#so his puppet was kinda just left in a box somewhere usually

[nannerism]

"It's been so long, hasn't it?"

Hello again! This is BETA Wally! He is very polite, and truthfully just wants to get out of wherever he is!

He is not entirely alive, unlike his counterpart (I think?). He can think and he can move his eyes (and eventually obtains a voice box so he can speak!) but he cannot move!

He's a little messed up, a little dusty... ("a little" may not be the best description... He has been lying there for a few years!) But that is okay! I think he is silly anyway!

[chronicbeans]

Wally and a Puppeteer Reader

I was just kinda thinking to myself... What would happen if he somehow got into contact with one of the puppeteers working on the show? Idk I just like to write what I find interesting. Lol.

TW: Obsessive Behaviors, Mentions of Stalking, Idol Worshipping

🍎 The first time Wally realized what is going on, he's going to panic. Yes, Wally has been aware of the fact that he is a puppet, but he never really understood what that meant. He has always just seen it as a name for what species he is. Kind of like how humans are called humans and that caterpillars are called caterpillars. Just a word that had no implications on his free will.

🍎 However, when he sees the outside of his world... the bright lights setting the stage, the crowd of people all running around and setting things up, he is terrified. These... creatures... look so similar to his neighbor that he has seen every now and again. The only difference is that they are usually smaller and, compared to some of these versions he now sees, have no fluff on their face.

🍎 Then, he sees YOU. He recognizes you. He's seen you in the background, behind one of the smaller creatures he calls his neighbor. You sometimes even come by to check on them. What are you doing here? He doesn't know, but you are an immediate comfort amongst the strange, unfamiliar faces... Even if he doesn't know you.

🍎 Next thing he knows, you are picking him up in your warm arms and carrying him somewhere. He watches as his neighborhood slips away from him, the horrifying realization that his world is just a small little stage in it of itself. His neighbors all being taken by their own strange creatures to their own little areas.

🍎 On your way to wherever you are taking him, someone happens to pop in. Complimenting you on your love for the little puppet in your arms, the excellent care you give him when handling him, and telling you that you are surprisingly good at puppeteering for a newbie on the set. You're going to make an amazing replacement for the last guy.

🍎 Wally cannot believe his ears. What's a puppeteer? This is the first time he's heard of that word. It isn't until the odd fellow asks you to make Wally say his iconic line that he realizes what is happening. You suddenly maneuver him, making a poor impression of his voice as you force him to say "You think I'm the absolute most? You're the most to me, neighbor!"

🍎 Yes... the situation is all coming together in his mind. You must be the one behind everything! All that he does and all that he says is in your hands. All that his friends do and say should be in your hands too, right? It would make sense... If you can control him, then you can control the others!

🍎 Soon enough, you've brought Wally to a room with a little tote box near the corner. You begin checking him over, looking for rips or tears, before wrapping him in a plastic bag. Then, you place him in the box, making sure he isn't squished at all.

🍎 Left alone with his thoughts, Wally thinks about everything that has happened. This all feels too real to be a dream, as much as he sort of wishes it was. In fact, it feels more real than his life before this. He must do something, anything, but he doesn't know why. He just has to do something other than sitting in this bag inside a tote.

🍎 So, after a few hours of trying to move, he finally succeeds. He's gotten himself out of the plastic bag... Then, after a few more minutes, he hears someone return to the room. Lying limp, he watches as you open the box. Your eyes grow wide as you look down at him. You turn your head to look around the room, before crying out "Hey... Dave... Did you mess with Wally?" "Nah, (Y/N)! Why? Is something wrong?" With that, you leave to go talk to this... "Dave".

🍎 Of course, he follows. Very slowly, since he isn't used to walking in this... odd way. His legs feel weak. Like they are filled with stuffing. It is a strange feeling. He is also so incredibly cold. Why is he cold, yet, you are so warm?

🍎 He find you talking to another one of your kind. You and the other strange creatures that make up your species seem so frightened by him moving. Why is it okay for you to make him move, but not for him to move on his own? Why are they assuming someone tampered with him?

🍎 You seem most worried. How... introguing. You seem so kind compared to the rest of these odd creatures! So benevolent in your worries. The others talk about him like some sort of object, but you seem to genuinely have an attachment to him!

🍎 He wants to learn more about your kind - no... YOU in specific. He could care less about the others. You are all that really matters at the moment. If he is wrong about his assumption that you control all in his world, be it that others of your kind control his friends or whatnot, he will deal with that. For now, he can watch from a distance. When you all go, he'll be sure to learn the layout of this new land he is in. When he does, he can find you wherever you are in here. He can find out what you love and hate, what makes you tick, what makes you sad.

🍎 That sounds like a wonderful thought to him... maybe, if he leaves little gifts for you, you'll be sure to make everyday of his good. Happy parties with all of his friends, no bumps or bruises on himself or his friends, no rainy days that makes Home sad and cold... If it takes giving gifts, he'll gladly do so! You are so warm and benevolent, he would do so even if it never became fruitful for making his world perfect.

[dredreadsdrawing]

bfhelwhb @peapod20001 here’s the posseee XD As size reference, these babies are short with Guffie, the tallest, being 4 ft 2 in. GiGi is 2ft. Babies.

Ok this will be long to explain. oof. Here’s the backstory explanation: Link. Now… here’s the descriptions!

Guffie: Big and radiating dumb energy. Rodeo-clown. The clumsiest of the bunch but also the hardiest so it’s ok. The youngest, along with Ahem (one of the last created). Their owner was a little boy who treated him well, even going as far as calling them his brother. But he got sick. He didn’t recover. His parents threw Guffie out out of grief, taking them to a park and leaving them behind (oof, Jesse from Toy Story 2 flashbacks here lol). Guffie was scared, and thought for sure they would come back so they waited. And waited. Never seeing them again. Then they found the other clowns, and they convinced them to join. Guffie still holds hope that their owner’s parents will find them, and the clowns let them keep that fantasy. They all know the truth, though.

Phooey: Jester. The first one made after the original 22. They are shy and easily frightened. They had the hardest past. Their owner was a sadistic person who purchased them for the sole purpose of causing pain. They lived in terror for years before finally getting the guts to run away. They still have nightmares, and heavily fear running into their owner one day. So they wear a pathetic disguise in the form of a paper taped to their face. 

Laugher: The oldest, being one of the original 22 along with GiGi. Has always had a drier sense of humor than the others. Was the hardest to sell out of the original bunch because of it, and once they finally got a home… it was great! After being looked over so many times, they finally felt seen. And loved, and appreciated. It was great! Until the father and sole-provider of the family got laid off. They needed money…. and clowns sell well. Laugher had forgotten they were only an item. They were sold. And after struggling with the new family, they were sold again. And again. And again. Ten homes, with the eleventh being an old man with a love of collecting toys. He wasn’t long for the world. As soon as he died, Laugher was done with giving humans a try. They left before people noticed the old man’s death, and became the clown that started the posse. They found Gigi. Then Phooey. Then Guffie And finally, Ahem. They are everyone’s caretaker, their leader, and they do their job with love and care. They would do anything for them. For their design, I looked at the classic ‘sad clown’ paintings lol. Just a poor, hobo kinda look.

Ahem: Mime lol. They are mute, and expression-ly stunted. Very out of practice with communication skills. This is due to their lack of interaction for years because they were purchased for the sole purpose of being a collectible. Kept in a box, in isolation for a decade. They were starved. A lot of their soul has leaked out because of this, but they were lucky. Once the clown’s price skyrocketed, they were sold and packed. Unfortunately, their box got lost on the transportation and they ended up in a ditch. While out rummaging, Guffie opened up the box and found them. The clowns were horrified at how low their soul was, they couldn’t even move! They made it a priority to feed and keep feeding Ahem with show-after show-after show, dragging them along like a puppet until they gained enough to stand on their own. They still have trouble using their body, and they can’t express themselves very well, but the posse do their best to keep them healthy and alive. 

GiGi: A classic lil circus clown. The smallest, and made out of the cuddliest materials. They had the easiest past of them all. They were pampered and adored, bought to be a rich woman’s plaything. They lived happily together for years, but tragedy struck. There was an accident with their transportation while they vacationed somewhere far from their home, and in the confusion, their owner was taken away and they were left behind in the crash. Waking up alone and confused, they could only roam the streets, asking anyone for their owner’s location, with no answers ever given. In their naivety, they were almost picked up by someone shady, but Laugher got to them in time. They’ve stuck to Laugher ever since, and through the years, they have stayed a ray of hope and positivity for better days to come. They truly believe one day they’ll get adopted once more, much to Laugher’s annoyance. 

But their situation keeps getting worse instead.

~~ Some footnotes on relationship specifics:

Guffie, Phooey and Ahem are bffs and stick together. Guffie and Phooey met first, and Guffie, as the biggest, became Phooey’s go to shield to hide behind. Guffie doesn’t mind. When Ahem joined, Guffie made it their mission to get Ahem to smile, but their attempts usually go wrong. Phooey has taken to following them, if only to keep Guffie from accidentally shattering the poor Ahem in their clumsiness. 

Having been together the longest, Laugher and GiGi are closest. They’ve had their ups and downs, but they always pull through together. *coughs* Laugher even grows a definite and hidden crush on GiGi. They get very frustrated by it. GiGi is oblivious as heck. The other three are blind to it as well, but Ahem will be the first to realize. Good thing Ahem is a good listener and a good confider. They become Laugher’s sole romantic confidant.

[gguksgalaxy]

I. Commence | Horror!Au

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›› Au: Horror / Gore (non canon) ›› Genre: Angst ›› Rating: 18+ explicit (sexual content + violence) ›› Characters: BTS + Reader x PJM ›› Word Count: 3.5k Warnings Include:  Injuries, kidnapping, psychological manipulation, psychological distress. 

You woke up somewhere ice cold, your limbs heavy and throat sore. A hand carded through your hair and you jumped at the feeling. “Shh.” Jimin hushed, “I’m here.” With a cough, you dared opened your eyes, remembering what had happened. The smoke, the taste of it was still heavy on your tongue. Your throat was still burning. You remembered how everyone was coughing and gagging in the apartment, Jimin carrying you but falling, everyone collapsing. The way Jungkook had screamed before you went unconscious.

When you opened your eyes you found yourself with your head on Jimin’s lap, his jacket thrown over your upper body. The room was dark, empty, ice and ice cold. “Are you okay?” Jimin whispered, helping you sit up. His jacket slid to the floor and you shivered, picking it back up.

You looked at you boyfriend, who has tears in his eyes, his make-up ran over his face. Then you saw Taehyung beside him, and Jungkook next to him. Taehyung was shivering against the cold, not wearing much more than two thin shirts. Jungkook however, one of his eyes was swollen, and his breathing was ragged.

“Kook?” you asked, reaching out for him, lightly touching his cheek. The make-up was still on his face, making it look much worse, and when you looked Taehyung’s was also still in place.

Jungkook swallowed. “I didn’t pass out quick enough. He got to me.”

“He?” you whimpered.

Jungkook nodded, closing his eyes and leaning his head on Taehyung’s shoulder. “Someone came in, I didn’t see them very well.”

“Guys?” a small voice spoke, and you turned around to see Yoongi and Hoseok still on the floor, the latter just opening his eyes. Hoseok sat up, looking around him with big frightened eyes. “Where are we?” you heard the tears in his voice before you saw them. He hugged his knees, looking at Yoongi seemingly unsure of what to do. But the red haired boy decided to shake his friend by the shoulder anyways. “Yoongi?”

“Y/n?” Namjoon asked, and you noticed him sitting in the other corner with Jin. “Did anybody follow you?”

You thought, about the students you’d seen in the hall, the kids on the street. Everyone was dressed up, suspicious and unsuspicious at the same time. “I don’t think so.”

“Okay.” He mumbled, looking at Jin who was still unconscious.

Hoseok was still shaking Yoongi, who didn’t seem to be waking up. It was frustrating him, tears brimming his eyes and falling, his shoulders shaking. “Yoongi  wake up.” He begged.

Your heart sank into your stomach seeing him like that, his hair messy and still wearing his prisoner outfit. You scrambled to your feet, shuffling over to him and touching his shoulder. “Hoseok.” He flinched at your touch and turned to look at you with wide, scared eyes. You gasped at his sudden reaction, sinking to your knees. “He’ll wake up.”

He looked at the body of his friend, seemingly lifeless for short breaths escaping his lips. Yoongi’s skin was pale especially with his black clothes. The question about what he was dressed as passed your mind again. His black hair falling over his eyes, and you saw a bruise on his neckline.

“He treated us as puppets.” Taehyung spoke.

You turned around to look at him. “What?”

“I woke up, when he just deposited me in this room. He threw all of us in here like rag dolls. I think Yoongi hit his head pretty hard so that might be why he’s not reacting, Jin as well.” Taehyung mumbled, voice raspier than it normally already was.

“Was there only one person?” Namjoon asked, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. That’s when Jin beside him groaned, rolling over and opening his eyes. He, unlike Hoseok, shot up immediately, yelling loudly and looking around just as frightened. Namjoon grabbed his arm. “Calm down.”

Jin looked at all of you, meeting each of your eyes. “Did we just get kidnapped?” It sounded like he was about to make one of this jokes, but when the youngest of the group nodded slowly nothing came from his lips. He swallowed thickly and slumped against the wall.

Hoseok hiccuped beside you and you turned to him again, finding him huddled in the corner, hugging his knees close to his body. “Hey.” You said, scooting over and taking place beside him. When you touched his arm, it was cold, even through the material of his shirt. His breathing was fast and you knew he was scared. “Come.” You pulled his arms from his legs and hugged him. He loosely wrapped his arms around your waist, shaking in your embrace.

“I’m scared.” He mumbled.

“We’re all scared, it’s okay. We’ll get out of here.” You reassured him, even though you weren’t sure of that at all. It wasn’t like you and him were close, but seeing him like this, it hurt.

That’s when Yoongi woke up, making a indistinguishable sound that had you whirling around. He had crawled up on hands and knees, rubbing his head. “What the fuck.”

Jimin was the one coming over to him, steadying him and helping him sit back. The elder touched his head, groaning, eyes tightly closed. “My head hurts.”

Hoseok left your side to take care of his friend that he’d known for a long time. From what Jimin told you they’d been friends since kindergarten. Like Taehyung and Jimin were.

“We have to figure out what we’re doing here.” Jungkook said.

Everyone was silent at his comment, Yoongi slowly opening his eyes and looking around. You scuffling back to Jimin to search out his warmth and familiarity. He wrapped his arm around your waist under the jacket, pressing his lips to your temple and resting his cheek against your hair.

“You think they want money?” Jin asked.

“No,” Yoongi said, shaking his head. “If we’re here for ransom they wouldn’t have kidnapped this many of us.”

Jimin was oddly silent, and you knew what he thought. His father was a known man, and this could well be about him. “My dad.” He whispered.

Yoongi quipped up again. “If they just wanted you they wouldn’t have gotten all of us here. That’s setting themselves up for failure.”

“How do you know all of this?” Jungkook said, looking at him from behind his bangs.

“Logic, I don’t know. I’m just saying what makes sense.”

“I think he’s right though.” Namjoon said. “I mean if they want money from Jimin’s father, it’s be stupid to get all of us.”

You thought about it, it seemed legit. But that only made you more afraid. If you weren’t here for the money, what did this person want from you? You were struck by the inevitable fear, of never going back home, never seeing the light again. Your family, your friends, what if you never saw them? Your gut tightened at the idea and tears gathered in your eyes before you closed them and let them fall.

Jimin pulled you closer, hugging you so your face was buried in the crook of his neck. He tried to protect you, he always did, his strong arms tight around your shoulders as you cried softly. Was this all a dream? Maybe? This couldn’t be real right, you didn’t all just get kidnapped, this kinda shit only happened in movies. Your hands were trembling as you placed them on his waist, feeling someone else rub his hand up and down your back. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Jimin said.

You nodded softly and sort of pulled away again, looking at the room. It all looked like a concrete box, with a lamp hanging over your heads. The light was kind of faint and it was hard to pick out good details. It was so so cold, even though there didn’t seem to be any windows or open doors.

Doors? You looked around, and then behind you. “The door?” you mumbled.

Jungkook spoke up when you reached for the knob. “We tried, it’s locked, pretty tight as well.”

“What about the locker?” Yoongi said.

Locker? You looked at him, and he was pointing to somewhere by Namjoon, who shook his head. “We tried, locked, 4 number code.”

You cuddled up closer to Jimin, and he pulled his legs over your lap. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Jimin mumbled, trailing his fingers over your arm soothingly.

Everyone was silent after that, no more sounds than your and Hoseok’s soft sniffles in the dark room. You saw Jungkook, his usually bright eyes wide and staring of towards the wall with fear. Taehyung was beside him, cheek leaning on the younger’s shoulder, eyes closed taking shaky breaths. Jin and Namjoon were sitting still, Yoongi trying to comfort Hoseok on the other side.

Suddenly there was a sound of static, startling you and some of the others. Everyone searched for the source of the sound, Jin and Namjoon jumping on and squinting their eyes at the ceiling. It sounded like a radio, or intercom.

“Hello?!” you called. “Can anybody hear us?!”

Jimin clasped a hand over your mouth. “Shh.”

You shot him a confused look and he pressed his finger against his lips. What?

“I certainly hope you’re all awake.” An unknown voice spoke, it made you shiver and gasp. It sounded like a little kid, a four year old girl, high pitched and squeaky. This just took a turn for the worst. The voice sounded like something from a horror movie, or a kids tv show. Jimin pulled you closer, and you felt how rapidly his heart was beating now. “Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“What the actual fuck!” Yoongi grumbled. “Who are you?! Where are you?! Let us go!” he yelled, standing up, and Hoseok pulled at his wrist, trying to get him to calm down. “Who do you think you are?!”

Namjoon stood up, grabbing Yoongi’s arm. “Let’s hear them out, okay, calm down.”

The voice however, didn’t seem to be listening to you and started talking again. “I’m here to offer you a way out.” This was the kind of stuff that only happens in horror movies, it was turning to the things you could only dream off. And those were nightmares at that. You’d seen Saw, you and Jungkook had a marathon once, you knew how this ended. With all of you dead in a ditch. You swallowed thickly and your breath hiccuped.

“You’re here to play a game!” it said, laughing loudly in a way that sent goosebumps up your skin under the material of your knitted sweater.

“Please tell me this is a joke.” Jungkook said.

“It’s not funny.” Jin stated.

“I’m going to explain the rules! So you better all listen!” It screeched. “Welcome all, to Atonement! A game where you will atone for all your sins to earn your freedom. Towards your way outside back into the world, you will pass through 7 rooms. Each one of you will complete one of the 7 tasks in order to earn a passage through to exit door. Everything will be registered on your bracelets, the first component of the game.”

Bracelets? You looked at your arm and gasped, finding a thick metal ring around your wrist, fitted tightly to your skin. It was about an inch thick, and when you tried to move it, you noticed it hurt, almost like it was stuck to your skin.

“We tried.” Taehyung said. “They don’t come off.”

“Now don’t try to take the bracelets off. It’s not impossible but can only be done by brute force. Loosing your bracelet will mean you loose your way of passage through the door. See it as your ticket. Once you have chosen your task, the screen will turn a colour corresponding with the task.” Until now, everything seemed…mild? “However, these bracelets don’t only assure that you will be able to go outside, they also ensure that you follow the rules. If you break a rule, or don’t complete the task within given time or instruction frame, it will inject a poison into your bloodstream that will ensure death within 70 seconds. The bracelet is attached to your wrist by thin needles and may cause discomfort, however, no need to worry, there’s no way to accidentally trigger the death switch. Now as for the game, there are seven other components this game.”

“One, the doors. Everyone passes through them one by one carefully, so your bracelets can be registered and taken onto the next task. Everyone must at all times pass through the door for the game to continue, unless the previous task stated otherwise. The door shall open as soon as the required task is fully completed.”

“Two, the death switch inside the bracelets, which is activated when rules are broken. When activated the door shall open.”

“Three, the locker. Every room has a locker, the locker may at all times only be opened by one person and that person shall be the one to complete the task given beforehand. If you try to break it open before that, your death switch will activate. It is possible to let the game pick a player for you, to do so set the code on the lock to 999, one player’s bracelet will briefly light up for indication. This choice cannot be changed, re-usage of the 999 code will activate the death switch of the first chosen player. This code must always be put in by the youngest player of the game.” That was Jungkook, you realised, the youngest of you, 5 months younger than you were yourself. “The locker shall provide everything needed to complete the task. All items provided must be used according to rules. It is not allowed to transport the objects from the locker to the next room. Rules will be provided over the intercom, a transcription is included in every locker for further reference. Only the transcription in this locker may be taken onto the next rooms.”

“Four, the task. There are seven tasks, one for each of you. The person who open the locker shall at all times complete the given task within 70 minutes, if you cheat the rules or do not meet the requirements within the time, the death switch will activate. If someone else completes the task, his death switch will activate. If the requirement of the task is for the chosen player to die, the door shall open as soon as his heart rate reaches 0. Any type of assistance is allowed unless stated so as long as it doesn’t breach the requirements that the player needs to meet. For example, if something needs to be afflicted to the player they can do it themselves or have someone else do it. If a player dies before they can complete the task, another player will be chosen who must in that case complete two tasks. Each task is based on one of the seven deadly sins, and shall indicated your atonement.” That one struck home, gasps forming around the room, some muttering under their breath as you clutched onto Jimin for dear life.

“Five, the time limit. There are 70 minutes for each task. The countdown starts once the locker is opened, if the locker is not opened within 7 minutes of the end of the explanation, a random death switch will be activated. To ensure you are all aware of your time limit, 700 seconds before the end this sound will play.” There was a sudden sound of a ticking clock, echoing through the room and immediately putting you on edge. To have to hear this for over 10 minutes, it would drive you crazy.

“Six, the defeated players. A player is defeated once he or she is dead. Defeated players must at all times remain in the room where they were defeated and you are so not allowed to move their bodies with you. Once a player is defeated this will as previously mentioned either result in another player being picked, or the door opening. Depending on whether the task has been completed or not.”

“Seven, the broadcast. Your every move is being recorded and broadcasted to a live stream, interaction with the camera is at all times prohibited and will result in your death switch being activated.”What? Cameras? Everything being recorded. What sick kind of game was this? Your heart was pounding in your chest, you were shaking with fear of what was to come. All of you knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and the chance of you all making it out seemed to become less and less.

You wanted to cry, scream, for someone to come and get you, but you knew it was no use. For all things you could be 10 feet under the ground. Hoseok whimpered, and Yoongi shushed him, hugging his friend. There was a cough from Jungkook, who shakily took Taehyung’s hand in his, squeezing it tightly. You saw the tears on Taehyung’s cheeks, you’d never seen him cry before. Neither has you seen Jungkook scared in the 7 odd years you’d known him. Both of you had gone to high school together, he was the one who introduced you to Jimin.

This group of friends, was tight knit, but this, this could break it all apart. What if you had to hurt each other, what if people were actually going to die. Could you ever forgive yourself? Could you ever forgive the others? For all you knew you would be the one to not make it.

“Wait.” Jin said. “Did he say seven tasks?”

“Yeah?” you said.

Jimin’s breath hitched. “One for each player?”

“There’s eight of us.” The oldest of the group said, looking around.

The voice was quiet now, but the static still there. It was like the tiny voice with the high pitch was still lingering in your ear, in the whole context, it made you so afraid. It reminded you faintly of the voice in a game you’d once played, but then it had belonged to a rabbit. It’s kid like, and annoying, but the fact that it sounded so happy while saying such dark things was messed up. Everything was messed up, this whole thing.

Tears rolled down your cheeks again, and Jimin tried to shush you.

“Does that mean we need to k-“

There was a loud clap coming from the intercom, wherever it may be located. And the voice returned, making you press your eyes closed and hiding your face into the crook of Jimin’s neck. “I see that we have an unfortunate event. This game was designed for 7 players, 7 tasks, 7 sins. However, there seems to be an extra player in the room. It’s good that I thought of everything beforehand and was capable of providing you with a bracelet y/n, don’t worry, you won’t be left out. That wouldn’t be fair right!” Somehow, the sound of your name coming from the guy set Jimin off. You felt him tense beside you before he jumped up.

“WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE ARE YOU?! HOW DO YOU KNOW HER NAME?!” he screamed, going by all the corners to find the source of the sound before Jungkook and Taehyung stood up and pulled him back down. You stared at him, his body infused with sudden rage you didn’t often see from him. “This fucker.”

You touched his hand and he flinched. “The only thing we can do is play.”

He gave you a wide eyed look. “You want to d-“

The voice broke him off mid-sentence. “For you to be able to continue you must eliminate one of the players. Chose the player randomly with the 999 code, or use the code 251 to choose a player. A player is eliminated once he or she is dead. Do you not choose a player within seven minutes, all your death switches will be activated. Your seven minutes start now.”

The intercom cut out, clearly this time, and a screen on the wall lit up displaying the numbers 352.

Nobody spoke up, it was a messy mix of quiet tears, soft sob, and hiccups. Jimin had you so close you thought he might bruise your side. Namjoon’s eyes were slowly scanning everybody’s faces, one by one, landing on your. You knew what he thought, you saw the pure regret in his face when he did. You knew, because you thought the same.

You untangled yourself from Jimin, sitting up straight and take a deep breath. It was a try to steady yourself, stop your hands from shaking and your heart from pounding in your chest. But it was in vain. You cleared your throat, still rough from the smoke. Jimin reached out for you, knowing exactly what you were going to do when you stood up. “I’ll do it.”

[ayankun]

Los Angeles When It Sizzles

Fandom: La La Land Type: unabashed schmaltz (you know that’s all I’m good for) Characters: Mia/Sebastian Warnings: you probably want to see the movie first Word Count: 2277 Tag: Summertime and the livin' is easy

Note: You can listen to the cut of the album as referenced here.

Los Angeles When It Sizzles

His sweaty palm squeaks on the knob when he grips it, the metal warm to the touch even in the false-twilight of his apartment, the windows thrown wide and the curtains shut tight.  Sebastian opens his front door without bothering with the peephole, mildly curious and vaguely alarmed and slightly annoyed:  not too many people have this address, could be somebody coming to collect on a debt, and they've woken him from a joyless midday nap to do it.

He doesn't catch who it is at first because he's squinting against the hyper-fluorescent LA sun and yawning like a lion.  Eyes watering, he blinks the sleep away and giddily comes to realize that the vision before him is anything but a dream.

Sebastian leans his head against the cracking paint of his door and smiles, stepping back to allow Mia room to enter.

That's all the invitation she needs.  "Before you say anything," she starts, whisking her way through the kitchen to the shadowed corner that is his dining nook, "These coffees were iced when I left work, I promise."

Sebastian quietly closes the door after her, meanders across the bare living room floor towards the sound of her voice.  She meets him on the far side by putting a sweating plastic cup into his hand, its contents murky and ice-less.  He looks at it and then back to her, but she's turning away, shrugging her clutch off her shoulder and onto his table; taking her hair down and then incomprehensibly putting it up again; talking all the while at a mile a minute, the endearing whisper of her lisp stronger than he's ever heard it.

"I thought, he goes five miles out of his way for samba/tapas coffee, so, first, he drinks coffee.  Second, this time of day, traffic's not usually that bad, right?  It can be, but it's not normally, you know, awful, but lucky me, there was an accident on the 134, of course, so I sat there staring at the Universal building for like, twenty solid minutes, I mean at a dead stop."  She winces, "That's an unfortunate choice of words because actually I think somebody might have died?  I'm not sure.  The one car was pretty much under another car, it was sort of impressive, really.  Impressive and really, really unfortunate and horrible.  Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, it's at least a million degrees out there.  So.  That was my hour in hell."

Lip bitten and eyes wide with comical frustration, Mia's head shakes with minute, manic twitches like a Small World puppet with a haywire servo in its neck.  Reflexively, she swipes her own cup off his counter where she'd left it to puddle a ring onto the formica, taking a drag off the straw with habitual ease.  Her face scrunches, contorts, her shoulders rising against an invisible foe.

"That's -- disgusting, don't even--" she says, trying not to choke on a mouthful of watery, lukewarm coffee.  "Here, give it."

She reaches for the cup he's still holding wordlessly, and wordlessly he gives it up.  Still shaking her head, Mia disappears into the thin kitchen with the de-iced coffees.  He hears the refrigerator open and close, its incandescence briefly sending shadows across the walls in the dim half-light.

"Digging the outfit, by the way," she calls from behind the wall, "Though I must admit it kinda makes a girl feel overdressed."

Sebastian glances down as if he's forgotten his own attire.  White A-shirt.  White shorts.  No holes, minimal stains.  When he looks back up, she's grinning at him from the dining nook, arms crossed over the sensible blouse she wears on the job.  What grin -- try smirk.  

Off his blasé shrug, she tips her head back and her eyes narrow to conspiratorial slits.  "I bet you answer the door in your underwear for all the girls."

Sebastian scrubs a hand through his hair, a trivial concession to appearing presentable.  He changes the subject.  "I thought you worked last night?"

It's not a deflection but a welcome segue, and she visibly melts against the kitchen counter at the reminder of her never-ending toil.

"Arthur's boyfriend locked him out ("Again?" - Sebastian, incredulous) -- again, so they called me at, what, four-thirty to open."  Mia's face falls into a sideways, downward twist of regret and self-pity.  There's red in her eyes and black underneath.  "I've made it this far on nearly-lethal doses of caffeine."

Sebastian sighs, holds out his arms to her.  

"Mia, Mia, Mia."  

He meets her halfway, tucking her head into his shoulder, pressing a hand to the small of her back.  Her shirt's damp from the hour spent stewing in the driver's seat of her Prius, but his isn't in any better condition.  The last time he attempted to run the AC, it shorted half the units on the ground floor.

In fact, the comfort of the embrace is only bearable for so long in this stuffy heat.  Mia pulls back after a moment and he leans to kiss her forehead before she can get too far out of reach.  She compromises by turning to put herself at his side, her arm around his waist and his over her shoulder.

"Make yourself at home," he welcomes, sweeping his hand around at … the inexcusable mess of unpacked boxes and precariously stacked jazz memorabilia that haunts his living room.  He scratches at the scruff under his jaw, squinting at the clutter.  "I'm pretty sure there's a couch under there somewhere."

Mia's arm ghosts from around him, fingers digging into his side before she disengages fully.  "I've seen worse in my day," she assures him, "And I'm not above sitting on the floor."

She's making good on her claim as she speaks and he hastily bends to catch her by her elbows to stand her upright again.  "No, no, no, Mia, no.  I can't let you think I'm some uncivilized churl who makes his guests sit on the floor."

"You?  Uncivilized?"  She snakes a hand forward lightning-quick and snaps the band of his boxers.  "How could anyone come by such an outrageous notion?"

Sebastian squirms back a step, nearly crashing into the corner of the piano, hands raised in supplication.  "Okay, fair, I understand where you're coming from -- Give me two minutes to move some of this out of the way.  And then, if you'd like, you're invited to sit on furniture that was invented for sitting on."

"Aw, you're sweet," she says, with something of a playful bite.  "Regular knight in shining armor."  She advances as he retreats, until she's draped over the near end of the piano top and he's considering the logistics of the Jenga-esque situation with a weary eye.

Mia catcalls when he squats to heft one of the non-load-bearing boxes.  "And I'm the uncivilized one," he grunts as he stands.  He gives her his best stink-eye as he passes, which is, in all honestly, more of a sly grin than anything else.  Dropping the box gently onto a flat-enough pile of unopened mail on the table, Sebastian turns to see Mia rifling through the open tops of the remaining boxes.

He freezes.  "Ah--"  The hands he's raised with the instinctive intent to pry her off the goods are recalled, wringing together apprehensively as he comes up behind her.  Mia blinks around at his chewed-off sentence, a plastic-sleeved 10-inch LP in her hands.  His eyes go to it, fingers curling tight around air with a restrained possessiveness.

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry," she sputters, holding out the record to him like it's a baby bear and he's the mama.  "You don't want me digging around in your stuff, I'm sure some of this must be priceless, right?  Here, I'll just…."

He doesn't take it from her.  Sebastian's chest swells and sinks with a quick, deep breath.  He licks his lips and a twitch of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.  He nods towards the turntable sitting beside the piano.  "Put it on."

She stalls, thumbing the protective plastic and studying the bold mustard-and-ketchup color scheme of the album art underneath it.  Sebastian puts a hand on her shoulder and ducks down to catch her eye.

"Or I can, if you want.  Either way, I think you'll like it.  It's a little different, but it's quality stuff."

Her eyes roll up to his and an impish grin unfurls across her face.  He straightens out of her way as she pushes boldly past him to the turntable, carefully sliding the record from the sleeve as she goes.  "I resent the implication that I may not know how to work a record player," she tells him, shooting a look over her shoulder.  "My aunt's collection included every original Broadway cast recording ever printed."

"Fair enough," Sebastian acknowledges.  Still, he watches the way she handles the vinyl disc by its edges, settling it over the spindle and flicking the switch to get it spinning, dropping the needle delicately on the outside rim.

Sonic scratching fills the room for the merest of seconds; then, the golden notes of a harp drop through the speaker into the room, landing on an dreamcloud of soft, angelic violins.  Mia's brow furrows, her head cocked, the thin press of her lips asking "where's the jazz?"  Sebastian meets her expectant eye and jogs his own eyebrows skyward in the same beat as the orchestra's sudden climb, and there, like a cloudburst -- she laughs as a flurry of brassy notes tumble over each other, cutting through the saccharine strings with a candid, confident bluster.

"Charlie Parker," Sebastian explains, "A dream of his come true, recording with a string section."

"Ah!"  Mia's quick to catch on, holding up the album cover and indicating the title with a flourish.  "Charlie Parker with Strings."

"He loved his heroin and he loved his chicken, good old Charlie Parker."  Sebastian sighs, hands on his hips, one foot on land and the other in a sea of nostalgia as the attention shifts from the alto sax to the strings and back again.  "That's how he got his nickname, you know.  Yardbird, Bird."

She purses her lips and blinks over at him, skeptical.  "They called him 'Bird' just because he loved chicken?"

"Well.  Yeah."  He shrugs. "I think 'Black Tar' would have been too on-the-nose."

"Okay, well that sounds slightly made up, but I can't judge.  Reminds me a little of the stories about how Bogie got his scar, and how they were probably all invented by the studio purely for drama's sake.  You know Bogie's infamous scar, don't you?"  She taps her lip as a reference point and he surprises a hiccup of laughter out of her when he slinks forward and kisses her on the spot.

"That's all people are, isn't it?" Sebastian asks, eyes bright.  "Stories that become myths that become legends."

She smiles up at him.  "I suppose so."

Mia puts her arms over his shoulders and entices him into a gentle sway in time to the music.  There's an oboe in the mix, and a piano, and Sebastian's fingers dance up and down her sides mimicking the pianist's flighty runs.  It's just the two of them, hidden away in the secret, shadowed den of his apartment, adrift from the strident rush of life that carries on without them beyond these four walls.

They drift together through the second track, a suitably dreamy ballad that ferries them back across the ages.  At the start of the third, a number with a touch more pep to it, Sebastian drops a kiss to her temple and takes her hand to spin her in place.

"I think I was supposed to be excavating a long-lost sofa," he says.  They both look over at the remaining tower of boxes and wince.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Mia starts to say, but the last half of her sentence is somewhat obfuscated by the swell of a sudden yawn.

He offers her a look of condolence.  "Caffeine's finally wearing off, eh?"

"Yikes," she gets out before another yawn stops her in her tracks.  "I'm crashing for sure.  Maybe I should just head ("No" - Sebastian, gently pulling on her hand) -- home?"

"No," he says again, sliding his other hand over hers and stepping backwards until the slight tension draws her forward.  "You're gonna drive how far in your condition just to hit the hay?  I have a bed right here."

She squints her eyes shut in amenable grin, shuffling after him towards the little bedroom off the little hall.  "Not that I want to argue with that logic," she says, "but now doesn't this make me the uncivilized … what word did you use?"

"Churl, I believe," he supplies helpfully, rounding the corner into his bedroom.

"The uncivilized churl who shows up out of the blue to make demands on your time only to immediately fall asleep and in your own bed no less?  Surely I was raised better than that."

Sebastian climbs backwards onto his unmade bed and she follows him down.  Settling together as near as can be comfortable in the airless swelter of the enclosed space, a moment passes where their world narrows to rustling fabric and creaking bedsprings and the unattended strains of Charlie Parker filtering in from the living room.

"What about old Yardbird?" Mia asks, snuggling into his pillow like it were her own.  Her eyes have already closed and they don't seem likely to open any time soon.

"Ah," Sebastian waves off any concern, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear once she's sufficiently nestled.  "He'll be here when you wake up.  And so will I."

[justanotherstoryteller-blog1]

Broken promise

        "So, you are telling me the whole guard can't find one flower? Is this right, Captain?"         "Your Majesty, my soldiers are searching an every single inch, but it's like it never existed."         "I am starting to question your competence, Captain. Or, perhaps, I should question your loyalty?"         "Your Majesty?"         "Maybe your search is so ineffective because you are in collusion with this weed."          "Y-your Majesty, how can you say this? I was yours the most loyal servant for years!"          "Prove it, bring me this flower, or I will find someone who will. You understood me well, Captain?"          "Yes, your majesty."          "Excellent, Captain. Now proceed."          "You've heard all, Lieutenant?" Undyne asks after a while.          "I wasn't listening on purpose, Captain!"          "Of course, you weren't, otherwise I would personally cage you. Now, give me your report."          "There isn't much to report... apart from disappearance of the dog couple."          "Deal with your subordinates yourself, is there something I need to know?"          "N-no, Captain."          "You are lying, Papyrus," she grabs him by the neck and lifts above the ground, "Spit it out!"          "It... is... my brother! He let... the flower escape!" a sound of clanging metal is heard when Papyrus lands on the ground.          "Dammit, Papyrus! You will be chewed up for this with the rest of your troop! Get out of here! And never, never, lie to me again! Understood?!"          "Y-yes, C-captain!"          "Yes what?!"          "Never, never, will lie to you again, Captain!"          "You are still here, maggot?!" the sound of retreating lieutenant is heard.

         "I thought Papyrus was rough," says Frisk when angered Undyne leaves.          "Yes, she might be a problem. Looks like her soldiers fear her because of purpose, we should be careful."          "You are saying this constantly."          "Because it is true. Speaking of truth. We should cut this chatter, get out of this brush and move forward. We still have much to walk."          "Humph, sir yes sir," Flowey lifts his brow, but says nothing.

         "Flowey, who was the other person? The one with horns," asks Frisk a while after they've left the bushed cave.        "Judging by the way the captain talked to him and his stature, it was Prince Asriel Dreemur. The only king's son. Don't know much more about him."        "Why everyone in here are so destined to find you?"        "Because the king has ordered so."        "Why the king wants you dead so much?" Flowey sighs        "They wanted to use me as a tool to break the barrier. At least this is what a scientist has told me. I am no one's tool, so I fled. Looks like the king sees me as a threat, or maybe he just can't stand that someone in the Underground doesn't obey his orders. I don't really care. I will kill the ones who are sent to hunt me, until there are no one left."        "And what is next? Will you find peace when there wouldn't be anyone to threat you?"        "Maybe, unless I would have to take care about another stupid kid. Your kind is troublesome."        "Then, why do you help me?"        "...You ask too many questions."        "..." Frisk is smart enough to know when a talk is over, still he thinks about Flowey's response, it appears he has found his companion's touchy subject, "Flowey, what's that?"       "Hmm?" Frisk stops near the statue. It is shaped in a form of a human kid sadly bowing head down, water drips on its head, "It is a statue, I guess."       "This doesn't make sense. Monsters are in war with humans, why the statue of a human is in here?"       "Doesn't matter, let's move. Look, caring monsters even put some umbrellas for you," Frisk takes one umbrella from the basket, but instead of leaving he walks back and covers the statue with it. Flowey rolls his eyes, "Leave this rock be, we have much to..." the music box inside of the statue begins to play instantly silencing Flowey's compalins.       "It is beautiful," says Frisk.       "Yeah... it is."  

      "This place doesn't seem to be vastly populated."         "People don't usually like living under a constant downpour," says Flowey while trying to find an another lamp it the dark.       "There are even no patrols in here."       "It is probably because— aha!" Flowey finally has found the lamp and the room lightens again, "It is because this is captain's usual place to be in. Everyone wants to be as far from her, as possible. Speaking of which, if you'll continue falling down from bridges, she surely will find us sooner, or later. So be careful next time!"       "Come on, Flowey! You've said it a hundred times already!"       "And will say a hundred more, if it will make you more cautions!"       "Flowey, the trail forks ahead, which way shall we go?" asks Frisk to move away from the unpleasant subject.       "Left," answers Flowey after a momentary hesitation.       "Where leads the other way?"       "In the village, kind of."       "How about we rest there a little?"       "We don't have time for this."       "Come on, I am tired, wet and hadn't saved for a while."       "We don't have time!" Flowey pushes the kid in the back making him to move.       "What's the hurry, Flowey? That man is far away, he won't catch up with us any time soon,"       "We are no longer alone, someone is here, I keep hearing steps and rustles."       "You are a paranoid, Flowey."       "Better that than to be dead. Now, hurry up and move," a loud splash is heard when Frisk steps into the next room.       "It is dark in here and I'm wet again!"       "What is better for you, be wet, or be dead? Now, cease kvetching and move forward."       "...I can't! There is a wall right in front of me! I can feel it!"       "Dammit, there has to be a way in here, somewhere, try searching in front," Frisk starts to move along the wall by touch, when suddenly founds himself right in front of a glowing blue eye.      "Ahh!" Frisk frights and falls on the ground. Moment later the room lights up revealing Sans, staring at Flowey's root right in front his skull. Flowey is the first to react.      "Damm it, Smiley! Stop doing this, or I swear, I will, actually, kill you one time!"      "Sans! Don't scare me like this!" Sans looks on Frisk sitting on the ground.      "Emm... Yea... sorry," he helps the kid to rise, "Wasn't my best bone-pull, especially minding flower's deadly seriousness," he looks on Flowey, who gives out one of his "Humph" and turns away.       "Why did you follow us, Sans? There must be a reason for you to put yourself at risk by leaving your post."       "Yea... what if I'll tell you that some angry, humany, person is now turning Snowdin upside down, searching for you?"        "..." Frisk looks away from Sans.        "Kiddo, don't you want to tell me something?" Sans sounds almost menacingly.        "...He attacked us in the ruins. We had to run."        "You knew he will come after you?"        "No..." a loud chuckle is heard from Flowey, "Flowey?"        "Oh, don't mind me. It's just funny how simple it has turned to be."        "It? What do you mean?"        "I was wondering for a quite some time why you keep being so nice to anyone who you meet, even to the ones who try to kill you. I thought you are stupid, or naive. But you are not, you are, actually, very smart. You've tried to leave as many alive as you possibly could for a reason, you needed them to keep your enemy busy, so you could escape. To use them as a meat shield. What a cowardly move. Heh, we are not so different after all. Well then, even through I admire your strategy, I have no interest in being one of your puppets. Good luck in finding your way out of here," having his speech finished, Flowey disappears under the ground.       "What a funny guy, I bet it won't be the last time we see him though," Sans notices that Frisk starts to slowly slide down over a wall he has leaned on, "Kiddo, don't let his mean words get to you."       "But he is right... I am a coward."       "W-w-wait, you are not a coward. You were right, you had no choice, but to run. You were protecting your life, there is no cowardice in this. You've talked some reason into my brother effectively saving his life, you are a hero, not a coward."       "But because of me so many have died, my life isn't worth of sacrificing other's!"       "Kiddo, death is a part of life, it can't be avoided. Everyone will die one day. What means is how people live their lives. People in here won't sit back watching some heel killing the kid. We all swore to protect Underground's inhabitants, even with our lives and this recently has included you. Dead did not like that you are sitting here wasting time they got for you, kiddo. Get on your feet. You still have some trails to walk."      "But I don't know where to go. Flowey was the one who leaded the way."      "Hmm... Tell you what, continue on this way until you get to the sign saying: "Hotland", There will be a bunch of elevators, use one to get to the top floor and then simply go forward until you are out of here. Oh, and if you'll find an armored, irritated, fishy captain on your way, tell her, that Papyrus needs her help with punching the murderous human in his face, this might help you to get rid of her. Besides, we gonna need her help anyway. Well, I have to go now. You've gave me a skele-ton of things to do, kiddo," Sans swiftly walks out of the room and disappears in the dark.

    The captain was there, right on Frisk's way. She seemed to be dozed off while leaning on a wall. Maybe Frisk could just sneak past her without waking her? Worth a try at least. Frisk was kinda light, so it wasn't a problem to be quiet. Thankfully Undyne's dream was deep, so he got past her without any problems. Suddenly, Frisk has felt someone's strong grab on his arm and found himself being pulled up in the air.      "Did you really thought you could just sneak past me, you little..." her only eye blinks when she realizes who she caught, "What—"      "Let my hand go, please! You going to tear it off!" Undyne looks on kid's hand like it was the first time she saw it and to the Frisk's great amuse puts him on the ground.      "Sorry for that, kid. I thought you were... someone else."      "Don't you going to... take my soul, or something?" asks the surprised kid. His hand still hurts badly, Undyne's grasp is truly iron.      "I'm kinda... against that thing. Killing your kind won't bring us anywhere better, it only will draw us into another war and since we have lost previous, I don't think we have a chance now. So don't worry."      "Why won't you order your soldiers to stand down, then? Papyrus wasn't so friendly."      "Well, I'd like to, but it is king's order, after all. I can't rebel openly. Let's change the topic. So, what brings you into our tiny hole?""      "I'm here not because of my choice. I've fell down."      "So... you are alone?"      "Well, there is another human, but he wishes to kill me, I don't even know why."      "Another human? You mean tall, with grey eyes, brown hair and large chopping blade on his back?" Frisk nods slightly, "Damn, I thought he left this place a long time ago."      "You... know him?"      "One day he just appeared, killed a fair amount of guards and one of the royal children, then he simply vanished. He scared the people and angered the king to the point of declaring this stupid war. The queen tried to protest, but the king casted her away in his anger. Weren't the best times this place had."      "Sans told me to tell you that Papyrus needs your help in fighting him."      "He is already in Snowdin?! Damn it, kid! Why didn't you say it sooner!?"      "..."      "Well, I guess, I have no time for talks anymore. Try your best to make it out of here in one piece, for everyone's sake."

    Undyne could already see him in the fog, fighting someone. It must be Papyrus, he was the only one in Snowdin who could hold out against a human fighter for some time. Despite Undyne's best efforts, there were very few monsters who could put a real fight. Maybe there was an actual chance to beat this human with the help of Papyrus. Papyrus spots her. "Captain!" he greets her. Undyne was about to shout something about diverting from a swordfight, but it was too late already. Human has exploited Papyrus's momentary weakness and immediately stroked. Papyrus fell down in dust even before he reached the ground, wind has instantly blew him away. One more soul for Undyne to avenge and she wasn't going to keep him waiting.  

   The place wasn't like anything Frisk was ready to see. He hardly could believe that this was king's home. It was just as simple like the house he walked through with Flowey back in the ruins. Even atmosphere was the same. It wasn't very polite to walk around in someone's house without permission, so he simply walked through it, like he did in the ruins. The hall farther was more like a royal place. It was decorated with pillars, gold and was unusually brightly lightened. In the middle of the hall silently stands a horned figure, waiting patiently. Asriel Dreemur, that's what Flowey has named him, it seems it is time for an audience.     "So, you are finally here and alive, what is remarkable."     "You've... been waiting for me?"     "A loyal citizen has informed me of your presence. As well as of betrayal of two high ranking officers... and one private. I wasn't going to believe him at first, but seeing you before me proves his words."     "Flowey..." the damn flower has dropped him! As well as everyone, who has showed him kindness. Again, people are hurt because him. A tear rolls down his cheek.       "You know this weed somehow? This explains where his intel comes from. Speaking of, I also shall give thanks to you. It is only thanks to your effort this filthy traitors are now disclosed," this can't be happening, everything has gone down in an instant. The last save is just in front of this hall, Firsk cannot change anything. He broke his promise, "It must be a beautiful day outside," such a sharp change of subject has caught Frisk off guard, "On days like this the sun pours down from the sky highlighting every world's detail, making it to bloom with colors," the prince was standing before one of the windows, even though he obviously couldn't see surface through it, "The sun makes sea waters shine like a sapphire and it lightens snow so much that it is painful to watch. Even such an unfriendly place like the desert becomes breathtaking at sunset, it's sands start to shine like gold, it's like the sea of golden coins. What a view it must be, I dream to see it one day with my own eyes. This is the other thing you are helping our kingdom with. With your help our kin will finally be free and will take it's rightful place. With your soul we can be free! You are the savior of all monsters, human. You should be proud of yourself. ...I guess I should stop bother you with my thoughts. It was an honor to meet you, human, farewell and sleep tight," Frisk have almost dodged his fireball, but wasn't fast enough.