#one of the few doll playsets ive ever owned

[fullmoonfireball]

(reblog of this post)

it's the tiny little guys <3

[monsterpie]

mh questionnaire by @cryptoriascollectiblog !!!

I'm on mobile so I can't do a read more sorry

1) Introduce yourself and tell us how long you’ve been collecting Monster High dolls!

call me blue! i got my first doll (gooliope jellington) in late december 2015, but i began really collecting in earnest starting in 2016, so call it about 3 years 

2) How many MH dolls do you have?

very definitely over 200 probably at this point..... most of them are on display, but a few thrifted and boxed dolls are hidden away 

3) Is Monster High your favorite doll line? Why or why not?

that.... is really hard to answer. it’s definitely the doll line i enioy collecting the most, and i can pretty much say ‘yes, it IS my favorite!’ but there’s that little voice at the back of my head that’s saying ‘but you owe your love of dolls to barbie...’

4) Who’s your favorite MH ghoul?

ohhhh man i love howleen. i love her so much she’s so wonderful. 

5) Favorite Manster?

mm..... hoodude? heath? or.... honestly i do have a huge soft spot in my heart for jackson (even tho he is. a lot. and many of the people i’ve seen who are fans of his are. even more. not everybody tho!!! just. a sad majority....)

6) Do you own any dolls of your favorite ghoul and/or manster? How many?

i own a version of every howleen doll (inlcuding the reboot doll), and it was definitely one of the proudest moments in my collecting, finally having one of each. i have also thrifted at least 3 i think? and i have 2+ repaints of her. i have one heath doll (he was my second/third doll), one jackson that was thrifted, and no hoodude since he was an sdcc exclusive :( but i don’t think hes a great looking doll anyway, like i wasnt expecting hard plastic obviously but i was hoping for more than just a stuffed doll ya feel?

7) Do you own any playsets? If so which one(s)? If not, is there a reason?

i own the school playset (my niece gave it to me when she didnt want it anymore), the catacombs playset (still in box bc i dont have room for it lol), the 13 wishes dj set i guess its called?? and 2 of the fdc playsets. also draculaura’s car and bed, both cleo and frankie’s vanities, and the cam design lab, but idk if any of those count lol 

8) Of the original main ghouls (including Ghoulia, Spectra and Abbey) which is your favorite? Got any dolls of them?

ouch, okay, just make me choose then.... uhhhh i cant really rank them? i guess i would put frankie at the top but shes more default for me than anything else honestly. i dont really care for spectra tho so shes at the bottom whoopsie. also if operetta is also included (which it doesnt say she is but.) then i dont really care for her either tbqh anyway, yea i got several dolls of each lol

9) Favorite character with only one doll release?

off the top of my head im thinkin neighthan, but honestly all of the fusions are good and also all single release doll charas are good. OH i really like cupid too tho and also finnegan 

10) Character with too many dolls (in your opinion?)

spectra. idk i just!!! really dont like her i mean she has nice dolls but i can not make myself care about her. 

11) Any character you would’ve liked to see in a doll line that didn’t make it? (i.e. Lagoona in Sweet Screams or Draculaura in Power Ghouls, etc)

ok. i HATE gil. but i think his design was super good in gsr and i would have loved to see him as a doll. 

12) Any ideas you would’ve liked to see in a doll line?

oh worm ive been thinkin on this for YEARS actually, but get this: “Boogie Fever” - a disco inspired doll line. obv has twyla in it. also what if a line where they were in famous movies - frankie and gooliope in ghostbusters, and then other classics like casablanca and breakfast at tiffanys (i actually hate that movie tbqh but it is a classic) etc 

13) Is there a “grail” MH doll for you? If so do you own it?

mmmmmm pretty much all of the sdcc dolls, but i would love to have the home ick heath some day, since that’s the closest to a sig doll they have for him. i dont have him, but i do have one sdcc exclusive doll (the ghostbusters frankie) 

14) Thoughts on the cancelled Ever After High crossover?

neutral. once upon a time i was excited about it, but honestly i could care less now. part of the problem is that i would want the crossover to go a very specifici way, and part of it is that the eah fans are rabid. 

15) Thoughts on the 2016 reboot faces?

i mean. they are cute! super cute! but. they really arent the monster high i fell in love with, you know?

16) Thoughts on the 2016 “Monster Family” line?

weak. bad. the dolls are cute enough but the line is NOTHING. they didnt even make alivia look like her movie counterpart so like, what was the point. 

17) How bout the SDCC exclusives? What was your favorite? Do you own any?

mmm i LOVE all of the sdcc exclusives but i think the deadfast ghoulia, valentine and whisp, and hexacaiah and robecca are all super good. 

18) How about Amazon exclusives?

ADULT DRACULAURA!!!! god i love her so much she really is so fucking gorgeous and i regret every day that i didnt buy her for like $50 when i got the chance. i do have like 2 of the skelita amazon exclusives tho 

19) Favorite Frankie Stein doll?

im gonna assume for all of these favorite doll questions that the sig look is out for the count bc i love the sigs so much lol. aaaanyway, her classroom look is SUPER cute. also sweet screams 

20) Favorite Draculaura doll?

sweet screams, original dead tired (her pigtails!!! so cute!!!), forbitten love/school’s out, roadster playset, i heart shoes, die-ner, art class (any time she has yellow automatically makes it a good doll), sweet screams, draculocker, monster exchange, maul monsteristas, amazon collector, gsr..... she really has so many amazing dolls 

21) Favorite Clawdeen Wolf doll?

dotd, sweet 1600, ghouls rule, 13 wishes, ghoul sports, fierce rockers

22) Favorite Cleo de Nile doll?

skull shore, student disembodied council, byby, gloom and bloom 

23) Favorite Lagoona Blue doll?

DOTD, school’s out, skull shores, 13 wishes, monster exchange

24) Favorite Ghoulia Yelps doll?

dead tired, dotd, deadfast, skull shores, dot dead gorgeous, scaris, scooter playset , sweet screams 

25) Favorite Spectra Vondergeist doll?

ghoul’s night out, maul monsteristas 

26) Favorite Abbey Bombinable doll?

ihf, sweet screams 

27) Favorite Venus McFlytrapp doll?

zombie shake, ihf, gloom and bloom, fierce rockers 

28) Favorite Rochelle Goyle doll?

DANCE CLASS, swim class, ghoul chat, haunted, fdc 

29) Favorite Operetta doll?

dot dead gorgeous, picture day, fca

30) Favorite Toralei Stripe doll?

ghoul sports, freaky field trip, fdc 

31) Favorite Jinafire Long doll?

gloom and bloom, fdc 

32) Favorite Skelita Calaveras doll?

scarnival, collector, 

33) Favorite Howleen Wolf doll?

HER ORIGINAL SIG WITH THE ORANGE AFRO!!!!! all of them are good tho, that one is just the absolute best without a doubt . 

34) Favorite Twyla Bogeyman doll?

fdc, coffin bean, new scaremester 

35) What do you do with your dolls? (Display them, take photos of them, etc)

i display them! occasionally i take pics, and sometimes i move them around, but they’re usually just displayed 

36) Is Monster High the only doll line you collect? Why or why not?

no, but it was the line that got me into collecting in the first place! i collect barbies, eah, dcshg, lalaloopsy, and so many more. basically, if i see a doll i like, i get it (if i have the funds to obviously). honestly i buy/collect anything i like ya know?

37) Do you still collect Monster High dolls? (i.e. scour the internet and/or secondhand stores?)

mmm... kind of? i thrift them when i see them, but i’m more into ooak dolls now tbqh. there are a few still on my list tho that i would love to buy, fuly complete and all that good stuff. 

38) There’s a lot of new Monster doll/toy lines out now: thoughts if any?

no real thoughts, because i cant think of any monster doll lines out rn? i mean, im sure there are some, i just cant think of them right now

39) And finally, what’s your favorite thing about Monster High? Can be past or present!

uhhhhh everywhere??? threir character designs, lore, the fact that in original preboot canon normies and monsters actually know about each other, the lore, the messages it put out about embracing your freaky flaws and all that. monster high is/was just. such a completely amazing and wonderful series. 

[cometcrystal]

monster high questionaire by @cryptoriascollectiblog!

1) Introduce yourself and tell us how long you’ve been collecting Monster High dolls!

im dott and ive been into mh since 2015 or thereabouts

2) How many MH dolls do you have?

roughly 150 something??? idk the exact number FDSJLKFS

3) Is Monster High your favorite doll line? Why or why not?

it absolutely is because i love the characters and the outfits. its the autism

4) Who’s your favorite MH ghoul?

cleo but yall know this

5) Favorite Manster?

deuce but yall also know this 

6) Do you own any dolls of your favorite ghoul and/or manster? How many?

yep i own almost every cleo doll, and every deuce doll! im only missing a few cleos and i have every deuce

7) Do you own any playsets? If so which one(s)? If not, is there a reason?

only one i own is astranova’s floaty one. i just dont have the space for em

8) Of the original main ghouls (including Ghoulia, Spectra and Abbey) which is your favorite? Got any dolls of them?

cleo and see above. but if i have to pick someone different, my fav is lagoona... i love her so much... ive got some dolls of hers but i was never as into her outfits sadly. i just love her character a lot

9) Favorite character with only one doll release?

i love porter and posea both to pieces. AND VANDALA

10) Character with too many dolls (in your opinion?)

draculaura but doesnt everyone think that. also amanita didn’t need a second doll. shes only got 2 dolls and thats still too many NFDSLKFSDDSKL especially if theyre gonna put her in a 2 pack with one of the people she left for dead

11) Any character you would’ve liked to see in a doll line that didn’t make it? (i.e. Lagoona in Sweet Screams or Draculaura in Power Ghouls, etc)

LITERALLY ANYONE in sweet screams. sweet screams is SUCH a good line. but you know what woulda been great? is a power ghouls cleo. or a collector’s edition cleo that’s the same grade as collector’s lala. cause i loooove the one we got but also i think a white linen dress would be awesome too. a 2 pack with collector’s deuce maybe

12) Any ideas you would’ve liked to see in a doll line?

i remember coming up w an idea for a series of couples 2 packs based around decades, like 20s cleuce, 70s twyleen, etc i woulda loved to see that but thats completely wish fulfillment 

13) Is there a “grail” MH doll for you? If so do you own it?

my grail was ihf cleo but i got her so at the moment? i haven’t rly got a grail mh doll. maybe gloom and bloom jina

14) Thoughts on the cancelled Ever After High crossover?

SO FUCKING HAPPY IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!!! it would have been bad. baaaad

15) Thoughts on the 2016 reboot faces?

most of em were pretty cute! i liked cleo’s! though they looked a bit wonky sometimes. and i dont like how they made clawdeen look more “white”

16) Thoughts on the 2016 “Monster Family” line?

horrid idea. horrid execution. the only good thing that came out of it was 1. my headcanon that fangelica is elissabat’s sister, not lala’s and 2. lux and pharrah are cleo’s cousins on her mom’s side. also sandy de nile does not fucking exist

17) How bout the SDCC exclusives? What was your favorite? Do you own any?

i think my fav is the deadfast ghoulia but i dont own her! i do own ghostbusters frankie tho and she’s a peach. OH AND I ALSO WANT HEXICIAH SO BAD

178) How about Amazon exclusives?

no clue what all the amazon exclusives were so im just going with collector’s lala cause i love her a lot anyway

19) Favorite Frankie Stein doll?

sweet screams or home ick. or haunt the casbah

20) Favorite Draculaura doll?

probably i heart shoes.....its so cyoot

21) Favorite Clawdeen Wolf doll?

school’s out, scaris, and haunt the casbah. haunt the casbah is just a good line ok.

22) Favorite Cleo de Nile doll?

DONT DO THIS TO ME!!! but boo york + gloom and bloom. and collector’s. and scaris

23) Favorite Lagoona Blue doll?

ghouls night out DEF

24) Favorite Ghoulia Yelps doll?

deadfast sdcc!! or dotd

25) Favorite Spectra Vondergeist doll?

hmmm honestly you can’t beat her sig look

26) Favorite Abbey Bombinable doll?

art class i love the simplicity

27) Favorite Venus McFlytrapp doll?

i heart fashion...god what a look

28) Favorite Rochelle Goyle doll?

haunted. ethereal bitch

29) Favorite Operetta doll?

i heart accessories cause thats SO rockabilly and i stan the ponytail

30) Favorite Toralei Stripe doll?

her sig look def

31) Favorite Jinafire Long doll?

gloom and bloom :pensive:

32) Favorite Skelita Calaveras doll?

hmmm i’d say art class! i love pink on her and her hair looks great

33) Favorite Howleen Wolf doll?

her sig look obv

34) Favorite Twyla Bogeyman doll?

her haunted doll is SO good

35) What do you do with your dolls? (Display them, take photos of them, etc)

display them...hold them... give em lil kisses on their heads

36) Is Monster High the only doll line you collect? Why or why not?

no but it’s the primary one! again its the autism

37) Do you still collect Monster High dolls? (i.e. scour the internet and/or secondhand stores?)

i dont really buy as many anymore since i got almost all the ones i wanted! but ill still look for them just to know theyre still around

38) There’s a lot of new Monster doll/toy lines out now: thoughts if any?

only one i can think of is super monsters (idk if thats the name) and once upon a zombie. toys are more Blind Bags now and less Monsters so please direct me towards the monsters

39) And finally, what’s your favorite thing about Monster High? Can be past or present!

honestly its the lore?? and the characters? mh would have still been my special interest if it was only a tv show/movie series, the dolls were just a bonus

[kyloscomet]

Hunting A Savior - three [remember.]

Warnings: swearing, blood, intimidation, seduction

Words: 5.5k

🌹 follow the story on Wattpad! 🌹 gif cred 🌹 Negan’s Trash

Tags:  @negans-network  @neganismyobsession @i-am-negan-trash @collette04 @iamstephanothecat @skylouise12 @fear-my-botany-powers @irhell @youll-all-get-yours @purplemuse89 @teamnegansaviors @ashzombie13 @devilgirlsarah @lets-jade-world @you-answer-to-me @genevievedarcygranger @arbrexo @adistantdreamer18  @julson1209  @princesa-spaghetti  @theremightbeblood  @onegirlwithalotofmind  @fleurhp @sweetsweetpeach @holyjeffreydeanmorgan 

A/N: hey ya’ll, sorry it took a while for this chapter to come out! I had a lot on my hands (still kinda do). I seriously thought about this chapter everyday bc it contains one of my favorite moments between Ness and Negan, you’ll see why. I’d like to give a special thanks to my editor @sweetsweetpeach! ily, Ry.💞 don’t forget to reblog/like to let me know your thoughts, and make sure you hit me up if you wanna be added to the taglist. my masterlist is in my bio, if you wanna check any of my other stuff out as well. well, much love and happy reading!💋

"No one really loves you until you're dead," he mumbled softly.

That's what Negan always believed. He sighed and scratched at the armrest of his chair, looking at the bed in front of him.

Vanessa lied there, sound asleep and unaware of his presence. Her skin was pale and her forehead had beads of sweat collecting by her hair. He sat forward a bit, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands, "People always take you for granted, treat you more like a liability."

He blinked, feeling guilt sink in.

"I didn't understand that until Luci was gone," he breathed, his hands squeezing together a little tighter. He hung his head low, feeling emotion well up in his stomach and he swallowed hard.

"I cheated on her; took her for granted," he said, "It was no goddamn secret that I was a piece of shit of a husband either," Negan sat back again, putting a foot up on her bed and sighing, his hand going up to rub his chin.

He swallowed softly and unconsciously shook his head, his eyes focused on the laces of his boots, "But you already knew that."

Negan looked out the window behind him at the sound of truck engines revving up. Black smoke from the exhaust pipes mixed into the humid morning air. He quickly reached over to shut it. Looking back at Ness he sighed, seeing her chest rise and fall as she breathed.

"Man," he whispered, "Fuck this."

Negan shook his head while clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut. This was all too familiar.

He grunted softly and stood, linking hands behind his neck and softly pulling down his elbows.

He glanced up at the ceiling, then down at her. The IV was in her arm, he could see the bruises and scratches she had received from being on the run. There were new marks he had never seen before too, new scars he had never touched. He knew they were from people because any scratch from a biter would have killed her.

This made Negan angry. He clenched his teeth, then quickly advanced towards the edge of the bed. He slammed his hands onto the mattress, allowing his upper body to hover over hers.

"This is your fault," he scowled, "You were supposed to stay with me; you fucking said you'd never leave, but you did, and now look at you."

"I was supposed to protect you." His jaw locked together then he forcefully stood. Her deep sleep stayed uninterrupted. He stood over her and grunted, running his hand through his hair.

The sun was rising. The room had a golden glow in it, the dark shadows of the window stretching on the walls and floors. Negan sighed and let out a frustrated whimper. He had gotten no sleep the night before.

He was extremely exhausted but he refused to leave her side. For him, this was probably the only time he'd have with her for a few days. When she wakes up, there's no way she's gonna wanna be around him. There were also some matters he had to attend to. Those didn't concern her, and they didn't need to. He needed to keep her as far away from them as possible.

Negan breathed, shaking the cobwebs from his mind, and pressed the button on his walkie. His eyes tightly shut.

His voice was deep and raspy from the exhaustion and from the brutality his neck had gotten the night before. Nonetheless, he spoke, "Good morning, shits, it's Negan. I hope you're all up, bright and early, ready to start the day. Now, before you get to your daily duties, I need one of you to bring two trays of food and some fresh clothes, from my room, down to the infirmary. Who's up for it?"

A few seconds passed before the walkie beamed to life with another voice, "On it, Sir. Anything specific on the trays?"

He looked over at the sleeping woman than blinked, bringing the walkie back to his mouth, "Make sure one has apple slices. They better be green."

"Sure thing. Have it there in thirty."

Negan put both hands on his hips and started to pace back and forth. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, before turning on his heels. The leader in him was awake before he was, getting ready to pull through the day's tasks.

His mind began to buzz through his exhaustion, going down the list of things that had to be done. He had to talk with his core group, and see how to fix the roamer yard. The dead were falling apart, causing them to roam away and leave the Sanctuary unprotected.

He had to visit one of the communities that they had just reeled in. It was a new group, and by what he was told, the place they had was big and well-fortified. Negan had tried to imagine a place with tall metal walls and a giant gate, but couldn't seem to piece it all together. He was on a 'gotta see it to believe it' mentality about the place.

Negan had a tough time cracking through to them, but with a few swings with Lucille and a threat with a hatchet, he was finally able to call their leader his.

The group in itself was a group of ruthless murderers, at least in his mind. They had swept through one of his outposts and had murdered over fifty of his sleeping followers.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't ever-so-slightly nervous when it all came down to it.

He opened his eyes and sighed once more.

There was a mirror on the wall just across from him, so he slowly went to it. His reflection was a lot different than he thought. Negan's breath quickened a bit as he saw the bruises on his neck.

His eyes focused on the red and purple ring around his throat, taking in each dot and splash of enclosed blood.

In one night, Vanessa had saved him and had also tried to kill him.

His mind flashed back and forth. He thought to when she saved him, her grunt echoing in his head, tainting his memories. The face of Annette's sunken eyes and pale skin blankly staring as she squeezed his neck, then collapsed right in front of him.

Then his mind flew back to right before she was put to sleep. Ness's face, angry and flowing with tears, her warm yet strong hand tightly holding his neck, trembling and sweating. Her face. So angry and spiteful. It reminded him of when they had first met.

"God...," he thought, "it's so clear." Negan released a soft breath.

He was just like everyone else in the world at the time; trying to survive in a world full of monsters, both the living and the dead.

Negan was traveling on his own. All surviving groups he had come across had died or gotten lost in the new world. He was cursed with having to stay alive and alone through it all.

He was walking through a suburban town, it was quaint and quiet. All the homes were family homes, rotting toys were littering the streets and yards. Identical trash cans were toppled over, their contents spilled on the sidewalks. The minivans and pickup trucks had deflated tires, busted windows, or hyphenated gas still sitting in the driveways. Blood splatters and rotting bodies were scattered around, their stench grasping at every fresh gust of wind that blew. He strode through, watching his surroundings and holding his trusty baseball bat in front of him. He had a gun in the back of his waistband. It was bulletless.

Negan wore a green flannel and black jeans. He also had a burgundy sweater, it was wrapped around his waist, and it read "Alan's Used Cars" on the left side of the chest. He carried a backpack that had some useful items he had scavenged over the past couple of days. There were some tomatoes he had stumbled upon in a backyard in his pack, as well as a can of water chestnuts and an empty bottle. He also had a knife in there, it was dull and its handle was coming loose.

A small home stuck out to him. It had a white picket fence, a doll and tricycle in the yard, and matching shutters all around the windows. There was no car in the driveway, which meant whoever had lived there had either left during the first days or they were still in the house, as roamers and the car was stolen. There were two roamers stuck to the picket fence, both stabbed in the abdomen and unable to get out. Negan decided to leave them there. He didn't want to waste his energy on roamers that were no potential harm to him.

Someone else could deal with them.

He opened the front gate and both roamers reached out to him, snarling and growling.

"Shut up," he mumbled, slamming the gate shut behind him. He walked to the yard and did a perimeter check first. The backyard had a small playset and a sandbox, as well as a grill that was filled with twigs and leaves. He noticed no stains or brokenness in the area, just decay. All was clear.

He then peered through each of the windows. There was no sign of person or roamer that he could see. If they were upstairs, all he had to do was open one room at a time, and hope the family didn't decide to spend their last waking moments cuddled in bed. That image made his stomach turn.

Negan then climbed up the short stairway and tried the door. It opened.

He raised his bat, slowly opening the door with his foot. He knocked on the door frame, then whistled softly. Nothing came about.

One thing he had learned was that the roamers were attracted by sound and light.

Negan slowly walked his way in, shutting the door softly behind him. There was a quiet ringing in his ear. The home was completely silent.

There was no thudding or dragging of feet, no growling or scratching on wood. He swallowed. Although it was quiet, it didn't mean there wasn't something in the house.

He slowly walked around the first floor, covering the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, and a small playroom. He would scavenge later.

He then made his way upstairs. He still held his bat tightly, as he peeked his head onto the second floor. He saw no bodies or feet in the hallway, which was good. It was late afternoon, so the home wasn't well lit. He had to really keep his eyes peeled and his ears on alert.

He tiptoed up the stairs. All the doors were shut.

He whistled again, waiting for any of the doors to begin rattling.

None did.

He whistled again, this time hitting his fist on each of the rooms, there were three in total all and a bathroom.

Still nothing. He listened to each door individually.

Nothing.

Negan suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He sank against a wall and sighed a bit, putting his bat down next to him.

His hand reached up to his hair, where he ran his fingers through. Looking up he softly mumbled, "Thank you."

He had been on his own for nearly a month. Every night, wherever he found to rest his head, was almost always interrupted by some hungry, dead, smelly bastard with rotting skin. He swallowed hard and looked down the stairs, remembering he still had to scavenge the home.

He wanted to choose his room first. He put his pack by the stairs and went to the first door.

Inside was a bright pink room, with stars, flowers, and toys everywhere. The bed was small and covered in dolls. There was a rainbow border around the walls, and giant dollhouse by the window, which was dressed in white curtains.

"What the fuck," he mumbled. He shook his head and shut the door.

The next room he entered was exactly the same, but instead of pink, it was littered covered in purple.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he thought, and he shook his head again, shutting the door. He then opened the third door.

As it creaked open, he saw his reflection in a mirror. He cringed.

If Santa Clause was skinny and had just trekked through a barren wasteland for a month, then Negan would be the spitting image.

There was a large bed, vanity, dresser, and even a bathroom. He sighed with relief, and jumped on the bed. It smelled dusty and he could see the particles fly in the air, but to him, that was heaven.

His whole body relaxed and he could feel the tension in his muscles soothe. He didn't want to get too comfortable though.

He rolled off and stood on his feet, looking out the window.

The two roamers were still stuck to the fences, and there were three others walking the street. He just had to stay quiet and he would be safe for the night.

The next couple of hours Negan secured the home. He barricaded the front and back doors, he scavenged the home. There were multiple water bottles in the kitchen and he put them all on the counter. Negan took a seat in the living room, ate a tomato and drank an entire water bottle. He counted seven of them.

He watched through the bay window that looked out from the living room and onto to the street. Roamers were walking by as if he didn't exist. That was a good thing. The dead on the fence lost his scent and just stayed there.

When he finally decided he was ready to sleep, he trotted upstairs with his bat, and went into the master bedroom. Once inside, he pushed the dresser against his door.

"Can never be too safe," he murmured to himself. He realized that he had yet to look around this room himself.

Negan dug around the drawers, finding clothes around his size. He put on new pants and a new, clean white shirt that he found. There were some matches and candles, as well as a bottle of whiskey hidden in the closet. He gave a silent cheer and opened the bottle, taking a swig.

"Oh, baby, I missed this," he thought. Negan then lit a small candle and sat on the bed, looking out the window and down to the street. He took another sip of his alcohol.

He watched closely as some roamers turned and began walking the other direction, down towards where Negan had came from. He scrunched his eyebrows.

"Maybe a raccoon," he thought. He took another drink. He turned to get a better look down that way, and what he saw was someone slicing the roamers left and right. He couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but they were quick on their feet, chopping multiple at once with their weapon. Then, he noticed there were three of them. He blew out his candle and ducked, putting the bottle of whiskey on a nightstand.

He gazed at the three people as they continued to fight. He shook his head.

"Not my problem," he said, grabbing the whiskey and beginning to chug it. The bitter liquid slid down his throat like a snake, and coated his throat and stomach. He burped lightly, and then drank the last sip. He licked his lips and put the bottle back on the nightstand.

Negan hesitantly slid his shoes off before climbing onto the bed, trying to get comfortable.

His bat was on the floor, his empty gun on the nightstand, and a brand new knife he had found in the kitchen was on the pillow next to him. He looked up to the dresser he had placed in front of the door. If anything was going to come in, he would know before it or they could get to him.

He turned over on his side and released a shaky breath.

It was silent now, so the roamers must've gotten them. Negan swallowed and shook his head, and let his mind wander.

"Should've helped them. That's what Lucille would've done."

"Oh, Luci," he mumbled. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his cheeks.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

His heartbeat jumped.

Negan quickly sat up, looking around the room. There was scrapping of furniture downstairs, and the front door slammed shut.

More scrapping furniture.

He grabbed the bat in one hand and took the gun in another. He quietly picked up the dresser, moving it from the door.

Negan's heartbeat accelerated in speed. He was sweating and his hands trembled. He was scared of what'd he see behind the door.

He rested his ear on it, trying to make out what was happening.

"Put it back, put it back!"

Feet scrambled around and more furniture was dragged across the groundfloor.

Negan slowly opened the door and peeked through its the crack, looking down the stairs at the front door.

"Do you think they'll follow us?"

"Probably, but, if we stay quiet in here, they'll go."

"The fence might block them off too."

As far as Negan could tell in the darkness, there were two women, both were carrying backpacks. They were breathing heavily and whispering to one another. Negan gulped as he listened and watched.

"What are we gonna do about these supplies? June needs them, Ness."

A male voice. There was a third person. Negan grew nervous, knowing he couldn't take down three people on his own. He now felt stuck, unsure if he should reveal himself or hide.

"I know, but we can't go out there. Not now," the woman he assumed was Ness replied. She looked out the window and shook her head.

"Yeah, there's no way," she said, "They're all over the fence."

"How many?"

"20, maybe? I know we can get them if we stay behind the fence but, we've been out for two days."

The other woman sighed and looked at the man. He hung his head.

"It'll be clear by morning. At first light, we leave," Ness said.

There was no reply from the other two, so Negan guessed that they had agreed.

For Negan, this was a problem. He was a stranger, they were strangers. They could be cannibals for all he knew; he had ran into a couple of those along the way. He had to do something, and quick.

"Okay," said the second woman, "So, what do we do in the meantime?"

She was standing a little ahead of the man, and they were both facing their leader.

"Do what we always do," she said, placing her pack on the ground, "Clear, search, scavenge. Whatever you find, bring back here."

The other two nodded, placed down their packs, and lifting their weapons. The leader swallowed hard and looked up those stairs. Holding a machete, and placing loaded a revolver on the back of her waistband, she tiptoed up the stairs.

Negan cursed under his breath and shut the door, scrambling around.

"Closet."

He instructed his feet to move inside and shut it.

Minutes later, the bedroom door opened and the woman walked in.

She was shivering and sweating with every step. Negan watched her through the blinds of the closet door.

She was short. Her hair was curly and wild, there was nothing that could tame it. He could hear her breathing heavily. He watched her nervously, the bulletless gun still in his veiny hands, and the bat in one of his belt loops.

She walked with the machete in front of her, like a sword. Her eyes scanned each inch of that bedroom, looking for any movement. She saw nothing.

A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she swallowed deeply. Still looking in front of her, she slowly lowered the weapon and blinked. She looked over at how the dresser was moved slightly, but thought not much of it.

The people of this world did a lot strange things when it ended. She had seen way more than a misplaced dresser.

She went over to the window and looked down to the front yard. Two more dead ones had added themselves to the picket fence. She scoffed.

"Don't move."

The click of a chamber, the heavy breathing of a human being.

The woman's heart jumped and she sucked in a quick breath. Adrenaline shot through her body as she looked to her right with her eyes alone.

"Put the machete down, and put the gun on the bed."

Negan was shaking as he pointed the gun at her head. This act of defence was all a bluff, and if she figured it out, he was screwed.

The woman swallowed and held her hands up, as she slowly turned towards the mattress. She got a good look at her captor, in the moonlight, and she clenched her teeth.

The man in front of her was taller than her. She could hear in his voice that he had some rest prior to her being there, so she knew his strength would overpower her. The woman's eyes held his gaze as she put the machete down and went behind her, pulling out the revolver.

"Is that all that's on you?" he forcefully whispered to her.

She nodded slowly, her hands still above her. She never broke the eye contact.

"The people with you... there's only two of them right?" Negan's voice was shaking.

She picked up on his insecurities.

"Yes."

"What weapons do they have?"

The woman swallowed.

"Nate has two loaded Glocks and a knife in his back pocket," she paused, catching her breath, "Belle has a shotgun but, it's attached to her bag. She's clearing the house with a crowbar."

Negan nodded. He needed that. Hell, he needed all of their weapons. He took in a deep breath and went to speak, but then, he heard footsteps come closer to him. When he turned his head, the barrel of a shotgun was staring him in the face. He shivered.

"Put it down, now."

It was Nate. As Negan's eyes grew wide, the woman snatched the gun from his hands and threw her leg up, kicking him in the abdomen. Negan grunted loudly crashing into the closet door, his weight breaking its wooden blinds. He held his stomach while he struggled for air, she had knocked it out of him. Nate followed his body as it fell and began to squirm, and the woman checked the weapon.

"Shit's empty," she scoffed. Nate shook his head.

She threw it across the floor and grabbed her loaded revolver. Getting down to his level, she kneeled and placed the nuzzle underneath his chin. The cold metal froze Negan's skin and he swallowed hard.

Sweat ran down his spine and he started quaking.

"I don't like killing the living," the woman said. Her head tilted. Negan's words stumbled out of his mouth, and he had his hands up.

"I-I-I-I was just trying to protect myself, I didn't mean to scare you-"

The woman put the bullet in place and tilted her head again. He jolted backwards in fear and making Nate chuckle.

"Hey! Whoa! I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I'm sorry, I just didn't know who you were," he loudly whispered to the both of them. Any noise, at all, would most likely draw all the roamers deeper into their safe space. Any more pressure on that fence and it could give out. Even he didn't want to risk that.

"Who are you?" The woman's eyebrows scrunched and her toes curled. She drew her face closer to this man's, intimidating him with every breath she took.

Negan gulped and looked her in the eyes. They shook back and forth, looking from her to Nate, then to the door, knowing there was a third person.

Negan quakingly said his own name. The woman in front of him studied him for a second more.

"Negan," she repeated, "Where are you from?"

"Virginia. I've been roaming around since it all started," he answered her again, this time with a bit more confidence.

"Have you been in other groups?"

Negan hesitated. Revealing what happened to all of them could kill his chances with these people. His eyes bounced back and forth from Nate's barrel and to the woman's face. The moonlight was coming through the room, and his eyes adjusted. The woman in front of him was beautiful.

"Answer me!" she demanded. Nate put his gun up to Negan's head, breathing in deeply.

"They're all dead or missing," Negan said nervously.

"How'd they die?"

Many at his expense. He got sudden flashbacks on how some of the people died, specifically the ones he favored, and he swallowed hard.

"Same fucking way everyone else does," he said through his teeth. The woman gritted her teeth and looked down a bit, thinking. She then looked up, her face had grown stern.

"Look," she started, pushing the gun to his throat, "Try anything, and I'll tie your limbs together and toss you to the fucking biters out there. You do as I say and don't say a damn word unless it means we're all in danger or," she paused, looking into his eyes with suspicion, "if it involves me. Understand?"

Negan calmly nodded, and the woman looked at Nate.

Nate felt a little less convinced with the stranger, but he trusted his leader's judgment. She had let strangers in, in the past, and all of them were still alive and were well-working members of their group. He knew Ness knew what she was doing.

The woman nodded at Negan and she swallowed her pride, pulling the gun from his neck, and standing. She pointed it down at him.

"Stand," she commanded. Negan did as he was told and she nodded at Nate. He pulled out a zip tie from his pocket and took Negan's arms. He tied them behind his back and Negan glared at the woman.

She looked back at him, a sparkle in her eye. The woman in his sights was no ordinary person. She was reading him just by the items he had and by the movements he made. She turned into the room and grabbed all his things.

Nate started pushing Negan towards the door and Ness followed behind.

As they walked downstairs, Belle was standing in the living room, searching through a drawer under the television's mantle. She straightened her back and saw a new face in the reflection of the screen. Quickly grabbing the crowbar in her belt loop, she spun around. Her hands squeezed tightly at the metal tool.

Then she saw Nate and Ness.

"He was hiding upstairs," Ness said.

Still in shock, she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the new living, breathing, human being in the room.

"Wha-well, he's not staying, is he, Vanessa?"

"For now he is," Nate replied, "Did you clear?"

"Yes," she replied, confusingly watching as they placed Negan in a chair. She stared at the man who was more beard than face. Her eyebrows came together in curiosity.

Negan took a deep breath, uncomfortable yet intrigued by her gaze. He shifted in his seat and looked down, listening to the people around him.

"Go through each room and pull out whatever you think might be useful," Ness said, "Bring it all down here and we'll inventory in the morning. There's only a couple hours of darkness left so, be quick. We gotta sleep."

She walked over to the windows and started shutting the curtains. Nate pulled out a lantern and a box of matches. Belle grabbed a messenger bag that was resting on the ground, and she slung it over her shoulder. Before trotting upstairs, she gave one last stare to the stranger in the chair.

"I've got him," Ness said, glancing at the dark-haired girl. She tied her long hair into a ponytail, then started her way up the stairs. Ness was pushing the blinds shut and lining them with duct-tape. It was completely dark for a few seconds, then a spark lit in the center of the room.

A warm orange light filled the room, shadows starting to dance all around them. Negan looked up and smelled the burning match in the air. He looked quickly between Nate and Ness, finally getting a good look at the both of them.

"I'm gonna take another look around," Nate said to Vanessa. She nodded and told him to be careful. He then went up the stairs.

Negan sat in complete silence. His thoughts were running a marathon, as he questioned whether he wanted to stay with these people or not. He wondered where his bat was and also wondered if these people were worth behaving for. He looked around at what he could take from them, and at what benefits he could get by staying with them. Either way, he needed their trust. Pushing his thoughts away, he looked up and observed the woman in the room.

She pulled a stale cigarette from a broken up carton, and stuck it in the flame of the lantern. She took a drag of it and held it between her lips. She was looking down at the bags they had previously brought in, and squatted down to the floor to rummage through one. Negan followed her every movement and calculated each of her steps. She was a woman of authority, he could read it all over her. She stood protectively, her hands were bruised and scarred from the brutal survival of this world. He wondered how big their actual group was, and where their camp was set up.

He watched her hips as she walked around the couch and to a small wooden box that was sitting on a side table. She could feel his gaze and she looked at him.

"See something you like?" she asked. She turned her body towards him and Negan licked his lips. She took in her cigarette once more, and slowly walked towards him, blowing the smoke in his face.

He hadn't had a cigarette in months, he was trying to quit. But the heat of that smoke caused him to inhale, taking in each chemical. He felt his mind buzz as he opened his eyes.

Aroused, he moved his face closer to hers, as she rested her hands on the armrests of the chair he was in. Her chest hung low and he took in every curve of her. He wished he was loose, so he could wrap his hands around her, so he could feel her. It had been a while since he was able to do that with any woman.

Negan's hands started to sweat and his legs quaked, as she put one hand on his shoulder, using her fingers to guide his head closer to hers. They locked eyes as she twirled his hair around her fingers. He stared at her lips and took in the feeling of his heartbeat speeding up. She took another drag of her smoke and blew out.

Negan's mouth salivated at the thought of simply being so close to her, he couldn't imagine what would happen to him if she even slightly laid her lips on his skin. The thought in itself gave him chills, and his toes curled. His eyes started to droop, getting ready, as she grew closer and closer.

Then, in a calm and swift movement, she took the butt of the cigarette and pushed it to Negan's neck. He shouted at the sudden pain.

Her left hand flew up and grabbed his hair, getting a tight and painful grip.

"Not everyone can have what they want," she said through her teeth. She pushed his head back and stepped back, throwing the cigarette on the ground. Glaring into his eyes she crushed it under her foot, letting him know that he wasn't going to cross her, and that he'd never even try.

He felt dizzy as he got whipped from his trance.

"Negan, we've got a situation in block C."

The walkie on his hip buzzed alive and Negan opened his eyes, looking at himself again.

A cold breeze blew down his spine as he was yanked into reality. The memory had came to a halt.

He scowled and pulled up the radio, squeezing the button.

"What is it now?"

He never broke eye contact with himself.

"Domestic dispute, sir," said the man on the other side, "Some guy just hit his wife. He doesn't want to comply."

Negan grunted, turning from the mirror to forcefully grab Lucille.

"Handle it until I get there," Negan said through gritted teeth. He walked towards the door and opened it. He paused, looking back at Ness.

The woman he knew was someone he looked up to in ways no one could understand. He just hoped that the woman he knew was still in there.

[excujimin]

for a flame as bright as you - jungkook scenario

when they’re 5, it’s a sticker. 

jungkook childhood friends!au

i.

when they’re 5, it’s a sticker.

a vibrant orange charizard that spit fire when tilted this way and that. it was part of a set but the dragon had always been her favorite so she asked her mom to cut it out for her to bring because it’s the specialest one.

her beloved pokémon didn’t get as much recognition as she was so certain it would, however. at least, not until she brought the image to life with a flick of her wrist. even then the most she got was one or two awed expressions, while the rest ‘ooh-ed’ and 'aww-ed’ albeit half heartedly, attention having long since wandered back to their brand new toy trucks and barbie dolls.

still, what she got was a lot better than the rambunctious laughter one wide-eyed boy’s five little fingers received because it was show-and-tell, but all he really did was tell.

it’s during the last few minutes of recess that she finds him sitting underneath the old metal slide (everyone liked the new playset much better), a broken “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” pencil sitting in his hands.

he eyes her wearily, but she smiles so big and bright he has to squint, and she’s talking so fast he almost doesn’t understand her. he barely makes out how five is cool cause it’s one whole hand, and how she’s only four and three quarters still, when suddenly there’s a blue eyed charizard in one of his hands and small fingers laced through the other as he’s dragged back across the playground and into the school.

“you take good care of him, ok?”

ii.

when they’re 10, she’s at a loss.

because that’s two digits. one digit above her own that he will never let her live down. it’s gotta be a good one, a big one, because you only ever turn ten once.

he doesn’t fail to make her life any harder, switching subjects faster than he switches gears on his new car game when she asks him what he’d like. it’s only when she threatens him with tears that he gives her something.

“what?”

“yeah. mom’s always going on about how I need to be more responsible like hyung and blah, blah, blah. so.”

“you want me to get you responsibility?”

he shrugs, tossing her a playstation controller.

she spends the week leading up to september 1st wandering around town with a pocket full of her life savings in hopes of stumbling across The Gift (silently praying for it to be within her embarrassingly low price range). but it’s on the day before his birthday, sprinting around town radiating all her panic, that she sees it. something that looks a lot like responsibility.

jungkook is ecstatic when his present opens on its own, a scruffy little ball of white fur popping out of the very loosely wrapped box.

he has her under his arm in less than a second (it’s easier now that he’s taller), ruffling her hair as he holds both best friend and new pet to his chest. his mom’s already going on about the big R-word and how he’d need a lot of it to be able to keep the thing, but the obvious gleam in her eye says she, along with the rest of the family, has completely fallen for the literal fluffy ball of sunshine rolling about the floor.

iii.

when they’re 15, it’s a video call.

because he’s got a brand new laptop (courtesy to her persuasion of his very reluctant parents), and because he’s a little too far from home. she has her own positioned in a way he could see out her window, where the stars were. he said he missed seeing those.

she stifles a yawn, knowing for a fact he’s infinitely more tired than her. it’s some ungodly hour of the night, because that’s all the time he seems to have to himself now, and because she still wanted to be the first one to greet him, even if they were miles and miles apart.

“you’re tired.” he chuckles, shaking his fringe from his eyes as he shifts the laptop from his lap to the space beside him.

she shakes her head, sitting up so fast she cracks her back.

“not as tired as you.” she points out, and it’s true.

there are blue-ish rings under his eyes (“nice bags, gucci?” “shut up.”) and she can see pain relief patches on his shoulders through the thin cotton of his t-shirt and (she tuts at) the poorly concealed bruise on his arm. still, his eyes are as bright as ever, even paired with his sleepy, burnt out little smile.

“lay down with me.”

she makes a face at his choice of words, thanking every deity out there that her camera quality paled in comparison to his, because her cheeks were on fire.

“way to be a creep, kookie.”

he grimaces at the old nickname for a second, but laughs as she makes herself comfortable, pulling the sheets so far up all he could see were her eyes.

“I miss you.”

she crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him in mock disgust, but is quick to whisper those same three words, plus a little extra, when she’s absolutely sure he’s fallen asleep.

(he hasn’t).

iv.

she tugs nervously at her ponytail, brushing back long strands that stubbornly frame her face, fixing the bow that doesn’t need to be fixed. he’ll understand right? I’m sure he will.

she’s been hidden away for the time being, in an empty practice room the trainees used.

she wonders if he used this room once upon a time, and she sees him. all graceful movements, rough movements, smooth movements. he’s everywhere. scattered across the floor, heaving against the wall, glaring at the mirror. she sees the passion he claims he’d be dead without, because he’s nothing without it.

(but he’s so, so much more.)

the bangtan members are sweet, checking up on her from time to time, updating her on the maknae’s seemingly sour mood that they just know is due to the one birthday greeting he still hasn’t gotten. typical baby jungkook. it only makes their Grand Plan all the more exciting. (she knows they’re hoping he cries).

jimin visits the most and stays the longest, and she quickly understands why he’s secretly jungkook’s favorite hyung. they’re all very kind, but maybe it’s the familiarity between them that adds that extra bit of comfort within him. she thinks maybe jimin reminds jungkook a little bit of home.

“jungkook gets homesick sometimes too, y'know.”

“yeah?”

“well.. sorta.”

she looks at the boy questioningly, and he suddenly looks a bit too sheepish, as if he’s said too much.

“it’s more like… for one particular person.”

he can’t elaborate any further, and she can’t force him to, because hoseok’s all but broken through the door in his excitement, an eternally sleepy yoongi in tow - dainty custom-ordered cake in hand.

“it’s time.”

she’s not the first thing he notices, too busy watching amusedly at all his hyungs antics as they enter the room with extra bright smiles and extra loud cheers, but when he does, she’s all he sees. and as cheesy, and overused as that may sound, it’s true.

someone turned off the lights and she was holding the cake, shy smile illuminated by all his seventeen candles.

it takes him a while to blow out all the candles without spitting all over the nicely decorated cake, and when the lights come on again it’s just the two of them.

“you sure went all out this year,” he chuckles, eyeing the pretty red ribbon tied neatly around her hair.

she hums, setting down the cake to pull a party hat over his head with a gentle snap. her hands are kind of shaking but if he notices (he does), he doesn’t say anything.

“you get what you wished for?”

he’s beaming now and all at once he’s five, ten, fifteen, and seventeen. fingers laced through fingers (he feels like he’s running), warm bodies pressed tight against his chest (it might explode), whispered confessions in the dead of night (but he’s so alive) - he tugs lightly on the almost pristine little bow.

“think so.”

(when they’re 17, it’s a promise).

something I wrote for jungkook’s birthday two years back, reposted from my previous writing blog (ji-moji) ♡