we realize that this woman is not an actual vampire yet, she just appropriates their culture by drinking blood unnecessarily.

mulder's still sleeping in her bed and she's like "you need to leave" and she stabs the wall to make her evil ex think she's killing him. but when they go to break out, mulder ties him up quite handily and he gets in the car to escape with vampire woman. until ANOTHER vampire woman jumps on the hood of their car. and main vampire woman knocks her out for a bit by running into her with said car, which is super effective.

mulder's leaving the place in shambles, his shirt still unbuttoned, wandering down the side of the hill. back at the house, now that we know the vampire rules, main vampire woman says she can finally kill the evil vampire ex. and he's like how!! you haven't had the blood of a believer or taken a life. so. she licks the blood off her hands (unclear if it's hers or mulders tbh) and says she'll take her own life. and drops a match after pouring gasoline.

so. that brings that to an end. and shabby looking mulder sits on a hill as he learns all four in the house died.

the episode ends with him playing with scully's necklace. which i don't even sort of feel like unpacking right now but maybe another time.

probably not, though, because i just didn't like this episode. and yeah, a lot of it comes down to me not wanting to see mulder hook up with people who aren't scully. can you blame me? is it so wrong to have preferences in this world?

but also, narrative wise- do you honestly see the guy fucking off to cali while scully's still missing to deal with an unrelated problem instead of devoting every hour of his life to finding her, like we saw him do in the last episode? you expect me to think he just puts it off for a lil while? the guy who, just last episode, pulled his gun on the ski lift operator to get to the top where she might be a little faster, and then choked his one and only suspect out of fury? you're thinking this is the guy that's gonna go soak up some west coast rays?

and yeah, he was obviously not himself through the episode- very cold and analytical- but c'mon. we all want to bang a vampire. he's not special. i just personally wouldn't do that if my friend were gone. like how is that gonna help the situation. be so for real. time and place!

and also the whole only learning the rules of being a vampire about 5 minutes before they need it to be plot relevant. that annoyed me too.

overall, mulder, like i said, i'm not mad, just disappointed.

let me know what you thought on this episode- i try to not be a hater, but i also understand that hating in small doses can be good for the soul. if it's a widely beloathed episode i'll feel better in my judgement as i join a long tradition of haters who have come before me.

[theorganasolo]

Happy New Year's Eve!

Tagging some amazing fics I enjoyed this year ✨

Learning to Live by @wheresarizona- Bestie I'm so proud to call you my friend and I have loved seeing this story grow to what it is now and of course seeing Javi get the softness he deserves - you write Javi so well and I can't wait to see the adventures he and Cielito get up to in the New Year!

It's Never Too Late by @javierpena-inatacvest - I was late starting this story this year and I'm so glad I discovered it when I did! It's chock full of Javi getting the peace he needs post- Narcos and of course, some girl dad Javi snippets! Looking forward to seeing what happens in the New Year!

Worth the Wait (linking the most recent update) by @kteague- What can I say? I loved this story when you first posted and I love it even more now! I'm so happy you decided to keep writing it, each chapter sucks me in even more!

Because of You by @kteague - Gosh what can I say about this that I haven't already? You write Frankie so so well! I love seeing him with his Girasol and two little girls!

Sweet Creature by @wildemaven - I loved this so much!! You write Dieter incredibly well and I got so happy when I saw a new update cross my dash each time - It was nice to see him settle down and find peace (seems to be a common theme of what I like haha)

Until Now, Until You by @wildemaven- Really looking forward to seeing this update in the New Year! You had me hooked with the summary and the first part of this!

Away by @cool-iguana - I just LOVE seeing Javi in love and in domesticity with his wife it's just so incredibly sweet!

Vampire Waltz (linking most recent update) by @wardenparker - I absolutely adore your soulmate sunday fics and this is such a exciting read - you always have the best AUs!

Stuffing by @palioom - My weakness is husband!javi with his pregnant wife so this was absolutely everything to me!

The Married Javier Peña Masterlist by @lokischocolatefountain - GOSH I love this universe so so much! Every update makes me smile

Home by @liltangerineart- I come back to this story so many times and it always puts a smile on my face!

Honey-Do by @kiwisbell - GOSH I can't tell you how many times I have re-read this Joel fic with the TOP TIER BREEDING KINK

Good to Me by @swiftispunk - The AU I didn't know I needed of Joel as a gynecologist - it's SO FILTHY IN THE BEST OF WAYS

Stripped Down Love by @absurdthirst - I love the trope of reader having a crush on Javi when they were younger and then them getting together when they're older!

The Big Day by @mellowswriting - I love how you write Javi having the biggest wife kink in your fics and seeing the day you became is wife is everything to me!

A Good Man Universe by @forever-rogue- I LOVE LOVE this Javi universe so much! I'm really happy that you updated this year :)

I'm sure I'm missing a lot of amazing fics so please know if I ever reblogged a fic I loved it!

[kiss-my-freckle]

Stelenas saying Delena aren't like Pacey and Joey because they're toxic makes me laugh since Julie called Damon the show's Pacey and she wrote DC and shipped Joey with Pacey while Kevin shipped her with Dawson. I also think it's stupid how they hate on Damon for things like Elena walking in on him in 3x1 even though Pacey watched Joey take her clothes off in 1x10. Fandoms involving love triangles between siblings are more toxic than ones without, especially TVD, because I don't see the same amount of hypocritical nonsense in other fandoms or people making as big of a deal about many things they would if it was TVD. When they use personal issues to attack certain characters while letting ones like Stefan off the hook for the same it reinforces this idea in society where people side with people they like to assume they couldn't treat someone else badly and silence someone else who's mistreated. This parallel between them in season 6 is beautiful:

I've never really put much faith in all that "if you love someone, set them free" crap, as evidenced by everything I've done in my life up to this very moment, but I am determined to be happy, Joey. Happy in this life. And I love you. I mean, I always-- I have always, always loved you. But our timing has just never been right. And the way I figure it, time is no man's friend. So I have to get right with that and be happy, now. Because this is it. I mean, this is all that we get. If there's one thing I've learned from losing Jen, that's what I've learned. Actually, um, hold on. I'm not done yet. Because I also want for you to be happy. It's really important for me that you be happy. So I want you to be with someone, whether it be Dawson or New York guy or some man that you haven't even met yet. But I want you to be with someone who can be a part of the life that you want for yourself. I want you to be with someone who makes you feel like I feel when I'm with you. So, I guess the point to this long run-on sentence that's been the last 10 years of our lives... is just that the simple act of being in love with you is enough for me. So you're off the hook./When you became a vampire, part of me was thrilled because suddenly there was this possibility I could have you in my life forever, but then the other part of me was devastated because I realized you'd lost the life that you wanted to have. And since I've been gone, you've gotten part of that life back. You're thriving, you're happy. Yeah, sure. Maybe you'd be happy if we gave it another chance, but the truth is is... You're better off without me. I died. You started over. I need you to live your life. Be happy. I love you, Elena. Enough to let you go.

You know, for the record I, I don't wanna be let off the hook. Cause everything in my life that I've done has led me here, right now. And the last thing I want, need or deserve is to be let off somebody's hook./Look. I've... made some huge mistakes in my life. Being with you wasn't one of them, and, yes, I had Alaric compel away my love for you, and, yes, I did love Stefan once. The night I died, Matt was driving me back to him, and yet I found my way back to you. Damon, I somehow always find my way back to you. It doesn't matter if I have memories or not. It doesn't matter if I'm a vampire or not.

Please don't miss my point here 'cause—/You're just saying that because you can't change what you are.

And don't miss mine. Pacey, I love you, you know that. And it's very real. It's so real that it's kept me moving, mostly running from it, never ready for it… and I love Dawson, he's my soul mate. He's tied to my childhood... and it's a love that is pure and eternally innocent. I can't be let off the hook because I just might get the notion that it's ok to keep running./No, Damon. I don't care what human me would have done because she's not here. I am. And if the past is a place without you and me together, then stop living in it.

Damon is Pacey, and they have a lot of great parallels.

I honestly blame Elena for walking in on Damon in 3x1. While he did know she was there, she would've had the respect to knock any other time. She walked through his door without knocking because she got another lead on Stefan and completely disregarded Damon in the process. Same level of disregard Lexi had when she pushed Stefan into that bar, not once considering the fact that it might be a bad time for Damon, so they ran into sired Charlotte and her dinner. Yeah, Elena earned seeing Damon naked.

[themonotonysyndrome]

REDACTED verse - Those that stood above the rest

Summary: Everyone in D.A.M.N simp for the power couple at least a little bit - the Vampire Prince of Dahlia and the Electro Energetic. Gavin and the Freelancer would be lying if they said they haven't been watching them... respectfully. 

TW: [Swearing], [Profanity], [Explicit implications courtesy of Gavin, of course] & [Oblivious narrators]

Apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors because I wrote this the whole night and only edited it once. I’ll do the editing process again tomorrow morning.

-

Life as a student in D.A.M.N is nothing like regular colleges or universities. While the environment is hectic with exams, assignments and teachers with sticks up their asses - there's also a hint of craziness thrown into the mix. You can never really predict how your day would go here in the academy, and to most of the students, it's the typical college experience you'll get everywhere. Just... taken to the next level. 

That's what you get for a magical academy, after all. 

An Air Elemental would accidentally shatter the windows in a classroom with a powerful gust of wind on a random ass Tuesday because she was laughing too hard. A Graviton Energetic would sneeze, and suddenly, the gravity in the music room would stick the instruments on the ceilings. The entire soccer team would fall flat on the grassy field, snoozing because the Serenity Daemon playing as the Goalkeeper uses too much magic to calm their anxious Sweeper during his first play with the team. 

With so many Empowered creatures of all kinds attending D.A.M.N, there's never a dull moment. You learned that the moment a loud growl came from the Debate Club on your second week as a student. A Wolf Shifter had gotten into a heated argument with a Vampire about the toppings that should and shouldn't be on a pizza. 

So yeah, typical college life with magic thrown into your daily shenanigans. 

Today, you can't help but wonder what sort of excitement would occur as the large clock above the lecture hall ticks by, counting down the second before the class is over. 

You check the clock and sigh. Just ten more minutes to go, but it feels like time is creeping forward at such a snail-like pace. Tapping your pen on the open notebook laid before you rather irritability, you just want the lecturer to stop yammering already so you can grab lunch at the food truck parked outside of campus. 

Something gently knocks against your knuckle. You tilt your head to the side and meet with Damien's unamused stare; it looks like this is the third time he caught you losing focus in class. 

"I told you to grab a snack before class started." Damien whispers, mindful to keep his voice even so the lecturer won't catch them chatting. Sadism Daemons are scary when you piss them off, and the way the lecturer's eyes sweep through the students is more than enough to have them all shut the hell up the moment he begins their topic of the day. 

"I was meeting up with Lasko and we lost track of time." You hiss back. Yesterday you made a promise to catch up with the Air Elemental before your first class started to organise the date and invitations for the next game night. Once Lasko starts talking about the things he's comfortable with, he loses his stutter and launches into an animated one-sided conversation. You didn't have the heart to stop him, not when he looks so happy and cute. 

Buying that Arkham Horror board game was the right purchase to surprise him with. 

While your mind replays the morning you spend with Lasko, Damien rolls his eyes. "Of course you did. Here." He pushes his coffee cup towards you. His fingers linger on the cup for a few seconds to make sure that the coffee remains hot enough to drink. 

You grab the cup, grateful for his consideration, and take a big swing. The coffee settles pleasantly in your stomach as warmth spreads within your body. 

You're more a tea drinker - the classic Early Grey and Gunpowder Green - but at this instance, coffee would hopefully kick your focus back into gear. 

"Thanks, Damien." You said before passing the cup back to him. You peeked at his notebook and wasn't surprised to find that it's packed with notes written in different coloured pens. "Hey, want to grab lunch together after this?" 

Damien switched the yellow pen for a red one when the lecturer mentioned something about a topic for the upcoming test. You absentmindedly wondered if it's worth your life stealing his notebook. "Sure. What are you in the mood for?" He asked. 

Finally, the lecturer dismisses the class. Chatters erupt as students pack up while some scurry over to the podium to ask a few questions.

You lean against your seat to stretch your back; your notebooks and stationery are already in your school backpack. You're just waiting for Damien now. "I'm craving for a burger and some cheesy loaded fries with a boba tea." God, just thinking about it is already enough to make your mouth watered. 

Being a health nut, Damien throws you a judgemental look at your food choice as you two made your way towards the main campus entrance. He easily follows your lead through a crowd of students, and Damien even gently pulls you closer to his side when a student whizzes by on her skateboard. 

With so many people talking and laughing around you and Damien, you can't help but hear the conversations hovering around you. 

"...had class with them yesterday? Dude, you're so lucky! Did you sit beside them!?" 

"Are you fucking crazy? No! I sat two rows behind them, but it was enough to smell their perfume. God, they're so gorgeous - I couldn't focus the entire time!" 

"I've heard a few players from the Earth Elemental team tried to invite them to their party this weekend, but they were shot down. Apply cold water on burned area." 

"Well, duh. You can't just walk up to them like that! They're one of the hottest people in this academy."

"Yeah, but those players are in one of the most well-respected sports teams in all of Dahlia, and even they can't stand a chance against them!"

Students parted ways as you and Damien approached the gates. Rows of food trucks parked across the street with tables and chairs placed about. The conversations tapered off behind you, along with the hubbub of the academy. You have a pretty good idea of whom those students were talking about. It's been a topic surrounding the academy ever since the start of the new academic year. 

Even as an introvert who prefers to hover to your few but close group of friends, you couldn't escape the latest academy gossip.

"Finally, I thought my ears would've fallen off before we could escape," Damien mutters. It's a cloudy Wednesday; dark clouds are rolling above them with an occasional burst of strong breeze cutting through. "You'd think they would just give it a rest already." 

The food truck you and Damien stop by displays a menu with a wide variety of food and drinks. From burgers to pasta and desserts ranging from ice-creams to Thai banana pancakes, your stomach begins to growl. You place your order in a hurry, whereas Damien selects a hearty sandwich stuffed with juicy and tender slices of slow-smoked beef brisket with veggies of his choice and chipotle mayo in between two crusty loaves with a bottle of water. 

You and Damien grab your meals to sit at one of the vacant tables and enjoy lunch together. Good food and good company - what more could you ask for? Well, other than Damien's tsk-ing and wiping the barbecue sauce that smudged the corner of your cheek like the mother hen he constantly denies to be. 

"Can't you eat your food properly, Freelancer? You're getting your fingers dirty too. Give me your hand." Damien demanded halfway through his sandwich. You grin impishly and offer your left hand for Damien to wipe with some tissue while the other is holding a burger. The thick sauce begins to drip. 

Soon enough, a familiar voice shouts at them from across the street. 

"Yo, Damien! Freelancer! Are you guys, like, having lunch? Can I join!?" 

You can't help but beam and wave your hand (that was still holding the burger) high up when Huxley crosses over. Damien squawked with eyes wide in horror when the barbecue sauce got all over the table. He hurried to wipe the table clean while you greeted Huxley. 

"Hi, Huxley! Are you grabbing lunch too? Take a seat, man!" 

"Thanks a bunch, dude. It's been a while since I hung out with you two." 

"We literally had a class together two days ago." 

"Two days too long, Damien. I miss you guys." 

"Aww, that's super sweet of you, Hux!"

"Oh, for the love of - just go buy something already before the next class starts." 

Huxley happily gives Damien two thumbs up before grabbing his food and drink. When he returned to their table, he brought a tray of smoothie consisting of kale, spinach, banana, orange, and vanilla blended into green mush in a plastic cup and a plate of vegan quesadillas. 

The moment Huxley sat down, you took a sip of his drink and made a face. 

"Yeah, I ask them to hold back on the honey because I like the vanilla more," Huxley explains before tucking in. "Oh! But I can ask them to add more honey if you want. That’s like, totally cool." 

You quickly shake your head and clean your palate with your sweet boba tea. "It's cool, Hux. Just wanted to try a sip. You're really into these crazy healthy smoothies." 

"They're the bomb, dude. My Mums introduced a few recipes to me when I was a kid, and I basically hooked ever since." The Earth Elemental explains after gulping down a good chunk of the green goo. 

"Yeah, well, with the calories you burned up during practice, I guess you can't go wrong with smoothies," Damien added thoughtfully. His sandwich is all gone. He props an elbow on the table and cradles his face in one open palm. "Anyway, what's up, Huxley? Anything new happened?" 

"Nah, it's been nothing but the same shit lately. Classes, assignments and practices for the upcoming Elemental & Energetic Games - normal stuff. What about you guys?" 

"More or less the same." Damien replies, soundly ignoring your "We're hitting the tournament arc!" outburst. "Planning to organise a study group for the upcoming tests. I expect the two of you will be joining, by the way." 

At Damien's words, Huxley beams brighter. Any brighter, you'd need a pair of sunglasses. "For real, dude!? You're like, the best friend ever, Damien! C'mere - lemme give you a hug!" 

You snicker when despite Damien's frantic protest, Huxley shoot up from his chair and quickly hugs the Fire Elemental tightly before he has the chance to weasel away. 

Also, you didn't miss the chance to snap a quick picture of them to show Gavin tonight. 

Unaware of your phone, Damien grumbled when Huxley finally released him, and they sat down again. The three of you continue to chat about everything and anything. Soon, the topic shifts from tests to plans for the weekend. 

Huxley snapped his fingers when you mentioned Lasko's gaming night and the tabletop game you recently bought for him so they could all play together. 

"I totally forgot about the party! A few guys in my team are having a party this Saturday, and I want to invite you guys and Lasko. Oh! Gavin too! It's going to be a blast, and on Sunday, we can play that new board game."

You and Damien exchange a glance. "Sounds fun. Actually, we've heard about the party just now. How many people are your team members inviting?" You asked, curious. 

Huxley takes a moment to ponder before shrugging. He's nearly done with this food. "It's supposed to be just with a few close friends. Nothing too crazy, you know? After the last party that ended with fireworks exploding in someone's bedroom, they want to keep it lowkey." 

"Huh. Close friends, but they tried to invite a certain Energetic," Damien interjects. "What's up with that?" 

"You heard about that too?" Huxley replied, surprise coloured his tone. "Word travel like, super-fast around campus! It happened, like, yesterday morning!" 

Damien let out an annoyed groan and ran a palm down his face. "I think it's safe to say that everyone in this fucking academy is talking about it and nothing else. God, no matter where you go, you can't escape it." 

You pat Damien's arm in a comforting manner. "They're hot and popular; people will be talking about them until we all graduate." 

"And if it isn't them, people would be talking about their boyfriend," Huxley pointed out, stirring his smoothie languidly. Huxley smiles and offers it to you when you critically stare at it for a tad too long. Against your better judgement, you try again. 

Blek! It still tastes the same! Huxley just chuckles and finishes the rest of the smoothie while you seek solace with your boba tea again. 

"Besides, it's not often you see an Energetic and Vampire couple walking around," Huxley continued. "I think they're living together too. I mean, that's what I heard." 

"Don't tell me you also have a crush on them."  

Before Huxley could say anything, you tentatively raise your hand as if you guys are in class. Now you bear Damien's annoyed glance. "I was kinda hardcore crushing on them and their boyfriend before Gavin and I officially got together. They keep to themselves and their boyfriend most of the time, but they're super nice in classes." 

The Elemental and Energetic courses often have classes that intermingle every week. However, they're primarily compulsory lessons like magical history, laws regarding coverts and taxonomy of various Empowered creatures. 

So you're practically classmates with the hottest Electro Energetic in the academy and had even sat beside them a few times during class. Unlike many of the students who simp for them at a distance. 

The power couple of D.A.M.N is certainly interesting, to say the least. 

You narrowed your eyes at Damien when he refused to let up his disappointed stare. "Don't lie to me. You simp for them too." 

Damien huffs and crosses his arms. "Both of them look good, alright. Anyone with a working pair of eyes could tell from a mile away. They're gorgeous, and the Vampire is hot - so what?" 

"They're both super strong too." Huxley unknowingly throws more wood into the fire. 

By the time their lunch ended, Damien had demanded they talk about something else, so you jump into plans for the weekend. Party on Saturday and a gaming session on Sunday. 

Typical college life.

-

When the time on your phone displays 10.30 PM in glaring bright light and you're still on campus, you know what death feels like. 

It's quiet in the cafeteria, save for a small group of students huddled together around tables scattered in various places. Their heads are hunched down as they go over textbooks and assignments. One of the students happens to be a Vampire judging from the blood bag beside his laptop. 

A red swirly straw juts out of the bag, and for a brief moment of exhaustion, you entertain the image of the student sipping the blood bag as if it was a Capri Sun. 

Just like those students, the reason why you've stayed late in the academy's cafeteria is because of assignments. You know that if you bring your homework back home with you, you won't get any of it done. It's better to stay here and slough through them instead. 

Damien would scold and drag you home if he knew. Huxley would be sad and plead for you to rest, and Lasko would put on his guidance counsellor voice and advise you that a good night's sleep would help you think better. 

The boys mean well, and you love them for it, but you know yourself better than anyone. If you don't finish these assignments tonight, you would just procrastinate until the deadline punches you right in the face. 

You sigh and rub your temple in frustration. You've made good progress so far, but there's still a few left and you want to complete them all before going home. So you resume writing down the essay about the importance of convert and the Department on your laptop, fingers deftly flying all over the keyboard. 

Nighttime at D.A.M.N is not as busy as it is in the morning. The students that are going in and out of classes are mostly Vampires and nocturnal animal Shifters. The academy's faculties are also lesser in terms of numbers compared to their morning counterpart. 

Twice you've experienced the nightlife at D.A.M.N, and tonight would be your third. You wondered if Gavin is at home already. Hopefully, you can return to the apartment before him. Better wrap this up, then. 

The steady rhythm of your fingers on the keyboard and quiet discussion from the group of students slowly lull you to sleep. Hang in there just a little more! 

The sound of a Daemon Rifting into this world startles you awake. 

"Here you are, Deviant," Gavin said, his ordinarily seductive voice laced with conceal anger. Oh shit, you're in trouble now. "I thought we talked about this." 

You have no choice but to face him. Gavin looks devastatingly as sexy as ever; his black t-shirt snugly fits his body to the point that it showcases his biceps tastefully. A pair of dark blue jeans that he just so happens knows will get your heart racing and accompanied by a pair of shiny black Doc Martens boots. A rainbow-coloured bead bracelet is on his right wrist; a gift from Caelum. 

You would've swoon at the sight of him if you weren't seconds away from face planting on your laptop. 

So instead, you greet him with a, "Whaaa... Gavin?" You rub your eyes and blink at him. "W-What are you doing here? I thought you'd be - " You break out a yawn before sighing. "At home by now." 

"Funny. I thought the same thing about you but colour me surprised when Caelum reached out to me while I was grocery shopping — saying that you aren't home even when it's close to midnight." Gavin explains and tilts his head to the spread of books you have before you. "So, want to explain why you're at the campus cafeteria right now instead of in our bed?" 

The gears in your head are scrambling to come up with an excuse that's good enough to appease Gavin. So lost in your thoughts that you didn't hear the whispers coming from the nearby students. 

"That's the main boyfriend..." 

"Holy fuck, an Incubus? Damn, they're insatiable!" 

"How often do you think they have orgies? Twice a week?" 

" - collecting them like Pokemon!" 

Oh fuck it, you can't come up with anything decent. "I'm nearly done with my assignments, Gavin." You assured the worried Incubus. "Just need to write down a few more paragraphs..." 

Gavin is undeterred. "Freelancer, we talked about this. It's not healthy that you're making a habit of staying over at campus late at night because of assignments. You're going to burn out like this." 

Well yeah, you could feel your body is already seconds away from collapsing but like hell would you admit that to your boyfriend. It's been a long day and an even longer evening. It's a good thing that tomorrow's the weekend. 

Gavin startles you once more by leaning against the table and cupping your face in his large hands, so you're forced to look straight into his eyes. He's many things, but to those he deeply trusts and loves, his eyes would always betray the worry and concern he has for you and Caelum; even if his words aren't as forthcoming at times. "My stubborn, enticing Deviant... Are you being a brat again? Not listening to your Dom like you should be?" He purrs. 

All of a sudden, your throat suddenly feels like sandpaper, and your heart skips a beat at Gavin's tone. You're very familiar with that tone - it always promises punishment and pleasure mixed together until nothing else exists except for your boyfriend. 

But the question now is, how far can you actually push him. So with Gavin still refusing to release your face, you swallow and reply as nonchalantly as you can, "Oh, I don't know about enticing, Gavin. I-I mean, I've been running around campus the whole day. Probably have some barbecue sauce stain on my jacket and - Ow!" 

You puff out your cheeks when Gavin pinched them. 

"Are you purposely trying to test me, Freelancer? You know that just means more fun for me, and you tie up and helpless on the bed, right?" Gavin is all too happy to remind you, cocking one eyebrow at your impertinence. No doubt he already has your punishment in mind when the two of you are home. 

But you're not going to budge that easily. Sensing your stubbornness, Gavin lets you go and unleashes his ultimate move with a sigh. 

"I can see the Knots on you, Freelancer, and if I can see them, Caelum can too. I'm not covering your ass when he comes over for breakfast tomorrow and starts crying." 

You gasp and immediately recoil. "Low blow Gavin!" You counter, but you know that he speaks the truth. Your heart will literally break if you're the reason that Caelum cries. 

Gavin smirks when you switch off your laptop. He helps put your things away and offers a hand to you. With a small smile, you let yourself be gently pulled up by him and sling your backpack over a shoulder. 

"Are you hungry?" Gavin asked as the two of you stepped into the large hallway, hand-in-hand. "I didn't manage to make anything when I put the groceries away, but I can whip something up real quick when we get home." 

It's a sweet gesture, and you made sure that he knows how much you appreciate it by squeezing his hand. Ever since you two started living together, Gavin is determined to feed you properly. According to him, it's only fitting since you've constantly been feeding him too. "I'm more sleepy than hungry." You reply after a yawn. "I'll just eat a big breakfast tomorrow." 

"I'll hold you to it. Also, look alive, Deviant. Hottie approaching at 12 O'clock." 

That got your attention immediately, and snapped your eyes forward. Your jaw would've dropped if it weren't for Gavin lightly nudging your side when you saw who was walking towards the two of you. 

It's them — the Electro Energetic that became the talk around campus. 

They're as breathtaking as ever, even after a whole day of classes and club activities. Not a single hair out of place and clothes unruffled. Their body language stood out to you; their gait is a little hesitant but friendly, while their eyes are kind. 

It's easy to see why so many people harbour crushes on them, and you've always been a sucker for cute faces. 

When they finally approach you, they pull out a pair of wireless white earbuds from their ears. That's when you hear intense music playing:

It's the Pumpkin Patch King 

With the corpse with the ring

And she'd fuck my best friend if I die here today...

"Um, hi. Good evening. I'm sorry for bothering you guys so late like this. Are you heading home?" They inquire tentatively. 

Gavin waits for you to take the lead. "Hey, man. Yeah, we kind of are, actually. Want us to walk you home?" You could feel how pleased Gavin is beside you. The offer just crosses your mind, and besides, it's not nice to walk alone this late at night. 

That's what you're telling yourself despite the small part in your brain whispered that walking them home would be a great step of getting to know them better. It's just a harmless crush anyway. 

Unfortunately, they decline the offer. "I'm waiting for someone, actually, but when I saw you, I wanted to talk for a bit." 

Your heart skips a beat for a second time tonight. They specifically sought you out? You? When they've never done so towards anyone before? 

"O-Oh," You embarrassingly squeak, clutching Gavin's hand tighter.

The Electro Energetic nod. They tilt their head like an indulged, curious cat and god, that simple gesture shouldn't look so hot. "I don't know if you notice me, but we share Covert Laws - "

If you notice them? If you notice them!? They have a stronger presence than the lecturers themselves! They radiate magic like thunderstorms - intimidating, powerful and commanding that you have no choice but to submit to it. 

Sitting beside them was an experience and a half! There's no way an Empowered creature could ignore them despite their quiet demeanour! 

" - and I was wondering if you would like to be partners for the final project this year? Um, I heard that you're really good in that class, and I promise to pull my weight with the research and - "

You don't know how to react. Is this really happening? One of the most popular students in the academy wanted to be your project partner? You thought this sort of situation only occurs in animes! 

"They'd love to." Gavin smoothly answers when you're too shocked to say anything. "It's always nice to make new friends after all. Especially with a walking wet dream such as yourself." Here, he purposely pauses to appraise the Electro Energetic. 

Just like his Freelancer, Gavin has heard all about this Empowered human and even basks in the delicious energy coming from the thoughts and emotions his partner has for them. As an Incubus and their boyfriend, it's hilarious that his Deviant thought he's not aware of their crush. It's cute. 

Hmm... it'll be nice if he and the Freelancer could invite the Energetic and their Vampire lover into their bed one of these days. Regardless if they've been Marked; honestly, that just made the couple as appealing as the biblical Forbidden Fruit. 

And besides, Gavin has a strong feeling that the Freelancer wouldn't oppose the idea. It'll be the perfect anniversary present for his Deviant. 

"...Was that supposed to be a compliment?" They ask warily. Oops, looks like he's coming on a little too strongly. Time to take it down a notch. 

"It's whatever you want it to be. Anyway, now that you guys are... partners, what say you get to know us better, hmm? My lover has been eager to be friends with you." Gavin explains. You whip your head at him incredulously. Is he seriously doing what you think he's doing!? "I'm Gavin, by the way. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." 

The Energetic look confused, and you can't blame them. You need to save them before Gavin proposes something as crazy as an orgy on your behalf! 

You laugh awkwardly, bringing their attention to you. "Right! Partners! I'd love to be yours - I-I mean, uh, for school stuff! Yeah! Can we exchange numbers?" 

"Smooth, Deviant." Gavin teases. Something caught his interest, not that you notice as you and the Energetic trade contact information. They compliment the cute picture you have as your Home Screen (it's a selfie shot of you and Gavin, Lasko, Damien and Huxley during the previous game night. It's a shame that Caelum couldn't appear), and in return, you ask where did they buy their sick phone cover. 

While they still feel like the human embodiment of a fierce thunderstorm, it's nice to have a casual conversation with them. They're thoughtful, kind and fun that you soon find yourself calming down a little. 

"Not to cut this riveting conversation short, but are you sure that you don't want us to walk you home? It's getting really late, and we're more than happy to have you crash at our place for the night." Gavin interjects with a seductive grin, eyes half-lidded. 

"Umm..." 

Whoa, what happened to being friendly, Gavin!? You shoot him a look; he's going to drive them away! 

"We have an extra guest room at our apartment." You hurried to explain. "So it's totally cool if your place is far away or something." 

Their hesitation melts to understanding. The last thing that you want is a misunderstanding between you two. 

"You guys are sweet, but I'll be alright. Actually, I'm about to leave the campus too. I'm just going to hang out at the cafeteria until he arrives." They said. You have a pretty good idea who 'he' is judging by their soft smile. 

Gavin, for some reason, amp up his game. With a smirk, he cajoles, "Since he hasn't shown up yet, how about you hang out with us for a bit? There's a bar not too far from here - "

You flinched, and Gavin automatically shuts up and pulls you close to his side when a Vampire appears behind the Electro Energetic. It was so sudden that his appearance was a blur at first. 

"Vincent? You're done with class already?" They blink. An arm snaked around their waist as the Vampire pulled his Mate close to his chest. The Energetic had to crane their head up slightly to look at him. 

He's as tall as Gavin. Dressed in a casual black coat that screams money with a dark grey shirt accompanied by a pair of black jeans and boots. His silver studs, rings and watch glimmer underneath the fluorescent lights. Everything about this man reminds you of a panther sizing up its prey. 

You gulped. He's currently glaring daggers at you and your boyfriend. You're itching to stutter out a, "This isn't what it looks like!" for some reason. 

Now, ever since you learned about the existence of magic and Empowered creatures, you did your best to be open-minded. Even that whole ordeal with Vega didn't stop you from reaching out to the various Daemons attending the academy. 

However, you haven't managed to befriend a Vampire due to their night classes, and even the few times you stay back like today, most of them are running back and forth through the hallways to catch their next lesson. 

So to be the target of a pissed off Vampire made you uncomfortable. You want to fidget, but Gavin's arm secured around you ease some of that tension. 

"Mm-hmm. I'm on break right now, so I can drive you back home. You done with that talk with your guidance counsellor?" The Vampire inquired, eyes still glued at you and Gavin. 

"All done. We lost track of time when we discussed next semester's timetable for the Energetic course and potential careers once we graduate." His lover explains, unaware of the displeasure rolling off like waves from their boyfriend. "I think I need some time to go over them again. It's a bit much to take in."

The Vampire hums in acknowledgement. "We can go through them together this weekend if you like, Lovely. Maybe we can ask Will for help since he's coming over on Saturday for dinner too." 

Oh, you suppose that's why they reject the Earth Elemental players' invitation to the party. 

But the Vampire wasn't done. He assesses you and Gavin with narrowed eyes as if you were stains on the bottom of his boots. What the hell? "By the way, are these guys bothering you?" 

A chill sweeps through you, sending goosebumps crawling on your skin at the sudden shift of tone. He was warm and affectionate when speaking to his lover, but now? It's colder than ice.

Gavin, whose smirk turns into a shit-eating grin, is utterly unfazed at the Vampire's hostility. In fact, you would go as far as to say that he's relishing it. "We're just keeping your gorgeous Mate company while they're waiting for you. I was just about to propose that we move the conversation to a bar so we could all get to know one another a lot more... intimately." 

Oh god, they're so fucked. You have no idea why your boyfriend is trying to start shit up, but you're too tired to deal with this drama. So again, you try to salvage the situation. 

"Just as friends!" You quickly butt in. "We decide to be partners for an assignment in Covert Laws, so hanging out at a bar sounds like a good idea as friends." You're sprouting bullshits at this point, but you hope it's enough to save both of your asses. You also made sure to emphasise the word 'friends'. 

The Vampire quickly looks at the Energetic for confirmation, and they readily nod. His aggressive body posture relaxes somewhat, but he's still wary of you and Gavin. 

Maybe this is the best time to introduce yourself to him. 

"Uh, it's a little silly that we didn't introduce ourselves right away, but I'm a Freelancer." You mutter out rather awkwardly. Should you offer a hand to him? 

Gavin saves you from doing so. "And I’m their boyfriend, Gavin. An Incubus." 

"...Vincent Solaire." The Vampire - Vincent - reluctantly replies. 

Wait - his surname sounds familiar, though. You think you heard it in one of the classes about the supernatural factions in Dahlia... It's on the tip of your tongue... 

"Oh, we've heard all about you, Your Highness." Gavin slyly quips. "You and your lover are quite the celebrities around here." 

Holy shit. Solaire! The most powerful Vampire clan in the city! You remember now; the King has two progeny - A Vampire Princess & Prince. You didn't expect the Energetic boyfriend to be the Prince himself! What a twist! 

"Celebrities?" The Energetic - Lovely, as Vincent calls them - pipes up in confusion. The way their eyebrows furrow is adorable, but you wisely keep that to yourself. 

They really are a mesmerising couple. You detect the perfume that lingers around Lovely is sweet and misty. It's calming yet so light that it dances just out of your reach; like a coy lover. Slowly driving you mad with desire. Vincent's cologne reminds you of husk and cedar. Subtle, but once you catch a whiff of it, it'll stay within your mind for hours on end. Wondering if that particular scent will ever return - like the perfect one night stand. 

It says a lot about the couple. 

"We haven't done anything wrong." Vincent Solaire stated, voice as hard as steel. "I don't know why you're trying to rile us up, Incubus, but I don't appreciate you and your lover hitting on my Mate when I made it clear that I Mark them." 

Ooooh, he's jealous! Wait - did you come across as flirty to him!? Did Gavin purposely flirt with Lovely to make Vincent jealous? You've completely lost the plot. 

"Consider it as an act of public service," Gavin answers, easily brushing off the Vampire Prince's irritability. "Besides, how can I not when you both are half of the student body's recent fantasies." 

Lovely 'eeped' when Vincent bare his fangs at your boyfriend. "Back off, Gavin. Lovely is mine. Not yours or the Freelancer's." 

Whoa, whoa! A severe misunderstanding is boiling here! No one is stealing Lovely away from him! 

Fortunately, Lovely has gotten tired of the conversation. With a put-out sigh, they pat the arm around their waist to capture Vincent's attention. It worked. "No one is stealing the other's partner, Vince. It's all good; chill. You know you're the only one for me, right?" Here, they peck his cheek. "When did you get so possessive?" 

Vincent grumbled but didn't explain himself, so Lovely just shook their head. 

"Anyway, we better get going before Vincent's next class starts. It was nice meeting you two. I'll text you soon so we can plan on how to tackle that project." 

You give a shaky smile and a thumbs up. "Looking forward to it." 

Immediately after you said that, Vincent bares his fangs to you next. Oh my god, this guy needs to fucking relax! 

"We're going! We're going! C'mon, Vincent. You're driving me home. Now." 

And with that, you watch as Lovely drags the Vampire Prince to the parking lot. It's a strange yet comical sight. You only sigh in relief when they're out of your view. 

"I thought I saw my life flashing before my eyes!" You complain. Those were the single most stressful moments that you’ve encountered— second to Vega invading your home. 

"I think that went well, Deviant." Gavin objected, very pleased with himself. "He's pissed now, but he and his Mate will be thanking us soon." 

So you were right; Gavin purposely flirted with Lovely just to rile Vincent up, and for what? Possessive, sexy time later tonight? Oh, whatever. That's enough drama for one night; you seriously just need to pass out now. 

And with that, the two of you head home without realising your interactions with the power couple of D.A.M.N didn't go by unnoticed by the several students who were hovering close. 

-

"Are you hurting anywhere, Lovely?" 

"I'm alright, Vincent. The hickeys and bruises are healing nicely; my body still feels a bit sore but not enough to cripple me, so stop hovering near the door." 

Vincent guilty did as he’s told and takes a seat on the corner of the bed. He watches you apply some light makeup on your face and neck in front of the vanity table as you're getting ready to head out to the academy. Your outfit compliments your look and, most importantly, hides any patches of skin except for your hands. 

Vincent really went all out last weekend after his night classes ended. It's obvious that Gavin unleashed something within your lover, and you will freely admit that an unrestrained Vincent makes for a very fun and wild night. 

The moment Will came over and realised that Vincent re-Mark you an hour before he arrives, he graciously decided to take a rain check and promise to have dinner with the two of you some other time. 

Once Vincent gets it out of his system, he teased before leaving you gobsmacked and Vincent a blushing mess. 

"You know, your guidance counsellor wouldn't mind if you're absent from classes today, Lovely. Probably." Vincent tries; a part of him doesn't want his Lovely to attend their lessons while their body is still healing. Then again, that part also whispers that the Incubus and his lover would be around them without his supervision. 

Nope. No. Bad Vincent. Lovely is more than capable of taking care of themselves. They don't need him acting like a jealous, clingy boyfriend. 

However, something that the Incubus bothered him. 

"You and your lover are quite the celebrities around here." 

What did he mean by that? He and Lovely had been playing good students the entire time they've been on campus! Their assignments are always delivered on time, grades nothing but above average, and they keep to themselves to avoid any typical college dramas.  

Is it because of his status? For some reason, Vincent feels like it's more complicated than that. What a headache. 

"Maybe, but I did promise the Freelancer that I’ll catch up with them to discuss our project," You commented and spritz your favourite perfume on your wrists and neck. You love this scent, despite it being cheap and common. "Vincent, honey, you're making that face again." 

"It's my face, Lovely." 

"Yeah, well, you have your happy-snappy-neck face again, Vincent." You dryly point out before sitting beside the Vampire. "Did that Incubus really rub you the wrong way?" Your voice is gentle. You didn't get any bad vibes coming from Gavin and the Freelancer - just genuine, harmless, friendly flirting. In a way, you welcome it as their attempts helped you drive your anxiety away. 

God, walking up to them was hard enough. You always feel a little intimidated whenever you're around charismatic people. 

"I don't know... I thought they were making you nervous, and the words that kept coming out of that Daemon's mouth? He knew what he was doing; I just can't figure out what or why." Vincent admits, frustrated. 

Seeing him look so frustrated saddens you, so you propose a suggestion. "How about this, I'll ask the Freelancer what that whole thing on Friday was all about, and if it's anything gross, I'll give you a call so you can deal with them. How's that?" 

It assured Vincent. Seeing his tiny smile urge you to peppered his face with kisses until he laughs. With your boyfriend now properly appeased, you leave the apartment for D.A.M.N. 

It's a bright Monday morning. You hope that this week will be a little kinder to you than the previous one. However, the moment you arrived on campus, everyone was glancing at you curiously. When you made eye contact with the stares, the students couldn't walk away fast enough. 

Weird. 

Your first class of the day is on the second floor, so you didn't waste any time heading for the stairs. Students mingle around as they go about their day; some grab breakfast at the convenient store, while others chat with their friends at the cafeteria and lounge room. A Water Elemental is performing simple tricks at the marble fountain to an adoring crowd.

Just as you rounded a corner, the crowd parted ways with a subtlety of a serial killer in slasher movies, which is to say, absolutely none whatsoever to reveal your new friend. The Freelancer is flanked by their boyfriend, Gavin, on the left and on their right, the famous player in the Earth Elemental team Huxley and one of the academy's guidance counsellors, Lasko. 

You couldn't help but notice that everyone is giving them a wide berth. Not that it matters when Gavin's body is positioned to shield the Freelancer from bumping into any of the passing students. Huxley passes a bottle of orange juice to them while Lasko is staring at something behind the Freelancer. He mutters something under his breath.  

A loud voice suddenly bounces off the walls. "What happened to my water tumbler, Freelancer!?" 

You and every other student in the area watch as the Freelancer turns around and loudly replies, "Don't worry! I already got you a new tumbler, Damien! It looks exactly like your old one. Except it's pastel pink with kittens on it, and the shape looks like a really fat snowman with bunny ears for straws." To make a point, the Freelancer rummage inside of their backpack and proudly present the weirdest looking water tumbler you had ever seen in your life to their boys. 

"AAAAAHHHHH!" 

"You know you could at least see it before you judge it, Damien." The Freelancer grumbled and shoved the tumbler back. Huxley gently pats their shoulder in a comforting manner. Lasko laughs nervously while Gavin continues to protect his lover silently, all the while looking at ease. 

Everyone knows of the Freelancer and their boyfriends. They're the most popular group in D.A.M.N for a reason. Friendly, yet no one can be a part of their group due to the tight bond they have with one another.

The Freelancer is quickly shaping up to be a remarkable magical individual in their own right, marching to the beat of their own drums rather than the world's. Unwaveringly kind and friendly, constantly making sure the people around them are comfortable and safe. 

In terms of academic performance, Damien remains unchallenged among his peers. Everyone could tell that he would undoubtedly change their world for the better the moment he graduates, especially in governing. He's also known for his fiery temper, yet that fire becomes a hearth when it comes to the Freelancer. More than once, students have stumbled upon them huddled close in the library, softly discussing the future they wanted. 

If Damien is known for his academic excellence, then Huxley is famous for his prowess in the field. His mastery over his element made the younger Earth Elementals look up to him as their role model while his teammates view him as their ace. Charming, cheerful yet a bit absentminded at times, and even then, you can't help but be fond of him. You can find the Freelancer cheering him from the bleachers during his matches, and once Huxley won the game, he would immediately launch himself at them. Sweats, dirt and grass all over him, but the Freelancer would laugh as he hoisted them up in his embrace. 

Lasko is an odd addition to their group, but once he drops his stuttering, he shows just how capable he is as one of the academy's guidance counsellors. Acknowledged as one of the most powerful Air Elemental of his generation, Lasko is well on track to graduate D.A.M.N with honours, and while the future might be uncertain, students like to speculate that he will remain with the Freelancer and the others no matter what. Sometimes you can even catch a glimpse of them hanging out at one of the local cafes and see how bright and alive Lasko can be when around the Freelancer. 

Gavin came with a mystery trailing his saunter. See, no one knew how exactly he and the Freelancer first met. Speculations range from a cute, accidental meet up in a random convenience store to the Incubus boldly inviting them into a threesome when the Freelancer stumbled upon him mid-feeding. Lovely wonders if there's a betting pool going around the academy. The seniors would recognise Gavin, for he was their peer before he suddenly dropped out and vanished for a while. But judging by his frequent presence around the Freelancer, some say that he's looking forward to retaking his previous course. But whatever the reason may be, no one can deny the chemistry he has with the Freelancer. How fiercely protective he is of them when the Freelancer isn't looking. 

They're certainly an intriguing group, that's for sure. 

And when Gavin notices you were watching them, he winks at you. No doubt as an Incubus, he could scent what you and Vincent had been up to the entire weekend. 

That's what you get for a magical academy, after all. 

-

PS: Everyone in D.A.M.N (including Lovely & Vincent) hilariously assumes that the Freelancer is in a poly relationship with Gavin, Damien, Lasko & Huxley when in reality, they're just with Gavin. BBBBuuuttt... Gavin could detect the romantic/lustful feelings the other bois harbour for the Freelancer but kept it to himself for now. He's just waiting for the Freelancer to feel the same way so he could give them all The Talk™ and then go buy a bigger bed!

Anyway, I seriously had a lot of fun writing for this oneshot! It's been a while since I had that writing fever again so I hope you guys enjoyed it!

[jjungkookislife]

Fic Recs 2020 Pt. 1

Seokjin

let’s get married [SMAU] @hangsangwithbts

Summary: seokjin has no intention of getting married, but after facing tremendous pressure from his family to finally settle down, he comes up with the brilliant idea to fake a marriage. the lucky bride just so happens to be you.

voice mail @joonary

summary: kim seokjin is best known around campus for his romance advisory podcast, voice mail, but to you, he’s just your lovable idiot of a best friend. but when he accidentally lets it slip that he’s fallen for one of your fellow peers, you can’t help but be a little bit curious (and quite frankly, a tad bit jealous).

Yoongi

cheers if you agree @out-of-jams

summary: If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t know who you were or even how to get into contact with you, Yoongi wouldn’t be posting all over Weverse for anyone to see. Not that he thought anyone would be smart enough to put the pieces of the puzzle together with how many people responded to his posts anyway.

snake kisses @peekaboongi

summary: You are grossly unprepared for the snake hybrid that enters your life. Yoongi is quiet and sneaks around you but eventually, even the cold reptile warms up to you.

under construction [SMAU] @luffles424

summary: In which y/n is just trying to figure out what to do with her life with the help from her (un)helpful friends

Hoseok

going once, going twice, sold @bxebxee

summary: But the real reason anything at all started with Hoseok was something much simpler, and probably wholly unexpected - not that you ever planned on any of the other members of the MBA Society to find out.You leave your unlocked phone in his car before stumbling your way into your tiny, studio apartment. And he sees a twitter notification asking you for further discount on your panties.That is all it takes.

just practice @lamourche

summary: The second time you hook up with Jung Hoseok, he doesn’t remember the first time.  You’re surprised.  It was only a few weeks ago, and you were in a broom closet. That has to be different, right? (Well, not really, you’ll learn.)

game over @9uk

summary: your boyfriend has been gaming all day without paying much attention to you. that is until his friends on discord brings up the moaning noises in the background.

you’re my kryptonite @dovechim

summary: Superheroes are immortal, they are everything we are not. The Krypton are a race of superhumans sent down to Earth to protect humans, and they are the epitome of nobility and protection. You have always believed in their immortal, God-like powers, revered and admired them your entire life. Your wish for your very own superhero is granted when you meet Jung Hoseok, a Krypton with the most unique, powerful abilities you’ve ever seen.

Namjoon

first, do no harm @yandere-society

summary: Dr. Kim is well known as the most skilled heart surgeon in the hospital, but when you notice his mortality statistics seem skewered, you discover all is not what it seems. Now, Dr. Kim is offering you a choice: will you join him? Or become yet another broken heart beneath his scalpel?

internet friends [SMAU] @bts-celestials​

summary: meeting through online, namjoon slowly starts to fall for the person who likes all the things he’s into. maybe having friends online is fun.

Jimin

reset @dovechim

summary: We are made of the pieces of what we remember, and we hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there are memories to call our own, there can be no true loss. But Park Jimin has no such privilege.

paparazzi (tw: flash banner) @chinkbihh​

summary: What if the roles were reversed and it was Jimin who was the fan and you who was the idol?  But what if he wasn’t just a casual fan, but an avid fan?  Maybe even a sasaeng…  

Taehyung

the morning after @softlyjiminie

summary: one night, full of passion, whispered promises and heated kisses. one morning, full of regret and unwanted memories. is a night with your ex enough to send you running back into the arms of the devil?

fake love @mygsii

summary: an arranged marriage between you and taehyung leaves behind feelings of bitterness and hatred. will your heart be able to survive, especially when you’ve loved him all your life, or will it fall apart with this marriage?

cheap skate @gukslut

summary: Who doesn’t know Taehyung and his lady? Cutest couple in town, I’d say, and have been since they started dating in their college days. Oh, that was a while ago, though. And still, they’re happy as can be in that place they have together. Almost hate seeing one without the other, y’know, it’s like seeing just one testi- oh, right, I’m not supposed to talk like that. Anyhoo, I only say that because I saw Taehyung at a jewelry store the other day while I was buying my sweet Jiminie his presents. Maybe that boy’s finally gonna pop the question, but I do hope he’s got a good plan for it. Something sweet and romantic. Maybe I’ll find out after Jiminie gets back from that cabin he’s visiting.

baby i @jiminsfault

summary: a one night stand with a stranger leads to so much more than just great sex

Jungkook

only for love [SMAU] @lysjeon

summary: for almost four years it had been just him and sarang, and he had no plans on changing the life they had become accustomed to any time soon, but of course y/n has to come and shake his world.

one time in your room @ubemango

summary: There are papers to write, and virgins to daydream about. (You can think about Jeongguk’s dick later.)

piss off your parents @littlemisskookie

summary: In an effort to piss off your parents you move in with their worst nightmare- a boy with tattoos, a rock band, and an irresistible charm.

departure @nomnomsik

summary: As a flight attendant for Korean Air, you’re scheduled for a thirteen-hour flight to Japan. However, things get intimate between you and your partner and co-pilot, Jeon Jungkook, when he realizes Park Jimin, the famous idol from Korea, broads the plane and blatantly flirts with you.

curiosity @hobidreams

summary: when innocent jungkook comes to you with a not-so-innocent question… you decide it’s easier to just demonstrate.

inkling @gguksgalaxy

summary: Jungkook is your brother’s boyfriend’s co-worker, they own a tattoo and piercing parlour. In other words, he’s tall, gorgeous, has his passion literally etched into his skin, looks incredibly good in a man-bun, and is semi-unattainable for you. Why? Well…you’re not entirely sure but him ditching right after a very heated make-out session sure isn’t a good sign. His extremely poor mood the next week sure isn’t either, but the only way to fix it is to face the beast head-on. Right?

j’aime @baepop

summary: You’re the newest hire at a local café and head barista Jeon Jungkook takes you under his wing.

pop goes the cherry @1oserjk

summary: jungkook comes back home to find you visiting as well, all grown up — in more ways than one.

skirt chasers @1kook

summary: “Baggy clothes are in, but you wouldn’t know that, Miss I Draw Inspiration From Catholic School Girls.”

kiss it better @jincherie

summary: When one goes to Kim Seokjin for advice, it’s almost guaranteed to never end well. This is something Jungkook learns quickly when he mistakenly follows treasured advice to ‘be smart’ and ‘use his assets’. He just did what he was told! Of course, the execution was a bit poor… and embarrassing. But hey, if rocking up to cheer practice in a skirt doesn’t woo your crush, what will?

pay by play @yoonia

camboy!au

deeply poisoned @xmagicxshopx

summary: Kiss me on the lips, a secret just between the two of us. Deeply poisoned by the jail of you. I cannot worship anyone but you and I knew the grail was poisoned but I drank it anyway.

speeding ticket @minstrophywife

summary: Caught speeding to get home in time, you find yourself pulled over by a very delicious cop. Perhaps you can talk your way out of the ticket.Or,“I’m afraid I’m going to have to do a cavity search ma’am.”

OT7/Multiple Members

buttercream @minniepetals

summary: you were always adorable in their eyes, sometimes a little too adorable.

dulce periculum @forgottenpasta

summary: Devious and devilish, your two new impish hybrids never miss a chance to torment you for your hopeless attraction to them, knowing exactly what they do to you. But is sly sexuality and enigmatic allure all there is to the tiger and wolf hybrid, or do the depths of their eyes hide something more for you? Part ½

tropicana @dragunjk

summary: groovy punch sippin

amaranthine @koyamuses

summary: As the sole owner of Nightshade, a quaint bed and breakfast on the outskirts of the city, you find pleasure in rising each morning to tend to your guests but behind closed doors and within the shadows, you are the covenant leader to a group of young vampires who have claimed you as their mate.More often than not, your day is brimming with a mix of daily chores and back door deals that ensure the survival of your covenant. However, everything changes when three werewolves come stumbling into your life, all three of them claiming it was your scent that drew them closer as the words true mate ring into the silence.

testosterone boys @kiwiscript

summary: A little end of the year party tradition gets taken too far.

operation love letters @ve1vetyoongi

summary: When every student on campus is going crazy about a survey that claims to make true love bloom, your best friend manages to convince you to join in on the fun — except you’re disappointed to find out that your results just seem to be lost causes. That is until a love letter from a mysterious secret admirer turns up and you find yourself on a mission to find the person behind the pen — but you quickly realise it’s going to be a lot harder than you initially thought when you have 7 possible bachelors to investigate, right? Operation: Love Letters a-go!

our princess @iridescentjin

summary: In your newly established poly relationship, you are intimate with both Taehyung and Seokjin at the same time for the first time.

[blouisparadise]

For the anon asking about Big Bang, these are the ones I recall reading (so far) that are bl:

Memory of a Dream by tomlinvelvet (no smut)

But if this ends by nonsensedarling (it’s bl, but has a couple mentions of exploring bh at a future time)

In the Still of the Night by jacaranda_bloom

Here, and Where you Are by Louvie (no smut)

It’s Been So along by elsie_bee (no smut)

Forever is in your Eyes by we_are_the_same (no smut)

Thank you for sending this and your other ask! Since the Big Bang is now complete, here is a list of all the BL fics from the fest. We only included those with smut or those that are ABO or mpreg Louis.

Many of these fics are long and difficult to check, so if we missed any or if there are any on these list that shouldn’t be here, please let us know!

1) If You Ever Did Believe | Explicit | 25019 words

Harry Styles runs a moderately successful travel blog where he writes about ghosts and has published a few books on the subject while he travels the country in his RV. While doing research for his newest book, he winds up in a quiet little village with a whole lot of ghost stories and rumours waiting to be discovered and a single man who happens to have just as many stories and rumours that follow him as well.

2) Compass To My Soul | Mature | 31439 words

Note: Please check the tags for any trigger warnings.

Harry Styles, alpha, is ¼ of the perfect pack, and 1/5 of world famous boy band One Direction. He spends his time touring the world with his best friends and family.

Louis Tomlinson, omega, is 1/5 of world famous boy band One Direction. He spends his time hoping his bandmates don’t notice him.

3) Here, And Where You Are. | General Audiences | 32852 words

In a world where astrology is real and advanced, Harry finds out that Louis is his soulmate. The catch? Louis’s at the heart of a protest for omega/soulmate rights against the very case Harry is representing at court. Before they pass each other too many times, the universe takes it upon themselves to make them meet.

4) Hooked With Just One Taste | Explicit | 48558 words

Louis' flatmate introduces him to camming and suddenly, a whole new world is opened up to him: tips, gifts, and lots of admirers. He takes to it like a duck to water and strikes up a strange sort of friendship with a rather secretive lad calling himself BabyHoney, who seems to have more money than sense.

5) Memory Of A Dream | Explicit | 64766 words

A Sleeping Beauty AU.

6) In The Still Of The Night | Explicit | 68568 words

In a society where omegas are expected to follow a predetermined path, Louis strives for more; for his voice to be heard, for recognition, for true love.

In a world where your past defines your future, Harry fights against the system; for equality, for a different life, for acceptance.

When their two worlds collide, will they be beaten down by conformity or will they rise up and forge a new path together?

7) But If This Ends | Explicit | 107020 words

Note: This fic has mentions of BH.

Harry’s life as a vampire is routine. He spends his years moving around from place to place, learning as much as he can, and falling in love whenever the universe sees fit. When he tries to move his casual relationship with Louis to something more, it all gets turned on its head.

As they navigate confusing thoughts and complex emotions, Harry finds himself torn between the love he feels for Louis and everything he thought he knew.

8) Love After The End Of The World | Explicit | 162536 words

Society shattered when all electricity suddenly cut off across the globe, plunging the world into darkness. Now, Prometheus Industries is the sole remaining supply of power, a saving grace to those who survived Lights Out. As fugitives in no-man’s land struggling to break into Prometheus HQ, death lurks around every corner for Louis and Zayn. Things get complicated when a routine recon falls apart and Louis collides with Harry and his mates Niall and Liam, survivors with their own agenda.

When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong.

- BLP 🍑

[plusfortquemoi]

Sometimes I Think by Tim Dlugos

I'm a blond trapped in a dark-haired body. I'm a boy trapped in a man's body. I'm a sensitive straight man trapped in a homosexual habit. I'm a monk with a burning desire to sleep with as many people as possible. I'm a Yankee locked in a Catholic tradition. I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing. I'm a mystic who wants to be loved. I'm an angry man disarmed by a sense of humor. I'm a promising writer disarmed by my life as a dilettante. I've got champagne tastes and a beer budget. I'm a fatalist who pursues each avenue of escape. I'm a saint in a temporary state of mortal sin. I've missed the boat. I'm lucky to have missed the boat. I'm on the cutting edge. I'll live forever. I'll die soon. I'm powerless in the face of imminent nuclear destruction. I hear the bombers overhead. I've been here in a past life. This has all happened before. I'm a woman trapped in a man's body. I don't like the men or the women. I'd be a great actor. I'd be a good father. I'd have been a great composer. I could have had a V-8. I should have gone to a better college. I bought their sick lies hook, line and sinker, and I'm still buying them. It's not too late to change. I can't get enough. I've had enough. I can't take it another minute. I need a change of scenery. God is dead. Marxism is dead. Allende was too soft on the middle class. I ought to be a painter. I want it all. I've been spoiled. I'll never overcome my male ego. I'm glad to be a man. I want to run for political office. I'm a potential Presidential assassin. I'm crazy for living in New York. This is the most beautiful city on earth. I'd like to live on the Cape. I'm a great big phony. I've been incredibly lucky. Luck is the quality the third-rate attribute to the genuinely talented. I'm a vampire of other people's emotions. I'm a vampire. My relatives are beyond the pale. My relatives are the normal ones

I fall apart too easily. Bishop Sheen was right. I should go to confession. I've made nothing but sacrilegious communions since I learned to jerk off twenty years ago. I'd like to live in a developing country. It's my fault that I broke up with my last lover. I'm a latent alcoholic. I'm an alcoholic. I'm in perfect control of my drinking. If I'm worried about it, I'm probably a potential alcoholic at least. I try too hard. It's not worth having if it doesn't fall into my lap. It requires a grand gesture. I need a drink. It's time for a nap. It's time for sex with another total stranger. I hate sex. Nothing whatsoever is wrong with liking pornography. I'd like speed. I'd like heroin. I'd like Paris. I don't like any of my old friends anymore. I'm an elitist. I'm a snob. I'm "broadminded" in the most annoying liberal way. It's my right to know the Third Fatima Secret. My palm shows that I'm bitter. I'm a paragon of mental health compared to lots of the people I know. I'll end up in jail. I'll die in jail. I'll die a suicide. I'm free to do what I want. I know what I want.

[sunnypogue]

midsummers with hockey rafe (blurb)

requested by an anon who asked if i could write something about ward telling rafe to cover his hickeys at midsummers. obviously, had to make it coho!rafe. 

enjoy!

you didn’t really know what you were getting yourself into when rafe invited you to midsummers.

it was spring semester, the two of you were in your roommates hammock that sagged on your front porch, mapping out your summer plans.

“so you’ll come stay with my family on hilton head for the fourth, right?” you asked, playing with his big, calloused fingers.

rafe made a sound of approval.

“we’ll have to book tickets for you to fly out, huh?” you continued, still fiddling with his hands.

rafe grunted, his baseball cap slipping forward onto his face.

you frowned, bending his index finger back just enough to startle him. “are you listening?”

“yes! fuck, leave my fingers alone, you brat.” he snatched his hand out of your grasp, shifting his hat back to sit properly on his head. “and to answer your question, because I was listening - no, I’ll just drive down.”

your eyes widened. “from huntsville? that’s going to take hours!”

rafe sighed. “no, I’ll be at my dad’s the week before. easier to drive.”

“you’re going home this summer?”

rafe didn’t really “go home” - at least, not the way you did. you looked forward to summers in your savannah home, having wine nights with your mom and barbecuing with your dad, relishing the time at home with your high school friends.

rafe only went home when he had to, his strained relationship with his father and stepmom making things less-than-pleasant when he would return to the outer banks for a couple weeks. he didn’t visit at all last summer, opting to split his time between your parents home and his place in huntsville.

rafe sighed again, deep & heavy. “yeah. I’ve got this...thing.”

you looked up at him, chin resting on his chest. “what thing?”

“it’s...god, it’s some stupid event my family goes to every year. basically a pissing contest to see who’s family is the most successful.” rafe removes his hat, rubbing his hand over his face. “my dad likes to win.”

you offered him a pout, going to rub your hand against his chin, letting your thumb run along the stubble that was coming in. “you have to go?”

rafe nodded. “yeah, I skipped last year only because I promised my dad I would come this year - wheez is 16, so it’s kinda a big year for her.” he gave a weak smile at the mention of his youngest sister. “sarah’s gonna be there too.”

“see! it’ll be worth it then. couple days with your sisters and then you can come hang with me and my fam in hilton head.” you nuzzled into his chest. “a tour of the carolinas.”

“I was actually hoping you would come with me.”

you popped your head up, eyes wide. “me?”

rafe rolled his eyes, “yes you. sarah’s bringing her boyfriend. figure it’s time for you to see where I grew up.”

and that’s how you found yourself flying up to the outer banks for a long weekend, a couple of gown options tucked away in your checked luggage, bikinis stowed in your carryon - you spent the whole flight fidgeting, beyond nervous about what was to come.

you had met ward a couple times - a little intimidating, and relatively unimpressed by anything rafe did. you didn’t mind that rafe didn’t go see him much - it always seemed to put him in this dark, sullen mood, one that could take days to pull him out of.

you were hoping to make it out of the weekend with minimal conflict between the father-son pair.

rafe was waiting at arrivals when you waltzed outside, grinning at the sight of your tan boyfriend leaning against his Jeep. you dropped your bags on the curb, opting to tackle him into a hug instead, giggling when he had to brace himself for impact.

“hi baby - missed you too.” he laughed, hands going to rest on your hips. “need help with those?” he gave a pointed look to your massive suitcases. you just smiled, offering him a quick kiss before flouncing into his passenger seat, letting him handle the heavy lifting.

your first interaction with the family at tannyhill (apparently rafe lived in a place where homes were old enough to have their own estate names) was mild - ward was charming, in his typical slimy way, rose offered you a grimace, before clacking away in her heels to “take a call,” and wheezie had barely let rafe slip into the foyer with your suitcases before she was asking him to buy her alcohol for some party later that night.

when you and rafe made it safely to the confines of his bedroom, he attempted to apologize.

“rafe, you don’t have to apologize.” you laughed, cupping his concerned face with your hands. ���families are...well, you know.” you scrunched your eyebrows, trying to search for the right word. “family.”

rafe laughed, grabbing your wrists. “very insightful.”

the next day, rafe had a fitting, which you accompanied him to (your other option was pretending to make nice with rose while laying out at the pool - hard pass), giggling at his clear disdain for the whole situation.

“it’s so fucking stupid, babe.” he groaned for what had to be the tenth time that car ride, pulling into a spot in front of the tailors. “I probably have 50 suits I could wear, but god forbid I don’t match rose’s fucking color scheme.” he snapped his seat belt off, a hint of aggression peeking through.

you nodded, following him out of the car. “hey, if it makes you feel better, she’ll hate me more than you. I didn’t bring anything that matches the Cameron “color scheme.””

rafe turned to give you a look, hand blindly reaching for the door. “no one could hate you. you could wear a sack and people would adore you.”

you pulled a face. “shut up, you have to say that shit.”

“maybe, but it’s -“

“mr. cameron, here for the 2:30 appointment?” a tall, slim man appeared in front of y’all, tape measure around his neck.

rafe tugged on his shirt collar, letting out a small groan. “uh, yeah. that’s me.”

the man gave him a glance, before offering you a glare. “right, well, follow me. back here.”

you settled into a chair at the front of the store, fucking around on your phone. an hour went by before rafe emerged from the back, head peeking around the corner.

“hey babe!” you gingerly removed yourself from the chair, back stiff from your stationary position. “all done?”

rafe nodded, “yeah, I’ve gotta change out of it, but it’s ready to take home.”

you scrambled to your feet. “wait! let me see!”

rafe groaned, quickly looking behind him to see if the tailor was near by, before slowly emerging from around the corner. “it’s pretty fucking terrible.” he groaned.

you, on the other hand, were awestruck - there was your boyfriend, with his stache and overgrown hair, in all of his 6’3”, offseason bulked out glory, wearing a baby blue suit.

it should have been hilarious - but you were fucking salivating over it.

“uh, no it’s not.” you argued, walking up to grab the lapels of his jacket. “how the fuck do you make baby blue look this good?”

rafe grimaced. “babe, it’s awful. don’t lie.”

“oh really?” you smirked, peeking over his shoulder towards the empty dressing room. you started to walk backwards in that direction, tugging his hand as you gave him your best bedroom eyes. “why don’t you come in here and let me show you how much I like it.”

“babe!” rafe hissed, his head whirled to the left, checking to see if the tailor was in the vicinity, before looking back at you with raised eyebrows. “really?”

you nodded, biting your lip. “oh yeah, baby. never told me you were such a pretty boy.”

rafe grumbled, following you into the dressing room. “I’ll fuckin’ show you a pretty boy - c’mere.”

the next day, while waiting to take pictures with the cameron family, ward approached you and rafe at the wet bar, extending cocktails to you both.

you gratefully accepted, sucking down what tasted like a heavy handed greyhound, the vodka sitting in the back of your throat as ward barked instructions at rafe.

“we’re going to do the family first, rafe, and then we can get john and - what the fuck is that?”

you glanced up at the change in ward’s tone, straw slipping out from between your lips as ward tugged rafe’s shirt collar to expose a hickey, the deep purple spreading towards his collarbone.

“dad,” he started, knocking ward’s hand away to readjust his collar. “it’s-“

“rose!” ward yelled, turning away from rafe. “can you please come fix...this!” ward gestured at rafe wildly with his hand, throwing a glare at the two of you.

you were rigid, hand white-knuckling your drink, unsure what exactly to do in this situation.

“relax dad,” sarah huffed, grabbing her clutch as she pushed her way over to where y’all were standing. “c’mon, idiot, I’ve got something that can cover that up.” she rolled her eyes, poking at his neck.

rafe smacked her hand away. “quit.”

sarah ignored her brother, poking it once more before directing her attention to you. “what are you, part vampire?” she giggled, tugging your arm with her as she started up the stairs towards her room. “c’mon rafe,” she called out, voice almost singing. “gotta go cover up the evidence! people can’t know you have sex!”

you burst out laughing as at least three scandalized voices behind you yelled “sarah!”, rafe’s separate groan audible as he followed the two of you.

sarah leaned over as y’all entered her bedroom, voice whispering in your ear, “tux’s don’t hide shit - that’s why I usually go for the chest on john b,” she giggled.

you nodded, as if learning a deep and sacred practice - well, you supposed you kinda were.

“also,” she whispered, ignoring rafe’s call from behind to “stop corrupting his girlfriend,” and continuing, “third stall, men’s bathroom at the country club - doesn’t lock. learn from my mistakes. family bathroom is gonna be your best bet.”

“are you - are you scouting places for me to hook up with your brother tonight?” you hissed.

sarah shrugged, leading you into her room. “well, what else is there to do at midsummers?” she gave a grin, like the cat that got the cream. “john b and I call the golf restrooms.” she pushed your shoulders down, settling you to the bed, before turning her attention to her brother, who was sulking in the doorway.

“rafe! let me fix your hickey, you heathen!”

[shirtlesssammy]

15x20: Carry On

Warning: Boris is a salty, sad fangirl right now so the first part of this recap might be more bitter, reductive venting than is necessary. Please skip ahead to enjoy Natasha’s far more nuanced and enjoyable second half of the recap.

The Road So Far: Cue Carry On Wayward Son

Then:

Salmondean Winchester, the boy with the demon blood and daddy’s blunt little instrument, finally defeats Chuck and gets a taste of true free will

Now:

*Fun domestic montage*

Sam Dean gets a dog! (Okay, fine, Miracle is super cute, and a complete stand-in for Cas --but that thought just sends me on another anger spiral.) 

Dean squeezes the shit out of that dog, and I hurt for that touch-starved man. 

Sam goes for a run, so like, I guess his life is the same. (thanks to Dean always protecting him and allowing him some normalcy in life) (I’m bitter, remember?) 

Dean Sam makes breakfast! Dean brushes his teeth! Sam is SHIRTLESS one last time! 

*Shirtless Sammy Alert*

Dean’s room is INEXPLICABLY messy! I do get what this whole montage is doing, and it’s nice, but I’m pretty sure when Becky said the fans like the domestic stuff, it was supposed to include CAS AND OTHER FAMILY. Basically, overlay the Where’s the Angel? gif all over this sequence for me. 

And finally, we find the boys are still hunting. Because freedom is just a length of rope. 

Dean finds a case, but first they have to stop and get pie! Yay! Dean loves pie, and women, and fast cars. Grumpy-faced Sam humors his big, dumb brother. Yay! 

Dean Sam thinks about Cas and Jack. Dean brushes off the thought with a Wherps, gotta keep moving attitude, and I already WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE. Sam then pies Dean in the face, so we have that. 

In suburban America, a mother starts to ready her children for bed. There’s a knock at their door and the father answers it. There’s nobody there, and as he turns around, he’s knifed in the back, his wife looking on in horror.

Skull masked killers enter the home. The mother and children run upstairs. The mother is quickly dispatched, and the kids soon follow. 

Agents Singer and Kripke check out the crime scene.

They learn more about the parents: exsanguinated and throat ripped out father, tongue ripped out mother. The children are missing. The cop shows a drawing of the killers. Dean (in a wildly out of character move!) uses his photographic memory to remember a case his fucking father botched back in the day. Dean pulls out the journal (MY GOD THERE’S BEEN NO GROWTH) 

For TFW Science (because Cas is the tree):

They determine they’re dealing with a roaming band of vampires. 

At night, a couple of vampmimes arrive at a house. Dean beheads one right away. Sam shoots the other with dead man’s blood. Dean removes the mask to reveal a normal looking vampmime. Why the masks?? Dean wants answers, and Dean “I’m not a killer” Winchester threatens the vamp with a quick death or slow death (with a spoon). The vamp spills the kids’ whereabouts. 

*Much Anticipated Barn Scene Alert* 

(Psych! Don’t get your hopes up, what lies ahead is bullshit.) 

The masked vamps are crawling all over the joint, but Dean and Sam Winchester can handle it! This is a milk run! They get the kids free and face the big bads. 

Fight! Chop! Slice! The boys are overwhelmed. Sam gets knocked out one last time. Dean’s held down to the ground so OMG GUYS!!! JENNY IS BACK!??!?!!? I CAN’T FUCKING BELIEVE THEY GOT HER BACK!! (This joke is so old by now and it’s only been 3 days, sigh.) I did not remember her at all (but then I’m a TFW purest and tend to not watch the early seasons ---and I NEVER HAVE TO AGAIN!) (Natasha: coughs and points at our recap list.) (Boris: shit.) Dean remembers though, and talks just long enough for Sam to wake and chop her head off. See ya, Jenny! 

More fighting! 

Sam takes out another vamp and Dean tussles with the last one ---and is pushed backwards right into the rebar hook in the wall. So that happened. (I’m trying to stay calm, but I’m a ROILING CESSPOOL OF ANGER AND CONFUSION AND BITTER RIGHT NOW.) 

Sam kills the vamp. He’s ready to find the kids and leave. “Sam, I don’t think I’m going anywhere.” 

Dean pulls Sam close. HE’S BEEN IMPALED! Poor little snowman. Dean makes Sam promise not to try to resurrect him. He tells Sam that he’s proud of him and that he’s always looked up to him. That he was scared to be rejected by Sam in that very first episode when he went to get him from college. “I must’ve stood outside your door for hours. Because I didn’t know what you would say. Tell me to get lost or to get dead.” JESUS SHOW JUST LET DEAN LIVE AND BE LOVED. (Boris: In the alt version where Cas is there too, he’s instead telling Cas about watching him outside the Gas ‘n Sip. why do I do this to myself?) 

Sam cries, afraid to go through the world alone. Dean tells Sam to always keep fighting, tells him he loves him, and DIES. He dies clutching his chest and the whole season we think we’ve been getting heart and chest imagery as a symbol of love but instead it was just? Foreshadowing? Of getting impaled through the chest cavity and dying? 

Dean dies, and Sam is wrecked, and I call up 911 to inform them that I have been ROBBED of one Dean Winchester finally getting to live his life. (This is indeed, a beautifully acted scene. I just...wish I couldn’t feel a damn thing about it.)

Sam burns Dean on a lonely pyre, with nobody else around but the dog.

For Sam Gets a Dog but at What Cost Science:

Sam wakes alone, in mourning. There’s no dialogue - only a Sad!Sam montage of remembering the people he’d lost in the bunker. (Was this script only like 5 pages?) One of Dean’s cell phones rings. It’s a sheriff who’d been referred to Dean by Donna. (DONNA DOESN’T KNOW FML) There’s a case, so Sam takes off. He shuts down the bunker and it goes dark.

We cut to Dean in Heaven. It’s beautiful - a wilderness of mountains. Dean’s greeted by Bobby sitting at the quiet Roadhouse. Bobby tells Dean that he’s free - and Heaven’s free. Jack opened Heaven and tore down the walls before he took off for places unknown. I am GLAD ABOUT THIS. It’s about time for Heaven to be a true reward, but this show took Dean TOO SOON. “It ain’t just Heaven, Dean. It’s the Heaven you deserve.” Bobby drops one last reveal: “Cas helped.” 

They drink together. “it’s almost perfect,” Dean says. 

“He’ll be along,” is Bobby’s quiet response. (Our hearts rise thinking about Cas.) Time’s different in Heaven, Bobby explains. (Boris: Jeremy Bearimy, baby!) “What are you gonna do now, Dean?” Dean decides to go for a drive. He gets into Baby and drives away to the tune of “Carry on my wayward son.”

Cut to a montage showing Sam raising a child with “Dean” on the coveralls. (To quote a friend of mine: That goes against basic child safety, Sam!) While Dean drives, Sam raises a son.

In Sam’s house, the portraits only show pictures of the original Winchesters: Sam, Dean, Mary, John. Me to set dressers: EXTREME SIDE EYE - way to show Sam’s “full life.” Sam kept the Impala in storage, and possibly sits in it and weeps from time to time, as one does.

Much later, Sam dies in his home of “old age disease,” as someone on Tumblr put it. “It’s okay, you can go now,” baby Dean tells Sam, mirroring Sam’s words to his brother. AAAAAND Sam out. Remember, words can kill, kids!

Dean stops on a beautiful bridge and gets out to survey the world.

Dean smiles and the camera pans out. “Hey, Sammy,” he says. The boys are wearing the same outfits as the first episode because SYMBOLISM. (Boris: Symbolism? Like there was no growth or change or...Boris will stay out of your mentions.) (Natasha: Exactly.) They hug, and I do get emotional, because I’m not the burnt and broken shell of a fan that I may appear to be.

We get a “thank you” from Jared and Jensen on the bridge, and then the camera pans away to show the crew. We send them a giant box of MASKS FOR FUCK’S SAKE. And then we set this episode aside as unfulfilling fan fiction and move on with our lives.

Am I sad to see this show end? Yes, I am! Were there things I liked about this episode? Sure! Were there things I so viscerally disliked that I’m still sleeping poorly? Absolutely. That’s love, right? We’re still raw, but we WILL BE BACK on Monday with a new recap of an old episode. See you all then!

Quote on My Wayward Son:

I don’t have a choice. This is my destiny

It’s like running into somebody from high school, you know? Somebody you don’t want to see

Stay with me, please

I’m not leaving you. I’m gonna be with you right here, every day

Cas helped

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[tanzen-neko]

All Along (Theo x MC)

All Along (Theo x MC) Chapter: 1/2

IkemenVampire

Warnings: No real warnings for this one besides a brief mention of vomit at the end, and a very frustrated Theo.

The pub was crowded and loud, but that didn’t stop Theo’s ability to hear her twinkling laugh over the raucous voices of the crowds. Posted at a table in the corner with his partner in crime Arthur, Theo was trying to ignore the overly sweet perfume of the two women hanging off of Arthur. He had no interest in the town harlots, despite having hooked up with the redhead in the past. Instead, all his attention was focused on a certain flush faced clumsy housekeeper who his dear brother Vincent casually had his arm thrown around as their heads brushed against each other’s during some private conversation. He snarled at the glass in his hand before slamming back the contents, the ice clinking against his teeth as he drained it. Always observant, Arthur’s eyebrows shot up at his friend’s display. Though Theo was a bit rough around the edges, he usually was not someone who was prone to public displays of anger. He searched the bar with his eyes to discover the source of his mate’s frustration, and once his eyes landed on a certain lady laughing freely with Theo’s older brother, he understood perfectly what was going on. Their darling resident and housekeeper _______had decided 2 days ago that instead of returning to her own time, she would stay here with the inhabitants of what she playfully dubbed “The Vampire House''. She claimed she had grown too attached to all of them, and the time period to leave. As a result, Arthur had insisted on taking her out to celebrate with himself, Vincent, and Theo. Of course, Theo had made it a point to state he couldn’t care less if she stayed or left, but Arthur knew his friend too well to believe him. His being at the pub was enough to show that. Arthur bit back a chuckle as he noticed that anytime she laughed or moved, Theo’s eyes were glued to her. He could lie as much to himself as he wanted to, but Arthur knew better. 

“Dear ladies, if you would be so kind as to excuse me, and my mate here. I believe we need to refill our cups, and join the residents of our happy home,” he stated to the pouting ladies. Truth be told, he was growing weary of these two particular birds anyway. Instead, he had been eyeing a rather cute barmaid with very short hair and glasses who was keeping to herself in the corner of the bar cleaning the same pristine mug, almost ignoring the boisterous crowd.

Making sure to bow and kiss each of their cheeks to soothe any hurt feelings, he clapped Theo on the back, and practically dragged him along to the bar, and placed another drink order with the gruff man behind the counter, shooting a wink to the barmaid who rolled her eyes and made it a point to turn her back to him in response. He smiled lazily at her antics. What a stubborn cutie. As they waited, he let his eyes casually drift over to the merry party. 

“She’s really wormed her way into all of their hearts, hasn’t she?” he asked. Theo didn’t respond. Arthur tried to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible.

Though I’m glad she decided to stay, I can’t help but believe she stayed behind for someone. What say you, mate?” Theo finally rose to the bait. He turned on Arthur with a snarl.

“What the hell does it matter to me that she and Vincent have decided to couple up? If he wants a filthy mutt, then that’s on him. It’s none of my concern.” Arthur held back the exasperated chuckle that threatened to come out of his throat.

“You really believe she’s staying for him?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well it sure as hell ain’t me,” Theo growled out. “The little idiot’s petrified of me.”

The words burned in Theo’s mouth, but he forced them out. It was the truth, anyway. She had been afraid of him since day one. Whenever he had spoken to her, she would look everywhere else but at him. When he had encountered her in a room alone, she would wring her hands like a cornered animal. Any jokes, or teasing he made were met with wide eyes, and stuttering. So he had decided to leave her alone. Even though just watching her go about her day was enough to cause his heart to clench up. Or listening to her hum and laugh made his day all the less dreary. She had captured his heart before he had even known he had one. Ignoring the pang in his heart, he tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter. Arthur took mercy on his friend, but he couldn’t help but let out a sigh. When would Theo learn? Instead, when the bartender brought the drinks, he scooped Theo’s up before he could grab it.

“What the hell, Arthur?”

“Now, now Theo. We need to join our friends. You may be in a foul mood, but I think they would appreciate our company.”

Ignoring his protests, Arthur strolled over to the table, and smiled at the greetings. Plopping in the seat next to Vincent, he placed Theo’s drink across the table, and let out a chuckle at his friend’s scowl. He grabbed his drink up and downed it, loving the burn that seared down his throat. It was almost torture for Theo to be seated across from her, and not look into her smiling face. His foot brushed against hers, and he saw her jump. He caught her eye for a second before she looked down at her empty glass. 

“Everything ok, pet?” Arthur asked. Theo held back his jealousy. She wasn’t Arthur’s pet. She was his Hondje.  He held back his eye roll as she flashed Arthur one of her beautiful smiles.  

“Nothing, Arthur. My cup’s just empty. I’ll go get another.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Vincent, already standing up. She flashed him a grateful smile, as they made their way up to the bar, Theo’s chest humming with envy.

It was about an hour later, and it was clear that _________ had finally reached her limit. Her mouth seemed stuck in a perpetual smile, and her words were slightly slurred. Her laugh had become louder, and at one point, her head had dropped to Vincent’s shoulder. Theo felt the snarl coming to his face, almost bit through his lip to hold it back. He had never felt more sure of their relationship than he was in the moment. He pushed down the sadness that threatened him, and abruptly stood up. He missed the glance between Arthur and Vincent, however.

“That’s a right idea, mate. I’m sure we would all appreciate you getting her home safely,” he said.

Theo turned to him, flabbergasted. “I’m not taking her home! Why can’t you or Vincent?”

Arthur clucked his teeth. “‘Fraid not, dear. Vincent here promised me a night out, and I intend to keep him on that. Plus, I want to try my luck with that icy barmaid. It’s been a while since I saw…such delicious fresh blood around here. Besides, you seem to be on your way out anyway.”

Theo turned to Vincent for help, but quickly lost hope. His brother was looking up at him with his bright eyes, and that pleading smile he knew he couldn’t say no to. Knowing he was defeated, he let out a sigh. 

“You have 5 minutes to get her outside. I’ll be there waiting.” Without waiting for an answer, he stormed outside. In truth, his heart was pounding, and the cold wind felt amazing on his hot face. He thought about flagging down a carriage, but quickly ditched the idea. The rolling motion may upset the little idiot’s stomach. It had nothing to do with the fact he didn’t know how he would react to being in an intimate space with her. Especially now that she was his brother’s. So he would play the polite gentleman whom his brother had entrusted with his beloved. He heard rather than saw ________ exit the front of the door. Trying to nonchalantly turn to see her, he grit his teeth at the intimate picture she completed with Vincent. The lanterns from the entrance seemed to weave themselves through her hair, and light her eyes on fire. Vincent was whispering something to her that must have upset her because she began to gnaw at her fingernail in a blatant display of uncertainty. Unable to help himself, Theo felt a fond feeling swept through his heart even if it was flavored heavily with bitterness at the pretty picture the two people he loved most in the world made together. He supposed if he knew of anyone who was worthy of Hondje, it was Vincent. The sweet man would dote on her, and treat her like the princess she was. Someone like Theo was too gruff; too rough to know how to handle something as precious as spun glass. Even as he told himself this, he couldn’t stop the lifting of his lip to bare a single fang as if that would chase Vincent away. He was instantly filled with shame, and turned his face away, not wanting to be caught prying into a clearly intimate moment.  In a second, he heard the clacking sound of her low heeled boots as she raced towards him. The smell of her sweat hitting Theo’s sensitive nose made his head swim. He desperately wanted to get close enough to try and lick up her neck, to taste the skin that held back her distracting pulse. She came up beside him, and after throwing one last glance back at Vincent finally turning to him.

“Thanks for taking me home, Theo. I know you probably wanted to stay out with Vincent and Arthur. Sorry to inconvenience you.” She mumbled it all out without once glancing at his face. Instead, it felt like she was going to burn a hole through the lining of his jacket. Theo waved a hand at her apology.

“If you were that concerned with it Hondje, you wouldn’t have gotten drunk. Let’s go home before it gets cold out.” Without waiting for a response, Theo turned and began walking. And if he walked at a slower pace to make sure she could keep up, well he wouldn’t admit it. It wasn’t long, however, before he could tell she wasn’t doing too well with the walking. Feeling irritation with his stubbornness about renting a carriage, he stopped walking to glance around. Due to the late hour, he didn’t see any unoccupied carriages. he cursed underneath his breath, and felt __________ sway by his side.

“Theo? Is everything ok?” Her sweet voice washed over him, and he felt the urge to ask her to say his name again. He turned around, his back to her.

“You’re walking too slow,” he grumbled as he squatted down.  She still hesitated, staring at him with those wide, wide eyes.

“Are you sure I won’t be too heavy?” she asked. When he let out a growl in response, she let out a chuckle before almost indulgently grasping around his shoulders. Theo felt himself almost shudder at the feel of her body against his back. The feel of her breasts pressed against him. He grabbed her thighs and brought her legs around his waist, making sure she was still properly covered by her dress. He knew he was being too protective, but the thought of anyone getting a glance at her shapely legs made him clinch his jaw. Unable to stop the shaking of his hands, he prayed she was too drunk to feel it. Those prayers must have been answered because instead of commenting, she just murmured something too low for him to hear and gripped around him closer. Theo began walking faster than necessary. He was sure he was jarring her, but if he had to continue to walk with her scent swirling around him like this any longer, he was bound to lose it. She didn’t seem to mind his pace, however. In fact, it seemed to be lulling her into a relaxed state. She nuzzled into his neck sleepily. Theo didn’t even have to look at her to know that her eyes would be closed as well. He was constantly impressed by her ability to sleep anywhere, and he couldn’t smother down the surge of emotion he felt at her display of trust. He had meant what he said to Arthur earlier; she never seemed to be at peace around him. So for her to sleep like this must be due to the alcohol. Still, Theo would convince himself otherwise, if just for tonight. Before he knew it, her soft snores brushed against his ear. Theo almost let out a sigh of disappointment when he saw the front of the mansion. Not sure how to go about grabbing his key without setting her down, he leaned forward so most of her weight was on top of him. Unable to reach his own pockets, he fumbled with her skirt, trying his hardest not to touch her too much. Still, just the fact that he was touching her skirt and petticoats got his heart racing. Mercifully, he was able to get her key out and the front door opened. Shifting her around again, he went back to carrying her on his back and made his way to her bedroom. The lamps were turned down low in the hallways, and he could hear the soft sound of piano music drifting through the silence. Any other time he would pause to appreciate Mozart’s playing, but right now he was a man on a mission. ________ began to stir and wake up, so he murmured nonsensical soothing words. Belatedly, he realized she was already awake.

“Theo? Where are we?” She squirmed on his back, and he stopped with a sigh to let her down. He tried to put on an air of annoyance, but her sleepy countenance ruined it quickly for him. Her eyes seemed so heavy lidded with sleepiness, and her yawns were cute. He wanted to ruffle her hair like always. He wanted to pull her into his arms and pepper her face with kisses until she rested against him and fell back asleep. He made a disapproving sound in his throat, more at himself than at her.

“Bout time you woke up Hondje. Didn’t know I was a delivery service.” Her embarrassed apology fell on deaf ears as he continued to guide her down the hallway. They had reached her room, and he was reluctant to enter. But he was even more reluctant to not make sure she was resting in bed with how wobbly her steps were. So against his better judgement, he opened her door and shoved her inside. He closed the door behind them, and turned on the small lamp on her vanity. The room was painted in soft lights. She stood in the middle of the room where he led her, swaying back and forth gently as if on a boat. Theo felt a grudge against Arthur growing. Where did he get off letting Hondje drink so much? Just because he was a lush didn't mean he had to turn a mere pup into one. He folded down her comforter and fluffed up her pillow. The bed smelt wholly of her and the rose water perfume she washed her clothing in. Theo rubbed his nose, as if to remove the scent that was binding his senses.  First things first, he would get her in bed. Then he would bang his head against a wall until he stopped lusting over his brother's girlfriend. 

“Hey pup, come over here,” he called. She did so with a docile and sweet expression on her face, and he fought the urge to tell her ‘good girl’ with a head pat. To occupy his hands and resist temptation, he made her sit down on her bed, and began working on unlacing her ankle boots for her. He was able to get one off before she started twisting. 

“Oi, what the hell are you doing?” he snapped before looking up. He let out a strangled choke. ________ was in the process of trying to remove her top. She had managed to get all of the buttons undone on her blouse before he grabbed her to try and stop her. Her white chemise and corset were visible, and it took all of his self control to direct his eyes away. 

“What are you doing?” he repeated, at a loss for words.

“It’s hot, Theo,” she complained. She gave up on her top since he was gripping her shoulders, so she tried to reach behind her to get to the hooks of her skirt. It was true that it was warm in her room. Her forehead glistened with the fine sheen of sweat.

“Alright, alright. I’ll figure something out. Just, just sit down and stop stripping, for god’s sake!” She pouted at him, but sat back down on her bed. He shot her one last look to make sure her hands were staying still before he opened up the large window by her bed. The soft noise of the city was carried in on a light breeze. She seemed content with that for the moment, turning her head towards it with a small smile. Theo was able to finally remove her other shoe. 

“Mmmm. Theo, my stockings too please.” 

Theo’s warning bells went off in his head. This was dangerous territory, and he shouldn’t venture into it. Even if the intention was innocent. What he should do was stand up, and leave.  He bit his bottom lip. ________ grew impatient with his hesitancy.

“Theo, my stockings!” she whined.

“Hondje, remind me to never let you drink again. You become quite a spoiled thing,” he fussed. The bitter thought that he would love to be the one to pamper her crossed his mind, but he stuffed it down. He would never forgive himself if he ever showed any ill will towards Vincent’s happiness. He also promised to take proper care of her tonight, as well. So he breathed deeply, and slid his hand up one trim leg to grip the stocking that just grazed the top of her knee. He pulled it down a tad faster than he should have. _______ startled and began falling forward a bit. To stop herself from falling, she draped her arms over his shoulders and made a noise of discontent. 

“Theo, not so rough. My ankle!”

Theo felt instant regret. Gently removing her stocking over her foot, he examined her ankle in the low light. It felt so small and dainty in his hand. He felt a sudden urge to press a kiss to it. He set her leg down.

“It looks ok. I’ll go slower so sit still and no squirming.” She made a small “hmph” noise, but otherwise stayed still. Theo held back the smirk at her poutiness, not wanting to encourage her. He made quick but gentle work of the other stocking, unable to resist rubbing her ankles gently where her stockings had left indents. He tsk’d disapprovingly, and made a mental note to have Vincent help her pick out thinner ones. She sighed before leaning towards him. 

“Theo,” she whispered. He made a small noise to let her know he was listening, still intent on her ankles.

“Theo,” she repeated, sliding herself off the bed and half on top of his lap. Theo fell backwards.

“Woah, woah Hondje. What the hell!” He knew he needed to move, but the closeness of her had caught him off guard. This wasn’t like a piggyback ride. She was almost straddling, stockingless and practically undressed. 

Just push her off, Theo. Push her off and get the hell out of here. She’ll be fine.

As if reading his thoughts, her grip on him tightened, and she moved her face closer in his line of vision.

“Hey, Theo. I think I’m gonna’ be sick.”

Before Theo could even process her statement or move, she threw up down the front of his shirt and jacket.

[popculturebuffet]

Prince of Wishful Thinking (Tom Retrospective): Tough Love or The True Monster

Hello all you happy people and welcome back to Prince of Wishful Thinking, what is usually my look at the life and times of Tom Lucitor but since I NEED to cover the season 3 finale as vital part of Tom’s story, we’re taking one last look at the tragic tale of Meteora Butterfly before the finale sends these two stories hurtling together. You’d THINK this would be the last detour of this already sizeable arc.. and you’d be wrong as i’ll also be covering Kelly’s World, as I feel it’s vital for both “Curse of the Blood Moon” and “A Boy and his hard to remember title”, as it provides extra context for Marco’s anguish in the former.. and provides extra evidence for why a CERTAIN MOMENT in the latter pisses me off to no end.. seriously even when as universe dies and the only people left are Frankllin Richards and Galactus, there will still be a little note reading “Fuck how they treated Kelly” written in all caps so Galactus remembers to yell it. 

So sadly that DOES mean it’s been three entries in this retrospective in a row that either haven’t feature Tom at all or in the case of the last episode only had him in short cameos. I mean we did get his love affair for pie but we also got a creepy goblin man forcing his girlfriend and best friend to kiss each other, his best friend being WAY to eager to jump to that conclusion, and neither considering using Marco’s Scissors because the writers only remember he has those half the time in Season 3... and clearly I ddn’t either as I forgot to mention that plot hole, something @jess-the-vampire​ brought up to me. Sadly I DID forget to consult on this when we talked earlier this week , and she’s not online as I write this so I won’t have her insight for this one. 

But if you want some Tom content, i’m happy to share my crossover ship for the boy with you. I’ve been shipping him with Octavia from Helluva Boss lately.  Because of course it’s Helluva Boss, i’ve not been at all subtle with my obession with it and much like Letterkenny, X-Men and Dragon Ball Z Abriged it is a love I never plan to be subtle about. 

But I just think they compliment each other well: They have contrasting atittudes, and tastes in music, but seem like they’d share hobbies. Like taxidermy.. I could see Tom buying this... demonic combination of a badger, a skunk, a deer and my nightmares Octavia is preciously holding up.

Granted I also feel tom would both animate them with their dead souls.. and then use his new woodland friends of the dammned as a chorus to sing “Can You Picture That” from the Muppet Movie, because that’s what my mind does on a regular day. I think the contrasting attitude creates great chemstiry and it made me also realize I have a thing for ships with directly contrasting home lives.  Tom has two loving decent parents who deeply love one another and at worst simply didn’t reign in his worse behavior because it was standard for demon stuff. Octavia in contrast simply has two parents, one who DOES love her and tries his best, but his best includes calling his side piece “My big dicked blitzy” right in front of her and hiring said side piece to guard them, and her mother who clearly thinks so little of her daughter’s emotional well being she hired a cowboy to shoot her daddy dead in the middle of a large crowd. The point is I think they’d be adorable and they both badly need to be happy after being emotionally fucked over by people they care about. 

But  alas my new ship will have to wait as we marginally important things to get down too.. things that will impact both this season and the next’s endgame and utterly destroy Eclipsa and Moon’s relationship for good. Sound fun? Well if so join me under the cut won’t you?

We open in the Pidgeon Kingdom.. and things aren’t exactly great.. and by that I mean Meteora stomped a hole through it and ravaged the place and Rich demands blood.. and vengance.. and possibly blood vengance. But not Tekken Blood Vengance.. he already has like 5 copies of that on dvd. Still needs it on Blu Ray though, hook him up if you got it. 

So Moon and Eclipsa are trying to smooth this over/find out which way did she go George which way did she go, and are angrily dismissed after they try Rich’s patience, not helped by Eclipsa not being familiar with the Pidgeon Kingdom because they hadn’t slaughtered everyone who used to live there yet. Look that’s what happened, Star outright mentions in the Big Book of Spells that htey suddenly sprung up where another kingdom was and no one knows what happens. There was some bird murders up in that place.. or birdur if you will. Some birds drank some human blood. This is what Alfred Hitchock tried to warn us about with his film built on horrifying actress abuse. 

The point is with some more pidgeon-led murder stabbings on the cards our heroines are trying to find her since their attempts to convince Rich not to go on an Archer Style Rampage fell on deaf ears. 

But it’s clear from the second the two are alone both have diffrent priorties: Eclipsa desperatley wants to find the daughter she lost and talk her down from what sh’es become, help her become better and hopefuly heal from the pain she’s been in. She’s lost her husband, her kingdom and centuries. She can’t loose her baby girl too.

Moon on the other hand... clearly has no intrest in helping Meteora or stopping this peacefully. Her first thought is stopping Meteora. Her living through it is not necessary. It’s also clear her racisim isn’t REMOTELY gone depsite Buff Frog and Star’s best attempts and despite learning just how deeply and horribly Mewni’s engrained racism has hurt eclipsa and destoryed Moon’s own family history. To Moon this is just a big monster to fight.. i’ll dive into this more in a bit.

For now our heroines encounter an angry mob. This time their not here for Homer Simpson, but for Meteora as her rampages have destroyd their towns, livelehoods and given some weird guy a hat. It’s the best bit of the episode and i’m embarassed I forgot it happened. 

So with them being no help our queens back out but end up finding some actual help: Eddie! You know the guy from the episode I skipped over... River’s cousin or something like that. He dosen’t have a wiki entry, I do not know why. He’s voiced by Rhys Dharby of Flight of the Conchords Fame whose since made quite the career as a voice actor. No major roles yet that i’m aware of, but a lot of delightful minor ones like this. It’s good to see him he was one of the highlights of that show and not just because he sang this..

Eddie showed up in the Bog Beast of Boggabah and I honestly forgot he was in this episode.. but again, it’s Rhys Dharby. It’s not like suddenly finding out “Aw god dammit Pauly Shore is in this”. So Eddie agrees to help as he’s been tracknig Meteora.. and we find out something troubling: Meteora is getting BIGGER. Gradually, to the point the bog from said episode Is skipped over is drained because she DRANK IT. We also get a great exchange “I’d hate to see the size of her mother” “Actually her father more than helped with that”

Awwwww.... seriously Esme Blanco is a national treasure and has some great deliveries in this one.. and some heartbreaking ones. But before we can get to that it turns out Meteora sucked the powers out of Eddies family.. who he misses..e xcept one guy> That guy can fuck right off. Seriously Eddie is also a national treasure and I wish he’d shown up in season 4. I mean he couldn’t of HURT it. For one it’s Rhys Dharby and for another that season shot itself in the face, both feet, the groin and then the face again enough that I don’t think anything could hurt it as bad as the writers already did. 

But sadly we say farwell to Eddie as he goes out how men have since the begining of time.. deciding to poke a strange creature till it murdered him. Or took his soul out in this case, speaking of which...

Yeah while I couldn’t get Jess in time for this review, she did bring this up in the past: Meteora’s ablility to pull a 

Comes right the fuck out of nowhere with no build up and no explination for it. She DID drain personalites and according to this episode youth.. but that was with a big ole machine. It MIGHT have been intended to be one of Globgor’s powers.. but that makes zero sense, as if he COULD do that, as we saw with Toffee last season when he had that power, also out of nowhere but at least it made a touch more sense given his power was draining magical energy anyway at the time, so adding souls to that isn’t a huge stretch, but as we saw that would’ve been game over for the comission, especially since we DO see him fighting them one on three next season. If he had this power, he wouldn’t be in crystal and I think they realized that, but just tried to act as if his daugther COULDN’T do that and assumed everyone would casually forget. And I get not accounting for me writing about this years later, even I wouldn’t of thought that, but not counting on fans both young and old to latch onto a continuity error? Have you met fandoms Disney, have you? It dosen’t bring the story down entirely and I get WHY ti’s there, so she can nonlethally kill people so we’re not down most of the cast for Season 4, but it feels like an easy win button and one she barely uses despite it being eye beam activated. It should be easy enough to pull, boom, soul suck, win, rinse and repeat. It’s okay to have uber powerful tequniques but they have to have a drawback. For instance the Kaioken from DBZ. It’s a really damn cool technique that gives the user a neat red aura and amplifies poewr.. but the more you amplify the more strain it puts on your body and the more likely you’ll die, and Super later creatively explained why it hadn’t been used since Super Sayian was introduced because said form would’ve sped it up so much it’d be too much for a body to take. Here whie Meteora dosen’t use it in EVERY fight, she uses it enough that it makes no sense this isn’t just her first move for every fight she gets into, mental breakdown or not. 

That being said Meteora’s current mental state as she talks to her mother, having regressed to talking in only a few words and acting like a child, makes perfect sense. Henious already wasn’t in great mental shape to begin with, having a slow sustained breakdown since Marco overthrew her. and now on top of this she remembers her whole life has been a lie, starts to mutate into her natural state at a rapid and likely unehalthy pace, and then finds out on top of all of this Mewni is rightfully owed to her. Given she ended last episode blowing a guy up for rejecting her, it’s not a stretch that given even more power and no time to process anything, Metora would deteroate further. 

Esme and Jessica really knock this scene out of the park as Eclipsa presents Metora with her old doll Bobo and gently trying ot talk to her.. but you also get the fear Eclipsa feels as she tries to awkardly manuver around the fact her daughter is far more unhinged than she was prepared for, even threanting Eclipsa simply because Eclipsa wanted to be called mother instead of mommy. But despite this fear.. Eclipsa wants to help and Walter beautifuly captured metoera as a hulk like tragic figure:a being with low sanity and too much power desperate to be loved by the one person it cares about. And it makes it even more heartbreaking as Eclipsa explains what happened: bad people trapped her , a disfunctoinal society with a racist queen and even more racist subjects has taken hold in her absence... and it’s clear both want opposite things: Meteora wants what sh’es owed, her family back on the throne and Mewni back in her graps, but has lost herself so much to rage, anger and insanity she can’t see it’s not hers to take, while Eclipsa.. just wants her daughter back. She’d be happy just settling down with her and having a LIFE after hers was taken away. Eclipsa just wants a chance to be with what family she has left. It just HURTS to know that despite RIGHTFULLY hating the comission, despite having eveyr reason to take the crown from Moon by force and make the world better by force.. she dosen’t want that. She just wants some peace. It’s selfish... but it’s hard not to be when you havealmost nothing to hold onto. Eclipsa has lost her legacy, her husband and her crown... Meteora is all she has and all she wants and sh’ed of been happy if she just accepted that. If that was enough. 

But the real telling part, and the thing that ultimately makes this go as bad as it does.. is Moon’s reactions to all of this. Sh’es CONFUSED by Meteora having a toy as if that’s foreign to her a monster would, and she’s cleaerly livid , if restrianing it, at both Meteora’s deire for the crown and Eclipsa RIGHTFULLY calling out the state of how things are, and mildly at that. Despite seeing how much damage Mewni’s inherent racisim has done, how it lead to her living a lie, ruined Eclipss, Globgore and Metora’s lives, despite how DESPERTLY her daughter struggles to fight against it, despite seeing firsthand that Monsters can have famiies and lives... she can’t let it go. She can’t see monsters as people. SHe dosen’t see a flawed person who was turned into a metpohrical monster by years of brainwashing and abuse and is slowly unravling under the weight of her true self.. she just sees a threat to her kingdom. She dosen’t see her kingdom as racist, just as it should be. And she dosen’t see herself as stepping down like hse damn well should’ve the MOMENT she found out everything. Because at her heart Moon can’t accept the truth and clings to her racisim. 

And that my friends.. is what ultimately leads to Tragedy. Not Meteora’s unraveling mental state, not Eclipsa’s naitvite. What happens next is ENITRELY Moon’s fault. Whle Eclipsa was failing to get through to Metora, she was trying her best and might of gotten somewhere.. but Moon was already settling to attack.. and does so, making it look like Eclipsa set her own child up. 

A fight ensues, a suprisingly even one... but Eclipsa breaks it up and PROVES her way could’ve worked. In one of Esme’s best performances sshe tearfully tells her daughter she loves her.. that ALL she wants is time with her to make up for what she’s lost.. she dosen’t need a kingdom or her crown or her wand, all things she DESERVES... she just wants her daughter. She just wants to help her baby girl before she goes so far down this path of hatred and vengance she’s alreayd well trod upon there is no point to return to. 

It gets through to Meteora, makes her stop... and Moon TAKES ADANTAGE OF THAT. She then restrains metoera with a magical rock barrier and starts palpatineing her to death. It’s a horrifying moment that ultimately shows who Moon really is.. that when given the chance to let Meteora go, let her CHANGE and grow as a person and help the kingdom.. she instead tries to kill her. When she’s no longer a threat,  hasn’t seriously hurt her in their fight, and could use her power to RESTORE the damage she’s done, fix what she’s broken and help the kingdom grow and mend the bridges racisim has torn down. But all she can see is a monster, and something to destroy.. not someONE to save. 

So Eclipsa does what Moon would do if it were star about to die and saves her daughter, desperatly trying to stop mooon.. and allowing Meteora to get a clear shot and take half of moon’s soul. While Eclipsa is able to stop her from taking the full thing, Moon is left disoreinted and half alive and leaves on insticnt to parts unknown while Meteora escapes. Eclipsa is left alone, devistated and with her daughter truly lost. And the worst is truly yet to come. 

Before we get into final thoughts i’d like to talk about how this scene impacts Moon’s betryal later. To me having rewatched this scene.. it only makes it work MORE making it clear Moon simply can’t fahtom racial equality and that she can’t fahtom that eclipsa had very good reason for doing what she did ... to me it comes off as her using Eclipsa betryaing her as a very flimsy justifcation to not validate her rule and to first retire and then try a coup. That “Well she “BETRAYED” me so i’m fine. “ But in truth... she betrayed Eclipsa first. She attacked her daughter TWICE when Eclipsa was close to getting through to her Her reasons are flimsy.. because i’ts not ABOUT eclipsa, but what eclipsa represents: equality with a race Moon dosen’t see as people. It’s about Moon’s racisim coloring everything tills h’es truly blinded and should have lost everything She didn’t because the ending is a fucking disgrace, but we might get to that at some point, the point here is for all that disgrace’s faults... it did get it right here, and Moon was always portrayed as being unable to let go of her racisim no matter what it cost her or how much her daughter despteratly tried to change her. Trust me as someone whose Dad used to argue that gay marriage meant he should be able to marry his cat, and who still argues against trans people using the bathroom of their choice, I get trying desperatley to change someone who don’t wanna. “Sigh”. 

Final Thoughts: This episode is truly excellent. The writing is top notch as is the voice acting for all involved and the climax isa true, well led up to tragedy. The animation is also on point, with the characters emotions on perfect display. This is an episode I now realize is one of the series best and worth ar ewatch if you haven’ts een it. Truly amazing stuff that gets me pumped for the finale.. and disapoints me in how the series could reach these highs for one finale.. but would sink to it’s lowest point for next seasons.  Next Time on Prince of Wishful Thinking: Star tries depseratly to find her mom, while Marco, Tom and a motely crew of misfits try to take down Meteora and Tom learns the awful truth from the photo booth and wears a zuko ponytail which weirdly looks good on him. That boy can rock anything let me tell you. 

If you enjoyed this reviews, please consider joining my patreon at patreon.com/popculturebuffet. As mentioned my 30 dollar stretch goal includes a review of the cluster fuck that is the series final arc, and the goals up to that , me making 20 and 25 dollars a month repectively, have their own nifty rewards: At 20 i’ll review Darkwing Duck once a month, the two remaning Ducktales 87 mini series I have not covered and the Danny Phantom film The Ultimate Enemy. 25 meanwhile gets you reviews of the Proud Family Movie, the theatrical recess movie and the Kim Possible almost finale movie so the drama. And 30 also gets you reviews of every episode of gravity falls season 1 at least one a month till I finish it at some point, so as you can see you get a lot of bang for your buck and these reviews will be public for everybody. Not only that but joining my patreon gets you a review a month if you pitch in 5 dollars and evne if you can’t swing THAT much just 2 bucks gets you access to my discord, a guarnateed pick in my shorts, votes for patreon exclusive reviews, and SAID patreon exclusive reviews. It’s a lot of bang for your buck is what i’m saying so please help me out so I can make a living off this and sign up today. I even JUST ADDED an exclusive and utterly insane scrooge mcduck review, The Great Wig Mystery. So throw in a buck to check that out. 

And if your intrested in Tomtavia... please hit me up. I’m really proud of it and until then... i’ll see you at the next rainbow. 

[massivelycreepypineapple]

Awkward Wounds

Request: Hey! Love your work!😍 I was wondering if you could write some angsty and fluffy dean story? Like reader gets injured on hunt in a private place but doesn't show (coz it's embarassing). She likes dean tho. Sam knows this. While celebrating in a bar, dean goes with some other chick and Sam notices reader's hurt expressions. So they go to motel and Sam helps reader stitch up and check the body parts. Next day at the bunker dean gets surprised why Sam is picking her up everytime she wants to the bathroom or go anywhere. Dean learns the truth and gets jealous and angry on both of them. Super angsty here and then dean picks her up to take her to his room and checks the reader again. Reader is embarassed since it's a private part of her body even though she likes him. Dean convinces her and checks her. He is still angry but after like 10 mins, he says sorry and admits his crush. All the fluff here pleas🥺 I am sorry if this is all confusing, English is not my first language 😅

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader, Sam Winchester x Fem!Reader (platonic).

A/N: I’m sorry it took so long to get this out. I hope you like it.

Word Count: 3018

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It would’ve been funny had it not been for the overwhelming pain Y/N was feeling. She should’ve known nothing ever goes smoothly when a vampire was involved, let alone an entire nest. 

Unfortunately for her, she let her guard down and just as she took a step back to steady herself after the final kill, she tripped, performing a perfect split, landing on something sharp. But fortunately for her, the sharp bastard she landed on, missed where the sun don’t shine by a few inches and got her inner thigh instead. She had had cuts before, but none in such an intimate and sensitive place that it hurt like a bitch.

Y/N was even more lucky that the brothers weren’t around to witness her performance. They were busy making sure the bodies were burned, and no trace of the hunt existed. She limped her way back to the impala after ripping off a piece of her flannel and tying it around the wound, inside her pants, to prevent herself from bleeding out. Her jeans managed to cover it up pretty well.

The boys soon got in after taking care of the bodies, excited that things went smoothly for them.

“Oh man! That was a good one!” Exclaimed Dean getting behind the wheel. “This calls for a drink! What do you say? Hit the bar and celebrate?”

“Hell yeah!” Said Sam grinning. It wasn’t often that he agreed to go to a dingy bar. But he had to admit that this hunt went really well. “You okay with that, Y/N?”

Y/N smiled softly at him and nodded. “Yeah, I’m in.” 

Dean looked at her through the rear view mirror, frowning slightly, “All okay there, sweetheart?” 

Y/N’s breath hitched when she made contact with his green eyes. “Y-yeah, I’m good. Just a little sore.”

“Well, maybe a little whiskey will do you good.” He said winking at her. 

God he was going to be the death of her heart. Y/N had been in love with Dean almost since the beginning. He really was a gem of a man and everything she wanted in her life. And the only one who even knew about it was Sam. Who was currently looking worriedly at her. 

She smiled at him reassuringly, conveying quietly that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about. He seemed to buy it when he turned back around, listening to Dean animatedly talk about something.

Y/N was glad her boys were getting a small bit of happiness in their messed up lives. So she lied about being okay. Not to mention she’d have to explain how she hurt herself there and they’d never let her live this down. She decided sucking it up till she got back to the bunker tomorrow was the best course of action. 

With the way Dean drove, they reached a bar in less than 30 mins. Dean was the first one out, saying he’d meet them inside since he needed to use the bathroom. Sam got out and waited for Y/N to join him. She got out slowly wincing quietly to not raise suspicion. but that was short lived when sam noticed her limping slightly. 

“What’s wrong? Where are you hurt?” He asked rushing to her. 

“I’m fine sam. My legs are sore is all. let’s just go have some fun, please?” She insisted. He reluctantly let it go and resorted to watching her like a hawk. Sam was like a brother to Y/N. The boys were her only best friends and she was so grateful for their existence. But days like today when all she wanted was to get the day over with, Sam could come off as overbearing. 

They made their way into the bar and found a table at the back. Y/N realised with mild dread that the seats are going to be much harder to sit on than the impala. 

Sam noticed her just standing by the table, “Y/N, aren’t you going to sit?”

“hmm?” she said snapping out of her thoughts. “Oh yeah, sorry.” she sat down ever so slowly. Trying not to show just how much her thigh hurt. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She grinned at him.

Right then to her relief Dean came back with two bottles of beer and a glass of whiskey, just the way she liked it. 

“Here ya go, sweetheart. Drink up. You’ll feel so much better” He grinned at her placing the drinks on the table. 

Y/N grabbed her glass and chugged the whole thing down in one go surprising both the boys. “What?” She questioned quirking an eyebrow. 

“N-Nothing” Dean said. “That was fast.”

“Well, I need another.” she replied flagging down a waiter for more. The drink was really helping her with the pain and damn them if they found it weird.

Three drinks in Y/N was feeling that wonderful buzz that made her pain bearable. She and Sam were engaged in light conversation while Dean was off somewhere. Everything was pleasant until her eyes landed on Dean making out with a girl. 

Y/N’s face fell at that sight and she started tearing up. She had never before reacted so strongly to Dean hooking up with someone. But today, with the drinks coupled with the pain from her wound, she was overwhelmed. 

Sam noticed the sudden change in demeanour and turned around to see what she was looking at and realisation hit him like a truck. He turned his puppy dog eyes on her and was just about to say something encouraging when - 

“Don’t, Sam. We both knew this would happen. I’ve had three glasses and I’m tired. I’m fine.” She said and got out of the chair, forgetting about her pain. But it hit her all at once and her knees buckled and her palms hit the table hard, in an attempt to catch herself. 

Sam was quick on his feet, and caught her before she fell onto the floor. “Okay, that’s it Y/N! Where are you hurt? How bad is it?” He was mad at her now.

“It’s-“

“Don’t you dare say it’s nothing!” He whispered harshly trying to lead her to the door before people started noticing them. Luckily Dean had given Sam the keys to the Impala before ditching them. 

“It’s embarrassing okay!” She replied, trying not to yell out in pain. Sam didn’t reply to that, still annoyed with her for not telling them. He got her into the car and drove to the motel they were staying at in tensed silence. 

He brought her inside and sat her down on the bed, the movement making her wince. In the light of the motel, he finally noticed blood on her jeans near her right thigh. He sighed, closing his eyes before asking her to take them off. 

“Sam…I can take care of it.” She said softly, embarrassed and reluctant to let him see her like that. 

“Y/N, it’s just me, okay? You’re bleeding and I need to see how bad it is. So please just take your pants off.”

She was too much in pain physically and emotionally to argue anymore so she complied and took her pants off. Sam sucked in a breath when he noticed the position of the wound and how deep it was. He quietly cleaned and stitched it up, making sure to not cause more pain. 

Once she was cleaned up, he helped her move under the blankets so she could get some much needed sleep. 

“Please don’t tell Dean” She whispered.

“Okay. I won’t.” He replied, wishing the two of them would just talk. “But how did this happen, Y/N?”

“I tripped, did a fantastic split and landed on something sharp, okay?!” She glared at him, daring him to say something.

Sam raised his hands in defence, trying not to show how amused he was, “You’re lucky it wasn't a few inches to the right.”

“Goodnight, Sam” She said curtly and went to sleep.

Nothing more was said between them.

______________

The next day the trio drove back to the bunker and Y/N made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. She wanted to wash away the previous day and lock herself in her room to try and get over Dean. It was working quite well until she got hungry and tried to make her way to the kitchen. But the painkillers weren’t really helping with movement. She managed to get out of bed, but was stuck standing leaning against the wall. Luck was with her, however, as a knock landed on her door. 

“Yeah?” She asked. 

The door opened with Sam coming in, “Hey, I just wanted to check on you. And ask if you wanted lunch.” 

“I’m umm... I can’t walk” Y/N whispered without making eye contact. Sam smiled softly walking towards her. He picked her up bridal style making her wince slightly before settling down. It was much more bearable than walking for sure. 

He brought her into the kitchen and seated her on the chair at the dining table and placed a plate of food in front of her, grabbing one for himself. 

“Where’s Dean?” She asked.

“He ate early. He’s in his room, relaxing I guess.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Y/N…You have to tell him. I hate seeing you like this.”

“You know I can’t, Sam. He doesn’t feel that way about me.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“I really won’t” She chuckled. 

Sam sighed at that. He was stuck between two stubborn knuckleheads who just couldn’t see what was right under their nose. It was more exhausting than any hunt he’d been on. 

After Y/N finished her food, she attempted to get up only to be stopped by Sam. He made his way to her side and went to pick her up.

“Sam, wait.” She said quickly.

“What? What’s wrong?” He was worried. 

“I should go by myself.” 

“Y/N, you can barely stand, let alone walk!”

“I need to pee.” She mumbled blushing. 

“Oh..” He said wide eyed. “It’s okay, I don’t mind helping.”

“But-”

He didn’t let her finish, he simply picked her up and took her to the bathroom. He waited outside with the door slightly open incase she needed him. Y/N should find this weird. Sam was her best friend helping her take a wee. It should have been awkward. But instead she was glad he had her to help. Even though she wished it was Dean helping her out, and caring for her, she was so grateful to Sam. When she was done, Sam picked her up again bringing her outside. Just as they walked out, they bumped right into Dean. 

Dean looked at the scene in front of him wide eyed, unsure of how to react. He then settled at glaring fiercely at them. Y/N paled when she met his eyes. Of all the things to happen, this was not on her list at all. She didn’t want him getting the wrong idea, but clearly it was too late. 

“Dean, It’s not what it looks like!” Said Sam desperately trying to defuse the situation. Dean didn’t reply to that. He was radiating anger and his jaw was visibly clenching. He turned around and began walking away. “I was just helping her pee!” Sam added, then flinched at how wrong that sounded.

Dean abruptly stopped and turned around, “Oh! Caz that’s not weird at all! What? Is this some kinky shit you guys came up with? Watch each other pee?” He snapped. “You know what Sam, after everything this is what I get huh? Real nice, man.” He turned around and started to walk away again. Y/N didn’t understand what that meant. All she wanted was for this nightmare to end. She wished she had handled the hunt better. She wished she had the guts to just tell that beautiful moron how she felt.

Sam slowly put Y/N down and after making sure she could balance herself, went after Dean. “Would you just Listen to-” He was interrupted as Dean in a fit of rage slammed Sam against the wall.

“NO! There is nothing left to be said. I get it Sam!. I’m just the fucking third wheel here! Always have been! Just took me a while to notice!”

“Dean!” Y/N called out. He turned his glare at her sharply. Her heart clenched at that. All she wanted was to love him and be loved by him. Not drive him away any further. 

Dean let go of Sam and turned to her, “I’m not going to hurt your boyfriend, Y/N” He snarled at her. “It was always him wasn’t it? Your best friend. I knew you guys were close. You always did choose him over me. I can see now why. Just leave me alone for a while.” 

If Y/N’s heart was broken before, this nearly destroyed it. She never realised that she pushed Dean away in fear of loving him. She unconsciously hung out more with Sam because it was easy. She didn’t have to hide. But standing there, hearing those words come out of his mouth damn near killed her. 

“Dean, we’re not dating, I swear!” Y/N managed to get out before she gasped out in pain as she took a step forward to reach out to him. Right before she collapsed, Dean was by her side in an instant, shocked at her reaction. He looked down and noticed blood seeping into her sweats. Sam rushed forward to help, but Dean snapped at him, “I got her, Sammy!” 

______________

He picked her up and carried her into his room. Y/N was struggling not to cry out in pain. He gently placed her on his mattress and reached out to pull her pants down only to be stopped by her hands. 

“I need to see, Y/N” He said, anger still evident despite the worry in his eyes. 

“Dean, it’s embarrassing okay? It’s too close to my… you know.” She said, turning slightly red. God, the first time he saw her intimately, it had to be like this. Why couldn’t things just work out for once?

“Yeah, maybe this was a bad idea. It should be Sammy here. I wasn’t thinking-” He said visibly upset.

“No! Dean, there is nothing going on between me and Sam.” Said Y/N desperately.

He glared at her, “Yeah you mentioned, and yet you’ll let him help you but not me! Am I really that horrible of a friend to you? I know I’m not a fucking saint like my brother, but I care about you so much, it-” He stopped himself before he could say something he’d regret.

Y/N had tears coming down her cheeks in a mixture of pain and hurt. If she told him just why she has been distant with him, she'd lose him forever. But she hated seeing him like this. She let go of his hands, signalling him that he could take a look. He pulled her sweats down and pushed her injured leg up, spreading her thighs apart. He took in the injury and didn’t say anything as he grabbed supplies from his bathroom.

She could see Dean’s jaw clenching as he worked on her stitches. Nothing was said between them and she didn’t know what to expect. She was embarrassed but a part of her felt all warm and fuzzy that Dean was taking care of her. Once everything was cleaned up, he looked at her. Suddenly all traces of anger were gone. 

“Did you get hurt anywhere else?” He asked softly.

Y/N shook her head at him, confused by his change in behaviour. He helped her pull her pants up, giving her that small bit of relief. He helped her sit up against the headboard and sat down beside her.

“How did you get hurt, sweetheart?” He asked. 

Y/N hesitantly told him what went down after killing the vamp, making him crack a small smile. Y/N didn’t mind this time, if anything it broke the tension between them. Making them chuckle at how ridiculous her injury was. Then Dean got quiet for a bit before talking.

“I’m sorry for the way I behaved. It was uncalled for.” He whispered looking away.

“I’m sorry too, Dean.” Y/N replied. “I didn’t mean to push you away.”

“Why did you?”

“Because loving you was getting to be too much for me. Watching you screw perfect skinny girls one after the other was killing me on the inside.” she said bluntly. She figured it was now or never and whatever happened, happened.

Dean’s head snapped up in shock. He looked at her trying to figure out if this was some cruel joke. When he saw it wasn’t he grabbed her face and kissed her deeply. When they pulled away it was Y/N’s turn to look stunned. 

“Those girls don’t hold a candle to you, honey.” he said softly with a small smile forming on his perfect lips. His thumb brushed her lips, “I love you so much. Always have. I didn’t think you’d ever feel the same. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. So I looked for a distraction.” He chuckled humourlessly.

“I’m sorry Dean.” 

“I’m sorry too.” He smiled at her. he then groaned.

“What?” Y/N asked.

“Sammy was right! Now I owe him!” Dean said, making Y/N giggle. 

“Yeah, he said I’d be surprised if I told you how I feel.” 

“You do realise how unbearable he’s going to be right?” 

“Well, as long as I got you, we can handle it” Y/N said leaning in to kiss him once more. 

“Never letting you go.” Said Dean wrapping her up in his arms, letting her rest her head against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her head. “Rest sweetheart. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Okay” Y/N mumbled before falling asleep. She was happy for the first time in a long time. 

❅ ❅ ❅

TAGS BELOW

@hobby27 @akshi8278

[petri808]

Bakudeku canon divergent, vampire quirk AU

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

“How are you holding up son, are you eating enough food? You need to keep up your strength.” Mitsuki Bakugou questioned through the phone when her son called to give her an update.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I am! And, um, thanks for the money you put in my account,” Bakugou mumbled his appreciation.

“It’s from us, Inko, and All Might— actually he’s been putting up the bulk of it. We’re all hoping you find Izuku soon, but until then we’ll make sure you have what you need, just bring him home.”

“I’m working on it. Bastard’s not making it easy, but at least the damn authorities haven’t picked up on the trail yet.” It was a good thing, because Bakugou didn’t need them scaring Midoriya further away.

“You’re like a dog with a bone when you put your mind to something, so I know you’ll find a way.”

“I can’t believe you just equated me to a dog!”

“Oh, bite your tongue boy! It’s an expression!”

“Yeah, yeah. I better go, the train’s here.” He could see it pulling into Kawaji station.

“Are you still not gonna tell us where you are?”

“Nope. He moves around a lot anyways. Just know we haven’t left Honshu.”

“Alright. Good luck son. I’ll pass on your update to Inko and All Might.”

This game of hide and seek was physically wearing on Bakugou, but there was nothing short of a full incapacitation that would keep him from searching. After the Ena incident, Midoriya’s tactics had changed somewhat. The man moved more frequently and, in a zigzag, whereas in the past it had been heading in a straight line towards Shizuoka to the southwest. But there was one thing Midoriya couldn’t hide— victims. It didn’t take a genius to put the pieces together.

There were still times victims were drained, but not all of them. Bakugou surmised in order to not leave them fully incapacitated like before, his friend wasn’t always waiting until he was hungry, or he hadn’t learned to control it yet. He probably fed almost nightly, picking drunkards who wouldn’t remember what happened, and even less likely to report the incident. But less reports made it harder to track, and less blood also forced Midoriya to drink more often. Bakugou hoped that with shorter times between attacks, the man would get sloppy and make a mistake.

There were a lot of small towns all over, including abandoned structures from older times. Plenty of places to hide, not to mention dense forests and the mountainous terrain of central Japan that a person could disappear in. When tracking a lack of victim reports grew frustrating, Bakugou started looking for other clues, and in one town, a perceptive police officer commented about thefts he’d been hearing about from the surrounding areas. Random stores or restaurants, even some homes reporting the theft of food, sometimes clothing, basically survival type supplies but no valuables, which are not the norm of a burglary. It was brilliant.

Bakugou had thanked the officer for the information and immediately began inquiring in towns and watching newspapers where they were having both types of problems. It took almost a month, including a couple of near misses, until Bakugou knew he was closing in.

Local newspapers were reporting about unusual happenings in the smaller towns. In Ieyama city, high up in the mountains north of Shizuoka, Bakugou spoke with a police officer and confirmed a rash of strange incidents reported. Three burglaries of just food, one bath house broken into after closing, and a couple of reported attacks where the victims had marks on their necks. So far, Izuku’s new behaviors included sticking around the same area for about a week before moving on. With these latest cases only 3 days old in total, Bakugou knew they were a fresh lead.

“Yesterday, right?”

“Yes, the last burglary was in the afternoon while the homeowner was at work.” Using a paper map, the police officer showed Bakugou the location of the most recent burglary as well as two others over the last couple of days. It was very telling. The three places were centered around a 4-block radius. “If you are looking for hiding spots, there is an abandoned factory in that area. I’ll give you the address.”

“Thanks. I doubt they’d stay so close to the attack grounds, but I’ll check it out.” He didn’t want any of them following him.

It was still daylight, but Bakugou didn’t want to waste any time and risk his friend moving again after dark, heading straight for the dilapidated warehouse. The place looked like it had been emptied for a longtime. There was a rusted, chain link fence around the property, many broken windows, and weeds growing over the structure. Bakugou crept up to one of the windows, and heard nothing, so he moved slowly, quietly around the exterior paying close attention to any sounds or movements inside. But he heard nothing to indicate anything was there, not even an animal. Maybe it was another dead end, or maybe Midoriya was just sleeping. Un-phased, he moved inside the two-story building to make absolutely sure.

It took a while to search cautiously through the darkness, watching his step so not to step on anything or make a noise. The vastly open bottom floor was almost completely empty aside from a few left behind junk. So, Bakugou moved to the second floor where offices once were. Of all the areas, the top floor would provide the warmest cover, as well as quicker access to the roof. Like a trained tactical soldier, he cleared room after room, moving down the hallway that separated the individual offices, and one by one, eliminating them from the search. Finally, Bakugou reached the last one and heard the soft breathing of a sleeping person. Well, that meant two options, it’s just a homeless person or he’d finally caught his friend off guard.

Bakugou peered cautiously around the door frame. It was dark, but just enough light from a small window allowed his eyes to adjust quickly on a form lying down on the floor. Next to the person was a backpack, empty food containers strewn around, and possibly other items from the burglaries. There was also a make-shift hearth of broken bricks and a metal bowl with dark residue inside. He could even smell the light scent of soot mixed with burnt wood. ‘Gotcha!’ He smirked as he pocketed his flashlight and pulled out a special pair of handcuffs used to dampen quirks. It didn’t completely shut down a person’s quirk, but it kept them from using its full power. He was ready for Midoriya this time.

‘Almost there…’ he crept forward in a crouched manner ready to pounce like a predator stalking its prey in careful movements since he no longer had the flashlight out to see by. ‘Damn minefield,’ Bakugou grumbled as he navigated around the strewn mess of stuff the sleeping man had around him. ‘Almost there—'

*Crunch*

A piece of glass shattered below his boot, the sounds reverberating off the silent cement walls. “Shit!” Bakugou dove forward when Midoriya immediately popped up and tried to dash away. “Not this time nerd!”

“Waaahhhcchan!” Midoriya screamed as he was tackled to the floor. The two men fought, vying for footing, but the blonde kept them on the ground. Bakugou grabbed for and slapped one end of the handcuffs onto one of Midoriya’s wrists. “Nooo!” The man screamed.

“Not this time Deku! You ain’t getting away!”

Weakened by the cuff, Bakugou poured all his strength into jerking the disheveled man, flipping him onto his stomach, and tweaking his arm behind him into a wrist lock for leverage.

Midoriya screamed again from the pain, but nevertheless fought with all he had. Unfortunately, the cuffs were doing their job. “Please, Kacchan! Don’t do this!”

“Tough shit!” Bakugou snapped back and attached the other cuff to his own wrist. The effects would hamper them both, but “I dare you, nerd, you can’t beat me in a contemporary fight.” He was confident of such, having always been the physically stronger of the two regardless of quirk. “I’m taking you home!”

Midoriya wriggled, and tugged, but it was of no use. His friend had planted his feet, dropped his weight, and refused to budge. He didn’t want to risk exhausting himself and triggering a full-blown thirst like last time, so he stopped struggling.

After a few seconds, Bakugou got off the man and turned him over so he could sit up. Midoriya nursed his arm and rubbed at his wrist to soothe the pain. “Of course, I want to go home,” he sighed. “But it’s too dangerous Kacchan, why can’t you understand that?”

“Eri’s getting better every day, one day she’ll be able to control her quirk and fix you.”

“That’s not good enough. What are you gonna do, lock me up hoping she can fix me?! You saw what happened! Just like we eat food every day, I need blood, how are you gonna deal with that?!”

“Fine,” Bakugou shrugged, “we’ll hook you up to an IV and feed you blood when you need it.”

“No,” Midoriya started tugging again as tears flowed down his cheeks. “Please,” he begged, “this is too embarrassing, don’t you understand! I’ll never be able to be a hero again, my reputation will be ruined once everyone finds out! Hero society will look bad! It’s better I stay away!”

Frustrated with having his wrist yanked, Bakugou whipped his friend around and put him in a carotid choke hold. “Well, I’m not fucking leaving,” he spat, “so, we need to come up with a solution. Now stop fucking fighting me and get it through your head, the reality is I’m not going anywhere.”

Midoriya clawed at Bakugou’s arm trying to pull it away from his neck, but the man had it cinched in tight. If he kept struggling, he was bound to pass out. Exhausted, he finally relented and turned into a dead weight, sobbing quietly. “Why are you doing this, Kacchan… why?”

“Because a friend once told me I need to save to win, and right now you need to be saved for me to win.”

“Right? Win, I get it,” Midoriya narrowed his eyes along with tone. “This is an ego thing? You’ll take me back to show how you’re still better than me?” His heart didn’t believe those words, but as a coping mechanism, it did.

Bakugou let go of the man and shoved him so hard Midoriya face planted on the floor, stretching the handcuff chain to its limit. “I ought’a punch your lights out for saying that! I’m trying to win my friend back you asshole! You think I’d spend all this time chasing you if I didn’t care?!”

“Kacchan…” The man sighed and slowly propped himself back up. “There’s nowhere safe for me to go.”

Bakugou ignored the man and looked at his watch, noting the sun would have fully set by now. It might best to stay another night while he came up with a plan. “Tch, I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, behave or I will just knock you unconscious.”

“Fine, I won’t fight. But I do need to feed tonight.” Midoriya lifted his arm to flash the cuff. “Guess you’ll have to help me.”

“Why? You feeling the urge?” Midoriya nodded yes. “How can you tell?”

Midoriya thought about the answer for a minute before responding. “It’s like feeling dehydrated, maybe, at least in the beginning, but then it starts to get painful if I don’t feed it. I guess think of it like if you don’t eat for so long your stomach hurts— that’s what it’s like.”

“Sounds like it sucks.”

Midoriya snorted. “Understatement. It takes control of my mind by that point, almost as if it’s a survival instinct to protect itself.”

“Well, mister know it all. You ever heard of this kind of quirk before?”

“No,” Midoriya shook his head.

“Do the vestiges have anything to say about all this?”

Again, Midoriya shook his head.

Bakugou groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter for the current situation.” He looked up again fixing a stare at his friend. “So, what do you do to get the blood?”

[crystalstar8]

Knights of the Night (ch 19)

Chapter 19

Ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5, ch 6, ch 7, ch 8, ch 9, ch 10, ch 11, ch 12, ch 13, ch 14, ch 15, ch 16, ch 17, ch 18, ch 19

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139240/chapters/71536491

pairing: Jungkook x oc

genre: vampire au, college au, twilight, romance

word count: 1,012

warnings: blood (obviously), kidnapping, child kidnapping, needles, France, human trafficking

notes: vampires, vampire au, college, college au, so many twilight references, blood, needles, kidnapping, children, homelessness, dance, ballet, flashbacks, romance, slow burn, probably no smut, idk yet tho, France, French things, attempted genocide, inaccurate French history, bisexual main character, @strawberriewithchocolate-blog @mozy-j  @daechwitad-2​ @zobadak​ @fallenstar-7​​​

summary: Catalina starts college in a small town all the way across the country. She doesn’t know anyone and isn’t exactly looking for friends. She just wants to focus on dance. But when she meets fellow dance major, Jimin, and adventurous, fellow freshman, Jungkook, Catalina ends up discovering a whole new side to the small college town; one that is dangerous but oh so enticing...

When Jimin finally awoke, he was met with a set of big blue eyes staring back at him. He gasped and tried to get away, but the action made his head ache something awful. He held his head in his hands and glanced up. There was a little boy sitting beside his bed staring at him…no. Not his bed. This wasn’t his bed. This was a dingy cot in the corner of a tiny cement room. The little boy was staring at him with wide eyes. He had ahead full of dark, unkempt hair. He was pale and shivering.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked.

“Jimin,” he said. He wanted to panic, but that probably wasn’t the best thing to do right now, for the sake of the child and for the sake of his still throbbing head. “What’s your name?”

“Caleb,” the boy said.

“Do you know where we are, Caleb?” Jimin asked. Caleb shook his head. It was then that he noticed the needle in his arm. The needle was connected to a tube, which ran up to a blood bag on an IV pole. His heart sank. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“That’s a bad word,” said Caleb.

“Sometimes, a situation calls for bad words,” said Jimin. Caleb smiled.

“Yeah, this situation is pretty fucking bad,” he said. Jimin’s eyes widened.

“Just don’t say that around your parents,” said Jimin. The smile fell from Caleb’s face.

“I don’t think I’m gonna see my parents again,” said Caleb.

“Why would you say that?” Jimin asked, carefully peeling the tape off holding the needle down.

“I’m not stupid,” Caleb said, picking at his sweater. “My mom told me that there’s people out there who kidnap kids and sell them. And that’s why I have to be careful with strangers. I saw a ton of people come in here and talk about prices, and they tasted my blood. It’s so creepy! I already had two roommates before you got here. Both of them got sold right away. I bet you’ll be next. The Dracula guys like pretty people who are adults more than they like kids I guess.”

“They don’t like kids?” Jimin asked.

“No,” said Caleb. “Well, they said that my blood is really good ‘cause it’s clean. But they said that kids are too much to deal with. I guess it’s a good thing.”

“Probably is,” said Jimin. He slowly pulled the needle from his arm and then reached for Caleb’s arm. Caleb let him do the same with his needle.

“They’ll get mad,” said Caleb.

“We’ll put them back in in a few hours,” said Jimin. “How often do they come in?”

“Not very often. Like, twice a day to give us food and put the needle in or take it out,” said Caleb.

“We just won’t let them take too much from us,” said Jimin. “Besides, my friends know where I am. They should be coming to rescue us soon.”

“That’s presumptuous,” said Caleb.

“That’s a big word,” said Jimin.

Caleb shrugged and said, “I learned it from a book. I like to read. Do you like reading?”

“I used to,” said Jimin. “Now I’m too busy to read. I go to college, so I have a lot of homework and dance practice.”

“You dance?” Caleb asked. “My big sister is in dance class too.”

“Oh yeah? How old is your sister?” Jimin asked.

“She’s twelve,” said Caleb. “I’m eight. I miss her, even though she’s a jerk sometimes.”

“I’m sure she misses you too,” said Jimin. “You’ll see her again. Hopefully soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “You actually showed up!” Makai shouted, standing up to greet them with open arms.

               Yoongi led the way into the room, Catalina and Jungkook following behind.

               “Yoongi is the best one for this role,” said Namjoon.

               “Why? You’re the leader,” said Catalina. “I feel like they’d expect you to be the one going in.”

               Yoongi chuckled and said, “Namjoon is too nervous. He can’t act his way out of a paper bag.”

               “I…well yeah,” Namjoon said, not trying to defend himself. “I can’t act. Or lie.”

               “So, to review,” said Jungkook. “We’re acting as Yoongi’s familiars. We’ll go in, buy Jimin, and then leave?”

               “Right,” said Namjoon. “Nothing else happens that day. We’ll execute the second part of our plan another time.”

               “I suppose I was curious,” said Yoongi, shaking Makai’s hand. Makai had that easy going smile on his face. It was disarming, Catalina needed to stay focused on hating the man.

               It was nerve wracking, being able to just walk into the facility like this. Catalina had never felt this kind of adrenaline before. She tried her best to stay calm and regulate her breathing though. Namjoon warned them that vampires can basically smell fear. They can hear when a human’s heart beats faster and smell when their blood rushes quicker.

               They were standing by the desk in the middle of the lounge-like space. This was the area Catalina and Jungkook saw when they snuck in.

               “Are you looking to buy today?” Makai asked. “Or were you just in the neighborhood?”

               “I’m not sure yet,” said Yoongi. “It depends on if you have anything I like.”

               “I’ve got quite the variety,” said Makai. “And all our products are very high quality. All very healthy and clean.”

               “That’s good to know,” said Yoongi. “Most of these kinds of organizations get their products off the streets, they’re usually riddled with drugs and diseases.”

               Catalina chose not to think about why Yoongi knew that.

               Makai chuckled and said, “I have to admit, we started our company like that. We’ve improved so much over the years though. Anyway, I can give you a tour. If you’d like, there’s a waiting room in the back where your familiars can stay.”

               “No thank you,” said Yoongi. “I’d rather they stay with me. I don’t trust you just yet.”

               “What’s not to trust about this face?” Makai asked, pouting a bit. He burst into laughter. “I’m totally joking. You have no reason to trust me, you barely know me! I hope we can be friends someday though. I like you, Yoongi.”

               With that, Makai led the way deeper into the facility. The first door he opened made Catalina’s heart drop. The woman inside was limp and pale, sitting up against the wall on a cot. Her hair was thin and her lips were blue.

               “We’ve had her for a while, so I would probably let you have her for a hundred if you’re interested,” said Makai. He closed the door and continued down the hall. He pointed at a room through a pair of archways and said, “That’s the recreation room. There’s snacks, if you guys want anything.”

               “Chocolate?” Yoongi asked.

               “Haha! Sure, let’s see,” said Makai. He went in and rummaged through the cupboards. Catalina hung back with Jungkook and took his hand. He squeezed her hand back, leaning in to whisper, “Are you okay?”

               Catalina nodded, even though she was starting to feel queasy. Yoongi came back to them with a mouthful of Dove chocolate, more in his hand.

               “Jungkook will have his phone in his shirt pocket, with the camera facing out. It’ll be recording the entire time,” said Namjoon. “This way, we can map out a basic floor plan.”

               Catalina glanced at the phone in Jungkook’s shirt pocket as they were led deeper into the facility. Makai continued showing them “products”, as he called them. There were so many. Catalina didn’t know how she’d be able to leave them all here today. She hated thinking about Jimin in this situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

               Jimin tried his best to keep track of the days, but without any outside light source and an irregular sleeping schedule, time quickly began to blur together. He had no idea how much time had passed. He what he could though.

               He didn’t let the vampires take too much blood from him and Caleb, just enough so they wouldn’t notice a loss. He made sure he and Caleb ate everything they were given, to keep up their strength. Every few days, or so Jimin figured, they would have a break from being hooked up to the IV. During those days, they made sure to eat and move around as much as they could.

               But after a while, everything began catching up to them. They were slowly losing energy. Jimin hoped his friends would find him soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

               Seeing these people, tired and limp, and hearing Makai list off prices like they were at a car dealership made Catalina feel sick. She knew this kind of thing went on, but to see it with her own eyes was something she would never forget. She had to keep reminding herself that they would come back for these people.

               “This one is a little feisty, but if you keep her drained, she should be fine,” said Makai, closing the door on another cell. “Did you see any you liked? Did you at least like the tour?”

               Catalina’s stomach dropped. That couldn’t have been the last one. Where was Jimin? Did someone already buy him? It hasn’t even been a week!

               Jungkook took her hand and squeezed hard.

               “Do you have anything else?” Yoongi asked. His bored façade was still going strong, or maybe it wasn’t a façade. Catalina couldn’t be sure. Did he even actually care about these humans? Either way, he was doing a good job on this mission.

               “I mean, we have other humans, but they’re not ready for purchase yet,” said Makai.

               “I want to see them,” said Yoongi.

               “Sure, were you looking for something in particular?” asked Makai.

               “Eh…not exactly. I suppose I’ll know when I see it,” said Yoongi.

               Makai pointed to him and said, “I totally understand. Ya know, it’s like buying clothes. Fashion trends change so fast and I never know what I want to buy for summer, or for winter or whatever. But when I see it, I know! Can you believe the early 2000’s are coming back? It just ended! Give it a break for a bit!”

               Makai laughed heartily as he rambled on, leading them to a different hallway. He opened a few doors and introduced a few people inside. These people looked a little less tired than the others. These ones still had a bit of color in their cheeks.

               The third door he opened was the one. Jimin stared back at them with wide eyes. The fear in his eyes melted away when he saw them. But there was another set of frightened eyes staring at them from over Jimin’s shoulder.

               A child sat behind him, clutching Jimin’s t-shirt.

               Yoongi faltered. He didn’t say anything for a moment.

               “Is this the one? Are you having your moment?” Makai asked.

               “How much for both?” Yoongi asked.

               “Oh…well, the kid isn’t for sale,” Makai said.

               “Ten thousand for the kid,” said Yoongi. “One thousand for the other guy.”

               Catalina watched with amusement as Jimin pouted, glaring at Yoongi.

               “Okay, so these guys aren’t really for sale right now,” said Makai. “So you’re gonna have to-“

               “Fifty thousand for both,” said Yoongi. Makai closed his mouth.

               “Ya know what, I like you Yoongi. So I’ll give them to you for fifty and a half,” said Makai.

               “Deal,” said Yoongi. They shook hands, Makai smiling wide.

               “I’m just warning you, this one’s squirrely,” Makai said, pointing to Jimin. “And the kid is too smart for his own good. So do with that what you will.”

               “I have these guys,” Yoongi said, gesturing to Jungkook and Catalina. “I’ll be fine.”

               “Right on, man!” Makai said, slapping Yoongi on the shoulder. “Let’s go to my office.”

               Makai’s office was beautiful; the first thing Catalina noticed was the zen garden in the corner, bamboo shoots rising from the center. The whole office was dim, with stylish, plush furniture filling the space. The sound of running water brought Catalina’s attention to the black stone mini water fountain on the desk at the center of the room.

               Makai went behind the desk and pulled out two forms.

               “Are you paying cash or bitcoin?” Makai asked.

               “What the hell is bitcoin?” Yoongi asked. Makai burst into laughter.

               “Cash it is, then,” he said once he finished laughing. “Just go ahead and sign these for me real quick. This one is a nondisclosure agreement. Don’t go posting about this on social media and definitely don’t tell the cops!”

               Makai laughed again, but Catalina didn’t find any of this funny. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

               “And this one is just an agreement stating that once the transaction is complete, the product is nonrefundable and fully your responsibility,” Makai said. Yoongi signed both forms, then pulled several stacks of cash out of his jacket pocket. Catalina and Jungkook’s eyes bulged. He was just carrying all that in his pocket?, Catalina thought with a start.

               Makai laughed and pointed at them. “Looks like your familiars are thinking the same thing I am. You’re gonna get robbed doing stuff like that, man! You’re stronger than the average guy, but vamps like cash too, ya know!”

               “I don’t go shopping very often,” Yoongi said, counting out the stacks of bills.

               “Clearly,” said Makai, double checking the cash, then storing it in one of the desk drawers. The two of them shook hands. “Do you want them delivered or do you want them right now?”

               “I’m parked outside,” said Yoongi. “I can take them now.”

               “Sounds good to me,” said Makai. “Just go ahead and wait outside, I’ll have someone bring them up.”

               “Don’t damage them,” said Yoongi. “I like my products pristine.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

               Jimin and the child clinging to him stayed silent as they got into the car, all the way until Jungkook parked the car in the lot of a Popeye’s just outside of town. Then they all piled out of the car and Catalina and Jungkook immediately tackled Jimin in a tight hug. Yoongi climbed out of the car slowly, then helped the child out of the back seat.

               “What’s your name kid?” Yoongi asked as Catalina and Jungkook fussed over Jimin.

               “Caleb,” he said in a quiet voice.

               “You’re safe now,” said Yoongi. “We’ll get you back to your parents.”

               Caleb’s eyes widened.

               The whole group of them went into the Popeye’s and ordered as much food as everyone wanted. Caleb squeezed into the booth with Jimin, the rest sitting on the other side.

               “These are my friends I was telling you about,” said Jimin.

               “Ooohhh,” Caleb said, eyeing all three of them as he munched on his fries.

               “Are you guys hurt at all? What was it like in there?” Jungkook asked.

               “I mean, it wasn’t even that bad,” said Jimin.

               “Yeah! It wasn’t even that bad!” said Caleb.

               “Okay, I mean, it sucked really bad, and it would have been worse if we got bought by someone else before you got there, but it worked out fine,” said Jimin.

               “Yeah, the situation was pretty fucking bad!” Caleb said, giggling and dunking his chicken strips into too much sauce.

               Catalina and Jungkook’s eyes widened. Jimin and Yoongi just laughed.

               “Don’t say that in front of your parents,” said Jimin, ruffling the kid’s hair.

               “I just can’t wait to see the look on Namjoon’s face when we bring a child home with us,” said Catalina. Yoongi groaned and put his head in his hands.

               “Yeah, I can’t wait either,” he said, sounding like he could, in fact, wait.

[d-criss-news]

Royalties Soundtrack Listening Event | Darren Criss Chat (July 7th, 2020)

Darren Criss 18:02:04

wait ha

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Darren Criss 18:02:08

sorry yall

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Darren Criss 18:02:12

this is confusing me of course

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Darren Criss 18:02:29

this is new for me too friends

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Darren Criss 18:02:45

well i'm here but I can't hear shit so gimme a sec

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Darren Criss 18:04:00

well I'll just keep typing here guys

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Darren Criss 18:04:04

bro

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Darren Criss 18:04:07

wilma

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Darren Criss 18:04:15

i'm tryin

Darren Criss 18:04:57

21kxuv372ubcprrbpiefadt6i

What was your favorite song to write for the show?

They each were really fun so that's hard to say but Hate That I Need You surprised the hell outta me

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Darren Criss 18:05:30

bettic72

darren non capisco un cazzo

anchio pero sti cazzi siamo qui

Darren Criss 18:05:49

genevievephillips

point and laugh at darren

yes let's laugh at him

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Darren Criss 18:06:18

2162bkuccm7xje6yfgmuzrnyq

You inspired me to write my own songs 🥺👉🏼👈🏼

thanks for writing the first positive thing I've seen on this. That's wonderful! I hope to hear them!

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Darren Criss 18:06:43

clo :)

i love that we are all grandparents when it comes to this

thank you for using the appropriate WE pronouns ha yeah this shit is confusing

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Darren Criss 18:08:44

zcvmtsgee5mom80oxeesa4v11

Darren how do you deal with stage fright .... i’ve been preforming in front of people for a while and i i still get scared . Does it ever go away ?

i guess it depends on how big the crowd is. everybody's different but I will say any kind of fright means you care, which is a good thing! Also the thing people forget about performing, for the most part, is you can't SEE the audience, most of the time they're in the dark. That's why performing for friends or in a small space where you can see everyone is much more nerve-racking

—

Darren Criss 18:08:57

Dana

Darren can we have a royalties tour once rona is over???

wouldn't that be fun!

—

Darren Criss 18:09:15

emilybutcher30

darren can you start streaming on twitch please haha i love you

ha can't compete with King Urie man

—

Darren Criss 18:10:06

jake2000w

Darren, I know it’s all weird right now, but do you have any idea when we might see Nerdy Prudes Must Die?

what a good question. I have no idea but I've been wanting to see that show for almost as long as I've wanted to make Royalties. The boys have been talking about that one for a while now.

—

Darren Criss 18:10:16

jesiqseigle56

Can you like respond .

like yeah

—

Darren Criss 18:10:27

abbyforsmark

has Darren even said anything on this?

nope nothing

—

Darren Criss 18:12:39

u6iczx4gua0att2g4kd2vdzwe

Did you write each of the songs with the performers in mind or did you cast them afterwards?

great question. Except for "Also You," which was written with Jackie Tohn for Jackie Tohn, we had no idea who would sing each song. I did the demos for almost all of them and then we had to pitch actors/artists to see if they'd be interested... which wasn't as hard (luckily) as seeing if they were AVAILABLE... which many weren't given the short time we had to make the show. Hopefully we can get some of those folks on for the next season IF THEY'LL LET US HAVE ONE!

—

Darren Criss 18:13:52

delfi

darren royalties is so good i'm fucking proud of you

thanks for watching it, truly. I know the Quibi thing is strange for people so I appreciate you giving it all a chance : )

—

Darren Criss 18:14:04

Caitlyn A :)

if you see this kick your shoes off

I would but no shoes

—

Darren Criss 18:14:27

t59glm18dkw84n64l72jcuvpc

come to the uk challenge

god i wish.

—

Darren Criss 18:15:39

damn someone said "travel to UK challenge" and I meant to respond "find a vaccine challenge"

—

Darren Criss 18:17:08

i can't hear any of these songs but I"m just gonna start saying random shit about them

—

Darren Criss 18:17:16

first off, i really wanted a theme song

—

Darren Criss 18:17:23

that was a whole thing

—

Darren Criss 18:19:18

Had to cut through a lot of red tape to make sure we had that silly song in there. We were already in the middle of post production when I finally got it approved, but it had to be under 15 seconds. I wrote 3 diff versions. So glad it ended up working. Theme songs accomplish so much in such a short period of time. Establishes tone. Gives the audience an almost Pavlovian response to the familiarity of the characters... I'm happy with it

—

Darren Criss 18:20:12

also the "doo doo doo" lyrics are meant to sound like "scratch vocals" when songwriters record vocals with temporary gibberish lyrics with the intent of filling them in with real ones later

—

Darren Criss 18:22:29

Just That Good was a concept that started the entire 1st season, and it was one of those instant-songs where Nick and Matt told me the title and I immediately had the hook just from those words. That only happens every once in a while and I was so happy it did for that song. The tricky part was writing the rest of it, but the back half of the song with the chorus repeating that one refrain over and over- that was the melody from the get go

—

Darren Criss 18:23:08

I'll get back to Break it In, kick your shoes/let your hair, and kong later... i'll just go off on this one

—

Darren Criss 18:23:48

so I wanted to nod to the grandeur of everyone's favorite vampire elf, Jared Leto

—

Darren Criss 18:24:05

not HIM specifically, but 30 seconds to mars' very BIG music videos

—

Darren Criss 18:24:29

i dont jared is a buncha self centered nutcases like our guys in SWITCHBACK JACKET

—

Darren Criss 18:24:37

* i don't think Jared... 

—

Darren Criss 18:25:38

anyway yeah "so much better..." comes from a lot of the 90s alt rock that I grew up on, and the mix of that sound with a bit of electronic production was an effort to contemportize it as much as possible

—

Darren Criss 18:26:26

but the rhythm guitar, lots of power chords and high octaves were all harkening to my fave bands like Lit and Eve 6... but put through a strange bizzaro nickleback/creed performance filter

—

Darren Criss 18:26:55

"make you come true" is obviously a very salacious play on words

—

Darren Criss 18:28:27

so the only way to make it feel earnest is if we made the track itself sexy as possible. A lot of the songs, even without being written, leant themselves to a certain genre just by the title, and this one was kind of a no-brainer. Sexy mid tempo r&b. And I didn't even know we'd get Jordan Fisher to do it- who SMASHED the vocal.

—

Darren Criss 18:29:42

lauraacampbell-12

DARREN CHORDS OR LYRICS FIRST WHEN WRITING A SONG?

it's different every time but for this show specifically it's always title/idea first, and then the song comes from there. But that's because we're writing a show, so we have the luxury of getting to write from a specific place. It's much harder to do that in your own life when you just want to pull a title/idea from your own experience of life. I commend people that do that all the time.

—

Darren Criss 18:30:06

what's NUTS about prizefighter is...

—

Darren Criss 18:30:24

it was originally a song called LONG RANGER that BONNIE MCKEE sang, who I wrote the song with

—

Darren Criss 18:30:38

and in the video we had CHRISSY TIEGEN lipsynching

—

Darren Criss 18:30:44

it was bananas

—

Darren Criss 18:31:26

we ultimately couldn't use the song because of some complicated writers shit- not too dissimilar from the things we explore in our own show, which is just totally ironic.

—

Darren Criss 18:32:56

we were so bummed that we couldn't use the song but I'm actually really really happy with PRIZEFIGHTER. I love the song, and I love how it turned out production wise. I love how much of a massive influence latin x rhythms have had across the entire spectrum of mainstream music, so I wanted try my own hand at nodding to it!

—

Darren Criss 18:33:08

Lara :)!

Ahhhhh so was that the pilot song you were talking about last week?

that's the one

—

Darren Criss 18:33:45

hbz3jctrg5rwwma640hahffvt

You have inspired me to learn piano I already know how to play teanage dream now

you can thank Bonnie Mckee aka Kimmy Kelly for writing that song!

—

Darren Criss 18:34:01

ok then there's the k pop song

—

Darren Criss 18:34:08

honestly i had no idea where I was gonna start on this one

—

Darren Criss 18:34:22

full props to the brilliant CJ Baran who I wrote this song with

—

Darren Criss 18:34:39

we were just toying around with very industrial-sounding samples

—

Darren Criss 18:35:21

and I started singing Edvard Grieg's "in the hall of the mountain king"

—

Darren Criss 18:35:33

and he was the guy that was like YEAH JUST PUT IT IN THERE

—

Darren Criss 18:35:46

and i realized, oh yeah, that song is public domain

—

Darren Criss 18:35:59

and kinda ties perfectly to the nature of Elia Peck and his songwriting... huh.

—

Darren Criss 18:36:05

So we went for it from there.

—

Darren Criss 18:36:17

based the lyrics off of what the Neals say in the room.

—

Darren Criss 18:36:34

and then just wrote a bunch of ALMOST nonense lyrics about things that you could HATE that you NEED

—

Darren Criss 18:36:40

things like available wifi...

—

Darren Criss 18:37:01

artistinal mai-tais.... yeah I guess if you really really liked those you could HATE that you NEED them...

—

Darren Criss 18:37:04

etc etc

—

Darren Criss18:38:16

but the idea was to have Mariam Hale's character hardly do ANYTHING on the track, since she, as the audience sees, doesn't really have much to offer... so we just built it around this huge track with crazy lyrics that just tees up a tag for her to say without even having to sing: I HATE THAT I NEED YOU

—

Darren Criss18:38:43

2235n5s2qk5hjsujbhk5ilpva

I have classes in 10 minutes, and I'm not leaving until you dedicate a Royalties song to me.

looks like you're gonna miss calss

—

Darren Criss 18:39:09

"calss" ha. which is like "class" but like... different.

—

Darren Criss 18:39:32

alrighty PERFECT SONG

—

Darren Criss 18:39:38

i really love this song as well

—

Darren Criss 18:40:02

the reveal of this song is that they keep talking about this "perfect song" they've written

—

Darren Criss 18:40:26

in other words we're teeing up a pretty big expectation of what a perfect song could possibly sound like

—

Darren Criss 18:40:36

the reveal of course is that the song itself is in fact just called "perfect song"

—

Darren Criss 18:40:43

which is ABOUT a perfect song

—

Darren Criss 18:41:07

and about TRYING TO WRITE a perfect song, and how that's not necessary when you have someone that IS the perfect song

—

Darren Criss 18:41:20

when we wrapped our heads around that idea, I really loved it 

—

Darren Criss 18:42:10

you'll notice we reference a lot of incredible songs, almost citing them as perfect songs themselves

—

Darren Criss 18:42:14

ain't no mountain high enough

—

Darren Criss 18:42:55

of course leonard cohen's seminal Hallelujah

—

Darren Criss 18:44:05

and of course Britney's Oops I Did It Again ha ;)

—

Darren Criss 18:45:00

the Oops being a layered joke of being annoyed with oneself that they AGAIN unwittingly wrote a lyric for already massive song, but in doing so citing yet ANOTHER already massive song... if that makes any sense

—

Darren Criss 18:45:27

sorry for the typos yall i'm moving fast, i'd never let this shit slide if it wasn't a casual chatroom vibe

—

Darren Criss 18:46:37

emzlolly1234

Did you know you wanted there to be a romantic thing between pierce and Sara?? :))))

yes that was actually our original "pilot presentation" episode. the one with the song LONE RANGER and Chrissy Tiegen. It was a longer version of what would become episode 7. We THINK it's a romantic thing but you realize that Sara is just playing Pierce to get the song she needs. That was always the premise yes.

—

Darren Criss 18:46:51

luzmargotramos

if you reply with a single dot I'd probably die

then I better steer clear of any dots

—

Darren Criss 18:47:04

ALSO YOU was an amazing lightning in a bottle moment

—

Darren Criss 18:47:09

FULL CREDIT TO JACKIE TOHN

—

Darren Criss 18:47:22

i always enjoy giving credit where credit is due

—

Darren Criss 18:48:24

and I came in pretty hot for most of the songs- concepts, chords, style... but this one literally was a simple as Jackie Sitting down and just playing "It's you I love but also you and also you and also you."

—

Darren Criss 18:48:37

we all just looked at each other going, welp, yup, that's it, jackie you fuckin rule

—

Darren Criss 18:49:28

the song would have ended up very differently if she hadn't brought that to the table. the original episode and song was "one true loves" which isn't nearly as good of a gag/title as "also you"

—

Darren Criss 18:49:50

i ended up squeezing "one true loves" into the bridge, but of course, kept ALSO YOU as the main event

—

Darren Criss 18:50:02

i will say I was also trying to spoof my brother's old band, FREELANCE WHALES a little bit

—

Darren Criss 18:50:26

if you guys know the song "generator first floor" where they sing ay ay ay ay ay a lot...

—

Darren Criss 18:50:35

... as a lot of bands and songs had featured at the time...

—

Darren Criss 18:51:00

i wanted to put them all in one joke. where a band sang not only hey hey hey but ay and EE and AYE and OH and basically all the vowels

—

Darren Criss 18:51:10

which was where the joke of,

—

Darren Criss 18:51:20

a, e, i, o, and also u

—

Darren Criss 18:51:21

came from

—

Darren Criss 18:51:32

which i'm particularly proud of

—

Darren Criss 18:51:56

ok let's talk about BREAK IT IN

—

Darren Criss 18:54:16

lxucxthxrxnx_

I’m a musician myself (not that great lol) what was it like coming up with the melodic side did you play any instruments for the songs?

i played instruments on all the songs except Break It In and I Hate That I Need You, since those were all electronic. That's not to say i played EVERY instrument but I definitely played AN instrument of some kind for the others.

—

Darren Criss 18:55:34

as for break it in... anyway... yeah that was a blast. Nick Lang and I collaborated with my buddy Kendo who goes by the artist name KingJet.

—

Darren Criss 18:56:54

Kendo has worked on a lot of legit songs in the hip hop space. For each song I wanted to make sure there was a level of authenticity to what we were doing. I didn't wanna SPOOF the songs. I wanted the songs to sound rock solid and that it would be the LYRICAL CONCEPTS that would be the source of satire. So Kendo was a great guiding light to keep the track as authentic as possible.

—

Darren Criss 18:59:47

We explained to Kendo the whole joke concept of the song, which is basically just turning the idea of toxic masculinity on its head, and he was on top of it immediately- when we told him that there's this guy that's really concerned that people think he "fucks too soft" he immediately started spitting out lyrics like the hilariously defiant "I'm the KING OF THE HARD FUCK"

—

Darren Criss 19:00:35

which just killed me and Nick. It was just so juvenile that it was adorable to me

—

Darren Criss 19:00:57

emzlolly1234

Darren you’ve been here for an hour? That’s the length of royalties man xxx

yeah aint it great

Darren Criss 19:02:21

sophie :)

i personally think you should try your hand at writing a drill song, a british genre of rap that centres around rapping unrelated lyrics in front of chicken shops, personally think it has the right tone for the show for a season two

drill would be siq. I mean, opening the incredible pandora's box of UK based hip hop in general is its own magical wormhole of nuance and history and regional culture. it's amazing. i'd really have to do some homework if I wanted to pull that off!

—

Darren Criss 19:02:49

cd2gu4ceqx4am9otf9hzwzivs

he’s talking again guys be worried he might write another essay

ok sorry i'll stop

—

Darren Criss 19:02:51

:)

—

Darren Criss 19:03:03

cd2gu4ceqx4am9otf9hzwzivs

he’s talking again guys be worried he might write another essay

kidding!

—

Darren Criss 19:03:39

fsheldens

when darren actually cares about us 🥺

awww i always do! I just wasn't built for internet stuff.

—

Darren Criss 19:04:20

alpermehdi

speaking of nick how was it to work with nick??

the best. Nick is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

—

Darren Criss 19:04:51

chloe :)!

what would be ur karaoke song choice from the show?

mighty as kong

—

Darren Criss 19:07:32

isa.kowo

How much music theory goes into your songwriting? And did you learn all of it from playing the violin? In what way does it go into your songs?

all GREAT questions. I mean, music theory isn't something you CONSCIOUSLY employ when writing something, it's just that it really helps to know the rules or music when shaping it and trying to maximize its production. And as a matter of fact, yeah, I DID learn most of it playing violin. But when I was playing violin I was ingesting music from the perspective of a student ingesting information, not as a proactive creator putting anything of my own out into the world.

—

Darren Criss 19:08:07

Honestly I really didn't start UNDERSTANDING music theory until I started writing music for other people, and noticing certain things and chords and shapes had names and that they could be manipulated to accomplish certain things

—

Darren Criss 19:08:35

so most of my academic musical knowledge came in my 20s when I tried to start doing it professionally

—

Darren Criss 19:08:52

Nick

first instrument you ever learnt?

violin

—

Darren Criss 19:09:07

andyruiz080

I'm castin' my love net wide And fillin' every hole in my schedule

ha love that line

—

Darren Criss 19:09:29

missweggy

Darren are you a big queen fan ( the band lol ) 😂

is the pope catholic

—

Darren Criss 19:12:00

ChloeOmelia

Now its available, would you change anything?

jesus so much. but such is the nature of creating stuff. there's a great Hayao Miyazaki quote about always having to make new stuff to escape the woe of all the mistakes you made in your last thing... I mean, that's a bit extreme, I feel like we did the best we could given the circumstance but I totally get where Miyazaki is coming from. And in many ways that's everything we do in life. Do your best, know what you coulda done better and carry on

—

Darren Criss 19:12:36

dj._.quackers

who or what was your biggest inspiration growing up

the beatles. the uk. the 60s.

—

Darren Criss 19:13:02

Astriddd

Your first original song was "Not Alone". I'm right?

no it was actually a song i wrote in the third grade when I got a guitar for Christmas called "Save The Whales"

—

Darren Criss 19:14:29

hiiqsbo9358wvfkcjcsgsu4lb

Darren I need an answer it’s been annoying me for days. So was everyone fucking everyone in Pierces old band or was she just fucking everyone seperately??

ha that's a really great question. I figured she was just fucking everyone individually, which is why the band was so contentious but then again I'd rather let your imagination run wild...

—

Darren Criss 19:15:29

jphxxk5wjnaqnhuv806wmohdt

Darren, I love your taste in music. You should share your personal playlists ... bc everybody needs to know phantom planet 😉

if i actually shared my tastes in music, or actually shared the amount of stuff in my brain at the rate that I want to share, I would never work on or create anything because i would constantly be on the internet and you'd all be over me if you weren't already

—

Darren Criss 19:16:01

But yes, thank you for saying that, I love me my phantom planet oh so very much :)

—

Darren Criss 19:16:18

juli.nuttini

could you please answer me I don't speak English and I'm putting ALL my effort into asking you questions I'm going to cry

wow your english is actually pretty great

—

Darren Criss 19:17:08

I'd like to write a song with Howard Ashman

—

Darren Criss 19:17:23

dancebaby218

Was kick your shoes off inspired by your Hedwig shoes?

nah cuz that shit was actually comfy

—

Darren Criss 19:17:55

12169199549

i skipped my clarinet class because of you for the third time :) what can i say to my teacher?

that Darren says you should have gone to clarinet class!!!

—

Darren Criss 19:18:34

qalektvmexab6gfwibfihwu6b

Could you please answer me. We’ve supported you for years from the uk and we’re staying up for this but it’s totally worth it because you’re amazing!! Molly x

I wish so bad I could go to the UK!

—

Darren Criss 19:20:01

FUCK someone asked about Sam Farrar and I wanted to answer it but it disappeared... Sam is a homie. one of my very first songwriting sessions was with him and a very famous member of the pop universe... who if I get a season two, I'm putting in the show.

—

Darren Criss 19:22:00

9nc1yow3iwnp9p3fs4gcvdnsf

what other instruments would you like to learn in the future?

i just need to spend time trying to get better at the ones I've plateaued with. I feel like I got as good as I'd ever get on the guitar when i was like 19. So I've been trying to get better during the Quarantine. Picked up my violin and dusted off that Vivaldi, started doing drum rudiments on my drum pad, and started learning new licks and scales for guitar. Stuff I never got round to doing.

—

Darren Criss 19:22:27

harefraz

mr. criss sir, what is your top quarantine activity?

playing music

—

Darren Criss 19:23:26

actually lies. top quarantine activity is learning Japanese. 30 minutes a day. And it's been several months. Almost got Hiragana down, still got a few characters I'm questionable with but with any luck I'll start up on Katakana in the next few weeks.

—

Darren Criss 19:23:40

224abi6avvottcsacto7vx46a

What about working with Mark hamill ? Insane right

you said it

—

Darren Criss 19:23:54

t7sxis7855cd329gaa6iyty8v

Any updates on American Buffalo? 🥺👉🏼👈🏼

it's opening next year!

—

Darren Criss 19:24:09

for the record this is really fun I'm enjoying this guys

—

Darren Criss 19:26:26

Rachael

How different is it doing a show like Royalties where you're heavily involved in the creative process compared to other projects you've done in the past?

i'd say night and day but that's an understatement. When I did Glee all I had to do was act in scenes, record songs, and go to dance rehearsal. With Royalties, it's that AND casting, doing pre production, post production, notes, meetings, notes, writing and producing songs, location scouting, blah blah blah lots of the stuff that you don't have to worry about if you're not a creator. But make no mistake I absolutely love it.

—

Darren Criss 19:27:41

Aisha

learn spanish

I'll get there. I already speak a bit of Italian so I wanted the challenge of learning something that didn't use a writing system I already understood.

—

Darren Criss 19:28:23

rosieellenxx_

I take Music Technology as a subject at school and we have to make a whole song with the sole sample of glass breaking...

sounds fun. loads of things you can do with that.

—

Darren Criss 19:28:48

21ynx6niidf2amx5nzilihsga

What are your goals for once quarantine is lifted?

hopefully to feel like I used this very strange time well.

—

Darren Criss 19:29:14

Ok I should probabl get outta here right?

—

Darren Criss 19:29:41

I've talked a lot about mighty as kong in other places

—

Darren Criss 19:30:00

so I'll just leave you with a story about "Let Your Hair Down"

—

Darren Criss 19:30:14

which was the very FIRST song we wrote for the show

—

Darren Criss 19:30:37

I had a meeting with an artist at a dive bar in the middle of the afternoon

—

Darren Criss 19:31:10

let's just say I showed up to that very first writer's session very late

—

Darren Criss 19:31:17

and sober ENOUGH

—

Darren Criss 19:31:41

wktusw4mcjn910r3eq91zg4k5

darren did you watch hamilton??????

duh last night. so fun.

—

Darren Criss 19:32:17

anyway I was so relieved that we left with that song at the end of the day. The intent was always to write two songs with the exact same concepts just with different titles

—

Darren Criss 19:32:50

the chords are the same, just slightly different voicings played on slightly different instruments

—

Darren Criss 19:33:29

and the idea was that whichever song was funnier, or at least whichever song would be more fun to see in a music video... would be the one that Pierce & Sara write

—

Darren Criss 19:34:08

"Kick Your Shoes Off" ended up feeling more like a full music video than "Let Your Hair Down" but I LOVE that first song, and hopefully people get to hear the whole thing on Spotify since you don't get to hear the whole song in the episode

—

Darren Criss 19:34:51

with lines I love like "see my cheekbones, show off my clavicle, I bet you've never seen a ponytail to magical..."

—

Darren Criss 19:35:39

emilybutcher30

i love that u spelled it sara not sarah

thank you. if you don't already know it, check out Ben Folds' "Zak and Sara"

—

Darren Criss 19:36:01

OK i gotta get going

—

Darren Criss 19:36:12

but thanks to everyone from all over the world for joining

—

Darren Criss 19:36:17

i see you and i say hi to you!

—

Darren Criss 19:36:23

happy birthday to all the bday kids!

—

Darren Criss 19:36:33

thank you for spending a little bit of your bday with me

—

Darren Criss 19:36:39

thanks for checking out Royalties

—

Darren Criss 19:36:46

hope you enjoy the music

—

Darren Criss 19:36:53

and hope there gets to be a season 2!!!

—

Darren Criss 19:37:08

xo to all of you. stay safe, stay inspired. - Darren

[pathofcomet]

loving any of us is a death sentence, isn’t it?

fandom: ikemen vampire

pairing: isaac/MC

summary:  “I trust you,” she apologizes. / “Then you’re nothing but a fool,” he spits out. / But she knows it’s just because he’s watching her break his heart. (OR, MC returns back to the 21st century).

rating: explicit // word count: 5.4k // AO3

She has held Isaac throughout most of the night in her embrace, as he cried on her shoulder over his lost friend, over his newfound purpose and dear humanity, over the feelings that they share between each other. Back in his room, she has wiped his tears away, has allowed him to get lost in their kisses. And when the sighs turned into moans, when his cries turned from hurt to pleasure, she dropped to her knees in front of him, hands working fast to undo his belt, pull at his pants.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

His voice sounded soft, lost, needy – more than anything else. She said nothing, hands already working on his cock. Both of them still in their clothes, just his member out. Isaac’s cheeks burned, for they looked like nothing but two too desperate lovers, rushing for release.

Her mouth was close, blowing hot air over him, and he whined, pushing his hips closer. She kissed the tip of his cock, before her tongue started lapping around him. Isaac’s entire body shuddered, when she took him in, all of him past her lips – and she hollowed her cheeks, his hands flying to twist in her hair. Instinctually, needy, he started moving, pulling out a bit, entering her warmth again, fucking her mouth. She hummed, and he swore.

One of her hands was digging in his clothed thigh, painful despite the material. The other one started playing with his balls.

“Gods!” Isaac exclaimed, and her movements were meeting his, bringing him closer and closer to his release.

He tried to pull out, but her hands hooked around his waist, keeping him in place – and he came inside her. She sucked; opening her mouth to show him that all is gone once done. Isaac felt dizzy and light, and she chuckled, kissing the top of his dick again, helping him back into his clothes.

She laid him out in bed, playing with her hands in his hair. His hand tightened around her waist.

“What about you?” he asked.

She said nothing, just shook her head and kissed his forehead, held him close as sleep took him. She stayed like that for a long time, until the light of the morning started filtering through – and as careful as she could, she left him behind.

***

She’s still thinking of those shared moments, as she sits in an armchair in le Comte’s office, staring at her hands. Her dress, out of which she hasn’t changed yet, is stained in the blood of the person she loves the most, and his dead friend. The shirt turned red under her own blood is still unwashed, in one of the drawers in her room.

Her hands are trembling, as she’s staring at the hourglass on the table in front of her. She can barely see the sand left on top of it anymore. She’s terribly cold.

“Ma chérie…” Comte sighs, when he enters and notices her there. He looks exhausted.

He seems to have guessed what this is about, at least to some extent; and he doesn’t sound the least surprised. Oh well, she thinks, maybe this has been coming since the beginning, and no matter how much she fought against it, the epilogue of this story has already been written.

The cup of black coffee that he offers her shakes in her hold, and Comte is staring intently at her reactions, at the lost look in her eyes, at the determination in her shoulders.

“I want to return to my days,” she says.

The ticking of his clock goes on, ten times, before Comte sighs.

“Of course, ma chérie. No problem. But – does he know?”

A bit of the coffee spills on her already ruined dress. One of her hands is crumpling the material in her hold.

“He will,” she answers, vaguely.

His touch on her shoulder is comforting, and she leans just a bit into his touch.

“Can I do anything for you?” he asks, and his thumb is tracing patterns over her skin.

She wants to cry. Instead, she just shakes her head, gets up.

“Thank you for… everything, Comte.”

She somehow still manages to smile.

***

Isaac is late for breakfast, so Sebastian sends her up to his room instead. She wants to deny the task, but there’s no real excuse for it – and the last thing she wants is for the other men in the house to know what she has in her mind before the actual day.

He is awake, but still in bed, under his blankets; still somewhat lost into his own century. Her heart squeezes in her chest, as she places the tray on his desk, taking just the bottle of blanc with her. She can’t help getting close, kissing the top of his head in greeting. Isaac smiles at her – no, beams at her, like she’s bringing all the light in his life, like she’s the sun who makes the dark disappear. She almost throws up, steels herself instead.

If she can’t go through this, then she cannot expect of herself to pass the threshold of that door, back in the clutches of the 21st century life. It’s the beating of her heart, each one counting another second passing by, that eventually grounds her.

She watches him drink and eat, and she tries to memorize everything: the arch of his eyebrows, the delicacy in doing something as simple as that, the curve of his lips when he catches her eyes. She loves him so much she doesn’t have words, so much that it hurts.

“Isaac…” He looks up, something in her voice already telling him something is wrong. “Today is my last day here.”

He chokes.

“Wh-what?” he croaks, looking incredulously at her.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Where?” He asks dumbly, and he feels pathetic, and this is the first problem he ever encountered that he doesn’t have the immediate answer to.

She reluctantly glances up at him, her brows furrowing at the expression on his face, like he’s hanged in the moment before being stroked down. She moves a bit closer, cradling his face in her hands. He can’t fix his eyes on her.

“Two hundred years from now…. find me,” is all she says.

“Please,” he begs, holding onto her wrists. “You… You’re breaking my heart.”

She tries not to look at Isaac’s face, knowing that if she sees the expression on there, the resolve in her will break apart. But she cannot stay here, living and dying in a world unknown, just because she loves one man. Even if that man managed to so easily become her everything. She loves him, which is why she has the courage to be selfish.

“But I’m saving mine,” she whispers, and he rests his forehead on hers, trying to anchor himself.

If she is to live out the rest of the years left in her, then she wants to do it home. With him by her side, that would be bliss – but she doesn’t want it here. So, she compromises. Or rather, she asks a compromise of him.

If he is to still love her, centuries after her departure, then he will find her, waiting, in her own time. He sobs.

“You’re so unfair…”

She leans closer to him; his arms embrace her with ease, and she places kisses all over his face, feeling the salt in his tears on her lips. She won’t apologize for asking this of him, and he knows it. He can’t find it in himself to be upset over it.

“Isaac…,” she sighs out his name. “I’m just a human. My lifespan is nothing compared to the eternity laid out in front of you. I want to live it on my own terms.”

If he were to answer what haunts him most vividly, constantly, painfully from his life before, then it’s those few seconds of dying, when you know the darkness is coming, and yet there’s nothing you can do to fight it. The incredible fear of not actually coming back, even if he was promised it.

So he can’t hold it against her. He can only hold her close.

***

Dazai is the one accompanying her, the rest of the guys waiting for her next to the door. He shakes his head at her.

“This doesn’t sit well with me, Toshiko-san…”

“It’s okay,” she tries to smile. “It doesn’t have to.”

She makes them all wait until the very last minute, because there’s a particular someone who is missing from the gathering. She tries to excuse it as hugging everyone goodbye. Napoleon lingers a bit in his hold, reproach and hope mingled in his touch. She can’t look at him when she moves away.

Then le Comte’s hand is at her back, slowly pulling her out of her pain, guiding her back to where it all started in the first place. It feels like the time that passed is way longer than 25 days, and way shorter too.

“You should get going,” he says, and even his voice is gentle.

She touches the wooden door, takes a deep breath – then she hears steps, and her heart soars. She turns to the sound, and Isaac is standing in front of her, panting, dressed only in a white shirt, jacket forgotten behind: hurried and broken and, still, hers.

She refrains from touching him. He doesn’t come any closer. They stare at each other for a bit, so many unsaid words hanging between them.

“I trust you,” she apologizes.

“Then you’re nothing but a fool,” he spits out.

But she knows it’s just because he’s watching her break his heart. She turns her back to him, opens a door and walks through time. Her name, a chocked sob on his lips, is the last thing she hears.

***

She learns exactly 25 days have passed in her time as well. Paris, ten times more populated than two centuries ago, never felt so empty or lonely.

She’s late on rent; decides to search for a new place, and make this city in the heart of Europe her new permanent home; based on hope alone. She takes up a new language course. She writes long articles on the Van Gogh brothers, visiting multiple museums, researching. She visits England often, with her work. She falls a bit more in love with it every time, because it holds a part of him. She always makes time to check out at least one of the places in his memories. She fills an entire shelf in her apartment with novels that she thinks Isaac might grow to like, fallen in the gap of time that separates them.

So that when – if, she corrects, he returns, he will return knowing that she has waited for him.

One month after she returns, there’s a letter waiting for her in the mailbox. Only her first name on the envelope, no stamp. Her hands shake; she drops her keys three times before she’s able to get inside. She knows there’s no point in looking around her, le Comte probably having already left a long time ago.

She can recognize his handwriting too – on the paper inside the envelope as well. It’s dated 23 January 1889, and it’s a general update on everyone in the manor. She feels like she’s about to suffocate, her brain unable to make the time jumps that pure blood vampires seem to have no problems with. Still, she accepts it gratefully, cradles it at her chest. For many days in a row, the paper is left sitting on the side of the bed that she never occupies.

There’s only one sentence about Isaac: He’s drowning in his research, and it is telling her nothing, and it is telling her everything. She cries bitter tears, for him.

It doesn’t show the next night, when she works on a photoshoot. The phone numbers left by several workers, she throws them in the trash. She starts wearing a golden band on her ring finger, just so the attention dies out.

She’s aware, how stupid she might seem to the rational side of herself: building a future on the belief that several weeks of love will make-up for a betrayal worth centuries. But she’s anything but rational, as she moves on with her life.

And the letters never stop; so she must not be the only one stuck with the memories of those days stuck in her heart. Dazai and Sebastian co-write a letter in Japanese, dated 1906. Next comes a neat, small package: and inside she finds the ribbon she wore once, back when the constant feeling entirely bloomed in her heart now was just beginning to sprung. She stares at it, not knowing what to make of it – panic overtaking her, her breath hitching in her throat, sob half-formed stuck inside her body. Is this an echo of the past, a mirrored gift… or just Isaac’s way of saying there’s no need for him to have anything of hers? She still wears it.

Then comes Napoleon’s note: He’s counting down to the day he meets you, down to the seconds. It’s 1938 when he writes it – and she sticks it up on her wall. No matter how much she wants it, Isaac never writes to her directly. Still, isn’t it enough that he’s allowing the others to tell her all these things? No, the same selfish part of her that put her in this situation in the first place is saying, but she’s set on never asking anything of him ever again, in this wretched life that she decided to call his.

She spends afternoons piecing together the Isaac he’s becoming, in her absence. The distance keeps getting smaller, until – one day, on the first days of winter, she bumps into someone familiar while on her usual work routine.

“Theodorus?” her voice is weak, and yet the man in question still turns around, to look at her.

“Oh,” is all he says, and it feels like she’s just been cut in half by that single sound. He does his best not to flinch when she grabs his hand.

“Theo, please, is he… is he here?”

He grabs her hand, moves it away, and yet there’s still some kind of gentleness even in that refusal. She’s staring at her palms, trembling, before raising her head, facing him head on, repeating her question.

He shakes his head. The world tilts and she looks like she’s about to fain.

“Breathe, Knabbeltje,” Theo orders, and she does, hungry and desperate gulps of air. “He’s in England, for a while.”

She nods, turns on her heels and leaves. She cannot remember if she properly even thanked him. She played with time like she owned it, so she has no way of knowing if for a while means her entire lifetime or a few weeks or months. She drags her jacket closer to her body. She’s so, so cold.

***

She wears a red scarf; not to match all the Christmas cheer and decorations around her, but because it reminds her of Isaac’s most worn jacket. She meets no one; walks around the stalls, takes a couple of photos, tastes ginger bread and chocolate from various places, ends up with a hot cup of mulled wine in her hands, as she stops to admire this year’s Christmas tree.

She stands there for a while, content with just sipping from her drink, body turning colder and colder the more she doesn’t move. People are good at avoiding her, passing her by for photos in front of the lights, which is why the person stopping right by her side, just as unmoving as her, immediately catches her attention.

She checks her wristwatch, past midnight; she can feel the other’s eyes on her – and it’s a watch that’s been broken and repaired once, in the 19th century. She softly shakes the snowflakes from her scarf, and refuses to really look at whoever joined her when she speaks.

“Happy Birthday, Isaac.”

He hooks a hand around her elbow, pulling until she faces him. Where he touches her, her body warms up.

He carries over two centuries of separation, while she only had to wait months to see him again. A terrible burden to have him to bear; yet Isaac looks like he’s always done, when in her vicinity: lit up from the inside, with love.

She feels her feet giving out below her; he’s next to her, keeping her up, his arms looping around her waist. He’s so close now that she can’t think. He smells different now, soft soap and just the tiny bit of sweetness.

He hisses, hard, when she looks up at him and they make eye contact. He wants to let go, but she grabs him by his coat, keeps him right there, having her in his arms. His eyes go wide.

“Is it- you… you’re real? Is it you, indeed?”

She nods, biting her lower lip so she won’t cry. His fingers dig into her sides, painful even through the clothes. There’s something in his eyes that she didn’t see before – and she knows, that whatever choice she made on that day, it affected him more. And it was close to unbearable for her as it is.

“Speak,” he demands.

“Isaac,” she says, and he shivers against her. Of course, her voice is as it’s always been, maybe just tinged with a more desperate yearning around his name.

He kisses her, desperately, quite literally taking her breath away. His tongue is at her lips in an instant, hungry – and she opens her mouth against his eagerly. What distance is between them, the layers of clothes; it’s all too much.

“Found you,” he says.

***

He pounds into her, and her mind goes blank, a river of curses and moans out of her mouth. She grasps at his shoulders, pulling him closer still, spreading her legs wider, allowing him even more space, to hit her spot just right. It hurt at first; he took her the second the clothes were to the floor, entering her with no warning or preparation – and yet she’s getting fucked so good she’s finding herself melting in pleasure.

“When,” she pants, “did you learn to fuck like this?”

Her toes curl in the sheets, as he fills her completely, stilling inside of her. He rolls his hips, drawing out a loud mewl of his name out of her, and he curses at the sight, her face lost in pleasure, skin flushed all over.

He nips at the skin at her neck, nuzzling at the crook of her neck; the gesture gentle compared to the way he’s been pounding inside of her just a few moments ago.

“I’ve had centuries to imagine you like this,” his hands are tracing her body, stopping to cradle her boobs in his palms, fingertips playing with her nipples. She gasps, biting her lips.

“So,” she starts, and is interrupted by her own moans, as his mouth descends on her chest. “No… womanly adventures with Arthur?”

He stops, his touches gone in just an instant, and Isaac’s expression darkens. He moves one hand on her thigh, spreading her legs open, to the point her muscles burn; the other at her navel, pinning her down to the mattress. Then, he starts pounding in her: wild and fast, back and forth, slamming in her. Her body hitches, her voice hoarse with the scream that first shove inside her makes her feel. She can hear the wet sounds of her arousals, the slaps of his skin on hers.

“To think,” he grunts, and the lewd sound of his dick slamming inside her accompanies his words. “that you’re out here with th-these,” another, and this time he hits her g-spot, and she moans. “assumptions about me, and I’m-” his body lowers, his tongue lapping at her neck “still fucking you.”

He chuckles against her skin, the breath of air at her ear driving her wild with need, as his pounding is incessant.

“Isaa-aah! More, p-please, mo-”

Her voice dies out, because his fangs are against her skin, piercing it. He bites her; the mixture of pain and pleasure sending her over the edge as he drinks her blood. She can feel herself squeezing him, she can hear him moaning. His face looks like he’s a man in pain, and despite it, he still moves inside her, helping her ride out her release. There’s blood trickling down her neck, on her boobs, and she looks sweaty and flushed and entirely spent – and he’s been waiting for this for too long.

“Look at you,” he says, fascination and disgust in one, and he can feel her squeezing him. “To think you still took it so well, even from someone who had to practice for it.”

“Isaac!” her voice is indignant.

He’s still hard inside her, and he rolls his hips, her voice lost in a moan. He moves, licking around her nipples, sucking the sensitive buds one by one, as she writhes underneath him.

“How many men stretched you before, for you to be such a good little slut?”

Her cheeks burn with shame at his words, and her pussy throbs with need. He bites against the thin stick of her left breast, though he doesn’t drink this time around. He just leaves the marks over her body, blood mingling with the sweat of their bodies as he starts pumping inside of her again.

She moans out his name, time and time again.

“Answer me,” he snarls, moving to pin down her hands above her head, shifting their position, his chest pressed against hers. She looks absolutely fucked out, eyes rolling to the back of her head which each hit deep inside her, and yet when he commands it, she does as asked.

“No one, gods--, no one!”

He releases her, a hand of his moving where their bodies connect, finding her clit, tantalizingly pressing against it. Her breath hitches in her throat, her hands grabbing in the air for something to hold onto, finding nothing.

“Then cum for me,” Isaac says, and she does.

He continues snapping his hips to hers, coming as well in just three more pumps, way before she comes down from the high of her second orgasm. He drags a hand through his hair, wet with sweat. She’d like to do the same, her chest constricting. He starts pulling out, and she’s suddenly scared, grabs at his shoulder to keep him in place.

“Can we – can we stay like this for a bit?” she’s shy when asking, not expecting for her request to be granted. She’s already stepping all over the rules she came up with on her own.

He holds her, as he moves her to lay down on top of him. She can feel his cum trickling down between their bodies, yet she basks in her afterglow, and in the feeling of having him at all. She’s tracing patterns over his chest with her finger.

His eyes catch her ring. He frowns. She shivers.

“You should get cleaned up,” he says, and he’s helping her spent body once again.

She presses her palm between her legs. He can’t stop staring at her cunt, as she’s doing her utmost best to keep his cum inside of her. She’s whimpering with each touch of her finger against her folds, hypersensitive.

Isaac leaves; returns from the bathroom with a wet cloth. He catches her eyes, a question in his, a resolution in hers. He approaches to help clean her up, and she takes her hand, her glistening fingers – and presses them against her tongue. Isaac can feel his dick stirring again, and he decides not to look at her at all.

He’s moving as gently as he can, though the material is rougher than her fingers, and the whimpers are louder this time around. She’s hugging herself, arms around her chest – tired, but feeling still hurt by his care and attention.

“Do you hate me?” she mumbles, words hidden in her pillow.

The cloth drops to the floor. Isaac is moving around her room, picking up his discarded things, getting dressed. She can hear him, and for a long minute, he stops, the room dreadfully silent. Isaac is staring at a note taped on the wall, but she can’t bear to open her eyes and actually see him walking out on her.

***

She doesn’t hear from him or of him for six months. She spends the entire Holiday season holed up in her room, regretting everything, hating herself. She picks herself back up again, slowly; because this is a choice she’s made and regretting it now makes no sense. She watches the marks fade from her body.

Then, while drinking her first coffee of the day in her favourite coffee place, Napoleon sits down at her table, his own cup in his hands. She regards him coolly, though she knows she is unfair to him just because of his best friend.

“Long time no see,” he says.

She nods. There’s something eerie about seeing these historical figures in modern days, just having their breakfast in her vicinity. The plain clothes suit him though, which is not something she thought she’d say about a former emperor.

Just when she’s ready to ask her own questions, Napoleon speaks.

“Are you married?”

“Wh-what?!”

He gestures towards her hand. She takes off her ring, pressing it to Napoleon’s palm. There is a phrase engraved inside it: the great ocean of truth. Part of Isaac’s last words, Isaac’s purpose in life and afterlife both. She carries it with her, as penance for the time she asked him to live pursuing it, without her by his side.

“Does he know?”

That it’s her own promise towards him, that she is to love him, like a woman loves her the one, until her own dying gasp? No, of course not. So far, she has only asked, gave nothing.

“Does it matter now? He hates me for what I’ve done.”

She can still remember his angry touches, his hurt love-making – and she’s grateful to have had it at all. How pathetic does that make her?

“You’ve hurt him,” Napoleon agrees. “But that doesn’t mean he hates you. He’s walked through time, at time’s own pace, for you. He’s seen the changes in the world… and he might understand why you decide to stand here and now. Even if he wishes you would have explained it to him before.”

He returns the ring to her. Her coffee is growing cold.

“Is he… Is he in a lot of pain?”

“Less than he used to?” Napoleon answers, though he sounds quite unsure.

***

“I love this century!” Dazai says, as they go out for lunch together, at a Japanese restaurant.

They talk nothing of importance, at least until the food arrives, and they know they won’t be interrupted anymore.

“Dazai-san… I want his number.”

“Unfortunately I have Ai-chan’s express orders to not do such a thing,” he sighs, placing his chopsticks down on the table.

He’s kindly patting her head, with his now freed hand.

“But Toshiko-san… are you in a lot of pain?”

He’s a gentleman, so he doesn’t comment on her tears. He still hands her his handkerchief. No amount of gentle dabbing can stop her face from the red blotches popping up.

“Every minute I’m not with him, is just a minute I won’t have back again.”

Dazai sighs, understanding. This poor girl has been surrounded by immortal vampires, and learnt how to recognize her own mortality. She has given her heart to one of them, and she understands that her life is just a drop in the ocean of his being. And yet – smart, wicked, selfish girl, she has had him for the past two hundred years or so either way.

“Well, I could tell you where to find him…?”

She snaps up to her feet. Dazai grabs her arm, gently but firmly guiding her back to her chair.

“Finish your meal with me first?”

“Of course.”

***

She’s waiting in front of the university gates. In this time, no one bothers her or wonders why she’s here at all, even if back when they met, the sight of a woman on academic grounds was still entirely unnatural. She stole a cigarette from Dazai’s pack earlier, and she’s now smoking as she waits, trying to calm down her nerves.

Then he appears – and it feels almost too easy, to see him after such a long time. He’s talking with someone, walking in fast paces; she’s staring so hard she’s afraid she’ll leave a hole through his body. She throws her unfinished cigarette on the ground, stepping over its lit end. She calls out his name, notices him stop dead in his tracks.

He doesn’t turn at first, passing a hand through his hair, annoyed. He apologizes to his companion. When he eventually looks at her, there’s so much in his expression that she can’t even begin to pull it apart and decipher it.

Isaac stops a distance away from her; enough that they can have a conversation that won’t be overheard by others, enough that he can’t just reach out to her and touch her.

“What do you want?” he asks, trying his best to sound unaffected at the sight of her, seeking him.

“How are you?” she questions back.

She’s holding onto her bag strap with more force than necessary, her nails digging painfully in her palm. She sounds weak and vulnerable and tired, which is why Isaac sighs, comes one step closer.

His fingers find hers, slowly untangling her hold, smoothing out the crescent marks left behind with his thumb. She’s holding her breath, staring at him. Maybe it’s this: the sight of her, as ravaged as he feels the insides of his ribcage, that turns him honest.

“I miss you,” he murmurs, and he takes her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

“I’m right here,” she says, and he’s withdrawing, like her skin turns to flame and it hurts him to touch her.

“Y-you don’t understand! I… I don’t want you if you’re not mine…”

His voice dies out towards the end, just above a whisper. His arms fall next to his body, defeated. She reaches out for him, her hand cradling his cheek. She’s never felt the need to comfort him this strongly. The band of her ring is cold against his skin, and yet he can’t push her away, not again.

She searches through the pockets of her pants, and she presses her find in his palm. The metal just as cold there, but her hands are oh so warm. He stares, first at the ring in his hold, then up at her. He hurts with hope.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?”

The gold glistens in the afternoon sun. He catches the writing, swirls the ring around in-between his fingers so he can catch the entire phrase: all undiscovered before me.

“Spend the rest of my life with me?” she asks, and it’s her turn to sound faint and unsure.

If she were him, she’d say no. She’s been so selfish, and maybe that’s her sin: that she just takes and takes, and has nothing better to give than herself.

What she doesn’t know is that he’d say yes to death for her.

He embraces her, so close and tight that her shoulder blades hurt. In this time, no one cares for their desperate public display of affection. She’s trembling in his arms, and yet she is, finally, warm and safe and loved. His words are mumbled in her hair, as she plays with his hair.

“You’re terrible.”

“Yes,” she hums. “I know.”

“The wait almost killed me.”

“Yes,” she agrees. “I know.”

“You don’t really deserve me saying yes.”

“Yes,” she assents. “I know.”

“Th-then how come I love you anyway?”

“I love you too.”

***

The one thing that she misses, now that she lays in the grass by Isaac’s side, holding his hand, ring against ring, promise tied against promise, is the night sky. The lights around them, the city burning bright at all hours of the night, dim the lights of the universe.

And yet, she has spent a long time watching the city lights, connecting them together like stars. They never shined as bright as tonight. She wonders, strengthening the hold on his hand, making Isaac look back at her, who they would be without what they’ve been through.

He smiles at her, rolling around on his side so he can drape an arm around her waist, kissing delicately at her jaw.

Ah, she thinks, isn’t that a worthless question to ponder on? When they’re everything she could have wanted, right here and right now?