#no one got hurt at all or anything it was all just extremely tedious & confusing bc none of the conductors rly knew what was going on

[rpfisfine]

god punished me for hitting the bricks & quitting uni early today: my train made the trolley wire on the train tracks collapse somewhere in a field about 40 km from my hometown & trapped us there for abt 45 mins. then we had to wait for the firemen to get there and cut the electrical wires & get us all out of the train. after that i rode w 7 other ppl in the back of the rescue van to the train station in the nearest town from where we all took like a replacement train to our destination & my dad still had to drive me home & im sooooo tired good lord im never skipping my lectures again ive learned my lesson

[stxrvel]

the outbreak: extra (1.5)

summary: you had a word with bucky on your way to your last mission.

pairing: bucky barnes x f!reader

words: +2.5k

warnings: some bad words and slight angst.

note: hey! this wasn't planned but i wanted to add something else to the story that was surely missing. i hadn't thought about the self destructive behaviors we normalize in our daily lives and sometimes that is reflected in what we write. this conversation was something i had envisioned but hadn't seen possible, but i decided to finish it and post it after a whole day of reflection. this talk was perhaps VERY specific, but i've had conversations like this with my friends, so i hope you understand what i am trying to visualize. you can read it before or after part 2! the feedback is always appreciated! thank u for reading.

part 1

Clint was extremely quiet and curiously attentive. As you prepared everything to enter the Quinjet, you shared a silent moment that was uncharacteristic of him. Generally, he would begin a pleasant and seemingly normal chat, until he would start jabbing at you with his off-hand comments and jokes about anything that came to mind.

The Clint Barton who was with you in the armory room was not your typical Clint. You began to wonder what would have happened to keep him so quiet when you saw out of the corner of your eye that Bucky entered the room.

He hadn't been able to convince Fury to send Steve in his place on the mission, and during that week you had seen him only once, about twenty yards away. You wanted to pretend (as usual) that things hadn't broken down between the two of you. That that argument had never happened and that Bucky had never found out about the real thoughts going around in your head. That everything was just running its normal course and you still considered yourselves co-workers, at least.

But it was just you playing pretend.

Bucky walked past you, grabbed the weapons he needed, the razors and knives he handled so well, a couple of grenades that he carefully stowed in the loop of his suitcase and headed for the exit without a single glance at anyone.

Clint had his back to you, but you could feel his body tense, so still you could barely tell he was breathing, as if moving between you would set off a bomb or something.

“The Quinjet is ready,” Bucky exclaimed as he stopped in front of the door. “Don't be long.”

And he got out without further ado.

The mood didn't change later, when Bucky was piloting the Quinjet having a chance to leave it on automatic and Clint was sitting with you in the back of the ship, as far away from you as possible. You watched his figure in front of you and how he sent you wary glances from time to time. The situation was becoming tedious.

You knew you were pretending not to know what was going on. You were pretending that no one felt the tension that formed when you and Bucky were in the same room, mostly being emitted from your body because the man was like a big ice cube. It was the indifference you had seen so much of him direct at other people, especially those he didn't trust, and you never thought it would be directed at you. It hurt more than you could imagine.

So for that reason you preferred to just keep the image in your head of everything that had happened before that fateful day. Maybe your mind thought it would be easier to deal with the rejection that way, because you did know it would happen, and it had taken time for the moment to arrive, but when it finally had it swept in and took everything with it, leaving you just taking it all in in the deep silence.

When the Quinjet came to a stop at its destination, Bucky walked back between you and Clint to head for the rear ramp of the ship. He quietly grabbed his things and stepped out.

Clint had moved to unbuckle his seat belt when you felt the need to ask the question. You moved to mimic the man in front of you.

“Why are you acting like that?”

“Like what?” Clint turned to look at you in confusion, his brow furrowed, when he had fully risen.

You watched his figure begin to move toward the front of the Quinjet and felt everything inside you strangely stir.

“As if you were afraid someone would suddenly start burning up next to you.”

“Not true.”

You turned to look at the man with an ingrown eyebrow, and Clint only gave you a look of complete naivety as he sat down in front of the ship's controls. You walked over to where you had left your backpack and began putting away the few things you were going to need.

“You're too tense.”

Clint clicked his tongue. His body slumped over the big chair and he shifted his feet on the floor until he was facing you.

“It's just… being around you two is too uncomfortable. In and of itself just seeing Bucky these past few days is scary.”

You frowned as you moved your hands inside your backpack. You picked up one of the pocketknives Natasha had given you, with rose embroidery on the black handle. You saw out of the corner of your eye the pistol you had been given as equipment to use in case of emergencies, and you hesitated whether or not to take it.

“Why is it uncomfortable?”

You heard the man let out a laugh before answering. “Are you kidding me? The atmosphere is so tense that I could jump in the air and get caught in an invisible mesh.”

“Of course not. There's no discomfort at all. We're fine,” you repeated your mantra with an assurance that surprised you.

You took the gun in your hands after observing it for several minutes and felt its weight between your fingers, as if telling a story you didn't want to know. Will you carry it with you or…?

“You seem to have repeated that to yourself too many times to believe it. Cute.”

“It is what it is.”

Clint sighed and watched you carefully. Your gaze on the gun did not allow you to see him examine your figure for a while, and you barely noticed the silence that formed between the two of you. Clint, then, remembered something.

“Do you really think no one heard the argument you two had last week?”

You raised your head. You went blank. You let the gun drop into the backpack again and furrowed your brow, followed by closing it and putting it back where you had initially left it. You watched Clint warily, his serious face giving you to understand that he wasn't playing with you.

“The walls aren't that thick.”

You couldn't help but simply not answer him for several seconds because what were you going to say to him? You couldn't go back to saying that everything was fine between you and Bucky because clearly everyone now knew you had something and that an angry Bucky doesn't listen to any excuses and is unkind in that state.

That explained a lot about the sneaky looks you sometimes felt when you walked around the Complex and the therapist's card Steve had accidentally left at the foot of your bedroom door.

You saw Clint again with the face of someone caught red-handed, and at the same time you felt vulnerable because under no circumstances would that possibility have crossed your mind.

Would Bucky even know?

“Can you pretend with me?”

The man sighed, but seeing your agonized expression he agreed.

And then you had to go out to meet Bucky.

You had landed about a kilometer from the distance of the target, which was a small house in an abandoned industrial town. With the information gathered, you had been able to learn the nearest location of the target within some of the houses that were within a fifty meter radius from the center of the town. Clint, already in charge of the Quinjet, would leave to supervise from the height that everything was in order, and give air support if necessary.

Bucky was a few meters away from the Quinjet, his things arranged in their respective places and with his binoculars he observed the town from his position.

“It looks desolate,” you couldn't help but comment to break the choking silence.

The man hummed in response a nod and lowered the binoculars to pass them to you without turning to look at you.

“Look east from the center. It's the only house that has light.”

You took the object he offered you careful not to brush against his skin, and promptly used them to peer into the distance. In the center of the village there was a fountain that served as a traffic circle to connect the main roads. Looking to the east, even though it was daylight, you could notice electricity highlighting one of the houses.

“It could be the target.”

“Or a trap.”

You lowered the binoculars.

“Do you have to be so gloomy?”

Bucky gave you the first look of the day. His eyes were not rough and his expression was not coarse like the few times you had seen him before, he seemed a little calmer than before, but you tried not to raise your hopes thinking that clearly the man had to maintain professionalism during the mission. And you had to do the same. Starting by stopping over-analyzing him.

He looked like he wanted to answer you, or say something else, but he just turned around and started walking towards the path that led to the village.

You definitely wanted to say something, even though you also wanted to remain professional, because you didn't want to spend the next fifteen or twenty minutes in stony silence and with your thoughts being the only thing that answered the questions in your head.

Instinctively, you kept thinking that you still had that kind of relationship with Bucky. Like you'd ask him a question about anything and he'd answer trivially and then you'd tell him something super curious about the sky and the trees and he'd listen like he was being told the truths of the universe.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Why did everything have to have been complicated like this?

You walked through the dry grass and stones, enduring the silence for several minutes. Every time you looked up to see the town, you felt it receding instead of coming closer. Bucky's body in front of you moved easily through the grass, almost as if he were levitating through nature.

Again, you felt that itch in your mouth with the urge to say something to fill the silence, but your mind suppressed your body's instincts. You hated it when routines disappeared, especially when they involved people who were important to you. You didn't like the sense of loss that came with the truth and that you had thought that by that point you would be more than used to it, but it seemed you had only fooled yourself.

You did it before and you were doing it then. Some things just wouldn't change.

You were seriously thinking about starting to talk to the trees when you heard his voice:

“I'm sorry.”

What?

“What?”

Bucky sighed, and after a few seconds you thought he wouldn't speak again and that he had only, unlike you, let his impulses win the battle, until you heard him again:

“I regret how I acted the last time we spoke.”

His words left you perplexed. You had expected anything less than to start a conversation about it, especially to apologize.

You frowned, not knowing exactly what to say. You weren't used to people showing that kind of remorse after walking away from your life. You suddenly felt uncomfortable, and feared the direction the conversation would take.

“Well, you had your reasons for being angry…”

“Yes, I had reasons to be angry, but all I did when you gave me the truth was walk away. That wasn't the right thing to do.”

“Well, what else were you going to do? If you stayed and hugged me you weren't going to solve anything. It's okay, Bucky, it's not like I was expecting you to do anything different.”

The man stopped his steps, and you would have collided with his back had you not been a safe distance away, your legs trying to match his stride, but failing miserably.

You saw his body turn in your direction with a puzzled expression. You tried to hide in the back of your mind the voice that constantly reminded you not to talk about those subjects. You didn't want to evoke those sensations that kept you religiously away from your feelings, the defensive actions of your own head trying to keep the boat of your sanity afloat. You didn't want Bucky to keep harping on the subject, but you knew he would.

“Are you saying that-?”

Bucky shut his mouth. Before he finished speaking, he pursed his lips into a line and took a deep breath. You could glimpse that he was dealing with his own thoughts at that moment.

“It's not normal, Y/N, nor good for a person to leave you like I did after telling you something with so much meaning to you. And also, that it took me this long to bring it up...”

You hummed in response. He was telling you the same thing that many other people had told you throughout your life, but you didn't know why his were causing your body to react differently. It was like having your chest spread out like the wings of a butterfly. It was such a strange sensation, so foreign to you that you were unconsciously afraid of it. You didn't want to feel it. You wanted it to go away.

“Why did you do it then?”

“Because I was an unconscious idiot. That's why.”

The man resumed his march as he finished speaking, and you had to wiggle quickly to keep up with him. You felt your head moving a thousand miles, as if it could travel a hundred times back and forth the village road without stopping for air once. You couldn't find a way out of the conversation, so you tried to beat around the bush.

“But aren't you a little hard on yourself? You're going to therapy, aren't you? You have things to deal with, too.”

“Maybe you're used to people leaving you, but that doesn't mean it's okay.”

You furrowed your brow, almost stopping your steps and watching his back. It wasn't okay for people to leave you? You'd lost count of all the times you'd asked yourself that question since you'd had the conscience to do it. You didn't want to think that the world was cruel to you, that people were mean to you, but that the world and people didn't have to deal with the shit you carried around.

The words died in your mouth when Bucky stopped again and that time you almost crashed into him.

“I didn't mean it that way. The truth is, people suck, and there will be plenty of fuckers who decide to leave rather than stay and help you grow. Maybe you met a lot of them and started to see them as normal, but that's not the case. That's not usual, much less with someone you consider your friend.”

“Friend?”

Bucky nodded in response.

“As in appreciation and respect?”

“Yes, you couldn't have defined it better.”

You saw him look away, suddenly sinking into his thoughts before resuming his march on his way into town. You followed him, that time more closely thankful that he was no longer jogging like he was in a marathon. There was a contradiction of emotions in your chest and in your head. There was a part of you that liked what Bucky said, that actually rejoiced in his response and appreciated his sincere apology; but there was another part of you that continued to disown his tokens of appreciation, that didn't want him to see you from above as if you were a little ant he could step on with his shoes.

That part of you that wanted to believe his words clashed with the part of you that didn't want to be vulnerable again.

“I was supposed to be that for you. Then I pushed you too hard, didn't know how to talk things out and also didn't know how to deal with the response I got. I was too angry, but that shouldn't have been a justification.”

“You wouldn't have gotten the information out of me any other way, you know that?”

“I don't think so.”

“You would never have gotten it. If you had stopped, I would have put up walls to keep you from ever coming near me again.”

You meant what you said, and Bucky knew you did. Suddenly, you felt as if in that moment you could deploy the walls to stop him from talking.

“I'm not justifying anything I did, Y/N, I also don't want to say that's how it was supposed to happen because I'm sure I would have found another way. If I hadn't let my emotions win…”

“Can we just let it be? I already know you're sorry and I told you everything was okay.”

“But nothing is okay.”

“Yes it is.”

“No, you're trying to avoid the subject.”

You snorted loudly. You hate it. You didn't want to be rude to him, but you were reaching a limit you could barely tolerate when dealing with such topics.

“Can you blame me? I feel like I've already exhausted all the feelings talk I could possibly have in a year.”

“It's not wrong to talk about these things…”

“And, still, I'd rather not.”

Suddenly, it was like having a rush of adrenaline running through your body. You started to move your legs quickly, and surprisingly you were able to overtake Bucky and start walking ahead of him. Although you looked as if you were not too affected by Bucky being this insistent with your feelings, you actually had your heart beating at an impressive speed. Your chest contracted with every breath and you felt a rock settling in the pit of your stomach. Suddenly it seemed that the temperature had dropped drastically and your hands were breaking out in a cold sweat. A shiver ran through your body and you felt fear at the possibility of Bucky bringing up that subject again.

“You should consider seeing Dr. Green.”

You stopped your steps. You watched Bucky walk toward you and not stop as you asked him, "How do you know about that? Did Steve tell you about the stupid card?"

The man gave you a sidelong glance.

“I gave it to him.” 

[void-time]

Zeno onsets (but like,, in real life)

TW! This post will be talking about:

canon typical violence in Zeno remake (but in real life)

psychosis/ delusional attachments

psychosis in the sense of believing you are a certain character.

I'll just be using the names irl!Aki and irl!Haru while for characters from the actual game c!Aki and c!Haru and so on..

if you are unaware of this blogs purpose and are interested, I'd suggest reading through the intro I recently posted, to avoid confusion.

______

irl!Harus onsets had begun appearing almost daily after having developed a delusional attachment to c!Haru. The first few weeks it was relatively bearable with some slightly more extreme cases.

something incredibly important to note with these onsets is that they are practically canon accurate to a T, without the obvious need for a sedative since I could either wait them out or he could get what he wants and practically be onset free for a duration of time (which technically means it's a sedative).

Now as time went on, onsets obviously started to progress more and more. The most tedious one I recall is one that lasted for approximately 6-7 hours, where at some point we even had to meet up with someone. (I obviously opted for irl!Haru to not come along knowing it would most likely end up in the other person getting hurt (they did)). The (6-7h) onset mostly consisted of irl!Haru scratching out my stomach and biting the other person (this onset happened a couple months ago, my stomach remains scarred since then as well as the other person having one or two bite marks left on them).

There was a short period of them where irl!Haru stopped having onsets, they ended up being replaced with him zoning out.

These zone outs seemed to be alright at first, seeming to be harmless and with no ill will. Until he started displaying signs of an onset in that state.

Firstly it would start off with him just squeezing me or his eyes tracking me, then it progressed to him trying to suffocate me and lastly it got to me getting bitten or choked to an almost unconscious state. one of the more horrifying factors was the fact that he'd started being able to actively chase after me in that state, opening and closing doors while actively running/sprinting after me.

I mentioned before that his zeno is practically canon accurate to a T, and that fact remains even after having had an onset. Seeing how much guilt he feels after understanding what he has done and how much harm it has brought to the ones around him can really change your perspective on,, quite a lot.. one of the earliest examples of this would be the one where he realized he was experiencing an onset, quickly turning to him feeling incredibly guilty and literally taping his mouth together out of fear of hurting someone.

After onsets we'd normally talk things out, going through what he remembers, if anything at all, what he thinks triggered the onset in to action and so on,

all together we'd found simpler ways of avoiding onsets, ones that include trying to keep him away from feeling hungry, a relatively regular intake of meat mixed with obviously other food.. pretty much just mundane things that keep him in a saner state of mind, it is important to note that sometimes these things would only help for a certain amount of time and after that he would be bound to enter a state of onset.

There were two types of onsets he'd get. In both, he would experience a need to be as close as possible to a loved one. The one I have been describing in the past paragraphs were the ones where he would rather he eat me, but there were rare occasions where the tables turned and he would be asking for me to eat him.

___

I'd be more than glad to answer questions about how onsets function since I have a hard time listing factors without having a certain prompt at hand (plus there are so many that it genuinely makes my head hurt at times), anyhow that'll be all for now, except if I like, something else to yap about idk.

I hope that whoever sees this post understands that me and irl!Haru are both psychotic and are trying to spread awareness of how harmful delusions can actually be.

Thank you for reading this far :3

[an-aura-about-you]

so who wants a friggin' life update?? under the cut because I imagine it's gonna get long and it's gonna touch on topics of hospitalization and contemplating a parent's illness and mortality.

so as if me having to go back to the office wasn't enough, I got word from my sibling that our mother went to the doctor back on like Tuesday and the doctor was like, "ok you need to go to the ER, we're calling the hospital to let them know." so she goes to the ER and she's got pneumonia. this is on top of her myriad COPD issues, but this apparently got a bit weird because she was hella confused and barely eating or drinking anything. (I have been informed this last bit matches her current dietary habits fairly well.)

and the thing about the confusion is this episode lasted over 24 hours and was severe to the point that she couldn't recognize my sibling at all. our mother's sisters checked in on all this, and both of them are registered nurses, and according to them they don't think the hospital was taking her condition seriously.

this is the same hospital that was hella dismissive about my sibling's fibromyalgia, so at this point the entire family's dunking on them.

but like, as soon as she was lucid again, the doctor was like, "ok, we're discharging her!" one of my aunts was insisting on doing some testing now based on some other symptoms she saw, but the doctor was like, "we wanna wait to let the pneumonia clear up first." and I'm over here like, "??? Shouldn't This Have Been Done During The Confusion Episode? Am I Missing Something?"

anyway, she's back at home and the advice the doctors gave her going forward is stop smoking weed and see a neurologist. which at this point is just farcical. she's been smoking pot since she was in high school and has made it clear she's not going to stop now, and she's also apparently pitching a fit about not wanting to see the neurologist my aunt recommended.

(I find it kind of funny and kind of said that this same aunt is pretty hung up on the notion of me eventually reconciling with my mother. the last time I saw her, she was trying to talk my mother up to me with zero prompting on the matter. I have no idea if she's aware of all the times my mother has apparently shit talked about her to my sibling. like, stand-up sibling behavior on my aunt's part, I guess, but she's wasting her time not because I'm not gonna come around but because my mother doesn't seem to care about her sister at all.)

but the really funny part about this whole tragicomedy is that, even if my mother is set on smoking weed and watching cable tv until she dies, she's probably not going to get either soon. we're all aware of the strikes by now, but on top of that pretty much all her regular sources of weed are gonna be cut off. marijuana is legal for medical purposes here but not for recreational use, and her medical marijuana card is about to expire. BUT with this most recent episode and official medical records firmly stating that she's not to smoke weed, it's doubtful that her doctor's gonna let her renew her card. she's cut ties with her most consistent drug dealer because he's apparently somehow out-asshole'd her. I know some other family members enjoy pot, but I have no idea who if any of them would be willing to regularly supply her with weed.

honestly, I'd say this whole thing ended on a fairly tedious note if I thought it was actually over. I'm still wondering what the fuck was up with that confusion episode. I'm pretty fucking angry about the confusion, about how her mind just gave her a clean slate for a while. word is she was extremely pleasant and agreeable in her confusion, and I'm like how dare you forget the hurt you caused. how dare you be vulnerable and unaware of the abuses you committed and, according to the family members I still speak to, continue to commit. how dare you put me in the position where I have to be the bigger person about this.

that particular thing puts me in mind of The Magnus Archives, specifically the episode The Kind Mother. that episode struck a chord with me well before this bullshit became a regular part of my life. I ended up briefly discussing the episode with my sibling because we were talking about listening to some of TMA this weekend, and they agree this episode will probably mess us both up.

and I bitch like I'm not already doing the simplest solution about this matter, which is continuing not to see or talk to her. and between this and her own bitching/reluctance about continuing to see doctors, I get the disgusting shiver of agreement that I'm not the only one who thinks things might be better if she finishes what seems like this prolonged process of dying. it seems like everybody's misery will be over when it happens. my sibling, gods love her, still has some kind of affection for our mother and doesn't know what to do with themself with all of this. Dad hasn't said much about this matter, and come to think of it I haven't seen him in person since this began, though we've spoken on the phone. and I don't even know how I'm gonna feel. the anger was kind of a surprise. not much of one. we're talking like the Fry meme: "I'm shocked! Shocked! ...well, not that shocked."

[treesnutsandleaveswrites]

Night on the Town

Pairing: The Bad Batch x Reader (Polyam)

Summary: After the mission, you all head to Coruscant to the Clone bar 79’s; part 4 to my bad batch polyam series

Warning: discussion about sex, flirting, jealousy

Word Count: 2185

A/N: Made a masterlist for my works, it's pinned on my profile

pt iii, pt v

XXXXXXX

You sat in the cockpit, reviewing the recent data you got from the mission. It was nice and quiet on the ship as you made your way back to Kamino.

“Ugh! Are there any upcoming missions?!” Wrecker groaned as he walked into the cockpit.

“Not that I’ve been notified of.” You explained. “Great! Let’s go to 79’s!”

You looked at the boys with a confused look, “79’s?”

Tech sighed, “It’s a bar on Coruscant where most of the Clone Troopers go to cool down after missions.”

“That sounds fun. We should go. Especially after this mission.” You suggested.

They all looked at each other before nodding and dispersing to other parts of the ship.

Hunter took your hand gently and led you out of the cockpit. He sat down in the main section of the ship and looked down at his hands. Wrecker settled in one of the bunks, immediately knocking out, and Crosshair was in his compartment. You looked at Hunter and sat next to him, grabbing his hands gently.

“What is it?” You whispered, so no to overstimulate his senses. He turned to you and reached to cup your face before taking a moment to look into your eyes. Worry started to pool in the pit of your stomach which Hunter could sense, so he shook his head.

“I’m alright, cyar’ika. Really…”

It was nowhere near convincing, so you moved closer and placed your lips against his. It must have felt extremely relieving to him because he sighed into your lips and pulled you onto his lap. His lips then started to trail away from yours and found the skin of your neck. Even if you have been with the batch for nearly a year now, you were still in the early stages of your relationship with all of them. The subject of intimacy and sex life never really came up due to the interruption of work. You didn’t want to stop him, but knew you couldn’t continue. You grabbed his shoulders gently before pushing him back against the back of the seat and looking at him. He was panting softly and holding your hips.

“Sorry…” He whispered.

You didn’t know what to say while caressing the tattooed side of his face. Multiple thoughts started to reel through your mind which you wanted to relay to him. You looked towards the direction of the cockpit and called out.

“Tech! How long until we’re in Coruscant’s star system?”

“An hour, maybe more! I don’t want to waste the fuel on a lightspeed jump!”

You nodded and stood, holding out your hand. Hunter took it and you pulled him into the cockpit.

“Wait here…”

You rushed out of the cockpit and stood next to Wrecker’s bunk. He always took the top bunk, so you stepped on the bottom one and held yourself up with his own.

“Wreck… darling?”

He grunted before opening his eyes, “Yes, ad'ika?”

“Can we talk in the cockpit? Wait for me there, okay?”

He grunted in response and got down when you moved from his space, going up the ladder of the shooter’s chair. You found Crosshair leaning against the wall and examining one of his blasters.

“Cross…” You whispered, which caused him to turn his head to you, “Can… can you come join us in the cockpit? I want to talk about something.”

He gave you a short nod before you moved back to the cockpit with him behind you. The other boys were talking amongst themselves, obviously confused with why you wanted to gather them together. You entered and Crosshair leaned against the wall next to the threshold. Tech offered you a seat at the front of the cockpit and the rest of them averted their attention to you. You looked down at your hands, feeling the tension grow stronger.

“I… I wanted to talk about us.”

“How so, mesh’la?”

You started to get flustered and tried not to choke on your words, “I-I know we have been together for almost a year and I wanted to talk about… um…” You felt your face start to heat up more, “Dank farrik.” You cussed quietly, causing the boys to chuckle.

“It’s alright, ad'ika. Take your time.”

You nodded and hummed, “Umm, I wanted to talk about… becoming intimate?”

The boys looked at each other, shocked by the words that just left your lips. This caused you to sigh and turn away.

“Sorry, sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything-”

“No, no, mesh’la. It’s alright.” Hunter took hold of your shoulders and crouched to meet your eyes, “We’ve… we’ve actually talked about this also.”

“You have?”

“Yes, but we were unsure how to approach you about this.” Tech admitted.

“Oh…” You sat back as Hunter stood up and looked at the others.

“We didn’t know if you preferred to talk about it individually, or if you wanted to talk as a group, but now we’re here.”

You nodded and cleared your throat, “Do… do you want me all at once or-”

“We don’t want to pressure you, ad’ika. If you want to start with us individually, you can.”

“Have you… have you done this before?”

“Well… we’ve had our share of lovers but never have shared one before you.”

You nodded, “Okay.”

“And we have been in group things with one or two brothers before, but not all of us together.”

“Ah.” You whispered, feeling smaller than before.

“And what about you, cyare?” Echo chimed, “Have you been with anyone?”

You blushed and looked down at your hands, fiddling with them nervously. It took each of them a moment before realizing what you were implying. No one really knew what to say, but then Wrecker spoke up.

“We don’t want to pressure you to choose who you’d like to... do it with first. And we’ll try not to be upset with who you choose.” Wrecker said as gently as he could. The other boys nodded and looked at you as your eyes scanned the room. Crosshair was still leaning against the wall, no change in facial or words coming from his lips. However, when you looked at him, his eyes quickly looked away. This must have meant he had something on his mind, but you weren’t going to make him tell you at the moment. You stood and looked at your lovers.

“Thank you so much for being so understanding.”

“Of course, mesh’la.”

Everyone dispersed and went back to whatever they were doing. You placed yourself in front of one of the ship’s computers and decided to look some things up. Some time passed and your eyes started to hurt from the brightness of the display. You then got up, decided to stretch your legs, and stepped on the seats to get something from the small storage compartment. As you were stepping down, a pair of hands grabbed your waist to help you. You turned once you were back on the floor and saw Crosshair. The both of you looked deeply into each other's eyes, not speaking; however, you knew he had some things to say. You gestured to the seats next to you which caused him to nod and sit with you.

“What… what do you think? Y’know, of what we discussed?”

He took a moment before speaking lowly, “I agree with the others. We won’t pressure you into choosing who you’d like to be intimate with first,” He hesitated before continuing, “I… I have had thoughts about you. About us…”

You bit your bottom lip and nodded before smiling, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to figure things out together. Luckily, we have some time off. Maybe something will happen on Coruscant…” He looked at you for a second before nodding. You kissed the corner of his lips gently then let him walk off to his compartment.

The Havoc Marauder landed in Coruscant at one of the local hangars. You held Wrecker’s hand as all of you walked out of the hangar and looked over Coruscant.

“Let’s get a car and head to 79’s.” Hunter suggested, heading to another part of the hangar. There was a small garage that let people rent out speeder bikes and other vehicles of transportation. A skiff was rented since you were a big group, and you all headed to 79’s.

You walked into the bar and looked around, seeing many clone troopers and some other different customers. Tech took your hand before leading you to a booth big enough to seat the six of you. Even if the place was mainly full of clones, it was a fairly new atmosphere for you. People were yelling, laughing, and even singing: though it wasn’t any good. It was entirely different from when the clones would spend their free time on Kamino, which was mostly for training or eating in the mess hall.

Tech stood and looked at the lot of you, “I’m going to get us a round of drinks. Your usuals, brothers?”

They nodded and then he looked to you, “Anything for you, darling?”

“Um… something not too strong, please.”

Once he went to the bar, the others sat quietly. You looked around, and recognized most of the other clones. Even if they had the same face, you can tell them apart individually from certain physical marks and mannerisms. Someone called your name from across the bar so you turned. It was Noco with a few others from his squadron. The boys groaned while rolling their eyes, which made you laugh gently before greeting him as he walked over to your table.

“I didn’t know you came here!” He grinned.

“First time. Do you come here often?”

“Of course. I’m always near the temple in case any of the jedi masters need help.”

That was one thing Noco seemed to always talk about. The Jedi. You didn’t blame his enthusiasm, but it was starting to get tedious.

“That sounds amazing, Noco. I-” You stopped when you looked over to the bar to see Tech being fondled over by some random woman, “I… just want to relax with my squadron for now. It was nice seeing you and I hope we can catch up on Kamino when we aren’t drinking.”

Noco laughed, “Of course!” He then walked back to his friends and they ordered a round of drinks. Your eyes then immediately averted back to Tech. The woman had her hands nearly everywhere and you could feel yourself start to burn a hole into her with your eyes.

“Mesh’la? What’s wrong?” Echo looked over to where you were looking, realizing why you were so distracted. He smirked and nudged Hunter. He also looked before patting Crosshair’s shoulder to relay the situation at hand. Wrecker had been busy ordering some food for you all at the other side of the bar. As you were still looking at the woman and Tech, Hunter spoke.

“Tech! Why don’t you bring your friend over!”

Your heart skipped a beat as you looked at Hunter, who sat back and shrugged, but a sly smile formed on his lips. Tech walked over with the tray of drinks and the woman by his side.

“Friends, this is Ky’ari. She lives around these parts.”

The boys shook hands with her while introducing themselves. Tech took a seat next to Crosshair and she leaned over his shoulder. You clenched your hand closed which caused your knuckles to turn almost white. Crosshair saw this and a small smirk reached his mouth.

“This is our communications officer: Lodestar.” He introduced.

“Lodestar, what a funny name.” Ky’ari smiled,

“It’s a nickname.” You managed to get out. The heat in your chest and throat started to rise and you wanted to spit venom at this woman.

“What’s an officer like you hanging around here for?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” You downed your drink, “You’re such a pretty woman, should be all over those holoboards outside.”

“I like the company.”

“Well there’s plenty of that here. And lucky you, they look the same so you don’t have to learn their names.” You shrugged, leaning back and looking at the boys, “Almost all of them have the same body and stamina anyways.”

It was Crosshair and Hunter’s turn to have sour faces due to being compared to all the regs in the bar. Wrecker made his way back with a tray full of food and laughed.

“Sorry about that! Couldn’t find my credit holder!”

The woman’s eyes lit up seeing Wrecker, but an idea popped up in your head.

“Here, Wreck, let me give you some more room. May I?” You gestured to his lap and he grinned before nodding.

You moved and gently hummed, “Well, let’s all try to have a nice night and relax.” You picked up a piece of food and popped it into your mouth.

Wrecker was enjoying the food also while the other boys looked at you. Each one of them had a hint of jealousy behind their eyes. It wasn’t long before the woman was distracted by a different clone and left all of you alone. You knew you were going to be in for a long night.

XXXXXXX

Another reminder that requests are open! You find the link to the guidelines on my Masterlist post!

[the-last-kenobi]

Most of your fics absolutely destroyed me emotionally so, on my own risk, may I request #13 “You shouldn’t be this easy to carry" with Qui-Gon and padawan Obi-Wan? Thank you!

Ohhh I’m happy to write this one! Thank you! (Always pleased to hear I’ve emotionally wrecked innocent people lol)

From this various prompts list.

_

Qui-Gon descended the ramp of his ship with something less than his usual grace, his expression was rather sour. Other than that, he looked his usual self, untidy but comfortable and serene.

He waved to the attendant heading towards the ship, and bowed to a small mechanic droid that squeaked with excitement, ran in circles around him, and then darted off after the attendant.

Qui-Gon chuckled. He paused to take a deep breath, tasting the metallic scent of Coruscant on the air, but also the warm and familiar notes of the Temple, of home. It was good to be back. Tedious diplomatic assignments that ran well overtime were nothing worth dwelling on, especially when it was done alone.

“Master Jinn!” a warm voice called.

He turned his head and saw Shaak Ti walking towards him, a smile on her lovely face with its striking colors.

“Knight Ti,” he greeted her. “How are you?”

“I’m well,” she answered. “I’m just about to depart to Alderaan; it’s a royal wedding and I’m the token Jedi invitee,” she informed him, but there was no offense in her voice. Alderaan was well known to be genuinely welcoming, and had been more than courteous in their dealings with the Order for centuries on end.

“Enjoy it,” Qui-Gon advised her. “Weddings are rarely something you’d like to miss.”

“I will,” she promised. “Oh, is your Padawan around? I was hoping to catch him when he returned, he forgot to sign off on his departure notice and was scheduled for three shifts in the crèche, which he obviously missed.”

Qui-Gon’s head tilted to one side, and he frowned.

It was obvious that Shaak Ti believed that Obi-Wan had accompanied him on his mission, which had in fact been a solo assignment. The twenty-one-year-old Padawan had remained behind for class rotations.

And Obi-Wan had never missed... well, anything. He was notoriously early for everything, beyond punctual. It was almost annoying.

Perhaps he’d finally slipped into a belated teenage fit of laziness, or he’d fallen so behind on class work that he’d forgotten about the crèche. Both would be extremely out of character, but one instance of this in nearly nine years of training could perhaps be excused.

Shaak Ti was waiting for an answer.

“I’ll talk to him,” he promised, revealing nothing. “Thank you for letting me know. I had no idea.”

She waved it off. “These things happen. You have a good student on your hands; he’s easily forgiven.”

Qui-Gon smiled.

~

The door to their quarters opened for him with a casual wave of the hand. Jedi did not lock their doors often; privacy was an understood thing, something not casually breached. No Jedi would enter another’s rooms without first asking permission.

He wasn’t sure what he expected.

Obi-Wan in the common area, reading.

Or Obi-Wan out and about, somewhere off with some of his more trouble making friends. (Quinlan Vos.)

He was not expecting to find Obi-Wan huddled in the corner of their kitchenette, half-hidden in his cloak, knees drawn up under his chin, crying.

Obi-Wan saw him enter and flinched away, shuddering.

Qui-Gon stared.

The entire scene was so unexpected, so wrong, that for a full five seconds he simply stood there, unable to process it. Obi-Wan had buried his face in his knees and was attempting to stifle his tears, seemingly by holding his breath, which was only making him shake harder.

Qui-Gon jolted out of his paralysis and stepped nearer, dropping onto one knee, sensing that looming over his Padawan was not going to help.

“Padawan?” he asked cautiously.

Obi-Wan looked up reluctantly. His face was a sickly grey; his cheeks were bright red and his blue eyes were feverish. They darted around, seeming to fix on nothing.

“Obi-Wan,” the Master tried again, warily reaching out a hand and resting it on top of one of Obi-Wan’s, clenched around his knee.

Obi-Wan took a rattling breath, more tears spilling down his cheeks. “...What... day is it...?” he gasped.

Qui-Gon’s chest tightened with something close to terror. What in all the galaxy was going on here?

“It’s the 29th,” he said gently. “Taungsday. I returned a day late from my solo mission. Do you remember that?”

Obi-Wan’s tears had increased throughout the brief speech. “Y-yes.”

“All right,” said Qui-Gon, struggling to remain as calm and patient as possible. “All right. Can you tell me what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, his expression crumbling. Suddenly he very much resembled the boy Qui-Gon had met on Bandomeer, uncertain and frightened, although even then he had not cried. This was different.

“Are you sure?” Qui-Gon pressed.

Obi-Wan nodded, strangling a loud sob by clapping one hand over his mouth. He said something, but of course it was impossible to understand behind his clamped fingers.

“What?” asked his Master.

“...so...stupid,” Obi-Wan burst out angrily through his tears. “I just... don’t feel well.”

“Don’t feel well?” Qui-Gon stared at his apprentice in confusion. “You’re sick? Obi-Wan, why didn’t you just go to the Halls?”

Obi-Wan shuddered. More tears slid down over his flushed cheeks. “I...I...I fell,” he said, sounding deeply uncertain. “I was working, and it was late, and I fell. I think I fell. I can’t walk. I can barely move. I don’t know how long it’s been—”

Qui-Gon was already moving, alarm ringing in his head like sirens. In two seconds he had Obi-Wan in his arms, cradled like a child, his head resting under Qui-Gon’s chin.

“You shouldn’t be this easy to carry,” he said tensely. “You haven’t had anything to eat or drink since you fell?”

“Some... some water,” Obi-Wan murmured. His skin was blazing hot against Qui-Gon’s, a sick and feverish heat. He had stopped crying — his tears seemed to have stemmed from a combination of confusion and shame, not pain — but he seemed on the verge of passing out. “I... I got some water... don’t remember when...”

“Stay awake,” Qui-Gon ordered. He was striding down the hallways, ignoring the few bystanders who watched them pass with bewilderment and concern. He did send a grateful nod to one young woman who raised her comm in her hand at him, asking a silent question, and at his gesture raised it to her lips and murmured ‘Tell the Healers that Master Jinn is bringing in his Padawan. Have someone ready.’

Obi-Wan murmured something vague.

“Stay awake,” insisted Qui-Gon. “Don’t fall asleep.”

Obi-Wan moaned but nodded, forcing his eyes to stay open. “I...I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” The words came out harsh and insincere in Qui-Gon’s urgency, and he realized it, because he dropped a swift kiss to the top of the fevered head in apology. Obi-Wan relaxed ever so slightly.

They arrived in the Halls of Healing and were immediately received by a Healer and his apprentice, who had Obi-Wan safely tucked in a bed and monitored in less than two minutes. Obi-Wan had closed his eyes against the bright light and seemed in danger of falling asleep again.

“Stay awake just a little longer, Padawan Kenobi,” the Healer instructed kindly. “I’m fairly sure of your diagnosis but I have to be more certain before I can administer treatment. Then you can sleep.”

“Yes, Healer,” rasped the young man.

Qui-Gon watched from the wall, his hands tucked deep in his sleeves to hide how they trembled. The shock of the last quarter hour was setting in, and he scrambled to keep his wits about him, worried about what this diagnosis might be. He still remembered Obi-Wan’s confusion about the day, his bewildered tears, and that memory was not going to be going away anytime soon.

He had been far too light in his arms.

Just how long had Obi-Wan been trapped in their rooms, unable to call for help and too confused to figure out a way around that? How long had he gone without eating and sleeping?

He found out.

An hour later, Obi-Wan was fast asleep, hooked up to an IV and blissfully pain-free due to a dose of pills he had managed to swallow. The Healer turned to Qui-Gon with a weary smile.

“You’re all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I’ve just returned from a mission, but I wasn’t hurt.”

“That’s good to know. I was asking about shock, however,” the Healer said gently. “I know this can’t have been a pleasant homecoming.”

Qui-Gon’s throat tightened, but he said nothing.

The Healer seemed to understand. “Obi-Wan has contracted a strain of the flu,” he explained, moving past the brief surge of emotion. “As you know, most strains of the flu are easily combated these days and many species have evolved or inoculated to the point where it’s hardly a concern. But sometimes the flu is stronger. In this case, it’s clear that it’s job was made easy. I don’t think Padawan Kenobi was eating or sleeping properly before the sickness began to set in. It would explain the severity of his malnutrition, and his confusion.”

Qui-Gon’s eyes flickered to the bed where Obi-Wan was sleeping, the fever still burning in his cheeks.

“...How long?” he asked.

“A few days at most,” the Healer said. “But I suspect it’s a habit that’s related to stress and overwork. Does Obi-Wan struggle with stress or insomnia?”

The Master hesitated a moment, opening his mouth to deny it, and then stopping to think better of it.

“...Maybe,” he admitted. The hesitation stung. Shouldn’t he know? “He’s very private with his habits when we’re in Temple. He prefers to study alone in his room, and we usually only manage to share one meal a day during his busier semesters, if that.”

The Healer nodded. He didn’t look or sound at all accusatory when he said, “That’s understandable. I’m going to suggest keeping a closer eye on that. Don’t force him out of his comfort zone, at least not right away, but make sure he understands that three square meals — or better yet, a light meal or snack every two or three hours — is expected of him. As is sleep.”

Qui-Gon nodded, his throat tightening again to the point of pain.

“Rest easy, Master Jinn,” said the Healer, briefly laying a supportive hand on the taller Jedi’s shoulder. “He’ll pull through this. The illness, and everything else. I believe it’s nothing more than a bad habit formed from good intentions. There are crueler demons out there.”

“Yes, I know,” said Qui-Gon. And he did know. One didn’t reach Jedi Mastery without learning the galaxy for what it was.

But he didn’t think he would ever quite move past the shock of today, of carrying his adult apprentice in his arms, sick to the point of tears and helplessness, and then discovering that he could possibly have prevented this if he had paid a little more attention to Obi-Wan’s work habits.

Well. They would, as the Healer said, overcome this.

Qui-Gon drew up a chair to the side of the bed, resolving to wait until Obi-Wan woke, and slowly reached out and set his hand next to his Padawan’s. After a moment, Obi-Wan stirred, and even in his sleep he gave a contented sigh and shifted his hand, his fingers searching blindly for his Master’s hand. Qui-Gon took it and held it tightly.

They had overcome so many things in nearly a decade together.

They could handle this.

And besides, Qui-Gon told himself, even after Obi-Wan was Knighted, he would always be here to watch his back.

He would never abandon Obi-Wan.

_

[dodo-begone]

Fear for my Lover

Pairing: DSMP!Quackity x Reader

Word count: 2.9k

Warning: Blood, stitches, bruises, injuries, cursing, frontier first aid (sorry if i missed something)

Summary: Life had been busy lately. Very busy. The night was peaceful and you were more than happy to take advantage of the quiet. Even with Quackity there with you. Fate had other plans though and absolutely ruined what would've been an amazing night.

A/n: i,,, this was meant to be SHORT but also- haha i got 2-3 more parts planned brrrrrr. Also used a dialogue prompt thingy for this- you'll see them in there. They're highlighted.

You thought nothing of it when Quackity said that he was going out. Beforehand he told you that he might have to stay late to do some work. You weren’t sure if he had finished or not, but his departure only confirmed the thought that no, he had not finished business.

With a sigh, you walk over to the couch and flop onto it. The exhaustion from the many months of constant work was catching up. You missed how life was before. Even when you were stuck under Schlatt’s rule on Manberg. Yes, it was quite tedious and annoying, but you weren’t completely rebuilding a nation from the ground up along with its citizens.

The physical work of building was tiresome, but something relaxation and a few nights of rest could easily reverse the effects. Though the mental strain was a completely different story. All of the paperwork was tedious and could keep you up at night just because you need to get one more paper done before dawn. Or just knowing that you aren’t able to help everyone in the new L’manberg. So many had given up hope, were tired of the vicious cycle that they had been caught in. It may not have been going on long, but it still had its effect on everyone all the same.

So much work and so little recreational time. There was little time to care for oneself with so much work on their plate. Let alone spend time with your loved ones. Even if they lived in the same house as you. It felt alienating when you weren’t able to even have a small conversation with your significant other.

Your thoughts were deafeningly loud. Sometimes even covering each other when they brought up memories of anxieties of the past and future. That’s why it was rather surprising when the entire L’manberg cabinet ran through your front door in a frenzy. Jumping off of the couch, you try to survey the situation. What in Pime’s name could be going on?

Their hysterical cacophony of voices were all that reached your ears. You didn’t even need to hear their words when you saw Quackity’s limp body in Fundy’s arms.

Without a second thought, you push your way over to Fundy and Quackity, quickly searching him for injuries. Well, the injuries part was pretty obvious with all of the blood. But the extent of the injuries were another story. What could be going on? How bad was it? Oh Prime, why was there so much blood?

In the frenzy you must’ve said something because something happened. One moment you are near the entrance with your beloved in the arms of his co-worker and the next you’re tending to his wounds in your shared bed. Nobody else was in the room. It was just you and Quackity. Your Quackity. And a bowl of water and a small stack of wash clothes and towels.

Your hands quacked from both worry and the sobs you were desperately holding back. Something was stabbing the interior of your throat as it closed from the overwhelming emotions that filled your body.

What terrified you was that Quackity wasn’t completely unconscious. He definitely wasn’t completely there but he was still awake and babbling. More muttering because of how frail and faint his voice was, but it was still a bunch of nonsense. How you wished to know what he was saying, what he was thinking. Now wasn’t the time, but you feared that if you didn’t know now that he’d never tell you. Shit hit the fan and he came back like this. Either his pride or his desire to “protect” you would keep him from spilling the tea. This was your only chance.

All you were able to do was open your mouth before Quackity was making this harder. He was extremely weak from the blood loss and you were in a race against time to stop the river of blood that just seemed to flow freely from his wounds. You had been holding his bigger wounds tightly, trying to put as much pressure as you could to slow the blood loss or stop it completely. Each attempt to settle Quackity only leads to him resisting more, weakly fighting you to get up. Soon his behavior had gone on for too long, in your humble opinion, and he was still as stubborn as he was in the beginning.

With what little common sense you had left in your nearly hysterical state, you tried to reason with him. “Quackity,” you pleaded, still trying to gently push him back onto the bed so he was laying. “Please lay down, Duckie. It’s for your own good. Just let me bandage you up and I’ll leave you alone. Okay?”

From an outsider’s perspective, the attempt was silly. It really wouldn’t have gotten much of a reaction from your confused lover. And yet you still tried anyway, hoping that anything would help at this point. You were desperate.

His silence spoke volumes. In some stroke of luck, Quackity heard your words. That or he became too tired to fight and “speak”. Either way, you were taking what you could get. It was a victory and your goal was reached. Without much, if any fight at all, you managed to get Quackity back into bed and went back to patching up his wounds.

They were much worse than you hoped. Your wish that it was a smaller wound with a ton of blood oozing out was swiftly dashed when you started to clean up the blood from its source. Well, more accurately from anywhere and cleaning until you found the source. Although a bad idea, you had patched up his smaller, easy to access wounds. Though you couldn’t dodge the challenge that stood before you, glaring at you from Quackity’s face.

Petechiae, scratches, and bruises also decorated his face in a hideous manner. The centerpiece of it all was a large scar that traveled from his lip to his eye, all on the left side, was the most obvious wound. The others could heal on their own, but that cut, could you even call it a cut, was in dire need of assistance. It was probably already infected and trying to heal itself. But it was too big, too wide to heal naturally. Intervention was needed and it was needed stat!

Blankly you stare at his face, mind running a mile a minute trying to think of remedies and solutions. Sadly there weren’t many options available. Ponk was too far away to call for his medical expertise, not even considering how late it was. Would he even still be awake? Let alone awake enough to do stitches? You could wait till morning but who knows what condition Quackity would be in at dawn. Something had to be done and it had to be done now. Only one plausible solution remained and it definitely wasn’t pleasant.

Swiftly you leave Quackity, moving out of the room as quickly as you could. Quackity tried to reach out to you but just missed your sleeve. Though you didn’t notice or know. You had things to get done and to get them done you needed equipment. Desperately you search around the house, pulling out anything you’d need. More clean towels, a bowl of clean water since the one you had been using was more than dirtied and the towels absolutely soiled. Placing them half-hazardly on a flat surface, you scurried around to find the other necessary equipment. After having to catch your sewing tin and lighter from falling a few times, you grab everything you previously gathered and make your treacherous journey back to Quackity.

When you return, he’s once again sitting up in bed. Weakly, mind you, as he fell back onto the mattress at the sight of you. You wished to scold him for going against what you asked of him, but it didn’t matter now. With no time to waste, you dump your supplies onto the nightstand and fumble around, trying to get everything prepared.

As nimbly as your shaky hands could spare, you set up your thread and needle as if you were going to start sewing a gorgeous design into a quilt. You stared at the bowl of water you had, debating whether or not to use your sad little lighter to heat up that big ole bowl… it’s better if you didn’t. Other than being faster, how much better would it be for sanitizing the needle? It’d take ages to get the water boiling and even then it might not be enough. A flame straight out of a lighter? Seemed better. It got the job done quicker and would be warmer than the boiling water so it was going to kill more bacteria and germ than the boiling water. That’s what you hoped, at least. This is why you aren’t a medic.

Shakily, you ignite the lighter and hold the needle to the flame, slowly rotating it to equally distribute the heat. As tedious and anxiety inducing as it was, it would be worth it in the end. The stitch is only temporary until you can get Ponk to come over, hopefully by early tomorrow. Or later today? What time even was it- Snap out of it! This isn’t the time to be doing this!

You didn’t know how hot the needle had to be to be considered “sanitized” but you had waited long enough. At least that’s what it felt like. Plus the part of the needle you’re holding is getting pretty hot.

When you go in for the first suture, the hiss of pain before you even punctured the skin was a good indicator to you. Not that he was awake enough to still be actively feeling things, but to be able to vocally express his pain and that the needle was hot enough to probably kill most bacteria and germs if it hurt to touch. Hesitation is making you its bitch, holding you still and making you contemplate if what you’re doing is right. Of course what you’re doing is right. It has to be. It’s one of the best and only options you have.

Before you did anything else, you grabbed one of the towels and rolled it up. Gently you pried his mouth open and placed it in like a gag. He wasn’t going to be able to grip much and he’d be grinding his teeth together from pain. Previous experience with stitches and similar frontier medical procedures has taught you one thing; having a gag to bite on helps every part. The patient gets a way to release their pain and the “doctor” is less likely to be hurt by the patient since the patient will have something else to focus on hurting. It doesn’t work entirely but it’s better than hearing the unmuffled screams of agony and feels better to have something to grip onto as hard as you can.

After getting him situated, you position yourself again. With a deep breath, you start off the first suture. Quackity’s muffled scream was heartbreaking yet shocking. Even with you expecting it, it still spooked you a bit. But everything was okay. This was for the best. And then you continued on. Slowly you added stitch after stitch after stitch until you thought you did enough. Really it was a combination of “this is adequate” and “i’m too anxious to keep going because what if i mess up”. Without anesthetics, it was just horrific for both parties to go through with this endeavor. He was moving around so much, trying to twist and turn away from the pain being done to him. His movements were so often and large enough to make you nervous about going near his eyes. What if you poked it out? Or made him blind?

Looking back at the stitches and what they held together, it was obvious that his eyesight was going to be impaired from now on. His eyes were looking completely different from each other now. The regular on the right and the horrific product of whatever he did on his left. A white film covered his eyes like a snow blanket. He was now blind in that eye or going blind.

Realistically, he was going blind but you still held out for the unrealistic hope that he’d be almost entirely okay afterwards. You knew it was unrealistic, but you still hoped.

You Quackity didn’t deserve this.

Once you have cleaned up the mess you made, you start to pack everything up. Needle in the bowl to be cleaned, remaining threat back into the tin, bowls moved away from where they’d get bumped and dumped. Slowly and methodically you finish your tasks. The adrenaline of the night is slowly leaving your body and exhaustion is once again taking hold of you. Oh how you hated that. Absolutely despised the feeling.

After everything was to your liking, you go to check on Quackity again before you leave to give and get some silent rest for the two of you. It’s the least you could do for him after all of this.

He seemed comfortable after everything, peaceful in fact. It was such a calming sight and it eased your guilt of hurting him. Everything you did was for the greater good, you mentally remind yourself. It was to help prevent further infection and it was only temporary. Until you could get proper help for him.

Without much thought, you sit by the bed and lay your head upon it. So much blood got onto the blankets and the sheets. You’d need to clean that quickly. After Quackity gets help and is moved or can be moved, that is. Which would hopefully be tomorrow. Slowly you start to doze off. Or was it zoning out? Either or you were slowly calming down further. To the point where you almost fell asleep.

Jolting awake, you begrudgingly haul yourself off the floor and start your long and tiring journey to the living room. The couch was comfier than the floor, after all. No matter how much you wanted to sleep by Quackity.

Your dawdling is stopped by something on your sleeve. At first you think your sleeve got caught on something so you tug in hopes of being untangled from said object. Nothing happens so you just tug harder. But still nothing happens. Eventually your little tug of war becomes too annoying and has been prolonged enough. You whirl around to see what in Prime’s name you could be caught on.

Low and behold it was the man of the hour, surprisingly. Quackity had grabbed onto your sleeve and just held you there. Confused, you walk back to the bed and sit, holding his face and inspecting for any new signs of pain. Anything that would show that he was feeling something different, something worse. You hoped that he wasn’t feeling like that, but it was a naive hope. Wounds were not an unfamiliar concept to you and yet you’d always hope for such fantastical things to the point where it was odd.

In return for you holding his face, he went to gently hold yours. A soft smile makes an appearance upon your face after the action.

“How’re you feeling, Ducking,” you whisper. Silence once again makes its presence known and it’s very loud and obnoxious about it. “Sorry. I know you’re in a lot of pain. That was stupid of me to ask.”

Quackity chuckles at your slip up and you’re more than happy to join him. Slowly your chuckling drowned out by the silence that had obnoxiously told you how wrong you were to ask your beloved if he was in pain when it was more than obvious that he was, indeed, in pain. You take a deep breath and release a sigh.

“You need to sleep. It’ll help with the healing and hopefully with the pain until tomorrow. I plan on calling Ponk to do some actual doctor shit on you because Prime knows how amazing my skills are.” Once again you attempt to leave Quackity to sleep, but stopped by his grip on your sleeve.

“Please,” he rasped. God his voice was so hoarse after everything. You felt terrible as you were part of the cause and yet you couldn’t do anything nor bring yourself to feel too bad. It was all for the greater good, after all. For his health.

“Please what?”

“Please stay with me,” he begged, looking straight into your eyes with his only working one. The sight was pitiful. Such a prideful man who could do so much left in such a weakened state. You hated seeing him like this. Nobody liked seeing their loved ones in a position like that. And how could you deny him that request, especially with what he went through tonight. You still didn’t know what it was but the aftermath was horrific enough to give a small clue as to what happened.

“Of course,” you reply, smiling warmly and climbing into bed with him. The moment you’re under the blankets and sheets, he gently pulls you into a hug. For his or your sake, you’re unsure. You hope that it’s his though. “Anything for my Duckie.”

[calebwittebane]

my Nightmare System is extremely efficient sometimes because last night i was being highly insane in an "i miss my abuser" manner and then had a long extensive tedious nightmare about him and how even after he "got better" i didnt enjoy a single second spent around him no matter how hard i tried (because i still genuinely cared about him), and about how much hes hurt me and how he still haunts me while alive, and how either that spectral presence or his actual literal presence and participation (because he always had to butt in and take control of everything in my life) would always end up damaging every relationship and every good thing in my life. he was so mad and confused when i started to refuse to give him any opportunity to personally ruin those things, but hes still here, just not in person. how he haunts me is what makes me largely unable to articulate my feelings (ive been learning though, as you can see), what makes me afraid of others, what makes me shut down and sleep through the time i wanted to be spending with my loved ones, what makes me constantly chase after myself. others warming up to him and becoming a link between him and myself is one of my huge fears.

i dont miss him, i cant think of a single moment i truly was happy around him; the idea i have in my head of being happy around him is a vague and false narrative i used to trick myself into believing to make my previous life seem less cruel and more bearable because at the time there was no escape. it has no reflection in reality and never did. i was never happy around him, not even for a moment. its because of him that i used to believe happiness as an emotion didnt exist.

the aftermath of the worst period of abuse (my entire childhood lol) is much clearer than when it was happening. i can articulate how i felt watching him "get better" and "try so hard" (i believe him, but...) as he still treated me like nothing, like i wasnt a person and just a punching bag and a scapegoat and a meek obedient toy and a vehicle to participate in things and get a thrill out of something. he was never even curious about anything i had to say. and of course i was supposed to ignore everything he used to do before that. of course i was supposed to forgive him, its not like i was innocent, i was such a horrible child after all - so clumsy and inept and rude and such an insufferable smartass - and besides its not even like he ever did anything Really bad, bah. sometimes he would allude to it in this vein and its like he was daring me to name something specific. comfortable in knowing that i wouldnt, and even if i did he could convince me i misremembered. he felt entitled to every single part of me and my life. he took credit for every one of my achievements. and all of the above i was supposed to feel happy about. happy and grateful, because it was all still such an improvement. i dont miss him. i dont miss anything about him. i dont miss the time i spent with him. i miss the world i escaped into at the time

[nebula-jazz]

His World part 7

alpha dragon Bakugou x omega reader

As the last of winter faded, flowers started to grow and you got extra help on starting your garden. Denki, Mina, Sero, and Kirishima all rotated helping you pull weeds, till, fertilize, and expand your garden. What would normally take several months to do ended up being only two weeks. 

Mina and Denki seemed more interested in the planting and caring for the garden than the others. Kiri and Sero ended up helping more with the brunt work and fishing. The four of them took the cabin that you used to reside in. Bakugou had basically made the bigger house both of yours.

Speaking of Bakugou, you would only get to see him when you woke up and when you were done for the day. You honestly were worried that you had done something wrong. When you asked him, his face softened into guilt. He would wrap his arms around you and nuzzle his face into your neck.

“No Angel... I’m just doing stuff since I’m better. I promise I will be all yours when I’m done ok?” He would say in his gruff voice. You would melt under his affections and hum.

“You better keep your promise.” You warned. He let out his chuckle.

The others tried their best to distract you. Keeping you busy with questions, chores, and other tedious things. Mina and Kirishima loved to explain dragon politics and ask about human’s. Denki often asked for you to explain some of your chores and would see if he could do it the first time around. Sero loved to drag you around to do tedious things, such as, making and sharpening tools, patching up holes in the two buildings, making a new shed, chopping wood, etc. But everytime you would ask any of them what Bakugou was doing they would go silent and change the subject.

Around when small sprouts started to show their heads and spring started to melt into summer Mina and Kirishima came bounding up to you in their dragon forms. 

Kiri was a red dragon like Bakugou but he had an affinity with earth magic. He was not as large or burly as Bakugou but he still was very able and strong. You found out the hard way why he hated to fly. They had all been practicing and his magic accidently activated. He nearly got hurt.

Mina was a light pink dragon and had an affinity with a kind of magic you had never seen before. She was large, lean and very agile. You enjoyed watching her fly. She also tried, in your spare time, to teach you how to dance. It didn’t end very well most of the time, mostly with one or both of you with scrapes and bruises. Those were the only times you feared for Mina’s life.

Kiri and Mina ran up to you as you were pulling weeds from the garden and started pushing/pulling you towards the houses. Confused you willing went with them. once inside they changed into their human forms. They both looked extremely excited.

“What is wrong with you two?” You asked. Mina squealed and handed you a pile of fancy clothes.

“These are for you! But we drew you a bath to get cleaned first!” She said quickly as Kiri started to push you towards were you had the bathroom.

More confused than anything, you ended up getting clean and put the clothes on. When you left the bathroom Kiri and Mina did your hair and various things. When they were done the sun was setting.

Mina squealed and clapped her hands as she lead you out of the house and into the woods. After walking for several minutes Kiri covered your eyes and Mina took your hand.

You stopped walking and heard candles and smelled Bakugou. Excited and confused you tried to remove Kiri’s hands.

“Not yet.” He chirped. Huffing in frustration you waited. You felt Bakugou come closer and gently take Kiri’s hand away.

You had to take a second to look around. It was a meadow with a waterfall on the far side. Someplace you had never stumbled upon with all you walks. Your jaw dropped in awe. Then your eyes land on Bakugou. His hair was somewhat tidy and he was wearing a shirt. His cape was clean and the fur looked soft and fluffy. He looked anxious as you smiled and cupped his cheek.

“Hi.” what your brilliant opening.

“Hey angel.” He mumbled as he leaned into your touch.

The night went on and he explained this was a dragon courting thing. He had been cleaning up the area for the past several months. Clearing it of briars and other annoying weeds. Towards the end of the night you two were dancing, or swaying from side to side, when Bakugou cleared his throat.

He pulled away and cleared his throat. You tilted your head in confusion and he got down on one knee. Realization flooded over you.

“I know it feels really fast.” He started with a red face. “But ever since you helped me from the first day I had to come to the sudden realization that I couldn’t live without you.” He cleared his throat and took your hands into his, pulling out a silver ring with dragon runes on it. He stared into your eyes almost begging as he said gruffly. “Will you marry me?”

Tags!!!!!

@theteddybearknight @bubbzibubbles @tspice283 @mikithekiki @damnirina @inumorph @staysstrays @tokyo-crow @khemz1312 @mykuronekome @just-mirko @kpop-andanime @just-jazz-things @darlingely @reblogs-of-things-i-like @burntspaghettio @loveableasshole @thrrud @pasteldaze @lexy586 @queenexplosionmurderr13 @littlelovebug98 @kageybee

[wisteria-lodge]

lion primary + slightly burnt lion secondary (badger secondary model) (bird secondary model)

i hope you’re having an amazing day!! here’s my SHC dilemma:

i know my primary is lion, and it feels a little exploded, at that, but at least i know what’s up. but im still extremely confused about my secondary. i tried looking through other submissions, but i didn’t really find anything i vibed with 100%, but then again i have adhd and im really struggling going through all that text, it just kinda blurs together at some point

so, my secondary. taking the test, i always get burnt, often with a vague hint towards bird. at first i immediately adopted that and decided i was a burnt bird, but the more i go the less that feels right to me and i think it might be some sort of model.

Yeah. “doesn’t feel right.” Definitely see the Lion in your sorting.

working by elimination, im pretty certain im not a snake secondary. that ish doesn’t even sound real to me, i know there are people like this because i know a couple, but it’s just so weird to me that some people are just able to improvise so effectively, and seemingly change themselves like that, and they?? enjoy it?? it does sound dope, like i admire it, but wtf. 

Lion secondaries can get very *does not compute* when trying to get their head around Snake secondaries. I’m considering Lion for you. 

i do act differently in different situations or with different people, but i don’t think i have “personas” as much as degrees of awkwardness 

I see the burnt secondary. You’re definitely talking yourself down here. But the way you talk about “degrees of awkwardness” does make me think about the way Lion secondaries “change faces” by modulating intensity. 

depending on how much my anxiety is acting up, and the more anxious i am, the more i act like a doormat and revert to the proper manners i was taught, but like… that’s not me, and it’s not done on purpose, i don’t enjoy it. 

Looks like somebody’s got an unhealthy Badger secondary model.

it feels gross not to be able to act like myself, whatever the hell that is.

And you didn’t vibe with the Lion descriptions? This is the first time I’m reading though this and… very interested to get to the part where you talk about why you think you’re not a Lion. 

im also convinced im not a bagder - my mother is, and there are a lot of those in my community, so i was raised thinking that was the best way to be, an ideal to work towards, but it’s just not comfortable for me, i don’t wanna do it.

Yeah, this would that  unhealthy Badger secondary model you were talking about. ^

i don’t even think i *can* do it. i mean, “showing up and doing the work” is pretty hard with adhd, and not even the most efficient way of getting stuff done (at least for me), and thinking of the group and what i can do in that group is annoying. also i get that asking for help is important sometimes but it still feels like that’s just admitting i can’t figure out how to do it myself, which, yikes (don’t come at me i know it’s unhealthy)

Hey, breathe. It’s okay. Nobody is going to make you be a Badger secondary. Clearly you’ve spent enough time struggling under the weight of a model that doesn’t suit you, and now you’re pushing back against everything Badger extra hard. 

id rather find a group im a good fit for instead of molding myself to please others. 

See, that’s an exaggerated, caricatured way of conceptualizing how a Badger secondary works… but I’m not surprised that you think about it that way.

whatever i do, it needs to come from me.

… you’ve got a very loud Lion secondary. 

anyway im somewhere between lion and bird, and at first i thought i was a bird because i do in fact fricking love learning everything i can, i wouldn’t naturally call it “collecting”, i’m just doing whatever’s interesting in the moment

You mean you learn by improvising? :) Like a Lion? :) 

but sure, why not - i like collecting languages, knowledge about different cultures, books, music, space, countries, medicine, anything and everything, and i sometimes spend hours researching random stuff that im never actually gonna use “just in case im stranded in the wilderness and need to make soap” you feel? but it’s not actually because i think it might be useful (though i do get random bouts of anxiety over not knowing how to do certain stuff “in case” even though the probability id need them is infinitesimal).

Loving knowledge does not make you a Bird secondary. I’m hearing you talk about about a thing you do for fun, and - this is key - a thing you use as  a mechanism to cope with anxiety. ADHD can sometimes make you feel very scattered, going too fast, and your Bird is giving you [the illusion of] control. And I’m not going to knock that. The illusion of control is important. 

i just like knowing things and being able to use those things to do stuff. i wanna be “that guy” you can come to with the most obscure problem and they’d have some way of dealing with it. doesn’t that sound pretty bird?

Okay. Here’s the deal. You like Bird secondaries. You think they’re cool, and badass. Maybe you’d like to be one. But I’m still not at all convinced you are. I haven’t heard you use it to solve problems. 

but i can’t actually do that stuff. i think i used to, when i was a teenager? but depression and undiagnosed adhd kinda kicked my ass, among a few other things, and now i don’t really have the brain power for it and i feel like im not actually able to learn things as well, or to even think straight.

Wow. That is some burnt secondary talk. I can’t do things. 

(I promise you, people with ADHD have absurd brain power, and can learn things crazy well, although not in the same way as neurotypicals. You are right about not thinking straight, which I am interpreting as “in a straight line.” ADHD people think in webs and corkscrews and I love it.) 

 or if i did, i can’t learn as *many* things as i need to feel accomplished? which idk what you think but it kinda just sounds like burnt bird to me. 

Feeling like the secondary you have isn’t good enough can be a Burnt thing... but feeling like you need to manifest a specific secondary *more* (which is what this feels like) is usually a sign of a model. 

but here’s the thing. all of those sound real nice. and cool. and a good way of doing things, maybe even the “right” way, even though i know that’s subjective. but lion just feels more comfy, and idk if that’s because im a burnt bird modeling lion or if it’s smth else.

… you mean… like being… a Lion?

cause the “collecting skills and knowledge to solve problems” thing sounds cool, but it’s actually more just the first part that i vibe with? the part where i get to learn stuff! but when actually solving problems, i don’t usually think too long, i just vibe. i see where my instinct is taking me and i apply reason *after* that, or like, as a secondary, support thing. im not a dumbass either, im good at puzzles and logic problems, i can totally think things through and use my skills! but that’s not really how i approach problem-solving. i just jump into the situation and see what part of it is closest and start there, or what’s convenient, or what just feels right or nicer or whatever.

This is a perfect description of a Lion secondary with a supportive Bird model. Like a LOT of neurodivergent people (hi!) you built yourself some scaffolding using the Bird toolbox.

and on one hand it could be that im not confident in my skillset enough to do things the bird way, but on the other hand, thinking back to my childhood and teenage years, when i had better executive skills and i wasn’t as completely scatterbrained as i am I now (i was, but not as bad in some ways), i still did this? like, all of my major life decisions where made on the spot based on instinct and nothing else

I’m definitely seeing the Lion primary come though as well. 

whenever i have a problem of the interpersonal sort i just face it and talk to the person and don’t bother hiding or sugarcoating things even if it means hurting that person because i don’t want to lie or come off as something i’m not, when i need to work on a project i don’t bother planning, i just jump in and a strategy forms in an organic way as i go, you know what i mean? isn’t that what this “charging” business means?

Yes.

anyway i have no idea which one is a model and which one is actually mine. i love learning things but i don’t care about actually using them. i mean i like it, of course, but it’s whatever. planning is tedious and it kinda gives me validation because im meant to be “smart” and i guess planning is what smart people do, but it’s annoying and nothing ever goes exactly to plan anyway so you just have to pause and plan again or whatever, and that’s just so boring and frustrating??

I get that you like Bird secondaries, and I get that the picture of “smart person” in your head looks like a Bird secondary but just like… come on…

why not just do the damn thing?? and then what you have to do will be obvious anyway?? and sure, if you planned ahead, maybe you’d already know what you need to do and you’d have prepared it and you’d do it better, but who’s got the time for that?? i can’t use my brain like that! i need to live the thing before it actually feels real enough for me to think about solving it.

I have never read anything more Lion secondary in my entire goddamn life.

i hope this actually made sense and i gave enough relevant information, my head kinda feels jumbled right now. i mean it makes sense to me but i don’t know how this reads from an outside perspective. maybe i should have planned this like an essay or whatever lmao

thanks a lot for answering these & running this blog!!! it’s dope and you give really good insights and you’re just a super cool person!

<3 <3 <3 

[niall-the-churchboy]

Just Like Family pt 4 ~ Harry Styles

In which she’s avoiding him

Warnings: none :)

Word Count: 3.2k

A/n: Yay! Surprised you all didn't I? Well, honestly surprised myself too. Anyway, this is the last part to ‘Just Like Family’, even though I took my fair time I enjoyed writing this so much! From the bottom of my heart, thank you all and happy reading!

Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 

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

Y/n was completely shattered, her posture was slumped and her eyes were lost, her walking seemed vague and everything felt tasteless. Her heart swelled with pain and she no longer felt like reading or being her usual self. 

Y/n was heartbroken to say the least.

Not only did she felt so much pain, but deep down she knew she was a moron and this was her price to pay. Once again, Y/n had let her fantasies get to her head, ideas of what-ifs and scenes taken from the many books and movies she had read and watched. The truth is, reality sucked. A hell lot. 

How could she lie to herself so much? Dear God, how could she have believed that? No way in earth would Harry freaking Styles want to be her boyfriend-- her friend even -- but she had had reused to think otherwise and here she was. 

At the end of the day, everything was as clear as water. Olympic Gods like Harry are meant to date Olympic Goddess like Sofia.

Sofia. 

No matter how hard Y/n tried, her name would never sound hateful to Y/n. Besides, it was not Sofia’s fault Y/n had this nerve-wreaking crush on a boy for more than two years. But it would have been so much easier if Y/n hated her, blamed Sofia for her own stupidity and tried to move on. 

Now, that seemed impossible. It was like every turned she made Harry was there waiting for her, to talk or ask her if she was fine. Y/n tried her best to avoid him, avoid the look on his eyes -- amazed and so in-love -- as he looked at Sofia, they fingers intertwined. Every little step Y/n made further, would take a single glance at them to push her two steps behind. 

Three weeks since Harry and Sofia got back together and Y/n felt more broken than ever. 

“Hey, Y/n?” Tracy waved her hand in-front of Y/n trying to gain her friend’s attention. She placed her fork back down and sighed, “Y/n, when are you going to be okay?”

Y/n felt guilt rushing through her veins, the sadness in Tracy’s eyes was so genuine she almost forgot about Harry for a second. Almost. Then he came rushing back in and Y/n could see herself hiding further behind her lunchbox. 

“I’m trying Tracy...” Y/n’s sight was lost between the head of students. “It’s just harder than I thought” She was lying, Y/n wasn’t trying at all, she had given up two heartbreaks ago. She glanced back at Tracy, her friend was looking at her helplessly, Tracy’s eyes eyed her up and down as if she was trying to figure something out. 

“I know, Y/n. I just wish you could see...”, Tracy turn her head around and allowed herself a small glimpse towards the table full of boys, “There’s plenty of fish in the sea, and you are such a pretty girl. It wouldn't be a surprise if a couple of boys liked you”. 

Was she really pretty? Not like Sofia, at least. 

Y/n sighed trying to clear her mind from those negative thoughts that would only ever bring her down, it was just that it was getting harder to get away from those thoughts when it seemed like it was the only thing she could think of. “I know, but... they are not like Harry.”

And it was true. They were not like Harry and they would never be. Harry could simply walk by and take her breath away, literally. He mesmerised her in every way possible, making her get lost in seas of green and memorising the way that rebel curl would differ itself from the other locks. The way his smiled shined and how the only sound she wanted to hear in repeat was his rough laugh. 

Tracy wished she could understand her, she supported Y/n at least, but it was so difficult for Tracy to comprehend how someone could have such a strong crush. She knew Y/n wasn't lying, it was obvious by the way her friend’s cheeks would redden and how she stumbled on her words as she tried to express herself to Harry. But Tracy couldn’t believe how a feeling could be so intense, no boy had ever made Y/n feel this way. 

Y/n was lost in Harry Styles’ spell and it seemed like she wasn’t going to get better anytime soon. 

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

Y/n L/n, Y/n, L/n, Y/n L/n... Y/N L/N!

Harry couldn't get her out of his mind, she was like a catchy song that would keep on playing on repeat until it became so tedious he had to find another one to fill in. The thing is, Sofia didn't seem to be doing the job just right. 

Everything, somehow, had its way to connecting him back to Y/n, it wouldn't be as bad if she wasn't avoiding him. It started to seem as if the were playing cat and mice, and Y/n was a pretty good mice. 

What had he done?

He asked himself the same question over and over. Harry knew he had done something wrong, he could see it in the way her eyes would get lost with pain, how she walked with no direction in particular, her back hunched down and her shoulders fallen. 

Harry began thinking some girls were messing with her? He had noticed the way Y/n would look at her feet as soon as Sofia’s group passed by. If that was the case he would have a long talk with Sofia. 

Regardless of what it was, something was bothering Y/n, and that seemed to bother him too. He had noticed this pattern a few weeks ago, somehow it was as if his and Y/n’s emotions were in some way connected. Y/n would feel angry, Harry would feel angry; Y/n felt happy, Harry felt happy; Y/n was confused, Harry was confused.

That’s probably the reason Harry was certain Y/n was feeling an enormous amount of pain. Because he was too. His chest felt empty and his stomach bloated, his mindset was completely lost and out of control and there was a certain swelling in his heart that would make his eyes prick annoyingly. 

Whatever was going on, he had to fix it as soon as posible. For both their sakes. 

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

They were terrible terrible news. 

How on earth was Y/n going to survive a second dinner with Harry by her side? She had barely survived last one and they weren't even friends, now, she was actually avoiding him and his weird questioning look. There was no way she was going to get away this time. 

No way. 

That’s what scared her, she barely had enough strength in herself to keep avoiding Harry. Oh god, how many times had she desired to run back to Harry’s opened arms. She knew well enough that the second she came back to him, Harry would be pleased as ever to have his friend back, maybe she wouldn't have to answer any questions and he would let himself live with the doubt of what had her distanced so much from him. 

It seemed easier in a way. But she couldn't keep hurting herself in this absurd way, because at the end of the day, what did she win? Maybe third-wheeling with Harry and Sofia? That sounded awfully fun. 

She had finally settled her mind in getting over her stupid crush on Harry, and her mother had come to ruin her plan. 

With everything going around, Y/n had almost forgotten about the fact that her brother was dating Harry’s sister. That seemed to be the key problem that prevented her from achieving her goal. Well, that and the significant pair of green eyes. 

Her hands were sweaty, extremely sweaty, she kept rubbing them on her jeans as she looked at herself in the mirror. Y/n didn't feel pretty. In fact, she felt awkward --her back hunched down, a rebellious straw of hair standing out and a smile that felt way too tight and fake. She thought that maybe she could come up with an excuse, say that Tracy needed her help or that an emergency had come up and avoid the night altogether. 

But it was too late, and besides, when had she become so self-concerned?

“Y/n!”, her mom called, “the Styles are here! Come down, honey!”

That was her cue, and oh god how much had she wished it wasn’t. 

“There she is!”, Y/n could barely hear anything as she descended, the stairs felt like they were moving and her grip on the railing was definitely not a soft one. She kept feeling her heart throbbing on her throat and an intense panic. 

“Oh, look how beautiful you are!” she finally raised her head to catch Anne wrapping her tight in a warm hug, standing to the side both Gemma and Mason watched Y/n with a pleasant smile. 

“Mom, let Y/n breathe, you are going to suffocate her”, it was funny how his voice would probably be the reason for Y/n’s suffocation given that her breathing seemed to stop every time he’s near. 

“Oh, Harry, dear” Anne gave Y/n a final squeeze before setting her free, “you know how I am.” Everyone but Y/n laughed at this and soon enough Harry was approaching her too. 

“Hello”, he said with probably the warmest of smiles as he leaned in to give her a quick hug, “how are you?”

“Great”, Y/n answered as they parted. The strange thing of it all was that it was the longest conversation they’ve had in weeks, well, of course it was given that Y/n’s had been avoiding Harry like a pro. 

“Dinner is ready!”, Y/n’s father called followed by Robin as he held a big plate full of pasta. Chairs and plates were moved and soon enough everyone had sat down, Y/n had been oh so deeply blessed to have Harry right in front of her. Great. Now there was no way she could avoid interaction. 

Fortunately, most of the dinner was focused on political matters, jobs and the two oldest children. Y/n’s dad had done a great job with the pasta, it was soft yet not overcooked, the salsa had just the right amount of spice, and a spoonful of pasta was enough to warm Y/n’s insides. She though that maybe, she could keep her head hung low and focus on eating. 

Y/n wasn't oblivious to the fact that Harry’s eyes were stuck on her, what was he even doing? Examining her every move? The thought did break a sweat on her back neck. 

“Y/n? How about you?”, suddenly every pair of eyes was on her and she felt like breaking into a run and completely dipping dinner. Anne was talking to her, what about? That, she didn't know. 

She gulped down the pasta and cleaned her mouth with her fist, “hmm?”

Anne laughed kind-heartedly, “I asked you if you had a boyfriend?” That took Y/n completely by surprise, so much she coughed a few times as if trying to realise if Anne was in any sort of way joking. 

Everyone looked at her expectantly. 

 She inhaled a huge lump of air. Where they for real, now? She tried to remember when did the once calm conversation took that unexpected turn. No way in hell was she answering that in front of everyone, in front of Harry. Oh how awkward! 

Of course Harry already knew the answer. Y/n was as single as anybody could be. After all, who would want to date someone like her? Harry would most definitely not want to.

“I– em–”, she brought her hand to her throat that still hurled from the recent cough, “a boyfriend?”

That sent everyone into a fist of laughter. How dare they make fun of her? Y/n felt humiliated and dumb, ugly even. Everything was turning out so wrong, just like she predicted. How dare they make fun of her when she was the one who didn’t want to be here in the first place? She felt tears prickling her eyes. 

“I’ll take that as a no”, Anne finally said, “I’m glad Harry isn’t the only one, then”

This made Y/n frown. Harry was not single. He was dating Sofia. Everyone knew that, they were together everywhere, held hands in the hallways, whispered things in each other’s ears, made out in classrooms. 

Y/n had tried not to pay attention to it, but it was almost impossible given that it was the only thing the school could talk about. 

How was Anne not aware of such thing? It was wrong, Y/n knew it was wrong, but it boiled her blood and raged her body. How had Harry not said anything? She had to suffer watching them everyday and he didn't even dare to tell his mother. 

Y/n knew it wasn't her place, but it would feel good. Just a little bit of revenge. 

“But Anne...”, she sounded confused, the right touch of innocence, “Harry is dating Sofia. They got back together weeks ago.”

Oh, how the tables had turned. Everyone was silent. Anne looked at her son confused, unsure as to why he would keep that a secret from her. And Y/n’s mother watched her daughter with uncertainty, why would she say that?

But Y/n didn’t feel bad at all, they all had mocked her, laughed at her and her absurdness. Why was it so wrong to fight back? 

And then she looked at him. His eyes were fixed on her, a prominent frown on his face and a sad glow on his green eyes. Harry looked at her, up and down, trying to figure why in the world would she betray him. And that was enough to break something inside Y/n’s chest.

 But it wasn't her heart. This time it was her pride and her morals that knew what was right and what was wrong. 

And what she had done was completely wrong and out of place.

She had overstepped her boundaries and by doing so she had hurt someone she cared about. Someone she loved. And there weren't enough words to describe how much to pained her. 

“Harry?”, Anne asked in a whisper. 

It was all too much, too much for Y/n to handle and she could feel her cool crumbling down. 

“I-”, Harry looked at his mother and then turned back to Y/n, “Why?”

Why? 

Why had she said that? Why did she have to be so jealous and angry? Why did she have to love Harry? Why did it have to hurt so much?

Y/n once heard that love makes one blind. Right now, she could confirmed it. 

“I... don’t know”, a single tear rolled down her cheek, “I’m sorry”

In a moment Y/n had stood up and hurried away from the table, a slam echoing through the house as she ran away. 

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

Y/n was cold, her hands rubbing her bare arms due to the fact that in the hurry she hadn’t been able to grab a coat. It was dark, and single cars passed every minute or so through the otherwise empty street. 

Now, long gone from the heat of the moment, she felt stupid. Everything. The way she acted, how she reacted, and the fact that she had runaway. 

How embarrassing. 

How was she able to go back to school on Monday? Go back home, even? There was no way. No way at all. She could take in the cold and stay here on the bench forever. 

“Y/n?”

Y/n’s heart completely stopped for what felt like the third time in the night. No no no. She didn't need Harry right now, in fact, she needed to stay as far from him as possible.

Yet, why did it feel so right when she was near him? So mind-numbing? His eyes, his tugged smile, everything about him made Y/n want to open her arms and throw herself towards him. 

Y/n looked up at him, remained quiet, and looked back down embracing her legs with both her arms as she rested her head on her knees. Harry watched her for a while, taking in the way she glowed with the light of the moon and the tear-stained cheeks, then, he walked towards her and sat in silence next to her. 

The silence was comforting. 

Even though both of them where well aware that there were many things to be talked and explained, they remained in silence, absorbing their surrounding and silently enjoying the peacefulness of each other’s company. 

A fresh breeze touched their skins and Y/n gritted her teeth. Without second thought, Harry took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. His scent was reassuring, a hint of roses and rusty smoke. She wanted to remember it forever, engrave it on her mind for when he’s long gone and only her dreams keep her awake. 

Surprisingly so, Y/n was the first one to talk.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice came out raspy yet with her usual softness. She looked at Harry straight in the eye, catching the way his green orbits moved from side to side examining every inch of her face. 

He shook his head with a faint smile, “forget about it, Y/n. Everything's okay.” She nodded, and a faded gasp falling from her lips when Harry intertwined his fingers with her. They were warm, his hold gentle and in a strange way soothing.

“Y/n, me and Sofia aren’t dating. I know we were back together for sometime, but we weren't working, mostly because I lost interest on her a long time ago.” Y/n didn't know why, but it didn't surprise her at all, or concern her for the matter. It was simply okay.

Slowly, their surrounding began to blur away, and in a moment they were all alone. Two lonely hearts staring at one another. 

“May I ask, why did you tell my mother?”, Harry’s hot breath reached Y/n’s lips. She breathed in, suddenly realising how close they both were, their noses barely inches apart. 

“Because I love you. And that makes me selfish.” 

The words rolled through her tongue without warning whatsoever, and before she could retract herself, Harry caught her lips. 

His thumb rubbed her tinted cheeks and Y/n could feel herself loosing her mind slowly. The kiss was so much more than she had ever imagined. It was snug and warm, their soft lips against one another as it magically started heating their insides until the only remnant of the cold where the tips of their noses. The feeling was so incredibly heart fluttering, it made Y/n stomach twist and turn with excitement. 

She let her hands roam through his hair, hooking her fingers on one of his curls and tug it softly. That made Harry react with a low moan, bringing Y/n closer until their noses brushed against each other. 

When they finally pulled apart and Harry rested his forehead on hers, she smiled, a bright full smile that Harry hadn't seen in so long.

“I’m glad mom made me attend dinner”, Y/n said. 

“I’m glad our siblings started dating.”

Y/n nodded, leaving one last tender kiss on his lips. After all, Y/n L/n and Harry Styles were just like family. 

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

Okay, that’s it, I finished just as I promised, I hope you all enjoyed this mini series as much as I did. Love you all!

masterlist is here

[zootopiathingz]

Between the Odds

Part Twenty: No More Secrets

Just as expected, recovery seemed to last forever. It hadn't even been a week since Judy was brought home and she was already bored out of her mind. She never left the apartment unless it was to get the mail. Nick hardly let her do anything while he was there. He did all of the chores, errands, etc. He also had to help her bathe, which admittedly she didn't mind, but it was still a tedious process that took longer than it should have every time.

Judy dreaded every second she spent doing nothing at home, just sitting around with her thoughts and worries. She hated feeling weak, like she couldn't do anything for herself. She also hated being left alone while Nick was at work, which just gave her more time to think about everything that was happening in Zootopia. The situation was getting worse and worse everyday. It didn't seem like things would be back to normal anytime soon, not until animals calmed down.

But how could they calm down? How could anything be considered "normal" after what happened at the protest? Mammals died that day, the one responsible for their deaths was off the grid, and the rest involved were traumatized by the experience. There was nothing normal about any of this.

Judy sighed as she laid down on her bed, settling in for another night of bad dreams and three hours of sleep. She had a hard time getting rest these days, and it was worse when Nick wasn't around to comfort her. But she understood he was going to be working late tonight, so she had no choice but to go to bed without him there.

She remained on her back, careful not to put too much pressure on her shoulder while she got comfortable. She left the TV on for some background noise, and to have some light in the room, since laying in the darkness only made it harder for her to feel safe. However, right as she closed her eyes, she heard her phone going off.

"Ugh.." She groaned, reaching over to grab it to see who was calling her. She figured it was Nick at first, and hoped he was calling to tell her he was on his way home. But to her surprise (and annoyance), it was her parents. The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk to them, mostly because she was tired and just wanted the day to be over with. But she knew if she didn't answer, they would freak out and assume she was dead.

With a heavy sigh, Judy sat up and answered the video call, forcing a small smile upon seeing her parents on the screen. "Hey guys. Why are you calling this late?"

They both appeared to be relieved when they saw her face, which confused her for a second. Up until her mother spoke up, "Thank goodness! We heard about what happened at that protest in Zootopia, they said you were shot!"

"Relax Mom, I'm fine. It's just my shoulder." She said calmly, although it was no use to try to ease their worries. They overreacted at everything.

"Just your shoulder?! Oh my gosh, are you okay? How bad is it?" Bonnie asked nervously.

"It's fine. They removed the bullet, nothing is wrong with it." She explained, a little wearily. As much as she loved her parents and appreciated the concern, she was in no mood to deal with it right now. "I have to take off work for a while, though. But that's just a precaution."

"Oh, my poor baby." Bonnie frowned, covering her mouth. Never in her life did she think this could happen to any of her children.

"You know, sweetie, if you need any help you can always ask us." Her father, Stu, chimed in. He tried to behave more calmly than his wife, but that was always a challenge for him. He was freaking out just as much as she was, and right now all he wanted was to be with his daughter to help her.

"Yeah, if you'd like we could come out there and stay with you until you go back to work!" Bonnie suggested.

Judy froze for a second, her eyes going wide. She couldn't let them stay with her, they would find out about Nick! Sure, she's mentioned him many times to her family, but she only referred to him as her partner. She never actually told them about their relationship, and she planned to keep it that way for a while. They didn't need to know, especially not her parents.

Quickly, she tried to think of an excuse for them not to stay with her. "Uhhh, no. No, that's okay. I'm fine, really. Nick's been taking care of me— you know, when he comes over, and uh..yeah, that's about all the help I need."

"Well, that's nice of him, but I really think someone should be there with you all the time just in case." Bonnie said, "Like, what if you fall in the shower?"

Judy bit the inside of her cheek, staring off to the side. "I mean, that's unlikely. And I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. B-besides, I..don't have an extra room for you guys."

That last part was another lie, since she actually did have a spare bedroom for guests. But she couldn't let them know that. She had to say anything to get them to toss the idea away. Even though she hated lying to them, what choice did she have? If they knew she was living with a fox, they would kill her.

Although, they were a little more comfortable with foxes now, mostly because of her. In fact, recently they started a partnership with a fox in Bunnyburrow. So maybe they wouldn't be against her being in a relationship with one. But she couldn't take that chance.

Her lie wasn't that convincing, though. If anything, her parents were beginning to get suspicious. "Is everything okay, Judy? You're acting odd." Stu said, narrowing his eyes.

Bonnie noticed their daughter's behavior as well, and she didn't care for it one bit. Judy never hid anything from them, not even when she was a teenager. Out of all their kids, she was the only one they didn't have to worry about keeping secrets. But now here she was, acting like she did something wrong.

"Are you hiding something from us?" She asked, with a small hint of hurt in her tone.

Judy immediately shook her head, "No! No, of course not! I just don't think it's necessary for you to drop everything to come over here. I— I'm doing just fine by myself, trust me."

"It's a little hard to do that right now," Stu said, crossing his arms. "you're acting just like your brother did when we found out why he was taking so long in the shower."

Judy grimaced, but then attempted one last time to be convincing. "Mom, Dad, I assure you I have nothing to hide." She raised up her right paw, as if swearing that she wasn't keeping a secret. "I just don't want you to go to any trouble."

"Sweetheart, it's not any trouble if it's you." Bonnie said, sighing afterward. "But fine, if you say nothing's going on, then we believe you. I just don't ever want you to feel like you have to keep secrets from us."

Now Judy felt guilty for trying so hard not to tell them the truth. What kind of daughter was she if she didn't tell them about her boyfriend? She didn't want to be like her other siblings who lied all the time, she wanted a better relationship than that.

She frowned, lowering her head. "Okay fine, there is something I should tell you." She said reluctantly, feeling her heart beating a mile a minute. How was she supposed to tell them something like this? What if they never spoke to her again afterward? What if she was completely cut off from the family forever? It was a worse case scenario, but it was extremely possible. The Hopps' weren't known for fraternizing outside their species. But she loved Nick, and if being with him made her an outcast, then so be it.

Neither of them were surprised, but now they were curious as to what she had to say. "What is it, pumpkin?" Stu asked. "It's okay, you can tell us."

Judy nodded, avoiding direct eye contact with them for now. If this was the last time they'd ever speak to her, she didn't want to see their disgusted or angered expressions. "Okay, um..god, how do I begin?" She asked herself quietly, before clearing her throat to speak up, "So um..I actually do have a roommate."

"Oh, that's it? Well, that's not so bad." Bonnie laughed softly. "Why'd you think you had to hide that? Who is it?"

The next part was going to be hard to say. Judy didn't even know to say it, not without sounding scared or nervous. "Well uh..it's— it's Nick. He's my roommate." She said with an anxious smile, unconsciously scratching her nape.

By now, Bonnie and Stu had an idea as to where this was going. Why else would she feel the need to keep that part a secret? But they didn't want to assume right away, and they wanted to hear it from her. "Okay? And is there a specific reason for that?" Stu asked, raising a brow.

Judy chewed on her lip, nodding once again very slowly. She knew that they knew, but were waiting for her to confess. There was no going back now. Once it was out, it was out. Tears began to fill her eyes as she went on. "Yes, there is." She said, taking a deep breath. "He's my boyfriend."

There was a long moment of silence that followed, which just made Judy feel worse. What were they thinking? Did they hate her now? Or were they just having trouble processing the information? Either way, she hated the quietness. She couldn't tell how they felt and she hated not knowing what was on their minds.

Eventually, Bonnie finally spoke again, in a tone that didn't sound angry nor happy. "How long have you been with him?"

"Almost six months." She answered, clenching her blanket. "I'm sorry I never told you, I know I should have, I just— I didn't want you to freak out o-or hate me. I know it's not right for me to date a fox, or anyone that's not a bunny, and I don't expect you to accept it." She frowned, letting a tear fall. "I just hope that you won't think less of me."

Once again, they didn't say anything right away. They exchanged a glance, which further added to Judy's nerves. She almost wanted to hang up just so she wouldn't have to see what their initial reactions would be. But something inside her told her to wait, and hoped that something good would come from this.

Stu cleared his throat as they both looked back at the screen. "Do you love him?"

Judy was taken aback by his question, but she didn't hesitate to answer with a nod. "Yes, of course. More than anything."

"And are you happy?" Bonnie asked.

Again, she nodded, this time with a gentle grin. "I'm really happy. Nick's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Then that's all that matters to us." Bonnie smiled.

"W-wait, what? Really? You mean that?" Judy asked, shocked and in awe. Were Bonnie and Stu, the most fox-opposed mammals in existence, really supporting her relationship with Nick?

"Of course, honey. I mean, we understand why you felt like you had to hide it, but that's no reason to think we would hate you. We could never hate you." Her mother said assuringly.

"Just as long as he treats you right." Stu pointed at her knowingly. "I don't want to have to hunt down a predator."

Judy laughed, her tears now that of joy and relief. Now her thoughts of being ostracized by her family seemed crazy. Of course they would never hate her, not for being in love. "Don't worry, you won't." She said to her father, sniffling and wiping her tears. "Thank you guys, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"No need to thank us. We're just glad that's all that was." Stu said, chuckling. "For a minute there, we thought you were about to tell us you joined a gang or something."

"So when can we meet Nick?" Bonnie asked, somewhat excitedly. "Since he's obviously an important part of your life, it would be nice to get to know him sometime."

"Oh uh, I'm not sure." She said, still wiping what was left of her tears from under her eyes. "We can try taking a vacation around the holidays, so maybe then we can come visit."

"That would be nice. Tell him he's always welcome here." Bonnie said.

Stu wrapped an arm around his wife and have his daughter a soft grin, "Alright Jude, we'll let you get some sleep now. Keep us posted, okay?"

Judy smiled as well, letting out a small breath as she felt more relaxed and at ease now. "I will. Goodnight guys, I love you."

"We love you, too." Stu nodded.

"Bless you and keep you safe always." Bonnie said, blowing her a kiss. “Goodnight, sweetie."

As soon as the call ended, Judy flopped back on the bed and sighed heavily. For the first time since the shooting, she released the tension in her body and let herself relax. Now that there were no secrets between her and her parents, she could finally feel some form of comfort knowing that they accepted her for who she was.

[jetsetlife138]

Imaginary - Chapter 6

Rating: Mature for this chapter, but Explicit in future chapters

Pairing: Alastor x Fem!Reader

Summary: A mysterious device throws you into the animated world of Hazbin Hotel. Once an average human living in a three-dimensional world, you’re now transformed into a two-dimensional human that has been cast into Hell. Pentagram City’s residents are curious and most harbor ill-will towards you. Charlie and the staff of the Happy Hotel take you in and offer you protection while they try and figure out how to return you to your world. That is… until you come across a certain Radio Demon with different intentions. Warnings: Manipulation, Language, Awkward Situations

Previous Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Tags: @beetlewise-and-pennyjuice @edgy-drama-queen @chasingfireflies1999 @galaxy-meteor @cecidit-31 @shadowclawstudio88 @utterly-disappointing @opheliuva @trinswhimsys @skylarhedges @whogavebrynjolfpermissiontobehot @sailor-earth-1

After your tiff with Alastor, you stomped off to seek the solitude of your own room. Dealing with him was infuriating and confusing. He had a way about him where even though you couldn’t stand him, you sometimes found yourself craving his company.

Maybe you were a masochist. That would make the most sense for why you were so fucked up and had weird, conflicting feelings about the arrogant demon.

The next day when you returned to the library, you were not at all surprised to see Alastor there waiting for you. Before you could even negatively comment on his presence, he held his hands up in surrender. “My dear, I owe you the sincerest of apologies. My behavior has been abysmal, and I am quite ashamed.”

You narrowed your eyes, suspicious of his sudden change of heart. His grin widened at your hesitance. “I’ll admit, I’ve gotten carried away during our prior interactions. Let me assure you, I only have the best of intentions. I would like us to be comrades. After all, as previously established, we can help each other. I am still dedicated to helping you return to your world.”

“Whatever, Alastor,” you brushed him off, pinching the bridge of your nose, your patience lacking. “I really don’t have the mental capacity for this right now. Just… keep your pervy hands and weird opinions to yourself. That’s all I ask.”

His lips peeled back further to make his already creepy grin look even more sinister. “Of course, my dear. As you wish.”

You weren’t stupid. You’d be a fool to think that he was being genuine, but at the same time, he was one of the most powerful beings in Hell. As you had already concluded, it couldn’t hurt to let someone like that help you, even if he had selfish intentions. It was just a matter of not falling victim to his advances.

Yet again, the two of you hit the books, making yourselves comfortable on the couch. Much to your relief, he stayed on the opposite end rather than crowd you with his overbearing presence. Instead, he kept to himself, humming softly as he skimmed through the pages of the books, seemingly content with the tedious task of research.

After intricately combing through five different books on magical travel, your eyelids started to get heavier, no longer able to concentrate. Not long after, you found yourself dozing off, your limbs going slack as you unintentionally slid down on the couch until you were met with a cushioned surface, enabling you to soundly fall asleep.

It wasn’t clear how much time had passed. It could have been merely a few minutes, or several hours. Either way, you were extremely comfortable and didn’t feel like moving.

Unfortunately, a voice nearby caused you to stir, interrupting your glorious nap. “Al, you soft son of a bitch.”

“Good evening, Husker. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Alastor’s voice sounded odd. Deeper and strangely close by, whereas Husk was clearly speaking from another part of the room. Still, even knowing that others were present, you couldn’t bring yourself to open your eyes, the allure of sleep keeping you content.

“How long you been sitting here like this?” the cat demon snickered.

“Oh, it’s difficult to say,” Alastor sighed candidly. “To be frank, my friend, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation.”

Husk’s deep laughter echoed softly throughout the library. “So your aggressive approach didn’t pan out, huh? What a surprise. Always knew your bark was worse than your bite. Now you’re just a teddy bear.”

“Is there a reason for your visit? If so, I do wish that you’d just get on with it. I do not enjoy being mocked.”

“Settle down,” Husk prompted. “I’m not here to ruffle your feathers. I was coming to relieve you and help out the girl with research, but seeing as you’re so comfortable, I guess I’ll just be on my way.”

“Do not leave me here,” the Radio Demon warned, the static in his voice thickening with subtle rage. “Do something. Now.”

“You’ve slayed Overlords. You can’t manage to push a weak human off of your shoulder?”

“Husker.”

“Alright, alright,” he relented, sensing Alastor’s tone. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

A firm pressure on your shoulder followed by an abrupt shake quickly alerted you to the situation that you were in. Eyes fluttering open, you tilted your head back to see that you had been pressed up against Alastor, using his body as a pillow.

You immediately shot up, giving yourself a head-rush as you did so. “Oh… Uh, Alastor, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”

At a loss for words, you felt your cheeks reddening with embarrassment as you glanced at Husk who had an amused expression on his face.

Quickly rising from the couch and stretching his limbs, Alastor brushed off your apology. “Think nothing of it, my dear. I am glad to be of assistance, and I hope that you are now fully rested.”

Okay, what the hell? Who was this new Alastor? He went from being perverted and possessive to kind and charming? No, something was off. There was no way that his personality could have changed so dramatically overnight, but now was not the time to interrogate him about it.

“Yeah, uh, much better. Thanks. I’m… going to go take a shower,” you muttered, trying to find any reason to leave the library immediately.

Before either Alastor or Husk had a chance to respond, you practically sprinted out the door and ran for your room where you plopped face-down on the bed and released a muffled groan. You were slightly convinced that you were dying of embarrassment and that was the real reason you were trapped in Hell.

Sighing heavily, you eventually got up and took a cold shower, washing away the essence of Alastor that might have clung to you when you laid on him. Shortly after, you dried off and walked back to your room, shocked to find Charlie and Vaggie waiting for you with concerned expressions.

“Um, hey?” you greeted nervously. “What’s up?”

Vaggie narrowed her eyes and scoffed while Charlie took a more delicate approach. “So, listen… we’re so glad to hear that you’re becoming more and more comfortable here, but…” she trailed off, not sure how to proceed and turning to her girlfriend for help.

Crossing her arms, Vaggie stated bluntly, “Don’t hook up with Alastor.”

Mouth agape, you struggled to find the words to convey your bewilderment. “Um, I’m sorry, what ? Why the hell would you say that? I have no intention of spending more time with him than necessary, let alone that .”

Rolling her eyes, Vaggie countered, “Look, it’s no secret that he’s taken a liking to you. He’s a determined little shit and he will try to charm his way into your good graces. His whole persona is based on his ability to manipulate. It’s just better to not get involved with him. If I had it my way, he wouldn’t even be allowed in the hotel, but what’s done is done.”

“Okay? What exactly does that have to do with me hooking up with him? You don’t think I have more restraint than that?” you questioned, still unsure as to why they were upset.

Charlie interjected again, easing the tension. “We’ve seen you with him and things seem to be getting very… friendly. Husk told us you slept with him…” Ugh, it was like Angel’s prior accusations all over again.

“ On him,” you clarified defensively. “We were doing more research and I passed out on his shoulder! That’s it! Listen, I don’t trust him any more than you do. You don’t need to lecture me about staying on guard. That’s all I’ve been doing since I arrived here.”

Charlie bit her lip and gave you an apologetic look while Vaggie’s expression softened a little. “We didn’t mean to ambush you,” Charlie added. “We just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that he wasn’t forcing you into anything. We’re still getting to know him ourselves.”

“No, it’s fine,” you replied, waving your hand dismissively. “I get it, and I appreciate it. I didn’t mean to come off as bitchy, I’m just… stressed, I guess.”

“Understandable,” Vaggie chimed in, no longer appearing as hostile as she did a minute ago. “We’re still looking for answers on how to get you back to your world, and I can only imagine how terrifying and crazy this has been for you, but we want to make sure that your head is in the right place. Stay away from Alastor.”

“You called, little moth?”

Turning towards the entryway, Alastor stood proudly, twirling his staff nonchalantly in his hands.

Growling, Vaggie snarled, “Do you really have to be here all the time? Don’t you have somewhere else to be? A seedy back alley, perhaps? Busying yourself with souls to torment?”

“Ha!” he exclaimed, amused by Vaggie’s unwavering disdain for him. “Darling girl, this is where my priorities lie for the time being. Fear not, I have no intention of interjecting into what I’m sure is a very fascinating conversation.”

“Then why are you here?” she snapped, flexing her fingers angrily like she was trying to hold back from choking him.

Widening his permanent grin, he turned his attention to Charlie before replying cooly, “It appears you have a visitor.”

“Me?” Charlie asked, perplexed.

“Yes, my dear,” he confirmed, resting on his staff that he had stopped fiddling with. “Your guest is waiting for you in the parlor.”

The three of you began to head towards the door to see who had arrived, but Alastor whipped his staff out in front of you, preventing you from going any further.

“No, no, no, darling. Not you.” Charlie and Vaggie didn’t seem to notice as they continued out of the room, leaving you alone with the Radio Demon.

Eyeing him skeptically, you asked, “Why not?”

He almost looked… nervous? You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but it was an uncharacteristic look for him. Though his smile remained, his demeanor wasn’t his usual arrogant and unbothered self. “Believe me when I say that it is in your best interest to remain here.”

Worrying your lip, you replied, “Alastor, I really don’t think that it’s a good idea for you and I to be alone together anymore.”

Tiling his head to convey his confusion, he asked, “Oh? And why is that?”

Swallowing thickly, you muttered, “I-I just… um… people are starting to think--”

Before you could finish your thought, an unfamiliar voice was drawing nearer, distracting you.

“...permission to enter my own hotel? Foolish daughter. You may work here, but this hotel is mine, as is everything else in Pride Ring. Now, where is our exotic guest?”

Though he was playing it off well, you noticed how Alastor went rigid as the voice got closer. Listening more intently, you could hear multiple sets of footsteps along with Charlie begging, “No! Dad, please just listen to me! Don’t--”

Not a moment later, a strange, yellow-eyed demon burst through the door, beaming right at you, followed by a very nervous Charlie. Vaggie was nowhere to be seen.

The excited demon was taller than you, though not as tall as Alastor. He was as pale as Charlie with similar rosey cheeks and blonde hair. He was adorned with a white and red tuxedo with dress pants and a cane with an apple on the end. His toothy smile was just as wicked as Alastor’s, and left you with a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Ah, there you are. Look at you!” he proclaimed before surging forward and taking your hands in his, pulling you harshly towards him.

You stumbled forward, tripping on your own feet but managing to find your balance before he danced around you, inspecting you closely. Quirking a brow at him, you weren’t keen on the idea of someone looking you over so intimately.

Catching you off-guard, he suddenly reached forward and cupped your face with his hands as he ran his thumbs across your cheeks. Instinctually, you smacked his hands away, just as you had done previously with Alastor. “Seriously? What is it with you demons and lack of personal space?” you snapped, now seething with irritation.

He stood back, clearly surprised by your tenaciousness. “Feisty, aren’t we?” he chuckled, fiddling with his bow tie before straightening his posture. “Oh, we’re going to get along just fine. I can see that.”

“I’m sorry,” you replied with exasperation. “Who are you?”

Smiling wider, he answered, “I’m Lucifer, the King of Hell, my delectable little human. And you’re coming with me.”

[cryptidcat-stories]

Ghastly Consequences | BATIM

ah HA! Hello! I am finally home to post the first part of my new Bendy and the Ink Machine AU!

I've always liked ghost like characters, so i’m always happy to read/see ghost AUs! They would always have an interesting concept and plot! And I love it!

So I’ve been working on a little personal AU for BATIM- I’ve always thought of something going wrong in Henry’s revivals, and this is a perfect opportunity do put that idea into action! I'm quite exited on how y'all will feel about it!

So a quick review on Ghost!Henry! - He’s still visible! And solid too! So that wont affect anything plotwise. - He doesn't really know hes become this ghost creature until this point! - He is able to become intangible! However, it only happens with extreme emotions at the moment! - And finally(I think)! Hes able to possess others! He just cant un-possess them, he kills the possessed person if he somehow leaves the body. And hes forced out if the body is killed with him in it.

Anyways! Onto the story! Hope you like it! I’ve got one more short done for ya’ll! It’ll just be put up tomorrow!

A Painful Possession

A crash cracked though the room as Henry’s cart was flung into a wall. The cart Henry was in shattered as he fell to the ground. The wind being knocked out of him from the fall. Henry never knew how he didn’t break any bones whenever he was flung by the Brute Boris.

He groaned as he got up, and he nearly yelped as he dodged when the Brute flung a large box at him. He somehow missed the wood shards as he dodged off to the side. All he had to do was wait for the Brute to stop so he could get himself some thick ink for the mini-ink machine next to the wall.

It was a tedious job to constantly go back and forth from breaking the weak pipes it produced and having to wait for more of the ink. Plus it was painful to have to go though this fight so many times and see his friend in so much pain. As he was the only one to end it for the poor Boris.

-----

The fight was getting long and he was getting close to getting sent back. He didn’t want to have to restart the fight from the start. All he wanted was to end this loop! This wasn't going all too well for him at this time.

Strange things were happening to him in this loop. One, he constantly dropped things he had in his hands whenever he was frightened, he somehow moved faster when he was walking through the ink, and that every now and then an enemy will ignore him even though he was clearly in their sights. It was commonly strikers that ignored him too…

He choked back a yell as the Brute backhanded him once again into a corner. He coughed harshly, keeping a hand over his waist and mouth. His eyes tightly shut in pain.

When Henry opened his eyes, he was cornered by the Brute. He looked up at the Boris in fear, he heard ‘Alice’ cackling over the coms. And if he had to guess, ‘Alice’ couldn't see Henry as he was hidden by the Brute.

He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes again, waiting for the time he was sent back to the well to be revived. But the moment the Boris touched him his vision went static for a split second, and then pain suddenly radiated all throughout his body.

He shrieked out as pain laced throughout his body, the sound he made sounded extremely wrong and garbled. All of his limbs felt heavy and he felt like he was going to lean over. The pain and static subsided, and he found out he was now on his feet. He closed his eyes as he fell back onto his butt as a wave of nausea hit him.

He groaned lightly as he raised a hand to rest on his head. But he froze as he felt something cold hit his hand. He opened his eyes in confusion once again and looked to where his hand felt the cold. But he froze as he felt his head hit the same cold thing and stopped him from moving his head any more than where he had it.

Henry felt his eyes wide when he looked down, and… He saw a familiar snout… He let out a whimper as he held his hands out and looked at them, there he saw the sepia colored gloves of a toon. He brought up his hands to his chest as he looked down, tilting his head to the side. He looked down at the gaping hole that was there.

There in the chest, that he could barely see, was a golden and glowing cartoon like heart. Along with all the organs that sat in the chest of the Brute. The heart looked like it was made of whatever the invisible ink was that was all over the studio.

He inhaled sharply and flinched when he finally registered the voice of the other ‘Alice’ angrily screeching over the coms, “BORIS!” He looked up, his ‘ears’ perking up as he was now listening to the ‘Alice’. He heaved himself up onto his feet to be ready for just in case the ‘Alice’ rushed out at him.

“Why were you ignoring me?” She asked. Henry decided to not make a reaction to ‘Alice’ to play as he was still the Brute and not a somehow possessed one. He seemed to do right as ‘Alice’ continued on, “Ah nevermind. You can't speak anyways. Come back to me Boris, I've got some things I need you to do for me.”

Henry didn’t move from his spot. He didn't know where this ‘Alice’s’ little hideout was besides going up the elevator and back to the room where he first saw her fully. And he was sure that was not her main hideout.

“Well what are you waiting for?” She snarked, “Come back here! Or i'll come get you myself!” Henry of course didn't move, he needed the other Alice to come down here to have Allison kill her. It is how the loop normally went for him. And it's what he needed for the loop to continue on as normal.

However if Allison failed to kill ‘Alice’ he guesses he would have to take to killing her with his own- Er, Brute’s hands.

So while he waited for ‘Alice’ to get down here. He decided to look over this body.

He shifted his feet looking down to the ground. He looked back up looking at his hands with mild curiosity, he looked them over flipping them to look at his palms. He soon shifted his gaze to look up his arms, his eyes tracing the ropes that wrapped around the Brute’s forearms.

He moved to the false ‘halo’ that was over his head. He felt the buckle on the large piece of metal that the ‘halo’ was attached to. And without a second thought, he undid the latch and nearly chucked the item away from him.

It hit the ground a bit away from him with a loud clang. He huffed in anger, his eyes narrowing. He huffed again, going to rest his now gloved hand over his face. That's when he realized that he didn't really have the x’ed out eyes that the Brute Boris usually had. Instead they seemed like normal eyes for a toon.

-----

That when he heard it. The clicking of heels caught his attention, the Brute’s ears perking up in attention once again. The clicking was fast paced, and almost angry sounding. So Henry turned his head to focus on the doorway the sound was coming from, and he stared at the spot ‘Alice would come from.

His face contorted into an angry snarl as ‘Alice’ came into view. ‘Alice’ froze in the doorway at the sight of the Brute. Her face too changed into an angry snarl, as she saw the slight differences of the Brute Boris.

“Boris…” She growled out at him.

Henry clenched his fists and turned his body towards the false Alice. He bared his teeth as he narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Alice’s’ expression darkened when Henry let out a low growl at her.

“Ah-” She started. “So that Henry caused you to defect…” She scowled, “Guess I'll have to kill you. You've become no use to me like that.” Her hands clenched into fists and she reached off to the side, she soon pulled out an ax he had somehow not spotted from the very start.

That's quite bad...

She soon charged at Henry with an angry shriek. Henry roared at Alice before charging and swinging a fist at her.

-----

It wasn't before long until Allison showed up and swiftly dealt with ‘Alice’ by beheading her.

Henry sighed in relief, falling onto his bum with a soft thud. He was breathing hard, and he held a hand over the exposed part of his chest. The ‘Alice’ was able to get a few lucky strikes, and it somehow had hurt quite badly.

Allison was staring at him, one hand tightly gripping her machete and her other resting on her chin. Tom was also staring at him with a hint of curiosity and suspicion.

Henry looked to the Alice and Boris, wondering what they might do. They usually brought him to their current hideout. He tilted his head, looking back to himself.

He never really had much time to process what had happened earlier. How had he possessed the Brute? Can he un-possess it? What in the world has been happening lately?

Henry zoned out while thinking. His 'ears' flopping over, and his hands held open in front of himself.

Henry jumped when Allison spoke up. "Hey. Can you speak?" She asked him.

Henry gained a thinking look. 'Am able to speak like this? I highly doubt that…' Henry shook his head no at Allison. She frowned and returned her hand to her chin, once again thinking.

Henry thought for a second before remembering something from a previous loop.

He smiled and started to shakily sign out something. [I know ASL] It was rough, and he was going off what he could remember. It has been awhile since he signed.

Allison lit up, a smile forming on her face. Tom on the other hand, looked really confused. "Oh good! I know ASL too!" She quickly spoke. [Do you remember who you were before?] Allison signed out to him.

Henry hesitated, [Well] he started off. [I don't know how to explain this, but I guess yes I do. But not all too well] he looked embarrassed of having to lie. But he had to now play off as if he was a Boris who remembered who he was before.

[lunarfox22]

Bloodied and Broken - Part 3

Pairing: Loki x OFC (of color)

Warning: Violence, language, blood, mentions of suicidal thoughts, angst, fluff

Words: 1927

AO3: Bloodied and Broken by lunar_fox22

FFN: Bloodied and Broken by lunarfox

Summary:  Loki has fallen from the Bifrost, a disgraced prince. He meets Angela Lawrence, a SHIELD agent who helps him, but can he let go of his scorn? Or will he betray the only person who is on his side?

A/N:  I'm moving these over to my new writing works tumblr. Please forgive any confusion!

Part 2 - Part 4

Masterlist

When Loki woke up, the sun was blaring through the blinds filling the room he was in with bright light. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block it out.

There was something soft under him, much softer than the seating he was laying on last night. Maybe the woman had indeed helped him to her home. If that was the case, she was strong as that would require carrying him.

Reluctantly he opened his eyes again. The light poured in his vision and he groaned. His head was pounding, and every inch of his body hurt. He tried to move to get up, but every part of him screamed to stop. Who was he to deny that? The only option was to lay here and not move a muscle. He did, however, take this time to look at his surroundings.

It didn’t take long to figure out the woman had put him in a bedroom. Was it hers? Nonetheless, it was a soft cream color, and only big enough to fit a bed and dresser. The bed he was laying on had a light blue blanket, and the dresser was made of a light wood. There was a window close to the bed. The cream door across the room from where he was laying, was cracked open.

Loki could hear birds chirping from outside, and he could hear what he assumed was the woman from last night walking towards the room.

He slowly sat up, trying his hardest to ignore the pain that shot through him as he did so. Shifting, he sat his back against the pillows and headboard. He watched as she poked her head in, and then stopped as their eyes met. She stepped into the room and examined him with her dark brown eyes.

Loki took this time to also examine the woman. She had warm, bronze skin. Curly, black hair that was pulled up into a bun, which allowed him to get a good look at her face. She had dark brown eyes, and a pair of full, pink lips. He was right in his assessment earlier, she was strong. He could clearly see her muscles as she folded her arms over her chest. She had a very straight posture, that reminded him much of the Einherjar at the palace. Finally, he looked at her body, and noticed she had nice curves. She was attractive, he concluded. Had this been a different time, he would have seduced her and went back to Asgard afterwards. But now he had a mission, and he could not be distracted.

“So, you’re finally awake,” her voice was soft. “You were out like a light last night. You didn’t even move.”

Small talk would get them nowhere, so he cut to the chase. He needed to know where in the Hel he had landed, “Where am I?”

For a moment, she didn’t reply. She instead came to sit next to him on the bed. The bed sunk as she added her weight and came face to face with him. Loki almost backed away but was stopped by the look in her eyes. He knew he was being evaluated, he had seen this look before. From his father, from his peers, by Thor. She was searching to see if he was worthy of something.

It wasn’t even a moment later she sat back a bit, satisfied with whatever she saw, and answered him. “You’re at my house. On Earth.”

He was right, she was Midgardian. So, he had landed on Midgard. Even he could appreciate the irony. He landed on the same place his brother – no, his not brother – loved so much. The place where Thor was banished to. The place where Thor’s precious Jane was. He did promise that he would visit her, didn’t he? This made fulfilling that promise easier.

Angela watched him for another, and saw the glint pass his eyes . Just as Loki knew what she was doing earlier, she realized the look in his eyes. Earlier she had seen the hurt pass his eyes too. And she knew all too well that something had happened to the man, alien, whatever he was. She could tell he was hurt outside of the physical sense. The look reminded her of herself not too long ago. Hurt, angry, and ready to do whatever to prove herself.

Angela chewed her lip in thought. Maybe, just maybe she could help him. She was a firm believer in paying it forward. Director Fury had helped her out when she needed it most, and now was her time to help someone else.

Her eyes slid over to him once more. He seemed zoned out. “I’ll be right back,” she told him.

His head snapped up to watch her leave the room. He looked down and noticed that he wasn’t in his armor but his under clothes. His shirt was drenched in blood, but he didn’t feel dirty. Had she cleaned him?

She returned with a white box and sat next to him again, “I’m going to need to take off your shirt and change your bandages.”

The white box opened, and he could see what looked to be medical supplies. She went to reach for him, and he smacked her hands away. He could remove his shirt this time by himself. She had already taken liberties with his person while he had slept.

Slowly, she pulled her hands back, waiting for him to finish. If he wanted to do it himself, he could as far as she was concerned. Angela could see the pain in his face, but it wasn’t her fault he was stubborn. In the meantime, she began getting out the bandages.

He finished undressing and examined the bandages. There were layers upon layers of them.

Angela looked back up to him to see him looking at her work. “I did the best I could. I tried to give you stitches, but your skin broke the needle. So, I had to use liquid stitches. I wrapped you up to make sure everything stayed in place.”

This time when she went to reach for him, he allowed it. She began to unwrap him, and watched him closely to make sure she wasn’t hurting him too badly. She noticed that the scrapes on his face had healed. ‘That was quick,’ she thought.

The last of the bandages came undone and she examined his upper torso. It was a collage of purples, blues, yellows, and his actual pale skin color. The deep gash on his side had healed some but was still there. The liquid stitches seemed to be helping, and he was no longer bleeding. Overall, it looked a lot better than it did last night.

“It looks good. You seem to heal very quickly.”

He said nothing in reply. Obviously he healed quickly.

Angela didn’t let his little snub affect her. She began to rebandage him and tried to start another conversation. “What’s your name?”

He watched her for a moment considering answering her or not. Should he lie? If he did lie, it would have to be an elaborate lie. And explaining how he fell out of the sky would be tedious. When he could just tell her that he was a god and leave it at that. “I am called Loki,” he answered.

Angela froze. Loki? The same Loki that leveled the same town she was in charge of fixing? That Loki? The Loki that attacked his own brother? What were the chances?

Her brain went into overdrive with the millions of questions. She recovered from her shock and started to wrap his bandages like nothing had happened. But her mind couldn’t quit thinking.

‘He seemed confused when he first got here, but was that all a ploy? He was known as the God of Mischief and Lies. Did he have an agenda here? Was he here for Jane? Or was he really here due to circumstance? Should I tell SHIELD? I know I said I wouldn’t but–’

Her thoughts were cut off by Loki asking her a question. He had caught her hesitation, and the knowing look in her eyes. “I take it you know who I am.”

There was silence before she replied, “Yes. I know who you are.”

Angela dared to look up in his eyes. He was waiting, that much she could tell. Waiting for what? She looked closer, and then realized. He was waiting for her to judge him. It was the same reaction she had every time she met someone new in SHIELD. Her reputation preceded her, just as his reputation preceded him. People rarely seemed to want to get to know her all because of who she used to be.

‘No,’ Angela decided. That wasn’t going to be her. She wasn’t going to be the one to toss him to the wolves. But she would be cautious around this man. He was, in fact, a very powerful being who could outwit her. She had to be extremely careful, and hope that she was right.

With that, she looked away and went back to finishing off his bandages.

Loki blinked, stunned, before recovering. Was that it? Most mortals after learning who he was either ran away or went down on their knees. Yet this woman didn’t even bat an eye. Sure, she was shocked at first, but it seemed as if she didn’t even care any longer. She still was helping him. ‘What a curious little thing she is…’ he thought.

Angela finished up wrapping him, and gave him a soft smile. She picked up his shirt and began to speak, “All done. I can wash this for you to get the blood out. I don’t have anything else for you to wear, but it shouldn’t take long for me to wash this. She stood up and made her way to the door. When she got there, she turned and faced him, “Are you hungry?”

Loki shook his head, unsure how to proceed. She had thrown him off his game. She had offered a complete stranger refuge in her home, and was tending to him. He couldn’t be rude to her.. At the moment he had nowhere to go, and if anything Frigga had raised him to be polite. So he put on his most charming personality possible.

“No, not at the moment,” he paused, “Forgive me, you seem to have me at a disadvantage. You know me, but don’t know you. What is your name?”

She gave him another polite, small smile, “My name is Angela. Angela Lawrence.”

“Angela, what a lovely name,” he complimented. “I’m actually rather tired at the moment, Lady Angela. But I thank you for allowing me in your home and tending to my wounds. You are truly kind.”

“Then go back to sleep. I’ll wash your shirt, and be out in the living room if you need me. And you can call me Angela.”

He nodded at her. Angela made her way out of the room, and shut the door in her wake.

Loki settled down into the bed, and shut his eyes. He honestly was tired. The fall had taken a lot out of him. He could feel the wear and tear his body went through from slipping through space. His mind also felt sluggish after the fall. That wouldn’t do. He needed to figure out what exactly he was going to do.

It wasn’t long before he fell into a deep sleep. And that was when the whispers started.

[aka-indulgence]

His Bark: Part 4

Herculanum could feel the intense fear rolling off of the girl in front of him. His grin widened. This was always his favorite part; the intimidation. He could always get a sense of what sort of person a human was, just by invading their personal space.

The girl began to shake visibly in front of him. She wouldn’t look him in the eye, though she kept giving him cautious looks. She wasn’t a complete coward, he could tell. But she was definitely afraid of him.

Good.

Herc looked her up and down. He had to admit, she was a cute little thing. He reached out his hand to touch her hair. He wanted to see how far she would let him go, before she fought back~

He felt her freeze at his contact. Her breath became more frantic and anxiety ridden.

Yes, she was very cute~

He began to slide his hand down her face, under her chin, down her neck, her shoulder, her-

“HERCULANUM!!”

In a instant the bigger skeleton was slammed against the back wall. His soul was visible and blue in front of his chest.

“HOW DARE YOU TREAT OUR GUEST WITH SUCH DISRESPECT!!”

Papyrus’ eye flared in anger.

“H-hey cuz! I was only talkin to her-“

Though Herc was bigger in size, he knew his magic was no match in strength compared to Papyrus.

“DO NOT LIE TO ME COUSIN! I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE “DOING”. LET IT BE CLEAR THAT THIS HUMAN IS UNDER MY WATCH AND THEREFORE MY PROTECTION! YOU WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO “TALK” WITH HER OR OTHERWISE AGAIN! UNDERSTOOD?”

The big skeleton was sweating bullets. He nodded grudgingly. Papyrus released his soul, dropping him to the floor. The bigger monster slowly got up and looked at the younger one with animosity. Papyrus’ eye began to glow again.

“LEAVE. NOW.”

Without another word, Herculanum exited the room.

Papyrus immediately turned his attention to the girl. She was sitting next to the bed hunched over into a ball again. As he listened more closely, he could hear her softly sobbing.

“Human? Are You-“

“I wanna go home!”

Papyrus was struck silent by her anguished cry. She lifted her head to reveal her tear streaked face.

“Please, I promise I won’t tell anyone about what I saw-I just wanna go home!”

She began to sob loudly, covering her face which had turned red from exertion. Her frame was still shaking.

Papyrus had an overwhelming urge to pick her up and comfort her; hold her close and tell her it would be ok and he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again. Dry those tears and shush her until she finally melted into him.

The youngest skeleton felt another shiver go down his spine. He shook himself. Where did those feelings come from?

Wherever they came from, he knew those types of advances would only frighten the little human more. He needed a way he could make her relax.

He watched her silently, as her crying ebbed and flowed over and over.

....flowed?

“HUMAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISTRESS AT YOUR SITUATION. UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT LET YOU LEAVE UNTIL MY BROTHERS HAVE CONCLUDED WHAT YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT YOURSELF WAS THE TRUTH. UNTIL THEN I HAVE BEEN TASKED TO WATCH OVER YOU.”

The girl looked up at him, her tears subsiding momentarily.

“AS SUCH, I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE-WITHIN REASON MIND YOU! THAT BEING SAID, I BELIEVE A HOT BATH WOULD HELP YOU TO CALM YOUR NERVES AND RELAX- EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST.”

The girl gave him a worried and suspicious look. Papyrus sighed at the tedious nature of this conversation.

“THE DOOR LOCKS FROM THE INSIDE. THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME OR ANY OTHERS TO GET IN ONCE ITS LOCKED.”

The younger skeleton left out the part of them possibly using magic; no need to add to her distrust.

She turned to face him, softly wiping stray tears from her face.

“TOWELS ARE IN THE CABINET TO THE LEFT OF THE DOOR. SOAP AND BODY WASH ARE KEPT ORGANIZED IN THE SHOWER CADDY-PLEASE BE SURE TO RETURN EVERYTHING TO ITS PROPER PLACE! AS FOR YOUR CLOTHES; AFTER YOU HAVE CHANGED OUT OF THEM, LEAVE THEM OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR SO I CAN WASH THEM FOR YOU. NO DOUBT THEY ARE DIRTY FROM YOUR LONG DAY.”

The girls eyebrows knit together.

“B-but if you take my clothes, what will I wear when I get out of the shower?”

Papyrus paused. He had not thought of that. She probably wouldn’t want to linger in a towel after what had just happened. He turned to his drawers, sifting through them. Most of his everyday clothes were dress shirts and slacks, which he did not want to risk wrinkling. He kept searching, until he pulled out a sweater.

It was very rare he ever dressed down, but sometimes when he stayed at home, it was easier to just pull on a sweater. He brought it over to the girl.

Hesitantly she stood and took it from him. She held it up to her frame. As he expected, his monster sized clothes were extremely long compared to her tiny human body.

The thought of her wearing his clothes made his soul begin to thump. He cleared his throat to bring his mind back to its proper place. No more foolishness.

“I WILL BE BACK TO CHECK FOR YOUR CLOTHES IN 30 MINUTES. IF YOU DO NOT NEED ANYTHING ELSE, I WILL LEAVE YOU.”

The girl shook her head, clutching the sweater.

Papyrus nodded, exiting the room. As he walked down the hall, thoughts of the cute human being dressed in only his sweater sent chills down his spine. His soul started thumping again. He knew he needed to occupy himself with other things or those thoughts would make him do something he’d regret.

....

As she sat in the water watching the steam rise, she felt a weight begin to lift. Despite the fact that he had killed someone, Papyrus was turning out to be...kinder than expected. Of course he was still very straightforward and to the point. No nonsense and always organized. This was evidenced to her by the extremely well organized shower caddy hanging from the shower head. Everything was labeled and put in order of importance. Apparently he shared this room and bathroom with one of his brothers. Or maybe...that terrifying skeleton he had called his cousin.

She shuddered, trying to shake the memory of his touches. If Papyrus hadn’t stepped in...

She turned her thoughts back to the tall skeleton. Had he really meant what he’d said? That he would protect her?

She felt something in her heart flutter. She sank deeper into the water until her nose touched it. No one had ever wanted to protect her before....

Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad, all she had to do was wait for his brothers to check her story and-

Then what?

Would they really let her go? Would she just walk away from this and forget this ever happened? Life would be normal again...

Could it be that simple?

She sighed. No doubt it was more complicated than that. And what if they were just really good at lying? Was all this stuff with Papyrus just a sham until they figured out how to get rid of her?

She felt her heart sink again at that thought. Wouldn’t be the first time someone had gone back on their word with her; or used her...or hurt her.

She sighed and reached for the plug. In that moment, she kinda wished Papyrus would come back soon, so she wouldn’t have to relive those memories.

.....

As he suspected, the human’s clothes were filthy and in need of washing. She had left them in a pile outside the door, devoid of undergarments-which he was thankful for.

He couldn’t help but wonder what she would look like in his clothes. Of course, it would be a while before her clothes dried so he had no excuse to go see her again.

Papyrus shook himself. He didn’t need a reason to see her. It was HIS room and she was a prisoner after all, he had every right to check on her. A pang went through his soul at those thoughts. A prisoner...is that what she felt like?

He pushed that thought away. It did not matter what she felt like. His job was to keep an eye on her, nothing else.

He headed up the stairs, almost skipping steps on the way up. He paused at the door. What if she wasn’t dressed yet? He felt his soul leap. He shook his head and knocked on the door.

“HUMAN, IM COMING IN.”

He opened the door slowly. She was laying on her stomach on the bed, reading one of his books off the shelf. At his presence, she swung her feet over the side and sat up.

Papyrus stared, still holding onto the door handle. Even though it was large, his sweater fell right below her knees. Her arms were engulfed in fabric, which she kept pushing back every few seconds. The collar hung a little loose on her neck showing some of her chest. She looked like she was positively swimming in his shirt.

And he loved it~

His hand twitched with the urge to reach out and smooth her damp and wild hair.

“Papyrus?”

He pulled himself out of his trance and looked her in the eyes. It was then he realized he had been staring for an awkwardly long time. He felt his face turning red.

“I- CAME TO CHECK IF YOU NEEDED ANYTHING BEFORE I WENT TO BED.”

She stared at him for a moment, seemingly weighing out something in her mind.

“...Am I sleeping in here?”

Papyrus was confused by the question. Why was she asking him when it was obvious?

“YES. I DOUBT YOU WOULD WANT TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH AFTER THAT INCIDENT WITH MY COUSIN.”

She nodded in agreement. He was still confused by the nature of her question.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

He watched her silently. Why was she asking so many questions all of a sudden?

“MOST LIKELY ON THE COUCH. DO NOT WORRY, I WILL BE FINE.”

She nodded again, she his time looking a bit...forlorn. Papyrus sighed and turned to leave.

“GOOD NIGHT HUMAN.”

“W-wait!”

He paused and turned back to look at her. She was fidgeting and wouldn’t look at him.

“You-....You could stay in here.”

The tall skeleton’s eye ridge went up.

“I-I mean there’s another bed here so...you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

Papyrus was silent. He watched as she fidgeted with the edge of the sweater. He saw red creeping into her cheeks. She was asking him to stay? He felt his soul leap, but his outward appearance didn’t falter.

“WHY?”

The girl looked up at him. The sweater in her hand was scrunched up in her nervous hands, showing just a bit more of her legs. Papyrus could feel something building up in him he had not felt before.

A need...a hunger~

“I-“ the girl looked down at the bunched up sweater again. She tried to talk again but couldn’t.

She was so cute~

“I don’t want to be alone again.”

Her voice finally came out in a embarrassed and terrified whisper. So that was it. She was afraid; afraid something might happen again. Afraid someone might try to come in again.

“HUMAN, WILL ME BEING HERE MAKE YOU FEEL SAFER?”

She sighed. He could see the weight of the entire day come down on her in that sigh. She was exhausted and though calmer, she was still terrified.

She nodded.

He felt his soul skip a beat. The cute human wanted him to stay with her? He wondered what she would look like; asleep in his bed-so small compared to everything on it.

Outwardly, the tall skeleton crossed his arms.

“I SUPPOSE IT WOULD BE WISE FOR ME TO MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE TRYS ANYTHING DURING THE NIGHT. VERY WELL I ACCEPT YOUR OFFER. I WILL TAKE THE TOP BUNK, SINCE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY ALREADY SETTLED ON THE BOTTOM.”

Truthfully, he wanted a birds eye view of her while she slept.

The girl nodded and laid back down; bedding herself down underneath the blankets.

He turned on the lamp on the bedside table, then turn out the lights.

She watched as he made his way over to his drawers and began to loosen his tie. Once it was off he carefully folded it and placed it back in its spot in the drawer. Then he stalked back over to the bunk bed and stared down at the human. She looked back up at him, this time not averting her gaze.

“GOOD NIGHT.”

“Good night.” She whispered back.

With a grunt of approval, Papyrus climbed the ladder to the top bunk and settled down.

“...Papyrus?”

Her voice was small but strong.

“YES?”

“Thanks.”

“...YOU’RE WELCOME.”

.........

@turtleskele

Thanks aka-indulgence for your help with this chapter and answering my midnight questions lol! Also for the suggestion to post on my AO3. I think I’ll do that soon, of course I’ll give you the credit for my inspiration :). My AO3 is Tismyname.

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AKA-Indulgence talking here, awww, she has someone to keep her company ;U; Baby needs some comfort...

I’ll be waiting to see you post! Thanks for sharing this :>