#that's me in the (second row right) corner. that's me in the shadows. spotted by a human🎶

[greycatbird]

Some birds I met last year🪶

[motherearthlovesus]

theo nott goes down on you in public

warnings: 18+ smut, fingering, exhibitionism, praise, oral sex, mouth covering

word count: 900

summary: theo takes you to see a horror movie, but he decides the girl sitting next to him is far more interesting - based on this request

no one goes to see a horror movie at 10am on a monday, thats why you're there. the theater is nearly deserted, only two lone people near the front, lost in the glow of the screen. you’re tucked into the second last row at the back, perfectly shrouded by the dark.

“comfortable?” he murmurs, his lips brushing your temple, his breath warm against your skin. the movie plays on, muted in your mind, drowned out by the frantic thrum of your pulse.

the screen flickers over theo's sharp features, accentuating the shadows and contours of his face. on-screen, the hollywood actress stumbles down a dim hallway, her breath ragged as the sound of footsteps grows closer. a loud bang makes her scream as the music crescendos in warning. you barely flinch, not wanting to give theo the satisfaction of that trope.

theo’s hand lingers just above your knee, his thumb tracing lazy circles. his lips brush your ear, voice low and taunting. “i wonder what you’d look like like that.”

you tilt your head toward him, brow raised. "like what?"

he smirks. "panting. trembling. completely at my mercy."

you can't help but squeeze your legs together at the thought, something which doesn't go unnoticed by theo. theo’s sharp gaze flickers down to your skirt, which has ridden up your thighs from the pressure of your legs pressed tightly together. a knowing smirk curls at the corners of his mouth. he pretends not to notice, but the glint in his eyes tells you everything - he’s planning something.

theo wedges his hand between your tightly pressed thighs, prying them apart with a firm, deliberate touch. his fingers splay possessively, holding your legs open.

“this movie’s boring," he murmurs, his tone low and teasing. "i’ve got a much prettier girl right next to me... and I’d much rather watch her squirm” with a wink he continues to trail his hand up and down your inner thigh.

"here?" a surge of arousal pulses through you, your heart beat still racing at the thought of being caught

theo chuckles softly, his gaze locked onto yours. "why not?"

you glance nervously at the two figures in front, then back at him, your heart racing. “what if someone sees?”

“then they'll get their moneys worth from this shitty movie” he replies, placing one leg on each seat in front of you. with a quick flick of his fingers, he pulls your underwear to the side, and you gasp suddenly at the air grazing past your core. you want to care that you might get caught, but you can’t bring yourself to, not when you’re craving theo’s fingers this hard. theo kneels before your chair in between your legs. he leans in, his mouth closing over you with a slow, teasing pressure.

“mmm,” he murmurs against you, the sound vibrating through your core, making you moan softly. you bite your lip, trying to stifle any sounds that threaten to escape. his fingers explore your wetness, curling inside you while his mouth continues to suckle and tease. over theo's head you can see a couple fucking on-screen, completely unaware of the killer lurking just beyond the door. the combination of sensations makes your head spin, your body arching toward him instinctively. you can feel every flick of his tongue, every gentle thrust of his fingers sending shockwaves through your body.

as if sensing your need for more, theo uses his free hand to lift your top, exposing your breasts. as he lifts his head from between your legs to focus on your nipples, you let out a quiet, disappointed groan. you feel him smirk against you as his tongue swirls around a nipple before he begins to gently suck and bite; his other fingers continue to pump in and out of you, curling to hit that sweet spot with every thrust.

“god, theo,” you breathe, your voice barely a whisper as you feel the pressure building inside you. he responds with a low growl, "i told you to be quiet" and stops playing with your nipples to cover your mouth.

you moan into his hand as his fingers continue their relentless pace, pumping deep inside you with a perfect rhythm as his thumb deftly finds your clit, rubbing in tight circles. he leans down, his lips brushing against your ear, making sure his hand stays firmly over your mouth.

"never forget, principessa, I can make you fall apart anytime, anywhere."

and with those words, pleasure coils tightly within you. you squeeze your eyes shut, overwhelmed by the sensations as you finally let go, waves of ecstasy crashing over you, your body shaking as you come hard around his fingers.

“good girl,” he murmurs, his voice low and sultry, the praise igniting another wave of heat deep within you. you can feel your walls fluttering around his fingers as he slowly helps you ride out your orgasm.

you manage to sit through the rest of the movie, but it’s nearly impossible to concentrate. the film's tension-filled scenes play out in front of you, but your gaze drifts to theo, who appears perfectly composed, an impish smile playing at the corners of his lips. your mind races with thoughts of how to repay theo for what he’s done. specifically, while he's driving the car on the way home.

reblogs are feedback are super appreciated

idk how to feel about this!! but omg did i just set myself up for a part two?!

thank you so so much to @slytherin-princess-x for the amazing idea, this was so fun to write! <3

dividers from: cafekitsune

[mediumgayitalian]

Nico slinks in at the end of the day.

It is dark. Dark enough, he's hoping, that he can cling to the shadowy walls and slip right onto the cot in the back corner. He gave his word -- he intends to keep it -- but how serious was Solace, really? The infirmary is crowded enough as it is, and he already got several looks on his way over. The less fuss he makes, the better, and then the healer, with all his strange, stubborn ideas, can't knock him for trying.

He almost makes it.

"Nico, hey! I was just thinking about you."

Nico shrinks back, narrowly avoiding the impulse to hiss. Will is loud -- it seems to be his default -- and he is quite literally glowing, yellow light shimmering from every freckle. Anyone awake on the cots or on the crowded chairs visiting looks towards them, eyes wide, whispering to friends the second Nico looks away.

"Hi," says Nico, stiffly. "I'm -- here."

Will smiles. It brightens some of the bags under his eyes, teasing, sparkling blue helping some of the glow look less yellowed and defeated.

"I noticed. Thank you, by the way, for coming."

Nico nods. He stands there, for a moment, squirming under Will's scrutiny, twisting at his skull ring.

"Pick a spot," Will says, at the same time Nico says: "What do you need me to do?"

Will's smile turns wry. "You shadow-travelled across the world." He reaches out and brushes his fingers against Nico's hand; he jumps, but, heart pounding, he stays where he is, meeting Will's soft look with wide eyes. "You are still not quite up to safety, Nico. Hell, you're still a little translucent. I want you to curl up and knock out for a minute."

Nico stares. "You said you needed my help," he protests. Will must read the tension in his body, because his thumb soothes over Nico's twitching wrists.

"I do," he says emphatically. He glances around the crowded room, pausing as he looks over at his sister, his brother, and their new Roman cousins. "Short-staffed does not begin to cover it. I needed to be subbed out two days ago."

"So let me help! Let me -- cut bandages, or something!"

Will laughs, softly, and Nico's face burns -- what does he care, about helping. Where has this come from? He doesn't want people to -- die, obviously. But that's all the more reason for him to have stayed the hell away.

"What am I doing here, Will," he says, out loud. He lets an edge of frustration bleed into his voice, tugging his arms free. Will doesn't stop him. "I mean -- look." He gestures to the rows of cots, where dozens of people look hastily away. "I am a child of Death and destruction. I don't belong here. I don't --" He raises his hands, and then drops them, staring at Will helplessly. Will meets his gaze head-on, those blue eyes almost black in the low light. "Nobody wants an omen in a place like this."

Will doesn't reach for his hands again. He does stand, though, close; close enough to crowd, close enough that Nico can feel the heat throwing off of him, can hear the quiet uptick of every inhale.

"Tell me," Will says, quietly, "What kind of place is this?"

"A place of healing," Nico says automatically. He gestures to Will -- his scrubs, his stethoscope. "Obviously."

Will nods. "That's definitely part of it." He stares at Nico, expectantly. His gaze is, honestly, a little like Chiron's -- Nico has to tamp down a slightly bewildered giggle at the comparison. Will even has the old-man hand placement down, held gently behind his back. "What else?"

Nico manages a shrug.

The cot squeaks as Will's moves it, nudging it further into a corner under the window. He reaches for one of the curtain covers and slides it around the bed, turning down the covers; he smooths the sheets, once, absentmindedly, and Nico is startled to remember his mother doing the same thing. He blinks to focus again on Will's scarred hands, rather than thin, gloved ones.

"This place," he says, a great deal lower than the mixed snores and whispering, "is a place for the dying to be comfortable." He slides a medical chart with Nico's name on it onto a hook at the end of the bed, then holds something out -- a strip of paper with a loop on the end. Nico extends his wrist, letting him tie the bracelet on. His hands are desert-hot, and when he speaks again, it sounds like wind. "You are not an omen, Nico. You're a person. You're a person in need of rest, for starters, and when you are feeling better, you will be welcome back -- not because you're my friend, or because I need an extra set of hands." He glances up and Nico holds his breath, jaw locked at the intensity in his eyes. His heart stutters over the word 'friend'. He hardly remembers to scold it. "There is no one I trust more to guide the dead gently to Hades more than his own son. Especially one who has saved us all so many times."

Will's hand, still on Nico's wrist, squeezes. Nico exhales, all at once, and all but scrambles into the cot, face burning. Will huffs a laugh, kind and teasing.

"Sleep well, Zombie Boy. I'll check on you in the morning."

"Don't call me that," Nico snaps, but there is no heat behind it. His mind teeters and veers with a billion different pulses: the whispering still zapping from cot to cot around him, the curve of Will's smile, the intensity of his huge, bright eyes. The exhaustion pulling at his own frame, even, and the pull of the shadows -- all of it gathers, and pushes, like a tidal wave, or a warning rumble of thunder. Will pulls the curtain closed, still smiling, and Nico lays flat on the cot, heart pounding, pupils dilated to adjust to the darkness as Will shushes the patients, flicks off the lights.

He falls asleep to tired humming.

[bills5lut]

festival

masterlist prompt list

warnings: dom!topbillie, sub!bottomreader, oral, fingering, some exhibitionism sorta. 

synopsis: billie pulls you into a hidden corner right after her set at oshega, her adrenaline and desire crashing over you both in a fierce, breathless rush.

note: as requested by @goldwing-xx thanks pretty

The roar of the crowd is still echoing as the stage lights dim and the last chords of the final song reverberate through the humid night. You’re up on the raised vip platform tucked behind the stage, one of those makeshift scaffold areas they throw together at festivals, mostly for family and crew. It gives a wide, clear view of the main stage and the chaos below: lights flashing, thousands of fans still screaming even as the music dies.

You’re leaning against the rail, heart still thudding, your pulse matching the bass that was just shaking the ground. Sweat clings to your skin, not from dancing, not from the crush of bodies in the crowd, but from the adrenaline in the air. The kind of energy you can feel in your teeth.

Billie’s just come off stage. You spot her as she steps down the ramp from the main platform, her black oversized shirt clinging to her with sweat, her jet-black hair frizzed at the ends and damp around her temples, red roots glowing under the low amber floodlights. Her fringe clings to her forehead. She’s panting a little, her chest rising and falling with sharp little exhales. A stagehand tries to pass her a towel, but she ignores it, her eyes already sweeping upward. Finding you.

There’s a crowd waiting for her, Claudia, Maggie, her tour manager, a couple of crew guys, Patrick’s perched nearby too, clutching a water bottle, all of them buzzing, proud, trying to get a word in. Maggie calls her name, Claudia’s got her arms already reaching out for a hug.

But Billie doesn’t even blink at them. She zeroes in on you.

Her shoes thud up the narrow metal stairs to the vip riser, taking them two at a time, still slick with stage sweat. There’s a wild, open grin on her face, that post-performance high, pure and manic. She reaches you, grabs your forearm with her sticky, trembling fingers, and pulls you in close.

You blink, trying to hide a smile. “Bills,” you murmur, glancing pointedly at the others still hovering nearby, “People are trying to talk to you.”

She just shakes her head, breathless. “Fuck ‘em,” she grins, her voice rasped and blown-out from the set. “Come with me.”

You barely get the words, “Wait, where are we?” out before she’s tugging you away from the railing, your steps stumbling to match her pace. She’s hot with adrenaline, dragging you like you’re an extension of her, and honestly, you don’t want to resist. Not really. She bypasses the trailer row completely. Instead, she yanks you around the back of the scaffolding, down into a shadowed wedge of space just behind the stage structure, not fully hidden, but just out of sight enough. A stack of gear cases and lighting rigs block the view from one side, and the shadow of the stage looms overhead. There’s a thick, industrial beam rising vertically beside you, cool and rigid to the touch, the kind of thing you could brace yourself against.

The thud of music from the next stage filters through in the distance, but here, it’s muffled. It’s just you and her and the leftover buzz of twenty thousand people screaming her name. Billie spins you, pressing your back against the pole. Her fingers slide behind your neck, and she kisses you like she’s been waiting the entire set to do it. Rough. Deep. Messy. The kind of kiss that leaves you gasping.

Your hands find her face, thumbs brushing just beneath her eyes as you break the kiss with a soft laugh, lips still parted. “Billie,” you breathe, trying to level her, “calm down. You’ve just done a full set. You’re gonna crash any second now.”

She shakes her head fast, eyes glittering in the low light. “No way. No fucking way. I’m high as hell right now. On you. On that fucking crowd.” Her voice cracks, and she’s smiling too hard to speak for a second.

You huff a quiet laugh through your nose, but before you can say anything else, her mouth is on yours again, even more desperate this time, open and demanding. Her hands slip down your sides, one settling just beneath the hem of your skirt, fingers teasing the skin of your upper thigh. You kiss her back with a groan, pressing closer. You think this is just the adrenaline, just making out, just heat and contact and relief. Your fingers grip her waist, her damp shirt bunching in your fists. 

You part your lips to breathe and her fingers plunge into your pussy, just like that.

Your gasp is swallowed into her mouth, knees jerking slightly. You pull back a fraction, eyes wide. “Wait” you try to say, your voice breaking on the word, but it’s already useless. Her hand is already fucking into you with practiced ease, and your moan cuts you off halfway through the thought.

“Fuck.. oh fuck Billie”

She doesn’t stop. Doesn’t say anything. Just keeps moving her fingers in hard, perfect strokes, her eyes locked on your face like she’s watching a performance of her own. One hand wedges between your thighs, the other comes up to grip the back of your thigh, holding you up as your knees start to shake.

Your head falls back against the cool metal pole behind you with a soft thud. The thrill of being out here, not hidden, not safe, shoots through you like a second pulse. You cast a glance sideways, but it’s too dark, too cluttered for anyone to notice. Still, the risk makes it worse. Makes it better.

Billie drops to her knees in front of you without warning, her mouth hot and wet on your inner thigh. Her fingers never stop moving, curling up, pushing deeper, but now her tongue finds your clit, and everything inside you jumps.

You’re gasping now, whining, one hand on her head, the other bracing hard against the beam. She’s everywhere, licking, sucking, her mouth impossibly hot. The stubble of her upper lip grazes you, just barely, and it makes you twitch, makes you curse.

“Oh my god,” you hiss. “Billie…please”

She groans low into your pussy, and the vibration makes your hips buck. She’s sloppy and thorough, like she needs this, needs to taste you, to make you fall apart. Her hair is messy between your thighs, and you tangle your fingers in it, tugging helplessly. Your legs are barely holding you. She grips one thigh harder, holding you up like she knows exactly how close you are to falling.

You feel it building, a low, deep pressure that’s burning from your spine down through your core, flooding every nerve ending.

“Baby,” you gasp, voice barely holding, “I’m gonna. Billie fuck I’m, please oh fuck.”

Billie presses her mouth harder against your clit, lips locked tight, tongue flicking fast. Then she mumbles against you, her voice thick, “Cum for me, angel.”

The words vibrate into you and it tips you over.

You cum, dribbling down her chin, your body curling, shaking, your moan ragged and barely contained. Billie holds you through it, fingers still slow inside you, tongue easing the last waves out of you until you’re gasping, trembling, boneless. You sag against the pole, trying to catch your breath, hand gripping Billie’s shoulder to steady yourself. She rises slowly, face flushed, lips glossy, her eyes dark and wild.

You laugh once, breathless. “Jesus, Billie…”

She grins, licking the corner of her mouth before wiping her face with the hem of her shirt. She moves close, fixing a strand of your hair that’s stuck to your cheek, then tugging your shirt straight again. You help her do the same, pushing back her fringe, smoothing the edges of her shirt. Your hands are still shaking.

You kiss her once, just a soft press of lips.

When you both walk back around to the vip area, the noise is overwhelming, the crowd still dispersing, someone shouting something nearby, Odessa tossing her head back in laughter.

Claudia’s the first to reach Billie again. “Bills, that was insane,” she says, hugging her tight. “You killed that.”

Billie hugs her back, finally smiling at the others, but you’re tucked right into her side, your fingers looped discreetly into her belt loop. You don’t trust your legs yet. As Claudia chats away, talking about the crowd, the pyros, something someone said on stage, you glance at Billie. She’s listening, nodding along.

But her other hand is at her side, just barely visible. Her pinky is brushing her bottom lip. Then her tongue darts out, quickly, and you watch as she casually licks the edge of her finger.

You swear your knees almost give out again. She meets your gaze. And smirks.

[rafeandonlyrafe]

kiss of death

words: 2.9k

warnings: 18+ only, smut, p in v sex, unprotected sex, alternative universe, soulmates, grim reaper!rafe, talk of death, superstitions, reader kind of dies (its explained in the fic)

you swallow deeply as you step into the graveyard. the darkness is creeping into every corner, but you know it's not midnight, not yet.

you feel a pang of guilt as you walk through the rows of graves, briefly glancing at the names to distract your focus from the anxiety filling your chest.

it's an old superstition, but you're beyond desperate.

you stop at the hole in the ground and the temporary headstone, ready for burial tomorrow.

“sorry mr. crawford.” you whisper. you barely knew him, the town psychologist currently kept in the morgue. you could probably use him right now as you move carefully to your knees.

you recite the words from the local town lure, the promise of your true love showing up to kiss you awake at sunrise if you laid in the grave at exactly midnight.

all your other friends have found love, love that is so pure and beautiful it makes your chest ache with jealousy and wanting.

you look at your watch and let out a sigh. five minutes of looking into the grave until the hands of the clock point straight up, five minutes to change and regret your decision.

the minutes tick by but your resolve only grows. you're beyond desperate and the worst thing that could come of it is you spend the night sleeping in a hole under the stars.

you climb down the second the minute hand crawls to the 12 and lay back in the grave, blinking upwards towards the starless night sky, the bright sunlight reflecting off the moon blocking out any other suns.

you close your eyes, trying to ignore the fact that you're exposed to worms and bugs and whatever else happens to be lurking in the graveyard at night. certainly nothing you want to come across.

soulmate. your soulmate. your one true love is worth one night in a grave as you fall into a deep slumber.

--

you can feel the light against your eyelids, but before you can open them, it's blocked out by a shadow.

you gasp as lips are pressed against yours, cold but soft lips. you want to open your eyes but they feel so heavy as you kiss back, hands reaching upwards but you feel nothing, just pressing into the freezing cold air despite it being the middle of summer.

you finally force your eyelids open and you realize who you have been kissing as he pulls away, more of a black figure then a true human form.

“no.” your voice quivers. “no!” 

“did you not want your one true love to wake you with a kiss?” he smirks down at you, hovering directly over your body.

“my-my true love is not death.” you thought it was just another superstition, the grim reaper, the one to facilitate your crossing to the other side, but when looking up you know that the mans face that looks back down upon you is nothing but pure and utter death.

“then tell me why i was called to this spot only to find you laying here.” his voice is smooth but deep in tone, not what you expected from the grim reaper as you almost find comfort in his soft words.

“this can't be right.” you look around you, realizing that all light from the rising sun has disappeared, along with the walls of dirt around you, replaced with darkness so thick it's like you could reach out and touch it. “am i?”

you can't make the word out fully. “kind of.” the reaper shrugs. 

reality shifts and despite you not changing positions, you can tell in the inky blackness that you're now on your feet.

“come with me.” the grim reapers legs push out from the black mass, appearing and disappearing as he begins to walk, somehow able to find his way, walking with the purpose of a destination that is unseen to you.

“what if i don't want to?” you question, even though your heart is pulling you towards him, telling you to follow and stay close.

“i will give you this option only once.” the reaper turns to you. “you can turn around and walk away, or you may follow me and be with your one true love and rule the underworld as my queen.”

you know your back should be towards the reaper as you begin to walk, but you can't go back to your earthly reality after discovering the grim reaper is just waiting for you to die, for you to take your place.

as you walk alongside the grim reaper, you begin to make out shapes moving through the darkness.

the first one scared you so bad as you whipped your head to the side, trying to make out what appeared to be someone walking the opposite direction.

“what is this place?” you ask, voice quiet, feeling as though you don't want to interrupt the figures pushing through the dark.

“the place between life and death. the farther we walk, the closer we are to death and my-our kingdom.”

“and the people walking the other way?” you turn to look over your shoulder as your feet continue forward.

“some have been revived. by doctors or desperate loved ones. but most made a choice. most got to the final step and realized it wasn't there time.”

“and is it my time?”

“you will not truly be dead.” he states, and you find yourself swaying to walk closer to him, his cold presence comforting as the only thing around you can truly make out. “i will keep you in the state that you are now for as long as you please. you will be in limbo, in status. your earthly body will still be yours.”

“so no one will know what happened to me?” you can tell that your body isn't left in the grave, that you're whole and complete right here, soul included.

“no.” he sounds almost regretful as the blackness ahead of you turns into a swirl of dark grey, making out the rolling hills as you get closer.

“your final choice.” the reaper says, and you don't mention that he already gave you what he claimed to be your final choice before you began walking.

it hits you then. the reaper is in just as new of a position as you are in, and your nerves don't outweigh him.

“what is your choice?” you parrot the question back. “do you want me… to rule with you?”

“i have waited an eternity for you. so long that the memory of how i came to be the reaper is no longer available to me.” the grim reaper pauses for a moment before continuing. “yes. i want you alongside me always.”

you nod and then take a step past what you can tell is the final film, the one separating you from whatever rolling hills of gray grass await.

a weight you didn't realize you were carrying leaves you as the grim reaper steps out next to you, the black mass of his body gone as he appears as a fully realized man, legs and all.

you don't mean to, but you reach out and touch him, seeing if your arms would move through him as they did before during your kiss, but your fingers just press against the soft fabric of his black long sleeved shirt.

“welcome to the underworld.” he says, taking your hand in his and pulling you to continue walking.

you can make out a castle in the distance, and the closer you walk towards it, the warmer the hand in yours gets and the less gray seems to be blotting out the world as the grass turns green beneath your feet.

you gasp the first time you see one, stepping closer to the reaper.

“they won't hurt you.” he clarifies quickly as the large wolf runs past you in the distance, several hills away.

“you control them?” you question.

“yes.” he nods. “and all the wolves on earth as well. they are part of my domain.”

“i thought it was going to be a three headed dog.” you whisper slightly sheepishly as you realize your hand has been intertwined with the grim reaper the entire walk, feeling so natural that you don't question the fingers snug between yours.

“everyone got something partially right.” he says. “the egyptians, the greeks, the christians. they all had pieces.”

“oh.” you don't care to question more, not yet. you're already overloaded with all the information.

you pause as you get to the door of the castle. it's not dead quite like you expected, you can hear voices chattering inside and when you look up you can occasionally see people passing by windows.

“people do what suits them best after death. what would make them most happy. for most, that's reincarnation. for some, that's helping others cross or serving me in other ways. everyone inside this home is dead.”

you like that he calls it a home and a slight smile stretches across your cheeks.

“do not ask them how they died or their life on earth. if they wish to reveal it to you, it will be on their own time.”

“okay.” you nod, looking to the grim reaper, your soulmate. “what should i call you?”

you certainly can't continue to call him the grim reaper, it would just be an upsetting reminder.

“rafe.” he smiles down at you, not the terrifying soulless being you thought he would be. “you may call me rafe.”

--

the tour of the expansive home is long, but you find yourself only half listening as you look at rafe.

his appearance is so different from when you saw him first, he looks less harsh, kinder, more alive.

“are you tired?” he asks as he pushes the doors open to what you assume is the master bedroom. “i know you just awoke but if you need to rest-”

“how does time work here?”

“there's night and day just as there is on earth. it's still morning.” he places a gentle hand on your back, pushing gently to get you to enter the room.

“this is our chamber.” he explains. “you may rest, or bathe, or eat.”

“i…” you look down at your clothes, dirt still covering your pants. “id like to change.”

a maid ushers in, and you try to see if you can get any visual clue that she's passed, but theres nothing as she opens up a cabinet and begins to grab out various jewel toned options.

“i must attend to some business.” rafe says. “ill be back soon.”

you get changed and dismiss the maid, wondering what kind of person chooses to serve like this for all of eternity and actually enjoy it, but you're too distracted with exploring your surroundings to think too hard about it.

you find a sitting room with walls covered in bookshelves, the grand bathroom, and a door that leads to a balcony.

you step out and look over the rolling hills, seeing as they turn to gray the farther away it is from the castle, seemingly encircled completely by the void.

you occasionally see a wolf running, or a figure floating, but you can tell none of them are your reaper. that must be the other helpers he was talking about. despite not being able to see their faces, you know it's not him.

you take a seat on the lush couch on the balcony. they must not have true weather here or it would certainly be ruined by the rain.

before you notice it, now dressed in clean clothes similar to rafes, your eyes are closing and you're falling into a deep sleep.

--

you yawn as you wake up, stretching as you realize you'd been moved to the bed at some point.

you sit up suddenly only to come face to face with rafe who is sitting in an armchair moved from the sitting room to the foot of the bed.

“did you move me?”

“yes.” he nods as you blink, looking outside, unable to tell how long you've been asleep. like he's reading your mind, rafe speaks. “it's the next morning. you were exhausted from the journey.”

“did you sleep in the bed with me?”

“i do not need sleep.” rafe answers, jolting you slightly before you remember who you are here with.

“then why have this bed?”

rafe gives you a pointed look as you replay his words in your head. of course it's for you. he's been waiting.

“come.” rafe stands, imposing his tall height again.

you slide out of bed, only then realizing that your clothes have been changed.

“a maid changed you.” he says quickly. “i will escort you to breakfast and as you eat i will finish my work for the day. then we can…”

he trails off like he doesn't know what the options are. “get to know each other.” you offer. “since you're my one true love i suppose we should… go on a date?”

a smile stretches across the reapers face. “yes. a date.”

--

“what is it you'd like to know?” rafe asks as you're sat in the front of the boat, moving slowly down a river that winds through the hills.

it scared you at first, but rafe certainly wouldn't be taking you anywhere where you couldn't come back.

“uh…” there's a million questions you have about life and death, about heaven and hell, but that's not what you truly want to know. “what's your favorite color? do you have to eat? can you sleep even if you don't have to?”

“well…” rafe chuckles. “i love deep blue. i don't have to eat but i can, same with sleeping. and your favorite color?”

“also blue.” you swallow deeply, eyes turning upward as the invisible force keeps the boat moving steadily in the water. “but sky blue. like on a warm summer day.” 

you're about to wonder if you'll ever truly see the sky again when you can make out a cloud in the distance.

“i-”

“for you.” rafe says as the color of the sky shifts, matching the exact shade you were thinking of. “everything here can be changed for you.”

the conversation flows naturally, you suppose it should between soulmates. every time rafe smiles, you get butterflies in your stomach, and by the time you're back where the river meets the castle, you have a question brewing on the tip of your tongue.

“can we… can we kiss again?” you need to know what it feels like, if it's the same cold lips despite his hands now feeling warm.

the smile comes back to rafes face, and then it gets closer and closer until he's kissing you, deeply.

you almost instinctively wrap your arms around his shoulders, able to fully touch him now as he kisses you, warm lips gliding against each other's.

you pull yourself closer until you can't get any nearer without climbing onto his lap, which you do next as you cling to him.

you thought your friends talking about the instant connection with their one true love was ridiculous, but you know what is between you and rafe is complete and real and right.

there's a woosh of air and when you pull away, you're still straddling rafe, but now in your bedroom.

“please.” he said softly, and the word comes out a little strange, like he's not used to saying it. “i need you.”

your fingers grasp the bottom of your shirt before you lift and pull it off your body, revealing the bra somehow already in your size that the maid got out after breakfast.

rafes hands stop yours when you go to unclasp it. “let me.” he says.

his hands are large and warm as they undo your bra and push the straps off your shoulders so it falls between the two of you.

“can i-”

“yes.” you answer quickly. “do anything you want to me.”

you take rafes cheeks in your hands as you look in his deep blue eyes. “do everything.”

your reaper transports you again, this time only feet as you're laid on your back, head rested against the pillows as he hovers over top of you.

your clothes as well as rafes are completely gone, and you're both silent, breathing heavily as you admire each other's bodies. if someone would have asked you what your perfect mate looks like, you'd absolutely describe rafe in this state.

“i will spend eternity pleasuring you, but you'll have to forgive me for not being able to wait a moment longer.” 

rafes cock lines up with your entrance, and then he's pushing inside, his eyes shutting as he lets out a moan that makes you surge forward to kiss his lips and swallow the sound as his hips glide all the way in, fitting exactly inside of you like he's been your missing part all along.

“you're so- warm.” rafe manages to choke out. “ive never felt warmth like this.”

it makes you sad to think rafe spent so long as the cold and lonely reaper. you pull him into you, pressing your chests together as his hips begin to move, your moans growing and becoming in sync, creating a beautiful chorus even to your own ears.

you don't know what your future will hold. there will no doubt be ups and downs, hard times and great times, but you will face it all together with your reaper, your rafe.

[moonstonejpg]

two slow dancers

s. aizawa x reader

cw: angst (no one dies i pinky promise), mention of suicidal thoughts

a/n: title after the song by mitski also uhhhh sorry in advance !!

at age nineteen, you find out that your quirk is killing you. you keep it a well-guarded secret from everyone—well, everyone except for aizawa. the day he finds out, he makes you promise to never use your quirk again, then takes your face in his hands and kisses you.

it was a bittersweet moment, one that made you realize life was a series of give and take, and while you’d lost your dream of becoming a pro-hero, the man you were in love with might actually love you too.

that was five years ago—and you hadn’t spoken of your quirk (or the kiss) since.

five years of watching your friends live their dreams of being pro-heroes, while you sit at a desk in an office and attend mind-numbing business meetings. sometimes while you were on your lunch break, you’d sit out on the rooftop, occasionally catching  glimpses of keigo flying around the city, wings flapping behind him, or you’d hear hizashi’s booming voice, and for a moment, you’d consider jumping off the ledge.

instead, you’d curl your fingers, nails digging sharply into your palms, before you’d go back inside, the stale office air doing nothing to brighten your mood. the feelings of hopelessness build and build until it crashes. you start ignoring phone calls and text messages, staying up all night and sleeping in past your alarms. you lose your job too, the unexcused absences stacking up until they have no choice but to let you go.   

aizawa stops by nearly every day, begging you from the other side of the door to let him in. but you don’t, and you wonder how you’re ever going to pull yourself out of this.

and then the next night, you’re walking back from the corner store, when the sound of a scream pierces the night. you act on instinct, adrenaline pumping through you as you slip into the shadows of the alleyway. you hold your breath, watching as the villain that the top heroes had been chasing around for weeks unhinges her jaw, rows and rows of needle-like teeth gleaming on the moonlight before folding herself over a young girl.

you don’t think before you’re moving, your quirk rising to your fingertips like no time at all has passed since you last used it. the villain is incinerated on the spot, sparkling dust the only part of her left behind. you catch yourself on the brick wall behind you, nausea roiling in your stomach before you lean over and vomit.

but you’re alive, so that has to count for something, right?

and—for the first time in five years, you begin to feel something akin to hope growing in your empty chest. the next night you make your way across the city, eyes and ears peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

you’re seated at aizawa’s dining room table a month later when the news breaks—a new vigilante hero running under the cover of darkness has been spotted for the second time since appearing in the city over a month ago. you freeze as aizawa turns up the volume, holding your breath as the camera zooms in on a figure, your figure. but there’s no way he’d be able to tell it was you, right? the footage was slightly grainy, and the entire video was only five seconds in total. the newscaster plays it a few more times, and then the tv cuts out, the remote clattering from aizawa’s hand down to the table. you direct your eyes down to your plate, trembling fingers tightening around your fork as the air grows thick with tension. quietly, he stands, before heavy footsteps make their way to the front door.

you stand too, following on his heels. he pulls his jacket out of the closet, pulling it on before stopping.

“aizawa—” you start to apologize, but he cuts you off.

“don’t.” he says gruffly, his back to you.

you open and close your mouth a few times, not knowing what to say.

“the worst part isn’t even that you lied to me.” he says lowly, still not turning around.

“you…you don’t understand. I couldn’t…” you trail off, not able to find the words to explain how badly you needed to do this.

he whirls around at that, eyes blazing with hurt. “no, I don’t understand why you would risk your fucking life! I—I don’t even want to look at you right now.”

and with that, he storms off, slamming the door shut behind him.

you sink to your knees, quiet sobs echoing through the now empty apartment.

for three days, you spend your days on the couch, typing and then deleting hundreds of text messages to aizawa. you catch yourself multiple times with your finger hovering over his number, wondering if he’d even answer your call. your nights are still spent surveying the city, your phone now hooked up to the communication system that all of the agencies use.  

the crackling of the communications system now pulls you out of your thoughts, ears perking at the words.

“present mic? present mic, do you copy? eraser head is down, we need—”

that’s all you need to hear before you’re leaping across buildings, lungs burning as you switch to the headset you’d bought, listening for the coordinates. you tune everything out, your only focus on aizawa, the man you’d been hopelessly in love with since you were sixteen.

you can barely catch your breath as you slide to a stop, peering down at the scene unfolding on the street below. your limbs lock as you watch a blood-red monster roughly the size of a house holding aizawa’s limp body in his massive hand, before dangling him by the material of his scarf. horror washes through you as you realize that the scarf is wrapped around his neck like a noose.

breathing deeply, you pull your quirk to the surface, feeling the energy hum within you before diving off the edge of the building, a beam of light and sparks shooting towards the monster. he roars, focus dropping from aizawa to where you’re now falling towards him. he opens his palm, aizawa landing on the ground with a thud that has your entire body flinching.

you fall through the air, eyes widening as the monster starts to dissolve into the same golden sparkles as the villain from a month ago. he roars again and again, the sound rattling your bones.

bracing yourself for the impact that was sure to come, you squeeze your eyes shut. instead, the familiar voice of hawks says something in your ear, the buzzing of adrenaline drowning the exact words out. “please—aizawa.” you gasp out, twisting your head to look at where the dark-haired man landed.

hawks dives down towards the ground, flapping his wings faster and faster as he takes in his friend’s still limp body. he barely touches the ground before you’re pushing away from him, eyes locked on aizawa. you stand, the world tilting on its axis before collapsing to your knees. stars swim in your vision as you let out a sob, fingers digging into the soft earth as you crawl to him. hunching over his still body, you press yourself into him, ear on his chest as you strain to hear any sign of life.

two seconds pass, then five, then—a breath. shallow, but there.

you sob again, pushing your face into his neck as his chest begins to rise and fall, not the normal cadence, but almost. a gentle touch on the back of your head presses you deeper into his side, but you pull back a little, enough to see his dark eyes looking back at you. you smile down at him, tears still leaking from your eyes.

but he doesn’t smile back. instead, he brings a shaking finger up to your nose, swiping what you had thought was snot from below it. he looks horrified as he pulls his fingers back, the tips-stained bright red. the world tilts again, dizziness rushing at you with so much force that you have to squeeze your eyes shut to fight off the nausea it brings. when you open your eyes again, you wonder if this is the last time you’ll ever see him.

you sag against him, your body feeling oddly light.

“help, help!” he nearly screams, cradling you to his chest. “I need a medic—”

a few hours later you’re awakened by the steady beeping of a machine, the warmth of a familiar body curled against you.

[yourfavoritewitchbitch]

Midnight Temptation

Sweet Seduction

An encounter with a handsome, intriguing stranger who has his eyes set on you. Are you prey... Or something more.

This will be a series of blurbs featuring Vampy Steve!

As always, my works are 18+ MDNI! This one does not contain any smut.

CW: This one is pretty mild. Smoking. Mentions feeding on humans/blood lust. Vampires. No use of Y/N.

WC: 1.6K

The chilled autumn breeze catches you off guard, as you tighten your coat around yourself. Early October winds stripped most of the reds and yellows from the trees, littering the sidewalk with its array of discarded foliage. A pity none crunch under your feet, dampened by the rain that seems to be never ending this week.

It's only another few blocks but the sudden drop in temperature wasn't what you expected today. Then again, you hardly ever caught the weather forecast.

Glancing at your watch, you picked up the pace, trying to avoid another earful from your boss for being late. It was just a shitty dive bar, you could easily pick up another shift at a handful of places around the city, but you’d just gotten the job a month ago and didn’t want to start looking again so soon.

Arriving just in time, you barreled through the door to avoid any backlash, but your spirits were immediately dashed when your boss told you the other waitress called out with no replacement, leaving you alone for the night.

It started out easy enough, a few regulars filtering in that were easy going but before long the place had gotten packed. You were making a mad dash around the place to keep up for the rest of the evening into the late night.

He had slipped in easily, going unnoticed, weaving through the crowd with sure and measured steps. Women took notice as he passed by, along with a few men, as he navigated to the dimly lit booth in the far corner of the bar making himself at home, spreading out and making himself more comfortable. His long legs stretched beneath the table, crossing as the ankle.

You were taking a couple's drink order, pausing mid-sentence when his eyes caught yours. He was shrouded by the dark, but for a moment you could have sworn his eyes were glowing amber before he looked away.

“Are you even listening to me?” The blonde bimbo squeaked, snapping her perfectly manicured fingers in front of your face pulling your attention back to her.

“Shit, yeah, sorry. That was a gin and tonic for him and a cosmopolitan for you, right?” Plastering your best fake smile across your face as you said it. She rolled her eyes replying with an annoyed “yeah.”

You nodded, eyes drifting back over to him as you walked away but he was gone. It had only been a mere few seconds and somehow, he had managed to sneak away. Quickly surveying the room, trying to catch a glimpse of this mystery man, you spot a head caramel highlighted tresses slipping out the door into the night.

Weird.

You checked the rest of your tables before telling your boss you were taking a smoke break, walking through the kitchen and out into the back alley.

-

He was walking downtown late one evening, making his usual rounds. Local dive bars, near the east side, frequented by vagrants and some homeless. They were easy prey, though he had to watch the addicts, their essence tasted like battery acid, burning the entire way down.

He looked for people that weren't believable. The ones that if his mind manipulation failed, no one would bat an eye at thinking an actual vampire lurked in the streets and shadows of Indy. His thoughts drifted to Eddie, how easily he could ease into someone's thoughts, simply by gazing into their eyes. He had always been so much better at making sure no one remembered his late night visits.

He was close to his usual spot, a small diner situated near an alley that was backed up to a row of abandoned warehouses when he caught a scent of someone intoxicating that hit him so hard and potent it stopped him in his tracks.

His body was on autopilot following his nose and blood lust to a small dive bar on the edge of town. He stepped in, eyes quickly searching everyone in the dimly lit bar, but no one stood out right away.

He grabbed a booth at the far end, half shrouded so he could watch the room without being noticed and that's when you stepped out from the back.

His senses were flooded, causing him to close his eyes and take a deep breath. Why you? Why were you so special?

When he allowed himself to look back up, you were staring directly at him. He knew his eyes were burning embers as his canines suddenly pierced his bottom lip, hissing to himself from losing control as he looked away.

You were distracted once he had regained composure, so he quickly moved to leave.

His cold, dead heart suddenly felt like it was pumping blood through his body again, coursing through his veins at a rapid pace. That nervous trepidation when meeting someone that made your stomach flip overtook him. He hadn’t felt like this in years, not since he was still alive.

He HAD to get out of there.

He turned the corner to take the alleyway to stay away from the crowds on the main strip and maybe snag a quick late night snack.

He was taking his time but then you walked out. He moved lightning fast, his back pressed up against the brick exterior of the adjacent building, silently watching you from the shadows.

Inhaling another deep breath, he willed his lungs to expand, relishing your scent this close and personal without the obstruction of other people.

He'd never smelled anything like it. It was sweet. Strawberries and honey, an alluring mixture that called to him like a siren's song, one that he couldn't ignore. It was too tempting to steer himself away before crashing into the rocks and letting you drown him.

He couldn’t stop the words from tumbling from his mouth as he stepped out of his hiding place.

-

There were a couple of old crates stacked in the corner by the dumpster that everyone used as a makeshift stool. You plopped yourself down onto with a heavy sigh, pulling out a crumpled pack of smokes and lighter.

“Great.” Huffing to yourself pulling out the last one and placing the filter between your lips, lighting the end with a cherry red glow illuminating your face.

The back alley was dark, except for one streetlight to the left at the main road. It was quiet. You relished in the few peaceful moments you could steal away from the loud music that faintly trickled out.

You took a long drag, holding the nicotine laced smoke in your lungs for a few seconds, slowly releasing it, when you heard a gravelly voice from the shadows.

“Those things’ll kill you.”

Your head shot toward the sound, heart rate ticking up slightly with the knowledge that he had obviously been watching you.

Slowly he stepped out into the light, worn denim jeans on long legs, slim waist and an expansive chest, clad in a simple black v neck t-shirt under his matching leather jacket. Your eyes trailed slowly up, a silver chain around his neck catching the light and reflecting it back to you when his face was finally revealed.

He was handsome. Too handsome for a place like this.

From your vantage point, you made out his strong jawline and aquiline nose. His dark eyes seemed to look straight through you.

“Sorry, if I spooked you.” Rushing out as if he could feel the tension suddenly radiating from you, making a show of his hands taking another step in your direction.

“You make it a habit of skulking around in dark alleyways?” You smirked, sliding the cigarette back between your lips. There was something about him that intrigued you, your eyes shifting to examine his charming exterior, but it felt like there was something more dark lurking just below the surface.

The words slipped out before you realized it, that snarky, tough girl attitude seeping through but he simply grinned, amused with you.

“Not usually.” He kept his gaze firmly fixated on you as he spoke, giving no other explanation. “Got a smoke I could bum?”

“Sorry, fresh out.” Making a show of crumpling the empty pack and tossing into the dumpster as you stood, finishing the last of yours before stubbing it out. “And I need to get back to work.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Maybe next time.”

“Yeah, sure, pretty boy. Yo—”

“What'd you just call me?” His suddenly demanding voice cut you off as you turned back around, suddenly face to face with him, startling you once again wondering how the hell he got across the alleyway so quickly.

“Wha— I,” your brows marry with confusion. “I— pretty boy?”

“Why'd you call me that?” He asked, leaning further into your space. This close you could see his eyes were a golden array of warmth.

“I don't know. It just— your eyes are really… beautiful.” Blurting out without a second thought, as if those eyes had you pinned under some sort of spell.

He suddenly took a couple steps back, looking away and breaking whatever the moment was.

“I'm sorry, I— you should go back to work. Sorry I bothered you.” He backed further away and turned, working his way towards the shadow. Hoping it wouldn't be the last time you'd see him; you spoke back up.

“Aren't you coming back in?” You rushed out.

“Maybe some other time.” He lamented, a hint of regret in his voice as he stopped but didn’t turn back around.

“Well, can I at least get a name, or do you just prefer pretty boy?” You smirked.

“It's Steve.” If only you could see the smile that split his face. It had been a long time since he'd told anyone his real name and he's still not quite sure why he told you.

“Well, Steve, guess I’ll see you around.” You smiled, as you headed back toward the door without waiting for a response. You gripped the handle and peered back in the direction he had just been walking, but much to your surprise he was already gone.

[chaekii]

CONVENIENCE STORE LOVERS -P.SH

. . . SCENE ───a fridge door opens, a distance closes, and maybe this isn’t just coincidence.

• Stranger!Sunghoon & fem!reader r 𓂃 Fluff ,crack,mysterious, strangers to lovers? ✶ slight skinship, pt 2?

Like & reblog please!

It’s too late to be making decisions, but here you are, standing in front of the convenience store fridge, staring at rows of neatly lined-up bottles like one of them is going to suddenly call your name. You’re not even that thirsty, you just needed an excuse to step out, breathe in the cold air, and pretend the city isn’t pressing in on you from all sides. The soft hum of the refrigerator fills the silence, and the glass is cool under your fingertips as you reach for a drink.

But just as your fingers brush the plastic, another hand gets there first.

It happens so quickly that for a second, you think you imagined it, but when you turn your head, he’s right there,tall, dressed in a grey hoodie, with sharp eyes that flick toward you in mild amusement. He’s holding the very same strawberry milk you were about to grab, tilting it slightly in your direction like he’s trying to decide whether or not to give it up.

“Were you reaching for this?” he asks, though it’s obvious he already knows the answer.

You let out a slow breath, steadying yourself. “Yes, actually.”

There’s a beat of silence where neither of you move. He looks down at the bottle in his hand, then back at you, expression unreadable. The lights overhead cast soft shadows across his face, highlighting the way his lips twitch at the corners, like he’s holding back a smirk.

“You hesitated,” you point out, crossing your arms. “You weren’t even sure if you wanted it.”

For a moment, he just studies you, as if he’s weighing his options, and then,just when you start to think he’s going to walk off with it,he extends the bottle toward you. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even try to make a show of it, but there’s something about the way he hands it over that makes it feel like a test.

You take it, fingers brushing his for half a second before he steps back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“See you around,” he says, turning away before you can respond.

It’s a weird thing to say to someone you’ve never met before, but you don’t dwell on it. You buy your drink, step back into the night, and tell yourself it was just a random encounter. Nothing worth remembering.

Except three nights later, it happens again.

This time, you spot him first. He’s by the register, idly scanning the shelves, looking entirely too comfortable for someone loitering in a convenience store past midnight. You tell yourself it’s just a coincidence,because that’s all it could possibly be,but then, just as you’re about to grab another drink, he appears beside you like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here again,” he says, reaching for the fridge door, and the way he says it makes it sound like he absolutely did.

You glance at him, skeptical. “You don’t even know me.”

“True.” He pulls open the fridge, but instead of grabbing something, he leans against the door and watches you. “But I was right, wasn’t I?”

You exhale through your nose, trying not to let your irritation show. “Right about what?”

“That we’d see each other again.”

The way he says it, like it was inevitable, makes something tighten in your chest,not in a bad way, necessarily, but in a way that makes you a little too aware of how close he is, how his presence feels too solid, too intentional. You should probably say something, but before you can, he reaches into the fridge, grabs another bottle of strawberry milk, and places it in your hands like it’s some kind of inside joke you’re not entirely in on yet.

You stare at it, then at him. “what is this?”

He shrugs. “Thought I’d save you the trouble this time.”

And with that, he turns toward the counter, leaving you standing there with a drink you never actually asked him to get, wondering if maybe—just maybe,this isn’t the last time it’s going to happen.

[rogueshadow1124]

DARK TERRITORY

Tom riddle x reader

Summary: After a hard day, Y/N pays a visit to the girls restroom to freshen up, only to find an open passage way.

Word count: 2325

Warnings: mentions of blood/injury.

"Stupid potions always blowing up on me." A Y/H/C haired girl stumbled through one of the long corridors within the castle, dusting off her robes. Her face was contorted into one of annoyance, a low grumble setting in her throat before she let out a long exaggerated puff of air. This was the second time today a potion had blew up in her face, Professor slughorn had assured her that all she needed was practise but she was very uncertain, even when she read of the instructions- multiple times at that- nothingvseemed to go right and she for sure was nothing like the boy who was top of the class. Tom riddle.

Riddle. There was no one quite like him. He was considered the top of all his classes, he was practically a high class genius. Y/N had known Tom for a long time, she had observed him from a far and even had the guts to not only approach him but actually interact with him on several occasions and although at first he hadn't been too keen on her breaking his bubble of solitary and peace, she had somehow managed to catch his attention in other ways. What the girl hadn't seemed to notice was how Tom also observed her but he was sneaky, he stayed in the shadows, in the corners, watching her when she was in her own little world not even noticing the prying eyes that pierced her being from a day to day basis.

Y/N came to a stop outside the girls restroom, pushing through the heavy wooden double doors clumsily. She stompted towards the sink, and turned the brass tap roughly making it squeak at the harsh pressure that she applied. She leaned over slightly at a hunch, cupping hands under the stream of water and splashed her face to refresh herself and get off the excess dust that had cast over her cheeks and chin. A sudden clicking noise caught her attention, her head slowly turning at an angle in the direction of what sounded like the churning of locks and tics was coming from.

She squinted her eyes at what looked to be a now open passage way, the inside dark and eerie as it looked like an endless void of nothingness, there was no single slither of light but only the dimly lit yellow casting through that the restroom had. She stood straight, hands dropping to her sides and fisting at her robes, she couldnt help but step closer towards the crack between the two mirrors on the circular row of sinks. She reached out a hand, grasping at one of the frames on the side, the tip of her shoes just at the edge of the opening and just as she had gone to step inside she suddenly slipped, a scream erupting from her throat as she slid down into the darkness.

Her hands reached out in an attempt to grip onto anything in a panic, this didnt at all feel safe. She felt herself glide off of what felt like a step and landed on a stack of hard stick like figures; her eyes were screwed shut, breathes ragged and heavy as her body shook lightly among the masses beneath her. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth in a motion to steady her breathing, her hands pushed down on the sharp hard lengths so she could push herself up and onto her feet.

Only then when she came to a stand did she open her eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust to the dim and brisked room that she ended up in. It looked like a widely open space but something like a sewer at the same time. Her eyes moved down to the ground cement floor, bright Y/E/C orbs widening when she spotted what she had landed on, a gasp past her lips as she stumbled back only to hit a wall that she was sure hadn't been behind her before- whilst wide eyes stayed cast on the pile of bones a loud hiss broke the silence, making Y/N lurch forward with a jump, she took one glance behind her shoulder, screeching when she saw an oversized serpent covering above her.

Flight or fight kicked in, adrenaline surfacing to her blood stream as she set off into a sprint, tears coming to her eyes as she pushed her burning legs to take her away from the giant creature. Around the corner was a large stone opening where she had to climb through and over a step to get inside, there she saw a walkway that had staues of snakes along the length, leading to a wall that was in the shape of a man with an open mouth, he looked familiar too her almost an exact replica to who she had seen only in books and pictures. Salzar Slytherin.

Another hiss echoed through the room, followed by a crackle. She stumbled forwards quickly and set into a run again, but she ended up tripping over a crack on the floor, falling face first on her hands and knees, crying out at the heated pain that now spread through her palms and knees from the fall. She pushed up, turning so she sat on her backside, looking up at the serpent that stood stiff only feet away from her, Y/N started to push backwards, open wounds pushing against the floor leaving droplets and stains of her red blooded essence behind.

Out the corner of her eyes she spotted a figure, standing tall and dressed in a familiar robe that was similar to her own. Blurry eyes set on none other than Tom Marvolo Riddle- she hushed out his name but he seemed to take no notice of her, his lips moving slowly in motion but she didnt hear words at all, she could only make out long demeanering hisses and a hint of sharp tone that shone through a different language. At that the overly sized snake hissed back lowly, but didnt move an inch.

Tom turned to the girl, dark eyes looking down at her shaking form. A small smile twitched at his lips when he noticed her teary eyes but not at all did it seem kind, more so mocking and smug. She met his gaze, with wide doe eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights more so a little bambi, small, innocent, scared. His shoes clicked against the stone geou d as she moved in her direction, crouching at her feet with his head tilted towards her.

"What are you doing down here Y/L/N." His voice rung in her ears, a shiver shooting through her spine at the cold motionless tone. She let out what sounded to be a whimper when she leaned back on her hands pulling them up and into her lap quickly, looking down at the irritated skin that was covered in the warmth of her blood that pooled to the surface slightly.

"Tom..." she whispered his name with a shake in her breath.

His eyes squinted, the way his name flowed from her tongue sounded so good- he enjoyed the shake in her voice, the scarce in her body language. It's what he craved, he wanted people to be scared of him, to he at his will but with Y/N, oh she intrigued him, he wanted her to be scared and at his will but not like others, no. He wanted her by his side almost as a companion, she made efforts to speak to him, even at the times he had pushed her away, she came back the next day more determined for him to give any kind of response; she was innocent, sweet but also cold and quiet, calculating and captivating, he didnt understand how someone like her could be a slytherin, he was very much so invested. He wanted to know every little detail about her, he had never been interested in anyone even merely but Y/N Y/L/N, she was one of a kind, someone with so many hidden secrets. He wanted to taint her, ruin her, in a way that he would have full control and she would need to rely on him in every way. "You shouldn't have been snooping, darling."

"I-i wasn't snooping, I sw-swear." She went to reel back as his hand rest on her ankle, but he had gripped her fast and roughly allowing her no room to remove his grip. He tugged her towards his crouched form, her robe sliding up her legs at the movement when she was pulled to him, her lower thighs resting at his legs, his hand hovering up and over her body until it reached up to her neck, his fingers feathering a touch on her soft skin just before his hand grasped her jaw, tilting her head to look up at him.

"If you wasn't snooping as you claim, then you wouldnt be down here. You would have ignored the open passage and minded your buisness." She pushed her face away, standing tall again begrudgingly reaching out his hand which she stared at with furrowed brows and a frown. Her eyes switched quickly to his gaze, meeting dark stern eyes as he rose a brow and nodded at his hand expectantly, Y/N sighed with a shake reaching up to his hand, letting out a noise when he pulled her up suddenly.

"Ouch.." she groaned, tugging her hand away from him and to her chest. Tom looked at her unammused but something behind the cold, darkened gaze softened, he hummed and pulled his wand from his robe pocket reaching for her hand but this time he didnt wait and took it in his hold in an instant. He pointed the tip of his wand down at the open skin of her hand grumbling out the word 'Episky' and in seconds Y/N watched as the wounds started to close up, sending a tingling sensation through her hand. Her eyes darted up to Tom's but he was looking down, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, gaping before she uttered a "Thank you."

"Mhmm.." his eyes flickered up to her face, taking in her features; sure he had done this plenty of times but never had he been so close. He noticed how her eyes, they had a certain shine to them but not at all did they seem fully happy, they were vibrant, carrying some form of lonesome appeal behind a built surface, metaphorically she was an iceberg there was only so much that was in the open, at the top, the surface- however there were so many things that nobody knew, or understood, buried deep behind closed walls. He studied her every chance he got and all he had been able to figure was that she kept to herself, most of the time anyway but for some reasosn she chose to interact with him, sit by him, even if it was in silence nothing between the two was uncomfortable. "Why are you so fixated on being around me?"

It was more so a question to himself really, something that he spoke without thinking. She narrowed her eyes for a second, raising her brows softly with a hum. "I find solace in your company. Sure you're mysterious but I like that you keep to yourself, your not like anyone I have ever interacted with." Her eyes were quick to shift to the serpent that still hovered away from them, noticing how it never even left but stayed only watching from the short distance-

"Don't. Don't look into its eyes.." Tom's hand reached up and moved her face to look up at him instead, her face contorted into a look of confusion. "Wouldn't want you to be petrified, hmm?" Y/N's eyes widened slightly, her breathing picked up within seconds of hearing his words, suddenly becoming scared again after calming herself prior this moment, he smirked down at her. "You'll be fine. Just don't look into it's eyes."

"W-what is it?" Her eyes stayed focused of Tom's dark ones, air stuttering in her lungs.

"She is a basilisk- Nagini." He hushed out, the last part sounding with an elongated hiss at the end which made the creature let out a guttural hiss at his words but it still only stayed in its spot, standing stiff in place. His smirk widened when he saw the girl gulp, eyes being trained on his as she didnt know where to look- he enjoyed the fact she hadn't looked away, the feeling was so intense yet it was so good at the same time. "Y/N..." She seemed to snap out of the state she was in at the call of her name, beckoning her back to reality. Her eyelashes flickered as she allowed herself to blink, moving her eyes so she was no longer gazing up at Tom but over one of his shoulders the one opposite to which the basilisk was on. "You're going to forget about this..."

"I-I dont understand?" She tilted her head, leaning into his hand as he placed it on her cheek lightly, shifting so he could rest his lips against her forehead, not in a kiss but just hovering over. He turned her head to the side, moving his face to rest beside her own so his lips were now in line with her ear. "T-Tom?"

"Shhhh..." his hand trailed down over her neck and to rest against her collarbone. His other hand that was free brought up his wand, pointing it directly at her- the only thing was, it was out of sight so she couldnt exactly know what he was doing- he placed a delicate kiss on the skin beneath her ear before whispering the words 'obliviate' making her world turn black.

[engardeitsme]

The Hunted, Haunted and Forgotten - Part 10

[Prev] [Next] [Masterlist]

Pairing: Battle Maniac x fem!Reader

Word count: 5.8k

Summary: You make your way through a Puppet infested Krat and encounter some interesting characters...

A/N: ok hear me out..i kinda overpromised w this chapter ajsksk sry about that>< the plan was to make it a little longer to fit the rest of the barren swamp arc buuut then a "little longer" turned into 10k+ words and i didn't wanna subject you to that lol. so this is something of a set-up chapter now, and "only" 5.8k words,, but nonetheless-!! i put a lot of love and thought into it, and hope it's still an entertaining enough read~ xoxo🤲��🐰

***

Part 10 - Irony of fate

Cerasani Alley was on the other side of a stone bridge lined with lanterns. But to get there, you first had to cross a small, poorly lit square, which (much to your chagrin) was once again packed with creepy Puppet standees advertising the circus event in honour of the Grand Exhibition. Fortunately, most of their faded grins were facing away from you, originally intended for the festival-goers heading towards the hotel. Still, you preferred to get a move on.

Although there was a decorative web of light garlands hanging above your heads, they didn't do much to illuminate the area; instead, they only added to the eeriness by swaying back and forth in the harsh wind, casting a flickering play of light and shadow over your surroundings. You kept thinking you could see movement out of the corner of your eye, but when you turned your gaze to a suspicious spot, you couldn't see anything. It made you so paranoid that at one point you thought the stone itself was moving, coming alive even, and that every flash of the dark rows of windows was due to the gleaming eyes of a ghostly creature watching you, lurking, waiting for the opportune moment when you would turn your back on it so that it could finally-

"Hello there!"

You flinched violently, twice, as Matteo suddenly materialized directly in front of you - directly directly, meaning that the tip of your nose almost brushed the fabric of his red scarf as he pointed his sword at the stranger.

"Whoa, e-easy-", the very same stuttered immediately. "Hold your horses, I'm just a humble merchant! I-I promise!"

The Rabbit remained motionless for a few more seconds, then you noticed him slowly relax (a little) and lower his arm again.

You too had recovered from your shock by now and cautiously peered out from behind the scarf wearer. The first thing you saw was Vito loosening his attack stance as well. Then your eyes fell on the "humble merchant" in front of you, a man in dirty clothes with a tattered green scarf around his neck, who seemed to have jumped out of his rain-protected hiding place as soon as he saw you. He held a lantern in one hand, a thick bag in the other, and had a large wooden box on his back. Greasy black hair peeked out from under his cap, but by far the most striking detail about him was his face, which was almost completely wrapped in yellowed bandages. Only his eyes were exposed, along with an opening for his mouth. It wasn't hard to guess what was underneath, especially when he started coughing the next moment. The sound sent a cold shiver down your spine.

"Oh, but see for yourself!", the sick man said hoarsely. "You are most welcome to take a closer look at my selection. It may be small, yes, but I assure you it has everything a Stalker's heart desires! Only while supplies last, though." He chuckled while eagerly putting down his lamp and bag. "You're in luck, too! I've got quite a few festival offers right now that will surely knock your socks off...!"

However, as soon as he had shed off the massive box, Matteo suddenly turned away and walked towards the bridge, paying him no further attention.

At first, the merchant just stared after him in stunned silence. Then he laughed nervously and turned his attention to Vito instead. "D-Did I say offers...? Ah, force of habit, force of habit! It's all on the house, naturally! The esteemed gentlemen- err, and lady of course, are absolutely free to take whatever they... want..." He trailed off when the larger Rabbit walked past him as well.

You saw him swallow. Then his (now almost pleading) eyes met yours, but in the end you too had to disappoint him and could only offer an apologetic shrug before quickly following your two companions. You felt sorry for the guy, as he probably didn't see a lot of customers these days... or people in general. But it wasn't as if you had any storage space anyway, let alone time.

One thing was for sure, though: He was persistent. For as soon as the three of you had entered the bridge, you could hear him hastily packing up his things again, only to catch up with you shortly after.

"If I may ask one teensy little question", he began, a little out of breath, "You came from the hotel, right? Does that mean the path is clear...? The Parade Master is finally-"

"We're here on personal business, not to do those toffs up here a favour," Matteo growled, still looking straight ahead.

The merchant's smile dropped again. "O-Of course, of course. It's just that... It's been quite a while since the last time a Stalker showed up here, you know? That's why I thought you..."

He broke off, raising his hands in defense as Matteo's head turned dangerously slow in his direction.

"...a-are here on personal business. Which does not concern me at all, because it's your business and not mine. Right, got it. Duly noted. Well, I... I guess I'll stay here then. Uh, just in case. So if you ever find yourself in the neighbourhood again and need a helping hand, you can certainly count on me!" He gave a forced laugh and finally stopped walking, raising his hand in farewell. "Bon voyage, gentlemen, until we meet again! ...Err, and gentlewoman, of course!"

As you crossed the bridge, you glanced back one last time at the lonely figure of the merchant, who was about to turn away with a muttered: "Rabbits, go figure. What can you expect..." and a dismissive gesture of his hand, before shuffling back to his original spot.

You bit your lip as another wave of pity washed over you, but then you quickly pushed it back where it came from. The whole city was chock-full of tragic fates by now; there was little point in dwelling on one in particular, especially when there was nothing you could do to help and it would only make the rest of your day feel even shittier than usual.

At least he's still doing well enough to rip people off, you tried to make the situation more bearable in your mind - which didn't even work half as well as you'd hoped.

But then you marched through a rusty gate and immediately found yourself in the middle of Cerasani Alley, officially making your remorse fade into the background.

As soon as you saw yourself surrounded by the gapless stone buildings rising into the sky, the air suddenly felt even colder. You couldn't help but imagine that you were stepping into a giant stone mouth. Ready to be digested by whatever was roaming these streets...

You quickly drew your knife. Although your injured shoulder rather limited your fighting ability, the familiar weight of the weapon alone made you feel a little safer.

Fittingly, the next moment your eyes fell on a corpse on the ground. Not the first one you had come across today, but the first one that held your attention, thanks to the incredibly fancy suit the guy was wearing. He must also have been a visitor to the Grand Exhibition, an event intended to welcome the international community and showcase the latest achievements of the Puppet industry - a resounding success, really. That is, if one would ignore the unfortunate side-effect that in the end there had been no one left to spread the good news to the rest of the world and attract the much hoped-for investors.

You were still unable to take your eyes off the dead man. Time and rain may have washed away most of the blood (and, thankfully, the stench), but that only made it more obvious how badly his body had been mutilated. Especially the face...

Which looked strangely familiar all of a sudden, with the prominent chin, the dark stubble and thick eyebrows above bright, sightless eyes...

The only thing missing was his...

You quickly looked away when you suddenly saw your father lying at your feet.

Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath. Your heart was pounding in your throat, even though you knew this was just nonsense, made up by your stressed mind. Your father had no business being here, his corpse had no business being here. No, he had met his end on Rosa Isabelle Street, where the Puppet Frenzy had started, in a completely different part of the city. Which was actually why you couldn't help but be a little disappointed that the Rabbits had decided on this "shortcut" to the Barren Swamp. Had you gone via Elysion Boulevard, you would inevitably have ended up on Rosa Isabelle Street, too...

Not like you were hoping for much. In fact, you didn't even know what you were hoping for in the first place! It would be silly to think there was any chance of finding your father after all this time. After all the chaos and destruction. But maybe that was actually the point, not finding him... And thus (paradoxical as it may seem) finally getting answers, however vague, to the never-ending "what ifs" that had become such loyal companions over the past months. You would never have made it to Rosa Isabelle Street to look for your father, not on your own anyway, even if the Rabbits hadn't sealed off the Malum District. You simply hadn't been strong enough.

But what if I'm wrong? What if I was strong enough? What if I had at least tried? Dared to be brave for once in my life and think beyond the obvious possibilities...?

You had told yourself over and over again that it probably wouldn't have made a difference. That if by some miracle you had made it to Rosa Isabelle Street, you would more than likely have met your own end in all the chaos. At the same time, that was exactly it: "likely", "probably". You couldn't say for sure - and now, you would never be able to. But it might have brought you a little bit of closure at least to have seen the Rosa Isabelle Street of now. And to have definitive proof that there really was nothing that could be done for your father...

You hadn't even realized you'd been holding your breath until you let it out after passing the body. At the same moment, you noticed that Vito had stopped and turned towards you to sign something. You didn't recognize the words, but could guess their meaning. So you just grimaced - until you remembered that he couldn't see your face - and then said, gesturing dismissively: "It's nothing. I'm coming."

You could well imagine him raising a skeptical eyebrow (rightly so; you were a piss-poor liar after all), but he seemed to realize you weren't in a chatty mood, so thankfully he left it at that. Then he simply waited until you had walked passed him and brought up the rear of your little party.

And not a moment too soon.

Because as soon as you walked through an archway, you were suddenly confronted with your first enemies. All of them Puppets. Mostly Butler and Maid Puppets ('The most loyal servant' indeed, you thought dryly), armed with various dangerous household objects such as knives or pokers, but you also saw one wielding a candlestick and another holding a broom. Of course, Puppets of this sort were not uncommon up here, as they had run everyone's household. But thanks to the Grand Exhibition, their presence on the streets had also increased, which only contributed to the rapid collapse.

You wondered if the Puppets' murderous campaign through the city, and the fact that, as a result, most people had not died of the Petrification Disease, had prevented a major Carcass outbreak up here. Or if the phenomenon had been confined to the poorer regions of Krat from the very start... Either way though, you were quite grateful for this circumstance. It was disconcerting enough to see your father lying on the ground among the many corpses of the festival-goers; you could really do without also seeing him stagger towards you, undead, and ready to munch on your face...

Naturally, your companions got rid of your Puppet opponents with routine ease. Matteo didn't even seem to look at what he was doing, acting purely on instinct, almost to the point of showing off. Consequently, your knife didn't get much action this time around, but for once you didn't mind being on the sidelines. Especially as it only took a few minutes for the Rabbits to clear your path.

By now you were standing on a wide road that led to a large square further ahead. You knew this could only be Krat Central Station Plaza. You hadn't been here much before, the last time being years ago at this point. But you had thought about this place often enough in recent times, especially after the whole thing with the train tickets. It was strange to think that it hadn't been that long since you'd imagined yourself crossing this square... to escape (among other things) the very men who had brought you here now.

I guess that's what you call the irony of fate...

Your mouth pressed into a thin line as Vito suddenly made a loud noise to get your attention. Or rather Matteo's, who immediately turned around. His brother raised his sword and pointed it at a building to your right, a clothing store. It was only half-barricaded, as if the owners had been interrupted and left mid-construction, so you could see pretty dresses and hats neatly lined up through a broken window.

You frowned in confusion, but then Matteo said: "Later, on the way home. I don't think she'd appreciate a dress soaked in swamp."

"Giulia?", you asked, although the answer was pretty obvious now.

He nodded anyway, before turning away again. "She thinks she deserves a 'reward' for taking it easy these past few weeks."

For a moment you thought you heard a smile in his words, despite the usual sarcasm... But that could very well have been your imagination. Still, he didn't seem to mind granting her this wish by the looks of things, which made your own lips curl upwards. The girl really had her brothers wrapped around her little finger.

However, as quickly as your smile appeared, it disappeared again as soon as you entered the Krat Central Station Plaza.

You hadn't been back to the upper city since the disaster began, had only heard of the horrors that had taken place up here. But if this place was any indication, it had been even worse than you had imagined.

The square resembled a battlefield, no, carnage. A massacre. After all, a battlefield implied that there were two fighting parties, but the many human and animal corpses proved the exact opposite. They conjured up images in your mind, images of a veritable sea of people streaming towards the station in panic. A single mass of writhing bodies, pushing each other out of the way in fear and agony, climbing over each other, driven by a single instinct: to survive. There were dozens of wrecked carriages, all empty, with blood-stained open doors, dirty suitcases and other luggage strewn about; the occupants must have quickly realized that this was no way forward and that they were better off joining the crowd. In a situation like this, status and money played a rather subordinate role.

You grimaced as you passed another dead horse and quickly looked elsewhere, beyond at the buildings that lined the square. Dozens of illuminated windows made it look like half the city was still alive, but that was probably rather a sign to the contrary. After all, you highly doubted that after everything that had happened here, anyone would be stupid enough to leave their lights on and draw extra attention to themselves.

Your gaze slowly wandered further, eventually landing on the statue of Valentinus Monad, former leader of the Alchemists and founding father of the city. He had taken up position in the very center of the square, facing the station with a stone arm outstretched, as if to welcome visitors to the city. A shapeless piece of cloth - a sack? - was dangling from it on a rope. At least until you got closer. Then you realized it was actually a human corpse hanging upside down.

The grotesque sight hit you so unexpectedly that for a tiny moment you didn't pay attention to where you were going - and promptly tripped over a loose brick. Your breath caught in your throat as you lost your balance and fell forward-

Only to be grabbed by the arm and pulled upright again.

Heart beating wildly, you turned your head to Matteo and said: "Phew, thank you. I thought I-"

But then he let go of you again and just walked away.

"...ookay. Not that important, I guess", you muttered, slightly offended.

At least until two Puppet dogs suddenly jumped out from behind a broken carriage (where they had obviously been lying in wait for you) and you watched as the Rabbit killed them in one fell swoop before their mechanical paws had even touched the ground.

Which made you feel extremely stupid.

All right, well, maybe some things were indeed more important than others...

In the meantime, Vito got rid of a few more Butler Puppets that had been disturbed by the commotion. Eventually, though, the last pair of glowing red eyes went out and you were able to continue on your way, soon reaching the station building. Again, you couldn't help but think of the incredible irony...

The huge clock above the entrance was out of sync, but it was still working; which wasn't surprising, since the rest of the power grid was still functioning as well. Though the question was, for how long... You shuddered at the thought of a pitch-black Krat filled with bloodthirsty Puppets and undead monsters, and sincerely hoped you would never have to experience that.

And for once, you could be in luck!

Hmm, what's gonna happen sooner: the power going out, or the Petrification Disease paralysing my organs...?, you pondered. Too bad about the timing. I bet in the good old days that would have made quite a sum at the bookie's...

As soon as you realized how macabre this thought was, you shuddered and spontaneously decided to keep your thinking to an absolute minimum for the time being.

With that in mind, you turned to Matteo. "So, how is this a shortcut to the Barren Swamp again?"

At the same moment, you arrived under the canopy of the station entrance, heading straight for the big door.

"You'll see soon enough."

You stopped walking and glared at his back. No answer is also an answer, I guess...

Then you had an idea.

You turned to Vito and asked: "So, how is this a shortcut to the Barren Swamp again?"

At first, the big Rabbit just looked down at you without saying a word. Then he chuckled and signed something prompting a heavy sigh from behind you.

Music to your ears.

"Behind the last platform is an underground passage that leads directly to the swamp", the scarf wearer finally revealed. "There, shortcut. Happy now?"

You raised your eyebrows in surprise. "A tunnel connection? That's news to me..."

"It was used for logistics", Vito explained through his brother. "Before the Ergo discovery, there was a coal mine on the other side."

That did ring a bell, albeit a faint one; perhaps you had heard of it in your short time at school. That would certainly explain how the Rabbits knew about it as well, though as former Stalkers, they probably knew every nook and cranny of the city by this point.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I didn't know about it", you said aloud. "It wasn't like I ever went deeper into the swamp. My workplace was right at the start, next to the tram station." This made you remember something else. "Although... I was quite happy about that, to be honest. There were all sorts of rumours and horror stories about a huge 'swamp monster' roaming around somewhere."

You laughed at the absurdity of it all, until you suddenly realized that there were Carcass monsters now too... And when the Rabbits only exchanged a quick glance, but otherwise left your words uncommented, you fell silent again.

Something that would have happened anyway now that you'd entered the station - and only then grasped the true significance of there being no rain inside. Even your shudders shuddered when you saw all the blood that seemed to cover every available surface, glistening in puddles on the tiled floor and in splatters on the walls. Its source was usually not far away, lying on the floor or leaning against the wall, while the perpetrators could be heard making their designated rounds a little further away.

It was hard to imagine that you had been looking forward to coming here not so long ago...

You followed Matteo away from the door and towards a staircase, but stopped again in amazement as soon as you saw the entire lobby spread out before you (despite the many horrors that marred the sight). It had been so long since you had last been here that it felt like you were seeing it for the first time now. The room was gigantic, ending in the magnificent dome that could be seen from the outside. Ornate columns, balustrades, frames and archways decorated the gray walls, sometimes covered in gold. Directly above your heads hung an oversized chandelier, which on its own would have illuminated half the room probably, but was supported by various sconces and lampposts mounted in perfect symmetry on the banisters. A few wooden benches, arranged around the large, golden statue on the other side of the room, invited weary travelers to linger, and you were sure that had your situation been different (and had this place not been overrun by bloodthirsty killer Puppets...) you too would have gladly accepted the invitation and marvelled for a while.

But your situation was no different, unfortunately. Something that was again impressively demonstrated to you the very next moment, when Matteo arrived at the bottom of the stairs and promptly plunged his sword through the skull of a Conductor Puppet.

It was dressed in all blue and seemed a little taller than the previous Butler Puppets, which wasn't too surprising, however, as they were also the station's former security guards. Or maybe it was just its tall hat that made you think so.

Vito, meanwhile, had also hurried downstairs, not wanting his brother to have all the fun, leaving you alone at the top of the stairs... where you suddenly heard a strange noise behind you.

Startled, you spun around and raised your knife in front of your body, expecting to see another Conductor Puppet that had somehow managed to move quietly enough to sneak up on you...

Only to pause in surprise when you found yourself face to face with a Stalker. Their mask was in the shape of a bear - or a weasel?? - and looked as if it had been hastily patched together. Wires, light in color and so thick they resembled twigs, protruded from the ears and mouth area. The fabric of the mask reached down to the Stalker's neck and covered their shoulders like a leafy collar. The fact that it was tied around their neck with a rope made it look like a sack that they had put over their head and then simply cut into the desired shape. Apart from that, they wore a long coat of worn brown leather and carried a small backpack, as well as a fiery red axe in their gloved hand, which looked anything but harmless.

Yet you couldn't stop staring at the bizarre mask when the Stalker finally said: "You lost, little lamb? Hand over all you've got!"

That was probably meant to scare you, but it only made you more confused. Because judging by the nasal-sounding voice, you were dealing with a teenager here, someone around Giulia's age at most. 'Little lamb' my arse... You were almost the same height even!

"Got beans in your ears or something??" The girl(?) took a threatening step towards you. "I said, take out your pockets or you're not gonna like what happens next!"

You raised an unimpressed eyebrow and lowered your arm. "Do I look like I have anything of value on me?"

"W-Well..." She paused and gave you another subtle once-over (that wasn't subtle at all). "No, but... looks can be deceiving! I should know, I may not look it, but best believe I'm tough as nails-"

"And clearly have no idea who you're talking to", Matteo suddenly said, before stepping next to you. At first glance he seemed calm, but then your eyes fell on his hand, still tightly gripping his sword... "Otherwise we wouldn't be standing here. We are the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, that ring any bells?"

The Weasel Stalker seemed to hesitate for a moment... but then she just stuck out her chin and replied: "I know who you are. But I don't care. Rank, title, status... It's all meaningless in a city ruled by death. Survival is all that matters."

Though she'd barely finished speaking when Vito appeared on your other side and startled her into taking a few steps backwards. A blunder she quickly tried to cover up by clearing her throat, but that only made it more obvious.

'Tough as nails', huh?, you thought, amused.

Something Matteo agreed with. "Big talk from someone wearing a rookie mask - if it's even yours. Maybe you just nicked it, that would explain a lot. Why I've never met such a pea-brained Sweeper before, for example."

His accusation seemed to have struck a nerve. You saw the hand holding her axe begin to shake with anger before the girl snarled: "It's my mask. I earned it, fair and square. And I'm gonna give you 'pea-brained' between the eyes, you arrogant, snooty-"

It was as if Matteo had been waiting for this - and he probably had.

In the blink of an eye, the Rabbit had suddenly bridged the distance between them and knocked the weapon out of her hand with a single swipe of his sword. Accompanied by a piercing Clang!, it slithered away while he sent the surprised girl to the ground with a well-aimed kick and grab combo. She let out a loud "Oof-!" as her back collided with the hard tiles of the floor, before going quiet as a mouse at the sight of the sword at her neck. Something you could relate to all too well...

"W-Wait-", she began in panic, but the Rabbit ignored her.

"What was that?", he hissed. "Fancy repeating that? Sounds to me like someone here needs a little refresher on respecting your superiors."

As much as you had marvelled at the ease and speed with which Matteo had incapacitated the other Stalker (even if it was "only" a rookie), you were far from agreeing with this sudden escalation. So you gave Vito an alarmed look... and blinked in disbelief when he just shrugged his shoulders in return.

Meanwhile, Matteo was just getting started, by the looks of it.

"What, cat got your tongue?", he taunted. "For someone who deals in death, you're awfully quiet all of a sudden. Not very Stalker-like, if you ask me... Surely you weren't just lying about your mask to save your own skin, right...?"

The girl let out an audible gasp as he increased the pressure of his sword on her throat.

Something that immediately made you blurt out: "Matteo, stop! She's just a kid!"

At first it seemed that in his madness he hadn't heard you, or that he was simply ignoring you as well. But suddenly he leaned forward and growled: "Don't ever mess with a Rabbit again. Don't even think about it, especially not when I'm around. Got it?" The girl nodded hastily, which made him straighten up again, seemingly satisfied. "Smart. Maybe there's a Sweeper in you after all."

You breathed a sigh of relief when he finally removed his sword from her neck. Then he turned around and walked back towards the stairs without another word, while you rushed in the opposite direction.

"You alright?", you asked as soon as you reached the girl.

She sat up, one hand on her neck, her gaze fixed on Matteo's back until he was down the stairs and out of sight.

"Jerk...", she muttered. Her dislike for the scarf wearer hung so heavily in the air that you thought you could touch it. When she remained silent after that, you started to think that maybe she hadn't heard you... But then her head gave a little twitch in your direction and she replied: "Yeah, it's nothing."

You watched as she picked herself up from the floor (ignoring your outstretched hand) and, once back on her feet, looked around for her weapon. Eventually she spotted the axe lying in a nearby corner and went to retrieve it, adding over her shoulder: "Though I am not a kid, just so we're clear. And I'm also not stupid, which is why I waited until your two colleagues were busy with the scrap-heaps before I came out of hiding. How was I supposed to know that maniac would go all crazy on me..."

"Yeah, he... does that sometimes", you agreed with a wry smile, but had barely finished speaking when the Stalker suddenly let out a wailing noise.

"Why does this keep happening to me?? Not a single soul, not anywhere, for days. And then finally someone comes along, and it's the bloody Brotherhood! Ugh!" She kicked the nearest wall in frustration. "Everything's wrong and horrible, and everyone else is either dead or gone. What can you even do in a situation like that? The whole city's upside down!" She groaned. "All I want is a full belly for once, is that really too much to ask?? Ooh, what I wouldn't give for a simple piece of stale old bread right now...!"

You had already opened your mouth when she jerked her head in your direction, making you jump. "You sure you didn't bring any food...??", she added in a whiny voice. "I'll settle for half a slice of bread! Hell, give me the breadcrust, I'll take that too!!"

Unfortunately, as sorry as you felt for her, you had to disappoint her on all counts, which she commented on with another groan.

Before a sudden thought struck you...

"I don't have any bread with me, but... I might have something better", you said, reaching into a pocket of your coat and pulling out the coin that you'd received from the Rabbits just after you'd negotiated your deal - and that probably wasn't yours to give away, but...

Ignorance is bliss, right?

And so, the next moment, it soared through the air and then landed in the hands of the surprised Weasel Stalker.

"It's called the 'Smiling Bunny Mark' or something", you anticipated her questions, "and gives you exclusive access to all sorts of things. Makes quite an impression... especially on merchants. Speaking of which, we actually passed one on the way here, as luck would have it." You pointed your thumb in the direction of the entrance door. "He set up camp not far from here, between Cerasani Alley and Hotel Krat, just behind a small bridge. You can't miss it, really, thanks to all the circus stuff."

The girl was silent at first, just looking back and forth between you and the small item in her hands. "And you... give it to me. Just like that. Why?", she finally asked incredulously. "There's a catch, gotta be."

"No. No catch."

"Wh- I tried to rob you!"

You shrugged. "I think after what my... esteemed colleague just pulled, we're even. And, well. I won't be needing it much longer anyway."

Which was nothing but the truth. After all, you only had a few more treasure hunts left after today (a fact you were all too happy to ignore...). And even if the Rabbits didn't want the Bunny Mark back afterwards, what good would it do you, so close to the end...? You'd rather it was in the hands of someone who could actually use it than gathering dust in your apartment.

And yes, maybe you did still feel a little bad about leaving the merchant out in the rain earlier. This way he got some company, and the Weasel Stalker got something to eat! Win-win!

"If the merchant thinks it's a fake, just remind him that in that case you'd be the one in trouble, not him. That should do it."

"I...", the girl began, obviously at a loss for words, "This is... I can't just..."

But then you suddenly heard Matteo impatiently calling your name (you were surprised he'd waited so long...) and quickly cut in: "It's nothing, really! We survivors gotta stick together, no?"

Walking backwards towards the stairs, you waved one last goodbye to her, before finally turning around, a warm feeling in your chest.

You had almost forgotten how good it felt to help someone in need. In recent weeks, this had fallen a little short, partly because you had been relatively busy with the treasure hunts; but also because the grim prospect of your imminent demise had often made you forget that there was an outside world. Outside your own four walls, your own brain. It might also be pretty dark these days, true, but where there was shadow, there usually was light; selfless love and genuine humanity. You just had to know where to look, dare to look.

Something you now vowed to do more often again in the short time you had left on this earth. Of course, your sickness would make this a little difficult... but you would find a way, you always did.

The thought alone put a spring in your step, and you practically skipped down the rest of the stairs to find Vito and Matteo waiting at the bottom, the latter with his arms crossed.

"You finally fulfilled your quota of good deeds for today?", he mocked.

But instead of letting him get to you, this time you just smiled and said in a sickly sweet voice: "I agreed to spend the day with you, didn't I? You're welcome, by the way~"

At first there was only silence.

Then Vito burst out laughing, while Matteo just muttered a short "Whatever" and turned away. You couldn't see his annoyed eye roll, but you knew it was there. And so you were still grinning when the three of you finally reached the end of the lobby and stepped through an open door onto the platforms.

***

spent quite some time on the robber weasel convo bc i was scared i made matteo ooc by having him "show too much emotion", and honestly?? that already tells you everything there is to know about this guy's mental state loll😭😭 (in the paraphrased words of the brilliant @asayamas "GO TO THERAPY DUDE!!!")

thank you sm for readingg, i hope you enjoyed it!! feedback is welcome and very much appreciated~

[klb07]

Safe Between Scenes - Part Five

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Barrett joins the cast of Supernatural to play Dean Winchester’s son—a storyline no one expected, especially not Jensen Ackles. Known for keeping a professional distance from younger actors, Jensen is surprised when Barrett, with his sharp wit and effortless talent, breaks through that wall with ease. What starts as a strong on-screen dynamic turns into a quiet bond behind the scenes. But when Barrett suddenly vanishes from set without warning, Jensen realizes there’s more to the teen’s life than anyone knew. As filming moves forward, Jensen can’t shake the feeling that Barrett might need someone to step in—someone to care.

A/N: We're getting there! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five: "Text Me When You Get Home."

Filming had gone long.

One of those night shoots that dragged past midnight, where the lights cast weird shadows across the lot and the crew yawned between takes. Barrett, as always, stayed sharp. He delivered his lines like he hadn’t been up since dawn, cracked a quiet joke to keep the camera guy from nodding off, and still managed to nail the final emotional scene with a single take.

By the time they wrapped, most of the cast and crew were halfway to their cars.

Barrett slung his backpack over one shoulder, hoodie up despite the warm air, and made his way toward the lot exit on foot like he always did. Quiet. Unassuming. Like he didn’t want to bother anyone.

Jensen spotted him from a few yards away and called out, “Hey.”

Barrett turned. “Hey. You taking off?”

Jensen was holding his keys, fob dangling between his fingers. “Yeah. You need a ride?”

Barrett blinked once—just enough to show he hadn’t expected that.

Then, with a small smile, he shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Bus is right up the street.”

“You sure?” Jensen didn’t say it like he was trying to parent. He said it like someone who cared but didn’t want to corner him.

Barrett hesitated a second too long. “Yeah. It’s late and I know you’ve got a drive. I’ll be fine.”

Jensen didn’t push. He wanted to—he always wanted to. Something about the way the kid brushed things off never sat right with him.

But he’d learned a long time ago that sometimes, if you pressed too hard, people clammed up. So instead, he just nodded and stepped back.

“Okay,” Jensen said. Then added, with a small tilt of his head, “Text me when you get home, alright?”

Barrett gave a lazy little salute. “You got it.”

The bus ride sucked. It always did.

The transfer took forever, and the second bus always smelled like wet newspaper and something sharp—metallic. He sat near the back, pressed up against the window, backpack hugged tight to his chest like a pillow.

They passed rows of shuttered storefronts and glowing corner stores. At one point, two guys got into a screaming match near the front of the bus and had to be separated. Barrett kept his head down, hoodie low, pretending he was invisible.

About halfway through the ride, he felt his phone buzz.

A text from Jensen: Jensen: Home safe yet?

Barrett stared at the message for a long second. Then he typed back:

Barrett: Yep. All good. Thanks for checking in.

He hit send.

Outside the window, the bus rumbled past another gas station, the lights flickering overhead. He had another twenty-five minutes to go.

But he figured if Jensen thought he was safe, maybe—for just a second—he could pretend he was too.

[stuffedwriting]

Nia’s Diary: A whisper woke me up. My name. It was right in my ear. My heart skipped a beat, no, that’s not right. It’s more like my heart shook, I hate that feeling, the jump of surprise that feels like I was just electrocuted for a second.

I sat up in shock, looking to see the source. I would have played it off as a dream’s last word but then I saw the entrance to my cell. It was completely black but with some reflection of some unseen light even though the cell was pitch black. Curiosity, -as it always does- took over me and I reached my hand into the inky doorway. It passed through unhindered so without hesitation I slipped my entire body through. To my astonishment I found myself in the halls of the asylum. With no real guide I simply wandered.

The halls were the same dull white that I had been through countless times. Then I turned a corner, everything was inverted, black with white outlines, shadows revealed, all else hidden. Bewildered, I continued my stride. With a sudden sound of a bump I turned my attention to the origin of the noise, an open cell with a figure in a straight jacket repeatedly knocking its head against the wall. Abruptly it stopped and slowly moved to look at me. Why am I so intriguing to these things? It stared at me. They always stare. The inner and outer parts of its eyes were swapped, the white parts black, the pupil white and the iris a dark gray. Then it ran up to me, my breathing quickened as we were face to face. It pulled its head back and headbutted me, making me fall backwards on my butt. Reopening my eyes from the recent contact and pain I saw it return to its room and continue slamming the wall with its head. I stood up, rubbing the impact spot to ease the pain and continued down the hall with the new pulsing pain on my forehead.

Passing through the negatively colored hallway I turned another corner and found myself near the therapist offices, the dark surroundings returned to their regular light hue. I don’t know how I got there. The way to Doctor Hacken’s room was a completely separate way yet here I was. My curiosity, given a new task, made me try the handle of the office door. To my surprise it opened. Immediately I felt the stinging gaze of staring flowers. I clenched my fists, despising the image and throwing it on the ground, shattering the glass of the frame. Then I took the paper and ripped it into as many pieces as I could. Satisfied with the horrid thing’s destruction I snooped around, looking in the drawers of his desk. Nothing too interesting. Some pens, notes, I didn’t need to look through them. Just a hundred different ways to say that I’m bat-shit crazy. Unsatisfied but with no will to continue I left to take the long road back to my room.

It was longer than I anticipated. It was as if I was walking for hours. I would see the end of the hallway, blink and see that it had stretched back another significant distance. Still, after who knows how long I finally reached my cell, passed my body through the tar door and crashed onto my bed, exhausted.

Thankfully it was a dreamless night, I didn’t need to experience a nightmare in my waking and unconscious mind in a row, though as I entered consciousness I questioned if my past experience was real but everything was confirmed when I stared at my reflection above the sink, a bruise right in the middle of my forehead.

First. Prev. Next.

[soulren]

There's bad places in the world, you know. I heard an old man tell me this, through a migraine aura so bad I felt like the sun was coming straight towards me and me alone. There are bad people in the world, he said, but those were simple. Thoughts and bad ideas, childhood shit that was never worked out curled like uncut fingernails into harm. Bad places are dramatically different. Somewhere you feel short of breath, for no reason at all. Somewhere a detail sticks out, unnerves you where it really shouldn't. Your feet crunch heavy in the snow beneath a bridge where someone spray-painted the words "daddy longlegs" into the wall. The second "l" is faded. The paint is thin, black. Too thin. They must've done it from afar, or had a lot of control. Thinking about those details helps you. You can almost pretend the cold on your skin is the only sensation the darker and damper parts of your brain is sending. Does it remind you of the attic? Most kids have an attic. Not their own, not their attic or your attic. The attic. The one they went up into with a friend or all alone, at a house that might've been their parents or someone else's. Back when every shadow and around every corner was a place that imagination flooded and grew like mold-filled maple syrup. The attic where one might race down, swearing that they heard something stir, that they saw a shape. The details are embellished later. And when something bad finally happens in that place, no matter how small, even if just a feeling, some small part of you blamed the attic. Blamed the bad place. Where nothing quite sat right, for a reason you just couldn't place. A place where you'd feel uncomfortable breaking the silence, or fixing the noise. The man I mentioned at the start didn't tell me all of this. He didn't have too. Just a bit. Enough to get the mind rolling. Now I'm saying just a bit more. Pushing the ball down the hill. Into the thicket where you worry you'll see eyes. Past that one tree that feels wrong to stare at in the field, even during the day. Away from that alley you'd rather not cut across even though you're big and grown now. Through that one spot on the train station where you imagine someone once got into a fight, surely. That'd explain that feeling. We like to imagine we'd recognize the supernatural. That we'd be able to point it out, to articulate it. That somewhere there's a big book that'll give you the locations of impossible places, people in busy hats and creatures with strange patterns in their fur. But for something to be wrong, to defy the natural, it would have to be outside our perception. When we look up into the sky our eyes do not affix onto dark matter. They see the stars. We love their beauty, are terrified by how they die, and use them to navigate. We don't see into the black holes, the pockets of nothing. We often like to imagine that in times before there were people who wielded magic, waved their hands or used what we now know to be science to solve things. But there were most certainly others. The tunnel rats. The ones who ran off, who stayed close, who noticed just a bit more, thought about things in just a bit of an odd way. Who noticed the bad places, felt unsettled by them. The truly wise to the unknown of the world aren't those who peer with magnifying glasses, or those who shake sticks in the desert, or anything in between. It's the ones who keep their mouths shut, absorb and shake at odd feelings they get up high on planes or in front of a row of pines stretching back deep into the mountains. Or above a grate between two apartments with a grey stain on one wall. The ones who, every time they get a feeling they haven't found in any dictionary yet, even the ones passed down by grandparents far more into the esoteric than them, despite a quiet and tentative desperation, silently hope that this isn't it. That this isn't the time when it happens, when it comes. When they see. When they realize. The ones who have no idea what "it" is. The ones who, though they may keep looking at them from afar, avoid the bad places.

[zdnstories]

Tale of the Five Shards

This is a story I wrote for my English class last year. It is based on the game Geometry Dash. All characters were inspired by me and my friends.

Neon was taking a stroll through the beautiful park on a Saturday afternoon. He looked like a white cube with its four corners partially removed, and had two yellow eyes. He was enjoying his lunch, a cheeseburger he’d bought from a nearby restaurant named The Daily Chat. The place was like a bar, except it was known for being a prime spot for new residents of the city. Neon wasn’t new to the city; he simply liked their food. His necklace with a shiny purple stone wiggled around as he walked.

As he walked through the park, he admired the structures that had been built for historical purposes; a formation of three triangles in a row, an orange square labelled ‘Copy + Paste’, and an intimidating looking creature known as a ‘Clubstep monster’, just to name a few.

As he admired a poorly built cat made out of bricks, someone nearby spoke up: “This cat is historical, simply because it looked pretty goofy in the context of where it came from. Too bad the person who built it turned out to be not a great person.”

“Why? What’d they do?” replied Neon.

“He turned out to be uh… a bit racist.”

“Ah, damn.”

Just then, Neon felt something small and wet fall on his head. “I think it’s starting to rain,” he noted. Then, it suddenly rained even harder, and within a few seconds, it was pouring rain everywhere. Neon and the other person noticed a small building nearby and quickly ran inside. There was no one inside, and it seemed to be abandoned. “What’s with all the rain!?” Neon questioned, exhausted from running so quickly.

“I’m not sure,” the other person replied. “Best we can do is wait it out.”

“Alright,” Neon agreed. “Since we have some time to kill, what’s your name?”

His name was Zero, and looked almost like the opposite of Neon in a way; he looked like a yellow cube with its four corners left untouched and its sides partially removed. He had four blue triangles placed into each of the corners, and only one eye in the middle in the shape of a four-sided diamond. Zero was interested in studying the history of the city, and liked to research old, forgotten relics of the past.

“Wow, so you must know a lot about historical things, right?” Neon asked.

Zero confirmed: “I do. Speaking of which, I noticed that purple stone on your necklace. Where’d you find that?” He looked curious, with a twinge of skepticism.

“Oh, this? I’m not sure, actually. It was passed down to me courtesy of my family. A good luck charm of sorts,” Neon answered.

“That stone is really rare. It’s called the Shadow Shard, and it’s part of a pentalogy of mystical shards including Fire, Ice, Poison, Shadow, and Lava. The fact that you hold the Shadow Shard is interesting.” Zero explained.

Neon was whelmed by this information, and in the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder where the other four might be. "That's intriguing. What do you suppose might happen if someone had all five shards?" he pondered.

Zero replied: "I have no idea, but I have a theory that the combined power of all the shards would grant you immense powers.”

Neon thought this was interesting. He looked out of a window and noticed the rain had stopped. “Looks like we can get out of here now, the rain’s stopped. You’re a pretty nice guy, can I get your phone number?”

Zero obliged and gave Neon his phone number so they could communicate whenever. They both said their goodbyes and went on with their days.

The next day, Neon was back at The Daily Chat eating lunch. Since his encounter with Zero, he couldn’t help but think about his Shadow Shard, and the other four alleged shards that are out there. What was their purpose? What would happen if someone had all five? All he could do was wonder. Then, he overheard something that piqued his interest. Someone was talking to someone else about a small, light blue object he found somewhere.

“Woah, it looks so pretty!”

“Yeah, it’s always pretty cold though… Can’t hold it for too long.”

“It does look like it would be really cold. Looks like a small chunk of ice.”

Neon didn’t need to hear anything else. This person had the Ice Shard. He quickly got up and walked over to the two. “That does look pretty cool,” Neon added as he approached them.

“I know, right? It’s so shiny!” replied the one holding the shard. This person looked like a full cube with a cute-looking face, with a gradient fading from dark purple to light blue, starting from the top. Despite being more attracted to women, Neon couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked. He noticed Neon’s own shard. “You have a pretty cool rock thingy too! It’s so purple!” he replied. 

“Yeah, it is pretty c-” Neon was forming his sentence when out of nowhere, someone ran up and snatched the Shadow Shard out of his hands, and darted away. “Wh- hey!” Neon quickly started running after the thief, with the other person leaving his friend at the restaurant and following behind, but by the time they made it out of the restaurant, the thief was nowhere to be found. “Ohh, crap,” Neon sighed, his heart feeling heavier by the second. The other cube looked on at Neon, his face saying it all; this was bad. Really bad.

“That sure is not good,” he agreed, looking at Neon with worry. “I can tell that rock must’ve been really important to you. C’mon, we gotta go find it!”

“You’re right,” Neon agreed, with confidence brewing in his soul. “Let’s get a move on. Speaking of which, what’s your name? I’m Neon.”

“The name’s Cinni. It’s nice to meet you, Neon,” Cinni seemed excited to try and track down the thief. “Let’s ask around for if someone saw them running off somewhere,” Cinni suggested. Neon seemed eager to try that idea. Sure enough, the first person they asked had an idea of where they went. They said he saw them go into an alley, then he heard a door open, and they were gone. They also mentioned that the thief looked a lot like Neon, except they were yellow with dark purple eyes.

Neon and Cinni ventured into the alley. It was dark and filthy, and there wasn’t a door in sight. Both of them were a bit confused. Then, Cinni stepped on something that looked like a metal plate in the ground. It was the only thing in the alley that resembled a door. “Oh, that must be it!” Cinni exclaimed. They opened the door and ventured inside.

The contents of the door turned out to be a dark, gloomy hallway that led… somewhere. “This place gives me the creeps,” Cinni muttered, a twinge of fear taking residence in his voice. He trailed behind Neon closely, afraid of what might happen to the both of them.

The duo walked slowly and quietly down the dark path. “I’m a bit uneasy too, don’t get me wrong,” Neon said quietly, as if to keep a low profile. “I’ve never seen this place before, but something tells me we have to stay quiet.”

Just then, Neon’s phone began to ring. He frantically got it out and answered the call, just to stop the loud ringtone, which he hoped hadn’t alerted anything nearby. Cinni understandably looked a little worried about that. Neon spoke quietly, but loud enough for the caller to hear him.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Neon, it’s me, Zero.”

“Oh, hey.”

“I’m just calling you to tell you that I found the Fire Shard!”

“Wow, impressive. Speaking of which, my uh… my Shadow Shard was stolen.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it got stolen. Me and a guy who has the Ice Shard are trying to find the thief. He went into this dark hallway in an alley.”

“Oh, that sounds familiar. I’ll be there in just a moment.”

Sure enough, about 2 minutes later, Neon and Cinni heard Zero’s footsteps behind them. Neon looked impressed. “You got here pretty fast,” said Neon.

Zero shrugged. “Had to come down here once to chase someone who stole $5 from me. Barely survived, but it was totally worth it. I like your shard, by the way,” Zero admired Cinni’s Ice Shard.

“Yeah, it’s very pretty and blue! Yours is very pretty and orange, I like it,” Cinni marveled at Zero’s Fire Shard. Zero thanked him for the compliment.

“Let’s keep going,” Neon suggested. Everyone agreed.

Eventually, the trio reached a dark room, with someone sitting at a table on the left. He looked exactly like how the witness described him. He turned, saw the three staring at him, and sighed, looking dispirited to see them there.

“What do you all want?” the cube said, tonally disgruntled.

“My Shadow Shard back,” demanded Neon. He wasn’t going to have it with this dude.

“Of course not,” the cube countered impatiently. “It ain’t yours anymore. Shove off.”

Now Cinni was getting impatient. “Give it back, dude! You’re only doing yourself less of a favour!”

Zero then said: “Don’t you realise that the combination of these shards can destroy the planet?”

Everyone just stared at him.

“...what?” the thief said, not sure if he heard what he just heard.

“...and you didn’t tell us this?” Neon questioned, dumbfounded at why Zero had said nothing about it.

“I only put two and two together like 10 minutes ago, and then you called me, and it slipped my mind,” Zero explained. “Either way, Mr. Thief, you should give that shard back, it’s a family heirloom to Neon here.”

The thief sighed. “Y’know what, fine. Here ya go, dude. And also, call me David. I get I stole his rock thingy, and I apologize, but ‘Mr. Thief’ is a little far.”

With his Shadow Shard back in his hands, Neon and his friends left the dark room and went on their own ways. Cinni, being ever social, asked for Neon’s phone number before he left.

Two days later, Neon was trying to wake up in the morning when he heard a knock on his door. He shuffled past the living room and the kitchen, and opened the door to see David standing there with something in his hands.

“Hey,”

“Oh, hey. What are you doing here?” Neon asked, a little confused.

“I just came to tell you that I heard of some guy who is trying to take over the world, and he’s looking for the shard thingies or whatever,” explained David.

Neon was a little skeptical. “Huh. Are you working for him, or…?”

“Oh, no, not at all. I’m a changed man, I know I shouldn’t work for a guy like that,” David assured, a bit frantically as if to not give Neon the wrong idea.

“There’s a green rock in your hands. What is it?”

“Oh yeah, I was going to tell you, I found the Poison Shard,” David showed Neon the green, glowing shard. “I didn’t steal it, just so you know.”

Neon still had his doubts, but he decided to go along with it. “Right, okay. So, if I remember correctly, I have the Shadow Shard, my friends have the Ice and Fire Shards, and you have the Poison Shard, so the only one we haven’t seen is the Lava Shard. And apparently, if you combine all five of them, the planet explodes, or something like that.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” David confirmed. “I don’t want someone to take over the world. I’m not giving that guy my Poison Shard any day of the week. So don’t worry about that.”

Neon wasn’t sure if he should worry about it, but something about David made him feel that he was being 100% honest with himself. “Well, I have an idea. Why don’t we try to find the Lava Shard so the guy you’re talking about doesn’t have the chance to find it?”

David liked that idea, and was on board with it. Neither of them knew where it could be. Their best guess was that it would be somewhere inside Mt. Silico, a nearby dormant volcano. The two look-a-like cubes trekked over to the mountain, determined to find the Lava Shard.

There was an open cave at the base of the volcano, with nothing indicating it was off limits to enter. David was a bit anxious, as he was scared of the dark, but Neon pulled out a flashlight and shined it forward. They quietly wandered through the cave, as it progressively had more twists and turns the deeper underground they went. At one point, Neon almost lost his balance and fell into a deep ravine, but David pulled him back in the nick of time.

After a few hours of spelunking, the duo stumbled upon something interesting: another cube, digging away at a wall with a pickaxe and their metal detector beeping like crazy. A lake of lava lay nearby, bubbling and crackling with heat. Neither of them had seen this person before, so they both walked up to him behind his back.

“Hi,” Neon spoke abruptly.

“Waugh!” The cube jumped and spinned around frantically to see who was behind him. The cube was hot pink all over, with his eyes and mouth being a bright cyan colour. He seemed quite startled by the sudden appearance of Neon and David.

“Oh, jeez, sorry! We didn’t mean to startle you,” said Neon, a bit surprised at the cube’s reaction.

“I-it’s alright, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be down here. Goodness, that scared the heck outta me,” he said, sounding out of breath.

“Our apologies. Anyways, what are you up to down here?” David asked, sounding curious.

“Oh, I’m just mining for gems. I found this really big one in here, and I’m gonna get it out of here!” the pink cube answered ecstatically. “The name’s Porks. What’s your guys’ names?”

“I’m Neon, and this is David. Nice to meet ya, Porks,” Neon shook Porks’ hand, with David doing the same. “We’re trying to look for a red shard-looking thing. Do you have any idea where that could be?”

“Hmm, well, I could finish digging this gem out and you can take a look,” offered Porks. Neon and David sat back as Porks dug away at the stone, eventually revealing a red gemstone buried in the stone. Everyone marvelled at how precious it looked. 

“Woah,” said Neon, blown away.

“That must be it,” David ascertained.

Porks was also delighted. “Well, it sounds like you need it more than me, so it’s all yours! Enjoy it while it’s hot.” Neon grabbed the Lava Shard and admired its red glow.

“Not so fast,” said a new voice out of nowhere. The three cubes turned around to see a green and white cube standing before them. He looked to have a single circular eye somehow suspended in midair in the middle of four corner pieces. “I’m going to need that shard.” he said, almost sounding authoritative.

David’s face became visibly bitter. “It’s Laser,” he muttered.

Neon asked him: “Is this the guy you were talking about?” David nodded.

Porks seemed nervous at what might happen, but tried to stay confident. He bellowed, “This gem is off limits, pal! Why don’t you skedaddle?”

“I’ll make it simple,” the menacing green cube bargained. “You hand the shard over, and I won’t beat you three to a pulp. Capiche?”

Neon glanced at David, both of them knowing exactly how this was going to go down. Unfazed, he glared at Laser with fury. “Over my dead body.”

Suddenly, Laser charged at Neon and threw a punch. Neon barely dodged to his right, with David circling him and throwing a jab from behind, successfully striking him. Laser grunted with pain, but quickly turned and kicked David in the gut, knocking him to the ground. With David groaning and clutching his stomach in pain, it was up to Neon and Porks to settle this. Neon tossed the Lava Shard to Porks, who was hiding behind a nearby rock, and rushed towards Laser, aiming his fist right for the face. Laser quickly caught Neon’s fist and threw him down to the ground, intending to pin him down and endlessly pelt him with punches. Porks suddenly rushed out behind the rock and whacked Laser on the side with his metal detector twice, with Laser losing his balance and falling to the ground. By this time, David had recovered and gotten up to fight, and delivered by smashing a rock against his forehead. Bruised and battered, Laser decided there was one option left: grab that shard, and run. He unexpectedly swiped the shard from Porks’ hands and was about to start fleeing, when he was met with an unexpected surprise: A purple and blue cube, standing there with a furious and determined look on his face, wielding a metal baseball bat. 

It was Cinni. 

Laser gasped and attempted to run back, but not before his head was belted hard with Cinni’s bat. He struck him again and again, showing absolutely no mercy. Before anyone knew it, he was unconscious on the ground, heavily bruised. Everyone just stood there, shocked at what they just saw. Cinni threw his bat aside and grabbed the Lava shard out of Laser’s lifeless hands.

“Dude,” said Neon, incredulously.

“...What?” said Cinni. “I saved the world.”

Neon hesitated a moment, but shrugged. “Well, I guess you did.”

Zero suddenly walked into the cave, a bit taken aback at the scene before him. He looked down at Laser’s inanimate body. “So… what happened here?” he asked, trying to decipher that question himself to no avail.

“Cliché villain scuffle,” answered Neon. Suddenly, his expression changed. “Wait a minute… all 5 shards are here,” he said, starting to panic.

Porks was confused. “Does something happen if they’re all here…?” he wondered out loud. But before he could process another thought, David ripped the Lava Shard out of his hands and threw it as hard as he could up the cave. The four other shards started to get pulled towards the Lava Shard like an intense magnet, and they clung together tightly. The shards crackled and shook violently. Everyone started panicking frantically. “What the heck is happening!?” screamed Porks with confusement and terror.

Zero yelled over the violent commotion: “If we don’t do something, those shards are going to form a black hole!"

Neon decided there was only one thing they could do. With haste and vigour, Neon grabbed the metal bat off the ground and swung down hard against the smorgasboard of shards, utterly destroying them all. The multicoloured glob of rocks shattered into many tiny fragments. The Shadow Shard was surprisingly still intact.

Everyone walked up to and stared down at the destroyed mess of shards.

“...I guess that’s that,” said Zero, oddly very calmly. “Here’s your shard back, Neon.”

Neon picked up his Shadow Shard and put it back on his necklace. Just as he put it back, Laser grunted and slowly got up. “Ah, you’re awake,” Neon responded.

“What’s everyone staring down at?” Laser asked, a bit lost. He looked over and saw the crumbled mixture of shards and frowned. “Oh.”

“Unfortunately, your plans for taking over the world have been cut short,” said David.

“Damn,” Laser said. He was bummed, but he was starting to feel like it wasn’t the best idea to begin with. “Y’know, I'm starting to feel like trying to take over the world was a bit stupid on my end. I’m deeply sorry.”

Cinni smiled. “Hey, it’s all good! I’m also sorry for bashing you unconscious with a bat, it was reckless on my end. Here, have a hug!” He then suddenly gave Laser a hug. Everyone else decided to join in. Laser was still a bit confused, but he appreciated the support.

Neon spoke up and made a suggestion. “Say, why don’t we go get some food together? I’m sure we’re all starving after all this.” Everyone agreed in unison. The six cubes travelled back up the cave and to The Daily Chat, where they had the best lunch all six of them had ever had.

[reverend-dog]

Above the Law

Bloodspell hunkered in a corner of the garage, from where she enjoyed a direct view of the courthouse entrance and total concealment, courtesy of a caterer’s van parked in the loading zone. She stared fixedly at the entrance, soothing her impatience and quelling her disappointment each time the doors slid open and somebody other than her prey appeared.

Indignation smoldered at the core of Bloodspell’s passion. “Self-important bitch,” she muttered. “The fuck she think she is? A warrant? For me?” A sudden snicker broke from her lips. “Time I’m done with you, won’t even be dental patterns left.” She shifted her weight to relieve a cramp that burned in one hip. “After all I’ve done for this city!”

The doors slid open again, and Bloodspell’s heart thudded with anticipation. “About fucking time,” she breathed at the sight of the tall, well-dressed woman with shadow-hued hair and elegant mahogany features, who struck a brisk pace between the rows of cars. The woman’s pumps clacked echoes from the concrete floor, sharp and regular as a metronome.

Bloodspell wove currents of energy from the air to fashion a phantasmal noose, but aborted the spell partway. “No,” she murmured in the woman’s direction, aware her voice would not carry, “better you know it’s coming.” She wrapped a glamour around herself, and crept from her hiding spot to trail her quarry.

The woman slid between two cars and reached for the driver’s door of an unassuming Subaru sedan. Bloodspell stood in the middle of the lane and dropped her glamour, then began to weave. She watched the woman turn, eyes widened in recognition, then glance around herself as runes appeared and whirled in orbits.

“That’s right,” Bloodspell boasted, “it’s me! You’ve made a name for yourself, putting away some of the best heroes this city’s ever had. But @ing at me?” She pronounced it as ‘at-ing’ as she shook her head. “You need a lesson whose side you supposed to be on, Prosecutor Lyta Kennedy!”

The runes spun faster, sanguine glow increasing. Bloodspell’s anticipation grew as it did every time she had a foe at her mercy. So what if she sometimes lost control and did more damage than she intended? They deserved it, every single one of them!

Lyta Kennedy gazed at the runes that whirled and spun no more than a finger’s breadth from her skin. She took on a faint frown, as if confronted with a bothersome fly. Then, almost too fast to follow, Lyta thrust out one hand and snatched a rune from the air. As Bloodspell stared, her quarry popped the rune in her mouth and swallowed.

Bereft of a key component, the other runes wobbled and drifted from their course, until the spell fell apart and dissipated. Feedback hissed through Bloodspell’s head, and she staggered. “The fuck?” she mumbled, and blinked her eyes back into focus. “What you do?”

Lyta regarded her without fear or anger, but something worse: disappointment. “I should remember whose side I’m on?” she challenged. “Which of us has outstanding warrants for two counts of second-degree murder, three manslaughter, sixteen aggravated assault, destruction of public property, criminal trespass, and resisting arrest? And you call yourself a superhero?”

“I am a superhero!” Bloodspell protested. “You know how many crimes I’ve stopped? Lives I’ve saved? I took down the High Street Cannibals single-handed!”

“And in doing so,” Lyta amended, “put eight people in the hospital, including two bystanders, destroyed eight cars and a restaurant. Does the name Kim Van ring a bell? His family owned that restaurant. They’ve had to sell their home to cover the losses, and are running a GoFundMe to pay their medical bills.”

“That wasn’t my fault!” Bloodspell protested. “Black Rooster tried to run me over! He’s the one crashed into the place!”

“You started the fight,” Lyta pointed out, “when you attacked the Cannibals’ hideout, which was also the top floor of an occupied apartment building. That building now is uninhabitable, which means all the families living there have had to find other places to live, or are homeless.”

Bloodspell’s eyes dropped for a moment, then glared at the prosecutor again. “Because the Cannibals had their drug lab there! And do you know what else they were into?” She stamped one foot forward to emphasize her point. “They lived up to their fucking name! Anybody crossed them, or even saw something they weren’t supposed to see, ended up in a meat locker!” She flung up her hands. “Okay, so maybe I hit a little hard, but they needed it! The city’s better off without them, can you argue that?”

Lyta’s expression did not change. “Explain that to Moesha Carpentier,” she suggested, then made an exaggerated ‘oh’ face. “Wait, you can’t. She’s in a coma from when one of the cars you destroyed rolled over her.”

“Well,” Bloodspell offered in desperation, “where were you? Where was the law for all those people living in that building, being scared every day? I did what you couldn’t do, and this is my reward? Fuck you!” She spread her hands to weave.

“No,” Lyta retorted in the same long-suffering tone, “fuck you.” She lifted one hand and snapped her fingers.

A roll of tape appeared in midair next to Bloodspell’s head. It glowed under the garage’s dim lights, and hovered in a way completely unlike a normal roll of tape. A length of it unwound and wrapped around Bloodspell’s head, covering her mouth. The roll whirled around Bloodspell much like her runes had earlier surrounded Lyta. One pass pinned Bloodspell’s arms to her side, the next encased her hands, then a spiral wound around her legs and ended at her ankles. Job done, the roll of tape vanished.

Bloodspell’s breath exploded through her nose as she toppled to one side, and lay wriggling against her restraints. She glared at Lyta, then fear entered her eyes as the other woman walked closer and crouched over her. “No matter how strong you are,” she said, “the law is stronger. And in case you missed it, this is a citizen’s arrest.” Standing, she turned and pulled out her phone.

[dionysiospsychas-photography]

DOWNTOWN ALLEYS PHOTO WALK

… Hello photogs and photography admirers, and a good midsummer to you. Here in Vancouver, the spring blooms of the cherry, plum, and magnolias trees have been bursting and some are still flashing. And we've had nice breezes, so it's been pleasant, so far. That is until the burning lamp in the sky has its season and bores a hole in our foreheads. But, that's just my feeling. I do have a ball cap, a high SPF sunscreen for my delicate skin, and a water bottle to fill with ice, so that should be adequate. However, I haven't read the latest in climate apocalypse tips and tricks.

Still, it will be nice to siesta under the shade of a tree, with the sunbeams filtering thru the ample leaves and marking the grass and pavement with swaying dapples of light. Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Okay, let's get to something grittier and cooler. This photo walk was part of the Capture Photography Festival 2024 events; my third time participating. And this year, I wanted to lead photogs thru some of my favourite alleys in Downtown Vancouver.

I decided on this route for a couple of reasons. Firstly, experiencing and sharing photography as a group was apt for the festival. Photography is an extraordinary way to view the world about us — to observe it, examine it, appreciate it — and share our point of views with others. Secondly, alleys really are cool! Alleys are great subjects for photography, because — unlike the "public", alluring street side — they are public spaces where we can view the "private" side of houses and shops, which are practical, unpretentious, and style is secondary. These rear spaces can be coolly disorganized, patched up, and justifiably messy. Altho they don't include "beautiful" things, they offer interesting things and scenes to capture with our cameras. So, I expected that we would converse, share what we see and find, and show each other something we've never seen before.

And our photo walk was all that and a lot of fun. Well… the sky was clear blue and so the Sun beamed down on us, but it was a breezy, pleasant morning. Never mind me and my clear-sky phobia. And you'll see in the photos below, there was cool shadow play and glinting surfaces.

The photogs were enthusiastic, positive, and enjoyed exploring the built-up, canyon-like alleys. And they were clean too! Revisiting these alleys for the nth time was still photographically fun for me. And it felt that the photo-cats found them fascinating. Some went ahead and explored around corners or lingered behind I bet because of some curious object, as photo-cats do. They also shared about the things they found interesting like neatly organized piping, overlapping building facades, multi-layered paint, vegetation growing out of surprising spots, hilarious signs, colour fields, decades of bricklaying, and satisfactorily weathered and grimy surfaces. And that was intriguing to others who then attempted to make their own photo.

There were also alluring people for those who liked to photograph seemingly interesting-looking people. Anyway…

It was inspiring to see the photogs go at it. That's why it's good to go out exploring and photographing with friends. I totally recommend it. And I think that the photos below show their particular perspective and distinctive styling of wonderful things and scenes un-noticed or forgotten. And… that's why photography is so cool.

We caught up with our regulars and got to know newcomers, their motivations for photographing, and their art projects.

Above, the second attempt at a group photo with the fun cats. Thank you much again to (back row, L to R) Anne, John, Don, Colin, Brooke, Diane, Chris, James, Carol, (front row, L to R) Jaiden, Sharon, and Grace for joining our walk and a fun morning photographing. So reader, view their cool photos below, and click on the pic to see a larger version.

Photo by Brooke McAllister @brookabrooke

Photo by Brooke McAllister @brookabrooke

Photos (left) Ice Castles and (right) Urban Blend by Carol How @carol_how

Photo Urban Legends by Carol How @carol_how

Photo Graffiti Wall by Chris Cook @cdcook_photography

Photo Girl, Walking by Chris Cook @cdcook_photography

Photos (left) Quadrant by Chris Cook @cdcook_photography and (right) The 515 by Colin Trigg @funktionalphotog

Photo Forbidden Places by Colin Trigg @funktionalphotog

Photo Yes, That Would Be a Hard NO by Colin Trigg @funktionalphotog

Photos by your photo walk host Dionysios @thephotogeniccity

Photo by your photo walk host again Dionysios @thephotogeniccity

Photo by Diane @ diane.km

Photos by Diane @ diane.km

Photos by Don Janus @donsprojects

Photo by Don Janus @donsprojects

Photo Urban Windows by Grace Tse @abstureal

Photo Pop Goes the Color by Grace Tse @abstureal

Photo The Secret Life of Pungence by Grace Tse @abstureal

Photos by Jaiden Su @kinnieey

Photos by James Houston @ jameshouston.arts

Photos (left) by James Houston @ jameshouston.arts and (right) by John Macmillan @ mac1054

Photos by John Macmillan @ mac1054

Photo by Sharon Wish @ bluechameleon

Photo by Sharon Wish @ bluechameleon

Photo by Sharon Wish @ bluechameleon

Lastly, the first attempt at a group photo with some lost photo cats.

Play closing theme song...

There is pleasure in photographing with others, as we converse about this, that and photography, share about the interesting things we observe, and inspire each other. So, to join us on our fun photo walks, please subscribe to my newsletter to receive the event announcements.

It is my hope that these photo walk experiences will inspire you to keep exploring your city and natural locales. So, from your friendly photo walk guide, thank you for reading, et à la prochaine!

So, how about you; do you like to explore alleys? Send me an email and tell me what you think.

DP, 2024-05-05

Are you getting value out of the photo walks and the blog? If so, you can help support these by telling your friends or thru Buy Me a Coffee. Think of it as a tip jar and an easy way to say thanks. Thank you for your support, I sincerely appreciate it! Merci beacoup!