#maybe I should just go for a drive and not come back till sundown
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ah.
here's hoping this was actually the right choice.
#time to force myself to do chores so I dont feel like I wasted the weekend or something#cause my brain doesnt accept that resting is a viable way to spend time#and it will hopefully distract me from the loud not cool vibes rattling around my skull#sorry for messing with your expectation of the day#maybe I should just go for a drive and not come back till sundown#idk#or I'll just was dishes cause I cant access the laundry if shes in the room#vent#personal
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Stowaway Mer AU
Part 2: The Fisherman
This one’s going to mostly focus on Flynn getting used to home and job in Port Murlow.
It was late in the afternoon when Flynn had made it into town, his rabbit Daisy was asleep in the backseat of his truck. Port Murlow was a fairly large port town on the East coast of Massachusetts.
Flynn remembered how he used to come down every summer to visit his grandfather in Port Murlow. His grandfather would take him fishing, or out to explore the coastline. That was until one year when Flynn was around thirteen, his grandfather had called and told him and his mother that he couldn’t come visit anymore.
It was strange and out of the blue, but his grandfather had made up for it by visiting Flynn instead. But eventually that stopped too. The last he saw his grandfather was at his high school graduation, and he had looked tired and disheveled, nothing like the man he once knew.
Flynn had drifted back to reality when something sprinted across the street. He yelled and slammed on the brakes and locked eyes with the person in front of him. The two stared at each other for a moment before Flynn pointed at the other man and gave a thumbs up, asking if the person was ok.
The other man nodded his head before speaking up,
“Y-yes I am alright, how about you? You look a little shaken my friend,” he said in a shaky but calm voice.
Flynn nodded but couldn’t find a voice to respond with.
“I think maybe you should get some rest, you look tired. There’s a motel by the port just keep on going down Main Street and you’ll find it.” The man said before walking into the shop across the street.
Flynn took a few shaky breaths and checked on Daisy. She was fine, a little shaken like him, but fine.
He continued down the street and had stopped at a diner to grab some food. Once he was done he got back into his truck and drove down to the port and fish market.
The lights were still on and it appeared people were still working. He walked up to someone and asked if they knew where his new boss was. They pointed him in the right direction and got back to work. Flynn walked up to a man with a scruffy beard wearing some overalls.
The two had talked for a bit before the man said,
“Well you’ll start tomorrow at noon, it’s going to be a late run. Won’t be back till after sundown,”
“That might not work out, I just moved here and I haven’t even gotten to my house yet,” Flynn replied,
“Well that’s your problem, not mine,” the captain replied before walking off.
Flynn grumbled before walking back to his truck, he got in and drove to the motel that man told him about. He checked in and got Daisy out of the back seat. He went into his room and promptly fell asleep.
——————————————————————————
The next morning he put Daisy in her carrier and went to the address his friend had given him back on the boat. After some driving around he eventually pulled up to a small apartment building.
Standing outside was two women. One was shorter than the other and had a round face and long brown hair tied back in a loose ponytail, she wore a grey and black hoodie and what appeared to be blue camouflage sweatpants. The other was tall and well toned with a long mohawk with a brown to red gradient.
Flynn waved at the two as he got out of the truck.
“Nice to see you again Flynn, how was the drive?” The tall woman said.
“Good,” he replied, “you must be Em, nice to meet you I’m Flynn,” he continued reaching out his hand for a shake.
“Nice to meet you too sir,” Em replied as she shook his hand.
“Well, this move ain’t gonna happen on its own, let’s get a move on,” the other woman, Nimh said.
They loaded some boxes into the bed of the truck and got in.
“I forgot you had a rabbit,” Nimh said from the back seat. Em perked up when she heard this and turned around to look in the back.
“Yeah, her name’s Daisy. My grandpa gave her to me,” he replied.
It was a long drive to the house, the road went through a rather dense forest. Every once and a while the ocean would come into view. The house came into view at the end of the road, the truck crossed over a covered bridge before they reached the house.
The bridge creaked and moaned as the truck drove across. Flynn gripped the steering wheel tightly as he slowly drove over the bridge.
He let out a small sigh of relief when he heard the sound of tires on old bricks. He put the truck in park and got out.
Flynn took a deep breath and looked around. His grandfather’s house looked like it had seen better days. It was an old house that had been in the family for generations, with parts added on throughout the years.Paint was peeling off the porch and house, and leaves littered the property.
“It’s gonna rain later,” Em said to no one in particular.
“Hmm?” Flynn said quizzically.
“I-it’s gonna rain later, I can feel it…” She repeated quietly.
“Me too, you get a feeling for these sort of things out here,” Nimh replied.
Flynn nodded in acknowledgment.
He grabbed his keys and an envelope from the glove box before getting Daisy. The three of them walked up to the doors and Flynn dug the key out from the envelope.
The doors opened with a groan and light flooded the entryway. They walked down the hallway and entered the foyer, light filtered down from the glass ceiling illuminating the room.
Old paintings and photos decorated the walls. Flynn recognized some of them as old family members. A thick layer of dust covered everything and cobwebs hung like curtains.
“It’s quite nice in here actually,” Em said, “in an almost haunting sort of way,”
“Yeah,” Flynn replied as he walked towards the stairs.
“I’m gonna start bringing in boxes,” Nimh said, walking to the doors.
Flynn set Daisy’s carrier on the ground and followed Nimh back to the truck. He grabbed a few boxes from the bed and brought them in. After a few more boxes Flynn grabbed some of Daisy’s stuff.
He set up an enclosure and let her out. She hopped about as he filled up her water dish and laying out some hay for her to eat. Daisy seemed content so Flynn returned to unloading the truck.
Once the truck was fully unloaded Flynn checked the time. It was 10:18, Flynn tapped Nimh on the shoulder before speaking.
“Um… I gotta head back into town, first shift is in about an hour. Are you two good here until I get back?” He asked.
“Yea we’re good. We’ll probably order some takeout, y’got any preferences?” She responded.
“No, not really, just order me whatever,” He replied.
“I’m just gonna… start sweeping… everything,” Em said while looking around. She looked somewhat lost standing in the foyer.
“Oh! And make sure to give Daisy some more hay later and give her some food pellets around dinner,” he added before walking out the door.
Em and Nimh watched as Flynn slowly drove across the wooden bridge before driving at a reasonable speed.
——————————————————————————
It was about 10:46 when Flynn arrived at the fish market. He parked his truck and walked towards the docks, as he did he noticed that a large storm was rolling in from the sea and the wind had picked up significantly.
“Winds are currently 10 to 15 knots, but are estimated to increase up to 25 knots. Fishing boats are advised to take caution as the large storm continues to grow.” A radio said as Flynn walked up to his captain and new crew members.
“Morning big guy!” One of the men said as he waved.
“You sure we should be going out today, that storm’s looking real nasty…” the other man said, eyeing the storm with concern.
“I don’t care about no storm, you have a quota to fill. If you think you have better things to do then you can just leave.” The bearded captain said.
The man groaned before lighting a cigarette and turned to Flynn and greeted him.
“Name’s Josh, that’s Andrew over there,” Josh said gesturing to the guy sitting next to the radio, “and that’s Robbert our captain, but you already knew that.” He finished.
Flynn nodded and gave a grunt.
“Alright enough chitchat let’s get on the water, I want at least 30 sets by the end of today." Robbert said as he shut off the radio and walked onto the boat.
Flynn and the other's got on board and began to prepare for the day a head. As the boats left port rain began to fall, and thunder growled on the horizon.
#Stowaway Mer AU#mermay#mermay 2023#my writing#sorry if I got some info about fishing and rabbit care wrong#also sorry for the lack of merfolk in this one
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Into The Woods
Warnings: noncon sexual acts; vaginal, anal.
This is dark!Lumberjack!Bucky and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: You’re sent to make a delivery to the man in the woods.
Note: This is for @imanuglywombat and @nellblazer‘s Lumberjack Challenge. I couldn’t see if they were accepting dark fics so if they aren’t, I guess it’s just another fic lol. But anyways, the challenge inspired me.
Thank you. Love you guys!
As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3
“You sure Dezy isn’t going to make it?” You asked as you helped Gerry load the crate onto the trailer.
“I’m sorry, I got all the other deliveries sent out with Milo but this one’s too far for him.” Gerry grunted as he closed the back of the open-top trailer. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Dezy. Second day in a row and yet I hear he’s down at the Horse every night.”
“Well, he’ll run out of beer money sooner than later,” You sighed as you pulled on your gloves. The air was starting to bite as the brief autumn was turning. “You sure you can manage without me?”
“Slow day in the shop,” He shrugged. “You just be careful.”
“Alright. I’ll do my best.” You climbed up onto the four-wheeler and fumbled with the thick key with the grizzly bear charm attached to it. “Maybe next time give me the easy ones.”
“I’ll tack an hour of overtime on your pay, how about that?” He chuckled. “You need to get out anyway. I know this place is small but you can’t spend all your time reading those harlequins in the dry good section.”
“They’re not harlequins,” You turned the engine and raised your voice as you gripped the handlebars. “They’re fantasy, Ger.”
“Sure, sure,” He backed away. “You go or you won’t make it back by sundown.”
“Never far off these days,” You mused as you revved. “See ya, Gerry. Don’t forget to down stock the fishing wire.”
“Which one of us is the boss?” He called after you as you pulled out, the small trailer rumbling behind you.
You turned off at the end of the street, past the business fronts that looked like cabins. The town looked straight out of Western but with more snow. The first of the annual powder had yet to fall but you could feel it coming. You headed over the lumpy tundra past the sparse trees that grew thicker the further you got. The paths turned narrower and you steered slowly through the damp forest.
You only went so far out when your uncle took you ice fishing and rarely in this direction. You slowed as the path grew more uneven, carefully traversing the thick roots and deep valleys. The noise of the engine bounced off the trunks of trees around you. It was more than an hour before you reached your destination. At least, you thought you were in the right place. Weren’t too many cabins hidden in these trees; well not many still inhabited.
You pulled into the clearing and killed the engine. You hopped off the ATV and stretched your legs, your thighs tingled from the rumble. You went to the trailer and open the door and slid out the heavy trunk. You braced yourself before you lifted and gave a grunt. You’d packed the load yourself. You carried it past the old motorcycle and the neat stack of wood which marched the way to the broad front porch. You slowly ascended the three steps up and set down the heavy crate beside the door.
A bench made of logs, likely by hand, stood just a few feet from the front door, a woven blanket folded over the seat. The curtains were drawn within and you started to wonder if there was anyone there or if this was just another forgotten scene. It all seemed so eerily still.
You knocked and waited for an answer. Nothing. You tried again with the same result. Then, after a cold silence, you heard a door open and snap shut but it wasn’t the one before you. You turned as a man appeared beside the far corner of the porch. He appeared disturbed by your presence as he emerged from the old shed, his flannel jacket marked with patches of dirt and his dark hair poking out from beneath a woolen cap.
“He usually just leaves it there,” He clapped his gloved hands together as he brushed away the filth. “Thanks.”
“Uh, sorry,” You turned and ambled down the steps. “I didn’t realise.”
“Don’t be sorry,” He stayed near the corner, kicking his foot up onto the stump where an ax waited to be used. “Better get going before the sun beats you.”
“Sure,” You went back to the four wheeler. His eyes bore into you as you climbed up. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just--”
“Thanks,” He said again. “Driving out here all this way. Appreciate it.”
“No problem,” You turned the key. “Have a good day, sir.”
The engine roared to life and you carefully turned around, the empty trailer clattering behind you. You couldn’t help but feel him watching you still. You wanted to look back, but didn’t. You twisted the throttle and delved back through the treeline. You hoped Dezy would get his shit together, you weren’t keen on doing deliveries.
🪓
The next day, you were back to your usual fare. You stood at the long counter of Elk’s General, watching the locals as they wandered in and out, perusing the aisles of groceries, clothing, or novelty goods. You rung them through on the outdated till and smiled after them as they left with their paper bags.
The usual midday lull came and you pressed flat your latest read on the counter. You crossed your arms over the edge and bent over the pages, losing yourself in the fantastical medieval setting. Gerry didn’t mind so much as you kept an eye on customers.
The rusty bell above the entrance tinkled and you looked up suddenly. You turned your book over before you could lose your place. You stood up straight and smiled at your newest customer but froze as his eyes met yours. It was the man from the day before, to whom you had delivered the weeks worth of goods.
He ignored your usual greeting and marched over to you. He planted the bill for his delivery on the counter.
“I ordered six cans of maple beans. I have only four.” He said plainly.
“An oversight. I’m sorry, sir. Just a moment.” You gulped and flitted off to check the shelf. There were only the tomato beans in stock. You went to the back room and checked there. Nothing. You returned to the counter. “Looks like we’re all out but I’ll make a note to have them delivered when we get more. Or we can remove the charge from your bill.”
“Keep ‘em on,” He said as he reached into his pocket. “I can wait.” He unfolded the worn leather wallet. “I have to pay my account anyway.”
“Sure,” You reached to slid his bill closer and keyed the amount into the machine. “You could have called--”
“I don’t have a phone,” He growled as he counted out the bills. “I don’t like to be disturbed.”
You took the money and counted it. You avoided his gaze guiltily. You sorted the bills in the cash door and handed him his change. His gloves brushed your skin and he tucked the money away with his wallet.
“Good book?” He pointed to the novel.
“Alright, so far,” You answered quietly.
“I read his other one. The one set in Ancient Egypt. It was… interesting. Not my usual reading material though.” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “You have a good day, miss.”
He turned and left you as you returned his farewell. The door snapped shut behind him and you looked back down at the book. You opened the front page and read the list of works by the same author. You’d have to look into them.
🪓
Several days late, you were helping Gerry restock shelves with the newly acquired truck. The night before, you’d helped unload it and left it for the next day to sort through. Dezy sat behind the counter, half-keeled over on the stool, trying not to puke into his hands.
“Damn shit is hungover again,” Gerry muttered. “I got a whole list of deliveries today and he can’t even stand straight.”
“I can do it,” You offered. “Long as he can manage the till.”
“I don’t know if I even trust him to do that,” Gerry said. “You sure you wanna do the deliveries?”
“We got any of the maple beans on the truck?” You asked.
“A good amount.” He said.
“We owe two cans to-- well, I didn’t get his name. The man who lives way up in the trees.” You frowned, only then realising you new nothing about him. In that town, everyone knew everyone.
“Mr. Barnes?” Gerry reached over into the box and moved around several items before pulling out a can. “Quiet man. Doesn’t like to be bothered. Must’ve scared Dezy good to get him to shut up.” He took out two more cans. “If you’re willing to head up that way, you give him and extra can on me. He’s the only customer in town who pays on time.”
“Sure,” You stood, thankful not to be forced to kneel all day at the shelves. “The list?”
“Pinned up behind the counter as usual,” He caught a box of Corn Pops he hit with his elbow and swore. “Take a radio. Snow’s comin’.”
“Will do,” You said. “I should be that long.”
“Chill blowin’ in from the lake, bundle up before you go too.” He said.
“You sound like my mother.” You laughed.
“I feel like you’re mother,” He shook his head. “Now go, before I get sentimental.”
🪓
Gerry was right, it was cold. The four-wheeler seemed slower as the wind swirled around you. You stopped by each house and knocked before leaving your haul. You smiled away tips and bid each resident a good day before you rushed away under the protests of another delivery ahead of you.
Your last would take the longest, though it was the smallest. The tree cans rattled around the trailer so you stopped at the shop before you continued on and detached it. You placed the cans in a small box and secured it to the seat behind you with bungee cords. You fixed your gloves and pulled your cap over your ears before you set out once more.
The sky grew paler the later it got. A harbinger of snow. You took the same route as before, getting off once to push the ATV over a fallen branch caught beneath it. You carried on, the frigid air lashing your cheeks.
You drew up to the clearing as you had before. The motorcycle was gone, likely pushed into the shed in preparation for the first snowfall. The piles of wood had grown taller and the front door was open, the screen door a poor barrier to the looming winter.
You unhooked the box and climbed up the steps. You bent to set it down and be off. You looked up as you sensed something on the other side of the screen door. The man, Mr. Barnes, stared at you through the mesh, a mug in hand. You stood and smiled nervously.
“Your beans. An extra can for the inconvenience.” You said. “Have a good day, sir.”
You turned but caught yourself before you made it down one step as he spoke.
“It’s pretty cold.” He remarked as he took the box in his free hand. “You like coffee? I just made a pot.”
“I appreciate it,” You turned to him. “But I don’t mean to impose on you.”
“I wouldn’t ask if you were,” He said stiffly. “I’d feel worse letting half a pot go to waste.”
“I don’t know, I should--” You glanced behind you at the trees.
“You came all this way to give me beans in this,” He held the door with his elbow and stepped through. “You don’t like coffee, I got tea.”
You took a breath as you looked back to him. “Sure. I’ll have some coffee.”
He nodded and stared at you. He blinked and moved to hold the door open. “Well, you wanna come inside? Or do you prefer your coffee frozen?”
“Uh, yeah, okay,” You kicked yourself and stopped right before the door. You smiled awkwardly and offered your name. “I just… figured you wouldn’t want a stranger in your home.”
“Bucky,” He returned and waved you inside. “Not many strangers in town. Not really.”
You entered and he followed you. The entryway was lit by an antique lamp and the front room was entirely dark. You knelt to unlace your boots as he stepped around you. You kept your coat on as the wind continued to seep in behind you.
“Kitchens just down the hall past the stairs,” He said as he continued across the wooden floor.
“Okay,” You slid your boots off and stood, following his shadow to the kitchen.
As you passed through the doorway, he placed his mug on the table and went to the cupboard. He took down another thick ceramic cup and sidled over to the stove. He filled it from the percolator and returned to the table to place it before you.
“Milk? Sugar?”
“I’m fine, black is good,” You accepted as he slid the cup over to you.
You sat, hesitantly, and removed your gloves. You tucked them in your pocket and wrapped your hands around the steaming cup. He pulled out another chair and sat. He looked into the mug and slowly drank from it.
“I didn’t know anyone still lived out here.” You said.
“Sometimes,” He answered carefully. “Spring and summer I spend working the lumberyards south of here.”
“And you live all the way up here?” You wondered. He gave you a sharp look. “Sorry, it’s just… curiosity.”
“I like it,” He shrugged. “It’s quiet.”
You nodded and resigned yourself to silence. You listened to the wind outside and looked around at the tidy kitchen. Most of the original structure remained, renovated but not replaced. Even the curtains seemed to be of another era; faded but without holes or tears. All the way up here, time always seemed to stand still.
“You finish your book?” His voice jolted you.
You looked back to him and sipped the hot coffee. You nodded again.
“I did.” You answered. “It was alright.”
“Just alright?” He asked.
“I’ve read better and worse,” You said. “It was… entertaining.”
“Mmm,” He mumbled and drank his coffee. You mimicked him, eager to leave.
Ten minutes of silence and stunted small talk left your mug empty and your stomach gurgling. You stood and nervously teetered on your feet.
“I should go. It’s snowing already.” You glanced out the window.
“Sure,” He rose and gathered up the mugs and took them to the sink.
“Thank you.” You said and turned rigidly to head through the door.
You trod down the hallway and stopped to pull on your boots. You adjusted your cap and shoved your gloves on. He neared and you pushed open the door and glanced back at him.
“Coffee was good.” You said.
He caught the door behind you and you marched across the porch. You rushed down the steps and shivered as you neared the four wheeler.
“Be careful,” He said in monotone.
“I will, thank you,” You called back as you climb onto the seat. “Enjoy your beans.”
He waved and you turned the engine. You backed up and turned around. The snow had already left a thin powder across the ground. You steered into the trees and carefully began to weave around the trunks and along the uneven forest floor.
The snow thickened the more it fell. You had to slow as the ride became more precarious. The downfall formed a thick carpet beneath the tires and soon, even beneath the shroud of branches, the snow formed a curtain all around you, making it nearly impossible to see. You stopped and left the motor rumbling.
You pulled the radio from its holster down beside the wheel well and turned the dial until you picked up the signal. It was static and crackled.
“Gerry? Gerry!” You held the speak to your lips. “Gerry?”
“Yeah, i--me, ---okay?” His voice went in and out.
“I’m okay but the snow is… I can’t see. It’s going to take me a while.”
“Wha-- breaking up--” The radio broke off with a high pitched scratch.
“Damn it!” You shouted and tried fixing the dial. It didn’t help.
You sat for a moment and put the radio back. You couldn’t stay and let yourself get snowed in. You’d have to keep going, slow but steady. You carefully pulled past the trees, blinking away the flakes as they gathered on your lashes. You stopped again to pulled your scarf higher over your cheeks and pressed on.
The third time you paused, you realised you were lost. A brief lull allowed your vision to clear and you had no idea where you were. You kicked the side of the ATV and cursed. You grabbed the radio again and turned it on.
“Gerry?” No answer. Several more tries with nothing but static.
You hung your head and clicked the radio off. You gripped the handlebars and looked around. You’d have to turn around and try to trace your way back but the snow was starting to get heavy again and--
“Hey,” You jumped as the voice sounded from behind you. “You okay?”
You turned to find Bucky standing by a tree. “How--”
“Looks like you just went in a big circle,” He said. “You’re about ten minutes from my place.”
“What are you doing out here?” You asked.
“Wanted to grab some kindling before the storm got too bad, then I heard you.”
“Kindling?”
“Dry it out, obviously, but might run out of what I have before this clears,” He looked up. “Look, it’s only gonna get worse. Why don’t you wait it out?”
“I don’t-- I can’t--”
“There’s more than enough room for both of us. Might be a bit dusty but… Wouldn’t feel right letting you get lost out here.”
You exhaled and looked at the radio.
“Alright,” You relented.
“I’ll lead the way.” He came up beside the ATV and passed to the front. “Just don’t get too close.”
“Okay,” You turned the throttle just a bit and kept a snail’s pace as he guided you.
He barely seemed bothered by the gusts or the deepening snow. Even as the air turned almost completely white, he didn’t waver though you squinted to keep an eye on him.
“You like beans?” He yelled back to you as he broke through to the clearing around his house.
“Maple beans?” You asked dryly.
“They go great with toast,” He said as he continued onto the shed and unlocked the wide doors. “Warm you right up.”
🪓
You sat at the table, alone. Bucky had excused himself after clearing his own plates. You still picked away at the beans and sausage, listening to the movement above. You scooped the last few bites up and swallowed, washing it down with a gulp of water. You stood and went to the sink to rinse your plate. As you set it in the rack, you were startled by a creak behind you.
“I cleared a bedroom for you. It’s a bit dusty around here.” Bucky said as he leaned against the door frame. “Bit cold, too. Sorry about that.”
“It’s alright,” The windows shuddered. “Better than out there.”
“I put some clothes out too. Might be a little big.” He explained. “Dinner okay?”
“Yeah, it was…” You tried to smile. “Alright. Um, just one second.”
You neared him and he moved aside. You went down the hallway to where your jacket was hung and pulled the radio out. He watched you as you fiddled with it and the speaker crackled on.
“Gerry?” You held it to your lips.
“Kiddo?” He said, clear but not entirely.
“I’m okay,” You said slowly as you held the button down. “Staying until storm clears. Call in morning.”
“Roger, kiddo,” He returned. “Be safe.”
You turned off the radio and placed it back in your coat pocket. You looked up at Bucky as he stared at you dully.
“Just wanted to make sure someone knew,” You said. “Wouldn’t want them to worry.”
“Of course not,” He said. “You want a beer?”
“What?” You were thrown off by the sudden offer.
“Beer. If you want you can grab a book from the study,” He pointed to the doorway opposite the front room. “Sit in front of the fire where it’s warm.”
“I’ll take the book,” You said. “I’m not much for beer though.”
“Hot chocolate? Tea?” He stepped a little closer.
“I’m fine,” You squirmed. “Thank you.”
‘Just let me know if you need anything,” He said softly. “Haven’t had a guest in a while but… I can be accommodating.”
🪓
You read three chapters before you found your way upstairs. Bucky showed you the room he’d prepared for you but didn’t say much more before he closed himself into his own. You changed into the long sleeve tee he left you and the jogging pants with the drawstring waist. You tucked your feet into the wool socks and rolled under the blankets. You were still cold. The top floor was entirely untouched by the fireplace below.
You drifted into a shallow sleep. Maybe an hour or two before you woke, shivering. You sat up and reluctantly climbed out from beneath the covers. You took one of the blankets and wrapped it around you as you shuffled to the door. You slipped through, carefully not to let the hinges whine and plodded through the dark down the stairs.
In the front room, the fire burned a low amber. You crept over to it and took a log from the wrought iron basket just beside it. You placed it over the coals and stoked it with the poker until flames began to lick. You held your hands to the glow until you were no longer shaking.
You took a cushion from the couch and dropped it on the carpet. You laid down before the fire, wrapping yourself in the blanket as you basked in the warmth. You listened to the violent winds outside, softened by the heaps of snow which had gathered all around the cabin. Your eyes closed as you began to sink into the darkness around you.
You dreamt of the four wheeler, of the snow swirling around you, of losing yourself in the pure white. The trees curled and clawed at your as you were thrown from the seat. The snap of twigs filled your ears and your eyes snapped open. The fire popped as it burned, the room lighter but not much.
There was a heaviness around you. More than just the quilt, the thick arm wrapped around your middle held you close to the warmth at your back. Startled, you wriggled against the body and a groan slithered along your ear.
“What the--” You hissed as you grasped his wrist, his hand tucked beneath you. “What are you doing?”
“It’s cold,” His breath was hot as it seeped into your scalp. “You were shivering.”
“Let me go,” You tugged on him.
“Shhh,” He hushed. “It’s early.”
“Dude, not cool,” You pulled harder on his arm.
“Stop,” He said more firmly.
“Get off of me.” You growled.
“You’re not a very gracious guest,” He snarled as he retracted his arm, only to grab your shoulder and push you flat on your back.
You latched onto his wrist, he was strong. He didn’t budge.
“You’re scaring me.”
“Scaring you?” He removed his hand. “How? What do you think I’m gonna do?”
He sat up, his broad shoulder stretched the waffled shirt he wore as he rubbed his eyes. He pushed his head back and took a deep breath. You pushed yourself up slowly beside him.
“What do you want me to do?” His hand settled on your thigh and he squeezed.
“Stop,” You tried to push his hand away and he flipped it to grasp yours.
His grip slipped to your wrist and he twisted. He wrenched it over your head until you were forced onto your back. You cried out as he leaned over you, the blanket slipping entirely from your bodies.
“Came all this way for a few cans of beans,” He whispered. “Really?”
“Stop!” You repeated. “Please.”
“But you’re cold,” He uttered as he leaned closer. “You need to warm up… you’re shivering…” His nose touched yours. “Or… shaking?”
“Get--” His lips smothered yours as he shifted his body atop you.
You struggled as he released your wrist and reached down to grab your knee as he forced his legs between yours. He bit your lip as he pulled and his hand clawed at the waist of the loose pants. He pulled until he snapped the string within and you kicked around him.
“What are you doing?” You beat on his shoulders. “Stop! Stop!”
“I don’t talk to people, they don’t talk to me,” He snarled. “I keep to myself. Even that dumb delivery boy of yours knows better.”
“No, no,” You slapped his chest as he sat up suddenly.
He tore the pants down your legs until they were around your knees and pushed them up. The fabric kept you trapped beneath him, legs bent to your chest as he leaned over your once more. He brushed his nose against your cheek and snarled.
“You asked for this, honey,” He sneered. “You just couldn’t leave me alone… The way you smile at me, I can see it.”
“I was just--” You pushed against him. “--doing my job. Please, get off of me.”
He moved against you, his thighs pressed to yours as he felt between you. He pushed his own pants down and you tried to shove him off of you with your legs. You only made yourself dizzy.
The fire flickered against you, setting shadows across his features, his blue eyes caught the flame and glowed sinisterly. His rough finger tickled your cunt as he guided his cock along your folds. You grunted as you fought harder beneath him. He pressed along your entrance and you gasped, a horrified scream as he impaled you in a single thrust.
“Go on and scream.” He said. “No one will hear you. No one but me.” He jerked his hips and you cried out again. “I kinda like it.”
He moved his hips in sharp, short thrusts. He grunted with each, lower and lower, almost like satisfied purrs.
He sat up and hugged your legs to his torso as he rutted faster. He clung to you as if he was desperate, as if he couldn’t get enough. You scratched at the carpet. You whimpered each time he slammed into you, each tilt of his hips harder than the last. The clapping of your flesh mingled with your voices. You closed your eyes, holding back the sobs that threatened.
And then he stopped. Suddenly. He stayed inside of you as his grasp on you loosened. His body quivered and a low growl rose from him. He pulled out of you and pushed your legs aside to that you fell onto your side. Shakily, you pushed yourself, on knees and elbow you tried to crawl away, your pants tangled around your feet.
He grabbed your ankles and dragged you back as you slipped onto your stomach. He climbed over you, pinning your legs between his. He kneaded and pinched your ass, dusky, thick breaths rose from him.
He pressed his thumb between your cheeks and you reached desperately for anything to get away. The edge of the carpet rolled in your grasp and you kicked your feet with a panicked whine. He pressed his thumb against your asshole and you shook your head as he buried your face in your arms. He pushed inside and you let out a shrill cry.
He poked in and out of you, your tight ring burned around his thumb. He withdrew it and forced his index finger in, then added his middle. Your pained groans only seemed to encourage him as he stretched you around a third finger.
He pulled his hand away and bent his arm over your shoulders as he lifted himself over you. He lined himself up with your ass as his hair hung around his head and brushed the back of yours. He took a breath and you held one in. He entered you slowly, letting out a choked grunt as you strained around him.
The tears pricked at your eyes and your arm shot up as you blind grabbed at air.
“Please, please, please. Stop.” You begged. “I can’t--”
He pushed deeper and your voice fizzled. He pulled back and thrust in again. Every time, he went a little further. Soon he was buried in you to his limit and you couldn’t breathe or move. He held himself inside of you and shuddered.
He began to rock and you moaned. Despite the pain, the fire that radiated from your core, it felt good. The more he did, the better it got. The pressure built, unlike any you’d felt before, and you gulped and groaned against the carpet. Shocked by him, by yourself.
He got faster and faster. Louder two as his snarls filled your head. You tensed and then in an instant, your strength drained from you. You came, harder than you had ever in your life. You murmured as your head lolled and he kept going.
He lifted his head and his fingers gripped the back of your neck as he lifted himself over you. He hammered into you from above as you lay prone and helpless beneath him. He exclaimed and you felt a warmth flow into you.
He stopped and fell atop you. His weight held you down, suffocated you. His arm stretched up and he grabbed your hand, twining his fingers with yours.
“Stay as long as you like,” He rasped. “Snow’s not letting up anytme soon.”
#bucky barnes#dark bucky barnes#dark!bucky barnes#bucky barnes x reader#dark bucky barnes x reader#dark!bucky barnes x reader#fic#one shot#lumberjack au#lumberjack#au#mcu#marvel#dark fic#dark!fic#challenge
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It sounds like music. Like the birds on a sunny morning. gentle rain on the window
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4/ Part 5 / Part 6 /Part 7 / Part 8 /
Part 9 / Part 10/ Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15
Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19 / Part 20
(Attention: I tried to write the story for boys and girls or well…them..no gender. But it is difficult for me and for the smut scene I decide to write it as fem!reader because I think I write it better because I am a girl. Hope you enjoy it anyways. :) )
The massage let you sigh and grab his kefta on his shoulder. The feeling of wanting him inside you grow in you and between your legs. The darkling lifts your left leg with his hand, touching your middle and recognize your wetness. With a grin on his face, he urges you backwards to the bed till you feel the pole in your back. He grabs you by your back of the head, pulling you in an intense kiss. His tongue finds yours and nestle with it. His right-hand wanders under your thigh, lift it up again so you can place the leg on his hips. He losen his grip in your hair and lift your other leg to carry you next to his bed. He lays you down. The black kefta covers your body. Aleksander hover above your body. He shores himself up with one hand, the other wanders between the silk of the kefta your body down between your legs. His fingers strike your clitoris and finally reach your entrance which was already so wet and ready for him. But he wanted more.
The general enters you with his index finger. He stops kissing you as he placing his middle finger in you. Watching your reaction. You take a sharp breath and lick your lip. Soon he started to circle with his thumb on your clitoris while he pushes his fingers in you. Soft and gentle. You moan quietly and close your eyes. Your voice is like music in his ears. A symphony he is able to control with his hands, body. Like the shadows. He leans forward and kiss your side of the neck; you tilt your head to make him space. Your fingertips scratch gently above his kefta and you wish he would take it off, so you can see all of him. He pushes his fingers faster in you and increase the pressure of his thumb. Your body heats up and you feel how your climax is crawling near but right before the end, he stops his actions. Aleksander kiss you, then straighten up without pulling his fingers out of you. Your eyes follow him and he kneels down in front of you. Willingly you spread your legs more. Aleksander lift your one leg on his shoulder. With kisses he follows your leg upwards till he reached you mid. Excitement fill your body because you feel like you are extradited to him. Like a prey and no one could save you. You don’t want to be save. Sometimes you just wish to get one with his darkness. You are not feeling alone but the feeling it creates is special to you. Like you watch the sundown or the stars. Standing on a mountain. You feeling small and superior the same time on his side. “Saints!” you moan loud as he started to lick your clitoris. The combination of licking and penetration with his fingers let you shiver. “Oh ef…. Aleksander…” you moan again and grab the blanket under you. The eyes closed and your head in your neck, you let it go. You push your back through at the moment you reach your climax. Your inner muscles pull around his fingers together. You need a moment to breath and come back to yourself. You do not even notice how Aleksander take off his kefta and everything he wears. “It was a pleasure for me...” you hear his soft voice. With one push you get up and look at him. His beautiful body in front of you makes you swallow the spittle right before you drool like a dog seeing a snack. Your gaze rises to his head. He looks at you with greed. Carving for you. You get up and kneel on the bed to let your fingertips explore his body over his hips. The gentle touch on his waist makes him shiver a little. You sigh as your fingers crawling his upper body up to his arms. Above his muscles. “It should be forbidden to look that good like you. No wonder you drive everyone crazy thinking about how the darkling looks under his kefta.” You admire. He smiles at you. “Maybe you should feel honored to get the most wanted man.” He whispers. His cock throb of excitement. You begin to slide the kefta of your shoulders. “Stop!” Aleksander order. “Leave it on.” He puts his Arm around your back. With one swing he twists you and himself. He was now sitting on the bed, holding you on his lap. His eyes dig in yours and you think to drown in the darkness of his. Gently he enters you with his penis by directing you to sit down. You lay your arms on his shoulders and sigh. Even Aleksander close his eyes when you start to your hips. You increase the pace and listen to his wonderful voice. Soon you tune in with your own moans. Morozova stops you in your actions. He pulls you closer to him, so he could feel your breast on his body. He kisses your collar bone. Up to your neck. His soft lips crush on yours and he starts to conduct your movement with his hand on your hips. Excruciatingly slow. He fights your sweet tongue while he moans in the kiss. As he reached his climax, he digs his fingers in your tighs. Grab the kefta on your back. His chin shivers and you can feel the warm breath on your lips. He opens his eyes to see in yours. Last time you get fucked. It was just sex but now……He put you first. Let you enjoy it and was gentle. Aleksander lay his head against your body, hearing your fast heartbeat. You place your head on his dark hair. Soon he falls backwards with you in his arms.
*______________________________________________*
I hope you like it so far. I am happy for every like and reblogg. Every comment of you. <3 I will make a masterlist for it soon and continoue it. But I will write as fem!reader because I have a specific pot in mind. :) So stay safe and happy. Love to you all!
Taglist <3 :
@misselsbells06 @aleksanderwh0r3 @dark-night-sky-99
#aleksander morozova x reader#aleksander morovoza#general kirigan x reader#general kirigan#darkling#the darkling x reader#darkling x reader#shadow and bone#shadow and bone fanfiction#smut#sexy time
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Before and After the Battle
Hi all, I really want to give a special thanks to @frostedbasilisk for not only inspiring me to write this but giving me permission to write a companion piece to this piece of artwork they did. I can only hope I did it justice! Also thanks @lesdemonium for letting me soundboard. I am sorry for yelling randomly at you <3 <3 <3
cw: blood and cursing and so so much bickering. Story under the cut because I can’t have a normal brain that keeps shit under 1k. This ended up being 1.5... @theamazingbard <_<
“You’re going to be late for your contract,” Jaskier hummed, pressing his lips to Geralt’s jaw. He finished fastening his cuirass and tucked a loose hair behind his ear. It had become a kind of dance they did these days. Jaskier would make a comment as though monster hunting were just another day in another profession and Geralt would kiss him and huff.
“Monsters don’t exactly run on set schedules,” But he would lean up from where he was sitting on the bed, pulling Jaskier closer to him with that secret smile that he saved just for these kinds of days.
Neither of them were quick to admit how much they had come to need those moments; moments where Jaskier could feel like even something as small as adjusting Geralt’s armor straps or tying back his hair in a way that would keep his eyes clear would keep him safe; moments where Geralt could remind himself that there was a home with a beating heart waiting for him when the job was finished. But the unspoken agreement was that it remained just that, unspoken, though Jaskier could admit to the increasing frequency where there were more words on his lips than he thought his witcher would want to hear. He knew better than to let them linger there, should they slip out so instead he rested his hands on Geralt’s shoulders and kissed him soundly, hoping that maybe he would still understand.
“Come back, you big oaf, or I’ll be very cross with you,” He murmured with a soft chuckle.
“Don’t I always?”
“In one piece,” Jaskier pulled back, frowning though the mischief in his eyes spoiled the effect.
“Hmm,” Geralt leaned down, nipping at Jaskier’s collarbone. “You drive a hard bargain, but fair. Alright, one piece.”
The easy way they teased always felt like a balm against the anxiety that came along with the bigger contracts. A griffin in the narrow mountain pass by the village that had put up the contract felt like one of those. All Jaskier could do was sit and wait and play to fill their coin purse and wait. The first five days weren’t so bad. The next three had him pacing their room, his fingers itching for a pen, his lute, the hilt of his dagger, anything that would take the nervous energy that was starting to build up in his chest.
He couldn’t take it any longer. Jaskier slung his lute over his back and sheeted his dagger into his boot. He grabbed the pack with the extra witcher potions and bandages as well and made his way out of town. Geralt could be angry at him if he was alive, but otherwise he could keep his grumbling to himself.
He found the dead beast first, it’s throat slit nearly through, feathers and blood everywhere. There was so much blood, Jaskier’s stomach turned as he took in the places it pooled. It hadn’t been recently.
He spun on his heels, searching around for any sign at all of Geralt. His eyes landed on a smear of blood against the stones, sliding away from the carcass. He moved along the rock face, moving steadily. His foot hit against something metal and he looked down to find Geralt’s medallion. The chain was broken, and there was blood caked into the embossed wolf’s head.
“Geralt?” Jaskier’s panic finally flooded out of his throat and he hurried along the path until he came across a small outcropping. He froze in his tracks, trying to gulp down breath. A tattered boot stuck out of the small crevice. “Geralt!”
He stumbled as he rushed forward, finding his witcher in near tatters, tucked into a sliver of an opening in the side of the rock. “One piece, remember, Geralt? I told you! I said come back in one piece and you agreed!” Jaskier babbled as he slung off the pack, panting slightly. There was blood everywhere and though it looked as though most of the wounds in Geralt’s chest were healing with the help of his mutations, everything still looked bad.
“Jas?” Geralt tried to sit up, his hands fumbling out for Jaskier’s. “Jas, wh-” he swallowed thickly. Jaskier set aside the bandages and potions and took out the waterskin, pressing it to Geralt’s lips.
“Not now, dear heart, I am trying to be very cross with you like I promised because one of us has to keep up our end of the bargain.”
Geralt swallowed the water that was given to him and choked for a moment. He sat up a bit more and Jaskier rushed forward on his knees as he nearly fell forward. Over his shoulder, Jaskier could see more tattered armor and skin, angry welts and skin still stitching itself together across Geralt’s shoulder blades and the back of his bicep.
“Jaskier, it hurts.” Geralt murmured, pressing his face into Jaskier’s neck, his uninjured arm wrapping awkwardly around his waist.
“I know. I know it does, darling. It’ll be alright” for a moment he simply carded his fingers through Geralt’s hair and held on. “Lay back for me and we’ll get you sorted. Where are the potions you had?” Jaskier started going through the pack he brought, pulling out the potions he knew would speed along Geralt’s recovery. He should have brought Roach. They’d have to make camp not a dozen yards from that rotting beast and it was bound to attract trouble.
“Used or smashed, damn thing grabbed me then dropped me.” Geralt gulped down the Swallow Jaskier pressed to his lips, his nose scrunching at the taste. “Gods can’t they make it not taste like shit?”
“No, now drink.” Jaskier hummed brightly.
“Ass,” Geralt growled but there was no heat to it.
Jaskier was about to lob his own insult back at him but then their eyes met and what ever he was going to say died on his tongue. Geralt’s eyes were clearer and he was grinning up at Jaskier with a challenge but his eyes… oh. His eyes were so fond and something like an explosion went off in Jaskier’s chest.
Oh.
“Jaskier,” Geralt caught his wrist as he was packing back up the supplies, pulling it to his chest.
“No,” Jaskier said flatly but he let Geralt keep hold of his wrist.
“I… what?” Geralt frowned from where he lay, still dazed and too pale, even for Geralt’s standards.
“No. No you absolute bastard! I will kill you myself. You hold that thought till your skin isn’t just one big tattered mess and you’re not buzzed out on witcher potions. Then we’ll talk,” Jaskier huffed. He rolled Geralt gently to his side, definitely not to avoid looking at him and reached for the needle and thread. “This one is going to need stitches. There’s nothing for it. It’s deep, even for your potions.”
“Really leaning into that being mad at me, huh, lark?” Geralt had the nerve to chuckle but winced as it jolted his ribs.
“Cheeky shit, watch that I don’t sew your mouth up next,” he hummed casually. He set to work his task, feeling somewhat more sure of himself without Geralt making those eyes at him.
“Hmm…”
By some unseen blessing of the gods, Jaskier managed to get Geralt back to the village before sundown and into bed. They slept curled around one another well into the next morning, Jaskier pressed against Geralt’s back, his arm around his waist as he slept. He pressed his forehead against the space between Geralt’s shoulder blades, kissing his scars gently, their legs tangled.
“I’m sorry I was cross with you,” Jaskier whispered as midmorning light fell across them.
Geralt rolled, untangling them gently before tangling them again this time, Jaskier’s face tucked into his neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t try to stay in one piece, thought to be fair, the griffin just wouldn’t listen when I tried to explain it to him.”
“Showed him, didn’t you?” he sighed, burrowing in closer, taking in the warmth from Geralt’s body pressed in a firm line against his.
“But, I am no longer a tattered mess or buzzing on witcher potions,” Geralt said softly into Jaskier’s hair.
“Geralt…” Jaskier whined. Strong fingers wound into his hair, guiding his head back until lips were pressing against his, firm but gentle. There was no demand in the kiss, just grounding surety of what came next.
“Oh no, a deal is a deal,” Geralt grinned, his fingers running down Jaskier’s spine. He had to have been able to feel Jaskier’s heart jackrabbitting between them. “I love you and I should have said it sooner. I love you and it shouldn’t have taken a fucking griffin nearly killing me to find the ner-”
Jaskier cut him off with a rough kiss, a gurgling kind of laugh bubbling in his chest as he pressed Geralt back down into the mattress. “Of course I love you too, you absolute fool.”
Of course, both thought they were getting the better end of that particular deal.
---
Tag list as stands <3: @jaskierswolf @geraskier-trashh @electricrituals @elliestormfound @artistsfuneral @thetinymm @fontegagrilledcheese @anythinggoesfandoms
#geraskier#sorta established relationship#monster hunting#cw: blood#cw: medical treatment#love confessions#bickering#hurt/comfort#the witcher#witcher#long fic#fic based off art#frostedbasilisk#jay writes
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Merry Xmas toooo
Hey @venelona remember when I was talking about that Beauty & the Beast thing in your server
Well, I copied myself, ‘cause Sans is still not good at following through on getting a human soul, and a stray bit of paper drives the plot once more.
This is nowhere near finished because it’s me. I’ll polish it up and put it on AO3 once my other gift is done for tomorrow (she said famous-last-words-ly).
Prepare yourself for a shock: I wrote something long. Indents, meh. Warning, Sans is stupid.
Today was not a good day: it was cold, he had to get married, and now there was a human in his garden.
This was problematic for many reasons. For one thing, as the literal lord of all he surveyed, Sans always found it hard to get any alone time, much less a chance to nap. He’d started coming outside each night after dinner to doze off for a few precious minutes, at least until the wind whistled through his sockets one time too many or his brother started yelling at him over the wall. On this particular evening, though, after his chat with Toriel, his sole aim was to avoid seeing anyone; luckily, he’d already forbidden the others from coming into the garden, and he was prepared to stay out here forever if he had to, weather and Papyrus be damned.
Sans was not prepared to take a shortcut to his favorite bench by the nightshades and sit down, only to catch sight of someone hunched behind a bush at the end of the row. The skeleton scrambled to his feet in sudden panic, readying his magic to defend himself. Who or what the hell was that? No one should be here—this was his place! Had Toriel told him all that crap to trick him into going out alone, then sent someone after him? But how?
His instinct was to attack first, but for all Sans knew, this was some kind of trap; instead, he watched and listened, waiting for the thing to make its move. His soul thrummed like a harpstring, ready to summon bones to skewer the intruder, or teleport away—
But nothing happened. As the seconds ticked by, Sans gradually realized that the small, dark-clothed figure wasn’t crouched to spring at him or lying in wait, just bending down to examine the flowers. He couldn’t sense any malicious intent whatsoever; in fact, it didn’t seem to know he was there, or that he was coming closer for a better look.
Well, no wonder: it was wearing a cloak with a deep hood that blocked its peripheral vision, and it was facing into the wind, where it couldn’t hear or smell anyone sneaking up from behind. That meant the intruder was either very confident or really fucking stupid.
Maybe it was just Monster Kid or one of the others screwing with him? After all, no matter how often Sans told them to stay the hell out of his garden, and no matter how strongly his subjects were compelled to obey him, he kept finding rocks, bits of bone, and other junk the little bastards had tossed over the wall. Things had gotten better since Papyrus started patrolling the outer courtyard, happy to combine his favorite pastimes of keeping things tidy and beating the shit out of people, but…
But no, this wasn’t a kid who’d found a loophole in his orders, or an adult monster strong enough to defy him. Sans took a couple of quick shortcuts at different angles to appraise the intruder, confirming that it wasn’t sized or shaped like anyone he knew; it also failed to react when he stepped through an arch of greenery just a few feet away. No shift of attention, no magic gathering to attack or defend itself—who could possibly be that dumb? None of the surviving monsters would ever dream of dropping their guard like this, not even the kids!
The wind shifted, and Sans’ nasal ridge twitched as an unfamiliar stench hit him. He recognized the scent of leather from its clothes, but there were strong hints of…some kind of hair, and…bodily fluids? There was something missing, too, so basic that it took Sans a minute to pinpoint it: the trespasser had no magic whatsoever.
That was the most confusing thing of all. No matter how fishy or perfumed or otherwise gross they might be, everyone had that dry, slightly spicy smell. Had someone dressed up an animal and released it into the garden as a prank? A thrill of fear raced through him again—did Toriel’s curse include female animals? It’d be just like her to dump that on him and then make sure he ran into a bear or a deer or something!
Suddenly, the intruder sighed heavily, straightened up, and shook its hood off. To Sans’ shock, it wasn’t an animal or a monster: the thing standing in his garden was a human. It turned its back to the wind, squinting down at the white-stoned path and up at the surrounding wall, the smooth black marble shining rose-gold in the twilight.
What the hell was a human doing here? At least it was a male; Sans relaxed a little, then shook himself and edged forward.
Humans were legendary for their cruelty and cunning, but this particular specimen didn’t seem very dangerous. Beneath its dusty travel clothes and heavy cloak, it was almost as short at Sans, with a wrinkly face and gray streaks in its hair. Did all humans get like that after only…what, fifty years? Granted, Sans was just twenty-five, a baby by monster standards, but he wouldn’t be this twitchy or feeble when he reached the human’s age. And he wouldn’t be dumb enough to wander into someone else’s territory after sundown!
The man had started walking again, still oblivious to Sans’ presence, and paused at a fork in the path. Sans silently willed him to turn right, and he’d been obeyed by everyone he knew for so long that it was a surprise to see the human go left instead. The skeleton watched in irritation, then disbelief, as his uninvited guest sat down on a low wall and pulled a map out of his pocket.
That had to be the stupidest thing Sans had ever seen. Did human maps of the area include HAUNTED CASTLE ON FORBIDDEN MOUNTAIN? He doubted it. Besides, there was a village at the foot of the mountain, straight down through the forest; even if he couldn’t find the main path, all this moron had to do was walk downhill, back the…way he’d…
Wait. How had he even gotten in here?
Quick as thought, Sans zipped over to the massive iron gates that stood between the castle and the outside world. Sure enough, the ivy growing between the bars had been disturbed at one end where the man had squeezed through. Sans extended one bony finger very, very slowly toward the gate, and as his phalange approached the nearest bar, the air filled with a warning hum, his bones prickling with alarm till he stepped away.
The barrier was still working, then. What had the King said before they dusted him? Anything could get in, but nothing could get out…except a monster in possession of a human soul. But there were no—
The skeleton monster’s sockets widened again, this time in excitement. He grinned hugely, then took a shortcut back to the human, who was trying to fold up the map. Just in case, Sans peered at the human’s chest, gauging how much effort this would take.
His elation immediately vanished, disgust welling up in its place. Of all the humans who could’ve wandered up here, it had to be one with a pathetically weak, almost sickly little soul—and why did it have to be green? Fucking Kindness! Talk about shitty luck!
Not that he was going to pass up the opportunity, of course. Absorbing any human soul, no matter how crappy, would give him power greater than every other monster who’d ever lived, combined. He could finally pass through the gates, descend on the human village like a force of nature, grab as many souls as he wanted, and come back here to destroy the ga—no, he’d wreck the whole fucking castle! The others would finally be free, too, though he wouldn’t be stupid enough to share any souls with them. Maybe Pap could have a few, just enough to fulfill his dream of tearing Undyne to pieces, and to help eliminate Toriel; then they’d be untouchable in a world where “kill or be killed” was the only rule!
Sans was jerked back to the present by the human making a horribly wet noise and pulling a square of cloth from his pocket. Why was this disgusting sack of flesh even here, anyway? As far as Sans knew, no one had come near the castle for decades; even the local wildlife stayed far away. Yet here he was, an ordinary-looking human who had come all the way up the mountain in the approaching dark.
The man had finally sensed something wrong and was looking around uneasily. “Hello?” he called. Sans stayed where he was, silent and contemptuous; sure enough, the human’s gaze swept right past him. “Odd,” he murmured, lowering the map and folding it in half.
Sans knew he should go ahead and kill the guy now, but the wind chose that moment to pick back up, rustling through the flowers and nearly yanking the map out of the human’s hands; the man swore and fumbled at the stiff parchment, fighting to keep hold of it.
The skeleton chuckled, almost pityingly. As lord of the castle, he decided he could be magnanimous and let this moron finish putting the map away. Besides, it was funny as hell to watch him lose to a piece of paper.
Eventually, the man gave up and tried instead to stuff the half-folded map into his pocket, pulling a few things out to make room. Enough of this, thought Sans, his amusement fading. The skeleton took a few steps forward, letting his magic swell to a darkly feverish pitch and drift off him like red smoke. He was probably scary enough as it was, but anything worth doing was worth overdoing, especially when it’d make the human’s reaction that much funnier.
Besides, this idiot had trespassed on Sans’ land and his solitude at exactly the wrong time. A quick, clean death was too good for him, but it couldn’t be helped: Sans had to get his soul out in one piece and reach the village before daybreak. Ha, maybe he’d put his hood up and pretend to be the Reaper the humans feared so much—wasn’t that why they had exterminated every single skeleton monster but him and Pap? He’d give the fuckers something to be afraid of!
It was time, all right. The human had finally sensed someone at his back, and began to turn around. “Excuse me, I—”
Another gust of wind suddenly came howling through the garden and tore the map out of the human’s grip. It landed with a thk and skidded along the white-stoned path; with it went a couple of envelopes he’d set on his lap, and another, much smaller piece of paper, which blew straight into the nearest flowerbed.
The human’s demeanor changed in an instant from annoyance to panic. “No!” He flailed at the air, then stumbled over the wall, charging through the flowers. “Come back here!” he yelled, as if the wind or the paper could understand him.
Sans froze, feeling his magic go still as the blossoms answered—or, rather, echoed: “Come back here!” What the hell was the guy doing tromping around like that? Those were echo flowers, not daisies! One of them was worth twenty of this dumbfuck!
The wind was still blowing, but after a few clumsy grabs, the human threw himself full-length onto the ground, trapping the paper amongst the squished flowers. He sighed gustily – ha – and stood up, smiling. “There you are,” he murmured, his voice clear as the wind dropped to a light breeze.
The skeleton couldn’t see what the human was looking at so fondly. In his irate curiosity, he hesitated another moment too long: “Hm,” the man said to himself. “Yes, that’ll do.” He crouched again, grabbed a blossom at random, and plucked it clean out of the ground.
“What the fuck?”
Sans’ roar shattered the air like a rock through a stained-glass window. He was too angry to enjoy the human’s shriek of terror, or his attempt to turn and run; the skeleton jerked his hand up and sideways, yanking the man off his feet and hurling him onto the path. “Who the fuck d’you think you are?” snarled Sans. His magic flared up again as he advanced, staining the footpath red. “Huh?”
The human was trembling violently, staring up at him. “Are you deaf or somethin’?” the monster demanded. He grabbed the man by the collar, hauling him to his feet. “Answer me, or I’ll rip yer fuckin’ head off!”
The human gulped. “I…” He squeezed his eyes shut, sweat rolling off his face. “P-P-Please forgive me, my lord! I-I was being pursued by bandits, and they didn’t stop until I reached this place! I needed shelter, someone to point the way home—” He peeked up at Sans again, almost hiccuping in fear. “I-If you’ll permit me to leave, I swear I’ll never trouble you again!”
Sans glanced up at a nearby lantern hanging on an iron post, and it obligingly lit itself. “That’s for damn sure,” said the skeleton. His wrath faded a little as his prisoner gaped at him in the clearer light. Now he understood the expression “bug-eyed,” not to mention “slack-jawed”; it was one of the funniest things he’d ever seen. Still… “You expect me to believe ya just wandered in here outta nowhere?” Sans jerked his head at the castle looming behind him, though the moon hadn’t risen to provide a properly spooky silhouette. “Didja think you could sneak in, grab somethin’, an’ get out before anybody noticed? ‘Cause I fuckin’ noticed!” He stabbed a finger at the echo flower in the human’s hand. “That shit doesn’t grow just anywhere!”
The man blinked stupidly at the flower, as if surprised to see it. His eyes darted back and forth, his other hand sneaking toward his pocket. “I…I can explain, my l—”
“Uh-uh.” Sans waggled his finger, and the human cried out as his hand was yanked straight over his head, the little slip of paper fluttering to the ground. Ignoring his protests, Sans made a couple more gestures to open the man’s coat and run a thread of magic through the pockets, then the lining. He frowned as he found several coins, letters, a comb, a pipe…but no weapons.
Huh. If the human hadn’t been going for a knife or something, then what the hell was he doing? Was he just trying to put the paper away? How goddamn stupid could he—
“Please!” the man almost shrieked, and Sans was startled into releasing him. He watched the human stumble back, dropping the echo flower in his haste to run after the slip of paper again. Luckily for him, it blew against the corner of another bench, where he could easily stoop to retrieve it. The map lay nearby, but the human didn’t even look at it; he sighed in relief, and started to turn around.
Sans was directly in front of him, grinning at his strangled squeak. “Whatcha got there?” The skeleton didn’t wait for an answer, just reached for it.
“No!” To his astonishment, the man flailed at him, backing away till his shins hit the bench. “I-It’s nothing!” the human babbled. “Nothing at all! Just a picture that I didn’t want to lose! You can leave it!”
Later, Sans would try to blame himself for not being more careful. But he had every right to be curious, and no reason to be thinking of Toriel right then; it was only natural for him to use his magic to grab the paper and hold it up to see what was so fucking important. So, he did.
The human was right: it was a delicate ink drawing. Sans felt the smirk slide right off his face, and he took the picture in both hands, peering so intently that he didn’t even notice the man grabbing his sleeve. “Who’s this?” the skeleton inquired, trying to sound careless. “Yer wife?”
“My daughter!” The guy was actually jumping to try to grab it, like a frantic kid. “As I said, it’s worth nothing to you! Please give it back!”
Sans absently pushed the human off with his elbow, raising the paper to the light. “Knock it off,” he grunted as the man came right back.
The human’s sheeplike face contorted. “Has milord never seen a woman before? Give it ba—”
Skeletal fingers shot out and locked around his throat. To Sans’ surprise, when he glared down at the human, the man glared right back, even as he clawed at Sans’ radius. “Why d’you want it so bad? Is she dead or somethin’?” the monster asked in sudden hope.
The human’s eyes bulged wider, and he struggled to speak until Sans loosened his grip. After a bit of coughing and puffing, the man rasped, “How dare you? She’s my child, you wretched beast!” He dashed Sans’ hopes with a jerky shake of the head. “I’ve been away from her for over a month, and I was only hours from home when I was attacked! That’s all I’ve had of her! If I’m going to die at your hand, the very least you can do is let me see it one more time!”
Sans’ jaw clenched so hard that his single golden tooth creaked under the pressure. He shut his sockets, aware that he had to think very carefully before he spoke. “I got some questions for ya,” he snarled. “Tell me the truth, an’ you might leave in one piece.” He opened his sockets, his ruby eyelights pulsing across the human’s face. “Got it?”
The wind shrieked past them again, but Sans held both the human and the slip of paper steady. The man stared at him in clear distrust; Sans wasn’t sure if he was being brave, or stupid, or what, but he wasn’t cowering anymore. As a slight token of respect, the skeleton opened his hand, letting the human jerk away. “Yes, milord,” the latter whispered, massaging his throat. “Whatever you wish.”
Sans snorted, and snuck another glance at the portrait. “What’s your family name? What were you doin’ away from home fer so long?”
The man’s brow wrinkled further. “My name is Proust, milord. I’m a merchant, so I travel frequently. I’ve been investigating a business opportunity in the capital.”
A merchant? That was hard to believe. The coins in the human’s pockets consisted solely of pennies and a few silver pieces that Sans didn’t recognize; Proust was dressed fairly well, but on closer inspection, the fur trim of his cloak was patchy, while his leather coat was shiny with age. Either he was a cheapskate, or he hadn’t made any real money in a long time. “How’d it go?” Sans asked sardonically.
“Poorly, milord,” the man snapped. “I promised Frisk I’d bring her something from the city, but then I could barely afford to pay my way home.” He looked down at the echo flower, which lay on the stones between them. “She likes gardening, so…”
Sans knew he should make another fuss about the theft, but he had a bigger problem. “‘Frisk’?” he repeated. “Is that a nickname or somethin’?”
“No,” Proust said stiffly. “What else would my lord care to know?”
Sans gave him another glare, and though the man flinched, he didn’t look away. “Heh,” the skeleton murmured. “She your only kid?”
“Yes, my lord. My wife died in childbirth. Frisk…” His voice caught. “She’s all I have left.”
The monster grimaced. He almost would’ve preferred an aggressive human to a sappy one. “How old is she?” The paper trembled. It wasn’t the wind: his hands were shaking. “Did you leave her home alone, or with ‘er husband, or…?”
The human eyed him in rightful suspicion. “She’s twenty-two, my lord. We live with my brother’s family. She’s unwed—I’ve had several offers for her hand, but she refused them all.”
“Why?” Sans asked bluntly.
Proust blinked a few times. “She didn’t love them. She didn’t even like most of them, and the one she might have accepted left because my brother wouldn’t give her a dowry. Why do you—”
“A dowry?” Sans repeated. “The hell is that?”
This was obviously a sensitive question: the human’s face turned a weird color, and something pulsed near his eyebrow—a vein? Was that what it was called? Sans turned his head in disgust, studying the portrait again. If she had veins, he couldn’t see any.
The human cleared his throat. “It’s a gift of money or other goods that a woman brings to a marriage. Many young women in our social class have a difficult time finding a husband without one, and…”
“An’ you don’t have enough cash to sell her off?” Sans waved a hand as Proust swelled with rage again. “Never mind. Whatever stupid shit humans get up to, I don’ care.” He was quiet for a moment. “Just seems pathetic that you’ve gotta pay someone to take ‘er.”
“Was milord listening?” the human demanded. “I’ve had six other gentlemen ask to marry her, and four were willing to forego any dowry at all! She was good enough!”
It was Sans’ turn to twitch. “Why? What’s so great about ‘er?”
Proust made a noise like an angry frog. “May I humbly entreat milord to explain his gracious interest in my family?”
Sans toyed with the idea of telling him the truth, and shrugged. “Just curious. So, I’m guessin’ you wanna see her again?”
“Yes, milord, absolutely,” the man said in a rush. “I’d do anything—you have no idea how much she means to me!” He looked longingly at the paper in Sans’ hand, still held up to the lamplight. “She drew that herself,” he added.
Sans started. “Really?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“Yes, indeed,” the human said proudly.
The skeleton scowled at the picture. It was a perfect rendition of a young woman seated at a table, wearing an old-fashioned gown; her dark hair was twisted up into a bun, showing a small earring, a pearl necklace, and a graceful curve of neck and shoulder. Now that Proust mentioned it, she did seem to be drawing herself in the mirror, one hand holding a pencil and the other steadying the paper, her head tilted to look up at Sans.
For a moment, he was so angry that he couldn’t breathe. This was bullshit! Why should he pass up his chance at unlimited power because of a girl who probably wasn’t even that pretty in real life? He should just rip the stupid picture in half, rip the human in half, grab his shitty green soul, and get things started!
But the longer he stared at the paper, the less he wanted to rip it in half, kill the human, become godlike, etc. etc. It just seemed…boring? Unnecessary?
Tch. This was all Toriel’s fault! She’d called him to her room that evening in an absolute fit of laughter and told him exactly what was going to happen, and the old bitch knew he’d come down here afterward and—
And he couldn’t stay mad about it. Instead, something weird was happening behind his sternum, a sticky kind of warmth spreading like an infection through his ribcage and down his limbs. No matter how hard he tried to dwell on being jerked around, or why it had to be some squishy human with a dumb father and a weird name, Sans couldn’t look away from the portrait, caught by the girl’s clear, bright eyes. No one had ever smiled at him like that…
He came down here every night to get away from everyone, but what if…what if he had someone he didn’t want to get away from? Unbidden, a thought crept up: what would the garden look like with this human in it, helping water the flowers or sitting with him to watch the sun set? What would it be like to always have someone to talk to about stuff bothering him, help with all the day-to-day crap of running the household…smile at him, keep him warm at night—
Shit! Had Toriel laughed at him because she knew he’d actually want this to happen?
“Hello?” Proust was asking. “Milord? Is something wrong?”
Sans shook himself. “Fine, she can draw. Does she know how ta do anything?” That’d be a perfect excuse to forget about her. If he wanted to keep something cute and useless around, he could just put a collar on one of the kids and make it do tricks!
The human actually laughed at him. “We went to stay with my brother, milord, when Frisk was fourteen years old. He was a widower, so she took it upon herself to be the lady of the house. Within a few months, she was managing his servants, balancing his accounts, organizing his social affairs—clear up till he remarried last year.” His narrow chest puffed out. “It’s a large part of the reason she’s been sought after. Any man would be lucky to have her.”
The monster’s hands were trembling again, a strange sensation burning him from the inside out. “Is—” It was a childish question, but he couldn’t help it: “Is she nice?”
Proust looked at him strangely. “Yes, milord. She is.” He flinched as Sans’ grip on the drawing tightened. “Forgive me,” the man quavered, “but why do you—”
“Gimme your hand,” growled the skeleton. He gestured, keeping the paper suspended in midair as he lowered his own hands. “Take the glove off.”
Proust swallowed once or twice, then obeyed. Sans didn’t hide his distaste as he took hold of Proust’s wrist, the human’s pulse twitching against his thumb. For a second, he didn’t know if he could go through with it; then he glanced at the portrait, and said, “Don’t move.” Before he could lose his nerve, the monster lifted a skull-shaped pendant from beneath his shirt, positioned the human’s finger between its tiny jaws, and willed them to snap shut.
Proust yelped as the pendant latched onto his finger. “What in God’s name is that thing?” he cried, trying to shake it off.
“Magic,” Sans said pleasantly. The poor skull didn’t seem to like it any more than the human did: its jaws sprang right back open, and he could’ve sworn he saw it make a face at him.
Proust was staring at his hand in disbelief, searching for signs of any blood or puncture wounds—nothing. “What…?”
“Here’s what’s gonna happen.” Sans tucked the pendant back under his shirt. “There’s a spot over by the gates where you can sleep. No one’s allowed in here, so you oughta be safe till morning. When you leave, jus’ head straight down the mountain. Pretty much any of the paths will take you to Ebott. I’d send ya there now, but my magic can’t get through the barrier on the gate.” He sighed. “Need ta pull some strings to get you back out at all.”
The human was torn between intense relief and distrust. “Thank you, my lord. May I—”
“Nope. Just be happy that’s all I did.” Sans indicated the man’s finger as Proust pulled his glove back on. “I’ll even let ya bring ‘er the flower. Nice, eh?”
The man swallowed hard. “Yes, milord. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But…may I please ask why?”
The shadows seemed to creep in, darkening the lamplight. The human shrank back as the skeleton’s grin broadened. “Wanna hear somethin’ funny?” Sans reached up to run a finger along the portrait’s bottom edge. “I’m the boss around here, but there’s a lady hangin’ around I can’t get rid of, and she knows stuff. Guess what she told me ‘fore I came out here. Go on, guess!”
Proust looked nearly sick. “I…I don’t know, my lord. What did she—”
“She said, ‘Congratulations!’ An’ I said, ‘On what?’ And she said, ‘On your upcoming marriage!’ So a’course, I said, ‘The fuck are you talkin’ about?’ An’ she said I was gonna meet my wife real soon.”
It was subtle, but Proust’s eyes flicked to Sans’ pelvis. The skeleton’s amusement vanished. Just like a human—didn’t he know how magic worked? “Yeah, my wife,” he growled. “Funny part is, she was right.” The monster took Frisk’s drawing in one hand and tapped the side of his skull with it. “Wanna know who Toriel said it’d be?”
The man didn’t move, except to make a noise vaguely resembling “Who?”
Sans chuckled. “The first woman I saw once I left the room.”
A beat of silence. Sans was wondering if he’d have to spell it out when Proust howled, “No!” and made a credible attempt to tackle Sans and grab his daughter’s picture. “You can’t—”
The skeleton sent him sprawling with one push. “Sorry, Dad,” he drawled. “I left the room, an’ I saw ‘er. That’s that.” He laughed harshly at the man’s expression. “What? She’s gonna get her own damn castle, lotsa nice stuff—I won’t even make you pay for ‘er!”
“You—” Sans watched, bemused, as the human sprang to his feet, fists clenched. “Tear me limb from limb if you want, but I am not giving my daughter to a thing like you!”
“Yeah, about that.” The skeleton raised a finger. “Y’know that little nibble ya got just now? ’s a great trick. Lemme show you how it works.” Hmm…what to do? Better not get carried away, or the guy would have a nervous breakdown before he could get his daughter up here. “Grab the echo flower and say, ‘I’m a stupid doo-doo butt.’”
Before Proust could protest, his body turned, stooped, and picked up the blue flower. He brought it to his lips, and said, very solemnly, “I’m a stupid doo-doo butt.” Then his head jerked up. “What in the—”
Sans hooted with laughter, fighting the urge to slap his future father-in-law on the back and accidentally break his spine. “See? When I say you’re gonna do somethin’, you don’t have a choice, do ya?” He sobered in an instant. “So, yer gonna go home an’ fetch ‘er for me. Got it?”
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done to me,” Proust said defiantly. “You said it yourself. Once I pass your gates, your magic won’t have any effect.”
“Good thing it ain’t my magic, then. It’s yours.” He got a blank stare, and sighed in exasperation. This was getting old: it was chilly out here, and he had a lot of planning to do. “I don’ have time fer a whole magic lesson. What it boils down to is, yer a part’a this place now. The magic’s with you wherever you go. Even when ya get back home—”
Proust chose that moment to make a break for it. Sans watched him race toward the gates, then reappeared directly in front of the bars, forcing the human to stop short. “Listen,” he said coldly, forestalling Proust’s attempt to cover his ears. “Three days from now, you’re gonna bring Frisk here. Yer gonna tell ‘er whatever you need to make ‘er stay. Then you’re gonna shut up and leave, and you won’t come back.”
The human’s face was crumpling in a way that suggested something wet was about to happen. “You can’t be serious, milord! Please spare her! Kill me instead!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, quit bein’ dramatic!” Sans jerked his thumb at the castle. “Like I said, she’s gonna have everythin’ a lady could ever want. Almost everyone’s dead now, so there’s a bunch of neat stuff left. Hell, we got a whole room with nothin’ but jewelry in it.”
For some reason, this didn’t seem to reassure the human. “Frisk does not want things, and even if she could be bought off like that, a wonderful young woman like her has no business being entrapped by a loathsome abomination like y—”
“Shut your fucking mouth. Right. Fucking. Now.”
Proust’s teeth clicked shut as the air around Sans roiled with crimson magic. “Just for that,” the skeleton hissed. He stepped forward, jabbing the human’s shoulder with one pointed phalange, almost a claw. “Just for that, you’re not allowed ta make stuff up about her goin’ to school or marryin’ a human or somethin’. You’re gonna tell the truth: you fucked up an’ trespassed on my property, and you only get to live ‘cause you had somethin’ worth tradin’.” Another poke. “Let ‘er know that you’ve got three days from now—” Sans glanced at the rising moon. “—an’ if you’re not here by then, she gets ta watch her dad rot from the inside out.”
Another long moment of silence passed as the human stared up at Sans, hopelessness dawning as he searched in vain for any sign of mercy. There was no telling what he would have said if another sound hadn’t made them both jump: “SANS!” It came from over the marble wall, advancing rapidly. “YOU HAVE HAD EXACTLY AS MUCH LEISURE AS YOU DESERVE, LORD BROTHER! I HOPE YOUR TIME HAS BEEN RESTFUL, BECAUSE YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MISCREANTS TO DISCIPLINE AND A JAM SHORTAGE TO ADDRESS BEFORE YOU CAN RETIRE FOR THE NIGHT.” A stiff click-click of heeled boots. “I WILL BE WAITING IN YOUR SITTING ROOM. YOU ARE HUMBLY REQUESTED TO BE THERE WITHIN TEN MINUTES OR ELSE FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES!”
Sans mumbled a long stream of curse words as Papyrus’ footsteps strutted away. That reminded him of something. “Don’t even think about killin’ yerself or breakin’ a leg or somethin’ ta get out of this,” the skeleton said, still facing the garden wall. “I’ll say it one more time: go home, get ‘er packed up, an’ bring her back here on time. No tricks, no cute little loopholes, nothin’. Don’t bring anybody else with you, or I’ll kill ‘em. Got it?”
The human shuddered. “How—” His voice cracked. “How can you do this? You don’t have to do this! This is your castle, your land—surely there are enough women of your own kind to choose from? You don’t have to steal my daughter!”
The skeleton shifted to look at him. “Nope,” he said, and made to step around the human.
“Wait!” Proust fell to his knees, fists clasped in supplication. “One thing, my lord, I beg of you! Please don’t harm her!”
Sans could’ve cheerfully punted the man across the garden. “The fuck?” the monster snarled down at him. “Why the hell would I hurt my own wife? What am I, a goddamn human?”
There was no answer, only a ragged sob. “Good night,” the skeleton muttered. Proust tried to say something else, but Sans paid him no mind: he had things to do, and to look forward to.
~
Her father was hiding something.
That seemed impossible, and not just because he was a terrible liar: almost the moment he stumbled over the threshold of her uncle’s house in a filthy, sobbing heap, he had started babbling about a monster stealing his Frisk. Once he’d been cleaned up, fed, and tucked into bed, he’d stayed awake long enough to relate a horrible, fantastical tale of stumbling across the castle from local legend and running afoul of its hideous master. And they’d believed it, because…well, she loved her father, but he had the most wretched luck imaginable.
At least her aunt had been asleep when all the commotion started, so there was nothing to stop Uncle Raph from assuring his brother that they would look into the matter as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Servants were dispatched to fetch books from the library and summon the nearest mage from his cottage outside the village; by the time Aunt Kay woke up, her maid could report to her that her brother-in-law had come home bearing a “geas,” a type of curse far too powerful for humans to break, and would lose his daughter in less than three days.
Frisk had to give her aunt credit: she said all the correct things about being so very sorry and hoping that there was a way to save her poor niece from having to live with literal monsters, possibly for the rest of her life! And when it became apparent that there was nothing anyone could do, she was the first to embrace Frisk – as much as she could around her enormous belly, of course – and assure her that if any young woman could handle such a bizarre fate, it was her. She’d packed a bag of sentimental items for Frisk to take with her in case she got homesick, with only the slightest hint of glee at having sole dominion over the house now.
Her father had come home with a cold brewing, because of course he had; knowing she was going to leave and having so little warning had caused chaos among the servants, and Frisk was too busy making arrangements to do more than check in on her father every few hours. He spent most of his time either asleep or staring at the beautiful blue flower he’d brought her.
That was the last bit of proof anyone needed to believe his story. Echo flowers only grew in intensely magical surroundings, and there was so little magic left nowadays that they were thought to be extinct. But here it was, a thick-stemmed, six-petaled blossom that repeated anything spoken nearby. Frisk would’ve been more excited about it under different circumstances, but…well, maybe her new employer would let her have a few of her own.
The whole thing was strange, all the more so because of the way her father had told that part when they were gathered to listen to his story. He’d said he was bound to do what the creature commanded him, which was to bring his daughter up to the castle within three days’ time. The most logical supposition was that Frisk was going to get eaten, but her father had hastened to assure them that the beast seemed angry at the very idea of hurting Frisk. He just wanted…
There was that little hitch in his voice when he said the beast wanted Frisk to perform all the functions of a housekeeper, and that she would be well rewarded—why hadn’t he just said “The monster needs a housekeeper”? And why had he clutched his chest like that afterward? Was the geas hurting him for saying the wrong thing?
Frisk had kept herself too busy to think about it very hard, to believe that she was really going to be thrown out of another home and into the clutches of monsters from myth and legend; on some level, she could convince herself that her father had exaggerated or made some kind of mistake, and it wasn’t going to be so bad. But now, nearing sunset on the third day after her father’s misadventure, they were most of the way up the mountain, and fear was starting to creep through her veins like frost. Her father could be naïve, even simple-minded, but he wasn’t crazy. She really was going to be left alone in a strange place full of strange creatures, expected to take care of them, answering to a walking, talking skeleton—this couldn’t be happening!
A couple of the younger manservants had insisted on accompanying them part of the way. The mage had warned them that they could only get so close to the castle before the horses refused to go any further; sure enough, about a mile from the castle gates, the men had to help them dismount before the animals grew frightened enough to turn and bolt. Frisk gave each man a quick hug – at least her aunt wasn’t there to scold her – and they reluctantly headed back down the mountain to wait with the terrified horses, ready to escort her father home.
The latter was growing more and more agitated as they approached the castle on foot. He could barely speak with his throat raw from coughing, but the way he kept glancing at her, clearing his throat and sighing heavily— “What is it, Father?” Frisk finally asked.
“I…” He swallowed. “I haven’t been entirely truthful, dear.” She stiffened, shifting her bundle to her other shoulder as he coughed into his handkerchief. “The creature didn’t order me to say the exact words in just the right order, and I didn’t want to humiliate you in front of everyone by telling the full story—”
“What story?” The lump in her throat grew heavier as the trees started thinning out, the ground sloping sharply upward. “Is it really true that I have to stay with the monsters and keep house for them?”
“It’s true, love, but…” Another maddening pause. “Er. He is a skeleton, so I believe you’ll be spared…some things, but running the household is included in your role as—”
The wind rose from nothing to a scream of frigid air, nearly throwing them to the ground. Frisk lowered her arm, and to her dismay… “We’re here,” her father croaked.
In the dying light, a huge wall loomed over them, black marble framing a set of gates over thirty feet tall. The bars were nearly obscured by climbing ivy; despite her fear, Frisk found herself drifting closer in sheer curiosity, reaching to pull the ivy aside.
“Frisk!” her father croaked. He was almost unrecognizable, pulling her back and giving her a little shake. “I…” She watched him struggle with himself, and lose. “Stay here, and be good,” he said jerkily. His lips formed a few frantic words, but she couldn’t catch them before he crushed her to him in a sudden, fierce embrace. “Be careful,” he whispered. “I love y—”
The sun had disappeared over the horizen. Before she could hug him back, Frisk felt something coursing through her father’s body, forcing his arms to drop and his legs to carry him back a step. He struggled to get more words out, but it was too late—what had his last orders been? “Shut up and leave”? Charming, and succinct…and effective.
This was it. Frisk had had plenty of practice at smiling, and did her best. “Goodbye, Father,” she said helplessly. “I love you, too.” Then she turned and plunged through the ivy before he could hurt himself resisting any further.
When she stepped free of the bars and brushed the leaves from her face, Frisk almost forgot her sorrow and despair in sheer wonder. Lamps on iron posts lit up a garden arranged in long, orderly, but breathtakingly lovely rows of bushes, flowerbeds, statuary—she’d never seen anything like it. Letting her bundle hang from one wrist, Frisk turned to look at the gates and the massive walls, wondering how big the grounds must be if this was just a private garden. Granted, it belonged to the lord of the castle, and he obviously cared enough to keep it in good order…
And had terrorized her father into forcing her out of her home to come play housekeeper amongst total strangers for…how long? If the problem was just that monsters couldn’t cook or clean up after themselves, maybe she could stay long enough to teach them and then go back. Surely they didn’t expect her to do it all on her own forever, not when they had magic to help them do everything? But if they could do it with magic, then why bring her here at all?
Frisk shook her head, scanning the garden for signs of life. She could hear a fountain burbling in the near distance, just out of sight; the wind was freezing, but carried the smell of flowers, helping calm the human down a little. It was enough to let her take a step forward, then a few more, wandering into the first stand of rosebushes and a patch of black irises. Their petals didn’t reflect light, but shone like velvet, tempting her to reach out—no, she thought hastily, snatching her hand away. Touching flowers without permission was what got her poor, well-meaning, hapless father into this mess!
No one seemed to be coming to meet her, but then, it wasn’t completely dark yet. If she had a few minutes to herself, then Frisk figured she could spend it in peace and calm before she met her fate, whatever that might be, whatever her father had been trying to tell her… So the young woman stood up and set off down the path, taking her time examining the rows of irises, snapdragons, and several flowers that had no business blooming at this time of year.
She didn’t see a shadow step out from behind a lamppost. Nor did she notice when it hesitated, then vanished, reappearing behind another lamppost, and another, and another, till it was just a few steps away.
Frisk thought she felt someone watching her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there. Shivering, she drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders, squinting up at a faint outline against the darkening sky. The castle wasn’t exactly hard to find, but that didn’t mean she knew how to get there; the garden was so huge that she couldn’t tell which path led out of it. Maybe she should—
“h u m a n~”
Raw terror flooded her senses, and her brain screamed so many conflicting orders that nothing got through; Frisk could only stand stock-still, clutching her bundle till she summoned the courage to whirl around.
Nothing was there. Was her mind playing tricks on her? No, she couldn’t have imagined such an awful voice, deep and rough as—
A delicate tap, tap on her shoulder.
Frisk shrieked and twisted around, landing on her rear with an ungentle thmp. “What are you doing?” she yelled. “Who’s—”
The air went still, her lungs shriveling and her heart stopping at the sight of a skeleton – this must be the skeleton – looming over her. The smooth bone of its skull had a dull, velvety sheen like the iris’ petals, and dots of red hellfire glinted in its empty sockets. Its teeth – no, fangs – were bared in a cruel grin, hands buried in the pockets of its black coat; beneath it, the creature’s shirt was a surprisingly bright red—satin? The tidy, domestic corner of her mind wondered how expensive that had been, and how difficult it was to keep clean; as a matter of fact, the skeleton was more richly dressed than her father had been at the peak of his wealth, right down to a frankly garish gold tooth. This had to be the lord of the castle, beyond a doubt.
But his wealth was less important than the fact that a skeleton was staring down at her. It didn’t speak, or grab her, or do anything but stand there, its face unreadable. Surely it could talk, after the way it had cursed her father?
Anger surged through her, propelling her to her feet. “Greetings, my lord,” Frisk said coolly, stepping back to discreetly brush herself off and drop into a deep curtsey. One of them had to be civilized about this! “My name is Frisk. I am here by your command.”
The skeleton blinked, the bone of its sockets somehow closing just like a human’s eyelids. Frisk was almost too fascinated to be angry—almost. It silently shifted its weight. Was it a “he”? The monster was dressed like a male, and had sounded like it. Why wasn’t he saying anything else?
A light gust of wind flapped her hood against her neck. Shivering, she broke eye contact to hitch her bundle back over her shoulder and reach to pull the hood up. “I hope I’m not too late to—”
Quicker than she could blink, the creature was right in front of her, inches away. Frisk tried not to cringe as his bony fingers plucked the hood from her grasp, letting it drop against her back. “What…?” Stupidly, she reached up again, and the skeleton’s brows drew together. His fingers pushed her hand away and, to her shock, rose to brush her hair off her cheek.
That did it: she was willing to come here to save her father’s life, not to be scared out of her mind, stared down, kept freezing, and all but propositioned by the thing that had done this to them! Who did he think he was?! “I beg your pardon!” she snarled, and the skeleton’s sockets widened as she smacked his hand away. “You will not touch me without my permission, milord! And if I am not allowed to wear this—” Frisk waggled her hood. “—then you will please take me somewhere out of the wind!” She tried not to sniffle, and hoped he’d attribute it to the cold. Without thinking, she scratched her cheek, trying to erase the unwanted feeling of those smooth, warmish fingers on her skin. “Lead the way!”
To her alarm, the red light in his sockets vanished, as if she’d blown out a candle. “Yes, m’lady,” growled a voice from somewhere deep in its chest. Frisk gripped her bundle as the skeleton turned on its heel. “Come along.”
Frisk tried not to gulp too loud, and hoped it – he – couldn’t hear her heart pounding as she followed him across the garden. With the anger ebbing away, fear was reclaiming her, dulling the wind’s bite and the ache building in her feet from the walk here; her aunt had insisted she wear a respectable dress and heeled slippers to meet her new master, never mind how impractical they were for traveling, and Frisk could feel a blister forming.
The skeleton’s shoulders were hunched, his hands in his pockets as his boots scuffed the white stones. It was a distinctly un-noble posture, almost sullen. Was he really the lord of the castle? He wasn’t carrying himself with much confidence, and though she’d obviously irritated him, he hadn’t bothered to correct her. Maybe monsters were nicer than humans overall, no matter what the stories said; maybe, she thought as they exited the garden through a wicker gate and started across a courtyard, humans were entirely wrong about them. She might just be a—
“Dumbass!”
The skeleton stopped so fast that she nearly walked into him. A moment later, something flew across their path, followed closely by a small yellow body. “The ball’s a dumbass,” it said helpfully in passing, with the snide, high-pitched tone of a child almost breaking the rules.
Frisk’s escort made a low noise and suddenly whipped his hand up and around. She barely had time to process what was happening before the little monster was jerked into the air, flipping upside down and hanging in a scarlet cloud. “Ya think you’re smart?” the lord demanded, gesturing to silence the…child, she supposed. “Don’t answer that!”
The lizard-like monster didn’t have arms to gesture with, but kicked his feet and snapped his teeth more than expressively enough. “Knock it off,” the skeleton warned him.
The child obediently stopped kicking, and started mouthing obscenities instead. To Frisk’s dismay, the cloud of magic dropped him onto the ground head-first and, before he could recover, picked him back up; the lizard stuck his tongue out in defiance, at which the red cloud rose several feet higher before dropping him again. This time, when it picked him up—
“Stop it!” Frisk protested. They both glared at her, and she shook her head. “He’s just being a child! He’s not hurting anyone!”
The skeleton snorted. Frisk felt her face flushing again as the magic dropped the young monster once more; the child gave her one sneering glance before scuttling off. Then the lord turned to glare at Frisk, who was trembling with fear and rage. “I could say a lot of stuff right now, but you just got here,” he said with dangerous patience, “so I’m gonna cut you some slack.” He started walking again. “C’mon. Everyone should be in the Great Hall by now, ‘cept that little fucker, but that’s fine. He’ll hear it, too.”
Frisk wanted to ask what he meant, and object to his language, but she was tired, and cold, and sore, and hungry, and now keenly aware of what the monster could do to her if he chose. She followed him meekly across the courtyard and through several more winding paths, most too dimly lit to see more than the skeleton’s broad back; he wasn’t much taller than her, but he was powerfully built, even without his hellish magic. He didn’t look sullen anymore, just angry. Frisk wasn’t one for self-pity, but…what had she done to deserve this?
He eventually stopped in front of a door so small and unassuming that she went right in after him, blinking in the sudden light, expecting to see a kitchen or servants’ entrance; instead, when her vision cleared, it revealed a dazzling array of…red carpets, stairs, dozens of voices, thousands of candles—her senses were too overloaded to take it all in. This must be the Great Hall, she thought muzzily, barely aware that the skeleton had turned to watch her.
She did notice when he took her hand, fingers tightening as she reflexively pulled away. “This way,” he muttered.
Frisk couldn’t help scowling. For someone who had spent so much time and cruel effort getting her here, he didn’t seem at all happy to have her. At least his hand gave her something to focus on as he led her through the columns at the back of the room and into the center of the red carpet. As she’d thought when he touched her face in the garden – which she still resented – his bones were as warm as human fingers, with a strange consistency, smooth and slightly pliant. He was probably strong enough to crush her fingers like brittle leaves, but he held them just firmly enough that she couldn’t get away. How nice of him, she thought irritably.
Suddenly, the skeleton paused and turned to face the room. “Hey,” he said, almost conversationally. “Shut up.”
The human thought he was talking to her until the hall grew very quiet, making her ears itch. A tug on her hand turned her to face the same way he was, and her eyes widened.
The room was full of monsters—the ones she’d heard about as a child, and with whom she’d be living and working now. There were creatures made of ice, one built almost entirely out of razor-sharp teeth, several fire spirits, some with fur or scales, or both…there was another, much taller skeleton, and…
Hm. She was good at making quick estimates, and there were barely a hundred monsters in the hall. Surely this couldn’t be all of them?
“So,” said the lord. With his free hand, he dug beneath his shirt and pulled out a pendant shaped like a miniature skull, elongated like a deerhound and sporting far too many fangs for Frisk’s taste. The skeleton raised the pendant to eye level: in an instant, Frisk sensed a shift in the atmosphere from mild disdain to wary, almost fearful anticipation. “Here she is,” proclaimed the lord of the castle. “Meet…Frisk.”
No one reacted, except for a few scoffs and an extremely half-hearted “Hurrah” from the back of the hall, more insulting than no response at all. Frisk hoped she wasn’t expected to introduce herself, or say literally anything else.
Luckily, the skeleton was already speaking again. “So,” he intoned, and as one, the monsters flinched. “First off, no one’s allowed to hurt her—directly, indirectly, on purpose, sort of on purpose, tricking her into it, trickin’ someone else into it, I don’t fucking care. Humans are weaklings, remember? If any of you assholes so much as breathes on ‘er too hard, I’m gonna take you apart mote by mote and burn yer dust in front’a everyone.”
Judging by the monsters’ shocked faces and low murmurs, this was quite the threat. The skeleton lord’s hand was holding hers a little more tightly—was he shaking? At the front of the crowd, the other skeleton had uncrossed his arms and seemed ready to—
“Second!” Everyone twitched. “You do what she says, when she says, unless I tell you different.” He paused, as if weighing his options. “No lyin’ to her. If she wants ta know somethin’, you gotta give ‘er a good answer.”
More murmurs of surprise and resentment. Frisk could feel little pulses through her contact with the skeleton—his pendant was doing something magic-related as he spoke. With a start, she remembered her father’s description of the skull that bit him and inflicted the curse of obedience; this must be the same thing, in a way that let him use it on every monster at once.
Regardless of how he was doing it, Frisk wished she understood why. He clearly did want her here, but how terrible could things be for him to go to these lengths for her? The first tiny prickling of unease began skittering around the back of her mind. What had her father been trying to tell her? Something he’d been hiding that would have destroyed her reputation among her family and friends, with worse duties than arranging parties and checking whether the maids were stealing anything …and the monster being a skeleton was relevant. What could possibly—
Someone had asked a question. “No, not yet,” the skeleton said, to groans of disappointment. “Party’s tomorrow. We’ll hold off for tonight and let her get settled.”
A loud, rude snort made everyone turn to the back of the crowd. “Well, ain’t that sweet?” It was a tall, armor-clad figure holding a faintly glowing spear. The voice was female, but almost as rough as the skeleton’s. “I know if I was her, I’d want you to hold off for tonight!”
The monsters erupted into jeering laughter. Frisk’s face burned as the implication sank in, and she gave the skeleton a disbelieving glance as that sense of disquiet prodded her again. What kind of party was he talking about? Would he really go to this much trouble to procure a normal housekeeper, much less protect her like this and celebrate her coming?
To her bemusement, the skeleton seemed as embarrassed as she was, and several times angrier. “Fuck off, Undyne!” His magic pulsed again so strongly that Frisk’s palm tingled. The woman in armor made a faint sound and staggered back against the wall. “If you’ve got time to say stupid shit, maybe it’s time you—”
“That’s enough,” said someone above them.
Frisk felt the air in the room shift again; this time, it felt like a classroom where the teacher had walked in and just looked at everyone. Every monster in the Great Hall – even Undyne – sank to one knee; the skeleton’s hands dropped to his sides as Frisk turned to watch another monster descend the staircase. “Tori,” he mumbled.
The white-furred monster glared at him. She resembled a giant goat, but seemed far more predatory, perhaps because of her golden eyes; they reminded Frisk too much of her uncle’s captive hawks, which always looked ready to eat someone. “How strange,” the goat-woman murmured. “I could have sworn that we’ve met before and you know how to properly address me.” Like magic, she was now smiling brilliantly at Frisk. “Welcome to our humble abode, my dearest girl. May I be the first to congratulate you on your conquest of Sans’ affections?”
The human’s polite smile was fixed in place, the one she used at parties when trapped in conversation with people she wasn’t allowed to run away from. “You certainly may, Lady…?”
“Toriel, my child. I am the former Queen of this place, now a silly old lady enjoying my twilight years in retirement.” The goat monster inclined her head, and suddenly raised her voice. “Thank you all for coming. I believe dinner should be ready soon?”
That was the monsters’ cue to scatter, no compulsion necessary. “Well,” said Toriel as the room emptied. Her smile twisted in utter contempt. “You seem surprised, my dear. Was Sans incompetent enough to allow your father to lie about your purpose here?”
The skeleton – Sans – gritted his teeth. Frisk would’ve felt sorry for him if…no, wait, she wouldn’t, ever. “Well,” she said, echoing Toriel, “when my father told everyone at my uncle’s house what happened, he said the monsters wanted someone to ‘perform the functions of a housekeeper.’ He never came out and said I’d be marrying anyone.” Frisk gave Sans as poisonous a look as she could, and his sockets went blank. It was unnerving, but she was too angry to care. “On the way up here, he tried to talk more about it, but then he had to leave.”
Toriel cackled, raising the hairs on the back of Frisk’s neck. “Of course he didn’t tell the rest of your family you’d be sharing your bed with a skeleton! You’d be the laughingstock of the village—no, the whole country!”
“Tori,” muttered Sans. Somehow, his entire skull was turning a dull crimson; he’d shrunk in on himself, looking much smaller and curiously vulnerable. Good.
The goat monster must have agreed; she smirked, and fully turned her back on him. “I hope you can understand your father’s intentions, my dear child,” Toriel said. Frisk would have given anything to make her stop smiling. “Parents tell these little fibs every so often to protect their children’s feelings.” She patted Frisk’s shoulder with a soft, heavy white paw. “I’m sure you’ll understand once you start having them.”
Frisk’s skin crawled—whether it was Toriel’s touch or the thought of that with Sans, she couldn’t say. Probably both. “I wish he had given me some forewarning, Lady Toriel, but I understand his reasons. He was also very sick when he reached the village, and likely still is, so we didn’t have many chances to talk privately.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Toriel murmured. “But it was to be expected after a night outside without food or drink, and then a walk down the mountain without provisions.”
“A what?” Frisk rounded on her would-be husband, who was sweating profusely. How the hell did—no, never mind. “You didn’t give him anything at all? And you made him sleep outside?” she demanded.
Sans’ eyes sparked red again. “He trespassed on my land and fucked up my garden! What was I s’posed ta do? Give ‘im a cookie and his own private room?”
“Anything but keep him outside like a dog!” Frisk was so angry that her eyes were filling with tears. She swiped them as discreetly as she could. “I am overtired, Lord Sans! May I be shown my room for the night? Or would you prefer I sleep in the garden?!”
“Fine!” he bellowed. For a horrible moment, Frisk thought he was really going to lock her outside—no, he was grabbing the pendant: “Panne! Lapis! Get your asses down here, now!”
“I’m afraid you have your work cut out for you, my child,” Toriel said kindly to Frisk, who was seething so hard that it took a moment to realize someone was speaking. “If you want any help, dear, you need only ask.”
“Thank you, Lady Toriel,” the human replied. “I’ve dealt with bullies before, but they usually don’t have magic on their side.”
Toriel cackled again as Sans’ eyes went blank. “Well said, my dearest Frisk! Very well said. Our lord is accustomed to getting what he wants, but a bit of reality may be what he needs.”
“Y’know what?” The skeleton’s voice was high and loud with indignation. “You’re right. Forget it. Fuckin’ forget about this whole thing! We’ll do the ceremony, make it so yer creepy-ass curse worked, an’ then she can go back to her dumbass family. How’s that sound?”
Frisk’s heart leapt…until Toriel gave a gentle sigh. “Yes, Lady Toriel?” the human asked warily.
“Yeah, what?” Sans snapped.
“Several things, children. For one, Sans, you already came crawling to me for help in getting Frisk’s father through the barrier—to be honest, I’m surprised we were able to do it at all. I absolutely do not have the resources left to move another human through the gates safely.”
Frisk could have cried, but as it turned out, that was the least of her problems: “And if you think you’ll be man and wife after a few words and a slice of cake, you’re sorely mistaken. A true marriage is built on time, trust, and communication.” Toriel nodded benignly. “And sex.”
“What?!” It came out in perfect tandem between the skeleton and human.
The goat monster didn’t bother to hide her glee. “I never said you’d find a wife in name only, you pathetic sack of bones! What are you thinking, trying to get rid of her? Why go to all the trouble of snaring such a lovely thing if you were just going to shoo her off? I’ve never seen you so excited, having your room prepared and planning what to eat for—”
“There they are,” Sans said sharply, looking and sounding ready for death as two rabbit monsters approached. “You! Get her fed, bath, sleep, whatever! I’m goin’ to bed, good night!”
Toriel’s grin was the most evil thing Frisk had ever seen. “Good night, my lord? It’s only—oh, dear. There he goes.” She examined the tips of her claws, and gave Frisk a look that made the human shudder. “Was it something I said?”
~
“REALLY, BROTHER, I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU EXPECTED.”
Sans tried to think of something witty, but it was easier to bash his head against the wall some more. So—
“WILL YOU KINDLY STOP THAT FOOLISH NOISE! IF IDIOCY COULD BE REMOVED THAT WAY, I WOULD GLADLY CRACK YOUR EXALTED SKULL OPEN. BUT NO, YOUR LORDSHIP’S STUPIDITY WOULD REMAIN INTACT NO MATTER WHAT MEASURES WERE TAKEN.”
For the millionth time, Sans found himself reaching for his pendant, the key to the spell encompassing the castle and its grounds. All he had to do was concentrate on Papyrus and command him to shut up for ten goddamn minutes. His life would be easier, and quieter—
—and complete shit, because Pap wouldn’t be his brother anymore. Sans rolled his skull sideways along his bedroom wall, glaring at the taller skeleton. “Get yer ass off my bed.”
Papyrus snorted. “WHY? IT IS APPARENT THAT YOU WILL BE THE ONLY ONE USING IT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.”
“Oh, not you, too!” Sans grabbed a book at random from the shelf and chunked it at his brother, who easily caught it and tossed it to the floor. “What, you wanna be more like Undyne?”
“PATHETIC AS SHE IS, IT WOULD STILL BE PREFERABLE TO OTHER PERSONS OF MY ACQUAINTANCE, BY WHICH I OF COURSE MEAN YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE TERRIBLE.” Papyrus did get up, though, and Sans tensed as his brother approached the mirror. “WHY DO YOU STILL KEEP THIS?” To Sans’ indignation, Pap took the ink drawing from where Sans had stuck it in the mirror’s frame, holding it up for a closer inspection. “SURELY, NOW THAT YOU HAVE CAPTURED THE HUMAN IT DEPICTS—”
“Put it back,” Sans snapped.
Papyrus tutted under his breath. “AS MY IDIOTIC LORD WISHES.” Unwilling to make a mess of any kind, the younger skeleton tucked the picture very gently back into the frame, smoothing down the creased edges. “IT WILL BE RUINED IF YOU DON’T STOP CARRYING IT EVERYWHERE.”
“Yeah, I know,” the elder skeleton grumbled. He let the back of his skull thump into the wall again, earning another sharp look. “You can leave now.”
Pap’s boots tapped impatiently on the stone floor. Several rolled-up rugs were stacked at the other end of the room, but Sans had made several excuses to leave them there, unable to admit his fear of picking something she didn’t like. Of course, now he would kill for that to be his biggest problem. “WILL YOU BE ALL RIGHT, BROTHER? SHALL I BRING THE MANUAL? THE SECTION ON WOOING A KIDNAPPED BRIDE IS PITIFULLY SHORT, BUT—”
“I’m good, bro,” lied Sans. “Go to bed.”
It wasn’t a command, and they both knew it. “I DIDN’T GET A CLOSE LOOK AT MY NEW SISTER,” Papyrus remarked. His gloved finger tapped the edge of the portrait. “IS THIS ACCURATE?”
“No,” Sans said sharply. “Don’t touch it.”
“HMPH!” Only Pap could make that a complete sentence. “I SEE. THE ARTIST SEEMS SKILLED ENOUGH, BUT IT MUST BE ANOTHER HUMAN LIE. IT IS A SHAME, BECAUSE THE FEMALE IN THIS PICTURE IS NOT NEARLY AS HIDEOUS AS MOST OF HER—”
“Get the fuck outta my room!”
Eventually, Papyrus complied, leaving Sans with only his stupid, stupid thoughts for company. There weren’t enough permutations of “fuuuuck” to express what he was feeling, so he settled on staring at the windows and letting his head hit the wall some more.
He hadn’t lied to Papyrus. The picture wasn’t accurate: it didn’t show that her eyes were gray, or the way her nose scrunched when she was mad, or how her cheeks turned pink when he touched them. Looking at it always made him want to hold her, but it didn’t have her light, sweet scent or feel so damn soft that he forgot he wasn’t supposed to touch—
Fuuuuuck. She was here, but this was still bullshit! He’d felt a twinge in the spell framework and realized that someone was trying to get around one of his orders – probably by a lie through omission – but how was he supposed to know it was Proust? He never expected that whinging, craven little shit would avoid telling Frisk she was going to be married. She hadn’t had time to get used to the idea, weigh the pros and cons, maybe move past him threatening to kill her daddy as leverage…
Oh, who the hell was he kidding? Even if Sans had gone about this as honorably as he could, and even if she’d had a year to think it over, she never would have accepted him on her own. No matter what anyone said, he was still a monster, and she was still…
His mind veered off yet again to when he’d followed her through the garden. He’d been so thrilled that she was really here, but so terrified that the ideal he’d built up from one picture would fall short of reality; maybe he’d made an ass of himself, getting everyone to clean stuff up and get things out and plan it all down to the second for someone who’d drawn herself to look better than she really was. Maybe her dad was just being a dad and he’d actually spoiled her rotten, letting her take the credit for some actual housekeeper’s work. Maybe she wasn’t really that nice. Maybe this was a mistake.
So, faced with possible perfection, what did he do? He snuck up close enough to smell her, weirded her out, and then tried to play it off as a joke, which scared her even worse. And…
No, the picture wasn’t accurate. He’d been so stunned that he just stood there like a complete moron, not apologizing or helping her up or introducing himself, because she was so beautiful that he forgot to breathe. Of course she got scared and mad at him, and he didn’t know how to handle it because he didn’t know how to handle anything, so he just acted like himself, and—
He was going to kill Toriel if it was the last goddamn thing he did!
The wind was howling again. Sans wondered if it was keeping Frisk awake, assuming she could sleep at all after discovering she was going to marry him.
He looked at his bed, which had never had anyone but him in it, thank you, Papyrus—he’d enjoyed modest success in his sex life before that stupid fucking day with Asgore, but ever since, he found that being able to make people do anything he wanted was a massive turnoff. It felt creepy and pathetic and, well, wrong, even if he didn’t actually order anyone into the sack, or to do anything in it.
Now that he was going to have an actual wife – who thought he was a bully, hated and feared him – would that be any better? Maybe if he courted her well enough, let her see that he’d loved her before they ever even met, refrained from using magic to change her mind…
If that was the best he could do, then no, it wouldn’t be any better. Sans gave himself one last bang on the wall, kicked his boots off, and climbed onto the bed. “G’night,” he said out loud, and closed his sockets to wait for morning.
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Henry (Amphiptere Naga) Lemon
Rating: Explicit Relationship: Female Human/Male Naga Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Naga, Amphiptere, Best Friends to Lovers, Demisexual, Graysexual, Sex Worker, Cam Model, Mutual Pining Words: 6104
A gift from @oddacle to her friend/roommate! A woman moves back to her home town after an online friend offers her both a job and a place to stay. She accidentally learns an interesting secret about him that she tries, and fails, to hide. Please reblog and leave feedback! Art by @oddacle!
The Traveler's Masterlist
You stretched at your desk and sighed. “Well, Henry, I should get to bed,” You said. “I’ve got a lot of packing to do tomorrow.”
“Dude, I can’t wait to see you in person finally!” He said over the headset. “I’m so excited you’re coming to work in the store.”
“Me too!” You said. “It’ll be nice to see you in person! And I can’t thank you enough for giving me a job and a place to stay. Working at the grocery store was crushing my soul.”
“I get that,” He told you. “I felt so out of place when I worked construction. I’m so glad I decided to save up to open the flower shop.”
“You and me both,” You said. “Flower arranging is something I love to do. I about fell out of my chair when you said you owned a shop.”
“Two more days and you’ll get to see it yourself,” He said with a laugh. “Go get some sleep. I’ll see you soon.”
“Night, Henry,” You said, smiling to yourself as you logged off. You had met Henry while gaming almost five years ago now, and he had been one of the best friends you’d ever had. At first you just played together, but after about a year, the two of you had exchanged phone numbers, and since then you texted each other constantly and called each other once a week. Despite that, you had never actually seen what he looked like. You didn’t mind; maybe he was body-shy. You could understand that.
When you finally quit the soul-suck of a job in the back of a grocery, he was quick to offer you a place in his shop, in your own home town, no less, as well as one of the apartments above the store. You’d been homesick since you moved away with your mom when you were younger, so the idea of going back had massive appeal. Combined with your dream job and working with your best friend, it was like everything you ever wanted was just falling into place.
That Saturday, you loaded every single thing you owned into a rental truck and headed to Santa Barbara, excited to start a new life and meet your best friend for the first time.
You pulled up to Henry’s Floral Arrangements later that evening just before sundown, driving nearly nine hours straight with only a few breaks for food, gas, and bathroom visits. You pulled out your phone and clicked Henry’s number.
“Hey, are you here?” He asked excitedly.
“Yep!” You said, stepping out of the truck. “I pulled up just now. Are you in the shop?”
“Yeah, I’m coming out! Be right there.” And he hung up.
You giggled at his enthusiasm and walked around the truck just as he came out of the shop, his face as excited as a brand new puppy with a brand new toy, and you stopped in your tracks.
He. Was. Beautiful.
He was a naga, but a rarer breed than average: an amphiptere. He had short, two pronged horns on his head and large wings on his back. His horns were teal, and the feathers of his wings were teal and ocean blue with black accents on the outside and grey on the inside, like the skin of his torso. His snake skin was teal and ocean blue as well, with giant black rings lining his back. His eyes were as golden as his nipple rings. He had lovely tattoos on his arms, neck, and back of waves and geometric shapes. He was lean and muscular, and had short black hair. He wore no clothing, so every inch of his glorious body was on full display.
You stood staring at him, unable to speak, as he slithered up to you. Oh god. This was not a possibility you had entertained. Living next to your best friend had sounded like a dream. But now… oh no, this was a disaster. How could you be attracted to him? You never felt attraction, not ever! Of all the times, of all the people, Henry had to be… this! This lovely specimen of a naga, and the best friend you’d ever had! What were you going to do?!
“You alright?” He asked, tilting his head and lowering himself down to look at your face.
You blinked and smiled breathlessly. “Yes! Yes, I’m great! It’s so nice to finally meet you!”
“You too!” He reached out for a hug and you walked into it. His skin was cool and smooth to the touch. He smelled like peonies. “Come in, come in, let me show you around!”
“What about unpacking?” You asked.
“Oh, leave that till tomorrow,” He said. “Let’s order a pizza and eat in the shop.”
You grinned. “That actually sounds amazing.”
“Come on!” He held out his hand and took yours and pulled you into the shop.
Oh, it was incredible. It had just crested into the middle of spring and the seasonal flowers were exploding all over the place. Color was everywhere. You closed your eyes and just breathed in the fragrances.
“Have I died?” You asked, your eyes still closed. “I’ve died, haven’t I?”
He laughed. “I hope not, you just got here.” He picked up his cell phone from the counter. “Pepperoni and pineapple on thin crust, right?”
“Yep!” You said, sitting at the counter, your eye catching on the decorative cherry blossom bonzai tree that you’d sent him for Christmas two years ago. You weren’t sure if he’d even like it, much less have kept it, but there it was, right next to the register where everyone could see it. It gave you a warm feeling in your chest.
He took you to the second floor, where there were two apartments, one on either side. You couldn’t help but notice one half of the stairs was covered with a ramp, likely to make it easier for Henry to get to the second story.
He led you to the apartment on the right and opened the door. It was a modest place but comfortable, and from the smell it seemed like it was recently deep cleaned and freshly painted in a pretty holly-green color with blush pink accents. There was a vase with all your favorite flowers spilling out of it on the kitchen table. It was mostly furnished with older but functional furniture, so you hadn’t needed to bring any heavy wardrobes or mattresses or anything, thankfully. Most of what you had in your old place was junk anyway.
“I love it,” You told Henry. “And I love the flowers.”
“I thought it would be a nice touch,” He said, holding his arm almost shyly. “I wanted you to feel comfortable.”
“I feel more comfortable here than I did in the two years I spent in my last place,” You said truthfully. “You know, we can leave the unpacking for tomorrow, but can we go down and get my rig and gear and hook it up while we wait for the pizza? It’s the only thing I have that I don’t want to leave in a truck overnight.”
“I get that,” He said.
The two of you managed to get your PC, laptop, gaming gear, and computer desk up the stairs in one trip. There was a flat screen TV on the wall of the living room to which you hooked up your PC. You ran a diagnostic as Henry heard the buzzer from the door and rushed down to get the pizza. Then the two of you spent an incredible evening eating pizza, watching comedies on Netflix, and solidifying the strength of your friendship.
You were comfortable, more so than you had ever been with anyone. Five years of talking to him was wonderful, but being close, seeing his smile, hearing his laugh and the way his eyes crinkled when he did was pure magic.
Magic that you didn’t want to ruin by being weird or creepy just because you suddenly felt attracted to him. Would he be weirded out by the fact that your brain turned into goo the moment you saw him? Would he think it was just because of his looks? You didn’t want that.
And you didn’t want to fuck up what was already an amazing relationship. Hell, meeting him in person and hanging out with him had already been a huge test of your friendship; working with him and living next to him would be an even greater one. You didn’t want to complicate it even further with an, in all likelihood, one-sided attraction.
By the time the pizza was gone and he headed back to his apartment for bed, you’d already decided to put the attraction or any notion of a relationship beyond friends out of your head.
But by God, he was beautiful.
You sort of jumped into the deep end when you started in the shop: prom season was just beginning, so you spent weeks making corsages and lapel pins. Henry thankfully spared you from having to deal with spoiled teenagers, entitled moms, and annoyed jocks dragged in by their girlfriends. Henry seemed well practiced at fielding angry customers who couldn’t make up their mind.
After work, the two of you often ate dinner together, either in his place or yours. Even though you were usually exhausted at the end of the day, you still played games together at least four times a week from your respective apartments, talking to each other over headsets even though you were probably only two walls and twenty feet apart. Sometimes you took your laptop to his apartment and played at the same desk.
It went on that way for months. It was amazing and you treasured every minute you got to spend with him. Despite putting the idea of dating him away in the back of your head, it was easy to pretend like it was just the two of you, together, against the world
After prom season ended, business slowed dramatically. You weren’t as tired in the evenings, so when you weren’t playing games with Henry, you did a little writing. You were too shy to let anyone read it, even Henry, but it still felt good to have a creative outlet.
One night, as you were writing, you heard Henry’s voice over your gaming headset on the desk. The two of you had quit playing over an hour ago, so you put it on to see if he needed anything.
“You alright, Henry? Are you back online?”
He didn’t respond, so you thought maybe you were just hearing things, but as you went to pull your headset off, you heard him say, “I’m glad to see you again. I’ve missed you.” The sound of his voice was distant, like he didn’t have his headset on.
Did he have company? His voice sounded silky and sultry, a tone you’d never heard before, and you wondered briefly if he had a girlfriend, or boyfriend. Or whatever. He’d never mentioned anything like that to you, but you weren’t his mom; he was allowed to have private things he didn’t share with other people. You did, after all.
Still, the idea that he was in a relationship cut a little deeper than you would have liked.
You heard another voice, but it was strangely robotic sounding, like it was coming through a speaker, and you couldn’t quite make out what the other person was saying. Whoever they were, they sounded male. Maybe he was in a long distance relationship?
“Mm, I love it when you talk to me like that,” Henry said, a sexy lilt in his voice. “Tell me what you’d like me to do. I could touch myself. Would you like that?”
You blushed and your heart began to race. You shouldn’t be listening to this, you knew that. It was private and none of your business. But… you couldn’t take the headset off. You wanted to hear this. You wanted him to talk to you that way. Maybe through this person, vicariously, you could have an intimate moment with him. It may be the only chance you ever got.
You heard him moan over the headset, and a sparkling heat filled your body. You bit your lip at the thrill you felt, but you were unable to move, like a deer in headlights. There was a dangerous quality to this, the idea of getting caught listening in terrified you.
You heard the person on the computer say something, but you couldn’t understand them.
Henry responded, “Of course I will. I know how much you like that… mmm, that feels so good.”
Henry’s moaning over the headset made you feel both exhilarated and astonished. You felt like you could listen to him moaned for hours.
Henry grunted sharply and repeatedly, then gasped for a minute before speaking again.
“That was wonderful,” Henry said. “It always is with you.” The other person said something you couldn’t understand, and Henry answered, “Oh, I’m afraid we don’t have time for that, darling. Our date is almost over. If you’d like to purchase a ten minute extension, you can donate an additional five hundred tokens, or you can schedule another date from any of the open slots on the main website. You know I’m always happy to spend time with you.”
You sat up in your seat, confused. Tokens? Website? What was he talking about?
There were more words you could hear, and Henry tutted. “Aww, are you sure?” He pouted. “Well, alright. I hope you won’t make me wait long, darling. See you soon.”
There was some tapping on his keyboard, and there was a power-down sound. Henry sighed and you could hear him slither out of his office, closing the door behind him.
You sat for a moment, trying to wrap your head around what you’d heard. Was he getting paid to jerk off for people? You opened a web browser and typed “amphiptere cam model” into the search engine.
You knew amphiptere nagas were rare, of course, so you weren’t surprised to only have found two results. You were surprised to find Henry’s face on one of the profiles, wearing beautiful make up and a sexy underbust corset with matching opera gloves. You clicked it, and realized he was both very expensive and highly sought after, considering all of his five weekly slots were already filled for the next two months.
Henry was a cam model. And he was apparently very good at it.
You put a hand to your forehead, stunned. What was happening right now? This was something you could never have anticipated. He was hot, of course, but he always seemed like a shy, down-to-earth kind of guy to you, even after meeting him. Who knew he had this in him? You weren’t judging, it was just surprising.
You didn’t manage to get much sleep that night, and when you did, you dreamt of being on the other end of that screen and woke in a sweat.
The next morning, you stood in the shower with your thoughts in a roil. Should you tell him you know? Would he be upset with you? Probably; listening in was a huge breach of both privacy and trust. Oh, god, what had you done? How were you supposed to act around him now? He’d know something was wrong; you could never hide your emotions well and he knew you better than anyone. Was it too late to live in a cave and cut ties with society altogether?
No, there was no internet in caves. Fuck.
You couldn’t avoid him forever; you were due downstairs for work. You could tell him that you were sick, but knowing him, he’d shut down the shop for the day to take care of you. He was so damn sweet.
No, You said, mentally slapping yourself. Don’t get distracted by his adorableness! This is a crisis!
You got out of the shower and started brushing out your hair, your stomach in knots. A knock at the door made you jump clean out of your towel. Throwing on your robe, you went to answer it. Henry was standing there with a bag and coffee, and his eyes widened when he saw your bathrobe.
“Oh, sorry, I just came to bring some breakfast. Felt like treating you a little.”
You swallowed a lump in your throat and smiled. “Thanks, this is awesome. I’ll get dressed and meet you down in the shop. You’re the best.”
He gave you a full, sharp-toothed grin and snaked his way downstairs, leaving you to grip the door to keep from falling to your knees. Did he have to be so kind? He was the worst!
You met him downstairs and tried to be normal through breakfast, but all you could think of was the way he moaned last night and tried to keep the blush off your face. Work wasn’t any better, you had all of ten customers that day, so you spent most of it talking to Henry and daydreaming about him calling you darling. It was all you could do to hold it together.
After closing the shop, he asked if you wanted to have dinner and a game at his place, but you declined, saying you were tired. He seemed concerned but didn’t press it, and you were able to escape upstairs.
You made yourself some tea to try and settle your nerves, stress-eating girl scout cookies straight from the box as you waited for the water to boil. Was it going to be like this forever? This was torture.
Another knock at the door startled you into dropping your cookies.
“Fuck!” You hissed at yourself as you bent to pick up a box. “Get your shit together!”
Henry was at the door. He had a bag from a deli.
“I brought you soup,” He said. “You seemed like you weren’t feeling well today. Is anything wrong?”
You felt incredibly guilty, staring at that bag for a solid minute, unable to talk.
“Hey,” He said, frowning and squinting into your eyes. “What’s up? Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
“I’m so sorry, Henry,” You said without thinking.
“Sorry?” He said. “For what? What happened?”
You were having a hard time articulating your thoughts. You hadn’t meant to say sorry, and once it slipped out, your mind blanked.
“Look, can I come in?” He asked plaintively. “Something is obviously wrong. I want to help.”
You scrubbed your face. “Okay.”
He followed you in and laid the soup on the table. “So… tell me. What’s going on?”
“I don’t even know how to say it,” You said, looking around helplessly. Your eyes fell on your headset. You picked it up and listened to it, and you could hear the fan from his office running. “Here,” You said, handing it to him. “Listen.”
He put the headset on, frowning with confusion.
“Do you hear anything?” You asked.
“I think that’s the fan, right?”
“Yeah, from your office,” You said.
He laughed as he took it off. “I’m an idiot, I must have forgot to disconnect last night after we were playing.”
“Right, it was active last night. All last night. I could hear you.”
His face went from confusion to blank shock, his mouth hanging open.
“...oh,” He said quietly. “Oh, god.”
“I’m so sorry,” You said. “I shouldn’t have listened. I should have taken it off and ignored it. I’m so, so sorry.”
There was a pause. “How long did you listen?”
“I think it was the whole thing. I heard you… finish.” You blushed just thinking about it.
“That was a thirty minute session,” He said, confusion back on his face. “Why did you listen so long?”
You looked away and bit your lip, unable to meet his eyes.
“Did you… enjoy it?” He asked. He sounded almost hopeful.
You couldn’t speak, but you nodded once.
“Really?” You heard a smile in his voice, and you managed to look up. He had a goofy, sappy grin on his face. “You don’t think it’s gross or anything like that?”
You shook your head. “No. I’m curious, though. Why do you do it?”
“I only do it during the off seasons,” He said. “The first year was really hard for the store and I almost lost the shop. I got into camming to make ends meet, but the money was so good I just continued to do it when business is really slow. I’ve been able to save a lot of money this way. I was even thinking of opening a second location, and I think at the end of this season, I’ll have enough.” He looked very shy. “You really don’t mind it?”
You shook your head fervently. “No, not at all.” You looked at his earnest face. He didn’t seem angry, and while you were relieved, you also felt inquisitive. “What’s it like? Does it feel weird?”
“It did at first,” He admitted. “But it’s normal now. It’s actually fun, especially getting ready and putting on the clothes and stuff. I don’t really get to wear that stuff out, so it’s the only time I get to feel… I don’t know, fancy.”
You smiled softly. “I think I get that.”
“Actually,” He said, rubbing his neck. “I was going to record a free promo to put up on the website tonight. Do you want to help me do my makeup? I sort of self-taught myself, but I can never get the eyeliner right.”
“Oh! Yeah, of course, sure!” You said. “I really liked that corset I saw you in.”
He narrowed his eyes at you and smirked. “Did you Google me?”
“I had to,” You said. “Wouldn’t you?”
He laughed. “I guess.” He took your hand and led you toward the door and his apartment. “Come on. I’ve always wanted to have someone help with this. I’m never sure which colors compliment my skin.”
“Wait, let me grab my makeup bag,” You said, running back to your bathroom, snatching it up, and returning. “Okay, let’s go.”
Helping a guy with his makeup counted as a date, right?
He took you to his bedroom, which you’d never been. There wasn’t any furniture, not even a bed. Instead there was a huge nest of fluffy pillows and soft blankets which took up most of the floor space. He had a large walk-in closet where there was a hidden vanity with fairy lights around the mirror. The hangers had various corsets, fishnet shirts, and gloves. There was another desk that seemed to be a large jewelry case.
“This must have cost a fortune,” You said, impressed. You wished you had the confidence to wear some of this.
“A small one,” He told you. “Sometimes in camming, you have to spend to make money. The customers like variety; it’s why I record a new free promo every week. I don’t want my patrons to get bored with me.”
“Who could ever get bored with you?” You blurted without thinking.
You blushed. He blushed.
“Uh… I don’t have any chairs,” He said. “But you can sit on my tail, if you like.”
“Are you sure?” You asked, looking at his tail as it made a hump for you to rest on. “Won’t I hurt you?”
“No, no, not at all,” He said. “Please. I want you to be comfortable.”
“Really, it’s okay, I’ll stand,” You said, unable to even imagine sitting on his beautiful tail. “Now, let’s see. We’ll wash your face first and then we’ll start on your make-up. What about a gold lip? That’ll make your eyes pop.”
“Ooh, that’s a good idea,” He said. “I just bought some new shades recently, and I think there’s a gold in there.”
Applying his makeup for him was a stressful experience. You were eye to eye with him, so close you could feel his breath on your skin. His lips were inches away from your own, and you were having trouble not dwelling on that fact. He was cold-blooded, and therefore generated no heat, but you wondered if he could feel yours at this distance, if he enjoyed it or was made uncomfortable by it.
You did also notice, though, that his tail had wrapped around the two of you twice. He let his arms dangle, but you noticed the muscles twitching a few times and asked yourself if you might be making him self-conscious. After all, you were the only person in his real life who knew about all this.
“Makeup done,” You said. “You look amazing. I wish I could pull off a look this daring.”
“I bet you could,” He said with a smile, looking at you fondly. “Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you done up before. I’ll have to take you somewhere really nice so that I can see what that looks like.”
Again he blushed, even through the makeup, and pressed his lips together.
You didn’t answer that statement, trying not to read too much into it, and instead looked over at his vast array of cute garments. “How about that gold and blue underbust with the Victorian scrolling pattern? I think it would look good with your makeup.”
“Oh, yes, that’ll work nicely,” He said, grinning. “And that shrug with those gloves. I usually work a little bit of a striptease into these promos.”
You cleared your throat. “You… uh… you’ll have to let me go,” You said, gesturing at his tail.
“Oh!” He jumped and unspooled, so to speak. “Sorry. Have you ever laced a corset before?”
“Yeah, once or twice. I’ve had friends who’ve worn them before. Would you like help?”
“Yes, please,” He said. He lifted his arms to let you reach around him and position the corset, gingerly moving the feathers of his wings out of the way so that you didn’t crush them. “Thank you for this. I’ve never gotten finished so fast before. I should ask you to help all the time.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” You said, pulling the strings taut. “This was fun.”
“I’m glad you think so, too,” He said, looking over his shoulder. “If you don’t have any plans after I’m done filming and editing the video, would you like to come back over and help me take all of it off?”
You looked at him and blushed.
“I didn’t mean that in a dirty way,” He said hurriedly. “It’s just nice having someone who knows and I can talk to about it.”
“I get that,” You said as he pulled on the gloves. “Are you ready to record?”
“Yeah,” He said. “Thanks for helping.”
“Sure,” You told him. “I has happy to. I’ll let you get to it, then.”
He nodded and you saw yourself out.
When you got back to your apartment and sat down at your gaming desk, you sighed heavily, the thoughts of how good Henry looked revolving in your mind. You were both extremely attracted to him and a bit jealous that he looked better than you in all that stuff. It actually made you laugh a little bit.
“Welcome back,” You heard Henry say, and you looked down at the headset laying on your desk.
Oh jeez, he left his headset plugged in again. God you loved him, but he was such an idiot sometimes.
“I’m glad you could join me. I’m hoping your having a lovely day.” You heard the soft shhff of him taking off one of the gloves. “I always love seeing your face. I love the way your hands move. I love the smell of your shampoo when it mixes with your perfume. I love that soft little smile that you get when you arrange flowers across the shop from me.”
…what? What did he just say?
“I hope you’re listening. I’ve tried so hard to say this to you when we’re face to face, but I can never seem to find the words. This way, I can say what I want. This way, if you don’t hear me, then I haven’t risked our friendship, and if you do hear and don’t feel the same, you can ignore it, and nothing has to change. But… if you do feel the same… come back. Please. This show is for you and no one else. I’ll be waiting for you.” You heard the headset being pulled off and laid down on the desk.
You stood up and did the same. He couldn’t mean you, could he? There was no way. Stunned, you walked back toward your front door and opened it, looking across the hall at Henry’s door.
It was cracked open.
With your heart in your throat and breathing like you just ran a mile, you pushed it open and walked slowly toward his office, only to find it empty. The headset was laying on the desk and the camera was off. Looking down the hallway, you saw the light in his bedroom was on and the door was also cracked. Swallowing hard, you walked down to his room and opened the door.
He was laying there, curled up around himself, laying with his head on his arms, looking a little forlorn.
“Henry?” You asked.
He popped up immediately, his eyes widening. “You came.” He whispered. “You actually came!” Before you could respond, he rushed up and snatched you off the ground, hugging you tight. “Does this mean you want me, too? The way I want you, I mean.”
“I… yes,” You said. “I just didn’t want you to think it was because of… well… all this.”
“I don’t care about that, I’m just so happy,” He said, kissing your cheek. “I’ve been in love with you forever, even before we met in person. I was just scared that if you found out about my second job, you’d be disgusted. Knowing you don’t mind it gave me the courage to try and confess.”
“I’m glad you did,” You replied, hugging him tightly around the neck. “I’d never have been able to do it.”
He pulled back and looked at you. “Can I kiss you, please?”
You laughed at the absurdity, but you appreciated that he asked first. He was thoughtful like that. You nodded, and he didn’t waste time, pressing his lips to yours hard enough that you could feel the fangs behind them.
His kisses became hungry, and he gripped your clothes. “I… um… don’t want to assume,” He said breathlessly between kisses. “But… um…” He looked over at his bed-nest, and regarded you with a questioning look.
“It’s okay,” You replied. “I’ve wanted this for a long time, too.”
He snaked over to the nest and lay you down in it, unbuttoning your shirt.
“Should I take off the corset for you?” You asked him.
“I can leave it on, if you like,” he said seductively, kissing your neck and leaving a trail of sparkling gold lipstick on your skin.
“Would that be uncomfortable?” You asked.
“Not at all,” He replied, his kisses moving lower. “I want to look good for you.”
“I’m not a client, Henry,” You said. “You don’t have to work so hard to impress me. I’m already in love with you.”
“That’s good to hear,” He said, his lips against your breast. “But it’s not about wanting to impress you and I don’t see you as a client. I see you as the woman I want to be with. I should put more effort into my time with you than anyone else. I want you to know you’re special to me.”
“You’ve done more than enough to make me feel special,” You said. “I want to return the favor.”
Your hand went into his hair as his tongue swirled around your nipple, and the lower half of his tail moved up around your head. When you turned to look at it, you saw a swollen, puckering slit, normally hidden underneath him as he moved, that he now revealed to you. You pressed your finger along the line, and he moaned against your skin. One of his hands reached down into your pants, into your underwear, and touched you.
You gasped softly at his fingers tickling your slit, you doubled your efforts on his own, moving your head so that your tongue could reach it and licking a slow stripe upward. A strangled, broken grunt came from him.
He continued to undress you slowly and kiss your body, touching you and teasing. You writhed underneath him while sucking at the slit on his body, watching as a bright golden organ slowly peaked its way out, followed by another. You were startled at first, but it was fascinating to watch. You took one in your hand and sucked on the tip of the other, reveling in the sounds that he made.
His lips finally came back up to meet yours, the need in his body evident as he lined one of his cocks up to you, the other resting against your clit. He rose up to look at you.
“Still okay?”
You nodded. “It’s okay.”
He began to push himself inside you, kissing your forehead and cheek as he did so. You gripped his shoulders and held on as he fully seated himself, his second member resting between you. The slit was farther down on his tail, about halfway down, so the position was a little awkward at first, but the two of you pulled each other close and found a rhythm that suited you.
He lifted you up easily, his tail between your legs, undulating into and out of you, and all you could do was hang on for the ride. You moaned, held securely in his arms, his wings flaring out behind him, the light of his bedroom lamp filtering through the feathers like sunlight through clouds.
“I’m so close,” He gasped, picking you up as a flood gushed from the cock you had been riding, splashing against your leg and his tail, before he moved you onto the second one and kept going.
“That’s handy,” You said, also gasping.
“When this one is done, the other one will be ready again,” He said as you bounced on him.
“Oh, god,” You wheezed. “What have I gotten myself into?”
He laughed breathlessly and kissed you again, hitting harder and faster. You felt your own wave coming fast and you began to moan and whimper, not able to control the sounds you made.
Finally, you came, and the rush of ecstasy filled your mind. You lay your head on his shoulder as you dangled in his grasp bonelessly, his tail still moving inside you slowly.
After giving you a moment to recover, he sped up again, and you came again. It might have been hours before the two of you found a stopping point, or more precisely, and exhaustion point. He lay you down in the nest, corset and makeup still on, and the two of you slept in a sweaty pile.
The next morning, he woke up with the makeup smeared across his face and a serious case of bed-head. You laughed.
“What’s funny?” He asked sleepily, smiling at you from the coil of his tail.
“I think I should have taken you up on the offer to help you dress down,” You said. “Let’s get that taken care of.”
You helped him out of his corset and the two of you stepped into the bathroom, three-fourths of which was just the shower. Stepping into the shower, you soaped him down and washed his long body, and he did the same for you. The two of you couldn’t help kissing and giggling and cuddling the whole time.
He ordered in breakfast as you dashed across the hall to fetch some clothes. When you got back, you said, “You didn’t get to record your promo.”
“I can do it tonight,” He said. “Will you help me with it?”
“Of course,” You said. “I’ll be your manager or assistant or whatever you’d like to call me.”
“I’d like to call you my girlfriend, actually,” He said with a smile.
“I like the sound of that,” You replied, hugging him around the waist. “Partners in all things.”
“I like that, too. Speaking of which, I think I might be able to open that second location sooner than I thought.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, if you live with me in my apartment, we can rent out your apartment, and the extra income will help. Two birds, one stone.”
You smiled. “Sounds good to me. As long as I’m with you.”
“Always.”
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My Masterlist
The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist
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Gracie Abrams song lyric writing prompts:
1) I missed your twenty-first birthday. I've been up at home.
2) Almost tried to call you, don't know if I should.
3) Hate to picture you half-drunk happy. Hate to think you went out without me.
4) I'm sorry if you blame me if I were you I would. Thought you'd see it coming, but you never could.
5) I still haven't heard from your family but you said your mom always loved me.
6) Lights on and it's black and white, I couldn't stay forever.
7) You'd be the love of my life when I was young.
8) When the night is over don't call me up I'm already under.
9) I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again.
10) I'll be the love of your life inside your head.
11) Audrey said she saw you out past twelve o'clock.
12) Just because you're hurting doesn't mean I'm not
13) If it doesn't go away by the time I turn thirty.
14) I made a mistake and I'll tell you I'm sorry. "Sorry".
15) It's hard to pick up a hundred broken pieces. Thinking it's best if we just leave em there.
16) I don't want to know, about her, please leave me alone.
17) I crumbled once before you've done enough.
18) Pictures of the old us got me feelin' older.
19) I just thought you should know I never wanted closure but you had no problem leavin' now I'm the one to feel it.
20) I just can't believe you don't know what I'm feelin' guess you got the best of this.
21) Pickin' up the pieces, you just wanna leave 'em.
22) Killin' me a little bit
21) And I hate the way you love me and I hate that I still care.
22) Funny how you feel like we would ever talk again. How could you think I'd be your friend?
23) I'm sure you're doin' fine, but I don't wanna hear it.
24) And if I left my T-shirt, you can keep it.
25) I don't wanna see you again if it's different.
26) 'Cause I'll only see all the things that I'm missin'.
27) And I should've cut all the ties, but I didn't. I didn't let go.
28) Do you remember happy together? I do, don't you?
29) Then all of a sudden you're sick to your stomach. Is that still true?
30) Said forever, in the end, I fought it.
31) Please be honest, are we better for it?
32) Thought you'd hate me but instead you called and said, "I miss you," I caught it.
33) Good to each other. Give it the summer.
34) But I only saw you once in December. I'm still confused.
35) You said forever and I almost bought it.
36) I miss fighting in your old apartment. Breaking dishes when you're disappointed.
37) I still love you, I promise.
38) Nothing happened in the way I wanted.
39) Every corner of this house is haunted and I know you said that we're not talking but I miss you, I'm sorry.
40) I don't wanna go think I'll make it worse.
41) Everything I know brings me back to us
42) I don't wanna go, we been here before.
43) Everywhere I go leads me back to you.
44) Packing while you're asleep.
45) You were the catalyst.
46) I don't know what it is about how you breathe.
47) About how you breathe.
48) I want to be alone.
49) Hate it that no one knows, you're good to everyone. All them but me.
50) And if you hear me leaving in the morning could you just pretend that it was only wind?
51) 'Cause I can't love you even if I want to.
52) Got a lot to work through.
53) You don't know where I've been. It's been a long time coming.
54) Say something sweet to me.
55) It never meant a thing.
56) Used to the turbulence.
57) I wore long sleeves.
58) Fought till you tethered me.
59) Swept under surfaces.
60) Never enough of it.
61) You didn't think.
62) Talk to me more.
63) You're a little bit bored, I'm a little bit tired.
64) We don't fight though.
65) You've been acting so cold, I don't know what you wanted.
66) Every time we touch it's like the last time.
67) Holding onto something when it's not right.
68) Tell me to my face that you are all mine.
69) You don't know what I'm feeling.
70) Maybe that thing you said under your breath, you mean it.
71) Holding onto thin lines until we just walk between 'em.
72) Getting so loud, I can't pretend that I don't hear 'em.
73) Maybe that thing you said under your breath, you mean it. I know you mean it.
74) Do we let go
75) Are we too far gone I don't know where we started.
76) I guess I don't know.
77) Where took a wrong turn, everything got harder.
78) Hit me 3-1-0
79) And I'll be home at some point past sundown, 'cause traffic.
80) You already know that, oh.
81) I'll put on a show if you just come over.
82) I'm sorry your house is in Glendale or somewhere far.
83) I would drive all night to get to you.
84) But my curfew is early and mom's up at home.
85) I would run for miles to get to you but you gotta understand I can't, 'cause
86) M-i-n-o-r. I'm minorly stuck
87) And it's not your fault
88) Just how things are
89) M-i-n-o-r
90) I'm all out of luck
91) I'm minorly stuck, oh
92) We'll meet by the freeway
93) It's shady, but better than nothing.
94) Oh, take my word
95) I grew up not far but never been down here.
96) At this time your house is in Glendale or somewhere far.
97) I would drive all night to get to you
98) But my curfew is early and dad's at the door.
99) I would run for miles to get to you but you gotta understand I can't, 'cause.
100) You told me something when I left but I don't remember.
101) Maybe 'cause all I could do then was stare at the floor.
102) I held myself 'cause you wouldn't, all wrapped in my sweatshirt
103) Wonder if you even noticed that that one was yours.
104) When maybe I should've but I never told you "I'm sorry"
105) Know that I tried but my words always got in the way.
106) Could you hold me without any talking?
107) We could try to go back where we started.
108) I don't even have to stay.
109) I don't even have to stay but if I woke up with you in the morning.
110) I'd forget all the ways that we're broken.
111) I don't care if you've changed.
112) I don't even have to stay.
113) I don't remember the last time I heard from your sister.
114) Didn't expect to but I sorta thought that I would.
115) Wish I could tell you by now that I felt more indifferent.
116) Catch myself thinking about you more than I should.
117) And maybe I should've but I never told you I miss you.
118) I almost said it but don't know if you feel the same.
119) I'm living like I'm gonna lose you.
120) Oh I see right through it.
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“could you write a modern au where the reader gets broken up with and maki and iris are comforting the reader, maybe incorporate that they’re still firefighters, and shinra hears and he basically comforts her as well but sees the stages of the break up and eventually he asks her out and she accepts and he rubs it in the face of the ex boyfriend. i don’t ever see any requests for shinra and thats my baby.”
shinra kusakabe x fem! reader
fandom: fire force / enen no shouboutai
song recommendations: mama’s broken heart - miranda lambert / before he cheats - carrie underwood / it’ll all come out in the wash - miranda lambert (they’re country bops, okay?)
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY LATE HANUKKAH, OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU GUYS CELEBRATE!
you hugged the pillow tightly as you drank wine and continued to cry. iris and maki comforted you as you looked at your phone. your boyfriend, who was a fight fighter in a different company cheated on you and you had to find out by an accidental picture of them in bed together.
“Hey, think about it, maybe the break up is a good thing. Maybe you’ll find someone even better?” Iris mentioned as she patted your head. You didn’t say anything which earned a sigh from her. “He was a jerk anyway. Any fire fighter who acts like he does shouldn’t be a fire fighter at all.”
Shinra, obi, and Arthur walked into the common area of the fire station and gave you a bewildered look. Shinra lifted up the plastic bag that contained another two bottles of wine. “Arthur and I got the wine you guys asked for!” Maki grabbed the wine from Shinra and handed it to you as you quickly grabbed the cork screw and popped it open before you put in your straw and continued to drink.
“What, is she on her cycle or something?”
You turned to Arthur and gave him a glare that shook all three boys to the core. Obi and Shinra stepped away slowly as you chucked the largest pillow Company 8 had on their couch and smacked Arthur with it.
“Don’t be insensitive, Arthur!” Maki yelled. Maki continued to comfort you as Iris took the three boys into the hallway.
“Kishiri cheated on her and she found out in a pretty messed up way.” Shinra, Arthur, and Obi’s eyes widened as Iris tried to quiet her tone down even more. “She accidentally got a picture from Kishiri. Him and another girl were in bed together. When I tell you that I never seen anyone as angry as she is, I’m serious.”
Obi and Arthur remained silent as Shinra spoke up. “Wait till I see him, he’ll learn his lesson, don’t worry.” Iris wanted to question him but before she could, Maki called her into the common room. She quickly waved the boys off as the three of them gave each other looks of confusion and sadness.
“What’s her favorite food, I’ll go buy it.” Obi said as he grabbed his keys. “What’s another bottle of wine gonna hurt?” Arthur mentioned as the both of them walked out the building.
Shinra walked into the room and noticed that you were singing to the music at the top of your lungs. Iris and Maki gave him a small smile as he sat on one of the empty couches.
“We’re going to run a few errands that she needs to get done, wanna watch her while we’re gone?” Maki asked as she took the paper that you left for them off the table. “We shouldn’t be too long.”
“Yeah, I’ll stay with her. We don’t want her choking on her throw up or anything.” The two girls nodded as they handed him her phone. “Whatever you do, just play music from this playlist. It’s a perfectly curated breakup playlist.”
Shinra nodded as Maki and Iris left. You were still on the couch singing but you hadn’t realize that you were left with just Shinra. You grabbed the wine bottle and drank a few more sips before you started singing even louder.
“I DUG MY KEY INTO THE SIDE OF HIS PRETTY LITTLE SUPPED UP FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!” You sang horribly. Shinra couldn’t help but laugh at you. He didn’t mean to laugh at you directly but your shouting made him chuckle. “MAYBE NEXT TIME HE’LL THINK BEFORE HE CHEATS!”
Shinra quietly poured himself a glass before he accidentally sat down on your phone and clicked on a song.
Livin la Vida Loca started blaring through the speakers which instantly made you look at Shinra. “I love this song!” You slurred as you grabbed the wine bottle and started to use it as a microphone.
“UPSIDE INSIDE OUT, SHE’S LIVING LA VIDA LOCA!”
Shinra wanted to calm you down but he couldn’t. You were strong as a sober person but you were even stronger while drunk. He didn’t know if he should panic or laugh at your state.
“SHE’LL PUSH AND PULL YOU DOWN. LIVING LA VIDA LOCA. HER LIPS ARE DEVIL RED AND HER SKINS A COLOR MOCHA. SHE WILL WEAR YOU OUT. LIVING LA VIDA LOCA!”
Shinra managed to sit you down as he noticed Obi walk into the room with food.
“What is going on?” Obi asked as he watched you continue to sing. You were still singing into the bottle of wine and it could be heard around the entire building. “Why is screaming her lungs out to this.”
Arthur slowly pulled his phone out and started to record you as you started dancing in the middle of the common room. “I accidentally butt clicked on a song that wasn’t on the playlist that Iris and Maki left and if they see her like this, they might kill me.”
Speaking of the two girls, they walked in and seen you in your drunken state. “Shinra, what the fuck!” Maki exclaimed as she watched you flail your arms in an attempt to dance. “What did we tell you before we left!” He tried to explain himself but before he could, you made your way to your sober group of friends.
“Listen, I’m very drunk and very sad but this song fucking SLAPS!” You screamed as you put your arm around Arthur and screamed into his ears. “Arthur, I can’t fucking stand you sometimes but I want you to know that even you’re better than Kishiri right now.” Arthur didn’t know whether to be offended or take it as a compliment but he gave you a flustered smile and patted your head.
“Leave the food in the fridge and we’ll take her to sleep. She’s caught up on her work for tomorrow so Hinawa can’t be too upset at her tomorrow if she wakes up with a massive hangover.” Maki mentioned as she chucked you over her shoulder and started to walk out of the room. “We can take turns checking up on her tonight.”
“A TRIP TO AN UNKNOWN PLACE!” You slurred as you accidentally banged your head on the doorframe. Everyone cringed at the loud noise before looking at each other in confusion again. “MAKI, ARE WE GOING TO A PARTY? A PARTY TO GET REVENGE ON KISHIRI?” They heard Maki agree silently as you got into the elevator.
//
You woke up the next morning with a bucket filled with god knows what next to you and a headache the size of Antartica. You pulled the blinds completely shut and dumped the bucket into a plastic bag before grabbing your darkest pair of sunglasses and put them on.
You heard quiet voices in the common room as you quietly threw away the bag into the large trash can. You noticed Arthur pop his head out.
“SHE’S ALIVE!” Arthur screamed as you growled in response. “GUY’S, ( YOUR NAME ), IS ALIVE!”
You walked into the common room looking like a hungover zombie. Obi and Arthur laughed quietly as you sat on a empty chair and banged your head against the table.
“I hate breakups but I might hate hangovers just as more.” You muttered as you took a sip from the Gatorade Shinra offered you. “I want to thank all of you who took care of me, though. I know I wasn’t the most professional.”
Iris gave you her angelic smile. “We understand! Breakups are hard but listen, after work, we all want to go to dinner and celebrate your new found single life.” You nodded as you chugged back another Gatorade. “I’m so down for that but I have the hangover of the century so can we go at sundown?”
They all nodded as Shinra handed you breakfast. He made it super light knowing that your queasy stomach probably couldn’t handle much. Everyone looked at each other as they noticed how nice Shinra was acting towards you.
You and Shinra weren’t exactly close but seeing how nice he was being, it made them think that he had a crush on you and didn’t act on it because you were dating Kishiri.
Maki gave Shinra a look as he quickly looked down at his food. It was like an unspoken conversation was going on between them. You put your fork down and immediately chugged down the rest of the Gatorade.
“Well, let’s hope no one comes into the station today but Iris is very confused up there.” Maki said as she scrolled through the confused messages Iris had sent her. You laughed as you wrapped your blanket closer to you. “I’ll go check on her.”
They smiled as you walked out the door but before you could fully step out, you walked back in. “Anyone know why I have this huge bump on my forehead?” Maki laughed as she explained that you slammed your head on the doorframe. You rolled your eyes in embarrassment before walking back out.
Maki, Arthur, and Obi immediately looked at Shinra as he purposely looked down at his food. “You fucking like her, don’t you?” Maki screamed. Shinra tried to quiet her down.
“Yeah, I kind of do.” They all looked at each other as Arthur sighed. “She’s way out of your league, Kusakabe.”
Shinra glared at him as Maki shushed Arthur down. “Listen, I’m not saying don’t go for it tonight but you should. It’s always better to date within your company anyway.” Obi put his finger up. “Until they break up and then it’ll nasty. I would like to save the trouble for Hinawa and I.”
“Who said they would break up?” Maki put in. Obi let out a laugh of sarcasm before they seen you walk in. “Poor Iris, I’m going to get dressed and look semi presentable. She’s dying at the front desk and after the breakfast Shinra made, I feel a bit okay.”
Maki gave you a look. “Are you sure you’re good to work?” You nodded. “I’ll be fine. Just let me know the time we’re going out so I can head back to my room and get redressed.” They nodded as you snatched the Gatorade Shinra had. “Sorry but I promise I’ll buy you some tomorrow.”
//
After you put Iris out of her misery from the front desk, you worked your shift, saving yourself from the lecture by Hinawa. The day went slow as you had your sunglasses on most of the day and only took of them off when someone walked into the station.
It wasn’t too long after your shift when you received a message from Arthur that dinner would be at 8:00 and you should be dressed and ready by 7:30. You put on a long mustard yellow sweater with ripped jeans and redid your hair when you heard a bang on your door.
“Ready to go?” Maki asked. You nodded as you grabbed your keys and locked the door. “You’re riding with Shinra, he has more space in his car and Arthur forcibly riding with Iris and I.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, I don’t mind.” Maki knew that if she played her cards right, she could be a wingwoman for Shinra. “Not that you care or even asked but give Shinra a chance, the two of you would look cute together.”
You gave her a look before you seen Shinra and Iris walking in. “We’re going to the lounge downtown. Since Hinawa and Obi dropped, it’s just us five.” You nodded as Arthur urged the four of you to hurry up.
The three of them piled into Maki’s car as you got into Shinra’s. “So, I heard you got stuck babysitting me for a bit last night.” Shinra laughed as he nodded. “Yeah, you sang a wonderful version of Livin La Vida Loca for the entire company.”
You groaned in embarrassment again. “I swear, that’s the last time I’ll ever get drunk in front of the company or ever again.” Shinra laughed. “Yeah right, you said that during the Christmas party last year and if I remember correctly, you and Arthur injured yourselves because the both of you drunkenly went outside and slipped on ice.”
“Oh fuck, you were there for that?” Shinra nodded. “Well, I swear last night was the last time, I promise.”
The both of you continued to talk until you arrived at the lounge. You had to admit, while you were dating Kishiri, you clearly weren’t checking anyone out but you now that you’re single and you spent a decent amount of time with Shinra, you had to admit that he was kinda cute.
The five of you walked into the lounge and ate dinner before getting drinks. Being that you promised Shinra you weren’t getting drunk, you had a few refreshers unlike Arthur and Maki who were downing shots of Corralejo Tequila.
“Well, two of us have to be in charge of Maki and Arthur so who’s volunteering?” You asked Shinra and Iris. She took Maki by the shoulder as Shinra chucked Arthur over his shoulder. “I’ll drive Maki’s car back and have her sit in the passenger seat. Shinra and you can take Arthur in his.”
You nodded as you politely asked the bartender for two small buckets. He gave them to you before wishing you luck. You buckled Arthur into the backseat before helping Iris with Maki.
“Thank God tomorrow’s Saturday or else Obi and Hinawa would’ve murdered us.” Iris nodded. “Who’s on duty tomorrow?” Shinra asked. “I think it’s Company Five during the day and Company Seven at night.”
Once you tucked Arthur and Maki into bed, you waved goodbye to Iris as you made your way towards the kitchen for a late night snack. You found Shinra making himself a milkshake.
“I’ll take one if you’re offering?” You asked as you sat down on the island. “Of course, flavor?” You mentioned vanilla as he immediately started making yours.
The two of you sat in the kitchen, talking, before you noticed the time. It was nearing three in the morning and you hadn’t felt like that much time had passed.
You could tell the sleepiness in Shinra’s eyes but he didn’t say anything. “Well, I’m going to be bed, I want to actually catch some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Shinra nodded. “Goodnight, Kusakabe. Don’t stay up too late.” You ruffled his already wild hair and went towards your room.
He rushed into the hallway, nearly hitting himself on the wall as he tried to catch up with you. “Hey, if you’re not too busy tomorrow, do you want to catch breakfast together?” He asked sheepishly. “There’s a new place downtown and I’ve been trying to go but no one has wanted too. It’s not problem if you don’t want too.”
You giggled. “Of course, just shoot me a text in the morning and I’ll make sure to have it on.” He smiled as he stuttered out a thank you and made his way into his room.
//
After the breakfast ‘date’, Shinra and you went out on a few more dates together. He was going at your pace so when you made the first move and gave him a kiss, Shinra was over the moon. He couldn’t be happier.
The two of you weren’t official but it wasn’t news whenever the two of you were holding hands or caught kissing in the common room. Maki and Iris thought it was adorable while Obi and Hinawa didn’t really care. Arthur on the other hand thought you were completely out of his league and didn’t understand why you bothered to date him.
It was a few months after you had broken up with Kishiri and everyone, including admin workers, were invited to gala from Company One’s battalion chief.
You and Shinra color coordinated your outfits which earned a few whistles from Obi and Maki. You were excited to finally show the others that you had moved on and if you were lucky, you would show Kishiri that you had found someone better.
The gala was at some fancy restaurant and you knew that company eight would end up embarrassing themselves before the end of the night. The only people you had hope in was Hinawa, Iris, and yourself. You didn’t even expect Shinra to be on his best behavior.
When all of you arrived to the gala, it was packed with different fire fighters from different companies along with their family and friends. It was a cute get together and for most of the night, you and the rest of company eight were by the bar, drinking and talking amongst each other.
It wasn’t until you asked Shinra to dance when you seen Kishiri with his date. The same girl he cheated on you with. Did it sting? A bit but you knew that Shinra was far better than Kishiri.
The song was slow and the two of you were just swaying to it. You felt like eyes had been watching you the entire time and while you wanted to turn around see who it was, you didn’t bother.
Shinra had his arms tightly wrapped around your waist and was in direct eye contact with Kishiri. He didn’t mean to purposely look at him but when he noticed that Kishiri was looking at him, he couldn’t help but give him the biggest shit eating grin.
Shinra wasn’t the kind of person to boast much but he won you over and that was the biggest win of his life. Now he was able to flaunt you in front of Kishiri all he wanted and all Kishiri could do was remain silent.
As the song finished, you gave Shinra a quick peck on the lips before whispering to him that you were going to find Maki and Iris and go get another glass of wine. He nodded as he went towards the bathroom, purposely passing Kishiri on the way.
The smirk written on Shinra’s face stayed on all night and while a few found it confusing, later on, you found out the real reason and you couldn’t help but laugh at Shinra’s pettiness. It was like the two of you were a perfect pair in petty heaven.
ALITA
#admin alita#fire force#fire force x reader#fire force imagine#enen no shouboutai#enen no shouboutai imagine#enen no shouboutai x reader#shinra kusakabe#shinra kusakabe imagine#shinra kusakabe x reade#fire force shinra
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The Trials of Emi
Pairing: A little Minho. A sprinkle of Frypan. Gally x Emi(OC)
Summary: Emi, her twin brother Thomas, and a small group of gladers had been rescued and taken to a safe haven. Or so it seemed. It doesn't take long for Thomas to realize something is wrong. What happens next is a true trial for all of them but Emi's trials began the moment she was ripped away from a dying Gally. Watching someone you love die right before your eyes truly takes a toll.
Finally meeting the right arm could have been the end but betrayal leads to even more chaos and loss. A new mission to rescue those taken from them leads them to a city. The last city. After Emi finally comes to terms with everything that's happened something unfolds that changes everything again. She will have to not only deal with helping her brother take down WCKD and save their friend but also deal with all the new problems in her head and her heart.
Rating: As of right now it’s at most PG13. Some strong language that’s about it but it could change.
(This is the 2nd part/book to my other story "The Maze trials: A Gally Fanfiction". This will cover the events of the scorch trails and the death cure.)
Chapter Eleven
As the sun started to set I met Fry at his makeshift cooking area. We didn't want to actually build anything cause we were constantly on the move. So we set a small area up so Fry could work his magic every morning and night. It was nice to have his cooking again. Oddly enough his cooking made where ever we were at the time feel a little more like home.
"Where's Thomas and Newt?" I asked him as I came to stand next to him.
He handed me a few discolored and chipped plates. I sat them down in front of me.
"Back there" he nodded with his head as a smile spread across his face.
I looked back to see my brother and best friend sitting practically on top of each other. Their heads were close together as they had a whispered conversation. I smiled when I noticed their intertwined fingers resting on Thomas' lap.
"About damn time" I whispered turning back to Fry.
The boy next to me laughed.
"How long have you suspected that?" Fry asked me.
"Since the beginning" I chuckled.
I helped Fry finish up what he was doing. Once everything was done he told me to give the call.
"Grub is up everyone!" I shouted.
Everyone dropped what they were doing then made their way over to me and Fry. I helped him fill the plates with food then pass them out to everyone. Fry and I were the last to grab our plates then join the group around the fire. I sat next to Thomas with Fry on my other side.
"You two look very friendly." I whispered to Thomas.
He chuckled then shook his head.
"Very friendly" he said with a grin.
It had been only a few short weeks since we lost Minho, Aris, Sonja, and countless others. The atmosphere around what was left of us had slowly loosened. There was still some tension especially when we were in the middle of following a lead. I had spent most of the time staying busy. Whatever needed to be done I was doing it. From sorting supplies to helping Fry cook and serve the food. Fry had been the one person I'd spent most my time talking to. It was mostly just random conversations like what was happening in and around the camp. It was a nice way to spend the time. As long as I wasn't thinking about everything that had happened.
After everyone was finished eating we all pitched in to finish loading everything up. We were heading out at first light. Our goal was to get to some dock Vince had told us about. We'd been at it for weeks now. We were trying to move forward but track WCKD's movements at the same time. It was a struggle to keep up with them. There had been times we'd lost them completely only to find them again a few weeks later. Now was one of those moments. We'd lost track of them about a week ago. The four of us gladers that were left were the ones that tried to track all of WCKD's moves. Vince and the others worked on getting us closer to the safe haven.
"Let's hit our beds. First thing in the morning we'll get moving again." Vince ordered as everyone finished loading the trucks.
I met up with Harriet so we could go to our beds together. They were right next to each other. When I say "beds" I really mean sleeping bags or blankets either on the ground or in the trucks themselves.
"Any more leads?" Harriet asked as we got to our beds.
"Not yet but we are working on it. We'll find them." I told her softly.
She nodded then crawled under her blankets. I did the same hoping sleep would come quickly.
The next morning Harriet woke me up. We immediately rolled up our blankets then climbed into our assigned vehicles. I was obviously with my fellow gladers. Thomas was driving while Newt happily sat in the passenger seat. Fry and I had our guns loaded and ready in the back seat just in case they were needed.
We drove for hours from sun up to sundown. We rarely stopped only if it was absolutely needed. When we did, it was late into the night. Vince had as stop in an area we could easily hide the vehicles. We all ate quickly then got back in the trucks to sleep for a few hours.
When we did start moving again Newt had taken the driver seat while Thomas took the passenger seat next to him. Not long into the drive, I saw Newt reach over and grab Thomas' hand. They intertwined their fingers together then rested them on top of Thomas' thigh. It was so good to see those two actually moving forward with their relationship. As I watched Thomas rub his thumb against Newt's hand a sudden sadness came over me. It was one I hadn't felt in some time. I had been so busy with everything going on I hadn't let myself have the time to think. To think about Gally and how he could have been apart of all this.
I turned to stare out the window. I had to clear my head. I couldn't let myself get distracted by the past or what could have been. Gally was gone and I had to make my peace with that no matter how hard it might be. I had to keep moving.
"You alright?" Fry asked quietly.
"I'm fine," I told him in a sharp tone.
I didn't mean to say it like that. I glanced at Fry who had a knowing look on his face. These three boys had come to know me way too well. They could read me like an open book.
"I know you still miss him. I do too. He was my friend as well. You know you can talk to us about it. Maybe talking about it will help you move on." Fry said softly.
Thomas had turned in his seat to look at me. Newt glanced back in the mirror.
"I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine you guys." I said softly with a small smile.
Thomas chuckled.
"We know you're not fine Em. It's okay to not be fine. He meant a lot to you. I don't fully understand it but I didn't know him like you did." Thomas said with a smile.
"I don't think any of us knew him like she did." Newt joked.
Fry laughed.
"That's for sure. Did I ever tell you about the time I caught the two of them in the wash pool?" Fry asked leaning forward to talk to Newt.
I felt my face instantly heat up. I had totally forgotten about that! Newt laughed and shook his head.
"No you didn't." Newt said.
Fry laughed again.
"Fry!" I shouted as I slapped his shoulder.
"Remember the day Emi was all muddy?" Fry asked.
Newt laughed again.
"Oh yea I remember that day." Newt nodded.
My cheeks heated even more.
"Can we not please?" I begged them.
"That night I went to wash up and I caught the sight of her and him in the water. Things looked like they were getting pretty heated too till I said something." Fry laughed.
Newt and Thomas both laughed.
"I hate you guys." I grumbled.
"Did you ever figure out why she was covered in mud?" Newt asked Fry.
"Newt!" I shouted in disbelief.
"What? It's not like any of it needs to be a secret anymore." Newt laughed as he glanced back at me in the mirror.
"While the two of them were supposed to be getting mud they ended up making out for the first time. He had mud all over his hands which ended up all over Emi." Newt laughed at the memory.
I couldn't help but smile. I realized at that moment that every memory I had with Gally was so precious. Even the bad moments at the end. Every second I spent with him should be cherished and not buried in my memory.
"I never knew you two were so handsy!" Fry shouted with a fake look of disgust on his face.
I laughed at him as I slapped his arm playfully.
"Let's just say it was a good thing I had my private room in the homestead." I chuckled.
"Ew" Newt said making the other two boys laugh.
The laughter died but I continued to smile. I think reminiscing was exactly what I needed. It reminded me of all the happy moments. The moments I'd almost let myself forget.
"Thank you guys" I said softly.
Gally might be gone but I'll always remember him. I'll always have those moments that no one else knows about. The quiet words shared only between me and him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
—
#nothingbutfangirlsmut#fanfiction#gally#gally imagine#gally smut#gally x reader#the maze runner#the maze trials#tmr gally#original character#the trials of emi
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☀️ cult of dionysus
a playlist for my friend caz link to playlist: here tracklist and favorite lyrics below
1. only as good as my god - everything everything And on the steps of my church There, I'm chasing down a red girl with my hooves upon a- Ooh - Wild Ooh - Child If they crawl out of the mud Wash them away in a flood I'm only as good as my god Burnt hair and more money 2. disciples - captain murphy Don't you want devoted followers? Who leave their families for you Give their money to you Give their bodies to you Give up their lives for you Consider you God, and will kill for you Don't you want to become a cult leader? Since the death of God there has been a vacancy open You can fill that void, here is how 3. dionysus - bts Just get drunk like Dionysus Drink in one hand, Thyrsus on the other Art splashing inside this clear crystal cup Art is alcohol too, if you can drink it, you'll get drunk fool I'm now in front of the door to the world The cheers I hear when I get up on stage Can’t you see my stacked broken thyrsus At last I’m reborn 4. good hand - turbowolf And I say No pain, no gain That's the mantra I'm repeating No sun, no rain That's the mantra I'm repeating No pain, no gain, no sun, no No pain, no gain, no sun, no rain 5. addicted to love - robert palmer Your lights are on, but you're not home Your will is not your own You're heart sweats and teeth grind Another kiss and you'll be mine 6. cult of dionysus - the orion experience Or start a secret society for the wild and free Our ideology is "You can do what you want Too much is never enough" We are the Life, we are the light We are the envy of the Gods above 7. hitting on all sevens - lyndon smith Make of me a subject caste Pressed and kept beneath thy glass Every heart thy sent in heaven Always hitting on all sevens One by one as ordered Flank to flank and facing forward Hanging by the word In chapter, verse and sentence heard 8. touch tone telephone - lemon demon Don't hang up yet, I'm not done I'm an expert, I'm the one The one who was right all along Better to be laughed at than wrong I'm an expert in my field UFOlogy, yes, it's all real Ancient aliens, it's all true I'm an expert just like you 9. sundial - lemon demon Don't mind me, I've just got some problems to work out I'm only passing through or maybe just right out Somehow something set my sundial backwards tilted and upside-down Now the shadow hand is pointing time right out of town I don't remember what it is that I just said to you I've got Anubis on my back and something in my shoe 10. mother’s talk - tears for fears It's not that you're not good enough It's just that we can make you better Given that you pay the price We can keep you young and tender Following in the footsteps of a funeral pyre You were paid not to listen now your house is on fire 11. light up the night - the protomen There is a city that this darkness can't hide. There are the embers of a fire that's gone out, But I can still feel the heat on my skin. This mess we're in, well you and I, Maybe you and I, We can light up the night. 12. pure morning - placebo A friend in need's a friend indeed, A friend who'll tease is better, Our thoughts compressed, Which makes us blessed, And makes for stormy weather, 13. aspiring fires - mother mother Baby, so you think you know crazy I think you know what you know, But what you know you don't know for sure A little advice for aspiring fires You'll get put out if you don't get a little wild Try again, try again, it ain't right You don't got the due diligence to lose your mind You're not getting it right 14. oh ana - mother mother I'll play god I'll play god I'll play god I'll play god today Ante up and play that god a poker game Walk away with all our little God's spare change Playing this god it can't be good for— Ana's safety, Ana hear me ! 15. this devil’s workday - modest mouse So I ate the wedding cake 'til the whole damn thing was gone. And I'm gonna drown the ocean. Now ain't none o' that so wrong? I could buy myself a reason. I could sell myself a job. I could hang myself on treason. Oh I am my own damn god. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha 16. kiss me son of god - they might be giants I look like Jesus, so they say But Mr. Jesus is very far away Now you're the only one here who can tell me if it's true That you love me and I love me And a world screams, "Kiss me, Son of God" Yes a world screams, "Kiss me, Son of God" 17. personal jesus - depeche mode Take second best Put me to the test Things on your chest You need to confess I will deliver You know I'm a forgiver 18. charlie’s inferno - that handsome devil Catch you later, I'm off to see the man upstairs They all look like ants from here Stars and crystal chandeliers Excuse me, sir! There must be someone you've confused me for If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform I go to church on sunday, truly, usually more! Screaming at the angels while they pushed him through the door! 19. old 45s - chromeo Don't wanna settle Or didn't you get the memo You only get a date if you're walking in stilettos This is enough to drive you mad If you think romance is dead and gone Find an old jukebox full of 45's Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back 20. down at the midnight rectory - ted neeley Down, down, down at the midnight rectory! With jiggle juice frisking under the marquee! The peacocks are strutting behind velvet ropes, Sipping away on their heavenly dope. Gimme two alleluia's and an amen! 21. elevate - dj khalil Can't stop me, can't break me (can't break) What don't kill me, gon' make me (gon' make) Shoot for the stars, no safety (no safety) And now I see clear in HD 'Cause I win, over and over again Battlin' evil, I'm hopin' to win Fightin' my demons, I'm nice for a reason Enticed with the bleedin', I'm showin' my sins 22. come along - cosmo sheldrake We'll dance and sing 'til sundown And feast with abandon We'll sleep when the morning comes And we'll rise by the sound of the birdsongs We'll be here when the world slows down And the sunbeams fade away Keeping time by a pendulum As the fabric starts to fray 23. just one yesterday - fall out boy I thought of angels Choking on their halos Get them drunk on rose water See how dirty I can get them Pulling out their fragile teeth And clip their tiny wings If heaven's grief brings hell's rain Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday 24. church - fall out boy And if death is the last appointment Then we're all just sitting in the waiting room I am just a human trying to avoid my certain doom If you were church, yeah I'd get on my knees Confess my love, I'd know where to be My sanctuary, you're holy to me 25. beast dance - kurage p Cast aside your humanity, before you have to grovel on the ground, being at the bottom of society. You want to be loved? In that case, come on. ”Roar roar roar roar roar roar” Inside the cage, ‘kay? 26. black and white - MASA Pour the gospel echoing through the world into your glass. Black&White! Practice your faith through shots and prayers. Open the bottle. Black&White! 27. sister’s mercy - hitoshizuku-p Jesus!! Pray and pray Believer, if you demand for salvation Oh Yeah!! Then pay up more and more for this Bright Red, now! Cheers!! Pour and pour When you’ve filled your stomach with this bright Red, Aa! All your wishes will come true 28. inferno pt. 2 - the buttress The depth of my breadth is unmet I'm becoming unraveled on the road less traveled I know Jesus wept But I abhor the Lord Fell on my sword Forever slept 29. let’s just live - casey lee williams Let's just live Just one day Let's forget about our problems Let's fall in love with life And just be free The sun will never fade The night won't steal our day Let's dance and laugh and love And let's just live 30. ignite - casey lee williams Fool, you shouldn't stare into these eyes of fire You're goin' to regret this little fight You don't wanna mess with me, I'm something higher You'll watch yourself suffer You'll watch me ignite 31. god’s gonna cut you down - johnny cash Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand Workin' in the dark against your fellow man But as sure as God made black and white What's down in the dark will be brought to the light 32. royals - lorde Let me be your ruler (Ruler) You can call me queen bee And baby, I'll rule (I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule) Let me live that fantasy 33. you should see me in a crown - billie eilish Count my cards, watch them fall Blood on a marble wall I'm gonna run this nothing town Watch me make 'em bow One by one by, one One by one by You should see me in a crown 34. rev 22:20 - puscifer Pray til I go blind (Pray) Pray cause no one ever survives Prayin' to stay in her arms just to die longer Satyrs and saints, devils and heathens and lies 35. this must be the place - talking heads Home, is where I want to be But I guess I'm already there I come home, she lifted up her wings I guess that this must be the place I'm just an animal looking for a home and Share the same space for a minute or two And you love me till my heart stops Love me till I'm dead 36. razzle dazzle - richard gere Give 'em the old razzle dazzle Razzle Dazzle 'em Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it And the reaction will be passionate Give 'em the old hocus pocus Bead and feather 'em How can they see with sequins in their eyes? 37. you’ll be back - jonathan groff You say our love is draining and you can't go on You'll be the one complaining when I am gone And no, don't change the subject 'Cause you're my favorite subject My sweet, submissive subject My loyal, royal subject Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever 38. no light, no light - florence and the machine No light, no light in your bright blue eyes I never knew daylight could be so violent A revelation in the light of day You can't choose what stays and what fades away 'Cause it's so easy, To say it to a crowd But it's so hard, my love, To say it to you out loud 39. shiny happy people - r.e.m Meet me in the crowd, people, people Throw your love around, love me, love me Take it into town, happy, happy Put it in the ground where the flowers grow Gold and silver shine Shiny happy people holding hands Shiny happy people holding hands Shiny happy people laughing 40. a good song never dies - saint motel There was a moment, a hole opened in the sky A chance to join that pantheon For all the times they never heard your battle cry Now be an angel, sing along 'Cause a good song never dies It just reminds you of where you were The first time it made you cry The first time you felt alive 41. king of the clouds - panic at the disco Some only live to die, I'm alive to fly higher Than angels in outfields inside of my mind I'm ascendin' these ladders, I'm climbin', say goodbye This old world, this old world I don't trust anything Or anyone, below the sun I don't feel anything At all 42. battle for the sun - placebo I, I, I will battle for the sun, sun, sun, sun And I, I, I, I am the bones you couldn't break Break, break, break, break, break, break, break 43. walk like an egyptian - the bangles All the school kids so sick of books They like the punk and the metal band When the buzzer rings (oh whey oh) They're walking like an Egyptian All the school kids so sick of books They like the punk and the metal band When the buzzer rings (oh whey oh) They're walking like an Egyptian 44. credens justitiam - yuriko kaida and eri itoh Free, they are With no malice they sing quietly And they told me that my song was louder/lighter Their song Releases the day of all malice I want to be like them And my mind (their minds are) Free 45. 99.9 - mob choir The protagonist of this stage is me Cryin' my life, cryin' my psyche Cryin' my heart in such commonplaces Is this my ideal? Is this my mind? Ahh, I’m looking for the answer ! 46. cruel angels thesis - yoko takahasi But someday you will notice On those shoulders of yours There are strong wings To guide you to the far future. If there is any meaning In the fate that pulled us together, Then I am, yes, the Bible That teaches you of freedom. A cruel angel's thesis And then sorrow comes forth 47. peace and love on the planet earth - zach callison I guess we're already here I guess we already know We've all got something to fear We've all got nowhere to go I think you're all insane! But I guess I am too Is there anything that's worth more? Is there anything that's worth more? Is there anything that's worth more Than peace and love on the planet Earth? 48. now we can see - the thermals We were born in the desert We were reared in a cave We conquered in the sun but we lived in the shade We were born on an island we grew out of the sand Never saw another creature never knew another man 49. love today - mika I said Everybody's gonna love today Gonna love today, gonna love today I said Everybody's gonna love today Gonna love today Anyway you want to, anyway you've got to Love, love me, love, love me, love, love 50. where is my mind? - the pixies With your feet on the air and your head on the ground Try this trick and spin it, yeah Your head will collapse If there's nothing in it And you'll ask yourself .. Where is my mind? Where is my mind?
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71 Springsteen Prompts
Anyway, I felt like making my own prompt list for some reason, all are taken from Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics. Enjoy!
1. Now laying here in the dark, you're like an angel on my chest. (Backstreets) 2. I'll love you with all the madness in my soul. (Born to Run) 3. I believe in the love that you gave me. (Badlands) 4. In the darkness I hear somebody call my name. (Streets of Fire) 5. Well, if she wants to see me, you can tell her that I'm easily found. (Darkness on the Edge of Town) 6. There's so much that you want, you deserve much more than this. (Prove It All Night) 7. Like a river that don't know where it's flowing, I took a wrong turn and I just kept going. (Hungry Heart) 8. To say I'll make your dreams come true would be wrong. But maybe, darlin', I could help them along. (I Wanna Mary You) 9. Is a dream a lie if it don't come true or is it something worse? (The River) 10. You just stood there and held me, then you started dancin' slow. And as I pulled you tighter I swore I'd never let you go. (Point Blank) 11. Somewhere back along the line you lost your love and I lost your trust. (Fade Away) 12. I just wanna sleep tonight again in your arms. (Drive All Night) 13. Maybe everything that dies someday comes back. (Atlantic City) 14. She said, "I'm sorry, son, but no one by that name lives here anymore." (My Father's House) 15. Tell me now, baby, is he good to you? And can he do to you the things that I do? (I'm On Fire) 16. There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me. (Dancing in the Dark) 17. He'd tousle my hair and say 'son take a good look around, this is your hometown.' (My Hometown) 18. Well there's another dance. All you gotta do is say yes. (Tougher than the Rest) 19. We'll fill this house with all the love. (All That Heaven Will Allow) 20. Man meets woman and they fall in love. But the house is haunted and the ride gets rough. (Tunnel of Love) 21. I just can't see what a woman like you is doing with me. (Brilliant Disguise) 22. With just the shirt on my back, I left and swore I'd never look back. (When You're Alone) 23. I just want to feel you in my arms. (Human Touch) 24. I love to see your hair shining in the long summer's light. (I Wish I Were Blind) 25. I'm tired of waitin' for tomorrow to come. (Better Days) 26. Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true. But you and I know what this world can do. (If I Should Fall Behind) 27. No home, no job, no peace, no rest. (The Ghost of Tom Joad) 28. Your smile girl, brings the mornin' light to my eyes. (Waiting on a Sunny Day) 29. Just an empty impression in the bed where you used to be. (Empty Sky) 30. When I look into your eyes we stand worlds apart. (Worlds Apart) 31. There's a lot of walls need tearing down. Together we could take them down one by one. (Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)) 32. I got a picture of you in my locket. I keep it close to my heart. (Mary's Place) 33. Children are asking if it's alright. Will you be in our arms tonight? (You're Missing) 34. I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me. (The Rising) 35. Now's there's tears on the pillow, darlin' where we slept. (My City's Ruins) 36. I search for the peace in your eyes but they're as empty as paradise. (Paradise) 37. She said, "Honey, how's that feel? Do you want me to go slow?" (Reno) 38. I know what it's like to have soared and come crashin' like a drunk on a bar room floor. (All the Way Home) 39. What if what you do to survive kills the things you love? (Devils & Dust) 40. The sun sets in flames as the city burns. (Last to Die) 41. Love is a power greater than death, just like the songs and stories told. (Terry's Song) 42. We reach for starlight all night long but gravity is too strong. (This Life) 43. Darling I can't stop the rain or turn your black sky blue. (What Love Can Do) 44. We laughed beneath the covers and count the wrinkles and the grays. (Kingdom of Days) 45. I can't sleep so I lay awake listenin' to the sounds of the city below. (Someday (We'll Be Together)) 46. Just stay in my bed till the morning comes. (Because the Night) 47. So keep me in your heart tonight and I'll save my love for you. (Save My Love) 48. The soft summer breeze fills her every sigh. (The Little Things (My Baby Does)) 49. I’m trudging through the dark in a world gone wrong. (Shackled and Drawn) 50. Through the mud and the beer, and the blood and the cheers, I've seen champions come and go. (Wrecking Ball) 51. Sun’s in the heavens and a new day is rising. (Rocky Ground) 52. Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and all this darkness past. (Land of Hope and Dreams) 53. The memory of your kiss tears me apart. (Down in the Hole) 54. If you find yourself staring in the abyss, hold tight to your loved ones. (This Is Your Sword) 55. I wake up in the morning just glad my boots are on. (Western Stars) 56. Left my home, left my friends, I didn't say goodbye. (Chasin' Wild Horses) 57. It feels like a hundred years since you've been near to me. (Sundown) 58. You fall in love with lonely, you end up that way. (Hello Sunshine) 59. Last night I dreamed of you, my lover. (Moonlight Motel) 60. Once I was your treasure and I saw your face in every star. (Back In Your Arms) 61. I don't care what they say, go ahead and let 'em all talk. (I Wanna Be With You) 62. Just waitin' to see you come walkin' through that door. (None but the Brave) 63. She'll let you in her house if you come knockin' late at night. (Secret Garden) 64. I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone. (Streets of Philadelphia) 65. Over these dark hills I'd walk along just to hold you in my arms. (Stray Bullet) 66. It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling outta here to win. (Thunder Road) 67. You wake me in the night to your tears falling down, come let me dry them for you. (I'll Stand By You) 68. You sit and wonder just who's gonna stop the rain. (The Ties That Bind) 69. You say you wanna be alone. You say you don't love me. (Fire) 70. She stares off alone into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born. (Racing In The Street) 71. Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode. (The Promised Land)
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Asylum || 5
Author: Randombtsprincessa
Characters: Kim Namjoon x Reader
Chapter: 01 02 03 04
The ceiling fan rotated with the same dull creak as I stared at it listlessly, my eyes drooping from the now familiar warmth provided by radiators as my small group of boys lay scattered around me.
Yoongi as usual had his eyes fully closed, body stretched out in the chair as Tae laid his head on his knee, silent for once. Even Hoseok was quiet, watching as Jimin tried to solve a Rubik’s cube, his tongue poking out cutely in concentration.
It had been a hard week.
Taehyung’s court refusal to let him out had sucked a lot out of him, what with all his family money going to waste on the lawyers. Hoseok’s drug cure always left him weak and pale for a few days and while Yoongi tried his best to appear stoic, I knew watching his young friends going through this made him feel helpless.
I caught a flash of blond hair in the corner of my eye and opened my eyes wider to see Namjoon slowly entering the room, his head dropped as he shuffled to the bookshelf again.
I raised my head a bit watching him narrowly as he shifted on his feet awkwardly, eyes trailing on the books. I frowned; hadn’t he probably already read all the books in this entire establishment already? He pushed his glasses up before looking at me. He paused for a little before shooting me a nervous smile which I returned. He was wearing the glasses again; maybe he did listen to me the last time we talked.
He returned his attention to the shelves, hands shuffling again as he shot me a look again, this time trailing over my friends. Was it me or was there a hint of wistfulness in those brown eyes?
Turning back he finally reached out and pulled out a book, then sighed before casting one final look at us and starting to walk over to a corner chair.
Did he perhaps want to sit with us?
Without another thought, I sat up straight. The motion was so sudden, it startled the others.
Hobi and Taehyung jumped and Jimin accidentally dropped his cube. Yoongi opened his eyes as Tae’s weight vanished from his side then sat up at the clack of the fallen toy. He frowned at me. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Namjoon!” I called instead of answering him and they all gaped at me, even Yoongi’s jaw dropped slightly. In the other corner, Namjoon glanced up at the call of his name, his glasses hanging low on his nose bridge.
“Yeah?” he called back.
“Come sit with us.”
Everyone stared at me.
Yoongi was sitting completely upright, and Taehyung, Hoseok and Jimin were all wide eyed and loose jawed. Even Namjoon himself looked shocked.
“…sit with you?” he asked.
“Sure, we’re all friends, right?” I asked. I looked at the others and after a few more seconds they all shrugged. “Sure, Joonie, come on over.” Yoongi said in his usual gruff voice.
It took a few moments for Namjoon to stand and walk over to us, a small smile gracing on his lips as he gave me a subtle grateful look. “Thanks, I didn’t really want to be alone.” He said.
“Don’t worry about it.” I said as he sat next to Jimin, giving them all smiles. “Hi Hyung,” he said shyly to Yoongi.
“Hey Namjoon,” he said, back in his original position as Taehyung laid his head back on the older man’s leg, watching Namjoon open his book again with a careful expression on his face. Jimin picked up his toy again, staring at it for a bit before offering it to Hoseok. The older boy took it with a fond smile as Jimin turned to look at Namjoon.
“Why don’t you sit with us more often?” he asked.
Namjoon started, his eyes looking at the boy in wonder. Naturally, it was rare Jimin asked questions. It was rare that he talked period.
“Um, I guess, I didn’t feel welcome.”
“You’re a part of our batch, why won’t you be welcome in our group? We took Y/N in.” Jimin said bluntly.
Namjoon hung his head. “I’ll sit with you from now if you want.” He offered.
“That’ll be nice.” Taehyung said finally.
I smiled. Watching Namjoon finally be inculcated into the group was strangely satisfying.
Namjoon’s inclusion in the group brought about a couple positive changes.
Yoongi now had someone to talk music with. It was amazing how much passion could be induced in creativity. It practically blazed around them.
Hobi and Taehyung smiled quicker than their usual week end. One moment, Namjoon was animatedly talking about the new book he was reading and the next moment, Tae had broken out into guffaws and Hoseok had thumped him on the back, giggling himself.
The best thing?
Jimin talked more around the older boy, almost quietly blunt around his Hyung; the way he’d told Namjoon off the first time had been shocking to witness, but now it was usual to see Yoongi, Namjoon and Jimin talking about their respective music choices.
“…and it’s a really nice thing, to see them get together like this,” I smiled, picking at the loose thread on my sweat pants as I sat cross legged on Dr. Sihyuk’s couch.
He smiled back.
“It was nice of you to invite him. He’s always so shy about making friends.” He shook his head.
“He’s helped them more than I helped him. He’s like that.” I shrugged.
“I see…is there a particular reason why you did it?” he asked.
I bit my lip, looking around the room.
“We talked…out by the trees and he just…he reminded me of Jungkook.” I said softly.
I trailed off, looking outside the window.
I smiled cheekily as Jungkook walked up to the front of the classroom. He looked uncomfortable in a starched and impeccably pressed button up and slacks, hair parted to reveal a sliver of forehead as he smiled nervously at the bunch of youngsters he was supposed to give voice coaching to.
The Music professor whose assistant he was had been stuck down with flu, leaving him red and unable to talk. Hence, now my nervous and slightly awkward best friend had been rendered into the teaching profession for the first time.
Even as I gave him thumbs up from where I was standing at the back of the room, I couldn’t help but think he looked good, even if he looked like he was going to puke. The sentiment seemed to be shared by at least half of the girls in the class, as they began to exchange coy glances with their friends. I made a point to tease him about that later but I had to cut them some slack. Jungkook’s boss was a middle aged man with a receding hairline and despite being an excellent teacher, even girls wanted eye candy once in a while and teenage boys could offer only so much.
“Hi…hi, my name is Jeon Jungkook…and I…I will be taking your batch till Professor Lee feels well enough to resume work.” He said, his breath coming out in a huff at the end and I almost – almost – laughed.
“Right…so where were you…when Mr. Lee…left you?” he asked again, casting a glance at me.
I shot him another thumbs up and he smiled gratefully before returning his attention to the class.
I grinned again before backing out to go get some work done and bring us something to drink. Knowing Jungkook, he would race me back to his apartment and be back in sweats and an oversized white shirt after today’s ordeal. At least a sweetened drink would help.
But when I opened the door, I let out a gasp of surprise.
Jungkook was sitting cross legged on the floor with all the kids in a semi circle in front of him. The benches were pushed back and he was watching as each student sang a particular line of a song.
“Now see, the harmony isn’t the point of a single person. It only comes into play when you’re singing a duet or in a group. You’re singing solo right now; think of yourself as a star.” He said and the kid in front of him, a freckly kid, blushed.
Jungkook suddenly looked up to see me and grinned.
“Well, my girl’s here. All of you, good job! We’ll meet up tomorrow and I want to see all of you be stars ok?” he patted his thighs before getting to his feet, grinning as a couple students praised him before making his way to me.
“Wow, you just went from stuttering Stanley to Grade a Professor.” I said, handing him his latte.
He chuckled, bringing the cup his lips as he surveyed the room. “I was just nervous about you hovering over me, you know. The moment you left, I felt this sense of manliness of flood me. The girls and boys were practically begging for a piece of me.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah sure, if you like being hung on a rack and ogled by teens like a piece of meat.” I said.
He swung an arm over my shoulders as we exited the classroom. “Don’t worry, Y/N, you’re still my go to.”
It wasn’t until we were driving back to his place that I told him. “You did a good job there, Kookie. Better than Lee,” I said sincerely.
He turned to look at me, his bunny teeth stretched out in a wide smile. “Yeah, you think so?”
I nodded. “Definitely, you…brought them together…like a class. Like a group…I think they need that.”
He reached out to give my hand a light squeeze; his silent way of saying he appreciated it.
“We should go out by the lake,” Hoseok said one day as we all lounged out in the grass. Our group was the only one still sitting in the sun, the other batches all migrating towards the clusters of trees dotted here and there to provide shade.
“The lake?” Yoongi asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, I haven’t seen it in such a long while. Tae misses it too. I’m sure Jimin and Namjoon do too and Y/N hasn’t even seen it.” Hoseok said.
“Yeah but…it’s nearly sundown.” Yoongi huffed.
“Fine, you stay.” Taehyung grumbled as he got to his feet, pulling me up with him.
“You’re not going without me anywhere. If one of you falls or something, my ass is going to get fried.” Yoongi snapped, hand shooting out and latching onto mine tightly.
“Oh come on, Hyung,” Namjoon stood up too. “We’ll be quick,” he said. “Please,” Jimin chimed in and we knew it was sealed.
Yoongi opened his mouth but shut it again, shrugging resignedly.
“Oh my god, it’s beautiful.” I breathed as Taehyung and Hoseok helped me climb over a small stile like hill overlooking the entire lake and the Institute’s estate.
“We found this hill our second week here. Shh, none of the other groups know about it.” Taehyung said as the rest of them clambered up too.
“This is amazing.” I said.
The lake was still, only small ripples of water from the movement of water life disturbed the water. A small dock was lined up at one side while the rest of the outlands were surrounded by woodland. It was such a serene place; no wonder this establishment was one of the finest.
“Sunsets are considered an ends to a mean, you know. A cycle of life and death…meaning the sun dies then comes back to life the next day, more beautiful and magnificent.” I heard and looked to my side to see Namjoon looking at the glowing orange globe vanishing behind the lake horizon.
“That’s…morbidly poetic.” Jimin said.
“No, it’s beautiful. We never lose anything. It always comes back to us some way or another.”
Namjoon turned to look straight at me and I swallowed, feeling pinpricks behind my eyes as tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.
As I looked as the small group of people who’d brought me to the lake, I realized he was right.
There was a part of Jungkook in each and every one of them. I may have lost him, but I still had his essence, his spirit, in different forms in these five boys. I hadn’t lost him completely.
That really was beautiful.
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tube thoughts vol. 8
zero stars - terrible, 1/2 a star - dull, 1 star - folly, 1 1/2 stars - lacking, 2 stars - fair, 2 1/2 stars - decent, 3 stars - terrific
Kroll Show: Gigolo H-O-R-S-E *"Horse not whores."* 2 1/2 stars
Cinematic Titanic: "The Wasp Woman" a Roger Corman flick *"Anaphylactic schlock."* close to 3 stars with riffing 2 stars without
Max Headroom: Grossberg's Return *MTV Rocks the Vote for Hillary Clinton by getting its viewers to tune out and tune in to The Jersey Shore / Real World.* 2 1/2 stars
Blind Date (Deluxe Edition) *Raunchy reality show uncensored material and bloopers from the early 2000s. It's strange to see just how much the fashions have changed. That California douchebag & slut 'look' is a real time capsule (1998? - 2004?) of guilty pleasure to gawk at.* 2 1/2 stars
Swamp Thing: The Watcher *Redneck androids and a test tube Alice in Wonderland un-birthday.* 3 stars
Branson Famous: The Brangelina of Branson *In a town that's stuck in a rhinestone americana timewarp, a family of big haired and big belt buckle entertainers step all over each other in pointy boots in order to be the shining star in a fading industry of entertaining a dwindling crowd of retiree tourists.* 2 stars
==== My Big Redneck Family: Redneck Wedding
*Tater salad turned bad, but the "Shamepain" still tastes good, I guess.
Tom Arnold is giddy to host a reality show that's structured and shot like a sitcom similar to Modern Family.
The presentation isn't half bad, but it's the same lowest common denominator behavior for the camera and those tired, cliche confessionals that all reality shows are required to have.
At least Branson Famous is original in its confessionals which are tacky singing confessionals that turn into sing offs.
Also, I want to know how theme weddings like 'Redneck Weddings' are still considered to be traditional.
Sorry, queers, ya'll are weird, but cut off shorts, beer cans on the front row, and written vows about picking up tighty whiteys covered in trail marks so that the wife doesn't have to is considered a sacred ceremony.* sodomy or skidmarks I vote skid
2 stars
=============================================================
Newsreaders: How Sausage Is Made *A sausage making factory is turned into one of those pretentious millenials start up companies with a hilariously loose atmosphere, and it's visited and documented by a parody of one of those hipster nerd website's sexy cosplay chick who's one of those tries way too hard to be all about nerd culture wannabes. Also, Stevie, from Eastbound & Down, plays a lottery winner whose newly overly rich lifestyle makes him easy to despise.* 2 stars
X Files: Genderbender *The close knit community of Aphrodite and androgyne.* 3 stars
Hippies: Sexy Hippies *"I'm free. Nothin' worryin' me." Except for the fact that being a male, I think about sex every six seconds.* close to 3 stars
Impractical Jokers: Welcome to Miami *Beached Mer-man struggles in the sand for jelly donuts and an alligator is forced to wear a backpack.* between 2 and 2 1/2 stars
Jonny Quest: The Calcutta Adventure *Jolly Jolly Hadji* 3 stars
Son of the Beach: Fanny and the Professor *"Touch my mouth, Louise!" Heatwave haywire.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Rinse Dream presents "Party Doll A Go-GO #2" (1991) *Jungle boogie sock-it-to-me shin-dig squeal flick.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Freddy's Nightmares: Love Stinks --------------
*Nookie with no strings attached because Freddy cut them.* 3 stars
*Re-Animator as a yuppie pizza shop cannibal.* 3 stars
----------------------------------------------
"Meatballs Part 2" (1985) *PG rated sex comedy with E.T. and Pee Wee Herman.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Tales from the Crypt: The Man Who Was Death *After his state overturns the death penalty, unemployed electric chair technician William Sadler takes his executioner's blues to the street.* 3 stars
Morton Downey Jr.: Child Abuse *Mort shows off his devilishly red socks and lets people pour their hearts out about that once dirty secret of the family that has come more to light in recent years as something not to hide.* 3 stars
"The Town That Dreaded Sundown" (2014) *Three different time periods entwined into a true crime homage to drive-in slasher movies like Friday the 13th part 2. It's not perfect, but it's prettier than a postcard with red eye gravy spilled over it. Did I say postcard? I meant porkchop. A porkchop with red eye gravy spilled over it. Well, maybe not that pretty. Porkchop, mmm.* close to 3 stars
From Dusk Till Dawn, the series: Pilot Episode *Aztecs, snakes, Geckos, demons, Texas Rangers, Mexican cartels, and last of all 21 year old white chicks (how and why did they escape so easy? makes little sense.).* between 2 and 2 1/2 and stars
Rifftrax presents "Terror At Tenkiller" *"More like timefiller at Tenkiller." Pointless small talk, routine walking and driving, mundane lake activity, creepy jerks, generic background music, plus slight instances of side-boob.* 3 stars with riffing 1 1/2 stars without
Tim & Eric - Bedtime Stories: Baby *The true horror is seeing Tim & Eric amuse themselves by getting odd looking middle-aged men to perform absurd fetish acts. Dr. Steve Brule's manchild cousin Jordan gets scammed by Tim & Eric, and Roseanne's Laurie Metcalf makes a show stealing cameo.* 2 stars
Finding Bigfoot: Paranormal Squatchtivity *Bobo, Ranae, and the other two dingbats travel to some isolated farms and woods in Pennsylvania that look straight out of Night of the Living Dead. They're searching not just for bigfoot, this time, but boo bumps in the night. They also make a sacrificial offer to the bigfoot by dumping bloody guts and powdered donut dust on a rock.* 1 star for the spook and squatch stuff 2 1/2 stars for the natural lighting, non-nightvision, picturesque shots of rural Pennsylvania
Are You Afraid of the Dark?: The Tale of the Lonely Ghost *An early 90s mallrat Tiffany look-a-like bullies her "zeeb" cousin and nanny and meangirls clique until an encounter with a ghost girl from a mirror world.* 3 stars
Gargoyles: Long Way To Morning *gumption versus grouse* 3 stars
Farscape: A Human Reaction *Chricton returns home and finds out he no longer has one.* 3 stars minus maybe 1/2 a star for the twist
Wizards and Warriors: The Kidnap *Black magic and royal blood should never mix.* 3 stars
Friday the 13th, the series: Root Of All Evil *Exchanging currency for blood.* 3 stars
"The Granny" a film by Luca Bercovici (1995) *Stinking rich Stella Stevens has one foot on a banana peel and is pushed into the grave by the greedy inheritors of her wealthy will. An elixir, with a set of instructions similar to the handling of Gremlins, turns her into an Evil Dead inspired demon bitch. It's up to her mousey granddaughter, played by Shannon Whirry (who struggles to hide how sexy she typically is), to send her back to Hell.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Hill Street Blues: Up In Arms *Citizens against crime. Battlefield lovers. Troublemakers on the 6 o'clock news. Criminal turned Christian. Nude model and her ferocious dog of a man. Corrupt cop killed by razor wielding hooker.* 3 stars
------- Black History Month -- Non-Wayans Scary Movie -------------------
"Tales from the Hood" (1995)
*Welcome to my Mortuary: Some homeboys make a pick up of alleyway discovered drugs at a spooky funeral home ran by an eccentric mortician.* 2 1/2 stars
*Rogue Cop Revelation: Wings Hauser and some other pig cops go Rodney King on a political agitator while Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" plays as the soundtrack. Exactly one year later, the zombified martyr gets revenge.* 3 stars
*Boys Do Get Bruised: David Alan Grier as an extremely convincing and scary abusive stepfather.* close to 3 stars
*KKK Comeuppance: Voodoo dolls terrorize a racist politician at a cursed plantation. I couldn't help but laugh thinking of those Lil' Penny Hardaway doll commercials from the 90s.* 2 1/2 stars
*Hard Core Convert: A murderous gangbanger won't repent when a Maya Angelou type puts him through Clockwork Orange style therapy torture to get him to see he's killing his own kind in the same way white society lynched his ancestors. It does pose the question of whether it's strictly his fault, but I'm not sure if Spike Lee and others involved aren't suggesting that young black men should use violence on whites instead. There's a lot of venom and hatred and propaganda in this piece. Maybe rightfully so, maybe not.* either zero stars or close to 3 stars
*Mr. Simms: A Mexican standoff Day of the Dead style between the homeboys and the mortician who turns out to be Satan. Welcome to 90's terrible CGI hell, muthafuckas!* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
-------------------------------
Red Shoe Diaries: Just Like That *A cute receptionist, who likes to love it up in an elevator, tries to have it both ways with a rich French guy and a pre-Friends slumming it on softcore late night cable Matt LeBlanc.* close to 3 stars
Hannibal: Ceuf *"Norman Rockwell with a bullet." Hannibal Lecter with a daughter. Molly Shannon with a screw loose (not much of a stretch).* 3 stars
--- Duck Dynasty: Bathroom Baloney
*Outhouse racing, because "SOUTHERN!"
We used to not have indoor plumbing, ya'll.
It's pathetic what A & E will go to in order to justify an hour of tv filled with the stupid nonsense these jerks say.
It's all about those advertising dollars, and we morons who give them views.
They're supposed to be down to earth folk and manly men, but the one called Willie acts like he's never used a grill or stove, like most of his audience would have had to in their lives, when he burns his fingers and squeals like a girl as he ineptly cooks balogna.
Balogna, a cheap and overly processed lunchmeat that has been a part of the diet of that America that they're so quick to latch onto, but most of this millionaire family turns their nose up at the idea of having to eat.
Duck Dynasty, a brand and a family that sell their garbage merchandise at a company (Wal-Mart) that ripped the heart, balls, and innards (all that would go into balogna) out of American smalltown business folk and replaced it with cheap Chinese manufactured goods and sent jobs overseas so that Duck Dynasty's main audience would have to be poor and eat balogna.
Sing it with me, for the land of the freeee and we used to live in caves...*
running from zero to 1 star
==================================================================
Weird Science: Airball Kings *Gary got game.* 3 stars
15 Storeys High: Ice Queen *God gave us gas.* close to 3 stars
Game of Thrones: season 3 episode 8 *Lambs seeing the dagger.* 3 stars
"Here Comes The Devil" (2012) *The Kids Aren't Alright after a truckstop Picnic At Hanging Rock.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars or 1 1/2 stars for the awkward and amateurish dubbing. The English speaking voice actors are so bland that they drain the passion out of the Spanish actors' performances.
American Horror Story: Asylum "The Name Game" *Rare birds Roche limit.* 3 stars or 1 star for the Glee style musical number
American Horror Story: Coven "The Axeman Cometh" *Ouija (weegee) and all that j-a-z-z.* 3 stars
"House of Dreams" an adult film by Andrew Blake (1990) *Splooge on the foot of a model wearing expensive high heels in one of those new age architectured Malibu beach mansions captured by an expensive perfume high-art pretentious photographer while a Pure Moods cd plays on a thousand dollar plus stereo system.* 2 1/2 stars
----- Black History Month -- Genre Crossover Bad Movie ------------
Cinematic Titanic presents "East Meets Watts" *"Fact: drugs IS comin' into the ghett-toe." but so IS "Rock 'em sock 'em mofos." And "You can tell by the clothes that they're wearing, that it's a fine line between Kung Fu & Disco."* 3 stars with riffing between 1 1/2 and 2 stars without
-----------------------
The Prisoner: Many Happy Returns *Number 6 becomes The Omega Man, Castaway, Bourne, The Fugitive, Top Gun, and then Total Recall'd.* 3 stars
Richard Linklater's "Waking Life" (2001) *"Let's have a *in quotes* Holy Moment."* either close to 2 1/2 stars if you're open to interesting thinking about life or 1 star if you're annoyed by pretentious people talking out of their ass about philosophy...
Bob and Margaret: Love's Labours Lost *Bob pines over his snotty secretary.* close to 3 stars
Northern Exposure: Soapy Sanderson *"Singing your own song," even if it's a murder ballad.* 3 stars
Fargo: A Muddy Road *Orthodox spiders.* 3 stars
X Files: Lazarus *Scully's old flame is shot and smolders out, at the same time as his Clyde Barrow type suspect suffers the same fate. The suspect's spirit snakes into Scully's flame's body and goes on the hunt for his Bonnie.* close to 3 stars
"The Taking Of Deborah Logan" (2014) *The Exorcism of Martha Stewart. Wow, a found footage flick with mostly sympathetic characters, an actual story, creepy scares, and somewhat decent editing.* close to 3 stars minus 1/2 a star for the vomit vision shaking cam finale. I don't know why this generation has such a hard-on for found footage. It doesn't make fiction more realistic, it just makes it more painful to try to watch.
Stephen King's "Kingdom Hospital": season 1 episode 8 *We didn't start the fire.* 3 stars
"Inferno" a film by Dario Argento (1980) *Like a cat on hot bricks.* 2 1/2 stars
Manimal: Night of the Scorpion *Caper in the Caribbean.* 3 stars
Rifftrax presents "R.O.T.O.R." *Imagine Alex Murphy replaced by Jeff Foxworthy.* 3 stars with riffing 2 stars without
Thundarr the Barbarian: City of Evil *Civilization ends in 1994, and a world of sci fi and fantasy emerges. So, it's like Mike Judge meets Jack Kirby.* 3 stars
The Outer Limits: The Voice Of Reason *A paranoid paranormal conspiracy theorist gets a closed door intelligence session with govt officials, where he shows off alien events from the first season of the new outer limits.* close to 2 1/2 stars
Son of the Beach: Eat My Muffin *Luke Skywalker as "Divine" Rod.* 3 stars
Everything Is Terrible -------------------
2 Minute Slaughterhouse Rock: "Death ain't shit. Impress me." - 2 1/2 stars
3 Minute Mankillers: "Ladies, and I use that term loosely." Acting, and I use that term loosely. - 3 stars
Pregnant Men!: "I rolled over and went back to sleep." - 3 stars
Out of the Wild: Teddy bears and Werner Herzog. - close to 3 stars
Ninja Magic Dragon Kid!: "Do you know Don 'The Dragon' Wilson?" Well, he's barely in this, but there's this 12 year old who does karate... - 3 stars
-----------------------
The Ben Stiller Show: season 1 episode 1 *Bono for breakfast. Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk, and others help make this one of the best, and sadly forgotten, sketch shows of all time.* 3 stars
--- Black History Month -- Social Justice zombie classic with commentary ----
Rifftrax presents George Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead" *Apocalypse and Arby's.* 3 plus stars with riffing 3 stars without
---------------------
American Gothic: Meet the Beetles *Sheriff Buck versus Bruce Campbell.* 3 stars
The Greatest American Hero: Here's Looking At You, Kid *Vanishing act with top secret space age equipment. Vanishing act, when it comes time to meet the girlfriend's parents.* close to 3 stars
---- Black History Month --- Social Satire movie ---
"CSA - The Confederate States of America" *Slavery, for an economically strong and stable society.* either zero stars or 3 stars
----------
American Horror Story: Freakshow "Show Stoppers" *Cooped up rage.* 2 1/2 stars
American Horror Story: Freakshow "Curtain Call" *This series whimpers to a close like a sad gypsy's fart or a tired hobo's bugle.* between 2 and 2 1/2 stars
Forever Knight: Dark Knight part 1 & 2 *Highlander meets the dawn of Seattle grunge meets Kolchak, the Night Stalker meets MTV's The Maxx.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Tales from the Crypt: Dig That Cat... He's Real Gone *"Dying for dollars." A death defying Houdini act where death isn't actually defied.* 3 stars
"Bad Girls" (1994) *Casserole western. At least Geena Davis isn't the lead.* between 2 and 2 1/2 stars
--- Everything Is Terrible ----
Camel Club Network: Joe Camel in tha nightclub. - 3 stars
You're A Hypocrite!: Grumpy theology getting off point and no fun. - 1 star
Watch the Jello Wiggle!: Thirty somethings determine the Teen Set. - 3 stars
Y'Know: No, I don't know, evangelical and or motivational white lady. - 2 1/2 stars
Truth or Dare: A deadly game for unstable yuppies.* 3 stars
--------
Are You Afraid of the Dark?: The Tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice *Canadian junior high kids go "goth" over a Babylonian snake god.* 2 1/2 stars
--- Black History Month -- Prejudice Philosophy flick ---
Sam Fuller's "White Dog" (1982) *"Cure or kill the sickness."* either zero or 3 stars
---------
Morton Downey Jr.: Communism *Loudmouths, intelligence agents, government (U.S. & the U.S.S.R.) sponsored military groups in 3rd world hot-spots, and last of all "TRAITORS!"* 1 star
12:01 Beyond: Illegal Aliens ---------
*A man and his dog, living alone in the desert, are abducted by a ufo. that or the dog is an alien or becomes an alien?* close to 3 stars
*VHS quality trailer for the new War of the Worlds (not Spielberg / Cruise).* 3 stars
*TV rip promo for CBS showing of Sigourney Weaver in ALIENS.* 3 stars
*Mr. Lobo rambles about ancient alien conspiracy theories while an alien fires a electricity blaster behind him.* 3 stars
*Famous Studios' Superman in "Showdown": Superman framed with impostor.* 3 stars
*VHS quality rip trailer for the movie Hangar 18.* 3 stars
*TV quality rip for "Magic" 92 FM radio "The Superstar Space Cruiser" of radio stations playing classic rock albums.* 3 stars
*'The Tony Tomato Show' presents Heil Hipster performing in a Weezer 'Buddy Holly' esque music video.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
*VHS quality rip trailer for "Moon Trap." Killer lunar robots and Bruce Campbell.* 3 stars
*TV quality rip for an 1980s NYC Manhattan comic convention featuring a lot of classic Sci-Fi alien comic books.* 3 stars
*Ninja the Mission Force - Citizen Ninja: No rest for the Ninja. Not even a playground picnic.* close to 3 stars
*TV / VHS quality neon lazer graphics advertisement for Rochester's 95FM BBF.* 3 stars
*TV/VHS quality rip for an old 80s DR. Pepper commercial where a cowboy walks into a space bar cantina filled with alien puppetry creatures and orders a tall one. That is a Dr. Pepper.* 3 stars
*The "Saint of Insomniacs" Mr. Lobo sits by a Tesla type machine and greets a scary looking alien creature who is into probing.* 3 stars
*(feature movie) Cannon films presents - "Alien Contamination": Explosive xenomorph eggs, and a cyclops tentacle creature, in an exploitation flick.* 2 1/2 stars
*Vintage UHF tv advertisement for channel 6 XETV promoting 5, count 'em 5, classic episodes of the original Star Trek tv series.* 3 stars
*Vintage Fox tv affiliate WPGH channel 53 and its promotion of Alien Nation, the series' upcoming episode.* 3 star
*Vintage tv commercial for the OMNI sci fi "fact and fiction" magazine.* 3 stars
*Republic Pictures serial The Crimson Ghost in The Laughing Skull: Heavy water has leaks.* 2 1/2 stars
*Mr. Lobo may have been probed and payed 20 dollars for it.* 2 1/2 stars
*Grindhouse trailer for the flying frisbee alien leeches flick "It Came Without Warning."* 3 stars
*TV/VHS rip quality commercial for Diet Dr. Pepper featuring a Will Forte look alike living in a Raising Arizona / Joe Bob Briggs style trailer park with his sweetie and having a close encounter.* close to 3 stars
*Zolar X - Timeless (music video): The Ramones meets Mork & Mindy.* 2 1/2 stars
*Thumb Snatchers from the Moon Coccoon: Stop motion short about opposable thumb hatin' robot aliens and a Texas cow munching cowboy sheriff squaring off.* close to 3 stars
------------------
Cinematic Titanic: The Alien Factor *"Pissing Skittles."* 2 1/2 stars with riffing 1 star without
Everything is Terrible ----
*The Stinger: Pontiac feels that modern car concepts should be "wacky," "funky," filled with useless gadgets, and cost 2 million dollars to create.* close to 3 stars
*The Old New Age!: Puffy clouds and PBS philosophy / aesthetics / tunes.* 3 stars
*That Doll Looks Like Your Daughter!: Wholesome, loving, lifeless, and that uncanny valley...* 3 stars
*Reppies Agenda Revealed: Let's make a rainbow and do the electric slide, all for the glory of our New World Order overlords.* 2 1/2 stars
*Bully Bustin': "Sometimes, you gotta smack somebody."* 3 stars
-----------
USA Up All Night with host Rhonda Shear presents "Porky's 2" ----
*Win a piece of Rhonda's horrible (looks fingerpainted) artwork. Ha.* 3 stars
*Rhonda laments the flow of her particular pink piece of artwork.* close to 3 stars
*An operatic Korbel champagne commercial showing picturesque American life. yeah, maybe if you're drunk on Korbel.* 2 stars
*Turtle Wax magic and science to help shine your convertible using "science and magic." Available at K-Mart.* 2 1/2 stars
*Hurry to Sears for a 3 day paint sale.* 2 stars
*1 800 Collect will help you save on collect calls and it somehow helps a generic fake Yankee baseball player rob a homerun "Whatta save!"* close to 2 1/2 stars
*"Before Arnold, before Stallone, there was Skywalker." USA is showing the original Star Wars 8 / 7 central.* 3 stars
*Rhonda daydreams about 1950s romantic lifestyles and compares it to the 90s where she can't get a date, because all the guys are on dates with each other. Then, she reads fan mail about how much sexual energy she puts into her paintings, then she gives that painting away to said horny fan.* 3 stars
*Rhonda makes fun of male pushups in Porky's 2 as being "safe sex" and she shows off a horribly drawn portrait of her house with dog poop on the lawn.* 3 stars
*Rhonda cools off with a Snapple in a cheaply produced Snapple promo.* 2 1/2 stars
*Bluesy 90s slickly produced Greyhound bus travel commercial. I've taken a Greyhound bus trip. It's nowhere near this glamorous. It stinks, actually.* 2 1/2 stars
*The host of MTV Sports (whose name escapes me) is with Arnold in a Burger King BK TeeVee advertisement for the Summer of 93's biggest blockbuster "Last Action Hero."* close to 3 stars
*While a mom does some home repair, a toddler has a horrible gasoline accident and is shown in the hospital burn unit covered in bandages in one of those awful scary as shit PSA announcements from back in the day.* 3 stars
*GNC the authority on getting musclehead gym rats hooked on supplement taking pill addictions.* 2 star
*"Ever been curious about Hollywood girls?" Well, these babes dance luridly on the hosed down concrete floor of a large suburban downtown flat while dressed in leather and 60s biker hats in this phone sex 1 900 950 WILD commercial.* 3 stars
*Next is yet another phone sex commercial with girls looking straight out of Beverly Hills 90210. Wowza.* 3 stars
*Rhonda shows a classic "cut scene" from the Wizard of Oz "Suck my wand!" that just happens to have made it into Porky's 2. And Rhonda reads another fan letter in it which she continues to win over the hearts and views of fans for her offbeat sense of humor.* 3 stars
*Rhonda makes fishy faces with her self portrait.* close to 3 stars
*Then a hypnotic bumper with Rhonda twirling against a starlit background while wearing a one piece swimsuit / aerobics outfits. Wowza.* 3 stars
*never park your car without the CLUB anti-auto-theft device, especially if you live in a Texas Mexico bordertown. Ha. Whatever happened to those? I guess thieves figured out a way around the device.* 2 1/2 stars
*Beautiful, portrait pretty mornings begin at 8, that is Super 8 motel, and that is also if you're a yuppie business man driving around the backcountry (what business is there out there?) with a cup of steaming hot coffee on top of your Ford Taurus rental car.* 2 1/2 stars
*Murphy Brown is smart, right? I mean... she does have her own witty tv sitcom... and she is spokeswomanperson for SPRINT long distance in this big budget commercial with 90s quirky aesthetics featuring the tops of bald mens' heads with cartoon floating graphics and a thinktank lab with a huge brain in a robotic device... huh?* 2 1/2 stars
*"What could be worse than the cost of a yeast infection? How about the cost of curing it?" Femcare for the cheap lady with downstairs troubles. Wow, did women really skip feminine healthcare because of high cost? Glad I was too young to experience the joys of a woman back then.* 2 1/2 stars for weirdness
*A leading zooologist explains the difference between sparkling polar bears (ones who ice skate in a skirt) and sparkling rootbeer cream soda A & W rootbeer.* 3 stars
*After a terrorist strikes... Silk Stalkings on USA.* close to 3 stars
*Sean Connery is a space cowboy... high noon in outerspace... Outland on USA.* 3 stars
*Rhonda's factoid of the week: close to 3 million gallons of oil produced in America, almost enough to style Jerry Lewis's hair.* 2 stars
*No touch tire care in a can really frustrates blue collar motorheads.* 2 stars
*"There's nothing worse than a foul smelling pair of shoes?" Wait, what about yeast infections? Odor Eaters knocks the skunk right out (literally) of a pair of old men's dress shoes.* 3 stars
*Tri Star pictures presents Weekend at Bernies 2, starting July 9th, 1993.* 3 stars
*"Even the best need attention, know what I mean?" So says a blonde skank on a cheap looking phone sex advertisement.* 2 1/2 stars
*Sluts "love sharing secrets" on another phone sex ad. Now, they just share selfies and butt in mirror photos on twitter / instagram and it doesn't cost 3 dollars a minute.* 2 1/2 stars
*Patty and her orangutan pal Roger try little Caesar's pizza and spaghetti.* 3 stars
*Tough actin' Tinactin for CGI fungal fires on the feet of jocks.* 2 stars
*"America's hot new number, 1 800 Collect." they've even replaced the Hollywood sign with a 1 800 Collect Sign. Boy, will they feel dumb, when they realize no one uses collect calls anymore. Everyone has a wireless plan. Dumb, 1993, get with the times, already.* 2 stars
*Rhonda gives away a foot sculpture to a female fan wanting it for her husband's office. I guess her husband, Al, has a foot fetish.* 2 stars
*Live & Loud Ozzy's new album straight from his 92 tour available at Record Town and Tape World.* 2 1/2 stars
*30 something moms in party cowboy hats use Suave miracle anti-perspirant to survive their rowdy munchkin kids' birthday parties.* 2 1/2 stars
*Nintendo's Kirby comes from Dreamland to the real world to prove that he's "One Tough Cream Puff" in an awesomely animated into live action commercial.* 3 stars
*"It's never too late for an intimate phone adventure." So, dude, bro, pick up your oversized cordless house phone with the extra long antenna and dial up some horny chicks for only 3 bucks a minute, man.* 3 stars
*Rhonda hangs out with her Bart Simpson doll and shows off her "Bart art".* 3 stars
*Models, on a beach, have lips that need protection from the sun's harsh rays. So, they use Blistex. But, they probably should get out of the sun, because they all look so dark that they probably have skin cancer already.* 2 stars
*"Continuous Action Formula!" soft & dri super solid lady deoderant will have the fellas fawning over any high class city chick.* 3 stars
*A sign language lady uses conceal and heal wart remover.* 2 1/2 stars
*"If you use gasoline the wrong way, your dreams will go up and smoke." Your kids will die as it's put in another scary gasoline fire PSA. Was there this huge problem with misuse of gasoline back in the 80s and 90s? Sheesh!* 3 STARS
*A soft saxophone, a tropical window scene with flowing curtains in the wind, and a creepy narrator on camera, in a white tuxedo, let's us know about Eve and her need to forget, which she can't do, on EDEN coming to USA....* close to 3 stars
*Rhonda is sad to say that Robert DeNiro isn't in Porky's.* 2 stars
*Rhonda really doesn't like Porky's 2 and recommends that if you wanna watch Porky's 3, then rent Porky's 1 and change the number.* 2 1/2 stars
*And finally to get to the actual film presentation... for this chopped and censored to the point of little coherency comedy...* between 1 1/2 and 2 stars
---------------
Son of the Beach: Miso Honei *Pink beam at Point Break.* 2 1/2 stars
--- Black History Month -- Inter-racial Adult Art Film --
Dark Bros. presents "Black Throat" *A dumbass honky, a new-wave negro pimp, and a trash-talkin' plastic rat go on the hunt for an expert fellatio hoe named "Madame Mambo."* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
--------
From Dusk Till Dawn: Blood Runs Thick *The original was a good movie, but it could have used a 14 year old girl's i-phone conversation with her boyfriend, an unintentionally funny fist fight between the Gecko brothers, rice-milk refreshment breaks, and cute pink bunny accessories to remind one of just how sweet having a daughter can be... oh, also Fez, from That 70s Show, dressed up like Kool Moe D in Wild Wild West.* 2 stars
Kung Fu: An Eye For An Eye *A woman's right to choose death. Honestly, however, a thoughtful commentary on revenge.* 3 stars
The Walking Dead: What Happened.... *Swing low, sweet chariot.* 3 stars
Everything is Terrible -----
*Aerobic Self Defense: Don't be a victim, attack from the rear.* 3 stars
*Time to get it on, T. Bone: Sidney Party Yeah Uh... or however you spell and pronounce Sidney Pottier.* close to 3 stars
*Tax Day!: I'm not sayin' that we should be anarchists, I'm just sayin' we should commit anarchy.* 3 stars
*Oldies vs. Hippies!: The early bird gets stoned.* close to 3 stars
*Mark of the beast: Government is evil, ignore the patriotic background music. Worldly goods are fleeting, seek salvation, and send us your money.* 3 stars
---------
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Painted Hills *Chewin' the scenery with Lassie.* 3 stars with riffing 2 stars without
--- Black History Month -- Black Cowboy Cinema ---
Fred Williamson in "Joshua" (1976) *Who is Joshua? to quote Joshua, "I'm my mother's son." Some bandits make the mistake of shooting his mama, in the back, before Joshua can reunite with her after the Civil War.* 2 1/2 stars
--------------
William Friedkin's "Sorcerer" (1977) *No futuro without risk.* 3 stars
"Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992) *Close the deal, you expletive-expletive-expletive...* 3 stars
X Files: Young At Heart *The curious case of Spooky Mulder.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
The Ben Stiller Show: Season 1 episode 2 *20 so years later, and Nick Kroll has almost the exact same show.* 2 1/2 stars
Everything is Terrible ----
*Learn to Fly: self levitate the expert way.* close to 2 1/2 stars
*Hunks Hunks Hunks!: "Smell the protein in this room."* either 1 star or close to 3 stars
*Here's How!: to be a show off.* 2 stars
*Greatest Song Ever Sung: Kathie Lee cares about the kids of genocide. Well, just kids in general, they sure are cute. Fuck adults in need, they're not as cute. Jesus was a kid too ya know. He was cute, too. "Like one of us," as a kid, but way cuter.* either zero stars or 2 1/2 stars
*4 Minute - The Alien Agenda - Endangered Species: Vote for Pedro for president of the X Files fan club.* 3 stars
----------
Viper: Ghosts *Reformed criminals, the paralyzed, holograms, and future cars -more than meets the eye.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
"John Wick" (2014) *"Everything has a price," but good action / fight choreography and a dead wife's puppy are priceless.* 3 stars
Hannibal: Coquilles *About as much fun as a tumor.* zero stars
American Horror Story: Coven "The Dead" *Satisfaction.* 2 1/2 stars
Black Sails: Season 1 episode 3 *Ship without a captain.* close to 2 1/2 stars
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Magic Voyage of Sinbad *"There goes a stupid, stupid man." Fake Sinbad, the father of modern socialism.* close to 2 stars with riffing between 1/2 and 1 star without
Rinse Dream presents "Cafe Flesh" (1982) *"A tableau of desire in decline." The perfect mindfuck Dear John paranoid love letter from the dawn of the AIDS-HIV era to the end of the 'Free Love' era.* 3 stars
True Detective: Who Goes There? *She done gone. Tyrone. Drugged out, deep cover.* 3 stars
Crossballs, the debate show: Reality TV No Survivors *"They fall in love in a hot tub, just like us."* 3 stars
Channel 4 in the U.K. presents Ban This Filth: episode 1 *Prudish, old ladies -the purveyors and "haters" (a term that I despise) of perverted behavior.* close to 3 stars
David Fincher's "Gone Girl" (2014) *An ode to the psychotic climate of hysteria caused by media jackals like Nancy Grace.* 3 stars
The Ben Stiller Show: season 1 episode 3 *To boldly go where Bruce Springsteen has never gone before.* 2 1/2 stars
Justified: season 1 episode 3 *"Seems like everyone here is from someplace else."* close to 3 stars
Swamp Thing: The Hunt *A rolling stone gathers some moss.* close to 2 1/2 stars
"Johnny Dangerously" *An exciting age of criminality.* 3 stars
Everything is Terrible ----
*Dana Carvey Is Rolling Over In His Grave: Have mercy, Church Lady.* 2 1/2 stars
*Creep Scientist Fantasy Karaoke: "It's nice to remember." Just don't make it weird.* close to 3 stars
*Cookin' Up Profits!: Elderly ladies are pie baking and financial experts.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
*Christian Puppets Are Selfish: Share everything, including yourself, with stuffed animal puppets of the faith.* 2 1/2 stars
*BEV!: "She'll kill us." during our middle aged lady step aerobic workout.* 3 stars
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Thundarr the Barbarian: Last Train To Doomsday *Can't keep a Gemini wizard under wraps. Plus, 1960s Marvel comic books become an instructional handbook for sorcery weirdos of the post-apocalypse.* 3 stars
Weird Science: Party High USA *School curriculum for those willing to stay stupid or hoping to become scumbags.* 2 1/2 stars
Max Headroom: Dream Thieves *In an age where people trade their dreams for dreams, Swamp Thing's Arcane is also an old friend / rival of Edison Carter.* 3 stars
"A Scanner Darkly" (2006) *We're all trying to escape, and we're all unknowingly being observed while trying. That's when we're unwittingly put to uses.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Night Stand with Dick Dietrick--- (1996)
*Fashion VIctims - Lowering High Fashion Standards: Getting heavy with emaciated models.* close to 2 1/2 stars for the topic's performance 3 stars for Timothy Stack's jokes
*Secret Lives... Exposing Ourselves: Hot For Teacher - A teacher moonlights as a porn star. "Say it loud, I'm practically black and I'm proud." - A light skinned black man is shocked to discover that he's half black and not Italian. The Perfect Mom & Dad turn out to be Dad & Mom* close to 3 stars
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Mortal Kombat - Legacy: Jax, Sonya, and Kano *TEST YOUR MIGHT at the Ace Chemicals / Skynet factory.* 3 stars
Freddy's Nightmares: Safe Sex ----
*A picky dweeb's Satanic attraction and death by wet dream.* 3 stars
*An outcast chick's obsession with Freddy goes too far.* 3 stars
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American Horror Story: Murder House "Smoldering Children" *Familial putridity.* close to 3 stars
X Files: E.B.E. *Piss up an Idian rope trick. There's an 18 wheeler causing alien confusion as it travels a shadowy path across America.* 3 stars
From Dusk Till Dawn, the series: Mistress *Harbingers, whore offerings, and head-shrinking.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Banshee: season 1 episode 1 *A raccoon running from a rabbit. A -just out of prison- thief steals the identity of a deceased new sheriff to a Walking Tall type backwoods corrupt town.* 3 stars
American Horror Story: Coven "The Sacred Taking" *Thrill rides, terminal goodbyes, two way roads, and tingles of the cooch.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Red Shoe Diaries: Another Woman's Lipstick *Girl in guy drag and a David Lynch inspired striptease.* 3 stars
---- Valentine's Three Way Movie Feature ---
John Cassavetes in "Incubus" (1982) *Try a little tenderness. Try a little cursed bestiality.* 3 stars
Paul Verhoeven's "Basic Instinct" (1992) *Torrid 90s trash revisited.* either 1 star or close to 2 1/2 stars
Michael Ninn's "Fade to Blue" *Get 'yer kicks on Route 66. It's a stylized xxx religious experience.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
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Werner Herzog's "Lessons of Darkness" (1992) *Scorched earth war disgrace, the Book of Revelation, and fossil fuel drudgery, danger, madness -all from an alien perspective.* 3 stars
Stephen King's "Storm of the Century" (mini-series) *Born in sin, the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore, come on in.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Fargo: Eating the Blame *Greenbacks, grasshoppers, gospel, and the gristle of a riddle.* 3 stars
"Winter People" (1988) *Milk, honey, and time a flowin.' Kurt Russell plays against type as a gentle clockmaker / Ichabod Crane type in a Hatfields & McCoys style hillbilly period piece.* between 2 and 2 1/2 stars
Cinematic Titanic: Legacy of Blood *"Tijuana snuff films are more wholesome."* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars with riffing close to 2 stars without riffing
Son of the Beach: South of Her Border *Labia & Johnson. Erik Estrada & Marsha Brady.* close to 3 stars (despite all the stale bean fart jokes, it manages to be funny)
Northern Exposure: Dreams, Schemes, and Putting Greens *"Wine 'em, dine 'em, stick 'em with the tab." ... or leave 'em standing in the rain at the 18th hole... or leave 'em standing at the altar singing showtunes.* 3 stars
Everything Is Terrible ----
Freedom Song: Show us yer tits fer freedom.* 3 stars
Fiddlin' With My...: Would you rather be in Branson with Shoji or would you rather be a mule?* 3 stars
Dreaming of Foxy Boxing: That cloud looks like a cat fight.* close to 3 stars
Dinner With The Abortionists!: "Ask your wife." quoting a slimeball abortion performing doctor.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
The Lottery Guru!: Hint, hint, you'll never win the lottery. Hint, hint, invest in firearms.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
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Night Stand with Dick Dietrick ---
Illegal Aliens Star Search: Immigrant talent show for the prize of a green card.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars (3 plus stars for the Phil Hartman cameo)
Hooked on Hookers: Sexy Social Outrage.* close to 3 stars
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Crossballs, the debate show: American Driving, Carmageddon *Defensive drivers on the defensive against aggressive comedians.* 3 stars
"Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" (1991) *"Come on and take a free ride." - John the Baptist $T.M.$ If they make this movie for the millenial generation, it will be called 'Rob Dyrdek and the Starbucks Person,' and it will pack a limp wristed punch.* 2 1/2 stars
Hill Street Blues: Your Kind, My Kind, Humankind *Being true to one's self and the team.* 3 stars
The Walking Dead: Them *A deathdream last episode and now this episode has an exhaustion zombie fight, a pack of wild dogs, worm eating & dog eating, mysterious note and a gift of water at the point of dehydration, a backroad tornado out of nowhere, solace in a shack in the middle of nowhere, and a zombie siege on the shack that seemed to spell the end of everyone in the group (which turns out to be a dream? or did they all just die?). This second half of the season is taking a turn into surreal southern gothic.* 3 stars
"In Cold Blood" (1967) *The point in modern America where we all took a dreaded detour into a conscience of indifferent malice that we've been driving on ever since.* 3 stars
"Nightcrawler" (2014) *Hollywood really wants us to sympathize with their paparazzi plight. A success driven psycho is nihilistic about bringing skid row sensationalism to the Southern California suburban news market.* close to 3 stars
The Ben Stiller Show: Season 1 Episode 4 *Melrose changes people. Ben finds out this when Andy Dick turns into a hipster bitch on the back of a biker dyke's harley.* 3 stars
--- Black History Month --- Cultural Cliches Comedy ----
Melvin and Mario Van Peebles present "Identity Crisis" (1989) *Gianni Versace is my homeboy. Rest in peace, my gay nigga.* close to 2 stars
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Ban This Filth: episode 2 *"I would rather live in a vast, treeless desert without filth."* 2 1/2 stars
Hippies: Hippy Dippy Hippies *"Painting the house of ideas, shit brown," like a pig would.* 3 stars
"The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue" a Gerard Damiano xxx film (1980) *In the future, in the ruins of a space age commune, survivors hump, day & night, like bunny astronauts. They have this calculator connected to the future internet, and surprise the internet is mostly for sex, where they can dial up and beam up "satisfiers" to fulfill their every sexual need. But is it enough?* 2 1/2 stars
Farscape: Through The Looking Glass *3, 5, prime. Red, yellow, blue. Dizzy, loud, and funny too.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Wizards and Warriors: The Rescue *"I wouldn't want to fight a dragon that I could see, let alone an invisible dragon." Yeah, that's right, an invisible dragon.* 3 stars
Cinematic Titanic: Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks *"It's like Clint Howard and Gentle Ben had a kid, and he's choking me!" It's also like Eegah! meets The Sinful Dwarf.* 3 stars with riffing between 2 and 2 1/2 stars without
American Horror Story: Asylum "Spilt Milk" *Nursing a grudge.* close to 3 stars
"The Babysitter's Club Video #1 Mary Anne and the Brunettes" (1990) *Scholastic and craptastic. Mommy / gossip / relationship training for young chicks who can't even get their darn ears pierced. Weird to see so many kids and zero adults in this Charlie Brown / Children of the Corn town.* 1 star
Jr. Christian Science Vol. 1 *One of Tim & Eric's weirdo friends hosts an early 90s public access educational children's show. A chore to sit through, but almost worth it for the moments where he loses his cool when the production doesn't go exactly his way, and it features some of the most awkward singing and puppetry ever combined.* 1 star
Mortal Kombat - Legacy: Johnny Cage *True Hollywood story, death of the action star.* 2 1/2 stars
"Constantine" (2005) *Keanu Reeves as a wanker. Shy LePoof as a hardnosed cabbie sidekick. Tilda Swinton in guy drag. Hollywood knows what comic fans want. They want their beloved characters americanized and the movie version to be filled with techno music and cgi in every single shot.* between 2 and 2 1/2 stars
From Dusk Till Dawn, the series: Let's Get Ramblin' *Soul cleansing, soul redeeming, power in the blood.* between 2 1/2 and 3 stars
Forever Knight: for I have Sinned *and sat in judgement.* close to 3 stars
"Exorcist 2: The Heretic" (1977) *Plight of the white wing dove. Not enough mood or scares, and too much of all of the following: pseudo science astral projection / mental flashbacks, jazz tap dance, big over the top special fx, traversing the globe, and Linda Blair vanity project / poor acting. James Earl Jones, Louise Fletcher, and Richard BUrton are great, though.* between 1 1/2 and 2 stars
Hannibal: Entree *"A bunch of psychopaths helping each other out."* 3 stars
American Horror Story: Coven "Head" *Proudly marching to the guillotine of perdition.* 3 stars
"Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror" (1981) *Eye-Talian style maggot-filled weapon-wielding zombies laying siege on a gothic mansion. Gore filled disembowling deaths, shot gun blasts to zombie skulls, smashing / chopping zombies / people to bits, and titty chewing. Gloriously over the top dubbing. And lastly a "child" or dwarf(?) actor that makes Bud Cort look normal.* 3 stars
Tales from the Crypt: Only Sin Deep *Pretty woman on loan from the pawn shop.* 3 stars
The Walking Dead: The Distance *Rick Grimes, the most justifiably paranoid man on the planet of the undead, will watch gay love, from the shadows, just to make sure someone's intentions are legit.* close to 3 stars
"Sticks and Stones" (1996) *Another of those generic mid-1990s coming of age / the dangers of handguns in a family home / absentee parents (too busy being a doctor more than a mom Kirstie Alley) / abusive white trash parents (father of the main bully) / dealing with school bullies and also brothers who are bullies too (Zack from Saved by the Bell. *barf* on both accounts) and the bullied (a young and pudgy Seth Rogen, you would think but the kid's name is Max Goldblatt along with his bully tackling overprotective daddy played by Gary Busey), complete with that wholesome Americana past-time of baseball as a connecting theme for this sentimental tripe.* either 1/2 a star or close to 2 stars
--- Black History Month --- Bon Voyage Film Feature ---
"Trippin" (1996) *A young brutha and perpetual slacker, during his senior year in highschool, is constantly escaping reality into his fantasies that often feature fly booty honeys.* 2 1/2 stars
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#kroll show#cinematic titanic#max headroom#blind date#swamp thing#branson famous#my big redneck family#newsreaders#x files#simon pegg hippies#impractical jokers#johnny quest#son of the beach#freddy's nightmares#meatballs part 2#tales from the crypt#morton downey jr#the town that dreaded sundown#from dustk till dawn#rifftrax#finding bigfoot#are you afraid of the dark#gargoyles#farscape#friday the 13th the series#the granny 1995#luca bercovici#hill street blues#scary movie#wayans
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i have absolutely no billy muse recently so here’s a long-winded messy lyrical breakdown on why wake up by eden will always be my go-to billy kaplan song until the day i die.
for starters let me mention that the actual music and sound of this song is so billy kaplan that it physically hurts me. it starts off pretty slow paced and sort of soft and it’s really pretty fitting to him considering he’s got this whole internal self-doubt about himself from the get-go. it’s really kind of saddening to match it up with that side that he tends to bury? at least the way i chose to write him. like it’s his own problem and his own thing to deal with, but he doesn’t exactly know how other than to pace himself through it. but lets get lyrical with this too.
[Verse 1] 'Cos we've been driving so long I can't remember how we got here Or how we survived so long Out trying to run from our pride 'Till you set fire to my atmosphere And I remember I would spend the 23rd Feeling six feet under When I'm 30,000 feet in the air Chasing that sundown So far east I'm westbound Feeling like the edge of this world is near
gonna start off saying that the young avengers signed up to be super heroes and turned into LITERAL SOLDIERS, be it through things like the civil war or loss or their own personal struggles with things. they lasted a good couple of years and they broke apart more than once, they shifted and changed through thick and thin and really had a thousand more struggles than kids should have had. they all grew older and they all went through a ton of different problems. but even though they broke and they disbanded and they all went somewhere else eventually, they kind of always did out-do themselves and their expectations. they tried really hard to be superheroes. and they always got there at the end of it.
talking specifically about billy now though, he’s been dealing with his growing mental anguish for while by this point. but he’s a teenager, and like a teenager he’s got his coping mechanisms. one of them of course being to not cope, to not deal, as unhealthy as that is for him. he does a lot for a teenager with the ability to contort reality. dude’s got no limits to what he can do, he could fix a thousand problems if he wanted to, easily, magically. but HE doesn’t think so, he doesn’t FEEL like that. a lot of the time he feels useless, feels like he can’t do anything right, feels at fault ( and fair enough he’s caused a lot of trouble, he’s a firebrand like that ).
[Pre-Chorus] But you'll feel better when you wake up Swear to god I'll make up Everything and more when I get back someday This is more than just a phase, love Shooting stars all break up And even though it seems like half the world away Things will be better in America Heard the streets are gold there Maybe I could fly you out this place someday Chasing dreams like I'm on Novocaine Screaming through your airwaves Looking back I almost thought I heard you say
so even with things that surround him, friends, accomplishments, good things that should help him, it’s not going to suddenly change how his head works. it doesn’t work that way, there’s no magical cure where he can go outside more or do a hobby. he tries, he does these things. but it takes time, it takes patience. he’s trying to learn that. he’s said it himself that it’s a process. he’s dealing with it. trying to be better, trying to improve himself, his magic, who he is and how he feels. it’s the goal and it’s hard. but it’s not impossible, and he’s going to have good and bad days. he gets that too.
[Chorus] Stay, you're not gonna leave me This place is right where you need to be And why your words gotta mean so much to them And they mean nothing to me? So stay, you're not what you're hearing 'Cause I've been watching you changing And who said you're one in a million Anyway?
this might seem a little weird but the chorus puts me more in mind of teddy than it does billy. or at least teddy’s perception of him and his self-improvement. if you wanna get really specific, ‘why your words gotta mean so much to them and they mean nothing to me?’, billy’s a magic user entirely by thought and spoken word. there’s a LOT he can do, a lot he doesn’t KNOW he can do, and vol 2 had billy and teddy questioning the reality of their entire relationship, and then overcoming that. teddy tells him he doesn’t care if loki lied, their love is genuine and it doesn’t matter what it’s built off of, be it magic or fate or whatever other force in the word there is. it doesn’t matter, because it’s them, and they love each other regardless.
i’m gonna ramble about billy’s demiurge existence again because it’s one of my favourite topics for him. i don’t write him as the type of person who’ll willingly open up about this, i don’t think he actually speaks with teddy about it either. but that’s a tell in itself. he won’t mention it, he won’t be up for that conversation. teddy knows how billy feels about himself, they try to work through these things together, but this? a subject on lockdown that won’t be touched without backlash or ignorance? teddy is the prince of understanding and care. he’s the best boyfriend, absolutely, and i think he would be just desperate to help billy with this part of himself he can’t accept. he knows billy is improving as a person, trying to, but this is huge, this is massive, maybe he doesn’t need it right now, not with how he’s trying to better himself at the moment, and that’s fine. he’ll get there. teddy will be willing to hear him out on it when he feels he can do it. until then...
[Verse 2] 'Cause you see only what you want to Your tunnel vision owns you And you can't see what's wrong When you keep sleeping through the PM Eyes wide open when you're dreaming You’re sleepwalking, just keep talking Maybe you can talk your way out of this deep end No B-plan in your system Just tell me what you're thinking I'm scared that you might fall But you're not But you're not
i write billy with a sort of disassociation on being the demiurge, or anything of that much importance. he’ll deny this entire conversation if it comes up, won’t be able to keep up with it, it’s too hard, too big of a subject, he’s just him and he’s a mess as it is. he can’t be something that grand. he can’t be. and that’s a problem that he’s burying away for another day. maybe if he doesn’t acknowledge it, it goes away. it WON’T, but maybe it will. this entire section of the song makes me consider billy’s push and push against this reality builder inside of him, his ignorance, his skepticism. it’s dangerous to both him and all reality that he doesn’t want to think about it, doesn’t want it to exist. if he keeps going like this, things are going to go wrong, very wrong, it’s not something he can ignore for the rest of his life. he thinks he can just push this away and ignore it but he CAN’T. this part of the song sounds so DESPERATE as well, so harsh, it’s panicky, it’s fast paced, you can hear every fast inhale before a lyric and it’s so perfectly fitting to billy’s emotions on the subject. it panics him, it freaks him out so much that he can’t even put himself and the demiurge in the same situation and think they’re the same thing. it’s too much and too fast and he can’t deal with that at the time.
[Pre-Chorus] And you'll feel better when you wake up Taking off your makeup Sun always seems to wash our fears away And it's always shining somewhere I just gotta get there And even though it seems like half the world away Things are better in America Heard the streets are gold there Maybe I could fly you out this place someday Chasing dreams like I'm on Novocaine Screaming through your airwaves Looking back I almost thought I heard you say
again though, he’s not all doom and gloom, for what he’s thinking on improving right now, it’s a start,and a start is SO important, so meaningful. for every pretend smile he plasters on for a bad day, he’s got a real one over some funny joke tommy made or a sassy comment from kate. he’s trying his best day by day. and that’s good, even just for now.
[Chorus] Stay, you're not gonna leave me This place is right where you need to be And why your words gotta mean so much to them And they mean nothing to me? So stay, you're not what you're hearing 'Cause I've been watching you changing And who said you're one in a million?
basically again, a sort of view on teddy’s behalf, but -
[Bridge] You’re so much better than that You’re so much better than that You’re so much better than that You’re so much better than that Stay, you're not what you're hearing 'Cause I've been watching you changing And who said you're one in a million anyway?
isn’t that just entirely like teddy to see such perfection in a train-wreck like billy kaplan? even when he’s this magical being, the son of the scarlet witch, the creator of reality itself, teddy would still see him as a thousand times more than that. billy will never love himself as much as teddy loves him, he’ll never see himself that well, that good, but teddy will look at this boy and see every star under his skin and every galaxy in the corner of his eyes. love-struck, really, with a mess, but such a wonderful mess, someone who tries so hard despite it all.
[Outro] And you'll feel better when you wake up Swear to God, I'll make up Everything and more when I get back someday Chasing dreams like I'm on Novocaine Screaming through your airwaves Looking back I almost thought I heard you say You're so much better than that
little less on the outro considering it’s the same as before, but again the tune of the song changes here. it BURSTS into this big orchestra, going from something soft and careful into this big explosion like it’s just UNLEASHED something all at once, i think of billy’s inner galaxies getting out, that magic, that POWER in him. is billy the most powerful character in the marvel universe?? maybe?? who knows, i don’t know marvel as much as i should. but this whole section of the song just implodes power and noise. it’s billy in a nutshell too, he’s this being who can literally tear down walls of universe upon universe and re-make them if he felt like it. all under the skin of this uncertain young boy. i dunno how else to say it other than this is the billy kaplan, the wiccan, the demiurge, that there needs to be for a thriving future. it’s almighty and it’s a climax. it’s perfect, what’s really inside of him.
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Some of the biggest turning points in my life are directly related to the aftermath of car accidents.
The fact there is more than one occasion should be a loud scream out to the universe that I’ve had more than my fair share, and could the car karma Gods please give me a pass?
Maybe the fact I’m able to type this is a pass within and of itself. Now, before you judge my driving skills let me state, here and now, not a single one was ever my fault in any way.
But I digress… turning points.
When I was 16 a truck slammed into my ’81 silver Firebird while I was stopped at a red light and totaled it. I don’t know what I mourned most, the wreak of such a rad car, or the ability to move my neck and back properly anyone whilst in the prime of my youth.
After many dr appointments they put me in PT. Over the months that I went I became friendly with a few of the employees. One of which gave the best medical massages I’ve ever had in my life. I totally forget her name now, and that’s strange considering how much she changed me. I want to say Lisa, or Laura, but honestly it could be Shelia or Karry. I really have no clue.
So, here is this chick, we’ll call her Lisa and she had to be like maaaaybe 20, 21 tops. For whatever reason she decided to take me under her wing and teach me about dance music. Now mind you, I’m a teen in the mid-90s in deep southern Florida. So we’re talking Miami Bass, Breakbeats, Drum and Bass, Jungle, and a wee bit of Techno (never did like Techno too much)
Prior to this I was more of a Wu Tang, Outkast, Bad Religion, The Toasters, Dance Hall Crashers, Sublime kinda girl. Basically anything you’d find a skater/surfer of the 90’s listening to on any given day. But anyway, one day Lisa invited me over to spend the night. I remember I was sick, strep throat or something and had a fever. But for some reason my mom said yes. (now that I’m a mom and in my 30’s I don’t understand why a. my mom let me sleep at my physical trainer’s home and b. why a 20something girl was inviting me over for a sleepover)
Maybe she wanted to open up my eyes. So, Mom drops me off, with assurances that we will just sit around, watch movies, whatevs and if I get sicker she’d come and get me. Soon as Mom dips Lisa decides to play dress up with me. Mind you to this point jeans and tees were my day to day, but she put me in this short flowy skirt and knee-high black and white stripped socks and gave me a beer. Then her brother, the manager of the PT clinic showed up and we all had another beer and then she says, “Ready to have your mind blown?”
So, of course I said, “Sure. Why not.”
We piled into her car and drove down to Fort Lauderdale to a club called The Edge. After midnight The Edge turned into a 2 story club for ravers. Not the kind coated in candy and plur, although there were some there too, but the majority were bass heads. Oh, could they dance. I fell in love with breakdancing from the moment I walked in the door. I stood and watched them all night.
Every once in awhile Lisa would bring me a drink and then wander off to dance and do her own thing. I ended up seeing a few kids from school, we talked. I stood. I watched. My toes tapped to the beat. That was it.
Lisa brought me back with the sun rising in the sky. My heart was full. I never went out with her again as far as I can remember. Never wore skirts out dancing again either. I always was a jeans and sneakers kinda girl.
I did however start going to every underground party I could find. Wednesday-Sunday afternoon from the time I was 16 until I was 21 I danced from sundown to sun up.
I remember the first time I danced the whole night away. My sister and best friends were with me. The music was so sick that night and unlike all the other nights up until this point I didn’t care what other people thought I would look like. I just danced like no one was watching. For hours. Until sunrise.
When we got home we slept like the dead and when I woke up I literally couldn’t walk correctly for 2 whole days. That’s how hard I danced. I couldn’t walk. For 2 days straight.
After that my body became conditioned. I learned more and more, and I became this entirely new creature. I would walk into a club or party with my head held high and a tilt to my chin. I knew I was the shit. I had so much confidence it dripped off me with every step. I’d never felt like that in my life. Not once. But I did then. And it felt AWESOME!
It truly changed me. I can’t say for the better. I cannot honestly say that my life changed for the better when Lisa introduced me to that culture. There are many many things that go hand in hand with that lifestyle that could have killed me. That did kill many many of my friends. We were all too young to know so many dead people.
I’m still too young to know so many dead people.
The music though. And the dance. Oh, the dancing. I’ve never felt so free, so real, so absolutely, positively, me. I belonged. I belonged to the night. To the rhythm. I belonged to the dance.
I hope everyone gets to experience that feeling at least once in their life. Find that moment when you lift your head so high with pride and happiness that you almost touch the sky.
Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like had my mom said no. Or if Lisa had just looked at me like I was some punk kid, which I was. But I’m thankful. Even with all of the tragedies born of an era and a culture where the parties lasted for days and the kids played hard.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to dance like no one was watching until I believed in myself to dance like everyone was watching, because I wanted them to, Lisa. I made some of the best friends I’ll ever know from coast to coast through my love of dancing. And for that I’ll always be grateful. Wish I could remember your name.
I really don’t know where I’m going with this. Just putting it out into the universe. One of my life-long dancer buddies, and bff passed less than 2 weeks ago and so I suppose I’ve been reminiscing a lot about the past lately and once again coming to terms with how fragile life truly is.
I’ve become so stagnant I forgot how to dance. I went to a Zumba class this week and it hurt. Every step hurt so bad and there were so many moves my broken, worn-down body couldn’t do no matter how hard I tried. (remember the multiple accident thing? Yes, well, the most recent one really destroyed my body, but that’s another story)
But through the pain I smiled. Because I remembered the first night I ever danced and how God-awfully sore I was in the following days. And it brought me back and reminded me that the pain is worth it. It might take a long time till I can walk into a room with my head up, full of ego and swag and think I’m the shit again, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to try my hardest.
One day I’m going to dance again.
This is my promise. I aim to keep it. And the whole damn world better watch when I do.
Dance like No ones watching Some of the biggest turning points in my life are directly related to the aftermath of car accidents.
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