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littlemissmentallyunstable · 6 months ago

Note

HIII OK SO THIS IS A REALLY SPECIFIC REQ SO IF U CANT DO IT THEN ITS ALL GOOD

COULD U DO AVERY X BESTFRIEND!READER (PLATONIC OFC) WHERE HER BESTGRIEND IS LIKE A SINGER / ACTRESS

MAYBE THE READER JS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH SPOT W JAMESON AND AVERY COMFORTS HER.

JUST SOME BESTIE LOVE YK

hi!! I’m SO SO SO SO SO SO INSANELY sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to this request it was literally requested on the 20th of august and I feel so bad!! but I finally finished and I hope you enjoy

title: she’s always there

pairing: avery x bestfriend!reader (platonic)

synopsis: after a fight with jameson you know you need avery at your side to make things right again

warnings: mild swearing

a/n: three months too late but I didn’t forget you, hope you enjoy anon :))

taglist: @lovethornes @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @fleuriosa @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual @aleatorio1234 @adalia-jaycee @off-to-the-r4ces @lyra-kane @reminiscentreader @lyrakanefanatic @imaseabear @elizaa31 @loveinalocket @lanterns-and-daydreams @hermesenthusiast

The door slams shut. The sound echoes through my ears, bouncing around my head, a painful reminder of all that had just exploded. I stumble forwards, my fingers shaking on the doorknob. I want to run to him but my legs are stuck in an invisible cement. So my body gives way and I crumble to the floor.

Tears blur my vision as I shake in a pathetic heap. My chest hurts with each ugly sob. I hate fighting, but I hate this even more. This pain, this agony. I sob harder until my throat is so raw only cracked sounds come out.

I stay there for what feels like hours, maybe even days. I’m heavy with exhaustion and grief. I know I need to get up but I don’t move. I can’t will myself out of this position. Fear flickers in the pit of my stomach. Why can’t I get up? I have no energy, no motivation.

Nothing, I feel nothing.

But even the dread of feeling nothing doesn’t even pull me from the numbness. My skin is thickened with a layer of senselessness. I’m too weighted by my own sadness to move. This happened before, this happened last time, this couldn’t happen again.

I could hear my heart thumping in my ears. The sound almost deafening. I’m taking sharp jagged breaths that I can’t control. I need Avery.

I need her more than anything right now. She promised me if things got bad again that she would be one call away. And she made me promise that I’d call her. I couldn’t break my promise, I’m not a person who breaks their promises.

But I haven’t seen her in weeks and what if she only thinks I call her when I’m struggling? What if she thinks I’m using her? What if she gets tired and just walks out like everyone else?

I usually block out ‘the before’. But I can remember snippets, like how I couldn’t to get out of bed, to get off of the floor, to move, to eat, to take care of myself and how I felt then I’m starting to feel now. An icy coolness is pulsating through my veins, so sharp that I can’t feel it anymore.

My phone is next to my face. I can see it. But my finger feels like they’re being dragged down my a large iron ball and chain. I can’t even reach my phone for my emergency contact. My hollow chest begins to throb.

“Call Avery,” I whisper to my phone, “please call Avery. I need her.”

One ring. Tw-

“Ave,” I murmur, my voice shaking.

She replies almost instantly, “what’s wrong?”

She’s sharp, she’s ready, she’s immediate. She’s going to help me pull myself together, I tell myself.

“I need you,” I whisper, not knowing what else to say other than the truth. I can’t sugarcoat anything now. I’m not fine. I can’t move.

“I’m coming,” Avery tells me.

“It’s getting bad again,” I snivel the words just blurting out before there’s enough time for them to be filtered

I feel her freeze for a moment, “bad?”

“I’m stuck on the floor,” I mumble, my throat hoarse and sore, “I can’t move.”

“Just wait there okay,” she comforts, “I’m coming.”

“My life is a mess,” I ramble, not being able to stop myself. I’ve lost control, over my mind, over my body, over my words.

“I’ll be over in two minutes okay, stay on the line with me,” she says urgently.

“I’m sorry,” I say choking out another sob, “I’m so so sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologise,” she says firmly but with kindness behind her tone, “just sit tight and I’m coming.”

“Okay,” I exhale, trying to ignore the lump growing in my throat.

“What happened?” she asks so softly I just want to melt into even more of a puddle of a human being. I’m halfway there, my limbs sprawled every which way, my tearstained face covered by a curtain of hair.

“Everything went wrong,” I tremble, not knowing how else to describe it. The scene plays out in the mind again and again, a pitiless record of pain on loop.

“What’s everything?” Avery asks, her voice so mellow, so gentle, so calm.

“Jameson.”

His name sends a twinge of pain across my chest.

“Oh sweetie I’m sure it’s okay,” she says, “it’s normal for couples to fight.”

“Not like this,” I shake my head as if she can see me.

“Let me in and we’ll talk about it,” she says.

“You’re outside?” I ask my voice opting for the tone of a vulnerable child. She’d arrived faster than I thought she would.

“Yes,” she confirms.

“Door’s unlocked,” I murmur, the words kind of slurring into one another as I said them.

“I might get a speeding ticket tomorrow but it’ll be worth it,” the door opens, “besides Alisa will probably be able to get me out of it.”

“Mmmm,” I respond, feeling tired, each of my limbs weighing me down as if they were made of lead.

“Sweetie you need to stand up,” she tells me gently, I can feel her hand running up and down my arm rhythmically.

“I can’t,” I wheeze, everything was so heavy it ached.

“You can,” Avery replies, “I’m going to help you.”

“I’m tired,” I groan, my vision blurring as my eyelids fall shut.

“Then we can go to bed,” she says.

My lips quiver, “Avery?”

“Yeah,” she murmurs.

“I can’t stand up,” I whisper, the ghost of my voice vibrating against my throat, “I can’t do it.”

“Here then let’s sit up first,” she says.

Slowly she helps me into a sitting position. The world feels a little hazy. My head rolls backwards and thumps on the wall, it’s too heavy to hold up.

A flicker of pain spreads across the back of my head, the first real feeling in my state of numbness. She wraps her arms around me and I fall into her softly crying. I don’t know if it’s the pain in my head or the pain in my heart endorsing the tears but I don’t care.

She holds me tightly and tenderly as if she might never let go. I fear if she does I’ll fall apart and break into millions of pieces on the floor that can never be put back together again. My entire body shakes as my tears dampen my best friend’s shirt.

“Come on,” she says slowly, helping me to my feet after a long bout of silence.

I don’t want to move but my legs are willed too having obtained pins and needles from my static state. I don’t know how she managed to get me thinking about something other than my absence of feeling, allowing me to walk, but she did. We slump down on the sofa together and I curl up into her grip. I don’t want to let Avery go, not when my mind is retelling the story.

“What is your problem with me?” I scoff, putting the dishes into the cupboard not really meeting his eyes.

He’d been offish all through dinner, the one chance we actually had to spend time with each other and of course he picks that moment to be mad.

“My problem?” he says, with a bitter laugh, “you want to know my problem?”

“That is what I just said isn’t it?” I quip back, a bit snarky.

“Where are you half the time?” he asks, a degree of hurt in his voice that makes my heart twist.

I stare at him, dumbfounded as my brain registers the question, “what?”

“I never see you anymore,” Jameson tells me, “I mean any longer without you and I feel like I’m going to forget your face.”

“You do see me,” I reply curtly.

“No I don’t and you know it,” he snaps, a wild looking shining through his emerald eyes.

“Jamie I can’t help my schedule,” I sigh, putting my hands on my hips, “I didn’t choose this.”

“Maybe you didn’t but you’re not trying to do anything about it,” he accuses me.

“I am!” I exclaim, throwing my hands up into the air.

“No you’re not,” he shakes his head, “you’re not doing anything and it’s not fair.”

“Give it a month and-“

“No! I’m tired of waiting,” he says, desperation bleeding into his voice, “it’s always next month this and next week that, I’m sick and tired of waiting for us.” he runs a hand through his unruly hair, “isn’t love meant to come first?”

“I need a job,” I say in a low voice, “I need money Jameson.”

“I’ll give you money,” he groans a pleading look in his features.

“You don’t understand,” I yell, “I need to make this for myself.”

“Why?” he shouts, “I could give you anything you ever wanted!”

“I wanted to earn something, not just be given it,” I try to explain.

“You’ve earned everything you need to,” he presses on.

“Acting is what I love to do Jamie,” I tell him, the passion seeping into my voice, “these auditions are what I love to do.”

“I thought you loved me,” he shoots back.

“I do,” I exhale, “you know I do.”

Jameson shakes his head with a bitter and slightly pained sort of smile, “it feels like all you care about is this stupid work of yours.”

My eyes are squinted shut. I’m trapped in a memory I hate, held captor in a prison of my mind’s own making.

“Talk to me,” Avery whispers, “I’m here.”

“Jamie hates me, I barely see you, I overwork, I can’t sleep, all my auditions are going horribly and I’m just messing everything up-“ I ramble, my voice becoming thicker and thicker with emotion with each word.

“Hey,” she says softly, “just breathe.”

“I can’t, it’s like everything is coming at me all at once and I can’t handle it,” I choke, “I feel like I’m drowning Avery and every time I kick up to the surface another wave takes me out again. It’s this cycle that I can’t make my way out of.”

“Oh sweetheart,” she soothes, “just try for me and ignore all of it for a second and just look into my eyes.”

I meet her gentle hazel eyes, but they blur as tears fill my vision.

“Think about us,” she says, “right now. Me and you together, talking to each other. Focus on the present, stop thinking about the future and the past.”

My mind quiets a little, the raging storm of black clouds and loud sounds begins to dim down into a low hum. It’s still there but less. It’s better. A feel a spark of hope pulsate through my veins, previously darkened by hopelessness.

“Feeling a little better?” she tilts her head to the side.

“A little,” I nod hesitantly. I don’t want to speak too soon, there is still time for things too get much much worse.

“That’s good,” she smiles, “that’s really good.”

I exhale slowly, a little shakily. I lean further into Avery and her arms naturally wrap around me. I’m in the safety and warmth of her arms, her soft touch.

“I’ve got you,” she reminds me, “and when you’re ready, just talk and I’ll listen.”

“I don’t know where to start,” I laugh, buts it’s a forced laugh that I soon regret as if makes my throat ache.

“Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Jameson?” she suggests.

“You’re being so pathetic,” I snap, rolling my eyes.

“And you’re being selfish,” he exclaims.

I stop in my tracks and spin to face him, “for wanting to make something of myself for my life? I’m not you, Jameson. I didn’t get everything handed to me on a golden platter.”

Hurt flashes across his face.

“You think I haven’t worked for what I am today?” he barks, “you think I was just given all of this?”

“I’m just saying it’s not as simple as you think it is,” I groan, trying to walk away.

He stands in front of me, looking deep into my eyes, his tone softens, “I would move the sun and the stars just to spend time with you,” anger clouds his features, sending an overcast of fury to his eyes, “but I don’t see you trying to change anything to see me.”

“I have tried,” I tell him, “but it’s really difficult Jameson and I’m exhausted,”

“Exhausted of what? Of this, of our relationship,” he snaps, quick to jump to some ridiculous conclusion.

“Are you drunk?” I laugh.

“Why do you always think I’m drunk?” he shoots back, venom on his tongue.

“Because you’re spouting nonsense,” I reply, raising my voice a little.

“Of course, of course,” he rolls his eyes in his bout of sarcasm, “I’m the one who’s spouting nonsense.”

“What do you want me to do Jameson?” I ask, a lump growing in my throat, “drop everything for you?”

“Love comes with sacrifices,” he shrugs in response.

“So what I’m meant to sacrifice my entire passion?” I scoff.

He couldn’t be serious.

“No I’m just asking you to at least attempt to make more time,” he says, “I mean don’t you miss me like I miss you?”

“Of course I miss you,” I sigh.

“Then why don’t you show it?” he asks and I can see how much it wounds him, “you’re a closed book around me now. I used to be able to read you so well but now it’s like a blank page.”

“How would you know, I thought you didn’t see me anymore?” I bite back.

“We got into a fight,” I whisper, memories flooding back.

“A bad one?” Avery says carefully, like she’s treading on eggshells.

“He left,” I shrug.

“Asshole,” she mutters in my defence.

“No,” I shake my head, sitting back up to face her, “I was horrible, I would’ve left me.”

Beat.

“But he was horrible too,” I sniff.

“People say things they don’t mean in fights,” Avery points out, reaching to touch my arm.

“Or they say what they’re really thinking,” I blurt out, my mind is too consumed by my own thoughts to filter what I’m saying.

“More often than not it’s things they don’t mean, trust me,” she says, a tenderness in her voice that makes my heart squeeze, “besides Jameson can be a real impulsive idiot sometimes.”

“I love that about him,” I chuckle snivelling slightly, “but… it’s just that lately things haven’t been the same between us.”

“How so?”

“I’m leaving,” Jameson snaps. He’s finally had enough, he’s finally walking out on me. Of course. How could I possibly think someone could really love me as much as he said he did.

“Where are you going?” I ask, a sudden panic clawing at my chest overriding all of the built up anger and resentment.

“Why do you care?” he shrugs, grabbing his keys swiftly.

“Because I love you, you idiot!” I yell.

He stops and slowly turns around. Our eyes connect and for a split second deja vu washes over me and we’re meeting for the first time. I’m falling in love with his enchanting green eyes.

“Do you?” he asks, “really?”

“You’re being such an idiot right now,” I scrunch up my face as I shout, “I hope you know that.”

“If you’ll excuse me I’m going to go and get drunk and spout nonsense like I usually do,” he says, “according to you.”

“Oh come off of it,” I scream, a sudden surge of pure rage appearing.

“What?”

“Stop acting like mr high and mighty on your high horse,” I snarl, “it’s not fair.”

“You know what’s not fair, what you’re doing to me,” he barks, “I’m in limbo here, I don’t know whether you’re coming or going, the only time I see you is when I leave this house and you’re asleep.”

“Then wake me up,” I deadpan, arms folded.

“And make you even more exhausted?” he scoffs, “fat chance!”

“I’m giving you solutions and you’re just deterring them,” I exclaim.

“Because you know they’re stupid solutions,” he explodes.

“Well life is just keeping us apart. I’m always at auditions, he’s off with his brothers, then when I come home he’s asleep and I can’t sleep and then when I finally sleep, he wakes up,” I blubber, “we’re not getting enough time to be with each other and I’m trying so hard to make time, but I don’t have the energy because I’m so exhausted from everything else.”

“And that’s okay, that’s understandable,” she reassures me, “he’s probably just frustrated because he doesn’t get to spend time with you, that shows he loves you, right? Someone who didn’t wouldn’t experience these feelings.”

“I suppose,” I shrug, “but Avery you should have seen him. He was so mad when he walked out. It’s the biggest fight we’ve ever been in.”

“I’m sure things will get better, they always do,” she soothes, “I mean think about to your last fight, how long did that last?”

Barely a few hours, I recall. Jameson and I had never fought for long in our relationship. It was so hard to stay so mad at someone I loved so much.

“What if it’s different this time?” I murmur, imagining the worst.

“It’s not,” Avery says, “trust me.”

“He was just so mad,” I say, biting my lip, “I’ve never seen him look at me like that.”

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Avery tells me gently, “whatever the outcome is, I’ve got you the whole way.”

“Thanks Ave,” I try to smile but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes, “he doesn’t get it, he thinks he does, but he doesn’t.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s getting so angry,” she suggests.

“I wish he would just let me explain,” I groan, putting my head in my hands.

“Why don’t you just communicate that to him?” she says.

“Because I have no time to!” I exclaim, not meaning to sound so defensive and snappy, “I just need to get through this month and then everything will be back to normal.”

“Sweetheart, I think you need to make some time to talk to him,” Avery says earnestly, “in this month. Explain this all to him, otherwise he’s going to keep building up all this anger for no reason and things are going to get worse.”

“Why is he so angry?” I ask in frustration, meaning for the question to be rhetorical.

“Because he doesn’t like not seeing you,” she replies, “he loves you.”

He love me. He loves me. He loves me. The words echo around my head relentlessly.

“I’m stupid,” I say, letting my head hit Avery’s shoulder.

“You’re not stupid,” she replies, putting her arm around me and rubbing small circles on my shoulder with her thumb.

“He hates me,” I mumble into her.

She shakes her head, “he doesn’t hate you.”

“It’s always the same with you, you always want more-“

“I want to see you,” Jameson yells, “is that so much to ask?”

“I will never be enough, you can’t just take me for who I am, what I am, what I need,” I shout back.

“What about what I need?” he questions, “I need to see you and it’s driving me crazy when we’re apart.”

“You need to find a coping mechanism then,” I reply, snarky and spiteful.

He looks at me with a look I’ve never seen in his eyes before. Pure unadulterated hatred. Like he wants me to burn on a thousand spikes after a session of torture.

“Fuck you,” he spits at me, his face so close to mine I can feel his anger.

“Piss off,” I hiss back.

“I will thank you very much,” he replies, swinging the door open.

“And don’t come home,” I snap, “I don’t want to see your face.”

“It’s not like you’ll notice, you don’t see my face anyway,” he calls, slamming the door shut behind him.

“What if this time he doesn’t come back,” I murmur, frightening myself more and more it’s each drastic thought that pops into my head.

“He will come back,” she soothes, continuing to rubbing small circles on my arm, “he always comes back to you.”

She has a point. Jameson always came back, he just needs time to cool off. I hope…

“You’re stronger than you think,” she whispers in my ear, like she can hear the doubts screaming in my brain.

“I don’t feel it,” I grumble.

“That’s what makes you even stronger,” Avery says.

“I’m crying over a boy,” I deadpan.

“Who hasn’t been there?” she smiles, wiping my tears away, “now come on, I’ll get the ice cream tubs, you grab the endless flow of blankets and pillows and we’ll have a movie night.”

I crack a small smile and nod as we stand up. She begins to walk while my legs struggle to follow.

“Avery,” I say, taking a small step forwards.

She spins around with a bright smile, “Yeah?”

“Thank you,” I exhale, “so much.”

sorry there haven’t been a lot updates lately I’ve been super busy 🤍🤍

TIG masterlist

#bella writes 🤍#the inheritance games #tig #avery kylie grambs #avery grambs #avery tig #avery tgg #avery x reader #avery grambs x reader #jameson hawthorne x reader #jameson hawthorne one shot #i love jameson hawthorne #jameson winchester hawthorne #jameson x reader #jameson hawthorne

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that-random-outsider · 8 months ago

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Bridgella Heather's Au

TW for mentions of Murder, Suicide, Blood etc I'm not going to add anything that wasn't already in the movie so if any of those themes make you uncomfortable in any way I suggest clicking off this post.

So the idea is basically, Ella and Bridget have been childhood friends since kindergarten. However around their freshman year Ella moved because of her father's death. Her stepmother had acted as if it was because that house held too many 'memories' but in truth she just couldn't wait to blow all the new money she got from Ella’s father's will. Bridget begged her to stay, she didn’t know how to survive without Ella by her side. She tried to fit in, make friends, be a good person just like how she’d always imagined. But she quickly realized high-school wasn't like any of the movies she'd seen. It was kill or be killed, and Bridget wasn't ready to die. So she started lashing out. Ignoring her homework, avoiding her moms tantrums, yelling at teachers. All that anger, that madness she'd been suppressing since Ella had left just finally seemed to overflow when she almost killed a guy. Charming. He'd been friends with her and Ella back when they were kids. Ella was always so enamored by him. If only she could see how much of an asshole he'd became after she'd left.

It was no surprise really, rich kid flirt always looking for another heart to break. If anything she was surprised she'd hadn't seen it earlier, still she hadn't meant to hurt him. Bridget was just trying to get to her next class when Christopher approached her looking for trouble. He kept messing with her, despite her telling him she wasn't interested in his stupid quest to take out every girl in school. Of course he just had to keep insisting and they were both starting to get upset when suddenly he said something he would immediately regret. "What still holding out for if Ella comes back? Because we both know she would've chosen me." Bridget lunged at the boy anger in every strike until someone had to pull her away from Charming’s beaten body as she fought the grip of whoever was holding her back wanting, no needing to finish the job.

Of course she was expaled from school and labeled unstable by the district forcing her to move county's to some place where people didn't know about what happened to finish high-school. Her mom was pissed about Bridget ruining her reputation and no one had the time to home school her so eventually she found herself at the place she'd hated most for all these years. The place that took her bestfriend away from her. The place she'd sworn to watch burn to the ground for ruining her life. Westerberg high.

Okay now some background on how Ella’s been doing since the two were separated. After her father died and their family moved to Ohio Ella quickly realized she’d be on her own. She thew herself into her studies knowing that the moment she turned eighteen she'd be out on the streets. Her stepmother never wanted her, and if it was her choice Ella would have been gone the moment her father kicked the bucket. But just because her stepmother couldn't get rid of her doesn't mean that she couldn’t make her life hell.

They piled every thing on her from chores, to bills, to anything else she could imagine and some days she’d just want so badly to run and never look back, but she wasn’t an idiot. She had no money and nowhere to go, if she ran away she'd just have to return to a closed door that had no interest in taking her back. So instead she studied, she spent every waking hour making sure to pass exams keeping up college courses, doing other people's homework for money. Anything to get a scholarship and get out of there. She wanted nothing to do with the hell hole she'd been forced to call home.

She wanted nothing to do with the assholes who treated her only friend like shit, and she wanted nothing to do with the only three girls who could protect her for the rest of high-school. Well, okay maybe she did. Uliana, Anastasia, and Drizella. The most popular girls in school, two of whom where her step sisters unfortunately. Not that anyone at Westerberg knew of course, seeing as they were embarrassed of the fact. However when Ella manages to impress Uliana with perfectly forged hall pass and history assignments she offers her a free pass to what first sounded like a drama free school year. And of course whatever Uliana says goes so even her step sisters backed off a bit at school. It wasn’t perfect but it was livable, and without so many distractions she was managed to get some work done. Or it was at least until a familiar face walked into the cafeteria one day.

Ella didn’t recognize Bridget at first when she first locked eyes with her. She couldn’t help but feel like there was something specific about her that she couldn’t quite place as she took a seat in the back away from everyone. Even after Bridget’s eyes moved away from her old friends at the loss of recognition, Ella's eyes couldn’t help but linger on the new girl. Bridget however recognized Ella right away, she was the first thing she searched for when she entered the school she watched with growing rage as her friend was peer pressured into bullying some girl in a blue sweater vest.

It made Bridget’s blood boil, her Ella would have never done that, not if it meant hurting someone with a good heart. She had to get Ella out of that place so they could watch it all burn together. Ella eventually approaches Bridget as the bell rings and finally Ella understands why she felt so familiar she'd dreamt of seeing Bridget again for so many nights but she had to forget her to face her new reality one that ended with something more practical than a happily every after. So she goes to the party with Uliana and her sister's and has a horrible time until she can't take it anymore. She tells Fay about the stupid prank and makes Uliana look like a fool in front of everyone causing the whole school to turn their backs on her.

There was no way she could go home and face her step sisters house, but after what she did to Fay there was no way she could face her either. Besides in that moment there was only one person she truly wanted to see. The person who'd she’d wished to see for so long but forced herself to forget. Bridget. Her legs lead her to her house as her arms forced open the window to Bridget’s bed room and she was met face to face with her bestfriend, someone she'd longed to be more than just friends with for so long, but forced herself to hide it in fear of what others might say. Someone who she could no longer continue to hide how much she loved her from.

After Ella tells her everything Bridget decides right then and there that the first one to die would be Uliana. Ella goes to visit her along with Bridget the next morning claiming to need her protection if she was going to survive the next week, and the thought of Ella feeling the need to grovel at anyone made Bridget sick with fury. So when Ella accidently grabbed the cup with rat poison instead of the hangover cure, who was she to point it out? She deserved it. They all did.

#bridgella #bridget x ella #i have so much more #bridget descendants #ella descendants #descendants rise of red #heathers #heathers au

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quilly72 · 3 months ago

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"Hey.. hey Heather c'here"

Heather drew her attention to the living room. A couple of old friends waving her over.

She shuffled over her heels clacking against the hardwood floor her cat ears swaying side to side as she scurried over.

"what you guys got"

"new stuff from some high up pharmaceutical company. See this ain't your normal stuff it's supposed. To make you grow."

Heather made a puzzled look "what do you mean like some sort of high that makes you feel stronger or something"

"nah nah see this stuff you take it within seconds it's supposed to react with your body actually making you bigger it's fairly low grade stuff nothing huge, here just watch"

Lucy popped a pill into her hand. The bright red pill practically glistening In her palm. She rolled it back and forth before throwing it back. She swallowed audibly as the group stared.

Lucy sat still for a couple moments before moaning. Her eyes opening wide. Her pupils dilating. "Oh fuck" she moaned. Her hands shot up to her chest as everyone stared. Her cleavage swelling forward. Her shirt grew lower on her body. Her shoes popped off her feet as the group stared. Her feet swelling larger as her legs crept out of her denim jeans. Her pants button popping off flying into the center of the circle.

Lucy threw her head back as she purred. Her shirt raising as her bra strained and groaned underneath. Her boobs swelling over the top and bottom of her cups. She took in a deep breath and exhaled as she regathered herself. "That's the biggest one I've had yet" "who wants next.

The group clammered for the bag as she started handing out pills. "Relax RELAX I have enough to share everyone will get one.

Heather meandered forward cautiously taking a pill after everyone else. She watched as several of them shot their pills back without a card at all.

A girl spurting up 6 inches her a cups swelling to double D's

Another girl shredding her pants in an instant. Her pants falling to the ground as her panties grew thin.

One guy groaned as a noticeable bulge raced down his pant legs catching the attention of the girl who just manifested stripper boobs in a few seconds.

The rest of the huddle slowly took their pills until heather stood the only one still waiting

"hey don't be afraid we were all fine nothing's gonna happen"

Heather nodded as she stared at her cohorts. Now all larger in some manner. She tossed the pill in her hand before clutching it tight. She threw it back as she tried to swallow. Her mind winning the fight as the pill stuck in her mouth. Heather forced the pill back as she swallowed again the bitter stench lingering in her mouth. She gagged as it absorbed into her tongue.

She hacked and coughed as she doubled over.

"get her to the bathroom"

Heather felt two pairs of hands grapple her and lead her over to the toilet as she heard the door shut behind her. She braced against the toilet waiting but nothing ever came. She finished coughing as she stared at herself in the mirror.

"way to make a scene" she muttered to herself as she pulled out her phone. She swapped to the camera all as she waited for her surprise. Her body sitting comfortably as she huffed. "So I guess I'm the one it doesn't work on... Great"

She went to go for the door Asher eyes opened wide. The high of the pill hitting her rapidly as her pupils dilated. Heather moaned. Her body heating up as she felt herself swell outwards. Her skin strectching as she grew larger.

Heather threw her hands out for balance. Her phone crashing to the ground.

Her heels were the first to go. Her feet overgrowing them as she fell out of them. The straps failing as she stumbled down. Heather caught herself on the sink as she yelped.

As she leaned forward she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her chest growing heavier as she watched her cleavage swell. Her bra shrinking and disappearing down her dress as the straps dug into her shoulders. "This is awesome" she muttered as she continued growing.

Heather reached back as she felt her ass swrll outwards. Her dress raising up her thighs as her booty peaked out from underneath. Her panties wedgingi to her as she grimaced. "Too tight"

Heather clawed against the dress as she tried to wriggle out of it. Her shoulders and hips stuck as she failed to even move it an inch. Her dress grew skin tight. Her cleavage swelling over the top of the dress as a split started forming down the front.

Heather reached her arms up to her dress pulling the dress apart. "Come on get OFF"

She yelped again as she split her dress down the middle. The fabric sliding down her back as it flew to the floor.

Her bra strained and popped off as her cleavage threw itself forward. Her Boobs pushing into stripper territory as they jiggled back and forth. She filled one in each hand as she weighed them. Bouncing them and swaying them for the mirror.

She grew distracted when her panties snapped off. Her hands flying back meeting her equally as large ass as she jiggled it. Heather growing so distracted she had barely even noticed her significant height increase.

She turned back towards the mirror as she gave a puzzled look.

"what the wait"

She bent down her head growing out of frame as she struggled to see herself in the mirror. "How tall am I"

"I'm way taller than anyone else was.

"when is this gonna stop"

Her body continued growing upwards. Her head growing past the mirror cometely as she stared up. Heather reached a hand up. Touching the ceiling as her arm started to bend. Her head creeping up inch by inch by the second. "I think I'm too big I need to stop."

"GUYS HEY GUYS U THINK I NEED HELP"

Heather braced her elbows against the ceiling. Her head continuing to raise up as she listened for anyone who would answer her call. She waited until her head bumped the ceiling. She cocked it to the side as co tinted upwards. She bent her knees to allievate the pain.

"SOMEONE PLEASE IM GROWING I NEED HELP.. LUCY LUCY HELP ME"

Heather heard someone slump off the coach as their heavy footsteps started meandering closer.

Heather lowered down further. Opting to sit on her knees. Her head still eerily close to the roof. Her body far too wide for the doorframe at this point. Her cleavage swelled out past her chest. Striping down her torso. Her ass nearly entirely covering her feet as they started to fall asleep under the weight. Heather bumped the ceiling again as Lucy came to the door.

"imma come in Heather is that okay"

"YES PLEASE QUICKLY.. HELP"

Heather leaned forward. Bracing her arms against the wall as her neck bentat the roof. The door creaked open as Lucy sauntered in. Her gaze leaning back as she continued looking further and further up.

"HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET SO BIG"

The entire group began stumbling over at this comment as Heather felt her back press up against the roof. Her feet growing back into shoulder as it snapped out of place. The ceramic cracking under her feet in seconds. The roof began cracking and splintering as more if her back pressed up.

"STOP GROWING YOUR HONNA BREAK MY HOUSE"

"what do you think I'm trying to do your the drug expert help me out.

Heather bent her head down as her neck met the wall. Her butt pushed against the wall as the walk started bending into the living room. Her feet planted against it as she struggled to fit inside. The sink smashed under her cleavage as it bulldozed forward

Lucy started stepping back as the door frame cracked her shoulders pressing I to the walls.

"help me I can't stop I don't know how to stop.

Lucy stared in horror as the walls started cracking the roof mere moments from failure. "Everyone run she's overdosing!"

"wait no someone come back..." The roof cracked. Her head shooting up into the attic. Her feet threw the wall back. Knocking several people to the ground as her calves slid into the living room. Her velavage pressed up against the roof with her shoulders. Both too large to fit through the hole.

"HELP GUYS ITS SPEEDING UP"

Heather pressed into the framework of the house. Her ass spelled out into room after room. Her shoulders finally cracked I to the attic as her arms sprawled out across the hallways.

She be t down into a ball as her head bent the roof tiles outwards. "No please no I can't keep growing why is this happening to MEEE"

Her head popped out of the house. The roof tiles falling around her. Her velavage swelled into the attic as it filled the void. Her legs popped out next i to the backyard. Her arms popping out either side of the house as the entire building groaned and splintered.

"sorry"

She muttered as the house cracked off of her. The rubble spilling around her body as she came to a stop. The group staring up at her from the street as she covered herself sheepishly. "I don't suppose you have shrinking pills"

#giantess growth #gtsgrowth #giantess

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saints-who-never-existed · 3 months ago

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Tozer for the character sending ask game

I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to answer this one sooner, especially as I've been so looking forward to doing so!

First Impression Enamoured by his sheer physical presence, fantastic accent, and clear claim to the title of Chief Moany Bastard in Residence.

It's always amusing to me to see Tozer call Hickey out for grousing when he himself does nothing throughout that first episode especially but complain and ostensibly not give a shit about anything.

Impression Now Well, he gives SO MANY SHITS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS, I'll tell you that much! And there are just so many aspects of him that I find endlessly intriguing.

I think he's far cleverer than he's often given credit for being, for one thing, especially in terms of emotional intelligence. And I'm fascinated by the way he doesn't actually rely on his physical presence (or his weapon, for that matter) even though he quite easily could. Tozer is far more likely to try to solve a problem with words than with brute force.

I want to rant more soon about the philosophical sort of thread running all through Tozer's storyline too. The question of whether a man has a soul and if so, what that truly means. There's Heather, who only dies long after his soul has been consumed, and Collins, for whom the death of body and soul happens simultaneously. And finally Morfin, very much still in possession of his soul but who begs for death anyway as his body and mind give out first instead. And there's Tozer, intimately connected to all three.

I think there's something more there about that being a source of real fear for Tozer as well - some of the only times we see him explicitly afraid are when he's confronted with such things. Even facing down Tuunbaq I don't know that he feels that much fear, even if only because he's too focused on action and survival. The loss of soul and of humanity in general though seems a more visceral trigger for him.

Favorite Moment I have to go for the entirety of the final Tuunbaq showdown, I think. There's just so much to rant about in his every action in that scene.

I love the sheer physicality of it all - pacing frenetically like a literal caged animal. It's one of the only times he properly throws his weight around and it makes me feel some kind of way that it only happens once he's already in chains. There's a fun little detail I only just this second noticed - that his yanking on the chain nearly pulls Hodgson and Golding's arms from their sockets at the other end of it - and another fascinating moment right afterwards where everyone else stares around in bewilderment but Tozer is the only one looking up in fury at Hickey himself.

Then there's the moment when Tuunbaq's almost upon them, that switch flips for Tozer (interestingly, right after Hickey makes mention of men with their souls 'et out') and he's in full Marine-mode. The absolute laser focus! That clear commanding voice and the fact that it's obeyed immediately! The fact that it's Armitage that he chooses to single out and demand the gun from! Every bit of it is exquisite! I'm always put in mind of that quote about ruthlessness - about how it's not about being mean but about being able to see a bright clear line between A and B and caring about nothing else but following that line. That's Tozer in that scene for me - ruthless in the best and most fascinating sort of way.

And finally, the gut-punching pièce de résistance - that split-second pause before he marches off to meet his doom, no chance, no choice, and a gun in his hand. A soldier to the last. :'(

Idea for a Story I've been working on a short piece for a while now - just a single scene really - that continues on Tozer and Little's E08 confrontation. Tozer's protective nature sort of just takes over and he feels he can't in all good conscience leave Little, noggin-bonked and vulnerable, in the midst of the chaos. Haven't decided yet whether it'll just be one weirdly intimate wee encounter of Tozer staying long enough to offer his protection or whether it'll go further than that...?

Unpopular Opinion I don't particularly care for Tozer/Armitage?

I like what the actors did with it - purposefully being near one another in scenes and putting in lots of lovely nuance etc. Nevertheless, it's like the opposite of the Benoit Blanc meme for me -

"Makes damn sense. Doesn't compel me, though"

Favorite Relationship Slightly out of left field perhaps but I'm actually going to go for Tozer's relationship with Private Heather.

The effect Heather's injury and eventual death has on Tozer and the way he interacts with the world around him simply cannot be overstated. This wonderful post sums up the importance of that relationship far better than I can and guts me every time with its final line referencing the infamous pudding vs. cathedral debate:

"It is his job to protect these people, putting his own men at risk on their behalf, and they crush the most vulnerable of his men, the one I’d bet meant the most to him, without even noticing... ...Tozer loved Heather. Private Heather was a force for good in Tozer’s life. Had he lived, or maybe if he’d even been granted a kinder, less pointless death, things might have turned out differently for everyone. If we can judge people at all based on how they affected those around them, I’m willing to bet that Private Heather was a cathedral."

Favorite Headcanon I like the idea of Tozer having grown up as a shrimpy lil guy - the runt of the schoolyard - and only taking a growth spurt later in life.

I think that's a really fun and neat explanation for why he solves most of his problems with words and not brute force for one thing. One could also argue it as an explanation for the chip he has on his shoulder generally speaking and why he's caring/protective toward others - he knows too well what it's like to feel small and powerless.

#Apologies for the delay on this one #It's been in my drafts for weeks now because Tumblr was being a dick about letting me edit it properly #We got there in the end though!#And it couldn't have come at a better time when I was already in such a Tozer-y mood #Asks #Ask Game #Friendos!#The Terror #The Terror AMC #Solomon Tozer

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inquisitornocturn · 2 months ago

Text

NSFW alphabet no.16 - Mercurio

Mercurio is absolutely my favorite ghoul (sorry Heather) and it was fun to see what makes him tick👀

Mercurio was requested by @seraphicsights♡~

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Mercurio is nothing but gentle and caring afterwards. It’s not that he goes too far or pushes your boundaries, but because he genuinely cares about your wellbeing, especially so when it comes to him treating you right. He’s not a man who enjoys seeing you hurt in any way whatsoever and will do his best to make sure that you’re well in every way possible, both in the streets and in the sheets. And same goes if you’re a kindred. Just because you’re practically immortal and can heal from almost every wound, that doesn’t stop Mercurio from feeling how he feels towards you.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Your eyes, he can drown in them. Whether they look at him with a humorous streak or with appreciation, love or lust, that’s what Mercurio loves about you most. Eyes are expressive and to him, they show more truth than words ever could. Which means he’s big about keeping eye contact during sex and will pay close attention to see if you’re comfortable and enjoying your time with him. On himself it is definitely his back, no other reason that when you two are together and you cling to his back, scratching it even, is the best feeling a man like him he can get. He wears the red marks proudly too, like a badge of honor~

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

While he’s not the one to go against your wishes if you want nothing to do with his cum, Mercurio still loves to come on your stomach and chest. If you’re not against that, it will happen quite often because sex is meant to be pleasurable and for him seeing you laying down or kneeling with his cum trickling down your skin is a different kind of turn on. He also likes to come inside of you, but is not averse to using condoms if you request it for whatever reason. Mercurio is a flexible and accommodating partner and won’t force his preferences onto you if you do not like them.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

One thing he would be too embarrassed to admit just how much he was into you before you two got together. Not only he was pining hard, he also was jerking off often to the thought and memory of you. Seeing this as something more boyish than manly, Mercurio would try to keep this a secret, not only thinking it’s quite embarrassing to admit it, but also because he worries it might weird you out if you knew.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Decently experienced but nothing over the top. Yes he attended couple orgies in his life, yes he tried this and that and then some, but with years the man mellowed out yet the experience remains. Which means Mercurio doesn’t need to be pointed where to put his dick in or where to suck and lick. Moreover, he enjoys discovering what exactly turns you on and does so without pushing your boundaries. Which means that he still has couple tricks up his sleeve and can surprise you.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Any position that will allow you to have your hands on him and leave marks during throes of pleasure. Whether it’s missionary or mating press or anything else, as long as he can bear evidence of how good Mercurio made you feel, then that’s what he will pick first and foremost.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He’s pretty humorous because he is a man who doesn’t feel like having sex should be taken as seriously as a funeral. Granted, Mercurio won’t be cracking inappropriate to the situation jokes. They will be tasteful, cheeky and more aimed to get you giggling rather than full on laughing. But a smile on your face tells him you’re relaxed and comfortable and that’s what he prefers to see.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Mercurio believes that a gentleman should be clean and groomed. So he keeps his hair washed and cut in preferred style, his facial hair trimmed and so goes same for the rest. To put it short, he’s not going to be rocking a wild bush, but he won’t be cleanly shaven either. Most importantly, Mercurio believes in a power of shower and good perfume when it comes to attracting the ladies and that doesn’t change even when he is with you. After all, you are no less deserving of having a partner who takes care of himself than those who he was with before you.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He’s definitely a romantic. Not only he wants to make you giggle and feel relaxed and safe, Mercurio will also make sure that you know just how much you are appreciated. So when the giggles stop or if a moment turns more sensual and intense, that’s when Mercurio will switch to soft words of affirmation and declarations of how you make him feel, both physically and emotionally. So yes, he’s absolutely the romantic type.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

While Mercurio has a strong belief that a man’s needs should be taken care of by someone else, preferably a beautiful, willing woman, he’s not averse to taking care of his needs himself. As mentioned before, he has moments when another person taking care of him is not preferrable and that’s when he takes matters into his own hand. But he will always prefer if you do it for him because seeing your fingers wrapped around his cock is a sight be loves, but if having you tend to him in such way is not possible, then the memory of you will suffice.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Edging is definitely the biggest kink Mercurio has because the reward and pleasure that comes after are just the best. Not only he prefers to edge you, he also loves it when you do it to him and he’s willing to go at it for hours if there’s possibility for that. Another thing that Mercurio is into is tied into him becoming a ghoul, which is blood play. Nothing too drastic, just a cut here and there, but after having a taste of what it means to be a kindred, even in this much lesser form, made the man appreciate blood so much more and to start wanting to incorporate it during sex.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Back of a car. There’s something uniquely erotic for Mercurio to have sex in a cramped, not so private space like the backseat of a car. Pulling into some dark turnabout or an empty parking lot and having a go at it is so exiting for him, that Mercurio often finds himself cruising Santa Monica just to find good spots like that. And then, of course, he takes you to those spots.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Considering what kind of life Mercurio is currently leading, a little bit of danger goes a long way with him. After dealing with a difficult situation, or after escaping some dangerous kine or kindred will get Mercurio wanting, because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Moreso, seeing you with a gun gets him ready and hard fast. To say this man is stricken by the visage of you with a gun of any caliber is an understatement. He will be looking for a spot to fuck you pretty much immediately.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Don’t ask Mercurio to wear anything “weird” during sex. He’s not big into wearing collars or anything like that, however he’s more than willing to do that to you if you wish so. But to put it simply – he won’t wear a jock strap just because you think it’s going to be fun, or a ball gag, or a cock ring. He simply appreciates to be in the nude with nothing extra when it comes down to having sex.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

If asked to be honest, Mercurio would reply that he likes both equally and he wouldn’t be lying just to look good. He truly loves having his cock sucked just as much as he enjoys going down on you and making you whimper and moan. Both are good, welcome and are performed often when with Mercurio, so you definitely won’t be disappointed because he’s quite good at it too and knows how to listen well~

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

As a fan of edging, Mercurio definitely prefers slower, more prolonged sessions, but that doesn’t mean that those quick fucks in the backseat of a car are not equally pleasurable. He’s never rough, however, and always prefers things to be classy and sensual. Mercurio simply does not fuck when angry and so you won’t witness him taking it out on you, no matter how enjoyable it might turn out to be. He’s a lover, not a fighter and wants sex to be a positive experience for the both of you.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Taking his chance to fuck you when he can, Mercurio is not averse to quickies, that much is clear. However, his preference is still for more relaxed and unrushed sessions, so that’s what he will aim for whenever possible. But truly, when it comes down to the heart of things, for him sex with you is always good and whenever there’s a chance to take it slow or do it fast, it’s of little real concern to Mercurio because he enjoys it either way.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Mercurio is a type of guy who is willing to try most things at least once, so he’s down to experiment, but you have to be careful how you bring more intriguing experiments to his attention. If it sounds outrageous and like something that could end in someone’s death, that’s a no from Mercurio no matter how much you will be pleading and begging. But if you know how to present him an idea without making him worry for your safety or his, then he’s absolutely down to try it and see if it’s something that works for both of you.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Because Mercurio is a ghoul, he does have more stamina than a man his age normally would have, not to mention other perks. So he can go for much longer than one would expect, but still, if compared to a kindred, he still is in no shape to go all night without needing to restore his stamina somewhere along the way. He’s most virile on days when he receives his monthly dose of kindred blood, so if you want something intense that’s the time you have to approach Mercurio for some fun.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He owns toys but only a couple and pretty standard stuff. A vibrator, a dildo, all for you of course. And that naturally means that he uses them on you whenever you are both in a mood for that. He also has some of them in his car, just in case. And Mercurio is willing to update his toybox per your request or by himself if he sees that you need or want something a little extra. However, he’s not big of a fan on having toys used on him, for no other reason that he simply does not enjoy how they feel on or in his body.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

While edging is not exactly teasing, Mercurio does incorporate that into the playtime. Especially if you two are somewhere where sex is not possible, thus leading him to tease you with words and secret touches before there’s a chance to slip away and find an empty room. Whatever works to get you both going is not out of options, after all.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Pretty loud of a guy and he expects you not to silence yourself either. He sees absolutely no shame in expressing his pleasure vocally and loves when you do the same. Granted, if you two are somewhere where silence is preferable then Mercurio will keep himself as quiet as possible, but otherwise – you will hear this man and know he’s having a good time with you. From grunts to moans to sighs, he expresses himself freely.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He has a thing for the rebel types. Not exactly someone straight out risking their lives for fun, but someone who is not afraid to get into a scuffle, who loves a good drink and enjoys fucking. To put it simply – Mercurio looks for a partner with quite a bit of fire in them. And if you take the lead in the bedroom, that’s one of the not-so-secret turn-ons for him. Tie him up, tell him to submit to you, ride him like your life depends on it, give him cheek and Mercurio will be absolutely smitten by you.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Quite larger than average and quite thick to boot. However, Mercurio does not flaunt it, especially because he is a shower, so even when he’s flaccid it’s quite a chunk of meat to observe. It curves to the right, with the tip being smaller than the shaft but no less impressive.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Mercurio doesn’t have the highest sex drive, but that changes when he gets the monthly blood. For at least a week he will be pulling you to him whenever he can and taking your clothes off. After that however, he mellows out a little, but for him you are hard to resist and he even admits that if he were single, he wouldn’t be fucking as much as he does when he’s with you.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Pretty fast. Think mere minutes. But he wants to keep you close even when he sleeps so to pry his hands off you can be difficult if you need to get up. In his sleep, Mercurio is quite clingy and waking up next to you is the biggest reward to him, therefore he will try to make sure that you two always sleep together when possible.

#vampire the masqurade bloodlines #vampire the masquerade #vtm #vtmb #mercurio #mercurio vtmb #alphabet game #my vtm fics #fandom: vtm #vtm alphabet #nocturn writes

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p-artsypants · 2 months ago

Text

The Pale Rider (15) Guilty Until Proven Innocent

The Isle of Berk is cursed. Like, extremely cursed. It has been for generations. The extent of the curse has been forgotten over time, but no descendants of the original village are able to leave the island, lest they suffer a gruesome fate. Three years ago, the Blacksmith invited the Pale Rider to town. He’s a creature that’s haunted the forest and childhood campfire stories for centuries. Now, he arrives every day at noon. One day, Astrid Hofferson decides to be brave and talk to him. He’s actually really nice…for an eldritch abomination. A Beauty and the Beast AU.

Ao3

The jail cell was cold, small, and damp. Astrid had a little cot lined with hay and a clean wool blanket (courtesy of Heather) to sleep on. Other than that, the cell was bare and dusty.

Her cough was gone for now, but she was sure she’d fall ill with something else in this hovel.

As far as she knew, these cells were used very rarely, if ever. Usually for a drunk that got too rowdy. They barely had any problems with crime, given the small size of the village. And what’s more, the building was inside the Berserker clan property, which had a wall around the perimeter.

She was likely the first long term tenant in a while.

Heather arrived again, a clean dress with her this time. “Here, I brought you something to wear. That night dress is pretty thin.”

Astrid shivered as she took the dress. “Yeah, it is. I would have changed first if I knew I was going to be arrested. Keep watch, will you?”

Heather nodded affirmatively and glanced out into the hall. There was a guard up the stairs by the front door, but he looked unbothered and nowhere close to coming to check on them.

“Did Stormfly ever come looking for me?”

“That skeleton dragon? Yes, it was stomping around town all morning. The guards spent hours trying to get it to leave. She just left maybe an hour ago, probably off to look for you elsewhere.”

Astrid sighed, feeling awful. “She has no idea…”

“It’s astonishing that a creature like that cares about you so much. You’re very lucky.”

Astrid chuckled humorlessly. “Lucky? I’m the one in jail, remember?”

“For now,” Heather assured. “We’ll get you out of here.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost noon. My father and Dagur have been in a heated argument since breakfast.”

“Who’s winning?”

“Couldn’t guess. I’m hoping it’s my father. He wasn’t too pleased about what Dagur did to your flower cart.”

“So…Oswald’s feeling better?”

“Mostly. He’s still weak, but his mind is sharp.”

Astrid curled her fingers around the bars. “Has anyone heard from the Rider?”

Heather shook her head. “No, not since last night. The guard has been up and down the beach looking for survivors of the invasion, but they’ve found nothing but bodies. Or…pieces of bodies.” She shivered. “But it was definitely the Outcasts, so no one is too torn up about it.”

“He was hurt really bad when he left.”

“I heard. Snotlout’s on his way up to talk to him. I have a feeling things are going to get real messy here soon.”

“Heads up!” Called the guard from the door.

Heather growled under her breath and crossed her arms. “Speaking of messy…”

A moment later, Dagur arrived, looking absolutely chuffed. He strutted in, a big smile on his face. “Hello sister, what on earth are you doing here?”

“I brought a clean dress for Astrid,” she said sharply. “This jail is freezing.”

“Well, no matter,” he waved a hand at her. “As long as you don’t try to let her out, I won’t stop you from visiting. But…that might not be an issue for long anyways.” He leaned on the bars, attempting to look suave. “So, are you pleased with our accommodations?”

Astrid said nothing, just glared at him.

“Because if this is unpleasant, there’s plenty of room in my house. Servant? Wife? Which will it be?”

“I’ll stay here, thanks,” she bit.

Dagur frowned. “That can be arranged.”

“I want to speak to your father.”

“Oh, no no. That won’t be happening. Dad is still ill, and he’s not coming down to this drafty old pit. And you’re rather crafty, so you won’t be coming up to the house. No, we’ll speak through me.”

“What about Heather? Can she be the liaison instead?” She asked, fruitlessly.

“No. My sweet sister is sharp as a tack, but alas, is still a woman. And women have no place in business.”

Astrid rolled her eyes. “Unless it’s their debt, right?”

“Darling, you are so sassy! I love it!”

Astrid spit in his face.

Dagur recoiled and wiped the spit from his cheek. “…and rather rough around the edges. Somehow, I keep forgetting. But we can break that.”

Astrid took a step back from the bars.

“You need more time to consider. That’s fine. I’ve got plenty of time. You’re here now. No running away. No running to your spooky guardian. So I’ll just leave you in here for another day, and we’ll pick back up tomorrow.”

“I hope you choke.” Astrid sneered.

Dagur grinned. “Oh darling, by this time next week, it will be you who is choking…and you’ll enjoy it.”

Astrid scoffed in disgust and continued to glare at him.

He grabbed Heather’s arm. “Come along, sister. We have preparations to make!”

“But—“

“I said come, woman!” He snarled, making Astrid jolt. He pulled Heather out of the jail behind him.

Then she was alone.

It was quiet. The cells were built down underground, so there was no wind whistling. No dripping, no nothing. Just silence.

Astrid laid on the cot and wrapped up in the blanket. All she could do was sleep and think.

Her stomach growled, having been refused breakfast, and now probably lunch. She just hoped her hunger wouldn’t drive her crazy.

She daydreamed about the Rider, and him coming to her rescue. He and Toothless would kick down the door to the Berserker home and stab Dagur through with his fiery sword—

No, that wasn’t good enough. He’d slice off Dagur’s head with a single slash—

No, still not enough. He and Toothless would break down the door to the jail and free her first. He’d bend the bars with his bare hands and reach out a hand for her. Then they’d ride together to the Berserker house. He’d take out that rusty blade and hand it to her.

“Would you like the honors?”

And she’d get to stab Dagur in his dirty, shriveled heart.

But all of this was just a daydream, because murdering Dagur would be a one way ticket to never returning to the village, ever. Maybe even execution.

The day dragged on languidly. With only the light from a sconce on the wall. She fell asleep for an hour at a time, only to awake with a crick in her neck.

It was only the first day of her imprisonment, and she was going crazy.

Finally, Heather returned again. This time, she had a bowl of stew and a waterskin with her, as well as a book under her arm.

Relief!

“I brought you dinner,” she said, her voice soft and shy. “I can’t stay long though. And Dagur’s waiting at the top of the stairs.”

“This is wonderful,” Astrid took the food and water. “I appreciate it.”

Heather gave her a small smile, and then handed her the book. “Fishlegs sent this along. I’ll bring you another one later.”

“Any word?”

“Nothing,” Heather said, but she looked very meaningfully to the book. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Astrid. I hope you sleep well.”

“Oh, okay…goodnight.”

“Night!” And Heather left the jail quickly. Astrid could hear Dagur talking to her at the top of the stairs.

Wildly curious, Astrid opened the book and found a letter just inside the cover. A black envelope with white ink.

—

My dearest Astrid,

I can’t apologize enough for abandoning you last night. If I had stayed, you wouldn’t be in this situation. Though, I hope it’s rather obvious why I left and you won’t hold it against me.

I am dealing with the condition of your debt. I will get it taken care of once and for all. I only ask that you forgive me for making you wait in the mean time.

You are mine, Astrid, and I will take care of you.

Your humble servant,

The Pale Rider

—

Astrid read the letter over and over a few times, her face flushing hotly and her heart swelling at the last line.

What did he mean, she was his? His what? Guest? Friend?

Dagur had once mentioned that whoever took her in would be responsible for her debt. Perhaps he meant responsibility then. He was charged with her care since she stayed with him.

But daydreaming that he meant something else gave her an inappropriate thrill.

Which was so completely unlike her. She hated the thought of being perceived as a possession. Snotlout and Dagur had certainly done their best over the years to stake a claim to her, and she fought it tooth and nail.

But for the Rider to make such a bold statement…

It felt different.

But perhaps it was because she knew he didn’t mean it like other men had. He had said himself that he was unable to feel love. The way he signed his letters, ‘Your Humble Servant’ made it seem like he wasn’t staking a claim in her, rather having her stake a claim in him.

It was rather exciting.

Astrid tried to read the book Fishlegs lent, but her mind kept wandering to the Rider. What on earth was he planning to do? He’d be attacked on sight when he came into town. Surely Dagur wouldn’t allow him into the Berserker house.

Perhaps a fly over gold delivery? Just drop a bag of gold in the yard?

With the events of her restless night, and the day drawing to a close, Astrid fell asleep, putting her utmost faith in her loyal friend.

—

When Astrid awoke, she hoped it was morning, but there was really no way to tell. She couldn’t hear the rooster from here. Habits were habits, and she always woke up early, but these last two days had thrown everything off.

She just wanted to go home.

The last conversation she had with the Rider hadn’t been pleasant. He had fought with his parents, and she had been the one to cause it. He had gotten caught hiding secrets, which in retrospect, he was allowed to do. She had her own secrets.

She just wanted to go home, apologize, and talk to him like normal. She wanted to check on his wounds from the raid, and she wanted to help him anyway that she could.

She read his letter over again.

She laid in bed for a while, not much else to do, before deciding to get up and stretch. She did a little work out in the cell, just having enough room to run in place and do push ups.

Then her stomach growled, asking for breakfast.

She sighed and sat back down on the bed. Who knew if she would get any breakfast? What if it was the middle of the night?

She attempted to distract herself by opening her book and actually trying to read it. She had to twist awkwardly to get enough firelight to see, but eventually she got comfortable and let the words distract her from her hunger.

A few hours later, she heard the door open and hurried footsteps.

Heather appeared a moment later, with another bowl of food and another book. She didn’t say a word, shaking her head to stop her from asking questions. Then she handed over the book and left just as quickly as she had come.

Astrid tore into the food as she placed the book on her cot and flipped the cover open.

There was another letter, but on plain white paper this time. It was from Heather.

—

Astrid,

I have to detail all that��s happened in a note because if I say anything, Dagur’s bound to go ballistic. I simply can’t believe what the Rider has done, it’s too ridiculous.

As I told you yesterday, Snotlout went up the mountain to tell the Rider what happened to you. He returned with two letters; the one you got, and the other for my father! I had to be very careful not to get caught, but I got it to him. I don’t know the details of what was written, but whatever it was, it got my father to take your debt back from Dagur. He’s in charge of it again! I thought that would be the end of it, but just an hour ago, Toothless and the Rider’s black carriage rolled into town, with no driver on board. It stopped in front of our house and the door opened on its own. Dad willingly went inside without saying a word to anyone, and left town to go up the mountain.

For now, the guards watching the jail have been told to keep Dagur out and away from you, but he’s still circling and waiting for a chance to pounce.

I’ll let you know what’s happened the moment I know, but for now, all we can do is wait.

Heather

—

“Huh,” Astrid said aloud. She hadn’t expected the Rider to take the route of diplomacy, but perhaps it was for the best. Dagur wouldn’t be receiving his epic comeuppance that she had been dreaming about, but rarely in life do things get to be so satisfying.

She read until dinner, finishing the first book and starting on the second.

Heather came again, a smile on her face.

“Anything?” Astrid grasped at the bars.

Heather whispered her answer. “No, dad’s still gone. Dagur’s been going around and trying to form a mob to storm the castle.”

“Oh gods…” She smacked her head. “That moron is going to get himself killed.”

Heather just smiled further. “Snotlout’s been busy on his delivery route. Spitelout was given instructions from my father to ignore all commands from Dagur, so he’s trying to rile up the villagers on his own.”

Astrid’s eyebrows flew to her hairline. “The guards aren’t listening to him anymore?”

“Nope! Not after that display the other night! And from what I’ve heard, Dagur’s only been able to assemble a handful of his friends. Apparently, most people feel indebted to the Rider for saving us from that Outcast raid.”

Remember what I did for you tonight! Remember it! His painful scream echoed in her mind.

The village owed him a great deal. And they could start with apologies.

“How’s everyone else?” Astrid asked. “Is Dagur causing problems for our friends?”

“He picked a fight with Snotlout,” Heather frowned, biting her lip. “But Snotlout took it like a true warrior and wielded his sword. He told Dagur, ‘this sword was returned to my family by the Pale Rider. He is at my back!’ Honestly, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever heard him say.”

“Those weren’t his last words, were they?”

Heather laughed. “No, but he certainly gave it a good shot. They fought, but Spitelout broke it up before it got ugly. I hope my father returns sooner than later, or Dagur may try again.”

“Snotlout’s a good fighter.”

“So is Dagur.”

Astrid frowned hard. “They both fight dirty too. I hope you’re wrong about him trying again.”

“I hope so too.”

—-

Astrid reclined in her cot, the book angled toward the light so she could read. Her thoughts occasionally distracted her and she’d have to read the page over again. But she was wide awake and figured reading would be better than lying awake for gods knows how long.

Her silent sentence was interrupted by the door up the stairs swinging open and shouting.

Astrid got to her feet and went to the bars, head pressed to the side to see what the commotion was.

Was the Rider here to finally claim her?

But instead, Spitelout and two other guards were dragging Dagur down the steps.

“You can’t do this to me! I own this prison!” He snarled.

“Your father owns this prison,” Spitelout snarled right back. “And regardless of who you are, we have laws in place to protect our people. I already told you that attacking my son again would get you arrested!”

The cell across from her was unlocked and Dagur was shoved inside.

“I would never attack someone for no reason! He was—he was being so aggravating! I hate gloating!”

“Gloating is not a reason to swing a sword at someone.”

“Is Snotlout alright?” Astrid asked.

“Aye. Just a wee little cut. Won’t even need stitches.”

“Then I should be allowed to go!” Dagur sneered. “I didn’t hurt him.”

“But you tried to!” Spitelout spat back. “You’ll spend the night in jail and think about your actions, Dagur. You’re out of control. You think you’re the ultimate authority, but you aren’t.”

“But what about my father?” Dagur pressed, gripping his cell bars. “He’s still up the mountain with that–that creature! Is no one going to try to rescue him?!”

“In case you missed it, the Rider stopped our entire village from being slaughtered and plundered by the Outcasts. I doubt he’s going to hurt your father.”

Astrid realized then that Spitelout and the guards were leaving, leaving Dagur in the cell across from her.

“Wait!” She called. “Can’t you move him?!”

They either ignored her or didn’t hear as they left and shut the door behind them.

“Well well well,” Dagur cooed. “Alone at last.”

Astrid scoffed and stepped away from the bars and went back to her cot. At least there were two sets of bars between them.

“Not how I ideally wanted to talk to you, but beggars can’t be choosers, can they?”

She held her book up to the light so she could pretend to read and ignore him.

“Oh come now, you must be bored to tears. You haven’t had anyone to talk to in days.”

“I have a good book though, and I’m invested, so shut up.”

“I don’t have a book,” Dagur argued. “You want me to just sit here in the dark with nothing to do?”

“Yes.”

“Rude. And petty. Don’t you know I just wanted to take care of you? Don’t be so resentful like this, Astrid. It’s unbecoming for a woman of your status.”

She didn’t respond.

“So. You’re really committed to this petty grudge, huh?”

That got her to turn over and look at him. “Petty grudge?”

“Yeah. Payback for trying to get you to marry me. I really don’t know any other reason why you’d subject yourself to the company of that demon.”

She scoffed. “You really have no idea, do you?” She turned back over. “He’s my friend. My best friend, actually.”

“You can’t love him. I’m sure not even his mother could love him.”

“I’ve met his mother. She loves him very much.” She smirked. “And who says I can’t love him? What if I was ‘being properly bedded’ every night?” She turned his sick words around on him.

“You can’t be that desperate.”

“Not confirming or denying anything.” But if Dagur thought she was physically intimate with the Rider, it might repulse him enough to back off.

“I don’t know how I feel about this information,” he whined.

“Then maybe you should mind your own business.”

“Brainwashed. You must be brainwashed!”

“Nope. Unless you count giving someone a chance and slowly evolving your opinion of them into a positive light in response to their actions as brainwashing.”

“I don’t follow.”

“The Rider is kind. He has done so much for me, I completely see past his appearance and past deeds.”

“Ah! It was bribery then!”

She groaned. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m impossible!? Astrid, you’re being manipulated by an evil being outside of time! Can’t you see that?!”

She shot a glare over to him. “So what if I am?! Then I’m happy! If the Rider is truly as evil as you claim, then I will willingly give him my soul or whatever heinous deed he wishes, and you wanna know why?”

“Why?” Dagur breathed, looking beyond horrified.

“Because he isn’t you.”

It seemed like that took the wind out of his sails and he took a step back and collapsed onto his own cot. “You…hate me that much?”

“You threw me to the ground and punched me in the face. You tried to force a marriage on me while repossessing my childhood home and while my mother was dying. Gods, it’s like you aren’t even aware of how awful you are.”

“I’m not awful, Astrid, you’re just being mind controlled.”

“I’m done talking to you,” she snapped, turning back to her book.

“Please Astrid? Just hear me out.”

She said nothing. Didn’t even incline her head to show she was listening.

“When it all comes crashing down. When the truth comes out and he reveals the horrible truth, just come to me and I’ll save you. No questions asked.”

She hummed, a laugh somewhere in her throat. “Like I said: I’d rather take whatever fate he has in store for me.”

—-

Dagur talked at her for hours. He questioned her, pleaded with her, yelled at her, did whatever he could in an effort to get her to respond.

But she never said a word.

It was a good thing she had her back to him though, because her face would have given away how much his words affected her. Rage, sorrow, outrage, grief. The first few days of her imprisonment had been boring to the point of insanity, but now this felt like punishment. Dagur had an uncanny ability to tear at invisible wounds and pick at the sensitive insides.

It felt like hours that he undated her with cruel words. She had no idea of time anymore. There was no window, no sunlight, just the damp darkness of the dungeon.

Finally, finally there was a new sound. The door up the stairs opened and there were footfalls.

“Finally!” Dagur sang. “Get me out of this hellhole!”

But the guards and Spitelout came to her cell first. “Alright, Miss Hofferson. You’re free to go.”

“I’m…free?” She could barely believe it. So casual, so nonchalant. She had been expecting a fight or jailbreak. He unlocked the cell and held open the door.

“Yes ma’am. Oswald himself told us to turn you loose.”

“But that’s not fair!” Dagur shouted. “She owes me a fortune!”

“And you sir,” Spitelout turned to Dagur. “Are to be kept one more night in this cell.”

“Whatever for?!”

“Sounds like your father is quite upset with your behavior. I just do as asked.” Regardless, he unlocked Dagur’s cell, and the two guards with him stood at the ready, one holding a pair of manacles. “There’s a town meeting happening in the square. Oswald wants both of you present.”

“I’ll go ahead then,” Astrid stated, quickly moving down the hall. No one tried to stop her. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Dagur if he was free.

She didn’t want to be near him period, but especially if there was a chance he could touch her.

The guard at the front door held it open for her and gave her a small, apologetic smile. She just raised her eyebrows at him and left.

She was done. Tired, hurt; emotionally and physically. Dagur’s words had wormed their way into her heart, and caused some doubts.

She was scared, sad, and profoundly lonely. She missed the Rider. She’d spent almost every hour since moving into the castle with him, and now it was almost painful to be away.

She missed his voice, his twisted sense of humor, his kindness, his gentleness, his laughter…

He hadn’t been normal the last day they were together. He was cold and unfamiliar. She wanted to break past all that and have her Rider back.

She made her way out of the Berserker family courtyard, having been familiar with it from her childhood friendship with Heather, and made her way down to the village square.

It was morning, as the sun was still rather low in the East. There was a bit of snow and frost on the ground.

The village was gathered, all milling about on the dais of the square. She saw Fishlegs talking with his family, and likewise the Twins arguing with theirs.

“Astrid!” She heard her name called among the countless voices.

Then the crowd was parting, and the Rider was there. He was moving towards her, his cloak fluttering as he walked.

“Rider!” She chirped, and she found herself smiling so hard it hurt.

He was rushing to her, embracing her, lifting her from the ground and spinning her around in his arms.

When he set her on the ground, he held her face, his hands cold, but soothingly familiar. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” His voice was tender and filled with such concern it made her heart flip.

“I’m fine,” she breathed. “Just tired. I want to go home.”

“We will,” he assured, taking her hand. “But one last bit of business to get to.” He walked with her, pulling her along to the stairs in front of the Great Hall where Oswald and Heather were standing.

“What’s going on?” She whispered.

“Something good, I promise.” He stood next to Oswald, dwarfing the man.

Oswald smiled at them both. “There you are, Astrid. Are you alright? I’m so sorry about what happened with Dagur.”

She blinked a few times, reeling in confusion. “Um, yes, I’m fine.” Her feelings on the situation churned unpleasantly within her. On one hand, Oswald was sick and hadn’t been able to do anything. But on the other hand, ‘oops, sorry about that’ didn’t feel like it cut it. But she didn’t know how to ask for more.

“Good, glad to hear it.” Then he turned to the crowd and raised his hand. “Your attention please!”

The crowd calmed down and turned to listen to Oswald.

Astrid could see Dagur standing at the back with Spitelout, his hands shackled. He was glaring at the Pale Rider.

“Thank you all for coming,” Oswald began. “I want to put these rumors to rest. Yes, I took a carriage up the mountain and had counsel with the Pale Rider.”

The crowd began murmuring to each other, throwing out words like ‘doomed’ and ‘crazy’.

“I know, I know. For so long, our village has cowered from the Rider and his castle. But as Astrid and Gobber have been trying to tell us, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Oswald took a black envelope out of his vest and held it up. “I received this invitation to speak to the Rider just a few days ago, and elected to go in light of his heroic deeds in saving us from the Outcasts. Folks, I’m here to tell you that I had a delightful time in that castle. I had a very fruitful conversion with not just the Pale Rider, but Chief Stoick the Vast, the chief of our people when they settled here 300 years ago.”

“A ghost?!” Someone shouted.

“No! No,” Oswald chuckled. “No, Stoick and his wife Valka, the parents to the Pale Rider, are alive and well, but cursed to be trapped within paintings up in the castle.” He gestured up the mountain.

Astrid glanced up to the Rider to gauge how he was reacting to this information being shared to the town.

He just slowly scanned the crowd, unreadable, but probably trying to see how everyone else was taking it.

“Stoick is, and will continue to be, a wealth of knowledge whenever we need it. He and I discussed the leadership of this town. Back when the curse was inflicted and he was no longer able to perform as chief, his general of the Jorgenson clan stepped in as acting chief. From there, a council of elders was assembled, and they would elect a new acting chief when one passed away or resigned.”

“So why don’t we still have this?” Mulch asked.

“A very good question! According to records, there was something of a feud about a hundred years ago. Two acting chiefs were elected by the divided council. After that, the acting chief role and council disappeared from the records, and we’re not sure why. But I would like to make a motion to reinstate both.”

“And who’s to be acting chief?!” Spitelout shouted from the back.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed, considering all that I’m responsible for in the town, but we’re not deciding that yet. First, I’d like to elect the council. The council would then be in charge of choosing an acting chief. They’ll also have a number of other responsibilities including the allocation of funds and passing laws. At this time, my family has been funding repairs from our own coffers, as well as paying the guard to enforce laws that may be outdated. As we all have seen during my illness, this is not working. By show of hands, who is in favor of reinstating the elder council?”

There was some hesitation at first, as the town wasn’t quite sure what to think, but slowly, hands began to raise until it was almost unanimous.

“Excellent. Now, for the first member, I’d like to nominate Gothi. All those in favor?”

A majority of hands raised.

“Any opposed?”

None.

Gothi came forward and stood by Oswald.

“Next I’d like to nominate Spitelout, as captain of the guard, he should have a say in the laws he’s enforcing. All those in favor?”

Again, a majority of hands.

“Any opposed?”

None.

“I accept!” Spitelout called from the back, once again.

“Next, I’d like to nominate Gobber. He has shown great wisdom and I trust his judgement. All in favor?”

Less hands raised.

“All opposed?”

None.

“I was watching!” Gobber called, walking to the front. “I saw who abstained!”

“I have one more person I’d like to elect, but are there any other nominations?” Oswald asked.

Over the next few minutes, Bucket, Mulch, and Silent Sven were nominated and voted in for council.

“Then if there are no other nominations, I think it’s rather obvious who I’d like to nominate for the last seat: The Pale Rider.”

“Nay!” Dagur shouted across the square. “Nay I say!”

“You aren’t a horse, boy!” Oswald barked back. “But your disdain is noted. Now stop embarrassing your family.” He sighed, shaking his head. “As I was saying, I’d like to nominate the Rider. He is the oldest member of our village, and if this curse continues, he can make sure we don’t have an incident like they had a hundred years ago. This council and acting chief can endure until such a time that the rightful chief can return. All those in favor? This is a majority vote, not unanimous.”

Less hands than there were for Gobber.

“Any opposed?”

Three hands went up.

“I’ve noted your opposition, but the majority has it. Congratulations, lad.”

Astrid heard the Pale Rider sigh, and he squeezed her hand.

“Moving forward, the council will meet to elect a new acting chief. This leader will be announced in due time. If anyone has any information the council should take into consideration, please let them know. Now, one last final piece of business and you’ll all be free to go. Would you like to do the honors, Rider?”

Astrid saw his shoulders bounce slightly, as apparently he hadn’t expected to speak. Nevertheless, he nodded to Oswald. He stood up straight and spoke clearly, “I’d like to make a resource known to all of you. When we came here 300 years ago, we came with everything that we had, including gold. The people that lived and died in this place before us likewise had a treasury that they left behind. This is the gold of Berk, of your ancestors. It is yours to borrow and use, just as you have with Oswald. It’s not mine or the castles, it’s yours. I’m just the steward, as my father was. If you have a debt with Oswald, we can work out transferring it to the Berk treasury instead.”

This made the crowd break out into murmurs again, but no one seemed hostile.

“What are your interest rates?” Someone shouted.

“Again, it’s not my gold. But I don’t have that number for you yet, nor should I be the one to set it. The council will discuss it. We will also figure out the best way to use this money for the town, perhaps in paying wages for the guards. Furthermore, the castle is open to anyone at any time.” Then he pointed a long boney finger to the back of the crowd. “Except for Dagur. For the way you have treated Astrid, the mistress of the castle, you will never be welcome.”

“And not because he impaled you?” Astrid asked softly.

“I didn’t want to go to your cursed hovel anyway!” Dagur shouted. “And no one else does either!”

“Regardless,” said the Rider. “My father and I are available to you as you see fit. Oswald?”

“Thank you, Rider. And that’s about the meat of it. Meeting adjourned!”

Though they were dismissed, most people still milled about, talking about what had just happened. Those that were elected grouped up and started wandering up to the Great Hall.

“Comin’ lad? We’re having our first council meetin’!” Gobber called. “Oh it’s so excitin’! I’ve never been on a council before!”

“I’ll be there shortly, Gobber,” The Rider replied before turning to Astrid. “I know I promised we’d go home, but–”

“It’s alright,” she smiled. Her grin was so big, she thought it might rip her cheeks. She was so proud! “Go up with the others, Council Member Rider!”

He hummed fondly. Then he played with a lock of her hair by her face and said, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She took his hand. “I’m so happy for you! Who knew all it took to get you into town was inviting Oswald up to the castle?”

He shook his head. “That’s not it at all. It’s really thanks to you. This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t introduced me to Heather and Snotlout. And Snotlout had to be fired from the guard to start his delivery service, and then the Outcasts had to attack so I could protect the town—”

“I had nothing to do with that.”

“But most of all…I wrote that letter for you. I wanted to get you out of jail, so I wrote to him to discuss your debt. All the rest of this came after.”

“So, you transferred my debt to the treasury then? I don’t owe the Berserkers any money?”

He sighed slightly. “No, you don’t. You don’t owe anyone anything. Your debt was paid once Dagur repossessed your house. And even then, that was more than he should have taken.”

“So…that was all a trick?”

“I’m afraid so, Astrid.”

A flash of anger took her then, but she fought through it, knowing it was too late to do anything about it. “But…I’m free now, right?”

He nodded. “Not that I want to put you back into debt, but you’re welcome to borrow some gold to buy a house of your own now. Or you can build one or—”

She shook her head. “My home is the castle now…if you’ll continue to have me.”

“I’d prefer if you stayed.”

Gobber called from the stairs, “Oi! Stop flirtin’! We got work to do!”

—

Astrid slept well that night. She was in her comfortable bed, safe and warm and home. The Rider and her had a wonderful dinner and then evening together. He told her all the details of his meeting with Oswald and they stayed up late laughing about it.

But then, she had a dream. A dark and vast but familiar landscape. A figure, just a glowing shape, began to appear before her. It faded in with a light blue glow, just like the morning glories on her wall.

He was tall, handsome, and very muscular. He wore shoulder armor and had long hair in a braid. And by the gods did he look familiar, sort of like her father.

“Hello?” She asked.

“Hello again,” he smiled.

“Again?”

The smile faded. “As usual, you don’t remember. Well, that’s fine, I’ll tell you as many times as I have to until you do.”

“What? Tell me what? Who are you?”

“My name is Finn—“

She gasped. “Finn Hofferson!? Fearless Finn Hofferson?!”

He grinned. “That’s right. Your ancestor. Now, Astrid, listen to me. Things are not what they seem.”

“Obviously.”

He shook his head. “The heroes and villains of this story are all backwards. The curse runs deeper than you could ever imagine, but you’re so damn close!”

“You mean…Viggo’s not as innocent as they think, is he?”

Finn shook his head. “No, he’s not. Astrid, I was the Rider’s best friend before the curse. He came to me and raised his concerns about Viggo. He didn’t trust him, and was frustrated that no one listened to him.”

“So…what really happened?”

Finn sighed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I wasn’t there! I didn’t see what happened, or what started it.”

Astrid frowned. “But…the truth will come out once I end the curse, right?”

“It should, I believe.”

“Okay. Then what do I need to do? You said I’m close.”

“You need to find his name. It’s somewhere in this castle.”

“His name? The Rider’s name? What, is it written down somewhere?”

Finn grasped at his head, clearly frustrated, like he had answered this question a dozen times. “I don’t know! I don’t—” he took a deep breath. “I’m not sure. But I’m fairly certain that’s the key to all of this. Whatever is holding the curse is the Rider’s real name. It has to be. I gained a bunch of my true memories back when I died, all but the Rider’s name.”

“...that makes sense. So you remembered that Viggo wasn’t an ally?”

“To be honest Astrid, he was a very good actor. He and Ryker had everyone fooled, everyone but the Rider. He was always looking for the good in people, but had a feeling that Viggo was being dishonest. I bought Viggo’s lies initially, but once the Rider brought his concerns to me, I saw what he was talking about and changed my mind.”

“I know you said you weren’t there when it happened, but can you remember anything?”

Finn hung his head and exhaled slowly. His voice wavered a bit as he began, “the night before, we were hanging out at the forge. He told me that he figured out that Viggo was going to do…something the next morning. Some sort of ritual. Rider was going to interrupt it. He asked me to stay outside the castle and make sure no one from the village came in. I did as he asked, and waited, and there was this explosion of green fire that burst from the windows, and then this blanket of black fog that leaked out and went all over the island. I hesitated, given the Rider’s plan, but when I heard him screaming, I went in to help.”

“You saw what Stoick and Valka saw.”

“Aye. I saw my best friend, my brother, transform into a horrible monster. The chief and his wife were flung into paintings on the wall, and I was just…stuck there staring. He yelled at me. Told me to leave and never return.” He folded his arms over his chest. “I had a wife at that time, and a baby son. Part of me felt guilty that I couldn’t save him, and part of me was grateful that I wasn’t cursed as well. Though…I was still cursed, like all the ancestors, I just didn’t know it until I died.”

“How did you…?”

“Ryker. Viggo’s brother.”

Astrid frowned, trying to remember the story Valka had told her. Didn’t Ryker die first?

Finn continued, “I’m not completely sure, but I think he was dead when the curse happened. Viggo’s blood still cursed his body, and changed him.”

“Into what?” She asked, afraid of the answer.

“A wight. A monster. Really and truly a monster.”

“And he’s…here in the castle?” She asked, small.

“The Rider has contained him in the dungeon.”

“Oh.” And now it made sense why he told her to never go looking for it.

“After Ryker killed me, the Rider…killed Ryker. Again. It’s hard to explain, since Ryker was dead. But the Rider destroyed his body.”

“So—?”

“You know how the Rider can be mortally wounded and recover just fine? Ryker’s the same. The Rider reduces him to a smear of blood and given enough time, he reforms.”

“When was the last time Rider destroyed him?”

Finn just winced.

“Great.”

“But I was the last victim of Ryker. He’s been contained ever since. Don’t be afraid.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Easier said than done.”

“The Rider will protect you.”

“Right, just…knowing that there’s a chance…”

Finn gently reached out and took her arms, his touch feeling like a summer breeze. “You will end this curse before he becomes a problem, I’m sure of it.”

She studied his hand on her arm. It was glowing blue, but transparent, just as she imagined a ghost would be. “Are you really here? Or is this a figment of my imagination?”

He smiled sadly. “I’m really here.”

“And he’s not the only one,” a new voice spoke, just behind her.

Astrid whirled around in surprise, recognizing that voice immediately. It had been many years, but it was still so clear in her memory.

Her father looked the same as he had the last time she saw him. Transparent and glowing blue, but the rest was the same. He was smiling softly at her.

“Daddy?” She whimpered, sorrow and grief at the tip of her tongue.

“Hi baby.”

“What…? How…? Aren’t you supposed to be…?”

“In Valhalla with your mother? That would be nice, wouldn’t it? But no…because I’m a direct descendant of Finn Hofferson, and your mother’s family were not from Berk.”

The answer was fairly obvious then, but she just stood there gaping, trying to understand the awfulness she was presented with.

Finn rested his arm over her shoulder. “We of the blood aren’t allowed to leave the island. Even after death.”

“No…”

“I’m afraid so. I’ve been here since I died, and we’ve all been trying to figure out how to undo this mess.”

“And you’re certain it’s his name?”

“Nothing is certain. We’re not druids, and Viggo is very powerful, but it makes the most sense.”

“Viggo is onto you,” her father said sternly. “Ever since you tried talking to him. He’s going to try to get you to leave the castle, but you have to stay.”

“He’ll have to kill me,” she said firmly.

“He’ll try. A time will come when you will have to make a great personal sacrifice. It won’t be pleasant, but it’s the only way.”

“What kind of—?”

“You’ll wake up soon,” Finn interrupted. “And then you’ll forget all of this. And then we’ll have this conversation again tomorrow.”

“Why? Why do I forget?”

“It’s just the kind of sleeper you are. You never remember your dreams, do you?”

“No, but this is important!”

“It is, so I’ll repeat it over and over until it sticks. I believe in you, Astrid Hofferson.”

—

Chicken crowed down the hall, and Astrid was awake. She was well rested, warm, comfortable, and felt the safety she hadn’t while in that jail.

But that dream. It was so real, so vivid…she remembered…

She remembered!

Astrid sat up quickly, running through the conversation with Finn again. Parts of it were fuzzy, and she had a distinct feeling there was a dolphin flying around in the background at one point, but yes, she remembered!

She had to find the Rider’s name. Whatever that meant. Maybe get him to remember on his own? Or perhaps it was written somewhere. She could ask the library and see if there was anything.

Ugh, that stupid cough was back.

#fanfiction #how to train your dragon #httyd #hiccstrid #astrid hofferson #hiccup haddock #the pale rider

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aloneinthehellfire · 1 year ago

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Chapter Five: Unrequited Lover's Lake (Part One)

The Pariahs That Saved The World [Masterlist]

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: mentions of death, vecna's curse, horror flashback (violence)

[A/N: So I've decided to split this chapter in half mostly because I've disappeared lately. I am so sorry I haven't been updating as usual, I have had two rounds of completely different illness (both being types of flu lmao) and I am still recovering but in a much better place than I was! I'll keep everyone updated but as for now, here's the first half of a chapter I promised you guys agessss ago]

Unrequited Lover's Lake (Part One)

“Oh, boom!” Steve suddenly shouts out and Robin watches him push through some bushes, rolling her eyes. “Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock.”

“Doesn’t make sense.” Dustin mutters as she and Nancy push through the leaves, looking up at the famous Skull Rock in all of its glory. Robin never really saw the appeal of this place.

“It’s just a dumb rock.” She murmurs out loud and Nancy hums in agreement, looking around.

The leaves rustle again and Robin watches as you and Max step through, sharing a look as she gestures to your face. You quickly turn, raising your hand, and when you turn back, you’re sending a grateful smile and walking away. Robin frowns at the interaction. Were you crying?

“Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can’t admit it.” Steve boasts, placing his hands on his hips. “You just can’t admit that you’re wrong, you little butthead.”

“I concur.”

You all spin around to where someone had jumped down, a smirk on his face.

“You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead.” Eddie announces and the boy goes running to him.

“Jesus, we thought you were a goner.”

“Yeah, me too, man. Me too.” Eddie sighs, patting him on the back. He catches someone else’s eye, pulling away and grinning. “As I live and breathe, Y/n is that you?”

“Couldn’t stay out of trouble just this once?” You chuckle as you share a hug, laughing when he tries to pick you up. “We went to the boathouse, what the hell happened?”

Nothing could really prepare you for what he had to say.

From Jason and his gang finding him, to watching poor Patrick suddenly float out of the water, you all stood around him in silence. You felt the sickening feeling creep up throughout your body until it was stuck in your throat, lurking as a reminder of what you’ve let yourself walk back into.

“Excuse me.” You say to Nancy, brushing against her arm so you could walk away from the group, breathing heavily.

You heard their continued conversations as you leant against a tree, a few steps into the thick expanse of trees, just in their view. Your skin was crawling with goosebumps, your spine shivering under the stress of the situation. You thought you were ready for this, that you could help them and save the people you loved in the process. But you didn’t manage it last time. How was this any different?

July 3rd, 1985

“Nancy…” You shake your head at her as you slowly start walking backwards down the hallway.

“Just stay in position, Y/n.” She hisses at you from behind and you trust her, you really do. But she was foolish to think you were the right person for this.

“I can’t.” You whisper back, tears falling down your face. The lights overhead start to flicker and you grip the metal pole in your hand tighter, praying he doesn’t walk around the corner, that it was all a misunderstanding.

“Just a little longer.” She promises, her soothing voice holding more worth to you than she knows. If only you had seen her face.

Two loud footsteps echo out from around the corner and you hold your breath, waiting for the man to show himself and force every fibre of your body not to run. But it wasn’t him. It was Tom Holloway, Heather’s father, and he was smiling at you.

“Ah, Y/n.” He clicks his neck, smirking, “I knew I’d find you here.”

You shake your head. It wasn’t meant to be him. He was supposed to be dead.

“It’s such a shame no one checked to see if they finished the job.” He laughs, pulling a scalpel you hadn’t even seen protruding from his neck, shrugging when no blood comes rushing out. “Someone should really go check on that poor boy, though. Such a wuss.”

“Nancy.” You try and whisper, but you hear nothing back, only the echo of her retreating footsteps as she rushes to find her boyfriend. You understood, you really did, but you’ve never felt so scared.

“Just the two of us, now.” He clears his throat, walking forward with intent and you hold out the pole. “That won’t do anything.”

“Stay back.” You cry out, noticing how dark the black veins were appearing now. Was Heather like this too? “I’m warning you.”

“Or what? You’ll trick me?” He laughs maniacally, stopping just short of you reaching the end of the hall, the corner just behind you. “Or should I say… us?”

Your eyes widen, but it’s too late. A sharp and searing pain digs into your shoulder and you scream, dropping your only weapon out of shock and jolting forward. You stumble, cradling your shoulder as you spin around on the floor, another pair of soulless eyes staring down at you. A sob leaves your lips.

“Dad?”

“Join us.”

Everything about that day still feels like a nightmare, to the point where you nearly convince yourself none of it was real. Not Tom tricking you, or your father becoming one of those monsters. Especially not Nancy leaving you behind. But that scar etched into your skin reminds you it was all very real. Your dad was dead, Nancy had left you to die, and you were lucky you ever escaped.

You take a deep breath, smoothing your hair away from your face. There wasn’t time for your breakdown right now. Max needed you. The sooner you figured it all out, the sooner this would be over.

Something snaps in the woods behind you and you assume someone has walked over, making you turn with a ready-made lie on your tongue. Except, no one was there.

You weren’t even in the woods anymore.

Robin rubbed her eyes as Steve and Dustin disputed over yet another absurd argument she didn’t fully wrap her head around, watching in amusement as it bounced back and forth between them. This time, Dustin was convinced his compass wasn’t wrong and for once, she was on Steve’s side. It made literally no sense.

“So you’re using faulty equipment.” Steve exasperated. “You’re still wrong!”

“Except it isn’t faulty.” Dustin says and Steve groans, throwing his hands up. “Lucas, do you remember what can affect a compass?”

Lucas ponders for a moment before his eyes widen. “An electromagnetic field.”

“Yep.” Dustin looks at everyone else expectedly and Robin furrows her brows.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve skipped that class.”

“In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect towards that power.” Dustin explains, motioning to the woods with his hand. “So either there’s some super big magnet around here, or…”

“There’s a gate.” Lucas concludes and Robin’s eyes widen.

“But we’re nowhere near the lab.” Nancy says and Dustin nods at her.

“But what if, somehow, there’s another gate? A gate that we don’t know about. It’d have to be smaller. Way less powerful.”

“Snack-size gate.” Robin offers and he clicks his finger at her.

“All I know if that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we’ve seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is, because then we’d have a way to Vecna. And a shot at freeing Max from this curse.”

And with that Dustin turns around and starts walking, making Robin bat at Steve’s arm until he took notice too.

“Wha- Oh, where are you going? Hey, hey, hey-” He calls out for attention and Dustin unwillingly stops, looking back at him. “Eddie’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go for a hike in the woods.”

“This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Max and Eddie. What say you, Eddie the Banished?” Dustin asks and Robin smirks, looking to you to share in her amusement. She blinks. You weren’t there.

She looks around again as Eddie responds, frowning like she might just be going blind.

“Uh, guys?” She tries, but her voice seems distant as she peers around the rock, through the trees, anywhere.

“So Mordor it is.” Eddie finally decides, shrugging when Steve looks at him weird.

“Guys!” She finally raises her voice and they all look at her inquisitively, noting her worried face. “Where’s Y/n?”

“She was just…” Nancy motions over to where you were just stood by the tree. The look on her face made Robin’s stomach plummet. “Y/n?”

Everyone starts looking around, shouting out for you, but they don’t hear any kind of response. Robin and Nancy venture further in, calling your name like you might just walk towards them completely fine. But Robin knew from the pit in her stomach that wasn’t the case. She just can’t believe she didn’t notice you had disappeared.

“Robin!” Nancy suddenly calls and Robin runs over as quickly as she can, careful not to trip up on protruding tree roots as she joins her.

The girl is knelt on the ground, holding a body and for a second her heart stops. It’s you.

And then you blink, looking a little dazed.

“I just saw her collapse.” Nancy says, her voice shaking. “Robin, look.”

She looks to where her friend is pointing and her breath hitches, slowly letting herself sink to the ground as you finally mutter a few words from lips beneath a crimson nosebleed.

“The gate.” You whisper out, trying to sit up and grabbing Robin’s arm when you felt weak. “I know… I know where the gate is.”

Robin meets Nancy’s fearful eye, her blood running cold. She hated to admit it, but all the signs were pointing to one thing and one thing only.

Vecna had cursed you, too.

taglist: @kryztalglear . @dejerw . @officerrrfriendly . @a-simpfortessa-lesbriean . @spacedoutdaydreamer . @endurexxsurvive . @em16cor . @gray-cheese . @chaosofmanyfandoms . @kitdjarin1 . @some-day--some-how @cultish-corner

#stranger things #stranger things x reader #fanfic #stranger things reader insert #robin buckley x fem!reader smut #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley #robin x reader #robin buckley fanfic #robin buckley x female reader #fanfics #sapphic fic

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wildshona · 4 months ago

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Yule

Well I promised you I would tell you how Yule went. Amelia, Zoe and me got to Toni’s at about 1.00 pm and the first session for the kids was in the pool. There was a range of ages. There were a couple of others about Zoe’s age but most were older ranging up to about 12 I guess. Anyway the grown-ups weren’t part of the pool party except for those that had volunteered to sit by the pool to keep the kids safe. Naturally Amelia was one of those cos Zoe is so young. I just circulated the parents and drank some mulled wine not overdoing it cos of the evening party to come.

So after the pool the kids got dressed up in their fancy dress on the theme of woodland animals. Lots of reindeers there. Zoe was a fox, She had a jumper and leggings that were kind of fox colour and I had bought a pair of fox ears and a fox tail from a website that does Kemonomimi outfits (and no obs not a butt plug tail u perverts) which Richard had adapted to fit Zoe’s size. She looked very good. Some of the older girls had also gone fot Kemonomimi so there were some racoons and cats and i think on other fox.

Anyhow there was kid party food = hot dogs, burgers, pigs in blankets, you know the sort of stuff, and cakes and ice cream. And, as it was aToni production, there were clowns and jugglers and magicians.

It all went on til 6 but it started to wind down earlier and we left cos Zoe was tired at about 5 with Ina in tow.

Then there was a turn around until eight while we grown-ups got into our party gear. It was cocktail dresses for the girls and dinner jacket for Chris. The girls had to wear seasonal wreaths – mine of ivy and some berries tho the berries fell off gradually through the evening.

The party was in the marquee in the garden just as the kids’ party had been but now there were couches and cushions and the whole place looked like a forest glade which I think I forgot to mention earlier at the kids party. Tables were set out with mulled wine and mead and heather beer and bowls of steaming meats and winter berries. The big central dish which everyone except vegetarian were expected to partake of contained spiced horse meat – absolutely gorgeous. There was also venison and pheasant and stuff like that.

At eleven I was gently tapped on the shoulder and told to see Toni who had looked magnificent in a dress so designed to accentuate her long legs and fantastic tits. I found her in the dining room dressed in a long thin green robe that you could tell covered nothing else.

Time to lose the cocktail dress. Losing underwear was not a problem cos I wasn’t wearing any. I had a long thin robe in brown which opened easily to show my body. There were another three women dressed like me.

And then we went back and mingled. We were adding the spice to say that midnight was near. I went up to Amelia and stroked her back to get her attention and when she saw me in just a thin robe, even though it was not hanging open she looked at me in a sort of shock.

I think the party is going to get adult soon, i said.

Oh, was all she could manage as I felt a gentle pressure on my arse from someone walking behind me. That became the pattern as the time moved to midnight, just gentle caressing of the body, not even an attempt to get under the robe – but it all got me on a sexual edge and I thought i would cum just from a touch on my back.

At midnight the lights went out and new soft red lights came on. Toni stood at one end of the marquee and raised her arms, her robe falling open to reveal that fucking magnificent body.

Joy for Yule. Waes hael.

Trinc hael, everyone responded.

This night we celebrate the return of light and the start of the banishing of winter. Enjoy the renewal of the light.

I felt hands touching me and this time there was no respect for the robe which didn’t stay on very long. Soon there were bodies on the couches. This was my first Yule at Toni’s so I didn’t know what was to happen until I had a call from Toni earlier in the week. Midnight was the time to start showing life and people would pleasure their partners or whoever was up for it. Mostly people would find a space on a couch or cushions in the marquee or the lounge which also had that red lighting for tonight but those who wanted privacy could go where they wanted. Four of the bedrooms were available. The other four were Toni’s own room, my room, Amelia’s and Zoe’s and they were marked no entry.

I soon had some attention from a man in his thirties – most of the people there were over thirty except for me and Amelia – and i was happy to oblige as i had no idea what had happened to Chris. He was obviously a bit bashful cos he took me to the pool house and fucked me against the wall which wsn’t quite the ambience but i wasn’t planning to stick with him.

I was soon back in the marquee and wandered around looking for an invitation which came from a black couple on some cushions. Well i’d never been with a black couple before – black men yes, black women yes but never been the white girl sandwiched in between with the man fucking me from behind while i sucked on the woman’s cunt. Such a nice taste – i always think it odd that the black skin gives way to pink inside the cunt i find that really exciting.

I stayed with them for a while until the man pulled out of me and finished in his partner’s mouth, her sharing it with me before they lay back and i was surplus again. I saw Toni with two other women on another set of cushions with the other two women obviously doing the servicing of the great lady.

Then I was in the lounge and someone else wanted my attention, an older man. Well age is just a number right and Richard at 70 is one of my favourite lovers. So, why not?

By the time that was done and people weren’t looking for anyone new and by now it was getting on for three in the morning I decided to have a last drink and go to bed.

I’m just having a last glass of mead and soft female hands came from behind to touch my tits.

Enjoying yourself. It was Toni.

Yes.

I would lick your sweet but you have cum dripping out of it and i’m not in to second hand cum, or first hand very much come to that.

Do you want me to take care of you, i ask.

No, you look tired and should go to bed. You might get a nice surprise. She gave a really earthy chuckle.

That was intriguing so off i went. Was it a surprise? I don’t know but there were Chris and Amelia asleep. There is enough room for three easily in that bed, four probably, so I climbed in beside Amelia and felt between her legs, definitely cum of both kinds on her thighs, naughty girl.

She was still there when I woke up. I don’t sleep that well, i get dreams, nightmares sometimes, about my past. So I was awake just before she was and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was me looking at her.

Oh, god, Shona I am so sorry i don’t know what came over me and Chris was so lovely and....

She looked like she was going to cry so i kissed her on the lips and shushed her and said it was alright.

Did you enjoy him?

Yes she whispered.

That’s alright then.

She put her arms around me and pulled me close so, well what could i do?

I wriggled down, took her tit in my mouth and sucked delicious milk.

I reckon she owed me that lol.

Anyway we left after a snacky lunch that Mrs Lewis had prepared for us. Ameli was awkward at first but when she saw everything was normal between me and Chris she relaxed and ate and went home after lunch to find Zoe warching The Snowman with Ina who was wearing her maid’s outfit which i swear was even shorter than last week.

So that was Yule. Hope you had a good time too. Yesterday was wiped out by the night before. We were all tired. Zoe had The Snowman on a loop, it seemed like.

I am out for lunch today with Chris and friends in Covent Garden. Friends who Chris works with and i occasionally too. Couple of Americans and a couple of Germans. Don’t know after that. Tomorrow we are open housing so anyone can turn up at any time – usually people from countries who do there main socailising on Christmas Eve. Yeah we acknowledge the Nailed God for the purposes of others and children and of course Santa will be coming tomorrow night which Zoe is well looking forward to.

Don’t know when i will be on again so have a good rest of the 12 days of Yule and do try to get some fucking in.

#fvcktoy

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heart-shaped-pebble · 7 months ago

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Under the moonlight

@flufftober Prompt day 2: "Left. Other left!"

Pairing: Jason Dean/Heather Duke

tags&tw: Mentions of murder (shooting) - mentions of sex [nothing is explicitly described and it all happened before this oneshot] - au where JD isn't dating Veronica and went for Heather Duke first instead

Summary: JD and Heather Duke have their first date, and it's nothing else other than hiding Heather Chandler's dead body.

Notes: I swear this is fluff 😭 Other than for the background murder of Heather Chandler that is. Credit to @how-very-salty for the Jduke fanart!

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into doing this.” Heather murmured as if to not alarm anyone around. Not that anyone could hear her anyway, not in the middle of an abandoned road, at three a.m., near Sherwood’s forest.

The only person to hear her comment was JD just because he was right next to her.

“I didn’t ‘talk you into it’. You were the one complaining, I offered you a solution, and you agreed. End of the story.” JD stated, opening the trunk of his dad’s car. Duke scoffed, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. Noticing that JD sighed, rolling his eyes. “Are you going to help me? Or are you too pretty to carry a dead body?”

Heather seemed to actually think about it before responding, “I’m definitely too pretty.”

“But you weren’t to kill her, though.” JD added under his breath, and Duke glared at him.

“You tricked me into doing it! I didn’t think you were being serious about it!” Heather yelled back, now not seeming to care if anyone heard her. “Besides- we had just had sex. I was confused.”

“Really?” JD asked, taking Heather Chandler’s body out of the trunk and threw her over his shoulder to carry her. “Because I seem to remember you being pretty turned on at the idea of killing Chandler. And that’s without mentioning the insistence with which you asked me to be the one to pull the trigger.”

Heather stared at him, still glaring, trying to think of what to say next. She shrugged and looked down, “I thought they were blanks.” She said, confidence in her voice as if to convince herself of her own words. “Besides, you could have at least planned it out better. Breaking into her house in the middle of the night and just shooting her? What if her parents had been home!?”

JD clicked his tongue and nodded. “They weren’t, and we’ll be fine as long as her body disappears. It's notoriously hard to convict people if you can't find a body.” He said, trying to calm her down and once again remind her of why they were doing it. Heather seemed to agree with him, nodding.

“Can you at least take the shovels?”

Heather rolled her eyes before reluctantly opening the backseat and taking the shovels out. They walked deep into the forest, far away enough the street wasn’t in sight anymore, when JD finally came to a halt when he found a soft enough ground they could dig in. It was right in front of a large tree, which JD laid Chandler against.

“C’mon, help me dig here.”

Heather stared at him wide eyed before bursting out laughing, like he had said the funniest joke she had ever heard. “I’m not digging in the ground, especially not without gloves."

“Heather, either you help me dig the hole, or you’re the one to throw the body in it when I’m done.” JD said seriously, and Duke looked lost deep in thought before responding.

“If I have to choose between the two things, I’d much rather throw the dead bitch in her grave.” Heather said, leaning against the tree next to Chandler’s body. “You like your funeral Heather? I sure am enjoying it.” She said to the corpse, with a satisfied smirk on her lips.

Twenty minutes later the hole was ready, and JD could only hope it was deep enough so that the body wouldn’t be found. The darkness of the night sure wasn’t helping much. “Okay, Heather? You can throw her in.” He called for Duke, who had walked away to a nearby tree to… pick up flowers?

“You like it?” She asked, showing JD the daisy she had picked. “Heather hated daisies, she considered them pathetic. I thought it would have looked pretty on the ground, once we’ve covered her up.”

JD looked at her with parted lips, suddenly feeling something that strangely reminded him of love rush through his veins. “Once we’re done with this I’m taking you on a second date.”

Heather stopped staring at the flower to look at JD. “Second? When did we have the first?”

“What do you consider this, then?”

Heather pouted and smiled at him, giving him a peck on the lips.

“Okay enough with the romantic stuff or I’ll get diabetes.” She commented, picking Heather up- although struggling a bit while doing so. She tried to put her over her shoulder like JD had, managing in doing so, although Chandler’s hair kept getting into her eyes. “Okay where’s the hole?”

“Uh, left. Other left!” He added when he noticed Heather was throwing the body to her right. It seemed to be a useless warning though, as Duke threw it the wrong way anyway. JD had to bite back a laugh when he saw Duke’s annoyed expression at realizing she had missed the hole, and even more when Heather tried to justify herself.

“It’s dark, and I had her hair on my face!”

“I told you on the left.”

“Shut up, I hate you.” Heather said, before pushing Chandler in the hole.

“Hm, last time you said that we ended up kissing.” JD teased, grabbing the shovel to throw dirt on Chandler’s body and cover the hole.

“Keep talking and the next body I’ll hide is yours.”

“Whatever you say, darling.”

#flufftober2024 #day 2 #heather duke #jason dean #jason dean x heather duke #jduke #heathers #heathers movie #heathers the musical

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rainydaydally · 1 year ago

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Noah of the waters.

When Cody finds Noah.

This is an island of the slaughtered fanfiction (original island of the slaughtered by @/Eavee-ry

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

WARNING: This fanfiction contains major character d3ath, descriptive mentions of bl00d, d3ath, dr0wning, ch0king/str@ngling, and kind of body h0rror.

You have been warned !!

When the rest of the contestants of the supposed show (who are still… alive…) arrive to the dock a bit behind Cody, they stop in their tracks.

“Noah?” Cody asks shakily, looking into the water and seeing the lifeless body of the boy he once loved. Noah’s eyes had gone almost completely white, and Cody could swear he heard him humming almost like a siren, luring him to join him.

The other teens slowly walk their way to the end of the dock that Cody was standing at. He looks completely pale, as if he should be the one in the water too. His knees buckle beneath him and he falls, as the rest of the group slowly appears behind him.

Duncan sighs, and he gently puts his hand on Cody’s shoulder. “Let go of me, Duncan! It’s your fault.” He yells, throwing Duncan’s hand off of his shoulder. “Guys, come on. Maybe we can still save him.” Cody pleades desperately, turning around to everybody else to try and convince them.

Duncan hesitates but thinks for a moment.“It is my fault this happened. The least I could do for the kid is to try and help Noah..” Duncan thinks, and begins to help Cody pull Noah out of the water. Gwen crouches down to help them too, and everyone else just kind of… watches. Too tired to completely realize that the killer has claimed another victim from their group.

When the three of them pull Noah out of the water, they carry him to the beach and place him on the sand. The sand sticks to his wet skin as Cody really takes it all in. Theres a small line of rope burn around Noah’s neck, and Cody gently traces his fingers on it.

If it was an alive person, they would have winced. He didn’t.

When Cody places his hand on Noah’s chest to maybe feel a heartbeat, he notices the kitchen knife stabbed right below his collar bone. Cody hesitates, but lays his hand on his chest to feel the familiar beat of his heart. He couldn’t feel it.

Katie walks over to the shivering boy. “Cody…” Katie says softly, rubbing his back. Cody somehow got even more pale than he was before. His eyes begin to water, not just due to crying but also from them being so open and wide because of the utter shock.

Cody places his hands on Noah’s heart and begins preforming CPR. He tries and tries and tries. Nothing. Not even a movement or a single beating from his pulse.

“He’s gone, Cody.” Heather says after a long amount of silence. Duncan feels his stomach drop. “How could I let this happen to Noah? To Cody? To-“ Duncan thinks for a moment on who was friends with the boy, and his eyes dart to Owen.

Owen is watching the whole ordeal from a few feet away, his kind and funny demeanor disintegrating- it’s visibly on his face. His eyes begin to water but he quickly wipes them and heads to Noah.

Cody almost throws up as his body begins wracking ugly sobs. He grabs Noah and holds his body close to him and hugs him tightly. Owen sits down next to where Gwen, Duncan, Katie, and Cody are sitting on the beach and he leans his head on Cody’s shoulder, closing his eyes a bit.

“I’m sorry, Cody. You know I didn’t intend for him to die when I-“

“What? When you and your little group abandoned him?!” Cody interrupts Duncan, looking into his eyes as his expression and… well… everything looks like a crazy mess.

Cody continues with his spiel. “Yeah, sure. You didnt MEAN for him to get killed. But he DID get killed, Duncan. And We’re all here and alive right now, and HE’S NOT. AND IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU.”

“Stop it! It’s not his fault!” Courtney interjects, looking at Cody and then to Duncan. Duncan just shakes his head and mouths to her. “Stop. I’d be mad at myself too.” Courtney eye rolls at Duncan and goes back to digging small holes with her fingers next to her in the sand.

Bridgette scooches closer to Cody. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re allowed to be mad at everyone you want to in this position..” She says softly, gesturing to him. Cody just nods, looking at the body he’s holding, Noah’s soaked hair dripping onto his arms. His sobs begin to die out, but he’s still sniffling and tears are pouring out of his eyes.

Heather kicks at the sand. “Fuck! We need to find out who the hell this disgusting killer guy is before it get’s too late. Who would even be out here?!”

“Yeah dude, I was wondering that too.” Geoff says, wrapping his arms around Bridgette. “They would have to be crazier than Izzy to be out here for no reason other than to… hurt innocent teenagers..” Courtney states. She was atleast very careful of her wording to not upset Cody or Owen.

“I cant believe he’s…” Cody can’t even bring himself to finish the sentence. Not yet. He couldn’t have been gone so early in his life. Sixteen? Sixteen years old? That’s not enough time to do… anything with your life.

Cody gently touches the knife that’s stabbed into Noah. There’s almost no blood on him (visibly) due to his usual many layers of clothes. He changes his view to Noah’s formally deep brown eyes. They are now pure white, staring right into the center of Cody’s soul. He wonders a moment how they lost all of their color.

Cody gently closes the other boy’s eyes with his fingers, deciding to let him rest peacefully. He pretends for a moment that Noah is just resting on his lap again. He knows that isn’t true.

----

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littlemissmentallyunstable · 9 months ago

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title: crazy little thing called love

pairing: grayson hawthorne x (first person) reader

synopsis: you are avery’s little sister and you carry around a deadly secret. if anyone finds out you’re in love with jameson, things will get messy

warnings: love is a bit confusing…

a/n: thanks for reading 🤍🤍

tag list: @tornqdowarnings @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @stqrsbythepocketful @lxvebelle @xoxo-vee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell

I was sat on the grass under a tree. It was a pleasant summers days, the sun was shining and it wasn’t too hot. I leant my back against a tree, a book situated happily in my hands. And although everything was perfect… it didn’t feel perfect. I couldn’t focus on a single word on that paper because my eyes were too busy glued to another scene. Unfortunately for me, not a scene of fiction. My sister stood laughing in her boyfriend’s arms. Jameson Hawthorne. Ever since I’d laid eyes on him I’d fallen hard and since I’d gotten to know him the falling hadn’t stopped. But he chose her. It’s not like I was surprised or anything. Avery was Avery. She was stunningly gorgeous, naturally intelligent far beyond her years and was strong, independent. Who wouldn’t want that?

And even though I loved my sister to pieces, I couldn’t want Jameson any less. No matter how hard I tried to forget, to stop, to feel for someone else, it never happened. I mean I supposed it made sense, me and Avery with the same type. We were sisters after all but… but why did it have to be him? It’s not even like I could escape. I’m stuck watching their happily ever after plays out waiting an eternity for my turn.

“What are you watching?”

My heart skipped a beat, “do you alway sneak up on people like that?”

I turned around and met a pair of sharp silvery grey eyes only inches from my own.

“Depends,” Grayson murmured, sitting beside me now, “what are you watching?”

He repeated the question I was avoiding answering and looked at me expectantly. I hated it.

“Nothing,” I shrugged in response, focusing back on the book I was supposed to be reading.

“You seem awfully concentrated,” he said.

Clearly he didn’t take my ‘I’m pretending to read so I don’t have to talk to you’ gesture. So I looked up and stared at him blankly.

“You seem awfully fixated on my concentration,” I replied, mocking his tone slightly in an attempt for him to just drop the subject.

“Them?” he asked.

As soon as the single word left his lips I knew exactly who he was talking about and I wished I didn’t. Grayson Hawthorne knew what he was doing but I wasn’t going to let him do it. My eyes flickered to my sister and Jameson once again, a familiar pain in the left side of my chest returns.

“What about them?” I said, nonchalantly.

“You’re watching them,” he clarified, getting to the point after seeing my unwillingness to talk.

“No I’m not-“ I began to say.

“Me too,” Grayson interrupted me.

I was far too stunned to reply. That was not at all what I was expecting. I was suddenly caught off guard. The confession was somewhat an attempt of gaining my trust and my willing to be in the conversation. It worked. Damn you Grayson.

“You are?” I blurted out, my brain not acting quick enough to filter the words.

He nodded, his eyes still pinned to Jameson and Avery. The way he looked at her reminded me of the way I looked at Jameson. Doe-eyed and dopey, like I’d had a little too much to drink. He had that same smile on his lips, the one you have when you’re in love and you’re just staring at your person because they’re them. Never had a seen Grayson look so… relaxed.

So I took the opportunity to ask the burning question, “do you love my sister?”

He took a moment before replying. I don’t know whether he was trying to figure out what to reply or how to reply or either. His face didn’t give away a single thought so when I attempted to read his body language the story was uneventful.

“I think I do,” he replied, after a while.

“You think?” I said. I’d always thought as love as something you knew. You were sure that you were in love and that person was your person. There was no decision or question about it, it was like a second instinct that you loved them.

“My experience of love hasn’t exactly been something that lead by example so I don’t know…” he trailed off, looking back into the distance. He hesitated slightly before continuing, “but she makes me feel right when all I know is wrong.”

I stayed silent but my mind was racing. Grayson likes Avery, but Avery likes Jameson and I like Jameson but Jameson likes Avery. It was a vicious circle and I wanted to break free, but I was still trying to work out how. I was like a hamster on a wheel, running and going nowhere.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked him, suddenly curious. Why choose to offload this information onto me? Why here? Why now? What game is he trying to play with me?

“You asked,” he shrugged simply.

“Just because I asked didn’t mean you had to answer,” I replied, staring at him quizzically, silently telling him I’m not as stupid as I may seem.

“I trust you,” Grayson said quietly, meeting my eyes for a brief moment before wandering astray. Why did he trust me? Just because I’m Avery’s sister doesn’t mean my intentions are honourable. Just because I don’t get into trouble doesn’t mean I won’t. Just because I seem naive doesn’t mean I am.

“You shouldn’t,” I scoffed. I wasn’t lying, some days I didn’t even trust myself.

“Do you love my brother?” he asked suddenly, the topic of conversation swerving, nearly causing me whiplash.

My heart pounded loudly in my chest, thumping through my eardrums. He kept throwing curveballs into the mix I never would have predicted. He was trying to make me nervous, I concluded at the time. I didn’t know what to tell him. I wasn’t even sure if I knew the answer.

“It’s… complicated,” I finally said.

“I don’t think it is,” he replied.

“How would you know?” I furrowed my brows.

“I just would,” he said, his tone annoyingly calm and civil.

“Would you now?” I gritted through my teeth, staring back down at the seemingly empty pages on my novel.

So he asked how I felt and then claimed that he knew better? How could he know my feelings better than I did? Why did he even ask if he knew so much? Of course, leave it to a man to assume he understands everything.

“You seem offended,” Grayson noted.

“How very perceptive of you,” I spat, sarcasm latching onto my tongue. My voice was so bitter and sharp, that it could cut through the thick tension coating the air between us.

“What did I do wrong?” he asked me.

“You can’t just claim to understand me, we’ve barely met,” I said, staring at him with fire in my eyes.

“I’m just saying I know what you’re going through, you like Jameson-“

“I don’t know what I feel about Jameson,” I snapped, interrupting him, “and even if I did, that doesn’t mean you know how the hell I feel.”

“People like us tend to want what we can’t have,” he said, sounding so gentle as if I were a fragile piece of glass about to shatter.

“People like us?” I asked, my jaw dropped and eyes wide, “you don’t know me Grayson Hawthorne.”

“I think I know you better than you think,” he murmured, his words so confusing it took me a moment to designee them.

“Well I think you’re mistaken,” I said bluntly and viciously.

I harshly closed my book, the bang of the cover hitting the pages bouncing in the empty air. I stood up and turned my back on him beginning to walk away. I’d truly had enough of a conversation that I never wanted to have in the first place.

“Don’t leave,” I heard Grayson say, a rustling behind me telling me he too had stood up.

I turned around, my eyes narrowed and my jaw tense. He walked closer towards me, something in his eyes pleading me to listen, to try again. I ignored it.

“You utter a word of this conversation to anyone and you’re dead to me Grayson,” I snarled, with intense eye contact, “goodbye.”

I spun in my heal and walked away. Fast. And I didn’t look back at him.

***

I often dreamt of a Hawthorne at night but when I awoke in the middle of the night Jameson wasn’t the main character of my scenario in my head… it was his insufferable blonde brother. But somehow I was still feeling the way I usually did after dreaming about Jameson, butterflies in my stomach and a warmth in my chest. Did I like Grayson Hawthorne?

Shit.

a/n: TIG masterlist

#bella writes 🤍#grayson hawthorne x you #grayson hawthorne x reader #grayson hawthorne #jameson hawthorne #avery x jameson #avery kylie grambs #averyjameson #avery grambs #tig #the inheritance games #the brothers hawthorne #the final gambit #the hawthorne legacy #avery’s sister

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eriquin · 2 months ago

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The Trolley Problem, Part 80

Barb lives!

Also, this might be a good time to stop posting this in small parts and just post on ao3 instead. I'm not sure reading it in tumblr posts is that useful. I'll probably just post full chapters when they're done, instead.

(master post)(also posting to ao3)

Barb had been stuck in this hospital for days, and it had nothing to do with her broken wrist. They kept insisting that she hadn’t seen what she knew she’d seen, and she was tired of it. If her count of days was right, it was Saturday, and she just wanted to go home. She would tell the doctors that she really didn’t see anything, that it must’ve been a trick of the light or something, if it meant that she could see her parents again.

When they came in to wake her up, though, her mom was with them. She rushed to Barb’s side and gave her a tight hug. “Oh, honey,” she said. “Thank god you’re okay.”

“Yeah, Mom, I’m okay,” she said, choking up a little bit. “I just want to go home.”

She got dressed and went with Mom and the orderly to a doctor’s office. This doctor was a new one. “Let’s start with this. I’m Dr. Owens, and I’m here to make sure you go home today.” He was a pleasant looking guy with gray hair and a round face. “Now, I don’t know what they’ve been telling you about what’s been going on in Hawkins since you left.”

Barb blinked and squinted at him. She didn’t have her glasses on, but Mom pulled her spare pair out of her purse for her. “What happened in Hawkins?” she asked. “Is everyone okay?”

He frowned. “They’re as good as can be expected, considering,” he said. He explained that he was a specialist from the Department of Energy, and that he was transferring to Hawkins Lab to take over some projects there. It was related to the strange things that had been happening in Hawkins. “Now, I know that they were telling you that you’re delusional for seeing something out in the woods. I’m here to tell you that they found the thing. Frankly, young lady, you’re lucky to be alive.”

She gulped and stared at him. “What? What was it?”

“It was some kind of diseased animal. I’m not a zoologist, though, so I’m not sure what kind, exactly. Apparently, it was so disfigured that even the specialists aren’t sure. They’re still doing some tests to figure out where it came from and how it got to Hawkins.” He propped his elbows up on the desk. “As I said, you’re very lucky that you got out with just a broken wrist. Based on reports about the creature, it was pretty scary looking. I can’t imagine what it was like in the woods, in the dark.”

Barb shivered, and Mom leaned in to hug her. “They told me I was imagining it,” she said. “What about Robin? And Heather, and Kurt? Are they all...”

“Miss Buckley also escaped injury on Tuesday,” he said. “Unfortunately, the other two were not so lucky. Their bodies were found late on Thursday.”

Mom gasped and hugged her tighter. Barb was stunned, but it also didn’t sound right. She remembered seeing Heather’s body. “What do you mean, Thursday?” she asked. “Why did it take them so long?”

Dr. Owens grimaced. “We think that it was dragging victims to its den. I don’t have the details, and the ones they’ve told me are, frankly, pretty gruesome.” He picked up some papers and tapped them on his desk. “Instead of going into that, let’s talk about something else, shall we? Like you getting back home.”

“Yeah, okay,” Barb said. She decided that leaving was the most important thing to her right now. “Can I really go now? Like, that’s it?”

“The only reason you were being kept here was because they thought you were delusional. Turns out, not a delusion! So yes, that’s it.”

She sighed and sat back in her chair. Mom still looked worried, though. After Dr. Owens walked them out, she took Barb’s hand and clutched it tight. Dad was waiting by the car, looking like he was their getaway driver. They all climbed in. Mom sat in the back with her, unwilling to let go of her hand.

“Honey, there’s something else,” she said. “It’s about Nancy.”

Barb’s stomach dropped. “What? What happened to Nancy?”

“She’s in the hospital,” Dad said. “Her mom called to tell us this morning. She’s got a concussion.”

“What?” Barb shrieked, and Mom winced. “What happened? Is she okay?”

Mom squeezed her hand again. “She was out with a volunteer group to try to find the missing kids.”

“What missing kids?” Barb asked.

“Oh, honey, we just found out about it yesterday,” she said. “I’m not really sure. It sounded like a couple of middle school boys disappeared. Maybe one of her brother’s friends? I don’t know. All I heard was that she was out there helping look for them when that thing attacked them. They all got away, but Nancy hit her head. That’s all I know.”

Barb sat back, stunned. When her parents asked again if she wanted to go home first, she shook her head and asked that they take her to the hospital. She needed to see Nancy, both to make sure she was okay and to ask her what the heck had happened while she was gone. It all sounded unreal.

When they arrived, the nurse sent them right up to her room. Nancy’s mom was there, sitting by her bedside. Nancy had a thick bandage wrapped around her head and she looked really small in the hospital bed. Her face lit up when she saw Barb, though.

“Hey!” she said brightly. Then she saw the cast on her arm and frowned. “What happened to your wrist?”

“What happened to my wrist?” Barb asked incredulously. “What happened to you?”

Mrs. Wheeler got out of the chair by Nancy’s bed and offered it to Barb. She sat down and grabbed Nancy’s hand with her good one, gripping it tight. Their moms went out to talk in the hallway, and Barb leaned in closer to Nancy.

“What the heck happened after that party?” Barb asked.

Nancy stared at her blankly. “Heather’s party?” she asked. “Did we go to that? No, of course we went to that. You were going to talk to Robin.”

Barb sat back and gaped at her. “Nancy!” she said. “That was four days ago!”

“Are you serious?” Nancy asked. “I just... I knew that I didn’t remember what happened last night, but I didn’t think I forgot that far back.”

Barb sighed. She pointed at her cast. “That’s where this happened,” she said.

Nancy’s eyes went wide. “Oh, shit,” she whispered. “But, what happened? Was I there?”

“Not exactly.” She slumped in her chair. “Man, I was hoping you’d tell me what happened, but if you don’t remember any of it, then I guess you can’t.”

“Wait, you don’t know what happened, either?” Nancy frowned. “Where have you been this whole time?”

“Oh my God.” Barb covered her face with her hand. “You’re not going to believe this. A mental hospital.”

“What?” Nancy practically shrieked and sat up, then moaned and put her hand to her head. “Oh, too fast. Ow.”

Her mom poked her head back in the room just as Barb got to her feet to help her get settled back. “What happened? Is she okay?”

“She sat up too fast,” Barb said. “Sorry.”

Mrs. Wheeler frowned. “The doctors said not to get her too worked up,” she said.

“I’m sorry about that, Mrs. Wheeler,” said Barb. “I’ll try to keep her calm.”

She nodded and went back to talking in the hallway. Nancy sighed and leaned back on her pillows. “Were you really in a mental hospital? Why?”

Barb sighed and sat back down. If she was going to keep her calm, she had to keep herself calm, too. “Because I saw a monster in the woods and they thought I was delusional,” she said. “But it’s okay now. I’m back and I’m definitely not delusional.”

Nancy pouted. “Really? Then, what did you see?”

She turned to look out the window. “I don’t know, exactly, but apparently it was real. They’re saying it’s some kind of animal. I wanted to come ask you what happened because you were out there, like, hunting it or something.”

“No way.” Nancy scoffed. “I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“What did they tell you happened to you?”

She shrugged. “They didn’t really tell me anything,” she said. “They asked me what happened, and then when I didn’t remember, they said it must’ve been some kind of accident.”

“Well, maybe you’ll remember later.” Barb reached out and took her hand. “Hey, do you think this means you don’t have to go to school on Monday?”

Nancy grimaced. “Ugh, school.” She squinted a little. “Shit, I think I had a chemistry test this week. I wonder how I did.”

“I’m sure you aced it.”

They talked for a little longer, and Barb tried to keep it light. Nancy seemed to be in good shape, but after a while passed, she yawned and her eyes started to droop. She asked what happened to her wrist again, even though Barb had told her that she broke it in the woods. The more tired she got, the less she seemed to remember.

Her mom came back in to sit with her, and Barb got up and said goodbye. She promised to come see her the next day, and to bring her any homework if she missed school.

The rest is up as Chapter 28.

Tagging: @neonfruitbowl

#the trolley problem #time travel #stranger things #steddie #my writing

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