#rewrite id later
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scraps
#friends at the table#sangfielle#m leopold duvall#meyer leopold duvall#my art#traditional#traditional art#watercolour#watercolor#sketches#ballpoint pen#insects#fanart#at some point i will post more art i am just. soup for brains. brain is soup.#all sketchbook pages no big finished stuff#rewrite id later#someone remind me to update the id with the scale on the bottom left
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THE transfem strong sad experimental film analysis. i have more things to say but i didn't feel like making a second image
[image description: a page of various screenshots from the music video for experimental film by they might be giants with blocks of text outlining a potential transgender reading into the visuals for strong sad from homestar runner. end id]
#not sure how to do the id for this one without explaining every little detail............#may rewrite it later if i feel i can give a description that is both informative but not super long#doc talks#homestar runner#h*r#strong sad#they might be giants
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The same scene, written one year apart(increased batman/batfam knowledge and increased writing skill):
“I’ve changed a lot Bruce.” Jason growled, looking away. “But not where it matters,” Bruce returned softly, taking a cautious step forward. His hand brushed Jason’s chest. “Not in here.”
“I’ve changed Bruce.” Jason snapped, brows drawn together in anger because why couldn’t he just understand that Jason wasn’t his little boy anymore? He wasn’t… who Bruce wanted him to be. “Maybe,” Bruce admitted quietly, and Jason had to look away, silver lining his eyes because- because well he hadn’t expected Bruce to agree. He hadn’t expected it to hurt that much. But Bruce wasn’t finished. His fingertips brushed Jason’s chest, and Jason turned to look at him. “But not in here,” Bruce said softly, eyes so blue and so earnest. “Not where it matters.”
#just thought id share#its crazy how much more i added the second time#read it#and decided to rewrite#but like#read it once#and then hours later rewrote in my head#so obvi i didnt really remember much#and so its obvi a lil different#anyway#contrast#batfam#batman#bruce wayne#jason todd#batman and robin#red hood
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[ ooc ]
pssst....did you know its this blog's 1 month anniversary ??? ( technically, its the 29th but...february has no 29th so march 1st will count shhhhh )
i just wanted to say, i can neverrrr put into words how much i appreciate every interaction, ask, like, reblog, comment, ect ect on this blog !!!!
this was my first time actually doing an askblog/rp blog, let alone roleplaying since i was 12 or so probably, and i am stilll to this day insanely suprised how far this blog has gotten in only a month ??? like, i dont care for numbers this is tumblr, but im only 11 followers away from 100 ?? its insane that nearly 100 people like this silly little blog ??
quite honestly i made this blog impulsively because of the green & blue blogs, i had no idea what id do with it, and honestly thats the fun in it for me !!! this blog has made me LOVE improv storytelling honestly it is so fun to do !!! :D
in only a month red has given out government cats, illegally got a corndog, joe mama'ed rocketcorp, been to fortnite, had ruben take over their blog, miss their friends, crashout so many times, go to minecraft, lose ruben, get shot by a skeleton, get bullied by anons, get drugged by anon peer pressure, and be taken care of by anons and probably more because this is all by memory lmaoo
AND THATS INSANE TO ME???? so again, i may be really sappy alot but i literally appreciate everything soso much !! you've guys made this soooo fun for me and its only ongoing :3
#[ ooc ]#i kept rewriting this cause i kept getting too sappy and personal in the tags so ill sum up my tag yap-athon i originally had LMAO#but tldr i used to have a different avam blog (its not hard to find expecially with our earlier artstyle)#but id rather not directly mention it yet but anyways i was rlly socially anxious and barely interacted with anyone#-> then abandoned that to focus on my own art & self project im still working on#-> then missed being in the avam community so thus i made solariex months later#except i stepped out of my comfort zone and told myself i WOULDN'T be socially anxious & ill interact with people more#thus what led to me making the red blog despite it hugely being outside my comfort zone#& how the red blog helped me appreciate my art more by not worrying about making perfect doodles and just making sure i get the idea/concep#instead of it being perfect !! (although during red's cave arc i went back to that but shh im working on it)#and how ive had off days but this blog & interacting with sooo many cool people has made me feel immensely better :3#because before all this i didnt have any friends who were in the avam fandom like how i was !!#<- thats still alot but the og ramble hit the tag limit SO LMAO </3#but yeah i appreciate you guys immensely !! :3#alsooo im about to go out to dinner w/ my family and then ill post more when im back btww hehehe >:3
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Metru Nui Archives data log 36012: The Head
Log author: Spiritual Researcher Vizuna
The Head, as it wishes to be called, is, well, a head. Specifically the head of a Class-02 Toa, or maybe Class-03? I'll have to ask Surgical Director Gogot after I've finished writing this, then I'll put it as an addendum.
The Head was... challenging to deal with. It litters its speech with profanity (which, for professionalism purposes, has been expunged from this data log), threatened the lives of both me and my colleagues (though these threats appeared to be empty based on its lack of any limbs or weapons), and claims to have once been one of the few Toa to ever come from Xia, though as my... interview with it (and subsequent research) indicates, it is mostly lying about this.
The following is an audio-to-text transcript of my attempt at inverviewing The Head:
Vizuna: Apologies for taking so long. I couldn't find my archival tablet, so I had to borrow the Chief Archivist's one. Now, how did you get into this state? The Head: Wanna find out, [EXPLETIVE DELETED]? Vizuna: I admire your attempts to threaten me, but they won't work. Answer the question, please. The Head: Ran into an... old friend, see. Tried to kill me, but couldn't finish the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] job, not for lack of trying... Vizuna: I see. What do you mean by that? The Head: Eh, it'd take too [EXPLETIVE DELETED] long to explain, and I'd have to repeat myself. Especially since you [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Le-Matoran don't even seem to remember what [EXPLETIVE DELETED] colours you're meant to have. Vizuna: Why y- [SLOW INHALE] I am not a Le-Matoran. I am a Bo-Matoran. You should know the difference; you are... were a Toa of Air. Right? The Head: What the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] are you talking about? How would you know that? Vizuna: Your eyes are... red, but now I look at them, they're not... they're not the same as... The Head: Yeahhhhhh, now you're starting to [EXPLETIVE DELETED] get it. Vizuna: ... This interview is over. I need to check something.
Now, those who don't know about Matoran mythology may not be aware of Shadow Toa; powerful, illusiory constructs that a Makuta can manifest, though very little is known of them, as they are rarely used.
The only source I have access to that describes a Shadow Toa is an ancient text, written in ancient Matoran, which contains the following passage that I have partially translated into modern Matoran, with any words that have multiple definitions having both listed: "Be Toa's eyes as the setting suns, moreso than capricious Le or [steadfast/durable] Fe, armour dark, then ally is Toa not; for is instead illusion from cruel Kra. Only ceases after confront truest [self/friend]."
Translating this fully into modern Matoran is difficult due to the ambiguity in the grammar and certain words having multiple definitions, but I gave it a try because why not: "If a Toa's eyes are bright red, moreso than the pinkish-red of a Toa of Air or the reddish-orange of a Toa of Iron, with dark armour, then they are not an ally; they are instead an illusion from cruel Shadow." The next section is a bit more ambiguous; it could mean "It immediately ceases to exist when it is confronted by its true self", or "It can only be killed by a close friend", or maybe some combination or rearrangement of those. Maybe something else. Who knows?
But what I want to note is that part about red eyes and dark armour. The Head has eyes that match that description perfectly, and while it lacks any armour or a mask, the metal it is made out of does look darker than usual, at least compared to what I've seen from the few Toa I have met, which makes me wonder if The Head is, in fact, a Toa of Shadow.
Before I move onto the next section, I also need to address something interesting that last line. Both interpretations point to Shadow Toa being based on existing Toa; "truest self" could refer to the one that it was recreated from, while "truest friend" could refer to another Toa who is particularly close to them. Which means that The Head could have been based on an actual Toa from Xia, though I didn't want to deal with the Xian council's excessive bureaucracy just to access a list of registered Toa with no clue which one The Head was copying. This will come up again later.
Getting back on track, since I had an example of a rare phenomenon in my possession, I decided to try giving it a soul-scan to see what I could learn.
Souls are a form of elemental and life essence, generated in the cerebral crystals (also known referred to with the more casual term "brainstalks") of most beings and transported throughout the body via elemental conduits. Souls also what give eyes, cerebral crystals and heartlights their distinctive glow, though the actual colour of said glow comes from the surrounding protodermic biomineral that those components are made out of, which tints the otherwise blindingly white soul-light; even De-Matoran and Toa of Sonics, with their white biominerals, have their soul-light filtered slightly to make their eyes, cerebral crystals and heartlights glow to a lesser degree than if they were isolated.
Souls are comprised of six different "pieces", which affect the shape and appearance of the soul and the being it belongs to; they are Unity, Duty, Destiny, Light, Darkness and Element. The first three obviously relate to the being's connections to the Three Virtues; Light and Shadow have unknown purposes at time of writing, though it appears to have some correlation with the being's personality, as Matoran destined to become Toa usually have higher Light, and Makuta naturally have higher Darkness.
So I put The Head in the soul scanner (it tried to resist, but the most it could do was try to bite my fingers), activated the scanning mode, and went back to my office to water my plants and rearrange my tablets while I waited for the scan to finish.
As soon as I saw the results, I knew that I had to download them to the archival tablet so I could include an image of them here, because they would have been too bizarre to be believable, but it also undoubtably proves my hypothesis of what The Head is.
The Head somehow has 0 Unity, Duty, Destiny or Light, but its Darkness is so high it caused an overflow. This thing is (was?) definitely a Shadow Toa.
Now that I had this evidence at its true origin, I was ready to re-confront it, along with a secret weapon...
The Head: Oh good, the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] finally decided to give me the attention I [EXPLETIVE DELETED] deserve. Vizuna: Yeah, yeah, let's cut to the chase. I know what you are. The Head: [EXAGERRATED GASP] Oh noooooo, you managed to [EXPLETIVE DELETED] figure out "what I really am". You guessed it earlier; I'm a [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Makuta, and I am to be [EXPLETIVE DELETED] feared! Vizuna: You're a Shadow Toa, based on a Toa from the island of Xia. You were struck down in battle, but managed to survive as a damaged head due to not being defeated properly. The Head: Wait, how did you f- Vizuna: A combination of ancient writings, and a summary of your soul's construction. And to further prove it, I brought this. The Head: A [EXPLETIVE DELETED] mask? What's that going to do? Vizuna: It'll let me know who'll get the privilege of shutting you up for good.
At this point, I ran out of audio-recording space on the tablet (sorry about that, Etoku; I replaced the memory module before returning it to you), but when I put the mask on The Head, it turned dark-grey, so I will be requesting access to the Xian council's list of registered Toa and looking for any Toa of Ice or Sonics.
Now, a lot of fellow spiritual researchers might hate me for what I am about to say, but I am going to destroy it, because there's a lot that we're going to learn from how it reacts to being exposed to its original
Artifact information:
Categories: Living, Supernatural
Current location: External Warehouse 7434-B, "To Be Destroyed" section.
End of log.
Addendum by Spiritual Researcher Vizuna: I went to ask Surgical Director Gogot about The Head, but according to the other surgeons in the dissection lab, he's currently busy; some slackers from Le-Metru somehow managed to get into the Mutagenics gallery, and he's taken the sole responsibility of dissecting what's left of them.
Addendum by Spiritual Researcher Vizuna: Ok, so it's been a week, and Gogot still isn't available; according to the off-duty surgeon who answered the door when I went to ask, he won't be available for at least a month, maybe longer, and since I didn't want to subject any... less experienced surgeons to The Head's nonsense, I will just wait until he's finished. In lighter news, I managed to finally get a copy of the Xian council's list of registered Toa, and I've had letters sent to the Toa that The Head was mimicking, as well as what the list claims is their closest ally, so hopefully they'll respond soon to... dispose of it. Also it means I won't need Gogot to ID the type of Toa that The Head came from.
#bionicle#metru nui archives data logs#vizuna's writing style is like a cleaner version of how i normally write stuff. with slightly more technobabble#also if youre wondering why i decided to censor the swearing its because i could be bothered to come up with mu-specific ones#gogot will show up in person in the log after next and i hope everyone likes his Deal™#(he makes a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes but is extremely knowledgeable about the anatomy of mu beings. and also hes kinda snarky#but also expresses sympathy for any beings who were forcibly mutated or otherwise messed-up by another being)#also i started playing chants of sennaar midway through rewriting the section about the ancient matoran document. can you tell#oh also. the reason that the head's scan looks Like That is because it wouldnt make sense to just use the set-accurate metru head while als#mentioning it biting someone. so i decided to make it look a bit more like what id imagine a ''realistic'' metru head looking like#(namely thinner and more angled cheek tubes; a flatter ''nose''; and an actual hinged mouth)#when i do some of the later ones (where matoran diagrams and stuff will start becoming more prominent) i will do the same thing there too
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Some simple bisexual Jing Yuan icons for anon!
1 / 2 / 3
#⋆˚。📸| its time to step on stage.#hsr kin#honkai star rail kin#I've very hastily added an ID but I'll rewrite them later because I forgot originally
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hi, i hope you're doing okay. i miss you xo
hi nonny im hanging in there!! lots of stuff has been going on between grad school work + health-related stuff so i havent rly been able to sit down to work on longer writing like i would for this blog
i am still active over on @nonranghaes tho if u arent aware!! its all unformatted shorter stuff that i kinda write off the cuff when i feel like it (sometimes vent-y since it helps with (gestures vaguely to everything))
miss u too tho ill eventually try to write and post for this blog again i hope :(
#wooahaes.ask#asks.anon#i did think abt tht hao fic i was working on w ghost!jun#and id like to eventually finish that since i like the plot i have going on for it#idk what else id work on. im sure i had a lot of wips that i kinda dropped#id have to go back into my files to see what id still be interested in writing#and what id set aside as a 'ill look at this again later'#i really do miss writing for this blog in particular. i love writing short stuff on nonranghaes#but i like longer plots and more than just lil short pieces yknow? nothin wrong w them obviously#i just enjoy the plot-driven stuff whenever i can motivate myself to write it#i swear im abt to take my original novel idea and make it a svt thing just so i can write a complete draft for it lmao /hj#and then spend my rewrites erasing as much of that as i can sfkhsfdh
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....
#suddenly healthy enough to read books for the first time in over a decade#read 5 and on my 6th#and now i say if you want THE lesbian romance story#the first book has been made into an anime but the books.... go so much gayer....#anyway its called#im in love with the villainess#ive never read a fictional couple that had the love to rival my own for my wife#they come close. and its so funny#i didnt realize til id read the whole series but theres actually only like 5 characters that are men and 2 of them fully transition#like. its grandpa and the princes thats it#it started as a slive of life but it never stays that way does it#lesbians are too powerful lmfao#audii books are on audible. its all been translated to english#including the rewrite where the while damn thing is from claire's perspective instead of rae's#aaaaaaand rei ohashi is gonna haint me for the rest of my life#wow! dont think ive had feelings about fiction to work out for over a year now!#what a world#id say delete later but i wont
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every time i reread wyate and ryoma is inexplicably just there

#matts markers#i did actually have a whole side idea after the fact for story/comic where ep12 happens everyone leaves and then like 2 minutes later-#-he zoops back down to earth and is like 'huh? what??'#so you can choose to take that however you want in your reading lol it's just a snafu that i need to eventually fix haha#its a matter of changing names really but its something id do along with wider rewrites nods nods#for now it stays because i like him and i like when hes alive LOL
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basicallyheres the thing. i dont rly want to be immortal like me currently i probably wouldnt rly enjoy that. howeverrr if i got time travelled back to like the beginning of life on earth and was immortal i think i would have a good time bc im a curious girl. even just back to the birth of humanity or civilization... i just wannasee i wouldnt even do anything crazy with my immortality id just like. take a lot of notes abt everything
#ig travel might be an issue like if there r 2 places i wanna be but on 2 different sides of the world id have 2 pick one... which sucks.#like since im immortal i could just like Walk along the bottom of oceans lmao not that big of a deal. but itd take a while....#and if this happened i dont think id go crazy or whatever bc i ust simply wouldnt have any loved ones to watch die. id just be peeking in o#everything and having fun..... and the dressup would be super fun too#nik likeee the human brain fr cant remember that much stuff if i lived for that long id fr forget but 1. this is a timetravel immortality#fantasy world i can take creative liberties vis a vis my brain capacity and 2. Brother thats why id write everything down.. so later i coul#be like omggg i miss the byzantine empire. and read the diary and jog my memory'#obvious issue is. well. books dont last that long so id have to rewrite them on newer parchment#unless i find a fuck off huge cave and learn how to etch thatd be rather timeless#but also if ppl found it theyd be Oh so confused. bc theyd be like um ... these markings are in languages from throughout the world and#across thousands of years and they range in age from like prehistory to modern day . so whats up with that.. and theyd try to investigate m#and shit which would suck.
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I've got 7 (+4) scenes left of my novel to write yet I want to throw the whole thing into the fire
#d.tag#d.life#i randomly realised it would work better if two of the characters became one#but that changes a lot of scenes in terms of conversations#and is an actual big edit#and i promised myself id take notes but not do any big edits until next year#but its so hard!!#im writing scenes with the two characters while knowing its for nothing bc theyll be one later and ill need to rewrite#writing is so hard man
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none of you saw that rise post. and if you did you didn't.
#deleted it bc i didnt like the wording and i realised it was an ass time for engagement + id stay up too late waiting for ppl to see it#ill repost tomorrow (alas i didnt save the original text in it so we will be rewriting and condensing from memory)#anyway. gnight#personal#delete later
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Life Worth Living |Chapter One|
Pairing: Matt x mutant!fem!Reader Word count: 6.7k [Series Masterlist] [Matt Murdock Masterlist]
tags/warnings: 18+; dark themes/content, canon typical violence, emotional hurt/comfort, PTSD, smut, plot twists, fluff and angst, torture, mentions of sexual abuse, canon divergence, Reader has a fake name & is Matt's neighbor
Summary: All you'd ever wanted was your freedom–a chance at a "normal" life. Under the simple guise of Olivia Allen, you move to Hell's Kitchen in New York in an attempt to escape your past, but your past can't stay buried when your powerful and dangerous ex finds you. Forced to come to terms with who you are in order to protect the life you've built, you eventually learn there's secrets about yourself that you never even knew...
a/n: Some of you may recognize this as an old Matt x OFC fic I wrote a few years ago that's been on hiatus forever because I don't write OCs anymore. I'm completely overhauling this series and rewriting it now (I ripped out a few things and added over 1k to just this part). There's things I disliked about the original and I'd been contemplating back and forth on rewriting the series with a Reader, so now I'm undertaking the project since a vast majority on a poll I posted were interested. The original already stood at 240k, so there's a lot of content I'm polishing/rewriting. As always, feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!
Tag list: @kmc1989

Multiple leather straps were buckled over your wrists, ankles, and neck, the thick cordage keeping you secured to the reclined leather chair. Eyes darting around the familiar sterile room, the straps pressed against your skin, gripping tight like strong hands. There was a faint tremble running through your body in anticipation of what was about to happen as Doctor Barlowe finished placing the final electrode to your forehead. Focusing back on her, you desperately attempted to catch her eyes behind those thick, black glasses she always wore.
“Please,” you begged softly. “I don’t like this one. Please don’t make me do it again.”
Her hands paused for just a moment, fingers lingering against your skin. Her eyes shifted from where her hands had paused along your temple to your face, an unreadable expression on her own.
“Please,” you tried again. “I’ll–I’ll try any of the other tests, I swear. Just not this again. It…it hurts.”
“Now, now, hush 647,” Doctor Whitlock’s harsh voice echoed through the room.
The door closed with a solid bang behind him as he entered the testing room. Seconds later, he appeared just beside the place where your legs were strapped down to the chair. His expression was serious and stoic like always, not the slightest hint of sympathy anywhere on him.
“You know why we do this,” he told you.
Swallowing hard, the usual anticipatory fear began to swirl in your stomach as Doctor Barlowe took her place at the nearby machine. Turning your head against your chair, you saw a metal cart with a surgical tray placed on top. You recognized the two syringes filled with a familiar vibrant orange liquid laying in the tray, your eyes now fixated on them. Uselessly, you tugged at your restraints.
“647, let’s not make this more difficult than necessary, hmm?” Doctor Whitlock hummed. “You know what you have to do if you don’t like the pain.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the ID tag on his white lab coat obscured at the gesture. His eyes focused on Doctor Barlowe from where she sat at the machine beside you. “Administer the first dose of MGA.”
The younger doctor lifted one of the syringes and slid her chair across the tiled floor, coming to a stop beside you. Eyes snapping shut, you felt the sting of the needle in your forearm as she injected the first dose. Shortly after, the telltale burning raced its way up your right arm, igniting like wildfire in your veins. Your eyes clamped shut even tighter as your head slammed back onto the leather of the chair, a pained whine escaping your lips.
“Why don’t we increase the voltage a bit this time?” Doctor Whitlock mused aloud to Doctor Barlowe. “Maybe that will be the bit of motivation it needs.”
“No,” you pleaded between gritted teeth. “Please.”
“You can end the pain yourself, 647,” Whitlock answered. “If you don’t want to feel the shocks, stop them. Use your mind.” There was a pause before the sound of footsteps approached the other side of you, then Whitlock’s voice issued the order. “Begin, Barlowe.”
Sharp, burning pain immediately jolted your brain, your body abruptly tensing at the shock as the electricity coursed through you. Arms and legs straining against your restraints, the leather bit sharply into your skin. As your back arched involuntarily off the chair, your airflow briefly halted as the restraint around your neck bit so deep into your throat that the passageway momentarily closed. For a moment, you hoped you'd pass out just to have an escape.
But then a few seconds later–though it felt far longer–the pain disappeared and your body momentarily slackened in the reclined chair. Tears were stinging behind your closed eyelids as a light sheen of sweat began forming across your body. Breathing heavier, your veins still feeling as if they were on fire, your head weakly rolled to the side.
“Hmm,” Whitlock hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the monitor beside Barlowe. “It is showing more brain activity with the increased voltage this time.”
“There’s definitely a noticeable increase from the last time,” Barlowe agreed.
“Please, stop,” you whimpered. Eyelids fluttering open, you glimpsed Whitlock rubbing his chin in thought, his focus still on the monitor. You knew it was useless to beg because they never listened to you, but that didn’t stop you from trying. “No more,” you choked out. “Hurts.”
“Try again,” Whitlock ordered, disregarding you. “Increase the voltage.”
When another rush of electricity went racing through the electrodes on your forehead, a scream shot out of you before your body seized up at the pain. Your mouth clamped shut as bright white flooded your vision behind your closed eyelids. The pain was so strong, so pervasive, that you couldn’t think or feel anything else.
Eventually, the shock dissipated and a ringing filled your ears in the absence of the pain. Disoriented and worn, it took a moment for you to make out what the voice beside you was saying.
“It’s bleeding, sir,” Barlowe pointed out.
“Just bit its lip, it’s nothing serious,” Whitlock replied simply, his voice cutting through the ringing in your ears. “Though I suppose you should get the gag again, we don’t want it to bite its tongue off next.”
There was a rustle of movement in the room as you lay strapped to the chair, your body exhausted from the electrical shocks. Tears were freely rolling down your cheeks as you stared up at the white ceiling with its blinding bright lights above. Barlowe’s face came back into view, the clear mouthpiece they often shoved into your mouth when the electrical shocks had first begun now in her hand. Eyes widening, you sent her a pleading look, attempting to shake your head, but she kept her attention focused on the lower half of your face. Her gloved fingers roughly wrenched open your mouth before she forced the uncomfortable plastic inside. Choking back a sob awkwardly around the contraption, the hard edges cut into your gums.
“Let’s continue, shall we?” Whitlock said.
The electrical shock once more shot through your body before you seized on the leather chair, a strangled noise flying from your throat.
A scream escaped from your mouth before you bolted upright in bed, chest heaving as your breath came in hard. Momentarily confused and panicked, it took your brain a few moments to recognize that you were laying in your bedroom and not the testing room that often plagued your nightmares. A light sheen of cold sweat covered your body as you lay tangled up in the dark gray sheets of your bed.
It was only a dream–a memory.
“I’m in Hell’s Kitchen,” you murmured to myself. “Not The Facility. I’m home. I’m safe.” Closing your eyes tight, you drew your legs up to your chest, wrapping your arms tightly around them. “They can’t hurt me. Just a dream. Wasn’t real.”
Trying to focus your attention on your breathing, you inhaled slowly and held the breath. You counted to five before exhaling it out long and slow. Repeating the process, you continued for a few minutes until your breaths gradually became more even and controlled. Slowly, you felt your body begin to relax back into a calm state. When you opened your eyes again, wiping a hand over your sweat-dampened forehead, you began to disentangle your legs from how they’d twisted into your sheets while you’d been thrashing in your sleep.
Reaching over to your nightstand, you grabbed your phone. The screen lit up in the darkened bedroom, causing you to squint your eyes while they took a moment to adjust. It was only 5:37 in the morning–still early. Setting your phone back onto the nightstand, you rubbed the heels of your hands roughly against your eyes. You’d calmed down from that dream, but you were certainly too wound up for sleep now. With a huff, you threw the sheets off of yourself and swung your legs over the side of the bed. Raising your arms up over your head, you felt the pull of muscles as you stretched before making your way to your dresser. Opening the middle left drawer, you dug around for a sports bra and a pair of leggings.
Beginning to change, you removed the loose tank top that you’d been sleeping in over your head before slipping on the sports bra. Swapping your sweatpants for black leggings, you tugged them on before crossing the room to your closet and pulling the door open. Eyes landing on the navy track jacket hanging there, you pulled it out and tossed it on. Afterwards, you headed back to your nightstand and grabbed your phone before sliding it into the pocket of your leggings. You grabbed your earbuds next before heading out of your bedroom and down the short hallway outside of it.
The living room of your new apartment was still covered in shadows cast from the lights just outside of the large loft windows. Outside, the sun still hadn't risen quite yet, leaving the city dark and quiet–or as quiet as it could be for Hell’s Kitchen. Pausing by one of the large windows, you took a moment to enjoy the beautiful view of the city that you had from up on the sixth floor. This place hadn’t been cheap to rent, but it was worth it for that view while you worked–a vast difference from your life spent nowhere near a window.
But that’s not what you wanted to think about.
Sliding the earbuds into your ears, you turned and walked over to the entryway hall, stopping to lean against the wall before tugging on your running shoes. Before stepping out of your apartment, you grabbed your keys from the console table near the front door. Taking a moment, you locked the door behind yourself as your mind focused on only one thing.
You knew what you needed right now–an escape. Something to clear your head and refocus yourself. To keep your mind level for the day. As you headed down the end of the hall and pushed the call button for the elevator, you knew that a quick jog would do exactly that.
While you waited for the elevator to reach your floor, you pulled your phone back out and spent a moment looking for something to listen to during your run–something to distract yourself from your thoughts. A minute later, the elevator doors opened and you stepped inside, pushing the button for the lobby before slipping your phone back into the pocket of your leggings. Music began to play through your earbuds, but as the elevator lurched downwards, the jarring movement somehow caused your dream to resurface. Wincing, you raised a hand to rub at your temple as the memory of those shocks returned.
“If you don’t like the pain, 647,” Whitlock chided, “use your mind. Make it stop.”
Shaking your head back and forth rapidly, you tried to push the sound of his voice out of it. That was not what you needed right now.
“No,” you muttered to yourself. “No, you’re not here. Go away.”
“You were born for this. This is your purpose,” Whitlock’s cold voice said. “Be good and sit still or we'll get the restraints.”
Your jaw clenched at the memory of his voice, tooth grinding hard against tooth as your nails dug into the palms of your hands. The elevator doors opened with a ding that barely registered around the music playing in your ears as a mixture of emotions welled up inside of you. Stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby of your apartment building, you moved with a determined purpose straight for the exit. The second you were outside and your feet touched the sidewalk, you took off at a run.
Pushing your legs past their limit, you felt them beginning to burn after you'd been running for a while. But you ignored the pain building inside of them, your focus only on your breathing and the music in your ears. Everything else faded out around you–which was exactly what you needed right now. As close to nothingness as your mind could reach.
It wasn’t until it felt like your lungs were on fire inside of your chest that you finally came to a stop. Breathing heavily, you threw your hands up over your head in order to catch your breath while you walked at a brisk pace, your heart racing inside of your chest. You could feel a sharp pain in your left hip with each step, but the pain only served to further ground you in reality.
Just above the multitude of skyscrapers looming over you, the sun began to peak its way up over the city of New York. All the dark shadows of the night gradually were replaced with the beautiful orange glow of the morning light. And with that change from dark to light, you shoved your fears aside and took a right turn, heading back towards your apartment building. You’d need to sit down at your desk and start work in almost an hour, but you wanted a shower before you settled down for the day.

The walk back to your apartment had taken just under fifteen minutes since the traffic had picked up with the rise of the sun. With a clear head, you made your way through the lobby and back to the elevators, grateful when a man exited one and left it empty. Stepping inside, you pushed the button for the sixth floor before leaning against the wall of the elevator, running a hand across your forehead as it began its ascent to the top floor.
Retrieving your phone from the side pocket of your leggings, you turned off the playlist you’d been listening to before taking the earbuds from your ears. You felt better after that run, your mind and body both relaxed and that nightmare mostly forgotten. Which was what you’d needed to keep yourself calm and level today. You didn’t need to get emotional. You didn’t need to give into fear.
You were safe here.
When the elevator doors opened, you pulled your keys from the other pocket of your leggings, focused on your task of getting back to your apartment. Vaguely you were aware of a man knocking on the door across the hall from your place, calling something through the door. Out of politeness when you neared him, you sent him a smile before turning your attention to your own apartment door.
“Hey, you’re the woman who just moved in, right?”
Pausing at the man’s voice as you’d stopped in front of your door, your hand with your keys hovered over the lock. Your mouth twitched as you stood there with your back facing him, not having expected him to acknowledge you.
Normal people make small talk, you reminded yourself.
Letting your hand drop to your side, you plastered a friendly smile onto your face before turning around. The man who’d addressed you was unfamiliar to you, your eyes scanning over his shoulder length blonde hair and the bright, friendly smile on his face. He was dressed in a white shirt with a light blue tie, a gray suit jacket and matching gray slacks. In his hands he held a tray with two coffees and a brown paper bag that you assumed held some sort of breakfast food judging by the smell.
“Yes, just last week,” you answered him.
The man adjusted the bag and the tray of coffee in his hands before he crossed the small distance between you both in the hall. He held his now free hand out towards you, the friendly smile still drawn wide over his mouth. Eyes dropping down at the movement, you eyed his hand warily.
“My name is Franklin, but everyone usually calls me Foggy,” the man said.
He seemed either unaware or unconcerned with your stillness and hesitancy. Clearing your throat, you slowly extended your own hand towards his before giving it a brief shake.
“Olivia,” you replied.
It was a fake name, one you’d chosen for yourself not too long ago. It had seemed simple and you’d liked it–and you’d never had one before it.
Foggy’s smile somehow further widened in response. “Nice to meet you, Olivia,” he greeted warmly. “I was actually just waiting for my friend, Matt–he’s your neighbor. We work together.” He paused for a moment, straightening up as he readjusted his hold on the food and coffee in his hands. “We just started up our own law office, actually.”
Head tilting curiously to the side, you raised a brow as you silently studied him. He seemed genuinely friendly, albeit very eager to connect with you. You weren’t entirely sure why. From your experience, most people in the city weren’t this forthright. But before you could respond, the apartment door behind Foggy opened and drew both of your attention. You spotted the white cane before you caught sight of the man emerging through his apartment door. Your neighbor, you assumed.
“Ah, buddy, there you are!” Foggy exclaimed, turning and making his way back across the hall to his friend. He watched as the man locked his door, shifting the tray of coffee and bag of food in his hands once again. “I was just meeting your new neighbor, Matt,” he told him, his warm gaze returning to you across the hall.
Your neighbor’s head turned in your direction, the red glasses covering his eyes glinting in the overhead lights at the movement. For the briefest moment, his expression was entirely unreadable at his friend’s comment, but then a slow, friendly smile spread over his lips.
Something strange happened in that moment as he smiled at you. You felt an odd, soft vibration pass over your skin–as if you could feel him looking at you. Breath catching, the hair on the back of your neck slowly rose as a small shiver tickled its way up your spine. His smile briefly faltered before he recovered, your sharp eyes catching the minute movement.
“Were you now, Foggy?” your neighbor asked. That smile remained on his face, though it seemed slightly altered now. “I haven’t had the pleasure yet.”
You stiffened when the man took a few steps in your direction, his cane lightly tapping along the floor. What he’d said was true, you hadn’t met him yet despite having been living across the hall from him for a week already. Though you had heard some loud banging late at night coming from his apartment on occasion, you'd yet to actually cross paths with him.
“I’m Matthew,” he said, stopping just before you and extending his hand in your direction. “But you can call me Matt.”
Eyes trailing down his face, you found yourself distracted by how attractive he was, your gaze scanning what wasn’t hidden by his dark glasses. Gradually, your eyes lowered, taking in the sight of his broad shoulders and the muscles of his arms and chest that were noticeable even under his black suit coat. Eventually your eyes dropped down to his awaiting hand.
Swallowing thickly, still aware of that strange tingling along your skin, you extended your own and wrapped it around his. His hand was warm and calloused as he gently shook yours, the sensation causing something odd to stir in your chest at the contact. You’d never felt that before.
“I’m Olivia,” you offered softly, still confused by him.
“Well, Olivia,” Matt said, a small grin tugging at his lips as he released your hand, “it’s a shame it took us so long to meet.”
Behind Matt, you caught the way Foggy rolled his eyes at his friend. “Can you not charm every beautiful woman you meet? Just once?”
You felt your cheeks heat at the implication in Foggy’s words, your attention shifting back to Matt as he chuckled. He looked over his shoulder at his friend, that grin still on his mouth.
“I do not charm them all,” Matt disagreed.
“You do and it’s weird, man,” Foggy countered. He looked past Matt, focusing on you with a conspiratorial look as he cupped his hand still holding the bag of food awkwardly around his mouth before he whispered, “It’s like his super power.”
“Flirting with beautiful women?” you questioned in confusion.
Matt laughed loudly in response, the warm sound filling the hallway. Foggy rolled his eyes, a smile returning to his face as he lowered his hand back to his side.
“No,” Foggy answered. “Knowing that a woman is beautiful is his superpower. He always somehow knows.”
You shrugged in response, finding these two men to be more enjoyable company than you’d first anticipated. “I wouldn’t exactly consider that a superpower. Seems a little useless.”
Foggy’s eyes lit up with curiosity immediately, a look of interest washing over him. “What would you consider the most useful one then? Because I personally think–”
“Fog, we should probably let Olivia go,” Matt said, cutting his friend off.
Foggy’s face fell, his shoulders dropping a bit. A sympathetic smile spread over your face in return. You were surprised to admit it, but you found yourself a bit disappointed that they needed to go. But unfortunately, so did you.
“I do need to actually get ready for work myself,” you agreed.
“Right, I’m sorry,” Foggy said, gesturing to your workout clothes. “You just finished a workout, you probably want to have a chance to shower without being late.”
“Well,” you admitted, “I work from home so I doubt I’d be late. But yes, I would like to grab a shower first.”
“Either way, we shouldn’t keep you,” Matt said, a charming smile on his lips.
Biting the inside of your cheek, you smiled at them as the three of you exchanged goodbyes. While they headed down the hall towards the elevator, you turned around and unlocked your apartment, finding yourself missing the interaction already. It wasn’t often that you had an opportunity to connect with others.
By the time you’d gotten back into your apartment, you had a half an hour to quickly shower and dress before you needed to be logged onto your computer. Getting ready in a rush, you moved as if on auto-pilot, though your mind kept wandering back to those two men you’d just met. More specifically, your mind kept returning to your curious neighbor who quite literally made your skin tingle. You’d never before met someone who could do that before and you didn’t know what to make of it.
Once out of the shower and dressed, you headed back to your living room and over to your desk that was situated between two of the large windows. Your computer and dual monitors sat atop the oak desk, the surface of it featuring a herringbone pattern you’d been drawn to when you’d first seen it. Beside both monitors sat a pothos plant and a few potted succulents–because you'd developed a fondness for plants.
Reaching your hand out, you turned on your computer before setting your phone down on top of your desk. You still had a few minutes before you needed to be at work, which meant your run hadn’t made you late today. Settling into your computer chair, you began to pull up a handful of programs, logging into them and letting them start. But as you did, you could feel the exhaustion in your body from waking so early and your eyes shifted towards your kitchen. With a sigh, you pushed yourself out of your chair, deciding you’d make yourself a coffee before really starting the day.
Absently you set to work in your kitchen, grinding the appropriate amount of fresh beans into the portafilter before tamping the grounds down while your espresso machine heated. Then you slid the portafilter onto the machine and reached up onto one of the open shelves above you, grabbing down a mug to set underneath it. A double shot of fresh espresso began to pour out, the comforting aroma filling your apartment.
As you waited for the espresso to finish, you headed back into the living room and picked up the television remote from your coffee table. Switching on the television mounted along the wall, you settled on the news. There was a fluff piece currently on, discussing a new local business that had opened up today. Increasing the volume, you turned and stepped back into the kitchen and began to finish making your morning latte.
A few minutes later, with your morning caffeine dose in hand, you were ready to focus on work. You walked back over to your computer chair and set your mug onto a coaster before making yourself comfortable. Pulling up the first email of the day, you began to skim through it, responding to a co-worker of yours before moving onto the next email. As you worked, you listened to the background noise of the news until a particular story caught your attention.
“Breaking news on last night’s murder in Hell’s Kitchen,” the reporter on the television said as the news segment changed. “The woman responsible is now in police custody. Hope Shlottman is currently under investigation for two counts of murder–both of them her very own parents. The young athlete shot them both dead in an elevator last night, and despite video surveillance, she is still claiming to not be responsible for their deaths. Her defense? She says that a man told her to kill them.”
Tensing at the reporter’s words, your head slowly turned towards the television still playing across the room. There was a video of a young blonde woman being dragged out of an apartment building in handcuffs, blood covering the front of her. She was crying, her face red and splotchy with a twisted expression of genuine grief drawn over it. She kept repeating over and over: “It wasn’t me! He told me to do it!”
A cold chill ran down your spine as you sat there staring at the screen. The hairs along your arms rose, a prickle of fear running through you. Breath coming in a little sharper, you glanced around your apartment, eyes sweeping around the entirety of the space. There was no one else here, though. You were alone.
Coincidence, that’s all, you told yourself.
Rising from your desk, you made your way back over to your coffee table and snatched the remote from off of it. With a hard press to the power button, you turned the television off, your apartment falling silent once more. Pausing for another moment, you looked around your living room and kitchen, both bathed in the soft glow of morning light.
No one else was here.

Walking three blocks while carrying six full bags of groceries by yourself wasn’t easy, but that’s what happened when you spent the past week putting off doing any real grocery shopping. You’d only grabbed a few things for quick meals, choosing to order takeout most nights instead of cooking. But after work, you’d gone for yet another run to ease that feeling twisting in your stomach, and on your way back home you’d decided to stop to grab groceries.
Now, you found yourself struggling to navigate your way into the elevator with three large and very full grocery bags in each of your hands. Pushing the button for the sixth floor with your pinky finger, you willed the doors to hurry up and close. The plastic bags were threatening to cut off the circulation to your hands at this point.
Almost there, almost there.
Huffing a relieved sigh when the elevator reached the sixth floor, you groaned a second later when the doors felt like they were opening slower than normal. But as soon as you stepped out of the elevator, you paused. At the end of the hall was the blonde lawyer you’d met just this morning–Foggy, if you recalled correctly–and a pretty young blonde woman in a dress standing beside him. They were banging against Matt’s door and laughing loudly, and it was clear that the pair of them were obviously drunk. With a resigned sigh, you knew you wouldn’t be able to avoid them, so you set off down the hall towards your apartment.
“Come on, Matt!” Foggy shouted, slamming his hand against the door.
The young woman loudly shushed Foggy between giggles, resting a hand lightly against his shoulder. Smiling wide, Foggy reached out a hand in return to her as he stepped back, waving at the apartment door.
“You try,” Foggy slurred to the woman. “Maybe he’ll listen to the pretty girl.” He leaned towards her and attempted to whisper, “Pretend I’m not here.”
Your brow quirked as you neared the pair of them. He'd just been banging on the door, there was no way she could pretend he wasn’t there. Unable to stop yourself, a small, amused smile slipped onto your lips as you neared your apartment door across from them.
“Matt,” the young woman called out, her voice cracking a little at the pitch as she leaned her weight against the door. “It’s Karen,” she continued, voice slurring. “And I’m very, very sorry about this. If I were you, I would not come to this door.” She paused, glancing at Foggy and giggling before she continued. “But I think I also drank the eel.”
Clearly forgetting the part about wanting to pretend he wasn’t present, Foggy began shouting again beside the woman known as Karen, his attention so fixed on the door that he hadn’t noticed you across the hall as you came to a stop in front of your own. Attempting to carefully set all of your grocery bags down so you could pull out your keys, you couldn’t help overhearing the commotion behind you.
“And we are now filled with mighty eel strength,” Foggy shouted, pounding on the door again as Karen broke into yet another fit of giggles. “Matt! Come on! We’re staying out until sunrise!”
A soft gasp came from across the hall just as you managed to slip your key into the lock.
“Oh, no,” Karen breathed out.
As you unlocked your door, you heard Foggy’s distinct voice call out your name.
“Olivia!” he exclaimed.
Eyes widening, you pulled your key from the lock, shifting your head over your shoulder towards the pair. Foggy was already stepping across the hall towards you, roughly clapping you on the shoulder.
“Do you know if Matt is home?” he asked.
A breathy laugh left you before you looked over at the door they’d been yelling at for a few minutes now. “I mean, he’s blind and not deaf right?” you replied. “I’m pretty sure he’d have answered by now if he was home.”
Karen let out a laugh from her place against Matt’s door. “She has a point,” she said, pointing a finger at you.
Foggy’s eyes dropped down to the bags at your feet, his brows furrowing for a moment. Then an overexaggerated look of surprise flew across his face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you were carrying all of those!” Foggy exclaimed.
Without warning, he began quickly scrambling to take the grocery bags from off the ground, lifting them into his own hands. You stood there shocked, but Foggy completely ignored the dumbfounded expression on your face.
“Foggy, you shouldn’t just–” Karen began, but she broke off on a laugh at his overeagerness and didn’t finish her thought.
“Let me help you bring these in,” Foggy said, somehow holding all six bags in his hands as he looked up at you. “It’s the neighborly thing to do.”
Your lip tugged upwards at his words, a hint of a smile ghosting over your mouth. “But you’re not my neighbor,” you pointed out.
Foggy only sloppily waved a hand at your words, your eyes going wide as it looked like one bag was dangerously close to tearing.
“Potato piñata” he answered simply.
Looking over at Karen who had taken a few steps closer, you hesitated and contemplated the offer. They seemed harmless enough, just incredibly sloppy drunk. And it did feel nice to not be carrying six bags.
“Alright, fine,” you relented, turning and opening the door to your place. “I appreciate the help.”
Waving a hand at your opened door, you allowed the pair to enter first. You followed in behind them, closing the door after yourself and tossing your keys onto the console table. Karen and Foggy had already made their way into the kitchen, the pair laughing about something as they disappeared around the corner.
When you finally made your way around the entryway hall, you saw Foggy had already placed the bags he’d brought in onto the kitchen counter. He was pulling items out and curiously scanning them in his hands as Karen leant against the breakfast bar, her chin resting on one of her hands. But when you entered the kitchen and her eyes met yours, she stood tall and held her hand out towards you.
“I’m Karen,” she introduced herself, a friendly smile on her face despite the way her eyes were glazed over from the alcohol. “Suppose that’s important.”
You reached out, accepting her offered hand. “Olivia.”
“They mentioned you this morning,” Karen said as she released your hand.
Stepping over towards the counter where your grocery bags were at, you looked curiously back at her. “Who mentioned me?” you asked.
“Foggy and Matt,” she replied.
Your eyes turned slowly towards Foggy, watching the way he was eyeing a head of cauliflower in extreme interest. His cheeks were pink and you couldn’t tell if it was from the alcohol or embarrassment at what Karen had just told you. Slowly, your gaze traveled back to Karen who was grinning. Leaning against the breakfast bar, mimicking Karen’s relaxed posture, you found yourself unable to resist asking her for more information–you hadn’t forgotten the way your skin had oddly tingled when Matt had ‘looked’ at you earlier. That wasn’t normal.
“And what’d they say about me?” you asked.
She leaned in towards you as she spoke, that smile still on her face. “Apparently Matt thinks you’re sweet. And interesting.”
Feeling your palms beginning to nervously dampen at her words, you absently wiped them against your leggings. You knew that information wasn’t important. You didn’t do relationships. You’d only been in a relationship once and–well, you weren’t going to think about him. But apparently your racing heart and the heat creeping into your cheeks didn’t appear to care about that fact with what Karen was telling you about your handsome neighbor.
“He’s met me for all of five minutes,” you casually pointed out.
You pushed off the counter, focusing on putting away groceries now. Though you couldn’t completely ignore the way something pleasant unfurled in your stomach at her words.
“Well, Matt told us that he’d been trying to find a chance to bump into you in the hall for days now,” Karen continued, her smile growing wider.
Your hand momentarily paused on the fridge door, her words catching you off guard. Opening it, you knelt down and began unloading some fruit from a grocery bag into the fruit drawer. He’d been wanting to meet you for days?
“He said he’d…overheard you screaming a few times at night,” Karen added, her tone abruptly switching to something a little softer. “Said he’d wanted to check on you but that he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
You swallowed hard at that information as you placed a bag of apples into the drawer. He’d heard you in here? Crying out in your sleep? That did make you uncomfortable.
“Sounds like he’s paying far too much attention to my apartment,” you commented.
Foggy appeared beside you, cauliflower still in hand. He held it out to you and you took it, placing it in the appropriate drawer before he began handing you more vegetables from a bag on the counter.
“I told you,” Foggy began, his words still partially slurred. “He always knows when there’s a pretty girl. And usually he’s a sucker for the ones with questionable morals,” he told you, “but I think he’s got a bigger soft spot for damsels in distress.”
Snorting at his comment, you glanced up from your position on the floor in front of the fridge. “I am not remotely a damsel in distress,” you replied.
“I don’t know,” Foggy said, his tone already taking on a note of disagreement. “You are a young woman.” He waved his hand at you as if to prove his point. “And he says he’s heard you screaming a few times in the middle of the night–”
“I get nightmares,” you cut in defensively.
Foggy raised his hands in a placating gesture at your words. “I’m just saying, you sounded in distress. Ergo–damsel in distress.”
You let out a quiet, frustrated grunt before getting off of the floor and closing the fridge door. Making your way back to the counter with the grocery bags, you began grabbing more items out and putting them away in the pantry cabinet next.
“Unfortunately for him,” you began, trying to sound disinterested, “I don’t do relationships. Or one night stands. Especially not with…guys like him.”
“What’s that mean?” Foggy asked.
Closing the cabinet door, you turned and focused on him and Karen. They were eyeing you curiously now, both of them wearing serious expressions on their faces despite the alcohol in their systems.
“Flirts,” you answered simply.
A sheepish look crossed Foggy’s face at the word, slowly nodding his head. “Yeah, I’ll admit, Matt is pretty popular with the ladies.”
“Yeah, not my type,” you stated flatly.
Clearing the grocery bags from your counter, you could feel both Karen and Foggy watching you. You expected them to pry further about your dating history, or to question you more about Matt. But you were surprised at what came out instead.
“You want to come out with us tonight?” Karen asked you.
You paused at her question, not having expected it. Meeting her gaze with a raised brow, you stood across the counter from her.
“It’s just, I don’t feel like being alone in my apartment right now,” Karen said, the words practically spewing from her when she saw the look on your face. “And we were planning to stay out until the sun rose. Matt said you just moved to the city this past week, so I’m guessing you don’t know anyone here yet. So,” she paused, catching her breath before asking again, “would you like to come out with us?”
Biting your lip as her invitation hung in the air, you saw the hopeful look Foggy was sending you. It was true, you didn’t know anyone in the city. And having friends would be nice, it was something you didn’t usually get to have. But you also weren't great at relationships–the lack of experience from growing up in The Facility made sure of that.
But it was something you’d always wanted. A normal life. Friends. Maybe someday a normal, healthy, safe relationship. And you’d truthfully been antsy in your apartment all week, unable to really settle. If you stayed in, you’d most likely just go to sleep soon. Probably wake up from another nightmare covered in sweat and spiraling mentally.
…or you could go out with these two seemingly friendly individuals and attempt being “normal” for once.
“Yeah,” you answered slowly. “I’m not doing anything right now.”
Foggy pumped his fist into the air while releasing an excited noise that startled you, causing you to jump on the spot before a light laugh fell out of you. You definitely liked him. Across the kitchen counter, Karen let out an excited gasp, clearly surprised you’d given her that answer.
“Really?” she asked.
You shrugged a shoulder. “Sure, why not,” you replied. “You’re right, I don’t know anyone here. Might be nice to make some friends.”
“Yes!” Foggy exclaimed. “I can absolutely, positively assure you that you will not regret making friends with us.”
Somehow, you had a feeling he was right.
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- Long Distance
Relationships - Wandanat x Reader
Summary - A long distance relationship with Wanda and Natasha after hooking up with them while drunk
Warnings: phone sex, vibrator, teasing, orgasm denial, guided masturbation
A/N: idk if i like this so might delete and rewrite in the morning, we'll see how it does
It'd been a few weeks since you'd seen Natasha and Wanda, a drunken encounter that was hazy in your own mind and the only thing you had left was a number in your phone you were too scared to text. You often found yourself staring at it, fingers over the keyboard as your brain swirled with possible greetings, but they all sounded too lame.
Which is why you were sitting in your bed, scrolling through Wanda's Instagram account. It was hard to refrain from liking every photo but if your finger slipped a few times then oh well. One of your hands wanders along your stomach, dancing along the exposed skin from where your shirt rides up.
You can feel a heat pooling between your thighs, insistent and begging for attention.
Swiping across another photo, hitting the like button, you freeze when an unknown caller id pops up. After a moment you recognize it and you swear you've never answered a call so fast. The sounds you hear make you choke on any words.
Filthy moans, punctuated by wet slapping sounds and low whines. Heat rushes through your body as you grip the phone tightly, cautiously setting it down on the nightstand, your hand dipping lower to tease the waistband of your pants.
"You look so pretty like this," Natasha's voice is a low purr, just how you remember it and your core clenches at the sound of it. Wanda whimpers on the other side of the phone, but it's strained and almost reluctant.
More pornographic noises flood through your phone, and you hear their bed creak with each movement. Unable to resist, you slip your fingers into your panties, pointer finger circling your clit. A soft moan leaves your lips, hardly noticing you're not muted. You press down harder, your free hand coming up to tease your breasts as the moaning increases.
"Oh fuck Natasha-" Wanda sounds nothing like a few weeks ago, instead replaced by a needy submissive side.
It's honestly embarrassing how quickly you approach your climax, thighs already trembling and breath hitching. Stifling your moans is an impossible task so you don't bother any longer, instead letting yourself to be as loud as you want.
You should mute yourself on the call. You should hang up. Yet you can't bring yourself to do either of those things, instead pinching your clit as you listen to Natasha fuck Wanda and hear the delicious sounds she makes. A low groan leaves your lips when you slip a finger into your tight heat.
From just being on call with them and looking at photos of the two women has you so worked up it's not a problem to slide your finger in and out. Your thumb continues to work on your clit while you play with your breasts. You roll the rosy peaks between your fingers, twisting and pinching so that you whimper softly.
"You gonna come for me pretty girl?"
Natasha words have you falling apart in sync, lips parting simultaneously in ecstasy as your back arches off the bed and you rut into your fingers. It was rare you touched yourself, but fuck, this time it felt so fucking good. You pant, slowly catching your breath and you hear Wanda doing the same.
Easing your finger out of your cunt, you remove the pressure put on your clit and wipe your fingers off on the bed sheets. You would wash them later. You fumble for your phone, hands slightly shaky, and your hand hovers over the end call button.
"Do you think she would move here?" Wanda asks softly. At first it doesn't click, but then you realize she's talking about you. She's asking if you would move in with them or at least move close to be with them. The sound makes you needy all over again, even though your cunt throbs from just coming.
There's a scoff, distinctly from Natasha, "Why don't we ask her?"
All you can formulate is a surprised noise before your finger jerks and hangs up.
^___________^
From that point forward it only escalated. Not talking at all turned to weekly phones calls and texting everyday before that turned into calling during every available moment you had. Then those calls turned into masturbation sessions, following every command and order given to you. Even if it meant ruining your own orgasm.
Recently, Wanda implemented a rule that you were not to touch yourself without permission. At first you were appalled, frustrated, but also so eager to please. It took some getting used to, but you managed to restrain yourself.
It was a particularly difficult day. You started off your morning with a video of the two fucking - Natasha tied up, her wrists pinned above her head by a soft ribbon that was tied to the headboard. Wanda was settled between her legs, hands on her thighs as she ate her out like a woman starved.
Every time you close your eyes you see them.
And to make matters worse, Wanda forced you to keep a vibrator shoved in your cunt all day. It was Bluetooth one that somehow worked from where they lived all the way in New York, but you didn't question it. It was pure torture, having the little red device buzzing inside you all day.
As much as you wanted to, you knew cumming would only make matters worse. So you went about your day with an ache between your thighs was impossible to relieve. Even if you could cum, the vibrator was set so low you just weren't able to climax.
Wanda was being a fucking tease and you both loved and hated her for it. As you wander around the house, the toy inside you picks up speed, vibrating against your cunt and drawing you so close to the edge. Maybe you could come and just never tell her. She doesn't have to know.
But just as you get close, the intensity is lowered and you whine in frustration. Whipping out your phone you shoot a text to the group chat, 'Can I touch myself? Please?' After a moment three dots appear on the screen, bouncing up and down before they disappear again.
You let out an annoyed sound, throwing your head back as you sulk over to the couch, plopping down. Your bitter mood quickly changes when Wanda's contact photo flashes across your phone - you've never answered a call so quickly.
"Hey sweet girl." Her voice flows like honey and strokes the fire in your belly, "Is someone needy today?"
You exhale sharply through your nose, "Yes."
She laughs at your curt response, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth. The vibrator picks up speed again, making you clench your thighs together and wiggle on the couch. Nothing you do helps to alleviate the need between your thighs.
"Mind your manners," she chides softly, raising an unimpressed eyebrow, "I'll make you a deal. If you can last until Tasha gets home from work, which is in about fifteen minutes-" your eyes widen, fifteen minutes may not seem like long, but when you were teetering on the edge it felt like an eternity, "-then you can come. But if you come before that, then you don't get to tomorrow. Or the night after. Not for the whole week. Understood?"
While she phrased it as a deal you know it's more of a command. Exhaling shakily, you nod your head, inhaling sharply as Wanda turns the vibrator up even higher. When you remember she wants words, you force out a stammering "understood."
"Good girl," the praise hits you like a freight train, "Alright darling, fifteen minutes."
You moan when you shift your hips, the vibrator angling to a new spot deep inside you. It feels so good at a higher setting and you approach your climax within a minute. Gritting your teeth together you force yourself to hold back.
Orgasming now would only result in a week of pain. It was funny how even in a different state they had so much power over you, but you loved it with a deep passion.
"Lift your shirt up. I wanna see you play with yourself."
For a moment you don't register the husky command. Once you do, you scramble to lift your shirt, hands flying to your breasts. While you hold the phone in one hand, the other tweaks and rolls your nipple between your thumb and forefinger.
"Slower." There's a smug note in her voice that tells you she knows exactly what she's doing, "Prop your phone up on the coffee table and strip your lower half."
Your hands shake but you manage to prop the phone up, giving Wanda a solid view of you. Stripping your pants and panties off, you moan when the vibrator shifts inside you again. Every movement is a mix of pain and pleasure, a desperation for release.
A steady stream of praise flows through the phone as Wanda guides you through touching yourself. Your fingers swipe through your wet folds, pushing the toy even further into you. And you tease your breasts until the tips are red and sore.
It feels like an eternity as you wait, staving off an orgasm that was begging to be released. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes and you bite your lip, throwing your head back as your hips writhe on the couch. You're so close. You just need Natasha to get home.
Wanda tuts, disappointment radiating from the sound, "Ah ah, let me see your face pretty girl. I want to watch as you cry while coming undone."
"Please," you beg, looking down to the phone, "I've been good please."
Wanda only gives you a look of faux pity and remains silent. You take that as a que to keep touching yourself, little gasps and whimpers leaving your lips as you fight back the bomb threatening to explode inside you. Finally - Finally you hear the front door through Wanda's phone creak open.
Eyes snapping open, a tear streaks down your face and you see Natasha come into view. Her red hair is pulled into a high ponytail and she looks thoroughly amused at your predicament. Scoffing, she takes a seat next to Wanda, ready to enjoy the show.
"Can I come? Please you said I could. Natty's home, please." Your words are a pleading babble, hoping that you'll get the release you so desperately crave.
"Go ahead baby."
#natasha romanoff x reader#natasha romanoff x you#natasha romanoff x y/n#Wanda maximoff x reader#Wanda maximoff x you#Wanda maximoff x y/n#wandanat x you#wandanat x reader#wandanat smut
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let me help you
please excuse me for my grammatical errors🫶🏾

You were currently at your desk tears falling on the paper with a little plop. You had a ten page essay due @ 11:59 and it was currently 8. You knew that it was more than enough time, but you just couldn’t get a thought out of your head for nothing, you struggled writing essays period, they’ve always been your weak spot.
your phone started ringing so you pushed your black framed glasses up and looked into the camera seeing that it was armin calling you. you glanced at your red puffy eyes and pouty lips as you answered the phone and placed it up so that it’ll be facing the ceiling.
“hi my pretty girl, what are you doing.” just hearing his voice alone made you want to cry and just run to him while he comforts you. “Nothing.” you croaked out. “mama why can’t i see your face? what’s wrong?” he spoke softly. you just sniffed and he automatically knew. “why are you crying baby?” you picked the phone up and pouted.
“ihavethisessaydueandidunnohowimgoingtofinishitallbeforethedeadline.” you jumbled out trying to get all of your words out before your throat closed, from crying. “mama slow down and talk to me, now what’s got you so upset? whats wrong?” he tilted his head. he was laying on his stomach with his phone propped up on his bicep meaning he was comfortable in bed with his sweats on and his glasses. “i’m trying to finish this essay and i don’t know where you start..” you sniffed again. “okay, is mrs. l/n home?” you nodded.
“okay, i’m on the way right now princess.” he hung up the phone. 15 minutes later and you heard the door downstairs open. “hey baby, whatcha doin here?” you heard your mom downstairs. “y/n’s upset about something so i just want to cheer her up.” armin responded as your mom placed her hand on her heart. “see young love, this is so sweet. gone ahead baby, she’s in her room.” armin walked up the stairs and into your room.
you looked at the door and seen armin standing there with some yellow roses and a bag of hot puffs. you just pouted and walked up to him. He picked you up by your thighs—koala style as you just sobbed in his shoulder. ( so she’s being a baby rn! i don’t blame her id act the same way if my person was babying me😭.) “awww don’t cry it’s okayy.” he sat on the edge of your bed and rubbed your back. you felt his cold metal rings graze your back as your body reacted from it—receiving chills.
he tucked his head into your neck and just held you, his glasses were pushed up a bit but he didn’t mind. he was comforting you, which was all that mattered to him. “here come and let’s lay down, because i can see that you’re exhausted pretty girl.” you shook your head no. “i can’t , my work has to be finished before 11:59.” armin just nodded. “yeah i know, it’ll be okay.” you just nodded and laid on his chest as the theme to naruto played in the background. he just rubbed your back and played with your hair that poked from up under the bonnet.
he then heard your light snores. he gently moved you over and walked over to your desk. he sat down and looked at your notes feeling bad that you had so much to do. You were a busy person, you were trying to balance your business and school work and both of them couldn’t be done in one day so you eventually became stagnant in your work, only doing it the day before the deadline. armin understood what you were dealing with, so him being the amazing boyfriend he is, he made sure to help you every chance he gets.
for 3 hours armin was circling, highlighting typing and rewriting your notes that seemed to be decorated with your tear drops. “ the meaning behind this book is to only confuse the reader, no one was actually in love with eachother, it was only an illusion.” armin wrote and clicked enter. armin stuck his tongue out just a little bit proof reading what he just wrote. Proud of what he wrote he submitted it in at 11:58 pm. armin then pecked your forehead “i love you so much my love.” that was the last thing armin ever said to you being that he died from a car accident while he was on the way home.
nahhh just kidding lol!
armin headed home safely after praying over his journey! Armin made sure that the both of you had God in the center of your relationship! he loved you dearly and he thanked God everyday for allowing you to be in his life!
AN
i’m sorry i probably gave you an heart attack im so sorry baby💔. i thought yall would’ve liked the jokey joke😓! na just kidding tho im slowly making my way backkkkk yayyy :)
BVOTD!
GALATIANS 1:10
#ayeyolooo#black y/n#black reader#x black fem reader#aot x black reader#aot x reader#aot x black y/n#armin x black y/n#armin alert x chubby reader
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“Excuse me sir! There must someone you’ve confused me for!”
Having Angel withdrawal again sorry guys :/ its time for some uhh… prologue stuff?? I think thats right. Anyway! As I mentioned in this lovely post, when sinners die the time it takes for them to wake up in hell and where they wake up depends on how they died. So for Angels case his body was formed in hell in a hospital bed cause thats where he died so theres like fibres and metal in his body from being formed around a hospital bed! This is also going to go into how regenerating and how injuries work so get ready! Basically whatever your body was originally formed and made out of regenerates eventually, you can have scars if theyre really big (uncommon since the injury usually kills you) but if you die again in hell they go away. Angel gets injured quite a lot and none of these injuries are permanent. That isn’t to say you can heal by killing yourself though! If you do die while injured there may actually be lasting complications since bodies in hell are typically made to regenerate while gravely wounded. Its kind of like a fucked up computer so if you have a broken leg and die by say snapping your neck the body may get confused and regenerate bones and such incorrectly. Or it may not! Its hell who knows! Ill likely figure out a more concrete plan and way that it works but at the moment I enjoy this aspect of hell to not have a random cheat code and instead include some body horror. Its hell so like some stuff is probably confusing right??
Back to Angel, later on around season 1 in the rewrite he also has throat surgery to remove his deformed inner fangs and those DO actually stay gone because certain hospitals in hell (usually expensive ones) have tools from sloth that have been permitted by Lucifer. Similar to how Stolas got that lust portal gem or whatever. Angels body wasn’t supposed to form like that and this is a common thing to happen with sinners that die “long-term” and that sounds confusing but it really just means sinners that die in comatose-esque ways like Angel. His body was dying over the course of months (December to March to be exact) so parts of his body formed over complicated or were underdeveloped like the aforementioned fangs (that were originally meant to form inside of his mouth and not his throat) that would randomly bare themselves and stab his own throat, paralyzing Angel temporarily. Other examples would be parts of his legs and smaller stomach.
This is the surgery Angel got by the way (expenses covered by Velvette but thats a whole other plot line)
On top of this I also wanted to draw Angel’s old markings (at least one of them). Prior to Valentino, Angel looked much similar marking-wise to his original comic designs where he was more purple and yellow with all the fun skulls and stripes. Though, with how contracts work in my rewrite, Angel loses the markings and they change into hearts after his contract and cannot return to normal after his contract is terminated. The same is true for Husker and Niffty. This whole piece is really just supposed to capture to horror of waking up after being comatose and you’re suddenly not yourself anymore and also not where you were for the past months and your entire anatomy is changed. Can you imagine waking up without bones??? In 1947??? Id have a breakdown personally!
I also wanted to use green for that sick gross feeling. Kind of the dread you feel before throwing up, but also to represent Angel’s later feelings of envy that I was unable to present in his design. I really like pink characters in green atmospheres if you can’t tell. If I think of more stuff to add to this post I will, but for now it’s just a lot of lore. Hopefully you all enjoy it!
#hazbin hotel#hazbin critical#hazbin hotel criticism#hazbin hotel critical#angel dust#hazbin angel dust#anti vivziepop#hazbin angel#angel dust hazbin#angel dust hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel rewrite#my art#anti hazbin hotel#cw valentino#tw valentino#hazbin hotel rework#hazbin hotel redesign#anti hazbin#hazbin redesign
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