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angycryptid · 9 days ago

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In general, "eight" seems to be an auspicious number for Buddhists. The Dharmacakra, a Buddhist symbol, has eight spokes.[21] The Buddha's principal teaching—the Four Noble Truths—ramifies as the Noble Eightfold Path and the Buddha emphasizes the importance of the eight attainments or jhanas.

Islam

The octagram Rub el Hizb is often used in Islamic symbology.

As a lucky number

The number eight is considered to be a lucky number in Chinese and other Asian cultures.[22] Eight (八; accounting 捌; pinyin bā) is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture because it sounds like the word meaning to generate wealth (發(T) 发(S); Pinyin: fā). Property with the number 8 may be valued greatly by Chinese. For example, a Hong Kong number plate with the number 8 was sold for $640,000.[23] The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing started at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 p.m. (local time) on 8 August 2008.[24]

In Pythagorean numerology the number 8 represents victory, prosperity and overcoming.

Eight (八, hachi, ya) is also considered a lucky number in Japan, but the reason is different from that in Chinese culture.[25] Eight gives an idea of growing prosperous, because the letter (八) broadens gradually.

The Japanese thought of eight (や, ya) as a holy number in the ancient times. The reason is less well-understood, but it is thought that it is related to the fact they used eight to express large numbers vaguely such as manyfold (やえはたえ, Yae Hatae) (literally, eightfold and twentyfold), many clouds (やくも, Yakumo) (literally, eight clouds), millions and millions of Gods (やおよろずのかみ, Yaoyorozu no Kami) (literally, eight millions of Gods), etc. It is also guessed that the ancient Japanese gave importance to pairs, so some researchers guess twice as four (よ, yo), which is also guessed to be a holy number in those times because it indicates the world (north, south, east, and west) might be considered a very holy number.

In numerology, 8 is the number of building, and in some theories, also the number of destruction.

In astrology

In the Middle Ages, 8 was the number of "unmoving" stars in the sky, and symbolized the perfection of incoming planetary energy.

In sports and other games

In association football, the number 8 has historically been the number of the Central Midfielder.

In baseball:

The center fielder is designated as number 8 for scorekeeping purposes.

In rugby league:

Most competitions (though not the Super League, which uses static squad numbering) use a position-based player numbering system in which one of the two starting props wears the number 8.

In the 2008 Games of the XXIX Olympiad held in Beijing, the official opening was on 08/08/08 at 8:08:08 p.m. CST.

In literature

In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, eight is a magical number[26] and is considered taboo. Eight is not safe to be said by wizards on the Discworld and is the number of Bel-Shamharoth. Also, there are eight days in a Disc week and eight colours in a Disc spectrum, the eighth one being octarine.

In slang

An "eighth" is a common measurement of marijuana, meaning an eighth of an ounce. It is also a common unit of sale for psilocybin mushrooms.[27]

In Colombia and Venezuela, "volverse un ocho" (meaning to tie oneself in a figure 8) refers to getting in trouble or contradicting oneself.

In China, "8" is used in chat speak as a term for parting. This is due to the closeness in pronunciation of "8" (bā) and the English word "bye".

Other uses

A figure 8 is the common name of a geometricshape, often used in the context of sports, such as skating.[28] Figure-eight turns of a rope or cable around a cleat, pin, or bitt are used to belay something.

References

Etymological Dictionary of Turkic Languages: Common Turkic and Interturkic stems starting with letters «L», «M», «N», «P», «S», Vostochnaja Literatura RAS, 2003, 241f. (altaica.ru Archived 31 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine)

the hypothesis is discussed critically (and rejected as "without sufficient support") by Werner Winter, 'Some thought about Indo-European numerals' in: Jadranka Gvozdanović (ed.), Indo-European Numerals, Walter de Gruyter, 1992, 14f.

Georges Ifrah, The Universal History of Numbers: From Prehistory to the Invention of the Computer transl. David Bellos et al. London: The Harvill Press (1998): 395, Fig. 24.68.

Sloane, N. J. A. (ed.). "Sequence A076980 (Leyland numbers)". The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. OEIS Foundation.

Bryan Bunch, The Kingdom of Infinite Number. New York: W. H. Freeman & Company (2000): 88

Weisstein, Eric W. "Sphenic Number". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020. ...then every sphenic number n=pqr has precisely eight positive divisors

Weisstein, Eric W. "Octal". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Weisstein, Eric W. "Octagon". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Weisstein, Eric W. "Regular Octagon". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.

Katz, A (1995). "Matching rules and quasiperiodicity: the octagonal tilings". In Axel, F.; Gratias, D. (eds.). Beyond quasicrystals. Springer. pp. 141–189. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-03130-8_6. ISBN978-3-540-59251-8.

Freudenthal, H; van der Waerden, B. L. (1947), "Over een bewering van Euclides ("On an Assertion of Euclid")", Simon Stevin (in Dutch), 25: 115–128

Roger Kaufman. "The Convex Deltahedra And the Allowance of Coplanar Faces". The Kaufman Website. Retrieved 25 June 2022.

Weisstein, Eric W. "Cuboctahedron". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.

Coxeter, H.S.M. (1973) [1948]. Regular Polytopes (3rd ed.). New York: Dover. pp. 18–19.

Lounesto, Pertti (3 May 2001). Clifford Algebras and Spinors. Cambridge University Press. p. 216. ISBN978-0-521-00551-7. ...Clifford algebras, contains or continues with two kinds of periodicities of 8...

Wilson, Robert A. (2009). "Octonions and the Leech lattice". Journal of Algebra. 322 (6): 2186–2190. doi:10.1016/j.jalgebra.2009.03.021. MR2542837.

Conway, John H.; Sloane, N. J. A. (1988). "Algebraic Constructions for Lattices". Sphere Packings, Lattices and Groups. New York, NY: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-2016-7. eISSN2196-9701. ISBN978-1-4757-2016-7.

Ilangovan, K. (10 June 2019). Nuclear Physics. MJP Publisher. p. 30.

Choppin, Gregory R.; Johnsen, Russell H. (1972). Introductory chemistry. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. p. 366. ISBN978-0-201-01022-0. under normal conditions the most stable allotropic form (Fig. 23-8a). Sulfur molecules within the crystal consist of puckered rings of eight sulfur atoms linked by single...

"Definition of byte | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.

Issitt, Micah; Main, Carlyn (16 September 2014). Hidden Religion: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs. ABC-CLIO. p. 186. ISBN978-1-61069-478-0. The dharmachakra is typically depicted with eight spokes,

Ang, Swee Hoon (1997). "Chinese consumers' perception of alpha-numeric brand names". Journal of Consumer Marketing. 14 (3): 220–233. doi:10.1108/07363769710166800. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011.

Steven C. Bourassa; Vincent S. Peng (1999). "Hedonic Prices and House Numbers: The Influence of Feng Shui" (PDF). International Real Estate Review. 2 (1): 79–93. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2011.

"Olympics opening ceremony: China makes its point with greatestshow". the Guardian. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2022.

I miss the world before AI image generation

Secondly, I also miss the world where AI image generation was just incoherent blobs and obvious fakes

Thirdly, I miss when I had a spark in my eye

#there are like 5 refrences that wont fit :(#lunge forward upon this skate in a left outside forward circle #in just the reverse of your right outside forward circle #until you complete a figure 8.#To make a line temporarily f #figure – eight fashion #round a cleat #a belaying pin #or a pair of bitts.#Jefkins #Frank (6 December 2012). Modern Marketing Communications. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 36. ISBN 978-94-011-6868-7. “...eight being #Collins #Robert; Latham #Robert (1988). Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review Annual. Meckler. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-88736-249-1.#Franciosi #Anthony (25 October 2019). “Weed Measurements: The Marijuana Metric System”. Honest Marijuana. Retrieved 19 December 2023.#Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America #Inc. 1931. p. 20.#Day #Cyrus Lawrence (1986). The Art of Knotting & Splicing. Naval Institute Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-87021-062-4.#enjoy my crappily copy pasted citations bc tumblr wouldnt let me put these in the regular post.

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intomusings · 1 year ago

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ೀ ﹒﹒ favorite names compilation !

ur fav musings girly again here with the first of my christmas goodies . my favorite thing to do is these name compilations so i decided to create another masterlist of my absolute favorite ones ( some old , mostly new ) anyways all i ask is that if u found this useful , u like �� or reblog to show ur support . i hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season ♡

- a : abella, ardella, ares, aire, arden, ayla, arie, alder, august, aymes, atlas, alina, alora, aryn.

- b : beau, babette, belle, blake, briar, bronte, banks, boston, bishop.

- c : cassiel, clara, celeste, camden, chandler, collins, clay, cartier, chanel, cosima.

- d : dove, dream, danica, delaney, drue, denver, dacey, delcy, darcy, dahlia.

- e : elodie, emory, emrys, elio, elowynne, emerson, evie, edie, estoria, esme, effy, evans.

- f : flora, faye, fallon, ford, forbes, finnick.

- g : gaia, geles, greer, gensen.

- h : hera, hudson, hampton, heath, harlowe.

- i : isla, inara, ilia.

- j : juniper, josefine, jane, jovie, joey.

- k : kiersten, kairo, kaia, kian, kouvr, keanu.

- l : lysander, lanie, lorena, lawson, lux, ludo, lourdes.

- m : marla, marigold, maren, maeve, marlowe, miller, monet.

- n : neah, north, nola, nell, noel, nariah, niamh, nami.

- o : ozzy, orion.

- p : presley, posy, pearl, porter, pacey, paxon.

- r : reed, ruelle, raya, romey, ryker, rhode, reign, rafe, rohan, raiden, remi, rion, rhiannon, reece, river, raine, rumer, reem, rhys.

- s : selah, soraya, sarifya, savion, sloane, sol, soren, scout, saint, striker, serafina, sabina, sutter.

- t : teal, twila, tristan, tobie, tripp, teague, tate.

- v : vienna, vega, vera, vincenzo.

- w : wren, winter, winona, winnie, wilder, weston.

- x : xaverie, xylah, xiomara, xander.

- y : yves, yara.

- z : zephyr.

#resources #rph #rpt #m:masterlist #name masterlist #name help #rpc

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wouldyourecognizethisperson-poll · 27 days ago

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Top 50 Most Recognized

(As of April 9)

Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson - 99.4% of poll respondents recognized

Gordon Ramsay - 98.9

Ellen Degeneres - 97.9

Will Smith - 97.4

Daniel Radcliffe - 96.1

Benedict Cumberbatch - 96

Bob Ross - 95.9

Snoop Dogg - 94.4

Ed Sheeran - 94.3

Leonardo DiCaprio - 94

Misha Collins [TIED] Rowan Atkinson - 93.4

Guy Fieri - 93.2

Danny Devito - 93.1

Taylor Swift - 93

Ryan Gosling - 92.8

Robert Downey Jr [TIED] Zendaya - 92.7

Morgan Freeman [TIED] Bill Nye - 92.4

Steve Harvey - 92.2

Robin Williams - 91.8

Elliot Page - 91.7

Emma Watson [TIED] Bernie Sanders - 91.6

Dolly Parton - 91.5

Kanye West (Ye) - 91.3

Jojo Siwa - 91.2

Robert Pattinson - 90.9

Nicolas Cage - 90.8

Simon Cowell - 90.6

Adam Driver - 90.2

Greta Thunberg - 89.9

Jeff Goldblum - 89.8

Prince Harry - 89.7

Billie Eilish - 89.6

Tom Holland [TIED] Lin Manuel Miranda - 89.5

Chris Hemsworth - 89.3

Jimmy Fallon - 89.1

Pedro Pascal - 88.9

Neil Patrick Harris [TIED] Jason Momoa - 88.8

David Tennant - 88.5

Peter Dinklage [TIED] Mads Mikkelson - 88

Will Ferrell - 87.9

Patrick Stewart - 87.8

Oprah Winfrey - 87.7

Lil Nas X - 87.6

Taika Waititi - 87.5

John Cena [TIED] Meryl Streep [TIED] Dan Howell - 87.4

Weird Al Yankovic - 87.3

Ariana Grande - 86.9

Matt Smith - 86.7

Tom Hiddleston - 86.5

Amy Winehouse - 86.3

25 Least Recognized

Steve Gonsalves (Ghost Hunters) - 0.3% of voters recognized, [TIED] Jackson Browne (Musician) - 0.3

Forrest Wheeler (Fresh Off the Boat) - 0.4

Tara Lipinski (Olympic ice skater) [TIED] Yanni (Greek musician) [TIED] George Lazenby (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Becoming Bond) [TIED] Génesis Rodríguez (The Umbrella Academy, Special Ops: Lioness) - 0.5

Ted Leo (Musician, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists) - 0.6

Eric Burdon (Musician, The Animals) [TIED] Christine Lakin (Step by Step) [TIED] Peter Frampton (Musician, Humble Pie) [TIED] Boz Scaggs (Musician) [TIED] Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat) - 0.8

Isaiah Thomas (basketball player) [TIED], Tippi Hedren (The Birds) - 0.9

Brian Eno (Musician) [TIED] Lauren Daigle (Musician) [TIED] Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan), Scout Taylor Compton (Halloween remake) [TIED] Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch) [TIED] Dale Earnhardt Jr (Racecar driver) - 1

Kate Maberly (The Secret Garden) [TIED] Blu Cantrell (Musician) - 1.1

Joss Stone (Musician) [TIED] Chuck Lorre (TV producer) [TIED] Amy Shark (Musician) - 1.3

Patricia Quinn (Rocky Horror Picture Show) [TIED] Joshua Bell (Musician) [TIED] Michelle Phillips (Musician, The Mamas and the Papas) [TIED] Patti Hansen (Model) - 1.4

Kaori Sakamoto (Olympic figure skater) - 1.5

Lance Armstrong (Disgraced bicyclist) [TIED] Thalia (Musician) [TIED] Louisa Jacobson (The Gilded Age) [TIED] Lupe Fiasco (Rapper) [TIED] Tommy Hilfiger (fashion designer) - 1.6

Grace Slick (Musician, Jefferson Airplane) [TIED] Gloria Gaynor (Musician) [TIED] Michelle Kwan (Olympic figure skater) [TIED] Rachel Platten (Musician) - 1.7

Sean Paul (Musician) - 1.8

Taio Cruz (Musician) - 1.9

Andrew VanWyngarden (Musician, MGMT) [TIED] Julie Christie (Doctor Zhivago) [TIED] Nancy Wilson (Musician, Heart) [TIED] Steve Miller (Musician, Steve Miller Band) [TIED] Criss Angel (Magician) [TIED] Wolfgang Puck (Chef) - 2

Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing) [TIED] Dave Davies (Musician, the Kinks) [TIED] Sarah Polley (Women Talking) - 2.1

Ava Russo (Avengers: Endgame) [TIED] Mia Hamm (soccer player) [TIED] Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street) [TIED] Chris Columbus (film director) [TIED] Neil Diamond (Musician) - 2.2

Anita Baker (Musician) [TIED] Nicholle Tom (The Nanny) [TIED] Elle King (Musician) [TIED] Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie) [TIED] Paul Weller (Musician) - 2.3

Salman Khan () [TIED] Ray Davies (Musician, the Kinks) [TIED] Barry Gibb (Musician, the Bee Gees) [TIED] Eva Marie Saint (North by Northwest) [TIED] Trisha Yearwood (Musician) [TIED] Taj Mahal (Musician) [TIED] Kenny Loggins (Musician) - 2.4

Staci Keanan (Step by Step) [TIED] Sue Bird (basketball player) - 2.5

Charlotte Church (Musician) [TIED] Lexi Rabe (The Avengers: Endgame) [TIED] Steve Marriott (Musician, The Small Faces & Humble Pie) [TIED] Elisha Cuthbert (The Ranch) [TIED] Jason Hawes (Ghost Hunters) [TIED] K Michelle (Musician) [TIED] Elizabeth Smart (kidnapping survivor & child safety advocate) [TIED] Dilma Rousseff (former Brazilian president) [TIED] Kiara Pichardo (School Spirits) - 2.6

John Frusciante (Musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers) [TIED] Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. Robot) [TIED] Elle Macpherson (Model) [TIED] Susan Olsen (The Brady Bunch) [TIED] Jared Gilmore (Once Upon a Time) [TIED] Sarah Alexander (Coupling) - 2.7

Karen O (Musician, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs) [TIED] Laura Fraser (Patience) [TIED] Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) [TIED] Colin Greenwood (Musician, Radiohead) [TIED] Michelle Branch (Musician) [TIED] Amanda Gorman (Poet) [TIED] Alaqua Cox (Echo) [TIED] Bo Horvat (Hockey player) - 2.8

Tom Waits (Musician) [TIED] Sienna Miller (Anatomy of a Scandal) [TIED] Maria Sharapova (tennis player) [TIED] Tonya Harding (Olympic figure skater) [TIED] Barry Bonds (Baseball player) - 2.9

#most recognized

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oensible · 4 months ago

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[Video description: Clip of the Remenda Rush pregame segment from the TBL@SJS game on 2024 Jan 2 that begins with the end of his spotlight on Collin Graf and ends partway through his spotlight on Marc-Édouard Vlasic.

GRAF SEGMENT TRANSCRIPT (over clips of Graf skating around in the pregame warmup): —he could be a playmaker. When you look at the scouting reports on him and when you look at—you watch him play, one thing that you really like about him is that you can see that he's got a 200 foot game. I know it's a cliché but he does really try to play the full game. And he will, I think in the future, be a guy who is a scorer in this league.

Graf segment ends. Around the end of the Graf segment the broadcast cuts to Drew talking at the bench, slowly zooming out to reveal that Pickles is casually standing by the bench and reaching over to repeatedly poke Drew in the butt with the knob of his hockey stick until Drew mentions him, then he skates away.

DREW: And the guy who's poking me right now; it's so good to see him back in the lineup, number 44, Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Pickles. What can you do? Well it's his first game back.

PICKLES SEGMENT TRANSCRIPT (over clips of Pickles skating around in the pregame warmup): Right? It couldn't come at a better time. What Marc-Édouard Vlasic does is he knows the temperature of the team. He knows when to make a joke; he knows when to be serious. He knows when to speak up; he knows when not to. He can still close on guys, he can still make good plays with his stick, he's excellent defensively, and they need that help tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Video description end.]

@proceedwcandy !!!!

#sharks lb #san jose sharks #marc edouard vlasic #drew remenda #hockey tag #video tag #tears of joy its been so long #video transcript #pregame commentary

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guruofthefanart · 1 year ago

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I was good friends with my girl scout leader and her husband for years, better friends than I was with *any* of the girls my age there, And in highschool, when I was bullied and dealing with the start of a long abusive relationship, my math teacher, who was weird and harsh, was one of my best friends. When my grandma died, he hugged me and it wasnt weird or creepy, he told me about his parents and grandparents and took his entire prep period to make sure I was okay. He used to let me "borrow" late passes and forge his signature on them. He was the first adult I had an actual conversation about politics with that actually listened to me.

In a safe environment, with other adults you can go to if your ever worried, being friends with adults as a kid is legitimately a good way to learn for your elders and get insight that comes with decades more experience than you possess. Or even just hear a grown ass man in his 60s ramble on for a good hour about otter facts

Sometimes when people on the Internet are like "ADULTS CAN NEVER INTERACT WITH MINORS IT'S CREEPY" I remember how, at 12, back in 1997, I was on the Witchvox forums with people ranging from me to people in at least their 50s, and no one there was ever a creep to me, no one ever made me feel uncomfortable or asked for my personal info, and when I finally broke down after a particularly brutal day of bullying at school and posted about it they were the first adults I'd ever met in my entire life who told me the bullies were the problem and it was okay to be angry about it.

Kids need to interact with adults who will listen to them.

#a big shout out to my weird math teacher mr collins in highschool #i loved that man like an uncle #also the girl scouts may be veery flawed but like- the couple that ran my troupe were cool

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aggro-my-beloved · 8 months ago

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Long In The Tooth (LaskoxDear)

note: happy soulmate september! my heart’s probably still beating out of my chest with excitement when you’re reading this. brb, i’m off to listen to the milo panic attack audio but interact with this if you wanna (pretty pls) summary: *aging stops at 18 until you meet your soulmate* [lasko’s been eighteen for six years now, and frankly, he’s becoming sick of playing a juvenile. what makes his endeavor for a soulmate even more bewildering? they’re one of his students.] pairing(s): LaskoxDear (romantic), GavinxFreelancer (romantic), LaskoxDamien (non-platonic?) warning(s): none word count: 3k estimated reading time: 12 mins

taglist: @ther3alsweetheart @darlin-collins @professionallyyappinabtangst @elles-roses

“SO BE LOOKING FOR AN EMAIL FROM ME f-for your class schedule. Again, I'm sorry about not having a…physical copy on hand.” Lasko combs a clammy hand through his disheveled hair, sparing a discreet glance at his leather satchel lying by his feet. It defends an entire ream of charred papers, originally for the pool of students that Lasko has been bestowed the responsibility of meeting today, but instead, it mocks him. “My printer ran out of ink.”

His run-in with the stubborn fire elemental without patience for one's troubleshooting of his agenda went worse than the guidance counselor envisioned—a surprise to Lasko, who always depicts the worst scenarios before plunging head-first into any social situation. Guess what Freelancer said was true: you think better on your feet than in the air, he reflects.

“No worries. It’d be my luck,” The student laughs awkwardly, silently inviting Lasko to muster one of his own.

“Well, before I send you off, do you have my questions for me?” His hands press onto the thick desktop glass, shielding the wood. One spilled cup of coffee too many, and a sputtering request to the Dean was all it took to gain that.

“I do have one.” Lasko’s heart begins thumping uncontrollably, and he thanks every deity above that the water elemental is also not an experienced telepath. What will they ask me? Maybe they want to pick my brain about the theory of shade resurgence. How much research have they done on me as an alumnus? Perhaps they find me unfit to be a counselor and a professor, being human-reared. They don't think I have the history, nor the fundamental teachings from my unempowered parents. Oh, who are you kidding Lasko? They’re probably wanting to know which food from the cafeteria won’t give someone massive—

“You look a little young to be a counselor, don’t you?” As if intrigued by their curiosity, the student creeps forward in the armchair sat opposite Lasko’s, and finds respite for their folded arms on the mahogany desk between them. Before Lasko’s lips could part, the pupil emits a gasp at their presumption. “I’m so sorry, please take that as a compliment. Your soulmate must be lucky to have someone with such a…youthful glow.” The excruciating cringe on their face is palpable (and noticeably lacking age lines), but Lasko revels in the sight of it. For once, he is not the one digging a grave mid-conversation.

He could only muster a chuckle, eyes settling on his chewed-down fingernails and fidgeting knuckles—the only visible skin on his body that had wrinkles. This presumption is one he’s been unwillingly catering to for his past six years under the university, and his answer, like his relationship status, is unchanging.

He offers a modest shrug. “Y-yeah, counselor, and professor. B-but you…you’re not wrong. I only look this young because I haven’t met mine yet—soulmate, I mean.” The pinch on the bridge of his nose from his glasses feels abnormally tight as he gauges the student’s reaction. A curious raise of the brow, slow nod—awed. And rightfully so, with how capable and convenient the modern age has made it to scout for one’s “better half.” Apps and chat rooms galore in addition to personal soulmate seekers (a bunch of glorified PIs with hopeless romantic tendencies, as Lasko refers to them) for hire. These things leave a person little reason to go more than a year after eighteen with no celebrated crow'sfeet or growing pains. People think he’s inept or simply non-committal. Lasko considers himself stodgy for yearning to encounter his soulmate organically.

“Well, if it’s any reassurance, you aren’t the only one.” They don’t elaborate, and Lasko doesn’t pry. He remains seated, silently watching them wrangle each strap of their backpack over their shoulders. “Thank you again for the chat, Mr. Moore.”

“Ah, just Lasko is fine. I’m not near old enough for all that 'mister' stuff.” At least, I don’t look like it, he tacks on mentally.

“Right. I guess I’ll see you around then.”

He clarifies, “Monday at ten,” which earns him a tilted head. “For DAMN 101, which should be on the schedule that I'llemail you.” A small, upward twitch of their lips leaves Lasko satisfied with the conversation but prepared for the tens of other students who will receive the same news.

“I can’t wait.”

He hopes for his sake that the rest are as understanding as this one.

“Well well, professor, how was orientation today?” Had the man still not reeked of liquid smoke and sweat from his earlier encounter with the fire elemental, or suffered from cramping fingers and aching wrists from the barrage of emails he sent out today, Lasko’s answer may not have been so curt.

A trace of a scowl lingered in his voice, “Not in the mood, Gav.” At the evil hiss of his name, the demon transferred his gaze from the television to the strung-out university employee entering the den. Lasko makes a show of shrugging off his blazer and settling his fatigued body into the armchair perpendicular to the sectional Gavin and his soulmate were occupying. His roommate proceeds to turn his attention to him, chorting sarcastically, “Who pissed in your Wheaties this morning?” Freelancer takes the opportunity to bury their face in the bared crook of Gavin’s neck, releasing a languid sigh of contentment.

Lasko strives to obscure his frown, but the envy boiling in the depths of his stomach wins while the muscles of his jaw tighten. “Some fire elemental with serious anger issues almost sent me up in flames with my office, destroyed all of my paperwork, and cost me two and a half hours of emailing students their schedules and trying not to sound passive-aggressive. Do you realize how hard it is to type ‘Please see attached for your semester schedule. Thank you.’ without sounding like the biggest assho–”

Amidst his rant, Freelancer’s head pops up from the den between Gavin’s neck and collarbone. “You met Damien?”

The question Lasko volleys is an answer in itself. “You know him?” Wide eyes with a visible twitch urge Freelancer to dig through the sofa cushions for their phone.

“Yeah, he texted me earlier. A whole string of back-to-back messages about some university nobody screwing him over with his schedule. I didn’t think anything of it until…” They purse their lips. Lasko watches his friends’ eyes soaking in his appearance–blackened shirt cuffs, tousled tendrils of hair, and all. Should Lasko be expecting some vengeful threat? A stolen personal belonging replaced with a ransom note? A dead sprite in a wrapped box outside his office door?

“How mad was he?” He scrubs his hands against his face, hoping to wipe the day away with his sour expression.

“I wouldn’t check your Rate My Professor anytime soon.” Lasko throws his head back in defeat. Tarnishing his paperwork and his reputation in a single day? The ransom note wasn’t looking as unfavorable in comparison.

“I thought it’d be water that didn’t get along with fire,” Gavin muses with a smirk. Lasko’s mind trails away from the soot-stained carpet of his office to the friendly water elemental he had the pleasure of speaking with earlier. Their curious nature and self-loathing sense of humor is something Lasko would have never considered himself attracted to, seeing as Gavin’s unyielding confidence and inflated ego always put his stomach through a spin cycle.

A sharp inhale from Freelancer resounds through the house. “Oh my goodness, Lasko!” Instantly, he was patting down his body, checking his pulse, and looking around for the nearest mirror. He already knew he looked like shit, what was the big deal?

“What, what is it?” Still, he turned his head every which way expecting a large bug or “kick me” sign on his back from Damien—perhaps the earlier onslaught of flames was merely a distraction. Or, the man’s just paranoid, per usual.

“You have smile lines!” As if imitating a mirror, Freelancer offers a ballooning grin of their own, presenting the faint creases surrounding their lips to him. “You thought you could meet your soulmate and just not tell us?” They motion excitedly between themselves and Gavin, who was absorbing the scene before him.

“I-I didn’t though, did I?” Did he? He thinks back to all of the students he spoke with earlier in the day, Damien included. A shiver courses down his spine at the thought—he’s always heard the saying ‘opposites attract’ but having a soulmate who wanted to momentarily kill him seems like a stretch. Having a soulmate be one of the many bodies in his class is equally as horrific, but—as he now recognizes—a possibility. “Holy shit, I-I met my soulmate.”

Gavin inquires after a few seconds, “Who are they?”

Lasko's head darts up, donning a veil of “oh fuck” on his visage. “I have no idea.”

Much to Gavin’s chagrin and Freelancer’s enthusiasm, the couple agreed to aid him in compiling a list of the students he’d met in the last twenty-four hours, and omitting the ones who’ve been blessed to find their other half, according to Freelancer’s in-depth “research” when inputting their names online.

“Sami Tryst is in my Thursday lab! They’ve got an engagement ring, though.”

“Hudson Lang won a medal in the E&E games last year. He thanked his partner in his acceptance speech.”

“Jacquelyn Gardner?” Freelancer snorts with a shaking head. “Definitely not your type.”

Lasko’s head hinges up from the sheet of paper he was eyeing—scrawled with names, and taken straight out of Freelancer’s DAMN 101 notebook. With furrowed brows and an insulted scowl, he beckons “How would you know?”

“She has an eyebrow slit and ‘grade-a carpet muncher’ written in her Instagram bio next to her girlfriend’s name. You really wanna try competing with that, professor?” Lasko stays quiet, even through the contagious mixture of laughs flying around the room from the couple.

He finally mutters, “Whatever”, and is nonetheless satisfied with a name being crossed off of the list. Four hours and one order from Max’s Rustic Pizza later, the trio is splayed across the living room carpet. Three names remain uncrossed on the sheet, staring back at them tauntingly.

“Wait, you forgot about Damien.” Freelancer reminds Lasko with a small nudge. Not that he needed the reminder, but a small part of him was hopeful that leaving him off of the list would rule out the chance of them being soulmates entirely. His hands are reluctant when grabbing the pen set beside him, but are deft when writing the fire elemental’s first name below the rest. A last resort.

“This is-it’s so…so stupid! I mean, aren’t you s-supposed to feel something when you first meet your soulmate? Like, I don’t…I don’t know, butterflies in your stomach or-or, or lightheaded?” Lasko exasperates, tossing the paper aside. It flutters to the ground and lands face-down on the carpet.

“My jeans felt a little tighter when I met you, deviant.” Gavin’s admission is not lost on Freelancer or Lasko. The professor shields his face from the luminous ceiling fan whirling above him, both his arms locked over his eyes. As he does this, he jerks up and emits a harsh grunt.

“Agh, my neck. What the hell?” He sits up to allow his fingers to assess the tight skin. The invisible knot is yanked once more when he tilts his head too far to the left. “Ow!”

In unison, Gavin and Freelancer are quick to diagnose it. “Growing pain.” Freelancer adds with a fond smile, “It means they’re thinking of you.”

His head snaps towards them excitedly, and this time, he grits his teeth and bears the stiffening of his muscles. “That’s it! I know exactly how to find them.” An accomplished smile overcomes his face. Complemented by his bloodshot eyes, something unsettling brews in the pits of Freelancer’s stomach.

“Okay, can you stop looking at me like that now? It’s creepy.”

“I would, but I don’t think I can move my neck anymore…”

The awkward quiet grows thicker with every student that files into Lasko’s classroom the following Monday morning, broken occasionally by a squeaking chair or thump of a bookbag colliding with the floor. He studied the roll call list the entire weekend like he was presenting a dissertation, but now that he had reached the time to present, only four names were on his mind.

“G-g-good morning every-everybody. My-my n-name is Lasko Moore, and I’ll be your professor for DAMN 101 this semester. Don’t think of this as a refresher course of things you may have learned in past institutions, b-but an opportunity to gain knowledge of…of Dahlia’s magical entities, specifically.” He’s afraid if he breathes too deeply, the hefty silence will suffocate him. “Now, I-I’m aware it's a bit—it’s a bit rudimentary to take attendance, but this is only for me to become acquainted with all of you. I’ll only do this for the first few classes until I’m comfortable putting names to faces.”

The professor wastes no time going down the list. Each name he uttered–even ones that had been crossed off from the list–he let settle into the silence while concentrating his thoughts specifically on that person. It is the most foolish theory he's tested in a while, but he is desperate to know who could complete him so marvelously, and remain so subtle about the fact. The further down the list he goes, the tighter his airway constricts when he sees no visible flinch or sign of pain from any of his students.

Hesitantly, he chokes out the next name on the sheet.

“Damien Rhone.” He looks up to find no hand raised, nor the rest of Damien’s body. Seconds tick by without a response, and Lasko feels even more on edge due to the lack of his presence. If the names that follow elicit no reaction from any of the students, either his “fool-proof” plan would be marked a failure, or he’d have to settle with the fact that he and his soulmate wouldn’t have the cutest “how we met” story amongst his friends. There’s a lot that can beat a late-night run into seven-eleven, but almost going up in flames might have to take second place.

As he feared, the last name on the list gets crossed off when he marks the student present (and taken) judging by the early age spots marking their skin. He huffs but doesn’t make his agitation any more visible. After all, he is at work and his soulmate…who knows where they are. Hosting this lecture felt more taxing than all the others he’s taught within the last six years at the university. Discussing DAMN’s cornerstone neighborhoods for different magical beings is something he merely cites, amid his daydreams of arriving home to a relaxing cup of tea and a lengthy video essay to put him to sleep on his couch. The thought became so enticing, that he cut the class short by a whole twenty minutes and sent each departing student with instructions to acclimate to the university campus. While shoveling manilla folders and stray pens into his bag, he gets interrupted by a tap against his shoulder.

“Excuse me, Lasko?” He cranes his neck at the voice, dripping anxiety. They offer their name and elaborate when Lasko furrows his brows. He swears he can feel a crease in between them that wasn’t there last night. “We met yesterday. I made a fool of myself, and then you said you’d email me my schedule. You never called my name when you were taking attendance, though. This is DAMN 101, right?”

Lasko recalls their conversation vividly. He was post-adrenaline rush and flustered as all hell, but somehow their blunders were enough to take the edge off of him and his “broken printer”. Now, he studies the crease between their eyebrows. It wasn’t there when they met originally when they inquired about his age and backpedaled into embarrassment trying to fix their mistake. “Yes, it is. And I’m so sorry for leaving you off the roll call sheet, I’m not sure what happened.”

Halfway through their understanding nod, they emit a wince and introduce the nape of their neck to their hand. “I-it’sokay, I just wanted to double-check.” Lasko tilts his head, blue eyes turning into twinning seas of concern.

“Are you feeling alright, dear?”

“I think I may have slept wrong.”

“What are the chances of it being a growing pain?” Lasko voices his internal demand, throwing caution to the wind, as it were.

“I’d say fat chance because I don’t have a…” They lock eyes with the man before them. Sleeves buttoned to elbows and crooked frames and smile lines. Crow’s feet decorated his orbital rims like fireworks and the creases of his hands mimicked scored clay. “Oh.”

“That's about the reaction I was expecting.”

“I’m sorry, but to be fair, this is new to both of us. Tomorrow I might wake up beside you but I’ll have gray hairs sticking out. Nobody prepares you for that kind of stuff.” Was this a rejection disguised in a prophecy? Lasko will have to hand it to them, it’s one of the more poetic ways to turn someone down.

“If-if y-you’d like to wait b-before we j-jump into…jump into anything, that’s fine. I just, I uh…I just wanted to find you. So bad.”

“What? No, of course, I want this! I want you—I mean…this is just a lot to take in. Aren’t you supposed to feel something when you meet the person? Like increasing body temperature or…” They carry on rambling, with Lasko admiring no more than a foot away. A fond smile adorns his face, pink lips settled high on his cheeks and draped like a streamer.

He had found them.

“Excuse me, Professor Moore?” A panting voice interrupts their discovery as the two watch a student barreling toward Lasko with clear desperation. “I’m so sorry about being late. Did I miss anything important?” His eyes flutter around the room, finding all of the seats bare. “Where the hell is everyone?”

“Hey, Dames! Meet my soulmate, Lasko. Lasko, this is Damien, my stepbrother.”

“Soulmate!”

“S-stepbrother?”

soulmate september schedule | main masterlist | abt author

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted fluff #redacted angst #redacted damn crew #redacted damien #redacted lasko #redacted dear #redacted freelancer #redacted gavin #soulmate au #redacted headcanons #redacted fanfic #redacted fanfiction #redacted imagine #redacted imagines #redacted oneshot

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lorichu · 25 days ago

Text

Through the Gate

Here's a little something a wrote for @gtypewriter, featuring the characters Kane, Dr. Eliza Houghton, and Commander Cade from his Gatekeeper series in my story, Over the Wall. Enjoy!

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Living in Nettles had desensitized Jay to most of the sounds that went bump in the night, but the distantly rhythmic thump-thump on the front door couldn't be ignored for a second time. She wiggled her way out of Collin's sleep loosened grasp and crawled over to the center of his chest. Must like her, he'd grown accustomed to her tiny movements and adjustments, so she needed to put all of her strength into pushing against him with both of her hands.

"Collin!" Jay called out. "Someone's at the door!"

His still closed eyes pinched together, and a low, rolling groan rumbled beneath Jay as Collin woke up. Even half asleep, he knew better than to thoughtlessly move about and slowly brought one hand to his face to rub his eyes while the other went for Jay. Groggy fingers gently looped around her midsection and half carried, half nudged her into his shirt's chest pocket. Once she was inside, Collin carefully sat up and opened his eyes with the same haste as he swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand.

Collin made good use of the short walk through his house and paused for only a few seconds when he reached the door to put the last few scattered pieces of consciousness back in their proper places before engaging whoever was on the other side. The list of probable visitors at this hour was so short that he wasn't at all surprised when he found Chief Victor waiting for him.

"Evening, or maybe morning, Chief," Collin mumbled, his brain and body still struggling against their mismatched levels of functionality.

Victor chuckled. "Probably morning." He gave the younger Scout a quick once over and nodded to himself. "Is Ranger South with you?"

Taking his hand off the doorknob, Collin rested a few fingers over his pocket. "Is something wrong?"

Uncertainty was not an emotion the Chief wore lightly, and as he shook his head, he stepped backwards off Collin's short porch to gesture towards Trevor a few paces back. "Not entirely sure, but we're going to find out."

Vague and ominous as it was, Collin didn't need a further explanation to follow the Chief. He knelt down to fully tie his boots, then stepped out into the chilled, way too early morning air and shut the door behind him. Jay huddled against him when the wind picked up, but didn't raise any complaints about having her sleep cut short.

Their dedication to Nettles and its people came first.

In an interesting twist, Victor began walking away from the center of town instead of going towards it. Not missing a beat Collin followed, but his thoughts lingered on the decision. 'If not HQ, then where?' he mused, feeling Jay poke her head out of his pocket while not glancing down to engage with her. 'There's nothing but ruins and unsalvageable trash in that direction.' Still, he didn't argue or bother to raise a question. The Chief always had a reason for his choices and would wait for the right time to share them.

After they'd been walking in silence for a couple of minutes, Victor slowed his pace to allow the younger Scouts to fall into step beside him. His steeled gaze stayed locked ahead of him, though it was tilted slightly up at the night sky. "I received an anonymous tip about a half hour ago," Chief Victor began softly, "from a restricted internal line."

"Internal?" Trevor repeated, skipping ahead a step to avoid a jutting chunk of concrete. "Like, from inside Nettles?"

Victor shook his head. "Internal as in a different government department."

Having just caught his balance after tripping over a stick he didn't see in time, Collin lowered his hand from his pocket. "How do you know that? And aren't the towers and the Colonel the only ones with clearance to contact us?"

"All I can say for certain is that the code masking the number matched up with my records, and the woman I spoke with already knew who I was." Chief Victor's eyes grew distant, and he sighed quietly through his nose. "She called to tell me there was going to be, in her words, an unrequested and very much off the books delivery being made within the town borders. She also claimed it wasn't inherently dangerous or a threat to any of us, but that if we didn't get out ahead of the confusion, the situation could change very quickly."

Jay braced herself against the side of the pocket and folded her arms over the lip. 'Sounds like someone's trying to cover up a problem they don't want to deal with by dumping it on us.' Normally she had no problem chiming in with her two cents, but like this her words would just get lost if she didn't scream her throat raw. 'Whoever it is must've made their fair share of enemies if someone is willing to break protocol by contacting the Chief to subvert them.'

A quick cough got them back to attention, and Victor broadened his shoulders as he slowed to a more definite stop. They'd just crossed over the line of what was usually considered the town's "boarder", leaving them right on the edge of a wasteland of crumbled brick walls, rusted out shells of cars, and more grass than pavement. "The only other tidbit she gave me was that it would be an airdrop," Victor said with a huff. "Since this is meant probably to be a covert mission, they'll likely be armed to the teeth with stealth tech and sensors, meaning we should lie low until they're well out of range."

"Wait, so we're just gonna let them do it?!" Trevor blurted out. "Why the hell would-!"

Victor raised a hand, and the rant cut off. "Even if they have information about us, it is still our duty to keep ourselves hidden and protect Nettles. That much is our responsibility. Always has been." Years spread out like ripples around the Chief's eyes, and he gave a tired sigh. "Just because they're willing to abuse our secret doesn't mean I am."

Sound as the logic was, Trevor still wasn't satisfied. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, only to be silenced once again by Collin lifting a hand into the air. This, however, was more of an alert than a deliberate hush, because Collin had raised a single finger. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

Jay had. "Sounds like engines," she offered, straining to project her voice despite the obvious need for extra caution. "And not like a car, but turbines, on planes."

Nodding sternly, the Chief took a step backwards and pivoted in the same motion. "We need cover. Fan out but stay close."

Posting up behind the crumbling remains of a long-collapsed building's wall, Collin peered through a hole in the bricks as the sound got louder. A light tap on his chest shifted his gaze back down to Jay, who then directed him up at the sky. Large dark shapes blocked out the stars on this cloudless night. Together they followed the fleet of aircraft, and the cargo suspended beneath them, as they maneuvered over to the tree line. The squad made a sharp, helicopter like descent straight down, then released their cables to cut themselves free from the large wooden crate the four of them had been carrying. Free of the weight, they zipped off into the night without so much as a glance backwards. Mission accomplished.

Cloaked in darkness themselves, the Scouts and Chief silently crept out of hiding and formed a loose semicircle as they advanced. The crate itself hadn't moved, but they'd all seen subtle movement inside through the open top, which had caught their eye after the bold, blocky number "13" plastered on the side of the surprisingly thick walls. Despite all being completely unprepared to deal with any sort of major threat, they kept pace and didn't break stride. Whatever was in there, they'd handle it.

Two red pinpricks appeared in the shadows, their glow cutting through the dimness like a pair of spotlights. Their quick movements and the way they narrowed ever so slightly were warning enough, preparing the Scouts, Chief, and Ranger for when a humanoid form began lifting itself up. Clawed fingertips dug into the wood, leaving deep gauges in their wake as the being crawled out of the crate and dropped into a low, almost animalistic crouch.

Collin's guard lowered as his brain worked through what he was seeing. This was someone their size, from the outside. How was that possible? Why would anyone, much less the government, make more giants when they could barely begrudge themselves to take care of the ones they'd created by accident? What did this mean? What was going on?

Driven purely by his curiosity he kept walking forward, only to be forced to abruptly stop dead in his tracks when the new giant growled. This showed a mouth of sharp pointed fangs, mirroring their clearly powerful clawed hands and feet. They hunched lower, widening their stance in preparation to attack.

"You're scaring him." Jay's quiet statement punched through the tension thinned air, startling all of the giants.

Too many conflicting emotions had blended together to give Collin's snorted chuckle any sort of discernable flavor. "How exactly? We're unarmed and basically the same size?"

"Right," Jay replied shortly. "And how many people his size do you think he's seen?"

Trevor and Chief Victor muttered their agreements amongst themselves, but Collin wasn't biting. "Ok, so what're we supposed to do about that?"

"Put me down so I can talk to him."

Something somewhere inside Collin's brain snapped. "Absolutely not!" he barked. The new giant hunched lower to the ground and let out another cautionary growl. "Just look at him, Jay! He's a-"

"A what, Collin?" Jay'd flinched involuntarily at his volume, but it hadn't broken her resolve. "A monster? Like you?"

Collin's jaw clenched, transforming his voice into a rasping hiss. "Jacklyn..."

Doubling down, Jay puffed up her chest. "I don't need your permission, you know. I'm your colleague, not your subordinate."

She practically vaulted over the lip of the pocket and had already made it about halfway down Collin's shirt before his hands caught up with her. "Jesus, Jay. You're allowed to be stubborn, not stupid." It took no effort to break her grip as he gathered her up with a single hand, but instead of returning her to his pocket like he wanted, Collin lowered Jay to the ground and completely pulled back.

Her silent thanks were given in the form of a softer look, but once she turned her back to Collin, Jay was all business. Right away she noticed a change in their visitor. He looked calmer, but not in an at ease sort of way. This was confidence, pure and simple. The Scouts were an unknown he couldn't fully account for, but someone like Jay was clearly familiar territory, for better or worse. He knew he could handle anything she threw at him.

Stricken with a fresh dose of fear, Jay struggled to swallow it down and put on her simplest smile. "Hey, it's ok. A lot's happened, and you're confused. So are we, but we're not here to hurt you. No one has to get hurt for us to understand what's going on." It felt almost insane attempting to be a comforting presence to someone so much bigger, but Jay powered through. "I'm Jacklyn, or Jay for short. That's Collin," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder, "and back there's Trevor and Victor." The air felt clearer, and it was easier to breathe in this simpler space. "Can I ask what your name is?"

By pulling his limbs in closer, the giant made a consorted effort to appear smaller. Perhaps even for Jay's benefit. "Kane," he murmured in a deep voice laced with a surprising amount of gentleness. "Where are we?"

The fact that he was willing to engage eased Jay's frantic heart. "It's nice to meet you, Kane, and we're on the outskirts of a town called Nettles."

Red eyes snapped open wide. "Nettles?" Kane repeated. "You mean it's a place?"

Chief Victor shuffled closer but made a specific point not to move past Collin. "So, you have heard of us." Lifting a hand to his face, Victor rubbed his stubbled chin. "I guess I'm at least a little relieved that there's a connection."

"Connection to what, Chief?" Trevor asked, following his superior's example to a T. "What're you talking about?"

Sparing the Scout a momentary glance, Victor returned his focus to their guest. "Kane, how do you know about Nettles?"

The Chief's stern but unaccusing tone loosened the sharp set of Kane's shoulders. "It was something that always got listed whenever they were running tests," he explained. "No one ever told me what any of that stuff meant, so I always just assumed it was a codename or something for whatever they did to me."

"You're probably right," Victor went on. "I think in the very broadest of terms it's safe to say the tragedy that befell our town was not the end of that research. However, without deeper insight, I can't say for sure how closely connected the two are."

When Kane started to sit up, he was acutely aware that everyone had started staring at him again, but he didn't linger on it. He'd gotten used to people watching his every move. Who he chose to focus on was Jay, still standing tall just a few paces away from him. She'd hardly batted an eye at his movements, even as he started to reach into the shallow pocket of his body suit. "I might know how to get you that," he said quietly. Between his fingers was a battered, hardcover book that he set down a short distance in front of Jay. "Dr. Houghton gave me this before they took me away. I couldn't see what she was writing in it though."

Jay heard all the unvoiced arguments buzzing behind her as she went to retrieve the book. It was an encyclopedia, volume "G", that was clearly a part of a well-traveled set. There was one dogeared page, so Jay wasted no time and flipped right to it. Hastily scribbled over the entries in ballpoint pen was a message. "Dr. Eliza Houghton, Sect. 13, R&D". Below that was a phone number with an area code Jay didn't recognize.

"Looks like I've got a call to make," she chuckled, turning around to face the others while brandishing the book. "Maybe she was even the one who tipped us off about-"

Branches snapped and leaves rustled.

The force bulldozing behind the destruction hadn't levied a single thought to the obvious noise its charge was making, which meant it could only be the work of one stubbornly single-minded creature: a crag boar. Geralt might have been the nastiest among them, but that didn't mean the rest of them were serene, herbivoric pacifists. If anything, Geralt's death had broken down the doors of their worst impulses and had made the remaining population even wilder and more vicious as a result. This was why deliveries were always made well within Nettles' official, well-guarded borders.

Curved ivory white tusks poked through the underbrush first, followed by a scar-nicked snout and a pair of black, beady eyes. That dark glare quickly took the scene in, passing right over Kane to lock squarely on Jay, the clearly much easier target.

Fear lodged itself in Collin's throat as he ran through calculations at the same breakneck pace. She was too far away. He'd never reach her in time. Before the boar's hoof had even lifted off the ground, his voice tore into the frozen air. "Jacklyn!!"

Kane became a blur, moving in the nanoseconds between heartbeats to position himself in a tense ready stance above Jay. His left hand was rooted firmly in the ground next to her, claws digging deep gouges in the dirt to balance himself while his right hand was splayed and pointed directly at the boar. Like with most other challengers, the beast did not care. It let out a bellowing squeal and resumed its charge with fully tunneled focus.

What it didn't realize is that the moment it was within arm reach it was already far too late.

In a flash claws were at its throat, tearing right through its thick, bristly hide with ease to draw out a vaporous shower of crimson. Blood gurgled in its wail, drowning its once powerful voice. With a flick of Kane's wrist, he pulled away and sent the beast teetering off balance to crash into the leaf and rubble strewn ground. Muscle spasms jerked its stubby legs through the steps of an ever-slowing death waltz. One final, burbling squeal graced the night sky before silence fell once again.

Each heavy breath from Kane thumped like a beating drum in the stillness that followed. It was only once he finally broke out of his defensive stance that anyone else remembered how to move, and while he was aware that the Scouts were hurrying towards him, Kane's focus was on the woman almost cowering in his shadow.

"Are you ok?" he asked bluntly as he shifted away from her to take a seat.

The shell of Jay's fear cracked like spring thinned ice, snapping her out of her memories. A quick tremor passed through her entire body, and she had no trouble meeting the now softer gaze of those intensely red eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you."

Collin and Trevor both dropped down to crouch beside them. Having already heard the answer they needed, they simply basked in the relief that came with certainty. Chief Victor joined the little huddle in a much calmer fashion, though he remained standing. "I know I speak for us all when I say you have our deepest thanks, Kane," Victor said once he felt the moment had been sufficiently appreciated. "If you found yourself looking for a position as a Scout or even just part of the town patrol, any of us would be happy to have you."

Wide red eyes rapidly blinked a few times. "I can stay?"

Victor raised an eyebrow as he huffed a chuckle. "Of course. We were never going to turn you away. Origins aside, you're here now. You're one of us."

That affirmation broke down the last few lingering barriers, but it wasn't something they could afford to wallow in for long. Dawn was coming, and they suddenly had a lot of work to do. In order to accomplish everything in a timely matter, it was best to divide and conquer. Victor and Collin trekked back to the main offices at town hall, drafting their reports on the way so they could inform the Colonel and the wall what had happened. Jay, Trevor, and Kane splintered off at Collin's house, both to clean Kane up and get him something to eat, and to contact this mysterious Dr. Houghton.

Accepting the role of "host", Trevor got to work on fixing them all some breakfast while Jay and Kane sat at the table, staring anxiously at her phone. The Ranger's mind was buzzing in a million different directions at once while it rang. She was terrified of what might happen if this lead went cold, but for now, all they could do was wait.

Even though it had felt like an eternity, in reality, the phone was only left to ring four times before the call was picked up. "Dr. Eliza Houghton speaking," a kind but extremely tired sounding voice answered promptly.

Jay snapped out of her daze and reflexively sat up straighter. "Good morning, Dr. Houghton. I'm sorry for bothering you so early, but I really appreciate you making the time." Sending a quick glance up to Kane, she smiled. "My name's Jacklyn South, and I'm the current Ranger in Residence stationed in Nettles. I'm calling to both thank you for your assistance and to confirm that we received the... um, package."

Dr. Houghton's relief crashed down like a tidal wave. "While I appreciate your discretion, Jacklyn, this is a private line. You can speak freely." She laughed and let out a quiet oomf as she collapsed into a seat. "How is he?"

"I'm fine," Kane answered for himself. "Still confused, but fine."

They could hear her smile grow. "It's so good to hear your voice, Kane."

"Yours too." Kane's grin was small, but sweet.

Now it just felt like Jay was intruding on something very personal, but she still had a job to do so that discomfort could wait to be unpacked. "I was actually hoping, Dr. Houghton, that you could tell us more about all this?" Everyone was counting on her to stay focused on the task at hand. "As it stands, we don't actually know the how or why any of this even happened."

"Right, right, of course." Dr. Houghton cleared her throat and sharpened back to the intensity she'd answered the phone with. "And please, call me Eliza. It's simpler."

Things were moving again, maybe a little fast, but it was a good start. "Jay works fine for me."

Another softer, knowing smile touched Eliza's voice. "Alright, Jay. I hope you're ready for this because it's a lot to stomach. Though," she chuckled, "given your current employment, I'm sure you're well versed in handling the strange and abnormal."

Having just joined them at the table, Trevor made a quiet sound of protest. Quickly covering her reaction, Jay let go of the tension between her shoulders. "Don't worry about me. I'm pretty light on my feet."

While Jay hadn't actually been prepared for the steep drop off into the deep end, she didn't get swept under. Eliza started way back at the beginning to touch on Sector 13's founding, which had in fact been tied to the Nettles disaster. Not only had the research that caused the accident proved fruitful, but now that there was a town and surrounding forest filled with giants, preventative measures needed to be taken. Initially that had really just been it, counter measures.

"However," Eliza went on after pouring herself a fresh cup of coffee, "none of that ended up being necessary. When it became clear that Nettles was open to peaceful cooperation and, to an extent, coexistence, the top brass had to pivot. Over time that led to the program that produced Kane, and that only happened over the past ten years or so."

Jay was so glad she had Trevor here too in case she forgot something. "But if this program's been around for so long, why did this happen now? What changed?"

The length of Eliza's next pause was rather telling on its own, as was her drawn out sigh. "Terrible as it is to say, funding." She took another long drink from her mug. It was already half empty. "After Kane, all progress and forward momentum ground to a halt. Why would we bother with any iteration when there's no practical use for what we're doing? Enough time passed, people got impatient for new results, and eventually someone had to answer for where all the money went."

Eliza huffed and sunk deeper into her chair. "That was a meeting I know I'll never forget. The Commander called us all together in the middle of the day to break the news, and some young, hotshot nobody stepped way outta line and brought up a long defunct mech program the Sector used to work on. They had no idea the breadth of the minefield they'd marched into, and after getting a thorough verbal lashing, they slunk out of the meeting room with a face redder than Kane's eyes. Doubt we'll ever hear from them again."

Glancing up, Jay and Trevor shared a quick look. "Um, Doctor...?"

"Sorry, unrelated side tangent," Eliza muttered. "As I was saying, that meeting ended with the only acceptable solution anyone could think of: removing our most expensive asset, Kane, from the books, and washing our hands of the project for good. It was a tough choice that no one wanted to make, but if we didn't do something, a decision would be made for us. The Commander eventually made the call to take advantage of your town's... unique situation in the hopes it would mitigate the potential harm."

Kane growled, but continued silently eating the meager meal Trevor had thrown together for him. The other two portions remained untouched. "Having a singular common "enemy" will make things a lot easier," the tired Scout mumbled as he wiped his face. "Gives us something specific to aim at."

Eliza's mug landed on the table with a heavy thunk. "Enemy?" she balked, her voice rising. "Did you listen to anything I just said? Has Nettles been biding its time all these years for a chance to strike? Was your promise of peace truly that thin?"

"No one's going to attack!" Jay interjected. All the hairs on the back of her neck were on end, and an unshakable antsy-ness danced along her skin. "At least, no one from Nettles anyway. What I believe Trevor is trying to say is that Chief Victor isn't going to just let this slide. Nettles isn't a dumping ground, and he's going to make sure that your people are, let's say encouraged to do their part helping Kane adjust to life here."

The doctor's guard hadn't lowered an inch. "How?"

Jay's mouth had opened before her brain had time to realize it was blank. "I, um, I don't know just yet, but he and Collin are on the case."

A stranger's baseless claims weren't enough to reassure or change Eliza's mind, but they had to end the call on that low note because the rest of the world hadn't been put on hold until they figured this out.

Uncertainty hung like a cold fog over the house when Collin finally returned. Trevor was "dismissed" to go home and clean up so he could meet back up with them at town hall once Collin had done the same. Soon enough they were outside in the pale light of a procrastinating sunrise. They traveled in silence, keeping whatever information they'd just learned to themselves until it was time to compare notes as a group. Worry gnawed on Collin's heart, but he kept his mouth tightly shut.

'Trevor was there the whole time,' he reminded himself again, 'and Jay wouldn't hide something going wrong. Nothing bad happened to either of them.'

He hated that he couldn't get those thoughts out of his head, but Collin had nothing else to focus on. It was still too dark out for the rest of Nettles to be up and running, and in this quagmire of a waiting period, Collin's only focal points were what had already happened, or what might have happened, and the long winding road ahead of them.

The calm, neutralizing interior of the town hall closed the lid on Collin's roving thoughts for the time being, and he marched on with renewed purpose as he led the party into one of the inner offices. Chief Victor hadn't moved from the chair Collin had left him in, his hands steepled together in front of his mouth while he propped his elbows on the remaining pieces of the armrests. The clouded contemplation in his eyes broke when they entered the room.

When Trevor joined them moments later, they wasted no time consolidating their information. A thin, rather malnourished plan rolled out before them like a red carpet made of a single piece of thread, but it was the only path they could take. If Chief Victor had any doubts, he didn't show them as he turned his chair to their only means of contacting the world beyond the wall and began dialing a number.

In a surprise twist, the call connected almost instantly. "Who is this, and how did you get this number?" the man who answered demanded. There was a faint hint of morning grogginess around his sharp eyes, but wherever he was it wasn't so obscenely early for him to be dressed in uniform and in his office. "Your superiors will be hearing about this!"

"That's great, Commander Cade, because I am calling on behalf of my superiors," Victor replied smoothly, settling comfortably in his chair.

The Commander's expression had been perfectly carved out of a block of granite, but his left eye gave the slightest twitch. "How do you...?"

"My name is Victor," the Chief went on, seemingly ignoring the question, "and I am the current serving representative of the little outpost here in Nettles. Perhaps you've heard of it?" Cade flinched. Not dramatically enough to move him out of frame, but enough to know that the call now had his full attention. Victor's smile grew, and he reached over to grab a plank of wood from further down the desk. "I wanted to tell you personally that we received your package this morning."

Back in control, the Commander frowned. "Package?" he scoffed. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

With only the slightest amount of flourish, Victor presented his evidence. It was a piece of the crate emblazed with a large "13". A chill washed down Cade's spine. Less than twenty-four hours ago he'd stood next to and been dwarfed by that very number. Because of how the Chief had shifted, he could now also see Kane standing beside two other young men. Side by side, like equals.

Setting the plank down, Chief Victor clasped his hands together on the desk. "Our request is a simple one. Get in touch with Colonel Samuel Hastings, and he will show you how your department can sponsor our newest resident. Discretely, of course."

"You've already told someone?" Cade snapped.

Darkness pooled around Victor's eyes as they narrowed. "We here in Nettles are not allowed the luxury of misrepresenting facts. If I do not report even a single birth or death, hell will rain down on our town because of it. My superiors are not so strictly bound, so if you need to threaten someone, point your weapon at them."

There was a long, stagnant pause. "I'll see what I can do." Then Cade hung up.

A heavy sigh rocked Victor's shoulders as he powered down the machine. Leaning back in the chair, he lifted a hand to drape it over his eyes. While the others stood at silent attention, Kane dared to inch forward. "Why do I need his money?" he asked bluntly. "What good would that do me?"

Victor turned the chair around slowly and dropped his hand back into his lap. "You wouldn't get the money directly, but you'd reap its benefits. All financial support means is food on our tables and clothes on our backs. Getting anything more than the barest minimum is an uphill battle we lose far more often than we win."

"So, what makes this time different?" Kane pressed. "How can that Colonel do anything more than he normally does?"

A small twist of a smile perked up the corner of the tired Chief's mouth. "Well, to put it plainly, we've got dirt and a paper trail. If Sector 13, or more likely, their superiors, don't want word of what they've done, either in their labs or with this little stunt, getting out, then they'll have no choice but to take Colonel Hastings' offer. Otherwise... well, I'm sure budget troubles will be the least of their problems."

#g/t #g/t writing #my writing #giant/tiny #au #over the wall #gatekeepers #gift

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joshsindigostreak · 1 year ago

Text

I See Hell in Your Eyes

Chapter Twelve

“I’ll never let your heart go where mine’s been.”

Vampire!Josh x Vampire!Reader

Authors Note: Hello lovelies!!! Bringing you another chapter with our Sweetheart and Boy Scout. Kind of a different chapter but I hope y’all love it! We love lore drops. As always my inbox and DMs are always open and I love feedback! Enjoy!! 🩸🖤

Word Count: 6,339

Warnings: Brief SMUT at the beginning, descriptions of disease, marital infidelity, descriptions of blood.

“Oh, fuck…”

Your thighs shook on either side of your Vampire’s head while your fingernails dug into the wooden headboard you were bracing yourself on. His mouth was firmly latched onto your core, and had been for the last three orgasms. Every time you tried to let up or move away his hands dug even harder into your thighs to keep you in place, sensitivity be damned. Followed by a muffled, “one more…” beneath you.

You were about to come again, and you were unsure if you were going to be able to remain upright afterwards. You could also feel Josh’s fangs against your folds, which not only turned you on even more but let you know that you were in for a bite soon. He had held back from biting you the whole night, as if he was testing himself to see how long he could go without giving in.

One of the benefits of Josh being a Vampire was that that skilled tongue of his never tired, and he would try to drown himself in you. It genuinely surprised you at how insatiable he was, but you’d never complain. While you had had good lovers in the past, no one had ever truly made it their mission to spoil you like Josh did. Part of you was still getting used to this amount of loving attention. It had been a long time since you had felt anything remotely close.

At this point you were grinding onto his mouth, chasing your release. It wasn’t long before you were hurtled over the edge, crying out even louder than before as one hand hit the wall and the other was buried in his curls to keep him in place. He moaned against your core, sending shockwaves through your body as he continued to work you through it.

As with the other rounds, as soon as you tried to get up he held you back down.

“Boy Scout I don’t think I-”

However, this time it wasn’t to dive back into you. Instead he turned his head to his left and sank his fangs into your thigh, unable to hold back any longer.

You relaxed into him as he drank from you, and a serene smile spread across your face. Your grip in his hair softened, and you lovingly moved the sweaty curls off his forehead.

Meanwhile, your Vampire was lost in his own world. Or more accurately, your world and memories. Josh immediately recognized the man with you from previous memories, and his brows knitted together as the scene played in his mind.

It was late, and you and Collin were being Those People by keeping the boutique open well past their closing time.

“I really like this one…” he whispered in your ear which caused you to giggle a little too loudly. The two of you were looking at a perfume display in the back of the store. “I want to smell it on you…later…” he whispered even quieter, smirking as he did so.

You looked down at the bottle, Bouquet de la Reine was written on the front label. It was very, very floral, particularly with Jasmine notes. But you liked it, and Collin seemed to like it even more. But one detail stopped you from committing to it.

“Aren’t you worried she’ll also smell it later?”

Collin rolled his eyes, “even if she does I can come up with an excuse. She never asks questions anyway, you know that.”

You turned to him and smiled, not even batting an eye at what he said, “let’s get this one!”

The last thing Josh saw was a smarmy smile on Collin's face before the memory vanished. With one last swallow of your blood, he carefully pulled his fangs from your flesh. He looked up to stare at you, loving the view he had from this angle. His hands released your thighs and you collapsed next to him. The dim lighting in the room made the sheen of sweat that covered you nearly shine, and the flush in your cheeks even more pronounced. He shifted so he was laying next to you, and leaned over your face before softly lowering his mouth to yours, allowing you to taste yourself in more than one way.

Later on, after you cleaned up and were settled back in bed before the sun rose, Josh couldn’t help but replay that memory over and over in his head. He wasn’t jealous that you had past lovers, at least not a lot, but he was very curious as to Collin’s importance since you had never mentioned him at all.

You turned to your Vampire, ready to cuddle up and sleep through the day. But he had a weird look on his face. The wheels in his head were turning behind those big brown eyes.

“Sweetheart…can I ask you something?” His voice was soft, timid even.

You nearly snorted at him. He could ask you anything, he knows that.

“Of course you can, Boy Scout,” letting out a small airy laugh.

Josh sat up, wanting to face you properly. He didn’t want to be nosy, but he had to ask at least one question so that his mind would calm down about the subject.

“Whose…whose Collin?”

The sound of his name made you freeze. It had been nearly a century since you had even talked about him, which was on purpose. You hated even thinking of the man.

“How do you-”

“From your blood, babe,” he reached over for your hand, trying to convey that he was only curious.

Of course. Of fucking course. You had been very naive to think that he wouldn’t come across any memories of Collin. You had 35o years of memories, what were the chances he’d land on those. You mentally kicked yourself for not even preparing for this question, or for him to be brought up. But you were optimistically thinking that Collin was dead and buried, both figuratively and emotionally. You sat there, staring at your curious lover, trying to figure out a place to start.

“Collin was…Collin was someone from my past.”

“I gathered that, sweetheart.”

You bit your lip before continuing, “we were together for a short period of time. Nearly three years.”

Three years is a long time, at least to Josh who was still within the first year of being Undead. Collin was more significant than he thought.

“Oh…an ex boyfriend?”

You shook your head, “not necessarily, but we were together physically.” You were ashamed of the other details. That he had been married that entire time, and that you were complacent in his infidelity. “I’m not very proud of it, Josh.”

This made him even more confused and curious, “why?”

You took a few deep breaths, preparing your words.

“He was…well he was married all of those years.” You looked down at your joined hands, not able to look at Josh quite yet. You didn’t want him to think that this was a habit of yours.

He was silent, but his thumb rubbed across your knuckles.

“It was a long time ago and it was the first and last time I’d ever been in that situation before and I’m not proud of it ok but it happened and-”

Your rambling was cut off with his lips on yours, both silencing you and comforting you. As he pulled away, your eyes betrayed you and began to water.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” he whispered.

But you were you. You didn’t want this hanging over your head, anxious on the other shoe dropping and Collin coming up again down the line. No, you needed to rip the bandaid off.

“No it’s ok I just haven’t spoken about this in a long time,” you started.

“We met in a park…”

It was Spring, late Spring. The sun had set a little over two hours ago, and you were taking your evening stroll through one of the parks near the hotel you were staying at. Most of the flowers had closed up for the night already, but you were still able to smell them as you passed. At this point your routine was simple: walk the park, spot someone alone, Persuade them to follow you behind the trees, have your dinner, and send them on their way with no memory of the encounter. When it came to hunting, less was more. You never fed in the same place twice, and you always varied on who you chose to lead away from the path.

Tonight, the moon was half full, with just enough light in the sky to cast perfectly convenient shadows in the local flora. Your dress was a very calculated shade of green, that would help you blend in even more. Not too emerald to stick out amongst the more dull colors of the general public, but just green enough to look at home in the ivy.

You were on your third lap of the park, and out of sheer boredom you chose to sit down on a lonely bench along the path. You hoped you hadn’t missed your window to pick up a proper meal. Just before you gave up and took another lap, a man sat down beside you. A rather striking man.

“What is a woman as beautiful as you doing in a park all by herself? Alone at night?”

Your gaze snapped in his direction, ready to Persuade him behind a tree and take your chance. But his icy blue eyes stopped you. They reminded you of a wolf with the way they looked right through you. They were eyes so pretty that you knew he could get whatever he wanted by a mere expression. The rehearsed lines died on your tongue.

“Can’t a woman enjoy the night air?” You managed to get out.

“Well of course. But by yourself? You never know who is lurking around the corner.”

If only he knew.

“What are you suggesting, sir?” Your patience was growing thin, but not enough to overpower the sheer awe you had at admiring his cheekbones.

He smiled in a way that didn’t scream smarmy, it was in a way that was genuine, and in a way that made you intrigued.

“Oh I’m merely offering my arm for the evening. So you can enjoy this…night air…unbothered.”

Your face twitched as you swallowed down the laugh that threatened to bubble up. Instead, you gave a pleasant smile back.

“And does my guardian for the evening have a name?”

He slowly reached down to take your hand and bring it up to his lips, “Collin Irving, at your service m’lady.” He looked up from your knuckles with a cheeky glint in his eyes. Those bright blue eyes.

You relented, and the two of you stood up and started down the path. Chatting with Collin was easy. He had a charm about him that was rare, and a captivating way to tell stories. He had you giggling like a schoolgirl, and you weren’t the giggling type. He asked about you of course, and the most you told him was your name and that you were traveling from America. He asked a few more probing questions but at this point in your life you were an expert at giving someone just enough information that made them feel like they knew more than they did.

The evening came to an end a little over two hours later, having realized the two of you had walked the park nearly five times. You still hadn’t eaten, and you still hadn’t Persuaded him in order to do so. By the third lap you realized you didn’t want to make him a meal. He was too charming to be a one time thing. The thought of Persuading him to forget your face and to forget his night in the park made your chest seize. No, that couldn’t happen. Not to him.

He ended up walking you back to your hotel, dropping you off just far enough to keep people from starting any rumors. But close enough that he memorized the hotel, and thought of your beaming face and delicate laugh all the way home. To his wife.

“We started meeting up at the park every night. It was innocent at first. Just two people walking and talking. The chaste ways of that time period helped, but eventually fingers brushing against each other turned into a proper hand hold, and held hands turned into embraces, which turned into kisses in the dark which led to-,” you stopped, trying to read Josh’s face. He had sat perfectly still the whole time, fingers laced with yours with the occasional squeeze.

“Felt like a fairytale, didn’t it?” He offered softly.

You looked at the wall and sniffed, “you could say that. It was a few weeks later that I found out that he was married. It was such a cliched moment. I ran into them on the street and had to immediately pretend I didn’t know them at all. But the next night, he showed up at the park like always and “explained” the situation about how it was a marriage of convenience that their parents set up when they were kids and that they were more friends than anything.” You looked up at the ceiling, reliving the embarrassment of that moment all over again. “I should’ve called bullshit. I should’ve Persuaded him to forget me and move on. But I didn’t. Collin had this weird way of making everything feel exciting, like it was our private adventure…and I didn’t want that to end.” Your hands idly fiddled with his fingers, “one of the downsides of immortality is that the monotony of time will eat at you. So when something exciting happens that breaks up that feeling, you want it to stay. Everyone goes through it, and you will too one day. It’s just the order of things.”

Josh couldn’t wrap his mind around that: the thought of life feeling monotonous around you. But he understood you knew more than him on the subject.

“Did he know that you were a…”

“Vampire? Not at first, but eventually he found out.”

Josh widened his eyes, “that sounds risky as hell.”

You blew a lock of hair out of your face, “a big risk but the one time I did use my Persuasion on him was that he would forget about the existence of Vampire’s when not in my presence, and to never question why I could only meet at night. But I think…I think he liked having a secret of mine to keep too…”

“Show them to me,” Collin requested while his thumbs ran along your lips. You were sitting up in bed, wrapped up together in the sheets while he cradled your face in his hands. Your hair was completely down and falling around your shoulders and frizzy from the previous activities. The floral scent of the perfume he had bought you hung in the air. That delicious mix of bergamot and jasmine clung to everything, especially on the human before you.

You knew what he wanted to see.

You gave him a look, your eyes sparkling from the oil lamps that lit up the room, “say please…”

He smiled and obliged, “show them to me, please, my pet.”

Slowly, you opened your mouth in front of his face, and as slowly and dramatically you could, you let your fangs descend from your upper jaw.

Collins eyes widened in wonder, having never seen any Vampire fangs before let alone yours. Carefully one of his thumbs reached over and touched one lightly, admiring the length of them and how well they suited your face.

“Why, what a treasure you are…,” his voice was barely a whisper, and you would be lying if you said you didn’t feel like a schoolgirl with the way he was marveling at you. No one had ever looked at you like this in decades. His thumb toyed with the point of one, “are they shar-”

You backed away before he could cut himself on them. In the eight months you had been together, you hadn’t fed on him. You had thought about it…you had thought about it a lot, but you restrained yourself. Collin wasn’t food. Collin was…something else.

“Yes, they are,” you said firmly.

“Does it hurt? To be bitten?”

You tilted your head at him, knowing what he was getting at,”of course it hurts…but it can feel good to some…”

He craned his neck, offering himself to you, “show me.”

You leaned in and narrowed your eyes, “aren’t you worried I could kill you?”

His blue eyes locked on you, “but you won’t, Pet,…we both know you won’t…”

You stared at him, knowing he was right, Leaning in, you grazed your fangs against his skin, They sank into his flesh, and he cried out in a mix of surprise and pain, but quickly he was moaning underneath you as you straddled his lap.

Thus started the routine. He’d come over, you’d fuck, you’d bite him, you’d heal the wounds before he went home, and the cycle would start all over again a few nights later.

“It stayed like that for the next two and a half years,” you sniffed again and rubbed your nose.

Josh hated the sound of the whole thing. Not because it was another man, but because he was seeing red flags everywhere and he was helpless to stop whatever you were going to tell him next.

“He called you, ‘pet?’” His upper lip was twisted in disgust at how demeaning that was.

Your eyes slowly met his, “...yeah…it was definitely not my favorite but at the time I didn’t care.”

Josh licked his lips and adjusted his hands as he held yours.

“He made it feel fun though,” you said distantly, “I wasn’t always in that hotel. Sometimes I’d be at his summer house in the country, and his staff would be informed that I had a skin condition that rendered me unable to be in the sun at all. Most of them nodded and did their duties and the ones that didn’t I just Persuaded into doing it anyway. If I wasn’t there I’d be joining him on business trips. He’d buy me whatever I wanted, even when I said I didn’t need it, send me flowers whenever-”

“Which ones?” Josh interjected.

“What?”

“Which flowers?”

The question caught you off guard and you blinked at him, “Jasmine usually. He said they reminded him of that first night in the park.”

Josh nodded and made a mental note to never buy you Jasmine flowers, no matter what.

You continued, “not to be a cliche but all good things come to an end.”

The clock read 10:30, and he was late.

It was December, and you were patiently waiting for Collin to show up at the hotel you were currently residing. He had insisted that when he was in the city that you were to have nothing but the best living-wise, and the suite you were in was written off as a vaguely worded business expense. As long as the numbers added up at the end of the day, the labels didn’t matter according to him.

You sat on the bench in front of the window, looking down at the street hoping to see any signs of him. Collin was never late. When he told you what time he’d be somewhere he always meant it. So where was he? You sipped on your wine while you tried not to imagine the worst.

Before you could form any more scenarios in your head, the door burst open and suddenly your blue-eyed boy was in front of you. You jumped up in surprise and met him halfway across the room, and immediately hopped to wrap your legs around his waist.

He showered your face with kisses, a usual greeting but he was far more enthusiastic this time.

“Well I’m happy to see you too, Mr. Iring,” you giggled and leaned in to capture his lips.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, “Pet, I have the most amazing news.”

Your mind whirled with possibilities, “what is it?”

“She’s pregnant!”

You blinked, “who…?”

“Eleanor, of course!”

The blood started pumping in your ears, and you slowly let your legs down to stand in front of him. His wife was pregnant. The thought of them being together physically was something you never thought about. Not because you didn’t think it wasn’t happening, but because you never wanted that image in your mind. However Collin always made it sound like they never even held hands, let alone that.

You tried to keep your expression neutral, “when…when did this happen?”

He was still grinning from ear to ear, clearly not reading the energy of the room, “the week of my birthday last month.”

“Your birthday? But we were in Spain on your birth-”

“Yes, but when we came back and I had to stop by the manor for those three days? She practically pounced on me the second I walked through the door. You should’ve seen our maid’s face!”

You didn’t find it as funny as Collin did.

Unable to keep it to yourself, your thoughts spilled out, “I thought you were never with her that way.”

“Pet, of course it happened…it just happened so infrequently that it felt like I was never with her.”

You shouldn’t have felt disgusted, you had no right to, but you couldn’t help it. Silently you retreated back to the bench and picked up your wine glass.

Collin sighed and followed you over, sitting on the opposite side of the bench.

His voice was quiet, “it will mean, however, that our arrangement will have to come to an end.”

Your eyes snapped in his direction, “why?”

“My responsibilities are different now, Pet. I need to be around more. The midwife thinks it's going to be a boy, and Eleanor agrees. I hope they’re right. Just thinking of another Irving to pass on the name? The business one day? The thought of becoming a father has always been on my mind. Especially the idea of an heir. A true legacy, Pet.”

You scoffed at how draconic it sounded, “you never mention that to me.”

Collin threw his hands up in defeat, “I’m sorry… was there ever a good time to bring it up? It's not like it would happen with you.”

Your eyes bore into his, “what’s that supposed to mean.”

“Oh don’t read into that, you know exactly what I mean. Even if something horrible happened and you ended up being my wife, it's not like you could-”

“Not like I could what?” Your eyes were watering now.

“Your kind can’t…have children, can they?”

His words slapped you in the face. There it was. The real reason.

“I’m sorry I’m so useless to you now because I can’t produce a dozen little Irvings for you. I’m glad Eleanor is there to help you live your dreams, Collin, Congratulations,” you practically spat at him.

“No no don’t be like that,” he tried to grasp your hands but you wrenched them away from his grasp.

“If you know so much about my kind, then why aren’t you afraid I could kill you right now?”

He tilted his head and looked into your eyes, and mirrored the same words he had said years prior, “but you won’t, Pet…we both know you won’t.”

You sniffed, keeping eye contact with him as you rose up on your knees and took his chin in your hand, keeping his gaze locked with yours.

“You’re right. That would be too easy. Instead…,” you felt your power rise up from your throat, “instead the second you leave this room, you will never contact me again. Every time you consider it, the thought disappears as soon as it's formed. But you’ll remember me. You’ll remember my face, my smell, my flesh in your hands, and worst of all, you’ll miss my teeth in your neck. I will haunt you until the day you die, Collin Irving. You’ll never feel satiated again. Do I make myself clear?”

He blinked once, and slowly said, “...yes…”

“Leave. Now.”

He wordlessly stood up and exited the room, not even looking back as he shut the door. When you couldn’t hear his footsteps down the hall anymore, your face finally crumpled and the tears fell. The other shoe dropped, and the gravity of the last three years finally hit you.

The grip Josh had on your hands was getting tighter the further you got in your story, and his jaw was clenched so tightly you thought he’d crack a tooth. The thought of anyone talking to you like that made his blood boil.

“Did you ever see him again?” He asked tightly.

“Twice, actually. But they were years apart.”

It was 1873, and you were back in London.

You weren’t even properly visiting, just passing through on your summer holiday. But there you were, standing under an awning waiting for the dusk to fully give in to the night. Across the street from you blue eyes were locked on you, in the same way they had all those years ago. But your ex-lover wasn’t alone. No, beside him was a young boy who was more focused on the toy boat in his hands than anything else.

Before you could stop yourself you were crossing the street, standing in front of Collin for the first time in a decade. He hadn’t changed much, a few more creases around his eyes and his light hair had faded to an even lighter shade. But his stare was the same, and the charm still oozed off of him even as he stood there silent.

“Pet,” he whispered.

You hated the way your heart lurched at his voice. He didn’t deserve a reaction like that, but you had it anyway.

“Collin.”

He seemed unable to stop himself from rambling, “I think about you every day, Pet. I can’t believe you’re standing in front of me again. Are you in London long? Where are you staying? Maybe I could-”

“Papa, can we go home now?” The child’s voice interrupted any chance of you answering any of Collin’s questions.

You looked down at him. His toy boat was under his arm, and he was standing a little behind Collin, a little shy. His hair was auburn, if not a little darker, and his eyes were on the brown side of hazel. He didn’t have any of Collin’s features. He had Eleanor’s, that much was clear.

“And what is your name, young sir?” Your voice was light and friendly, as he was completely innocent to the situation surrounding his father and yourself.

“Matthew…,” he answered, looking down at his shoes.

You smiled at him and turned back to Collin.

“How old is he?”

The question seemed to sober up Collin, and his eyes were steady as he answered, “turned ten earlier this month.”

The understanding silence between you was deafening.

“Decided to take him out for a bit, let his mum have a few hours to herself.”

Stiffly, you asked, “how is Eleanor?”

“She’s doing well. A little tired these last few weeks as our youngest have been poorly-”

Your eyes flickered down at Matthew and then back up at Collin.

“Youngest?”

Collin swallowed, as if he got caught saying something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Yes there’s…there’s four of them all together.”

You needed to leave, you had heard enough.

“Four?”

The energy between you was getting more awkward by the second.

“Yes it's Matthew here,” he patted the boy’s shoulder, “then our Colleen, and then the twins…Edwin and Jasmine.”

The name Jasmine stood out like a sore thumb. You hadn’t worn that particular fragrance in years, but you remembered how his favorite perfume on you smelled vividly of that particular flower. Did he really name his child after…? Your nostrils flared slightly at the notion.

“Oh…well I hope the little ones feel better soon,” you looked down at his first born, “it was nice to meet you, Matthew.” The child gave you a shy look before hiding even more behind Collin.

This was too much. You needed to leave for your own sanity.

“Well, it was nice to see you again, Collin,” you turned around and started walking as quickly as you could to blend in with the humans.

“Wait! We can walk you-”

“Goodbye, Collin,” you called over your shoulder, making a left down a side street and using your full speed to distance yourself as fast as possible.

“Collin…named his daughter…Colleen? How original,” Josh said as he raised his eyebrows and blinked.

“I wish I could say I was surprised, but Collin’s biggest fan was himself so…it tracked,” you shrugged and ran a hand through your hair. You were getting tired, but you had to finish what you had started.

“The last time I saw him was less awkward, but even more depressing,” you began.

It was 1922, and over 60 years had passed since you had last seen Collin Irving. It was a new century, a new time, and the only reason you thought of him again was because you had run across an article from across the pond that stated he had finally handed over the business to his oldest son, citing poor health.

Was it pettiness? Curiosity? Or the fact that you were a glutton for punishment that led you to the sidewalk in front of his manor. It was nearly midnight, and only a few rooms seemed to be lit from within. As you made your way to the front door you couldn’t help but notice the Jasmine vines that were climbing the front of the house.

Persuading yourself into the house was second nature, and as one of Collins maids led you up the stairs to his room the empty state of the house struck you as well. They could be sleeping, you thought, but it was still strange to only see staff walking about the halls.

The door was opened for you and you were ushered inside. When the door was shut, your eyes scanned the room and spotted the four-poster bed on the far wall. There he was, propped up against the headboard with several pillows, dozing with his chin tucked to his chest. He looked so frail, his skin looked nearly gray.

You took a seat on the edge of the bed, silently watching your former flame. He started to cough, rather violently, which made him wake up and reach for a handkerchief next to him on the bed. He was so focused on coughing into the cloth he still hadn’t noticed you. The cough was a deep one, and nearly gurgled as he continued. A scent hit the air however, and the mystery illness was made clear.

Blood.

Humans were being plagued with a disease called “consumption” or “tuberculosis”, and attacked the lungs. By now there were small medical advancements for the disease, but for a man as old as Collin…there was little hope.

He opened his eyes as he wiped his mouth, his eyes were cloudy now, but you could tell he could see you regardless.

“Are you a ghost?”

You tilted your head, “Not quite.”

“Pet…?” Your mouth flinched at the name.

“Collin.”

“Why…why are you here?” His voice rattled and wheezed.

“Word on the street is that you don’t have much time left.”

He stared at you in a way that made you feel he was looking through you.

“Are you Death then, coming to collect me?”

“No…not that either.”

He reached his bony hand towards yours, and you allowed him to take it. It felt like him but it also didn’t feel like him at the same time. His skin was colder, the pads of his fingers felt different due to age. Humans aged so strangely.

“Is your family here?”

He shook his head, “no…most of them are at the country house or at their own residences.”

Your brow furrowed slightly, “is anyone here to look after you?”

“My staff have been at my side this entire time.”

You suspected his children were waiting out for their inheritances, if they were anything like their father.

“Eleanor?”

Collin’s eyes softened and he looked down, “Eleanor passed ten years ago.”

“Collin Irving, dying all alone,” you failed to hide the amusement in your voice.

As if on cue, he started coughing again, this one was a lot louder than the last.

“I could take it away, you know. Just a few drops would clear your body out in minutes,” you offered as your fingers smoothed down your dress.

“Eh…I don’t need that, Pet. I’m ready to go. I’ve lived a full life.”

“I’m sure you have,” you tried and failed to show that the last sentence didn’t sting.

“I thought about you, every day since that night,” he confessed.

Good, you thought, the confirmation that your Persuasion still held up all these years later warmed you inside.

Playing along, you said, “you did?”

He nodded, “oh yes. I felt like every time I’d turn a corner you’d be there as you used to be. I missed having you with me all the time. Even planted the Jasmine outside so that I could smell you whenever I’d open a window. I didn’t realize how much of a loss it was until it was too late. I always meant to reach out to you but I never got around to it. I’d want to write to you but it would slip my mind so easily.”

“I wouldn’t have read them anyway,” you shrugged.

“Just as well,” the hand that was holding yours squeezed your hand, “your skin is as soft as ever…”

“Is it, now?”

“Never felt anything like you again, you know. I tried, no other woman could compare.”

You winced at that “compliment.”

“So much for being a family man,” you said coldly, taking your hand back and settling it in your lap.

“Why are you really here, Pet?”

Fine, you would be blunt, “I wanted to watch you suffer.”

He held his hands up, “as you said, I’m dying alone, shriveled and broken. Is that what you wanted?”

No. What you had wanted was to fight for you sixty years ago, to not throw away what you had, but that didn’t happen. You sighed, knowing you had overstayed your welcome.

Abruptly you stood, smoothing down your dress one more time, “this is my last goodbye, Collin.”

He began to protest, “no not yet, you only just arrived. Stay with me, please.”

You shook your head, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “like I said, until the day you die, Collin Irving, I will haunt you.”

Before he could respond he started coughing again, his body shaking from the movement, and you took that as an opportunity to swiftly exit the room, never to see him again. The distant sound of his labored breathing and wet coughs being the last memory you had of Collin Irving.

“He was dead a week later, according to the obituary,” you took a shaky breath, emotionally exhausted. Your Vampire was still with you, listening to every word and trying his best not to interrupt. He wanted to ask if you knew where Collin was buried, for reasons, but he kept it to himself and made another mental note to google it later.

Josh could tell you were beat, and without hesitating he reached over to pull you into his lap, allowing you to rest your head in the crook of his neck. Your eyes fluttered shut as soon as you were surrounded by his warmth.

“One less asshole in the world, then,” he said softly.

“Yeah…,” you agreed.

“The sun is up now, why don’t we rest and sleep the day away?”

You opened one eye and glanced at the clock. It was nearly 8:00 AM.

“Sounds great, Boy Scout,” you tilted your head to give him a soft kiss on the hinge of his jaw.

The two of you got settled under the duvet, legs tangled and facing each other. Josh brought one of your hands to his lips and kissed your knuckles before lacing his fingers with yours and settling them between you.

“I know that was hard for you, but thank you for telling me,” he made one more mental note to not bring up Collin even if he saw more memories of him in the future. The less said about him the better.

“Does this count as us having the ‘exes’ talk? Another milestone down,” you yawned.

Josh loved the sound of that.

“I’ll never hurt you like that, or at all, ever,” he promised.

Your eyelids were heavy but you forced them open to look into his doe eyes and teased, “silver handcuffs aside?”

“Hey!” his nose crinkled in defense but he joined in with your laugh. You were too far away, he felt and he pulled you even closer to him, your chests nearly flush against each other. He planted a kiss on the crown of your head, sleep quickly coming for him too.

You hated being overly sentimental, but the fact that Josh literally gave his life to save yours floated through your head. As well as the realization that he always put you first, which you still weren’t fully used to yet, but you were getting there. And just before you fully gave into sleep, you made another realization that you never gave Collin a nickname like you did Josh. He was always just Collin. Nothing more, nothing less. In fact you couldn’t even think of something you would have called him, hypothetically.

But you were happy about that, because there was only one Boy Scout for you.

To be continued…

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