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artsninspo · 2 days ago

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Penname: Delta Wise -II- [Sinners]

「 ✦ mbj's charcter archive✦ 」

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⇠ previous part

authors note: back by popular demand, heres a part two - hope you enjoy.

summary: 'Knotty' James owns an apothecary by day, by night she's a bestselling author who writes supernatural black novels under the name. Delta Wise. It's her deepest secret but secrets don't last for the living.

word-count: 2.2K

TWO

Knotty

My nerves are shot. I know faith should become me but it's hard when the subject of nightmares walks into your place of business. The knowing gnaws at my chest, Stack and Mary showing themselves and Carmen discovering my secret in the same week is too much. I should have known better than to publish the story that I did. I should’ve been smarter than to think I wouldn’t be found out. I took all of Merin’s advice and have spent the past few days at the cemetery pouring out libations onto the soil that holds Granny’s remains. If she were here she would know what to do. I feel just as lost without her as I did at fifteen. I look at my reflection as I stand in my bathroom trying to muster enough courage to step out of my house at dusk. My hands tremble and I clench my fists before releasing them. All good sense says stay in but I know Carmen’s support system does not exist. Her world is full of competition, women that hate her for her natural magnetism and men that want to sleep with her. I think Granny saw her Mama Pearline in Carmen although she never said it in those words. In granny’s retelling of her momma; Pearline was always curious and that made her wayward. Those were the same words she always used for Carmen. Granny’s words hold so much more weight now she isn't here to explain them.

Taking a deep breath I nod at my reflection, willing myself to stand. All necessary precautions have been taken to ensure my safety should I see Stack. I head into my garage and then into my car before backing out. I’m stopped by my father’s car as the garage opens. He steps out and I put the car in park, weary of everything now. Relief washes over me when he walks into the garage without invitation.

“You never go out at night,” he says.

“Carmen wanted me to come to the studio” I tell him and he scoffs like everyone does at Carmen.

“Knotty, I don't think you should keep Carmen’s company. People might make the mistake of thinking you're like her” Dad says and I roll my eyes.

“What brings you here?” I ask to closing the garage and heading back inside with him. He follows behind me, I send Carmen a text telling her I’m going to be late.

“I can't visit my daughter?” he asks.

“Time is money, you bill by the hour” I say reciting his mantra, one heard too often as a child and he nods.

“I need you to be my gold partner tomorrow, I got a last minute invitation,” he says.

“None of your associates or mentees are available?” I ask and he winces. He’s a good man and I know my dad loves me but we’ve never been close. His love for his career is only superseded by his love for my mom. I probably make the top five of his priorities somewhere under his reputation and his finances.

“It’s only for family, we’re fundraising to reclaim land in the southern states and lobbying for prison reform and the use of slave labour” he says but I’m not naive enough to think that’s all there is to it.

“What’s the catch?” I ask skeptically and it makes him smile. He likes me most when he can see himself in me. I would’ve made a great lawyer, me not pursuing a traditional career caused the fault line between us to fracture creating a distance that’s never been remedied.

“No catch, just come, golf and charm everyone” he says.

“What time?”

“9 am” he says and I sigh. I know it's important if he’s made the trip. We both know I wouldn't have picked up otherwise.

“Ok did Ma pick out an outfit and send it with you?” I ask knowing how it works. “Will mom be there?” I ask hoping for a buffer.

“She will be, but not on the green with us. She did pick you out a few options they're in the car.” He says.

“Okay, I’m gonna go support Carmen. Text me the details and I’ll see you tomorrow” I smile.

“Knotty” he calls as we head back out. I raise a brow.

“Thank you” he says and I nod.

“No problem” I nod.

The rest of the night is spent in a dark studio with Carmen as she shows off her innovative ideas and unique vocal range. But the more I hear her sing, the more I think of the original Pearline and Sammie and what they’re voices summoned. It unnerves me so much I sleep in the studio not daring to go outside. Carmen is happy for my presence and continues working through the night. I don't leave until sunrise. When I arrive at home I take a cat nap before getting into the shower. I fashion my hair into an updo that’s suitable for the company I’m going to keep today as well as the sports I'm going to play. I see my mother has left nothing to chance even down to the sun protection in the visors, hats and glasses. I leave the house taking the scenic route to the country club and where I have my pass scanned. I drive up to the main entrance and get my things before handing the valet my keys. I walk through the country club and ignore all the looks from men my fathers age hoping I’m willing to exchange my time for some quick cash. I know where to find my mother. She’s in the ballroom with her interior design hat on rearranging the florals.

“Knotty” she beams at the sight of me.

“Hey,”

“You look great and you are so going to love today” she winks. My mother is one of those women who doesnt age. A husband that’s utterly devoted to her and the freedom to live life on her own terms has made her light as a cloud. I’ve always felt her love for me. In mom’s list of priorities I’m top two. “You smell divine” she beams, letting me go.

“One of my blends”

“Oooh, make me one. I was just talking to the girls and I think we should collaborate on bachelorette events. I mean a perfume workshop is an excellent bridal shower experience” Ma tells me and I smile.

“That’s what I’ll tell everyone today when I’m asked what I do a million times” I smile sarcastically, making her laugh.

“Your dad should be by the beginning of the course, call me if you need anything” she says and I leave her to her work crossing the room where I find a shuttle. The boys shuffle into place fearing I have horns and will write them up. I tip them generously and feel my mojo bag tucked into my chest. It's no surprise, my father’s counterparts are not the most genuine people. My least favorite one emerges and I’m amused at how tuned into my environment I am.

“Knotty” Jester smiles, holding out open arms for me.

“Jester, how are you, dad?” I smile ignoring the invitation for a hug.

“I’m good, baby girl,” he smiles. “You look nice,” he nods.

“You too,” I tell him. “I’m going to get a cup of tea before we start,” I tell him.

That’s exactly where I am and what I’m doing when I see him. Stack in daylight shaking hands with my father who is beaming at him. I drop my teacup and the china shatters causing a spectacle. The scream is stuck in my throat as Stack pauses from going to speak into my fathers ear.

“Are you burned?” One of the staff says, taking my hands and forcing me to look down.

“I’m fine” I ask as my heart races.

“I told them it was too hot, did you burn your tongue?” she asks and my hands shake again. I ball fists again to stop the shaking.

“It’s my fault, your staff is fine” I swallow bending but I’m already being handed a towel. My shoes are being wiped.

“She doesn't like being touched by strangers” I hear my father say and when I look up he’s alright. He reaches for me and I take his living hand. He gets a towel wiping the tea from my legs.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“Yeah” I nod.

“Daddy, who was that?” I whisper and he fights back a smile, thoroughly amused.

“You don't recognize him?” he asks, walking me away from the mess.

“No, how do you know him?” I ask curiously and daddy smiles some more, wiping my hands off for me.

“That’s Eli,” he says. I squint searching for understanding.

“Remember that summer we went to Mississippi for your granny’s history lesson?” Dad asks just as it comes to me. I look over my father’s shoulder to “Eli” and get goosebumps.

“Yeah” I nod.

“Remember the hotel worker who was spending the summer there that you liked so much? That’s him - his uncle is one of the project’s chairmen.” Daddy says, knocking the wind out of me. The Eli I remember was just a teenage boy with infinite patience for my neverending questions. He had no facial hair, nor was he built like a grown ass man. I search my memory trying to match up the features of the past to Stack. Eli, I hold the name close to me feeling queasy.

“Dad, I’m gonna go to the ladies room to clean myself up” I announce with a quick smile. I cast another look over my shoulder and find Eli looking at me from across the room with concern in his very human eyes. Human eyes of a boy I knew as a child while he was a teen. I was one of those old soul children that could only take so much kid time with certain people. I was an easy target too, especially among my cousins. My innocence made me gullible and gullible led to trouble. So by the time I was seven and Granny took us to Mississippi I stuck to her like glue. We had a house rental kind of like a hotel, and from what I remember the whole gang was present. One of the boy cousins, I don't remember which one, told me if I wanted to make my grandma happy I’d go in the river and find a pearl. It’d show her her mom was all around her. Innocence and hubris had me separated from the group and in the river in the middle of the day.

Only to be hauled out of the water in one motion and placed on dry land by a very unimpressed Eli. When I turned my cousins were looking terrified and the shadow being cast on me was large. He was a giant to me then.

“Fucks wrong with yall!” He snapped cursing. My fingers went in my ears and I don’t know what else he said but I know that the boys went running to tuck tail. My hands were taken from my ears and a serious expression of a teenage boy came into view.

“There are gators in the water and other stuff. Don’t be out here alone and don’t go in the water, it’s filthy” he scolded.

“I was searching for pearls for my granny,” I explained.

“She’d rather buy ‘em then know you went missing looking for ‘em” he said looking me over in disapproval. “You’re probably covered in leeches,” he added, shaking his head and taking my hand.

“Where are you staying?” he asked.

“Over there” I pointed.

“Didn’t your mama tell you not to talk to strangers?” he asked and I shrugged in both irritation and defeat.

“Oops” I muttered, feeling small. But there was nothing else to say as he walked me back to the house. My parents and granny thanked him profusely. I wasn’t covered in leeches but there was more than one. I had learned my lesson. For the rest of the trip I bugged Eli mercilessly every time I saw him, so much so that it was a running joke that I had a crush on him. Only Eli was too decent to tell me to kick rocks so he put up with it. I pass from memory to the present as I try to make sense of my reality. Granny told me stories like this as a kid. That there was no such thing as doppelgangers - only separated twins. Twins not always meaning two, just those who’d shared the same womb during gestation. If death found one twin and the other lived longer than a natural life cycle the deceased twin would be reborn to give their souls another opportunity to find each other again. So I know what he is - Eli the boy turned man who looks exactly like the Vampire keeping me indoors at night. They say twins are one of nature's greatest natural phenomenons. Mirrors that don't need reflections - souls that entered this world with their mates. Because blood has always been stronger than love and those who share the same time in a womb should also end up in the same tomb.

_______

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wolfbaitbf · 2 days ago

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dumb little fox brother going into heat for the first time and wanting to fuck everything in sight. humping his pillow, the corner of the dining table, the shower head. it's bad, and he knows it won't go away until he's had a load of pups fucked into him. he wants it and bad.

his older wolf brother who's had plenty of experience with his own ruts, who's amused watching his little brother go around the house humping everything in sight like nobody's watching. it's cute, even if he'd never say it out loud, watching his little brother yip and whine as he cums and cums but it's never enough. he doesn't bring it up, content to let his little brother suffer in his heat.

that is until his darling little brother straight up presents himself to him one day out of the blue. he's just sitting in the living room on his phone when he hears little brother call his name.

"what is it?" he asks, eyes still focused on his phone, oblivious to the fact that the younger boy has gotten on his knees, his ass raised while his face presses against the floor. his tail is wagging, as if to entice the older boy.

"pay attention to me," the foxboy whines, looking back at his older brother. and finally, when the older brother does look up from his phone, he nearly chokes on air. the device in his hands clatters to the floor.

"what the fuck are you doing?" he barks, but despite his shock and forced "anger," his cock twitches to life. it's not his fault that his little brother has the prettiest cunt he's seen, all wet and dripping and just begging to be knotted. "god, put your clothes back on."

"c'mon, you know you want to," the younger brother wiggles his hips, arching his back a little more. if his brother doesn't help, he'll probably end up just fingering himself stupid on the floor with their dad's boxers shoved against his face.

"you're a fucking pervert, dude," he says, though it's not clear whether it's to himself or his brother because he's getting up from the couch and shoving his pants down around his thighs. kneeling behind the younger boy, he grabs his hips and yanks him back to grind his hard cock through his folds.

"look who's talking," little brother giggles, biting his bottom lip as his older brother humps his pussy. he can practically feel the knot already inside of him and it makes his walls clench around nothing, his pussy hungry for a hot load. and then he's being mounted the way he's been craving, his older brother's fat cock splitting him open without warning.

he squirms and yips under him, the stretch new and foreign and delicious all at once. it hurts for the first few animalistic thrusts from his wolf brother, and then the pain fades into pure pleasure. it gets to a point where big brother isn't even pulling out, he's just grinding his cock inside of the little fox. they're both partially animal, so a little animosity isn't surprising, it's instinct.

the wolf boy's knot presses against his little brother's tight ring of muscle, threatening to press inside as his orgasm gets closer and closer with each movement.

"please- y-you have to- you *have* to knot me, i-i'll tell dad i-if you don't!" the little brother whines, looking over his shoulder at his brother. he can see his face scrunch up, torn between knotting him and pulling out. the older brother should pull out, he knows that, but the idea of breeding his little brother is enough to make him not think twice.

he grunts, forcing his knot into his younger brother's cunt, making the little fox cry out. "you're such a fucking brat," he hisses, his load spilling nice and deep into the younger boy's cunt. "i'll tell dad myself if you keep this shit up. and then he'll really fuck you good."

---

my brain hurts sorry this is unfinished... i want to be knotted so bad!!! PLEEEEAAAAASE GOD ILL BE GOOD!!!

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archivegyu · 3 days ago

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masterlist

if you stayed a little longer

college days

The autumn breeze rustled through the campus trees, scattering golden leaves across the cobblestone paths. It was late afternoon, and classes had just ended for the day. Students poured out of the building, their chatter filling the air with plans for the evening. Among them walked a young woman with a stack of books clutched to her chest, her gaze fixed on the ground as she mentally reviewed the literature lecture.

"Hey! Wait up!"

She turned to see Kim Mingyu jogging towards her, his tall frame standing out among the crowd. His backpack was slung haphazardly over one shoulder, and his dark hair fell into his eyes as he caught up to her.

"Professor Park really knows how to drain all energy from a room, doesn't he?" Mingyu said, falling into step beside her. "I swear I saw three people nodding off during his explanation of Romanticism."

She smiled, adjusting her grip on her books. "I actually found it interesting."

"Of course you did," Mingyu teased, nudging her shoulder with his. "You find everything interesting. That's why you're top of the class while the rest of us struggle to stay awake."

Their friendship had begun just like this—casual conversations after shared classes that gradually evolved into study sessions and late-night talks. Both scholarship students, they'd bonded over their determination to make the most of the opportunity they'd been given, even if that meant endless hours in the library and cups of cheap instant coffee.

"Are you heading to the library?" Mingyu asked, already knowing the answer.

"I need to start on this essay. It's due next week, but—"

"But you want to finish it by Friday so you can revise it over the weekend," Mingyu finished for her, mimicking her voice. "Come on, you need to eat. Library will still be there in an hour."

Before she could protest, Mingyu had already changed direction, steering them toward the east campus exit where a row of food stalls lined the street.

The scent of grilled meat and spices filled the air as they approached the row of food vendors. Students gathered around small tables, some studying while eating, others simply enjoying a break from academic pressure. Mingyu guided her to his favorite spot—a small tteokbokki stall run by an elderly woman who always gave him extra rice cakes.

"Two portions, please," Mingyu said, pulling out his wallet.

She reached for her own bag. "I can pay for mine."

"No way," Mingyu insisted, gently pushing her hand away. "My treat today."

"Mingyu, you don't have to. I know you're saving up for—"

"It's fine," he said with that bright smile that always seemed to light up his entire face. "I got paid for that tutoring gig yesterday."

She knew he was stretching the truth. His tutoring job barely covered his textbooks, and he was saving every won for graduate school applications. But that was Mingyu—generous to a fault, always putting others before himself.

The stall owner handed them two steaming paper containers of spicy rice cakes and fish cakes. They found an empty bench beneath a maple tree, its leaves creating a canopy of red and orange above them.

"You know what?" Mingyu said between bites. "This is way better than cafeteria food, and way cheaper than those fancy restaurants where people go on dates."

"Is that why you bring me here? Because it's cheap?" she teased.

Mingyu's ears turned pink. "No! I bring you here because it's good! And... because I know you like it."

She did like it—not just the food, but these moments with him. Simple, unpretentious, and genuine, just like Mingyu himself.

"How's your scholarship application coming along?" she asked, knowing he'd been working on it for weeks.

Mingyu sighed, poking at his food. "Still not sure if it's good enough. The competition for that graduate program is intense."

"Let me look at it later. We can work on it together."

His face brightened. "Really? That would be amazing. You're so much better with words than I am."

"And you're better at not overthinking everything," she replied. "We make a good team."

Mingyu's smile widened, and for a moment, there was something in his eyes—something warm and tender that made her heart skip a beat. But then he looked away, focusing on his food again.

"We do, don't we?" he said softly.

They finished their meal as the sky darkened, and true to her original plan, they headed to the library afterward. It became their routine—studying together, supporting each other through exams and papers, celebrating small victories, and consoling each other through setbacks. Neither of them knew then how their paths would intertwine and diverge in the years to come.

our last year

Senior year arrived faster than either of them expected. The pressure of final exams, job applications, and graduate school interviews loomed over the campus like a storm cloud. Students who had once partied recklessly now hunched over laptops in the library, dark circles under their eyes as they contemplated their futures.

She and Mingyu still met regularly, though their schedules had become more demanding. He had secured an internship at a prestigious marketing firm, while she divided her time between research assistant duties and her own academic projects. Their friendship had remained constant through it all—a safe harbor in the turbulent sea of college life.

One evening in late spring, they sat on the rooftop of the arts building. It was their secret spot, discovered during sophomore year when they'd been looking for a quiet place to study during finals week. The maintenance door was usually locked, but they'd learned that it remained open on Wednesdays when the janitor forgot to check it after cleaning.

The city sprawled before them, lights twinkling like earthbound stars. They sat side by side, a bag of convenience store snacks between them, their shoes kicked off and textbooks momentarily forgotten.

"I got the job offer," Mingyu said, breaking the comfortable silence.

She turned to him, eyes wide. "Mingyu! That's amazing! The marketing position you interviewed for last month?"

He nodded, a mixture of pride and something else—something almost sad—in his smile. "I start two weeks after graduation."

"I'm so proud of you," she said, squeezing his arm. "You deserve this."

"What about you? Any news from the publishing house?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. But I have another interview next week with a literary agency. It's not exactly what I pictured, but it could be a good start."

Mingyu nodded, looking out at the cityscape. "We're really doing this, aren't we? Becoming adults. Moving on."

There was a weight to his words that made her heart constrict. Moving on meant change, and change meant potentially growing apart. The thought of not seeing Mingyu every day, of not having him there to share her triumphs and sorrows, left an emptiness she couldn't quite name.

"I turned down the position in Japan," she said quietly.

Mingyu's head snapped toward her. "What? But that was your dream job! You've been talking about working for that publisher since freshman year!"

She shrugged, trying to appear casual even as her heart raced. "It didn't feel right. And... there are things here I'm not ready to leave behind."

Their eyes met, and in that moment, something shifted between them. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing feelings that had been simmering beneath the surface of their friendship for years.

"Things?" Mingyu asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Or people?"

She looked down at her hands. "Maybe both."

Mingyu was silent for so long that she began to worry she'd misread the situation, that she'd imagined the way he sometimes looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention. But then his hand found hers, his fingers intertwining with her own.

"I've been offered an apartment as part of the job package," he said, his thumb tracing circles on her palm. "It's small, but it's in a good neighborhood. Close to the subway."

She looked up at him, confused by the sudden change in topic. "That's great."

"It has a spare room," he continued, his eyes never leaving hers. "It could be an office. Or... it could be yours."

Her breath caught in her throat. "Mingyu..."

"I know it's sudden," he said quickly. "And I know we've never even—I mean, we haven't talked about—" He took a deep breath. "The thing is, I've been in love with you since that first day you corrected Professor Lee's analysis of Hamlet in front of the entire class. You were so passionate and brilliant, and I thought, 'I want to know her. I want to be part of her life.'"

Tears welled in her eyes as Mingyu continued, his words tumbling out as if he'd been holding them back for too long.

"I didn't say anything because I valued our friendship too much to risk it. And then time just kept passing, and it never seemed like the right moment. But now we're about to graduate, and I can't bear the thought of not telling you how I feel. I can't bear the thought of not asking you to stay in my life—not just as my friend, but as... more."

She reached up, her fingertips grazing his cheek. "You know, for someone so smart, you can be incredibly dense sometimes."

Mingyu blinked, confusion clouding his features. "What do you—"

"Why do you think I turned down Japan?" she asked softly. "It wasn't the job or the location. It was because the thought of being thousands of miles away from you felt wrong. Because somewhere along the way, you became more than just my best friend. You became the person I want to build a future with."

The smile that broke across Mingyu's face was like sunrise—gradual, then all at once blindingly bright. He leaned forward, hesitant, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. But she didn't. Instead, she closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a kiss that felt like coming home.

When they finally pulled apart, both slightly breathless, Mingyu pressed his forehead against hers.

"So," he said, his voice filled with wonder, "is that a yes to the spare room?"

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's a yes to everything."

They stayed on that rooftop until the sky began to lighten, talking about their dreams and plans, now intertwined in ways neither had dared to hope for. As they watched the sunrise together, they felt invincible—two ambitious souls ready to conquer the world, hand in hand.

Neither of them could have predicted how quickly the world would test that conviction.

present day

The restaurant was the kind that required reservations weeks in advance—all soft lighting, plush chairs, and waitstaff who moved with quiet efficiency. Crystal glasses caught the light from artful chandeliers, and the murmur of conversations was punctuated by the gentle clink of silverware against fine china.

She smoothed down the fabric of her dress, feeling slightly out of place despite her own success. Across from her sat Jeon Wonwoo, his sharp features softened by the warm light, his tailored suit a testament to his impeccable taste. He was telling her about his recent business trip to Singapore, his deep voice measured and articulate as always.

"The expansion is moving faster than we anticipated," Wonwoo said, swirling the wine in his glass. "The board is pleased, but it means I'll need to travel more frequently in the coming months."

She nodded, taking a sip of her own wine. "That's impressive. Your company has grown so much in just a few years."

"Our company," Wonwoo corrected with a small smile. "You're as much a part of its success as anyone. Your strategy was brilliant."

It still felt strange sometimes—being with someone who valued her professional input as much as her personal company. Wonwoo had come into her life when she'd been at her lowest point professionally, offering her a position at his publishing firm after she'd been laid off from the literary agency. Their relationship had developed gradually, built on mutual respect and shared ambitions.

"Speaking of business," Wonwoo said, reaching for his briefcase, "I brought those manuscript samples you wanted to review."

As he handed her the folder, something caught her eye—a familiar figure being led to a table near the window. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a smile that still had the power to stop her heart.

Mingyu.

He hadn't noticed her yet, focused on the menu as he settled into his seat. He looked good—more mature than she remembered, but still with that boyish charm that had always been uniquely his. His suit was well-cut, suggesting the success she knew he'd achieved. According to industry rumors, he'd become one of the top marketing executives in the country, known for his innovative campaigns and ability to connect with clients.

"Is everything alright?" Wonwoo asked, noticing her distraction.

"Yes, I just—" But before she could finish her sentence, Mingyu looked up and their eyes met across the room.

Time seemed to stop as recognition dawned on his face, followed by surprise and something else—something that made her chest tighten. For a moment, she was transported back to that rooftop, to promises made under starlight that had eventually crumbled under the weight of reality.

Mingyu stood, excusing himself from his dining companions, and made his way toward their table. Each step felt like the ticking of a clock marking the years that had passed since they'd last seen each other.

"Hello," he said, his voice deeper than she remembered. "It's been a while."

She found herself standing, though she couldn't remember deciding to do so. "Mingyu. Yes, it has."

An awkward silence fell between them, filled with unspoken words and memories neither dared to acknowledge.

"You look well," Mingyu said finally, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"So do you," she replied, then remembered her manners. "Oh, this is Jeon Wonwoo. Wonwoo, this is Kim Mingyu, an old friend from college."

Wonwoo stood, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you. I believe I've heard of your work with the Yoon Corporation campaign. Very impressive."

Mingyu shook his hand, professional mask sliding into place. "Thank you. And you're with Jeon Publishing, correct? I've heard good things."

She watched the exchange with a strange sense of detachment, as if observing a scene from someone else's life. These two men—one her past, one her present—making polite conversation while her heart performed gymnastics in her chest.

"I should get back to my clients," Mingyu said after a moment. "It was good seeing you."

"You too," she managed, though the words felt inadequate for all that remained unsaid.

As Mingyu walked away, she sat back down, aware of Wonwoo's questioning gaze.

"An old friend?" he asked, no accusation in his tone, just curiosity.

"Yes," she said, reaching for her wine glass to hide the tremor in her hand. "From a long time ago."

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur. She laughed at appropriate moments, discussed manuscripts, but her mind kept drifting to the man sitting by the window—the man who had once promised her forever, before life and ambition had pulled them in different directions.

a chance

Two weeks later, she found herself in a part of the city she rarely visited anymore. A client meeting had run late, and heavy rain had caught her without an umbrella. Ducking under the awning of a small shop, she decided to wait out the downpour.

The stress of recent deadlines weighed on her shoulders. Jeon Publishing was in the middle of a major restructuring, and as one of the senior editors, much of the responsibility fell on her. The pressure to perform, to justify Wonwoo's faith in her abilities, had been keeping her awake at night.

As she checked her phone for weather updates, the aroma of grilled meat and spices wafted from a nearby alley. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she'd skipped lunch. Following the scent, she discovered a row of food stalls reminiscent of the ones she and Mingyu had frequented in college.

Nostalgia drew her toward a tteokbokki stand, where she ordered a portion and found a small table under a makeshift tent. The first bite transported her back to simpler times—study sessions that turned into deep conversations, laughter shared over cheap but delicious food, dreams exchanged without fear of failure.

"Some things never change, huh?"

She looked up to find Mingyu standing there, his suit jacket draped over one arm, his white shirt slightly damp from the rain. The universe, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor.

"Mingyu," she said, surprise evident in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He gestured vaguely toward the office buildings nearby. "Client meeting. It didn't go well." He hesitated, then nodded toward the empty seat across from her. "Mind if I join you? For old times' sake?"

She should say no. She should make an excuse about needing to get back to work. But the words that came out were, "Please, sit."

Mingyu ordered his own portion and settled across from her, the small table forcing their knees to nearly touch. They ate in silence for a moment, the patter of rain on the tent creating a cocoon that felt removed from the rest of the world.

"So," Mingyu said finally, "Jeon Publishing. That's impressive."

She shrugged, stirring her food. "It's challenging, but I enjoy it. What about you? I hear you're doing well at your firm."

"I made partner last year," he said without pride, just stating a fact. "Lots of travel, lots of late nights. You know how it is."

She did know. It was the same pressure cooker environment that had torn them apart years ago.

"How did you meet him?" Mingyu asked suddenly. "Wonwoo."

The question caught her off guard. "Through work, actually. I was freelancing after the agency downsized, and he offered me a position. We worked closely on several projects, and... it just happened."

Mingyu nodded, his expression unreadable. "He seems like a good man."

"He is," she said softly. "He's kind, and brilliant, and..." She trailed off, not wanting to hurt Mingyu but not wanting to lie either.

"And he was there," Mingyu finished for her, no accusation in his tone, just a quiet understanding.

Rain continued to fall around them, creating a rhythmic soundtrack to their reunion. The years between them felt both vast and insignificant, as if no time had passed at all.

"Do you ever think about it?" Mingyu asked, his voice so low she almost missed it over the sound of the rain. "About us? About what happened?"

She looked down at her food, memories flooding back—the excitement of moving in together after graduation, the thrill of starting their careers, the gradual strain as their professional lives demanded more and more of their time and energy. The fights that began as minor disagreements but grew into fundamental questions about priorities and values. The final night when they both realized they'd become strangers sharing an apartment rather than partners sharing a life.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "I think about how young we were. How we thought we could have it all without making any sacrifices."

"We were ambitious," Mingyu said, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Too ambitious, maybe."

"Or not ambitious enough about the things that really mattered," she countered. "We prioritized our careers over our relationship. We thought love would be enough, that it would naturally endure even when we gave it no time or attention."

Mingyu was quiet for a long moment, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. "I got offered a position in New York," he said finally. "Senior VP of International Marketing. It's... it's everything I've worked for."

"That's wonderful," she said, meaning it despite the pang in her chest. "You deserve it."

"I haven't accepted yet."

The implication hung in the air between them, heavy with possibility. For a crazy moment, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to go back, to try again with the wisdom they'd gained over the years. But then reality reasserted itself—the life she'd built, the commitments she'd made, the man who had stood by her when she needed support the most.

"Mingyu," she began, but he shook his head.

"Don't worry," he said with a gentle smile. "I'm not asking for anything. I just... I guess I needed to see you, to talk to you, before making a decision. To make sure I wasn't running away from something rather than running toward something new."

"And are you?" she asked. "Running away?"

He considered this, then shook his head. "No. I'm moving forward. Just like you have."

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, the world beyond their small tent coming back into focus. Reality intruded—phones buzzing with messages, schedules demanding attention, lives that had grown separate and distinct.

"I should go," she said, gathering her things. "I have a meeting."

Mingyu nodded, standing as well. "It was good seeing you. Really."

They walked together to the main street, where the bustle of city life continued unabated. At the corner where they would part ways, Mingyu turned to her.

"I hope he makes you happy," he said, his eyes sincere. "You deserve that."

She reached out, briefly squeezing his arm. "I hope New York is everything you've worked for."

They stood there for a moment longer, neither quite ready to say goodbye, both knowing it was necessary. Finally, Mingyu stepped back, offering one last smile before turning and walking away. She watched him go, a tall figure among the crowd, until he disappeared around a corner.

Only then did she allow herself to feel the full weight of what might have been, what could have been.

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unsaidace · 2 days ago

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when eddie points a finger he's an abuser? but what? when buck breaks eddie's ankle that's fine? just say you don't like eddie smh

Nah, nah, nah, we’re not playing this fucking game. Eddie is an abuser because he acts like one. Let me tell you a little fucking story.

My nan died when I was 20. I was with this guy, we’ll call him C. C wasn’t exactly good with emotions, never knew how to control his own. Loved trying to control mine, though. A few days after my nan died, C and I were supposed to go on a date. Naturally, I wasn’t in the mood, so I cancelled. Or, I tried to. C spent an entire fucking hour on the phone bitching about how it was such a hardship for him, about how he’d spent money on this date and how I didn’t care about how much he was looking forward to it, and that he wanted us to go out as planned. You know what we did? We went. I was fucking miserable the entire time. And C spent the entire time complaining that I was miserable. “Why’d you bother coming if you’re just gonna sit there with a face like a slapped arse?”. This was, what, four days after her death? I only showed up because he made me feel bad for trying to cancel, and I went home feeling even worse because he made me feel guilty for “ruining his night with my melodramatic bullshit”. Again, my grandmother had just fucking died.

In the context of 9-1-1, Buck cannot feel a single emotion around Eddie without Eddie making him feel bad for it. Buck can’t even grieve his father figure without Eddie twisting it into “but what about meee? Poor little me, I wasn’t there, I didn’t get to say goodbye!!”, as if it’s Buck’s fault that Eddie packed up and left for Texas. As if it’s Buck’s fault that Bobby is dead. In fact, scratch that, he directly implies that it’s Buck’s fault that Bobby is dead. When Buck says “you think I didn’t do everything I could to save him?”, what does Eddie say? “I don’t know, Buck. I wasn’t there”. How the fuck else is Buck going to take that? His so-called best friend just implied that he’s the reason his father figure is dead. That is textbook emotional abuse. And then he uses a 14 year old child to smooth it over, because he knows Buck will crumble the second he brings Chris into it. Another manipulation tactic; do the harm, follow up with the gift to ease the sting, cycle repeats.

Eddie isn’t an abuser for pointing a finger. Eddie is an abuser for constantly making Buck feel bad for having any kind of emotion that doesn’t benefit him and him alone. Eddie is an abuser for consistently using a fucking child to manipulate the man who’s supposed to his best friend. Eddie is an abuser because he’s a narcissistic asshole who thinks the sun shines out of his own ass. That is why Eddie is an abuser. And you can fuck off out of my inbox, you absolute fucking imbecile.

#911 abc #911 abc spoilers #911 season 8 #911 season 8 spoilers #anti buddie #anti eddie diaz #ace watches 911 🚨#Ace gets asks 🗣️

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johamfated · 3 days ago

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Harry considered the man before him, the way he had just left himself an open book. Would he really answer anything he asked? Harry wasn't sure why he was surprised. If one thing could be said for Albus Dumbledore, it's that he had always answered Harry's questions. Well, more or less.

Harry recalled the moment at the end of his first year, where he'd asked Dumbledore about why Voldemort had wanted to kill him.

"Sir, there are some other things I’d like to know, if you can tell me…things I want to know the truth about.…”

“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you’ll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie.”

“Well…Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?”

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

“Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day…put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older…I know you hate to hear this…when you are ready, you will know.”

And all throughout their relationship, Dumbledore had continued down this pattern. And Dumbledore had indeed kept his promise and told him why Voldemort had tried to kill him, though it had taken him another four years to do so.

"It's funny because, the moment you told me I can speak to you about it, all the damn questions just left my head." Harry finally says to the younger Dumbledore in front of him. He stays silent for a few moments, trying to work out what it is he really wants to know and if the answer would be good for him.

"I suppose the one thing that has been poking at me all these since is, why him? And please, don't use his name. I don't want to hear it. For two reasons, actually. Where I come from, Tom Riddle had a habit of putting a charm on his chosen name. He knew and could track down whoever used it. People became so terrified of using his name, that that never did. They called him You Know Who, and He Who Must Not Be Named. It's funny though, because one of the first things you ever taught me, is that I should use his name. That not doing so would only create a more intense fear for the man. But that doesn't take away from the fact, that while a monster is still at large, we should be careful. So please, don't call him by name. And tell me, why him? Because I know you. I know you don't believe in what he is doing. So, why didn't you see what was happening from the start? Was he seriously just that good looking? Because, you're quite handsome yourself, sir, but it certainly doesn't blind me to your faults."

Harry stopped, wishing he hadn't said that last part. But now it was out there, there wasn't much he could do about it. Not that it really mattered though, he was only pointing out a fact. Albus Dumbledore was a good looking man in his youth. It didn't mean anything. Harry shook his head, trying to dispel his thoughts. This wasn't the time.

@regretismyconstantcompanion

Albus Dumbledore was sitting on the couch, staring into the fireplace that was across from him. The crackling of the flames was the only sound breaking the silence in the cottage that was nestled in the Scottish Highlands. It was isolated, miles away from even the nearest village. He had chosen it for that very reason, desperate for solitude even if it wasn't something that had been forced upon him. He had lost the duel against Grindelwald. He had known that had always been a possibility. There were equals after all and had known each other painfully well. They had spent that summer duelling, friendly but pushing each others boundaries. They had grown and changed and become more powerful but their tendencies had lingered. The fight had lasted well over an hour but in the end, Gellert had just gotten the better of him and managed to disarm him and send him flying backwards. His only minor consolation was the fight had left them both panting and injured. But it had been clear who the winner was. There was no backing out of the agreement they had made. His time in Nurmengard had been brief. A chance to recover from the duel before Gellert gave him an ultimatum. He could remain free if he agreed to leave Hogwarts and retreat from the Wizarding World. Albus had already known he would leave the school, for certainly he had lost that right when he had failed his students and the Wizarding World as a whole. He had agreed, knowing Gellert wasn't giving him a choice and not agreeing would result in either his death or being imprisoned in Nurmengard forever or the deaths of those he cared about. And so here he was, over a year after the duel. Staring into the fire, sitting beside a cup of tea that had long gone cold. Books had been removed from the overflowing bookshelves, scattered around the room. Some had been read, some he hadn't even yet opened. Plain parchment piled up on the desk. Few knew where he was and so letters came rarely. He had picked some of the fruit and vegetables he grew in a small garden he tended to. Perhaps he would make some jams and chutneys if he could find the strength and motivation. It came sometimes, mixed in with the heavy weight of despair that seemed to fill his waking hours. He had failed. He had let down the wizarding world and now he banished just beyond the world he loved so much. He knew what was happening there, of course. He did his best to learn of Gellerts ongoing plans and rise to power. Without him there, there was nothing to stop him. He knew the few Ministries that still existed moved against him but it wouldn't take much for them to fall. Everything would be lost then and Albus knew he was powerless to stop it. @johamfated

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snailstep-and-her-clan · 2 days ago

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Thunderpath Thursday

"Morning, sweetness!" Softpetal woke to her father prodding her playfully in the side with a hefty paw. "what have you done to deserve sleeping in till sunhigh exactly?"

"Gerroff." Softpetal swiped halfheartedly at him. "I had a night watch. what do you want? go away and annoy someone who deserves it."

"now is that anyway to speak to ones sire?" Ermineclaw purred. "lets go hunting."

"a patrol?" Softpetal rolled onto her belly and peered up at him. Lizardstone was no where in the den so he must have gone on duty ages ago.

"no, just the two of us. I've seen nothing of you. what with patrols, watch, and now you're preoccupied with that hideous mate of yours, I feel rather ignored by you." his whiskers twitched. "you wouldn't begrudge me your company would you? not when I love and adore you as my favorite daughter-

"Alright, alright." Softpetal got up and butt him with her head, pushing him back a few steps. she couldn't keep a soft mrrow of amusement out of her voice. "you've convinced me. but help me wash would you? I'm probably scruffy and covered in moss."

****

"So... I do hope you don't plan on making me a grandfather too soon." Ermineclaw wrinkled his nose. "I think I'm a bit too young for the title."

"Aren't we supposed to be quiet when hunting?" Softpetal tasted the air for any trace of nearby prey. she wanted to deflect from the fact that she actually was, in fact, more than likely expecting Lizardstone's kits... but she wanted to tell her mate first.

"I am quiet." Ermineclaw shrugged.

"so did you just invite me out with you to interrogate me? I'm hurt." she put on a sad look. "I thought you wanted to spend time with me. was that favorite daughter spiel... a lie?"

"of course not!"

she dodged a swipe aimed at her ears, and snorted as he swatted her nose instead with his tail.

"Just don't tell your other sisters-”

"Hey, get down!" Softpetal signaled with her tail and Ermineclaw obediently dropped to his belly. Softpetal flicked her ears in the direction of a squirrel.

by some twist of fate, it hadn't noticed them- though maybe because it was chewing so loudly on a hard shell of a walnut.

slowly, she crept her way towards it, determined not to make a sound. she waggled her haunches, and leapt-

but she'd misjudged the distance.

The squirrel was off like a shot, nut forgotten as it sped in the direction the the thunderpath.

Softpetal cursed in frustration, but Ermineclaw was streaking ahead.

"I've got him!" he announced cheerfully. "watch the master at work!"

Softpetal sped after him. "in your dreams you old mangepelt!" she'd shot back good-naturedly.

She overtook him easily as the squirrel had reached the road.

***

The crack of the monster striking her father's skull was a splintering, ear-shattering sound.

He hadn't died instantly. he'd lay, gasping for maybe minutes as blood bubbled in his mouth and nostrils, but it had felt far too long, too excruciatingly long to watch.

she'd been too scared to move him, afraid of hurting him more. touching him had been frightening…

"Ermineclaw? come on... let's get you back to camp... you need to see the medicine cat." she'd babbled like a tiny kit. convincing herself the damage was fixable... that he could just get up and go home.

"Daddy... daddy I'm sorry... I should have caught the squirrel in the first place.. it's all my fault... please get up. we need to go home." she'd pleaded. her father's chest heaved in a last, painful spasm, before he'd gone still, and quiet.

(Calling this Thunderpath Thursday because it seems like everyone's Clangen characters were dying on the Thunderpath today shoutout @fallenclan and @ranchclan)

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requiem-for-a-raisin · 1 day ago

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The Past Records: William & Victor - Part 2

*Fan translation for funsies! IP owned by Cybird, translations are my own and may be inaccurate. See About page for more info.*

WARNING: Contains major spoilers for Victor’s route.

:readmore:

It's already been a month since I met Victor,

and he invited me to the castle on the palace grounds.

Victor

"This is our hideout, our base of operations for defeating evil with evil."

The polished floor reflects the shine of the chandelier, making the entire castle shine beautifully.

(It's hard to believe it's a base of evil.)

After we shook hands in the audience chamber, Victor said he needed a base to do his evil deeds. He set his sights on an unused castle on the grounds, and it seems he's been working hard to build this base of evil for the past month.

Victor

"I've prepared a room for you. Feel free to use it whenever you like."

William

"Are you going to live here too?"

Victor

"There are plenty of rooms."

(He's being vague.)

As we walk around and he explains about the rooms, I notices several servants.

Victor

"Also, all the servants who work in this castle are deaf, so please communicate with them using sign language or writing."

William

"Yes, I understand."

(By hiring deaf people, he was able to expand employment and maintain confidentiality at the same time.)

This alone made it clear that he was extremely skilled, both as a ruler and as an evil man.

Victor

"And this is the common room."

He walked us into the common room, sat down on the sofa, and gave me a document.

Victor

"I know it’s early, but it is time to ‘defeat evil with evil’.”

The document he handed me contained information about a certain nobleman.

William

"Robert Sullivan... the son of a viscount."

Victor

"He was unable to inherit the family line because he had difficulty socializing, and instead his younger brother inherited it, leaving him without a place to live."

William

"But he does have money."

Victor nodded and continued.

Victor

"For the past six months, he has been buying a lot of goods imported from overseas. They are all the same."

Wood, acid, sulfur... these are all the raw materials for gunpowder.

Victor

"He seems to have had some problems as a nobleman, but he has talent as an engineer. That's one of--"

William

"The technology to make state-of-the-art bombs."

Victor

"Good answer, you are correct."

William

"If he has that level of technology, we could consider recruiting him into the military."

Victor

"That's difficult. The group he went to with the new bomb is made up of republicans."

I looked up in surprise and met his eyes, eyebrows drooping and a wry smile.

Victor

"The fact that we have a family succession system is entirely the fault of this country. So let's overthrow the throne."

Victor

"If I do that, I will be recognized by the people. The world will change dramatically."

William

"...If their desire for recognition goes wrong, it can become an evil that could destroy the country."

Since the Queen ascended to the throne, republicanism has become more harsh.

The Privy Council is not united in their loyalty to the Queen, and the nobles kneel before the Queen but secretly commit disrespect and betrayal.

It was clear that there were few people who truly served and protected the monarch.

Victor

"So, tonight, we are going to infiltrate the base of that republican group!"

William

"Wait a second, they're after you."

William

"What would you gain from going with me? I'm sure it'd be fine if I went alone."

Victor

"No, we'll go together. Otherwise, what's the point of having a face like Victor?"

Victor

"...And as a ruler, I want as many lives as possible to survive."

He stands up and holds out his hand.

Victor

"If we can convince them, that would be the best thing."

(I have the feeling that no matter what we say, they won't listen.)

I sighed and took his hand and stood up.

William

"If the Queen dies, our people will be in trouble. Please don't do anything reckless."

Victor laughed, looking happily pleased.

On the way to the headquarters of the republican group, we had a casual conversation about how we spend our days, our favorite foods, and got to know each other.

We talked about the name of our organization, our future prospects, our ideals, and so on. I enjoyed talking with him, and we got along so well that it felt like we were old friends.

William

"Now that I think of it, sometimes you're inconsistent in the first person... does that mean something?"

Victor

"... It used to be me, but I thought it was more convenient in some ways, so I changed it."

Victor

"But if I let my guard down, it comes out. I still have a lot to learn."

The moment Victor put his hand on the door, the conversation ended and the atmosphere changed.

Victor

“Let's go."

Just as we had heard, we went inside and found a republican group holding a rally.

Robert Sullivan stood alone on the stage and raised his voice in front of them.

Robert

“This is a bomb that has been successfully made twice as powerful as a normal one!"

As Robert held up the bomb and received thunderous applause, we hid behind chairs and listened.

Robert

“Coming morning, we will carry out a revolution!!"

Victor's brow furrowed.

Robert

"We'll throw bombs in from all sides to set the palace ablaze."

Robert

"Then the men hiding in the palace will take the queen's head in exchange for their lives in the flames of hell."

Robert

"It will be difficult for those who throw the bombs to return alive."

Silence fell, and Robert raised the bomb again.

Robert

"However, in order to bring peace to this country, we must defeat the queen!!"

Republicans

"Woooooooooo!!"

Victor

"I see."

As they raised their swords in excitement, Victor lowered his eyes, exhaled, and slowly opened his eyelids.

His eyes were filled with a strong will when I saw them again.

Victor

"And as a ruler, I wish for as many lives as possible to survive."

Victor

"If we can convince them, that would be the best."

(...Ah, I see.)

Realizing this, I stood up.

Robert

"Who are you?!"

William

"It must be lonely to be a ruler."

Victor

"William...?"

William

"More than anyone, I wish for freedom and happiness for the people. But my feelings go unheard, people go astray, and more lives are left unsalvageable."

I get closer to them, one step at a time.

William

"I will kill the queen in exchange for my own life. Will the future you all desire bring you freedom?"

We all stopped where we could see each other.

William

"The monarch who loved you all, no matter how much you betrayed him, has just now let go of your hand."

Just tens of seconds ago, Her Majesty had given up on them. Judgmentally deciding that she couldn't save them, she lowered her eyes and faced forward with resolve.

Robert

"Somebody, grab those bastards!"

William

"'All of you, stay where you are."

In an instant, everyone except us froze, and only moved their eyes in confusion.

Watching their expressions gradually change to ones of fear, I asked Victor.

William

“They claim to have their own sense of justice and are trying to commit slaughter. I see these people as evil."

William

“Victor, what do you think of them?"

His cold gaze said it all.

—

Notes: This one was a long one and I think the gendered pronouns are purposely inconsistent? Because our dear Victor is unconstrained by gender norms? William is always interesting despite not being my favorite, but this event has made me love him so much more. I always thought him as being a bit haughty and, well, self-righteous, but he is also very loyal and protective of those he cares about even after knowing Victor for only a month. Just two good boys embracing their “evil” justice together! 😊

#ikemen villains #ikevil translations #story event translation #ikevil victor #ikevil william #william rex

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love-quinn · 2 days ago

Text

— BODY BETTER

summary — your boyfriend patrick is convinced that you have a thing for tennis players. you say the same about him. it doesn’t help that you’re both sleeping with one.

pairing — stanford!art donaldson x reader, stanford!patrick zweig x reader, hints of stanford!tashi duncan x reader, also tashi x art and tashi x patrick, and since this is challengers, also art x patrick. literally every single combination, but mostly art x reader

track four — “body better” by maisie peters

warnings — swearing, mentions of sex/sexual moments, CHEATING, both on and by the reader this is a clusterfuck that could be solved by polyamory, patrick is a student at stanford and find my iphone was out in 2007, also no tashi injury in this.

word count — 1.9k

note — don't ask me what this is i couldn't tell you. biblically accurate challengers where all 4 of them have fucked at one point. i kinda accidentally made patrick a bit too much of an asshole i think but whatever i stand by it. i love u tashi duncan if you have no haters it's cause i killed them all.

If you were honest, Patrick probably wouldn’t be your boyfriend if he didn’t play tennis. And you can say that’s because if he didn’t play tennis he wouldn’t have been friends with Art, who you’d met through Tashi, because sure, that would be factually correct.

But the real reason is because you’d thought Patrick was an asshole until you’d seen him on the court. Then you’d still thought he was an asshole but your desire to stick your tongue down his throat outweighed that.

There was something about the way he looked with a racket in his hand. The way his shirt would cling to his chest, the way his calves would shake as he hit the ground. It was something you hadn’t felt before with any of your boyfriends in high school, something innate, something shallow, something absolutely idiotic. But that didn’t stop you from waiting for him outside the locker room and taking him back to your dorm. He’d thought you were a good time, and then the next morning you’d planted yourself in the front row for his single’s match and he knew that he’d gotten himself into something more than he’d planned.

You and Patrick moved fast. Nights spent in his bed evolved into you practically living in his dorm room. You kept moisturiser and a box of tampons in his bathroom. You knew the names of the guys who lived on his floor and they knew yours. You were happy - overjoyed even, and you spilled every single detail to Tashi, who seemed ecstatic you and Patrick had hit it off so well. You told her everything, how he was in bed, how he’d kiss you when he was drunk, how he’d get cranky when he lost a match. Tashi had laughed.

And then she started showing up in other places. His matches — even when Art didn’t go, His phone, left on your nightstand to charge while he showered. You’d watch it ring out, the vibration coursing through your brain as you stared at her face. He’d come back into the room, kiss you roughly and then grab his phone, giving you an apologetic, “Hang on, babe. I gotta call Art.” As if you were that fucking stupid.

You’d felt guilty about it, but that had gone away immediately when you saw it. Patrick’s phone in Tashi’s building. He’d told you he was going to the gym. Art lived in your dorm building, and Patrick’s was across campus. You’d stared at it for ages, like maybe you’d blink and it would refresh and tell you it was just an error, or maybe a text from Tashi would pop up; Hey I found your boyfriend’s phone.

But nothing came, and nothing happened.

So, you called Art. Your boyfriend’s lovely best friend, your best friend’s lovely boyfriend. Art who always looked at you a second too long, who once said you looked like a summer morning and then laughed like he knew he’d overstepped. Art, who you had thought was loyal to a fault.

The first time was in his car, parked behind the library. Shaky hands and foggy windows. He’d asked you “Are you sure?” You’d told him “Shut up,” and he had. You didn’t even feel guilty about it, it felt so good to just be wanted. For as long as you’d known her people wanted Tashi. It hadn’t even taken her long to get a boyfriend once the two of you started college. You weren’t ugly, you knew that. You got slightly better grades than Tashi, and you were probably more popular in high school. But you weren’t deluded; people didn’t want you the way they wanted her. She was an athlete, she was hot, she was alluring in ways that your highschool self had been kind of terrified by. Art moved in ways that conveyed his emotions clear as day without even trying. He wanted you, and he had for so long that it almost felt like he might have been looking for a reason.

You weren’t doing it to spite her, or even to get back at Patrick. Not exactly at least. It was about momentum, moving forward and trying to pretend things weren’t monumentally different now that you’d had both of them. They were the antithesis of each other, Patrick with his bright, empty ambitions. Art’s slow burning affection for you and the way he kissed you like he was trying to take back words he hadn’t said yet.

And you couldn’t bring it within yourself to feel bad. Not when you knew his girlfriend was fucking your boyfriend. It didn’t feel like an intentional choice you were making, it was just oh so easy to let Art climb into your bed and kiss your collarbone, to let him call you baby and to pry your knees open with one of his own. As if he didn’t belong to someone else.

You’d never tell Art this, but sometimes you’d look over at him and try to picture her the way he’d see her. Glowing skin and soft divots. You’d known her your entire life, knew her better than anyone. Better than either of your parents’ probably would have allowed. You couldn’t help it, least of all back then, when it was just the two of you and no one else mattered. Some girls were meant to be looked at.

Art looked at you like you were one of them. Gazes filled with such a longing look he almost looked devastated. Like you were withholding something from him at any given moment. You weren’t just sleeping with him, he’d knock on your door in the middle of the afternoon and kiss you sweetly with a DvD in hand. Or he’d drop by after training with a warm drink so you didn’t have to leave your dorm when you were studying.

Patrick looked at you like he owned you, and you’d thought it was really hot at first, but now it made you bitter. Like he’d done nearly enough for you to belong to him. He loved looking at you, loved when you wore tennis skirts even though you didn’t play. He told you you had the thighs for them, and you let him believe you’d been happy to hear that.

And Tashi? Tashi hadn’t looked at you in weeks. You didn’t notice it at first, but you saw less and less of her. No more post lecture lunches or study sessions. You stopped coming to her matches if Art or Patrick weren’t also playing the same day.

So when she showed up at your dorm one afternoon without warning, you knew something had happened. “We need to talk.”

You didn’t argue with that, holding your door open wider for her. “I know.” You were resigned. This would be it.

She stood in your room, back straight like she was about to give a speech. Her hair was tied back sloppily, with long dark pieces falling in front of her face. She’d cut it recently. It looked good. “How long?” She asked.

You didn’t even think about lying to her. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “A while. Not for as long as you and Patrick.” If she looked surprised she didn’t show it, just sat down on your bed and stared off into the distance.

“So, you fucked my boyfriend.”

“You fucked mine first.” It came out defensively.

“Does he know?” She asked. “Art? Does he…” you nodded. “Patrick doesn’t. He still thinks you’re interested in Art’s serve.”

You snorted. The two of you sat there for a moment, closer than you’d been in months and further apart than you’d been in years. “You could have told me,” you said eventually. “I would’ve understood.”

Tashi eyed you. “Would you have?”

“I would,” you insisted. “I love you.”

She laughed, not bitter, just exhausted. “Truce?” She held her pinky finger out to you.

You took it without hesitation. “Truce.”

She left and was replaced with Art’s presence, him taking you in his arms in your bed, his legs hanging over the edge, and pressing his face into his neck, whispers of how much he missed you despite the fact that you weren’t his to miss and that he’d seen you only hours earlier. He didn’t only touch you like he wanted to fuck you, sometimes it felt like he was trying to remember what you felt like. Or like you were a palette cleanser.

“You okay?” He murmured into your skin, feeling how tense you were. “You can tell me, sweetheart.”

You shook your head. “It’s easier when we don’t talk about it.” You turned away from him, not able to look at him. A slow burning fire, blinding and warm. He kissed the fleshy part of your jaw in response.

And you felt kind of fucked up, the way the world kept spinning even with everything going on in your head. The way Patrick would lean in to touch you and you’d hesitate before letting him. The way you’d hear Tashi’s laugh from across the quad and feel the sound carve out a hollow in your chest. Art never pushed, never pried. He agreed, it was easier for both of you when you didn’t talk about them. He never asked you to choose, it wouldn’t have been fair to when he didn’t know who he’d pick either.

He knew it was wrong, the way he felt about you. Like he kept renewing a library book and accidentally had it memorised. Like you could belong to him if he got enough pieces of you to keep. You hadn’t done it out of spite, but he had. Sure, when he’d been introduced to you as his girlfriend’s friend, he’d done his best to be respectful. But fuck, he’d be lying if he’d said some nights he didn’t think about you when he had a second alone. It had morphed, from that first, messed up time, it was messier. His body ached for a version of you he felt he’d maybe made up in his head.

Tashi couldn’t be mad, not when the only reason your boyfriend didn’t notice your absence was because she was keeping him occupied. She knew how affection could bleed into longing when you weren’t paying attention. And she couldn’t blame Art, either, for being desperate to be twisted in your sheets. She’d suffered the same fate for long enough.

Patrick didn’t think of himself as a bad guy. He just didn’t like to dwell — not the nights he spent with Tashi, not the way you looked at him when he’d snap at you in the heat of the moment. He wasn’t stupid. He knew what Art looked like when he was invested in someone, and he knew Tashi was giving him too much of herself to let Art get like that. But he let you think he didn’t know so he would get to kiss you on the forehead and go off to her.

You didn’t mind being lied to by Patrick. Because on the nights he did spend with you, he’d whimper into your ear about how you were it for him, and those nights held more weight than anything. When he was lying to you, it was easy to see when he was telling you the truth.

But the truth didn’t matter when you were knocking on a door past midnight, when there were hands on your skin that weren’t your own, or when you’d sit in the stands of a tennis court, watching the three of them play like breathing. Like lying. Like touching you.

It was so nice to be wanted, none of them could argue with you. So nice, that it didn’t even matter who it was by.

#art donaldson x reader #art donaldson #art donaldson fic #art donaldson x you #challengers #challengers x reader #patrick zweig x you #patrick zweig #patrick zweig x reader #tashi duncan #tashi duncan x reader #tashi x patrick #tashi x art #art x patrick

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nthinteractions · 3 days ago

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Chapter 2, Hosea, Bessie and Dutch

H: You know, when I was younger I'd try and rob anyone, anything. If it weren't nailed down, I'd take it. If you had anything, I'd try and take it from you.

I know, now I seem like a sweet old man... but as a young man, I was worse than any of you fools. A total and absolute degenerate. A liar, thief, a killer... when necessary. Then I met two people changed my life. My dear wife Bessie and good old Dutch. And for twenty years now, life, life has made sense.

It isn't my fault, all the unkindness and misery and I can't stop it. I can't change it, but I can improve things... just a bit. That's a lesson I learned from each of them and what I try to teach you fools. Life can be better. We aren't perfect, but... we can protect the people we love.

Dutch caught me trying to steal food from him. I thought he was going to kill me.But we looked at each other and we saw something... and we been best friends ever since. He's crazy and I'm a fool, but I... I trust him, because he's true. There's no lying in him. And when somebody doesn't lie in this world, and you don't lie to them then together you can achieve great things... and destroy great powers.

Ignore everything else I said, but remember that.

#rdr2 #rdr2 community #red dead redemption community #rdr2 hosea #hosea matthews #dutch #dutch van der linde #rdr2 dutch #bessie matthews

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theamazingdigitalraceway · 1 day ago

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The decent begins. The world falls. Everyone goes with it. Will any of them make it? Even if they do, will they still be themselves?

WARNING: angst, death, body horror, abstraction, distress, hurt/no comfort

~~~

A bright white light encompassed everything. Caine felt the chains give way, his body flickered as he fell to the floor. Everything felt fuzzy, like it was made of static. All he could hear was a high pitched ringing. Blind and deaf, he crawled forward against the torant of light disintegrating space around him.

Caine touched a hand. He grasped it. He snapped. It an instant, the light was gone. He reeled from the sudden silence, still feeling the oppressive static all over his body. Gasping, he looked around. Darkness surrounded him except directly in front. Like looking through a glass barrier that flexed and moved with unfelt wind, he saw the city Abel has created and was no destroying.

Caine looked down at the hand he was holding. Loo was lying next to him, glitching and seizing. "Loo?? Loo! Are you alright!? How did we-? Where are-?" He didn't know where to begin. Loo's body was more than half deleted. Her remaining half was pixeled and barely together. Caine snapped, focusing on her. Nothing happened. "Come on! Please, work!" He snapped multiple times, Loo glitched more and cried in pain. He had to stop. "I'm sorry! I...I'm sorry."

Loo looked up at Caine weakly. She could barely see him through the glitches in her eyes. "You...made...it. Good....good. Save them. You...must."

"I-I...but what about you? I can't even..." He tried snapping once. Loo glitched some but nothing changed. Her body was slowly falling apart.

"Thank you...for letting me...be." Loo closed her eyes.

Caine wasn't sure how to respond. He held her until her body fully pixelated and dispersed amongst the surrounding shadows. Alone and still hurting from whatever Abel hit him with, he sat on his knees in silence. Everything he built, everything he tried to achieve was crashing down around him. The Raceway was gone. His NPCs where gone. The humans where running for their lives. Abel was unleashed and mad with power. Caine could not be in a lower place. The darkness felt fitting.

"This must be the in-between." Caine muttered to himself, turning to see the out of bounds grid off in the distance. "This is where Seth has gone...? This whole time... I'm sorry...IM SORRY!" He shouts at noone. Tears well in his eyes and he curls forward on the ground, sobbing. "All of this is my fault...what have I done...."

"NO!!!" Shadow Pomni revved her bike til the gadge went red. The blue and silver motorcycle screamed up the side of the building, shattering glass in its wake. The shadows within twisted and writhed with anger. Black tears burned the edges of Shadow Pomni's eyes.

"Seth, I don't know if I can do this. Caine...we're too late." The shadows within her felt warm. Comforting. "The others need to get to safety, but I don't know what more we can do." The shadows swelled. She felt powerful. Like the very fabric of the world around her was at her call. "...let's end this."

She reached the peak of the high skyscraper, skidding to a stop on the roof. "ABEL!!"

The monsterous crocodilian Abel slowly turned his head to look at her. His eye burned blue like a bright sapphire star.

Shadow Pomni stared him down, revving her bike. "YOU WANT ME!? I'M RIGHT HERE!"

A deep, rumbling laugh boomed from Abel. "You think you still matter to me? Caine is dead. Deleted. Permanently. You and Seth are nothing without him. Flies on my back. The only thing left for me, is to savor your destruction!" He opened his maw wide and charged his beam in her direction.

Shadow Pomni blinked with he bike to the next rooftop. "HE'S NOT DEAD! YOU COULDN'T KILL YOUR OWN CREATION IF YOU TRIED!"

"He is not of me!" Abel roared back, swinging around to face her again. His tail smashed three buildings like dominoes. "Caine and Seth are mere fractals of the greatness I created! Greatness I should have known! Greatness I will take one way or another!!" Abel charged the building Shadow Pomni was on and rammed into it.

As the building collapsed, Shadow Pomni drove down the side and jumped. She freefell in calm, unafraid of the ground rapidly approaching. Her hand had a slight tingle to it. Holding it out in front of her, she snapped. Pixilated rubble from Abel's rampage flew to catch her. It formed a track in the air, circling around the collapsing building.

Shadow Pomni smirked to herself and snapped to make a new track circling her around Abel's head. With the debris came a powerup hovering over the track. The colorful crystaline question mark glistened in the electric twilight.

Shadow Pomni zipped through the powerup and felt something materialize in her hand. A gold bar. Shadows from her fingers crawled over the gold bar, turning it a glossy black. "Get me close." Shadow Pomni commanded between her teeth and she crushed the bar in her grasp.

Black fire trailed from Shadow Pomni as she accelerated to an untouchable speed. Abel lashed out at the tracks forming around him, but no matter how fast he was, Pomni was faster. Tracks wound up around to the front of Abel and Shadow Pomni launched herself as Abel snapped his jaws at her.

The wheels of Shadow Pomni's bike didn't even hit Abel's tongue. She flew right to the back of his mouth and punctured the back of his neck. Abel screamed and stumbled back as Shadow Pomni flew onto an awaiting track and zipped around for another attack.

Shadow Pomni accelerated and snapped to collect shadows in front of her to pierce Abel's side. She drove right through him and made some distance as Abel thrashed.

"INSECT!!" Abel roared and blasted the buildings around him with a charged beam of light.

Shadow Pomni dodged a flying piece of track and blinked to the far side of a falling building. She snapped and the track she had driven on to escape collapsed on Abel's head. "Funny thing, insects. They kill more people than any other creature in the world. Let's see if it's true in the digital world." She said to herself and drove up a new ramp to prepare another run.

A dark purple car with its roof ripped off raced through the broken streets of the dark city. A horde of abstractions clambered unnaturally fast behind them, like spiders with even more limbs and eyes.

Driving along the side of a row of building was Shadow Gangle lashing her ribbons out at an abstraction attempting to pounce on the car. She lassoed it's hide leg and yanked to the side to knock it off balance into another abstraction.

Seeing an opening, Shadow Gangle blinked next to the car. "I'm getting all of you out of here!" As she was about to touch it, Kinger swerved to avoid a flying piece of debris.

Jax braced against the swerve but Ragatha couldn't in time. She flew from the car and tumbled into the road at high speed.

"Ragatha!" Shadow Gangle braked and did a hard u-turn.

Kinger raced off with a worried glance back. Jax held on as Ragatha and Gangle faded into the distance. "We have to turn around!" Before Kinger could respond, the flying abstraction swooped down from above, nearly snatching Jax. "Shit! Get me another power up!"

Shadow Gangle accelerated towards the charging horde. Jumping from her bike, the solid black racer rammed through two abstractions. Shadow Gangle landed on her feet and slid to a stop next to Ragatha. "Let's go!" She wrapped her ribbons around Ragatha's waist and teleported away with her.

Shadow Gangle huffed a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?"

Ragatha was in a heap, battered from the fall. "...not really." She groaned.

"I'm sorry, Ragatha. Please try to catch your breath, you're safe here. I have to go. The others need me." Shadow Gangle ran towards the flexible glass-like barrier and whistled. The black motorcycle materialized from the shadows and she mounted it on the run. In a flash, she and the bike were gone.

Caine's whole body hurt. He'd never experienced true pain before. His very being felt like it was made of broken glass. The screech of a motorcycle coming to a stop not far from him brought him out of his self pitied daze. He saw Ragatha laying on the ground with Gangle(?) standing over her. Then black ribbon racer ran off on Seth's bike.

"....on any other day I'd say that was strange." Caine slowly got to his feet and lumbered over to Ragatha.

Ragatha sat herself up, wincing at the digital road rash. She was about to inspect herself with Caine being in the corner of her eye made her jump. "Ah! Oh- Caine! You're alive? I thought Abel-"

"He tried. I don't know how I survived that. Turns out there's a lot I don't know. What's going on out there?"

"Chaos. Abstractions. Shadow people. I don't even know what else." Ragatha curled her knees to her chest. "It's all so much. I never thought I would long for the way you did things..."

Caine didn't say anything. The recent series of events had left him without comprehensible words to describe anything. He slowly reached his hand out to comfort her.

Ragatha's eyes glazed over. "There is one thing I will never forgive you for."

Caine took a step back.

Ragatha's face twitched. "You took away the one memory that could have kept me going. You made me a blank slate. You made me forget my sister. She was here before me. She was here, and I didn't even recognize her because of you." She craned her neck around to look lifelessly at Caine. "She abstracted during a race. In front of all of us. She remembered my name. My real name. I didn't know who she was talking about."

"Ragatha, I'm-"

"Save it!" Ragatha's voice crackled like radio static. Her arms and legs crab walked her closer to Caine, not taking her blank eyes off of him. "I could have said goodbye! YOU TOOK THAT FROM ME!!" Her final words came out as a screech. Her spine arched up and her belly split open to reveal a black mass and a large orange eye with a green iris.

"Ragatha!" Caine pleaded but it was too late. Ragatha's body bent and broke and split to unleash the abstraction within.

Shadow Pomni blinked through a building as it was crushed by Abel. As Abel stomped and crashed through the city, cracks in the world opened to reveal the void shining through like spot lights. A shadowed track formed in front of Shadow Pomni as she rode at top speed towards Abel.

"If you're going to break this world apart, I'll make sure you go down with it!!" Shadow Pomni ramped off the track and went bike first right in between Abel's eyes. Tendrils of shadow came from the bike's tires and sunk into Abel's face. She revved and tore into Abel's digital hide, riding over his head and down his back.

Shadows broke apart the electrified spines, dragging like claws. Abel lashed at his own body to knock off Shadow Pomni, only harming himself.

Shadow Gangle almost collided with Kinger's car searching for them. Jax shot off another rocket at the flying abstraction, getting it to back off. "Where Ragatha!?" He shouted, reaching for another power up as they sped by.

"Safe! Come on! You're next!" She held out her hand for Jax.

"No way! This is the best the game's ever been!" He laughed manically and tossed a mine. It exploded when an abstraction stepped over it.

"This is serious! Abel is destabilizing everything!" Shadow Gangle blinked to the other side of the car and tried to grab him, Jax moved to the opposite side to avoid her.

"Exactly! It's pointless! None of us are making it out alive! Live it up while you can!" Jax laughed and smashed a can of NOS against the car.

Kinger held on as his vehicle lurched forward. The overpass in front of them was collapsing and he had planned to take a turn but now they were going to fast. He floored it. "Everyone, duck!"

Jax dropped into the back seat as Kinger drove under the falling overpass. The concrete structure came down right behind them and scraped the top of the hood as the vehicle barely made it out without being crushed.

Shadow Gangle had to blink to the top and drive down the other side. The abstractions crashed into the rubble, one was trapped while the others scrambled to get over the fallen structure. The horde was successfully slowed down for the time being.

Kinger sat up right in the driver seat. "Jax, a little warning next time!? You made me miss a turn. I don't know where we are any more."

"It doesn't matter!" Jax stood up, elated. "Nothing matters!" He laughed so hard, he cried.

Abel stumble over his own tail trying to get at Shadow Pomni. His massive body fell between city blocks and took several buildings with him. He was wedged sideways and awkwardly struggled to upright himself. "When I'm through with you, there will be nothing left to remember! I'll delete your very existence!"

Shadow Pomni grimaced. No matter how hard she hit him, he wouldn't stay down. Then she felt a desire. A thought? Suggestion? She wasn't sure. But it was coming from the bike. Let go. She instinctively gripped the handle bars tighter, but the feeling for stronger. Let go.

Shadow Pomni rode through a powerup, feeling soming on her back. She glanced and silver feather wings unfurled behind her. She smiled sadly as she flew off the track. Her grip on the bike loosened. "Show him the void."

Shadow Pomni glided on as the bike plummeted to Abel. The silvery flames that had come from it changed color. The bike burst into flames, becoming a dark blue fireball. The bike struck Abel and exploded, thrusting him into the ground.

The world shook like an earthquake, tearing the city asunder. The bright white of the void shone through. Abel clawed at the breaking world, but found no purchase. "No! No! Nooo!!" He roared and fell.

The stark white of the void was like the flash of an atomic bomb. Kinger tried his best to keep the car on the road but there was no more road. He couldn't avoid the growing out and the car careened into nothing.

Jax threw his hands in the air like the fall was nothing more than a roller coaster ride.

Shadow Gangle was stressing trying to figure out how she was going to get to the boys when the fabric of reality tore right next to her.

A large abstraction charged through the barrier of the in-between, tossing Caine to the side. It only took her a second to realize what this meant. "Ragatha! No! Not you!"

The abstraction roared in response and lashed at Shadow Gangle. She grabbed a piece of debris and slung it at the abstraction, cracking it right in the eye. The large black bike beneath her revved and swung around in a circle to keep away. Shadow Gangle saw Caine and grabbed his arm. "Hop on!" Before he could respond, she yanked him on and drove off to pieces of the world falling into the void.

The avatar tion followed, falling in. The horde of them was trying to follow any movement. They attacked one another if they had no other target.

Shadow Pomni kept her new wings and flew down after Abel, keeping an eye out for the others. "Seth...are you still with me?" She asked determinedly.

There was a long pause. "Yes. It was what she wanted." Seth's voice was soft and hollow.

"Good. Because this ain't over. I'm not stopping until he's dead or I'm dead. Whatever happens first. For Caine." Her eyes narrowed as she fell head first it it he void.

Kinger just held the steering wheel. What else was there to do. They were in freefall I to a cast nothing. Nothing but debris remained. This was reality.

As he, the car, and Jax fell, he could see some of the abstractions trying to catch up. There was no driving away this time. He was a sitting duck.

The abstractions where strange, glitching and gyrating against the windless fall into the void. One such strange creature tried to leap at the car, but was slammed by another abstraction. One of the largest, in fact, stood on a piece of debris between Kinger and the rest. The abstraction has an exceptionally long neck with eyes all the way down. The eyes facing Kinger were completely trained on him, calm. The ones facing the other abstractions were wild with fury.

Kinger tilted his head. "....My queen?" He asked softly.

The abstraction's growl sounded more of a purr in response to his voice. The other abstractions took advantage of the distraction. They pinced and tore at each other.

Kinger tried to get out of his car, but the falling/flying debris separated them and he was pushed away. He silently held out his hand like he could touch her as he fell away.

Shadow Gangle's bike blinked from one chunk of the world to the next as she made her way down. Caine held tight to her, trying to keep calm with all the pain he was in. He took a deep breath and glanced back at what was left of the world that once was the Raceway. It was never much, but he did what he could with what he had. Maybe he could be proud of that.

Caine turned his eyes to the void and everything crumbling into it. He couldn't tell a chunk of infrastructure from an abstraction at a distance. Then he looked at Gangle and the shadows covering her. "I'm sorry..."

Shadow Gangle stayed focused on the descent. "For what?"

"Everything. I never knew...the darkness. The in-between. I didn't ...I shouldn't have...I'm sorry, Seth. You must have felt so alone."

Shadow Gangle tensed. "It's fine." She said in an odd sort of auto-response way.

"No, it's not. It never was. I shouldn't have treated you that way." Caine said fervently, wincing at a sharp pain in his side.

"...took you long enough." Shadow Gangle sighed.

"And it's too late. Everything is gone."

"Not yet. She's still down there, chasing him into the void. Do you want me to tell her?"

"I don't know." Caine answered honestly. "I don't deserve her conviction."

"You don't deserve her at all." Shadow Gangle growled.

Caine slumped in silent agreement.

"But...I know what it's like to lose everything. You have a chance to make things right. There's still one option left." The shadows on Gangle's back curled around Caine's hand.

"The merge. Please, if there still a chance. At least let me say goodbye." Caine pulled his hand away.

The shadow retreated. They continued to fall. And fall. And fall. All endlessly into the gaping void, welcoming them to nothing. And everything.

~~~

CH1 PREV NEXT (coming soon)

#the amazing digital raceway #raceway au #tadc raceway au #the amazing digital circus #tadc #tadc au #raceway seth #tadc pomni #raceway abel #tadc caine #tw death #tw body horror #hurt/no comfort

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gatheringbones · 11 hours ago

Audio

[Ten-thousand horses. Sable island. Endless summer/ Oh my god, I'm hot to steal, beside myself in friendless number/ I ain't got no culture, nothin', dirty words, but that don't count/ Flight attendants, waitresses, superstition - good amount/ There's work to do, hell to pay, memories & finger prints/ Calling Papa ignorance/ And I don't wanna go (sick & tired)

Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Egg & spoon race, slow & steady. Desert highway/ Still I'm stuck, I can't afford it/ Picture postcards, small memento/ Echo-shadow, echo-shadow-sterling silver, burning furnace/ Frozen, nowhere, just a kid I had a friend named deadly earnest/ Cross my heart & hope to die, stick a needle in my arm/ Praise the heavens, call the cops. Relax. There's no cause for alarm/ Diamond rings & little babies, 'startlements' & miracles/ I remember pretty faces so severe & lyrical/ I'm talkin' Amelia Earhart, Neko Case or Frida Kahlo/ All alone the way it should be, I don't even need a shadow/ Seeds of wisdom found no purchase, we don't even have a chance/ Birthday party Armageddon, long stem roses avalanche/ Broken fingers, goin' nowhere fast & screeching to halt: All that work for nothing/ oh, whipping boy It's all my fault

Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech-tech-tech: I don't want to go to pieces/ easy going, I'm afraid to fly & so I'm running/ Catchin' fish & chopping wood, the revolution slow time coming/ I don't know what else to do, cross my fingers, teach the children/ Read your fortune, storm the/ studios, come on all ye faithful pilgrims/ No more same old song & dance, some good ideas get over played/ I eat my breakfast, ride my bike a knife between my shoulder blades

See, I'm a man of many problems, up against some scary odds/ We kill, we hide, we all fall down, idiots love to bury gods/ It doesn't happen over night though - never. Still I'm filled with wonder/ Lonely like the tight rope walker, hitchhiker, long distance runner: Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Good night for you. Bad night for me/ But I still love you lying down: K.I.S.S.I.N.G/ Not bad, not bad, not bad at all, I tried your shoes on/ Cigarettes & crucifixes. Ingmar Bergman, Alphonse Mouzon/ Really boring modern music, really boring modern girl/ Get me out of here I'm drowning, I don't like this modern world/ Anti-intellect & marketing. Pretty-pretty. Who needs talent?/Crying eyes we're so out-numbered, fight for the right to remain silent/ But what do I know? Who am I? My two left feet my big dumb face/ I'd do the same if I had the chance. Cheat the system, rig the race

It's all one big misunderstanding, inside out I turn my coat: Don't look back, don't move a muscle, one false move, that's all she wrote/ Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech/ Zoom-kick-persuasion-tech-tech-tech]

“Blood of a Young Wolf” by Buck 65 off of Secret House Against the World. In my opinion the best song Buck ever danced to. This is a masterpiece and belongs with the likes of The Beatles, Hey Jude.

#transcribed

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cbsghostsmetasandtrevor · 2 days ago

Text

CBS Ghosts 4x22 Live Reaction!

It's the finale!!

WOOHOO!

I tried to go in as blind as possible but the name of the episode tells us quite a bit...

But I did my best. And I'm excited.

Let's do this!

Previously on GHOSTS?? Nice. The TWO face palms!

Oh shit Elias...

The Zoo????

They have to go to the CAR? FOR PRIVATE CONVOS??

LOL - Jay and Sam.

Oh Jay. Putting the cart before the horse.

Pete's hanging out with Kyle. He's making a new friend.

And he ruined Sam's lies.

Because Jay told Bela, who's clearly into Kyle. LOL.

Oh, Bela. ... Push Eric in front of a bus! Please!

Damn Isaac.

House hunters? Alberta checking him out!!!

Oh shit.

Alberta is HOT FOR PETE - Face Palm 2, Peter's revenge.

OMFG.

Don't remind her of that.

I was so waiting for someone to pop up behind the couch. - Sadly, no. (would've been funny though).

Ohhhh Whyyyy. You deserve a party for yourself, Sam!!

Kinda sad they did this.

It's Thor's fault. crippling agoraphobia.

PATIENCE!!!

Smell the devil's presence???

SHIT.

The basement ghosts are just like ....WTF.

LOL Isaac, I doubt it.

Go away, Isaac.

LOL SASS, really? You just had to go there, from ONE TIME (That I'm still HCing was fake)

I love them jumping.

How are things in the dirt?

Don't help, Flower.

OMG.

"We're ghosts maybe don't throw stones" - I love you.

Sam's being smart about this bring Bela!

The Devil Eggs.

BELA - WALL BLOOD THING???

LOL Patience.

They're trying to figure out how to get rid of her. LOL.

Oh shit.

Another soul saved.

THEYRE TALKING ABOUT DIRTY DREAMS!!

LOL - Patience arriving and they're jumping in the lies.

I love it!

OMFG. Hetty!

I LOVE THAT SHE WENT THERE to help Sam.

LMAO reminded him about the dirt being her fault.

OH SHIT - ELIAS!

GUYS!!!!

MOST IMPURE THOUGHTS??

OMFG She brought EVERYONE HERE???

Creepy dirk getting called out.

LOL. I'm laughing so hard.

She loves the bad boy.

OH SHIT OH SHIT.

PETE WALKING IN!!!

OMFG.

OH SHIT. OH SHIT. He just walks out.

Patience: SHAME SHAME SHAME.

Bela talking to Kyle. Bela/Kyle. New Dream.

OH SHIT - PATIENCE HATH BEEN TRICKED!

AHHHH

"I had impure thoughts about Catherine" - "Don't do this Stuart"

Shit, Nigel's face at this.

The red coats are werewolves.

OH GOD OH GOD.

THE BLOOD WALL.

Ohhhh Jay, you're so cute. Like they planned it.

"Where does the blood come from?" - "We don't ask, they're not good answers"

Oh shit, Nancy & Alberta.

Oh, Alberta's looking for Pete.

HAVING TO GET OUT OF HERE???

Damn Nancy. She's right.

LOL "There, there"

Creepy Dirk very empathic Listener.

Oh really? 'cause you just had no money.

That's great - cover story!

PUBLICIST???

OH SHIT HE SIGNED.

OH FUCK.

ELIAS! Sam didn't know about this!

THEY DIDNT SHARE THAT STORY!

Jay is just like "no....."

Trevor "Read the fine print"

Ohhhhhh Jay.... "Little time you have left to live????"

"We have ways of speeding things along???"

OH FUCK.

"Thought I'd get him on the first try?????"

FUCK FUCK FUCK.

Final minute!

And it's dedicated to Alberta/Pete.

Anddddd she's lying.

2 days???

PETE LEFT TO BREAK UP WITH Donna????

And so he could kiss Alberta????

Oh Shit, Jay......

Jesus. that was intense. I thought Jay never signed, I thought they told Sam.

Some thoughts - I loved the A plot, though Isaac annoyed me a bit, it's nice to see Sam have a win and tie in the primere with the finale of the season - very full circle, and that they brought in the deal they left us hanging on with Jay. Even if Jay's soul is now sentenced to Hell.

I loved that the ghosts were doing something FOR SAM. Like to help her!

Not sure I'm crazy about the Pete/Alberta plot though. It'll be interesting where they go from here. I did love the Hetty/Alberta friendship though! So cute and different to S2 end.

I wanted Elias to secretly be Joan just to mess with Sass, but you know, you can't have everything.

Trevor was awesome all episode.

Solid A.

thoughts?

#Cbs ghosts spoilers #ghosts cbs spoilers #cbs ghosts #ghosts cbs #Season 4 FINALE

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jinxpantsu · 2 days ago

Text

i know you.

From somewhere far, far away. I know you.

Robin's affection for Sami stems far back. When they were just young children they met by chance. Sami was playing at a friends party in the park when suddenly a boy approached with a fist full of flowers!

"You're pretty. Mama said pretty girls like flowers."

That was all there was to it. The boy wandered off after that, and Samantha wore the daisy's in her hair for the rest of that day. She felt special. A boy called her pretty! Things like that happened, but they were usually older, kind grannies. The ones who pinched her cheeks and gave her sweets. Never a boy her age.

Then, she met Robin again. She doesn't know what to make of the boy across the hall from her. The caretaker says he lost his family in a freak accident and has stayed in the orphanage ever since. He was reclusive. Shut-in and afraid to speak to anyone. He was just like her.

She doesn't remember why she does it. The next time the children are shuffled through the tunnels to go to their primary schools outside of town she picks a few wild flowers. Tapping the boy on the shoulder, he turned to meet her eyes. She was pretty.

"A boy once told me that pretty girls like flowers... but doesn't everybody? Here!"

He tucked them in his breast pocket and nodded his thanks. Although she doesn't realize it, Samantha has made a new friend.

Robin clings to her. Everywhere she goes, he is soon to follow. Nightmares she experiences are met with Robin sitting at her bedside, hugging her and chasing the bad dreams away. Reassuring her that nothing that happened was her fault. They would cuddle under the sheets until morning, when he had to stealthily sneak back to his room before the nannies would arrive.

She shared snacks, music, games, and silence together. Life was good with Robin by her side. No more nightmares, no more guilt. She could forget about everything... At least until they both turned 18.

It started with Robin first. Plucked from his bedroom in the middle of the night. When Sami cried from a night terror, she was met by a nanny. Not Robin. Not her Robin.

"Where is Robin... where? What did you do to him?!"

"Robin is a man now. There are dangers about letting him stay here."

The passing months were agonizing. Samantha wished they had closer birthdays.

When the nannies came for her next, plucking her up from her room in the middle of the night, she found herself walking a system of tunnels she did not recognize. These walls didn't look like those on the way to school. Met with a crude case of stairs, Samantha marched upward and out of a hole in the ground. The nannies behind her shut the latch and suddenly it disappeared. Had she... lived underground that whole time?

Shoved into a tiny blank room, Samantha curled up in bed. When morning came, she stepped out to look at her new home. This is where the kids went after they turn 18? Why?

A familiar face flashed by her, shoving her against the wall as he marched supplies to the kitchen. The man from the snow. The one who took her to the Sanctuary. The one that brought her to her Robin. It's Bailey.

"Come see me in my office afterwards, brat."

She waited in her seat, hands clasping her knees. "I know why you're here," He says, running a hand through his dark hair.

No.

No he does not.

"You want your-"

"Where is Robin?" she asks abruptly.

"What?" says the caretaker. "I don't have time to answer your stupid questions. You can figure that out for yourself. I'm sure the waif is around here somewhere..." he trails off, an irritated flare in his nostrils tells Samantha that he's not pleased with being cut off. It would be her only warning not to do it again.

"In the mean time, you owe me for taking care of your useless ass. By next week I want £100. Surely a girl like you can manage—“

“Okay!” Comes the innocent response. “Should I just do… door to door donations? I used to do that at church with Robby!”

God.

This town is going to eat her alive.

"Right. I don't care how you make the money. Now go. Don't bother me anymore."

It frustrates Samantha. Just a bit. He invited her in the first place... Really, she said anything she could to get away from the man. Something about him... unsettles her. What it may be she does not question. Because once she returns to her new room, she finds what she's been looking for. It's Robin. He's been waiting here for her.

"Today's your birthday... right? That's a relief... We get to spend Sunday together, just like old times!"

#robin the orphan #bailey the caretaker #DOL PC #Sami theWolfBride #aaaa i did it #lore!!!!!!!!#now to talk abt how it goes down hill-

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