#the worst part is that this is extra credit i don't even HAVE TO DO IT

[loverdude]

We got an assignment in my lifespan development psych class about like our attitudes towards our own death like questions abt ur greatest fears abt it and regrets/accomplishments if u died right now and etc and it's like the worst possible assignment for me specifically

[thecloudsaremyhome]

☆Yandere platonic cult x reader part 1☆

Summary: you and your friends have been forced to go on a trip to Sweden so they could finish their research paper for extra credit, honestly you were just tagging along for the fun of it not having the chance to go out as much as you’d like to, little did you know your stay at the community would be long overdue.

Tw: religious themes, sacrifice, yandere themes, infantization, death, violence, manipulation. the cult is very yandere for you, mental health issues, panic attack,readers friends are rude.

Taglist: @lilyalone, @stove-top96, @shadowytravelerlover, @dirtydiavolo, @bellethesleepypotato, @kawaii-cakes, @ratterpatter, @violets-in-spring, @yandere-enthusiast @caged-birdies-blog @ridlike

Word count: 8k

“Come on (name)! Hurry up! We ain’t got all day!” You sigh in annoyance as you look towards your friends and yell back, “I’m coming jeez! Jeez, give me a second okay!”

Your friends look at you with an annoyed expression but shrug it off. You carefully pull your luggage out from the trunk of the rental car you all rode in.

Honestly, it was already exhausting enough having to fly in a plane for 6-7 hours straight and the worst part is, is that you didn’t get one ounce of sleep thanks to your friend's snoring.

So not only are you physically exhausted but you're mentally as well. Just great.

You sigh in relief as your finally able to get your last piece of luggage out of the van.

you close the trunk door and decide to observe the scenery around you. It’s magnificent, you think to yourself.

From the tall yellow-like grass to the crops growing nearby filled with vegetables and fruits.

Then there are colorful flowers of all types surrounding the other side of the field, each being carefully taken care of to the fullest extent.

It mesmerized you To be honest, you've never seen anything this beautiful before, the only extent is the park in the middle of your city and even that can never compare to what you are looking at right now. No wonder people say Sweden is one of the most beautiful places to be because it hasn't been tainted by technology.

The sun reflects down onto you and you can feel the heat radiating off of your skin, but luckily there is a strong breeze to soothe that heat, it's perfect weather today you think to yourself as you continue to admire the fields surrounding around you and your friends, it seems like its endless.

“(name)! Get your ass over here! We ain't got time to dilly dally.” your friend says in an annoyed tone.

You snap out of your trance-like gaze and look towards your three friends, you sigh in annoyance as you pick up your backpack and suitcase and walk over back towards them.

“finally took you long enough.” your friend Mia says in annoyance scanning your form in a scrutinizing gaze, she was always the more moody one out of your group of friends, always having a stick up her ass.

She had dark brown curly hair and hazel irises with freckles littering her tan-like face, she was mostly slender having some curves here and there. “sorry I just got distracted by the scenery.”

you mumble annoyed at her attitude, Mia rolls her eyes, and states

“whatever let's get a move on before it hits sundown I want to get this shit over with anyways.”

Your two other friends Jacob and Cady nod reluctantly cady has long ginger hair with freckles and brown eyes while Jacob has dark brown hair with blue eyes and a more slim build.

and thus began your walk down the fields toward the desolate forest ahead.

“Mia, do you even know where we are going? Did the professor even provide us a map at all?”

you ask nervously having this gut feeling that nothing good is going to come ahead but maybe it's just a feeling.

You haven't really traveled outside of the U.S before so maybe it's just the anxiety of being in new places?

“yes actually i do know where we are going, don't be such a scardy pants and yes the professor sent me the map since I am the team leader.”

she taunts you sigh rolling your eyes at her cocky behavior.

You four continue down the long rocky path which results in you taking a look at the surrounding forest.

The forest honestly had humongous trees well bigger than the trees you've seen before when growing up, which caused the tree's height to block out most of the sunlight.

The rocky terrain your walking on looks worn down like it's been used for years which it probably has. What amazes you the most is how many flowers and wildlife are in the forest your walking through.

Youve honestly never seen so many animals in your life just from being here for liek 30 minutes it truly impresses you.

You occasionally glance at some of the logs or cut-down tree stumps next to the path finding interest in whatever inhabitants are abiding in it.

But you shake your head trying not to get to side tracked while you're here.

You're not here to explore the forest or play with the wildlife your here to work, so that's what you're going to do.

After a least an hour of walking and complaining from Cady you four finally arrive at what looks to be like a wooden gate with two strange-looking people standing in front of it with spears and animal like mask?

Okay well that's very creepy, “what the fuck”

you heard your friend jason mutter in absolute disbelief. It seems he was just a shocked as you but it seems like mia is paying no mind to it as she flaunts towards the gait confidently looking over the two guards and their appearance, you do the same but from a safe distance.

They both seem like males that's for sure from their muscular build to the lack of clothing they are wearing, it seems they are wearing on robes with metal plates on their shoulders acting as a shield.

What you also take notice of is both of them have a wolf mask.

What is even more strange, one of the guards has long wavy blonde hair while the other has short dirty blonde hair. Maybe there siblings?

You shake your head trying to rid your thoughts before you start to overthinking, you refocus back on the scene of Mia trying to flirt with the blonde-haired guard.

Which makes your two other friends sigh in annoyance at her behavior.

You three walk over to where mia is standing infront of the two guards, cady then clears he throat in annoyance

“you done mia so we can get a move on?” mia sighs at cady comments and nods her head

“yes in fact i am done i was just conversing with these two gentleman~ here but they've been ignoring me like a brick wall! And the worst part is, is that they won't even let me in!” mia states dramatically, whining like a puny child.

This causes Cady and Jacob to raise their eyebrow in confusion at her statement of not allowing her inside.

“they won’t? Why the hell not did you tell them that we came here for the research paper? Surely the professor notified the community of our arrival right?” Jacob states in pure bewilderment.

“I don't fucking know I tried to tell them! But nothing seems to go through to them! Like i said their brick walls!”

Mia states loudly which causes you to flinch from her tone of voice which of course your friends don't notice as they start to argue acting as if they arent just talking about the guards in front of them.

You sigh ignoring your friend's argument as you decide to step forward toward the two guards

“Hello there! Me and my friends here are here for a research project on your community, i don't know if you are aware of it or not? But could you please let us in?”

You state nervously, finally the guards look towards you and examine you like your a piece of prey, which unnerves you, to say the least.

But what surprises you the most is when the blonde-haired one speaks.

“So you are the one’s the great one has spoken about”

the blonde man states looking at you with a blank and unnerving expression behind the mask not that you could see or notice it though.

“I-i um yes?” you say confused about who the great one is.

The guards notice this and nod reaching to unlock the wooden gate this of course catches the attention of your arguing friends.

They turn to look at the two guards and you with a surprised look but quickly school it to a neutral one not wanting to piss the guards off.

When the gate finally opens to another pathway straight ahead your friends take this opportunity to push past you and the guards and enter the community.

Of course, this startles you to some degree but you quickly are able to reign your cool.

You then quickly thank the guards before rushing after your three friends.

This action very much surprises the guards having been used to rude and disrespectful behavior from “outsiders” so you doing behaving the opposite of disrespectfully is surprising to both guards but it also is nice that there are at least still some good people out there in the corrupted world outside of their sanctuary, its refreshing to say the least.

You sigh tiredly as you finally catch up with your three friends as they continue to walk down the more clean path.

You all finally make it towards what looks like a town square with a fountain in the middle and multiple other houses around it.

The houses look like they are made out of wood with a brick-like roof on the top of most of the houses. Strange you thought to yourself as you continued to examine the center of the community.

But you finally snapped out of your thoughts when Jacob nudges you in the shoulder to grab your attention. Which causes you to turn to look at him curiously.

That's when you notice the multiple stares directed at you and your friends.

You then look towards the source of those stares and find yourself faced with multiple people surrounding you and your friends, all of them having animal-like masks on.

But what catches your attention the most is the tall lady at the center of the people surrounding you.

She seems to be at least 6 feet tall with her long chocolate-like brown hair flowing down her back with her being nothing but dressed in a pure white dress with golden patterns to it that reaches her feet.

That's when you notice she's barefoot as well.

Strange you think to yourself but you snap out of your thoughts again when the lady clears her throat.

“hello their visitors you must be the foreigners our leader has spoken of, we are enlightened to be in your presence i hope you have a wonderful stay here. I will have one of our members show you towards your sleeping quarters.”

and with that before you and your friends coil question her at all she takes her lead with some of the community members following suit behind her.

“That was strange” Cady muttered anxiously “Yeah no shit” Mia states looking at the community members in a scrutinizing gaze.

You sigh ignoring your friends' spiteful comments, you then hear someone clear their throat which stops your friend's rant.

“if you all are done, I will be showing you to your sleeping quarters.”

you then gaze at the person speaking in a monotone like voice and are met with a tall slim man dressed in a similar fashion to the other community members just with a cow like mask to his face.

Your friends clearly embarrassed clear their throats and mutter a quick apology before returning their gazes to the man.

The man nods approvingly paying them no mind as he starts to walk down the town square, towards where you four will presumably be staying.

You and your friends follow after him at a steady pace.

Of course, you are more distracted than your other three friends, with the agriculture the community has to offer.

This annoys your friends of course but they do not say anything about it.

You four continue to walk down the cement path trailing behind the man. You all start to walk more towards the outskirts area of the community.

after a few more minutes of walking you four come face to face with a cabin-like structure that’s smaller than the houses the community has to offer.

It has a rustic type look with cobwebs poking out on the outside of the porch.

The porch in itself looks like it could've seen better days with some chipped wood poking out with dents on it.

It clearly looks like it has not had inhabitants for years now.

The condition of the cabin causes your friends especially Mia to grimace in disgust.

“Is this seriously what we have to stay in!” Mia states loudly, glaring at the man.

This causes the man to turn back towards her looking at her as if she's a spec of dirt underneath his shoe.

“Would you like to say that again?” he says coldly which causes Mia to flinch as she stutters out “I-I u-um N-never m-mind.”

the man then scoffs but pays her no mind as he walks towards the cabin.

You sigh as you reluctantly follow after him with your three shell-shocked friends. You both stand behind him as he unlocks the door with a wooden-like key, he opens it and motions you all to step inside.

Mia then sighs and steps inside first followed by cady and josh then yourself once you enter you take a good look at the interior presented in front of you.

Its old thats for sure from the rustic interior and the dusty floor all the way to the cobwebs littering the place with broken furniture and a animal like rug placed infront of the living room randomly.

Alomsot like someone didint even want to bother to atleast hide it or place it correctly.

Mia sneers at the predicament clearly unsatisfied with the conditions presented to her. “What the fuck is this shit show?”

she esclaims loudly which causes you to flinch at her loud outburst which doesnt go unnoticed by the man.

He glares at her disapproingly “i suggest you lower your voice and watch your language young lady that is no way to speak to your elders.”

he says calmly but with a hint of annoyance to his tone.

Mia looks baffled by the way he is treating her like some sort of child which of course angers her causing her face to heat up in embarrassment.

Cady and jacob start giggling at her sudden embarrassment finding it amusing that their friend is getting put in her place. You sigh at mia’s obvious childish behavior.

“I apologize for mia’s childish behavior she shouldnt have acted out like that.’”

you say with a tired tone looking at the man waiting for at least a irritated or unbothered response instead your surprised when his gaze softens towards you “oh its alright honey you friends are vert rumbunchs but nothing that we can’t handle”

he says softly with an almost fatherly look in his eyes from what you can tell.

This causes you to flinch not used to nicknames you stutter out an embarsset response which of course he notices and chuckles in amusement.

“your a shy thing arent ya? It’s very cute.” he says in a playful tone which causes you to blush in embarrassment.

Your friends awkwardly stand by as the conversation between you and the man unfolds, Mia then butts in and clears her throat before looking at the man “I think we're fine here its starting to get dark and we still have to unpack.”

she states in an annoyed tone clearly not wanting to be around the man any longer than she had to.

This of course disappoints you having enjoyed the man's company but you push the feelings aside.

The man turns around again to face mia and stares at her indifferently “Very well then have a good night and please if you all need anything, just ask you are our guests after all,”

he says in a dark tone which causes shivers to run up your spine but you shake it.

finally the man exists through the front door leaving you and your friends in a tense silence.

“Well, that was creepy.” Cady says with a nervous tone to her voice.

Jacob nods his head in agreement “Yeah no fucking kidding this whole place is giving off bad vibes and the way they talk to us is patronizing.”

Jacob said in an annoyed tone clearly irritated by the whole ordeal.

“let's calm down okay? How about we start unpacking our stuff and get a good look at this place?”

i say with a skittish tone trying to calm down the clearly pliable tension.

“Fine whatever” cady states as she puts her duffle bag and suitcase on the ground and moves towards the kitchen.

Jacob does the same following behind Cady which leaves you and Mia alone.

“Mia you okay?” I say in a worried tone not used to Mia being so quiet throughout the whole ordeal. “ yeah I'm fine.”

she says in an annoyed tone which causes you to flinch.

It doesn't go unnoticed by Mia as she smirks in response, she then turns around towards the old couches and places her backpack, duffle bag, and suitcase on the dusty couch.

You sigh setting down your luggage near hers as you decide to explore, not wanting to make the tension worse.

You decided on going down the hallway nearest to the kitchen, deciding its the best option to explore first. You could find some bedrooms, This cabin is pretty big after all.

You sigh as you slowly start to trudge down the dark hallway you finally approach what looks to be an old door clearly worn down from the lack of usage.

You reach your hand out to grab the door nob but before you can you hear a loud bang coming from the kitchen which causes you to jump in surprise. You rush back towards the kitchen panting.

“What was that noise what happened.” you say in worry, only for Cady and Jacob to laugh.

“jeez such a scardy pants, aren't you? Dont worry, Jacob just accidentally dropped the pan we were gonna use to cook.”

Cady says in a teasing tone while she playfully smacks Jacob on the shoulder. Jacob sighs, annoyed and glares at her which earns another laugh from Cady.

You sigh in relief “s-sorry just something about this place keeps me on edge,” you say as you try to laugh it off to lighten the atmosphere.

Which of course doesn’t work as Cary shakes her head In Amusement before turning back around to start cooking.

You sigh in annoyance as you leave the kitchen, deciding to at least find a bedroom you can lie in, completely forgetting about the door you were previously going to open.

You walk down the opposite hallway and finally find one of the bedrooms, which is pretty extravagant to say the least compared to the rest of the house.

You look at it in shock, from the pure red blood bed sheets with golden tips to the golden headboard with silver butterfly piercings indented into it.

Then, there's the pure white carpet placed in the center of the room. Finally, there is a wooden closet at the end of the room.

You gasp in shock at how pretty it is before taking notice of the basket of fruit placed directly on the bed. You tilt your head in confusion before finally entering the room.

You approach the basket placed on the bed and finally take notice on a note placed next to it, written in another language.

Whatever you think to yourself as you decide, you should show the rest of your friends the basket.

“Hey guys I found this basket in one of the bedrooms!”

You say as you finally enter the kitchen, which causes Cady and Jacob to turn their heads towards me in curiosity. “Oh, you did What's in it? Let me see,”

Jacob says as he snatches the basket from your hands and searches through it.

Cady sighs in annoyance at his eager behavior.

“Damn it theirs nothing interesting in here just a bunch of fruit and crap.” jacob sighs in annoyance and throws the basket back towards me which causes me to stumble and catch it.

Cady glares at jacob “ stop being an ass jacob” jacob rolls his eyes and mumbkes a whatever before getting back to cooking with cady.

You sigh as you exit the kitchen and enter the living room. You place down the basket next to Mia.

you notice her annoyed expression. “Whats wrong Mia?” mia look towards you and shakes her head in defeat “i cant get any damn service out here!”

you chuckle at her whining behavior in return she pouts towards you but finally takes notice of the basket next to you both “whats that?” she says as she points towards the basket.

“It's just something I found in one of the bedrooms I came across while exploring i dont think it has anything interesting in it all it has is fresh fruit.”

Mia sighs and nods before standing up to grab her backpack and open her laptop and grab her papers.

“since dinner's cooking do you wanna help me fill out these papers, the professor said we had to document everything so might as well start.”

you nod your head in agreement mumbling a sure before being handed a few papers to help fill out.

Finally, for what seems like an hour, cady comes back towards you both to inform you guys dinner is ready which causes you and Mia to sigh in relief.

You both make your way towards the kitchen, which has four plates of pasta placed out on the counter for you all to grab you and mia mutter a thanks as you make you way back towards the couch to coutinue your work, which leaves Cady and Jacob to eat together.

After three more hours of work you and mia finally completed the worksheets needed for today sighing in relief you then state

“I’m going to go and get ready for bed ill see you tommrow mia, dont try and overwork yourself okay? You need to get rest as well since we have a busy day tomorrow.”

mia sighs in annoyance at your worry and nods “yeah yeah dont worry about me just get to bed sleepy head”

you sigh at her nickname and nod your head in amusement as you rab your luggage from the couch and make your way to one of the bedrooms in the cabin.

You pass Jacobs and Cady's room, them having already fallen asleep beforehand.

You finally approach the bedroom you explored beforehand, having decided you'll just sleep in there for the night.

But before you can enter, you hear a strange noise coming from inside,which causes you to halt in your footsteps.

Suddenly, you feel like you're being watched, which causes a shiver to go down your spine. You shake off the feeling before finally entering the bedroom again.

You place down your luggage next to the wooden closet. You sigh as you crouch down next to your suitcase and open it to grab a fresh pair of pajamas and your medication for the night.

You finally finish changing as you hop into bed, laying down on the plush pillows You reluctantly try to fall asleep.

You still feel like you're being watched, but this time, you can't brush the feeling off, which heightens your anxiety.

But after an hour of staying awake, you finally fall asleep only to be woken up again by the noise of the door to the bedroom being opened, which causes you to freeze, you then hear quiet footsteps approach your bed which causes you to hold your breath silently.

You then feel a cold hand on your forehead caressing you like a parent would to your child as the figure starts to hum a soft lullaby which reluctantly causes you to drift back asleep.

But before you fall asleep you hear one last word from the person “dont worry baby youll be home soon.” but before you can process the words you fall asleep.

You yawn as you open your eyes to the sun drifting into the room through the slightly cracked window placed next to your bed.

You rub your eyes in exhaustment as you sit up to look around in the room. What catches your attention though is the piece stuffed animal placed next to your bedside table.

You widden your eyes at the plush lamb finding it absolutely cute your carefully pick it up and inspect it before placing it down on your bed deciding to keep it.

You stand up from the bed ad yawn walking towards your suitcase to grab your clothes.

You finally finish changing and step out of your bedroom as you walk towards the kitchen were jacob and cady are up conversing while mia is doing her makeup in the living room.

“Hey sleepyhead did you sleep well?”

cady says in amusement which causes you to nod hesotantly still thinking abou the events that happened last night.

“well we got a busy day today so you better be prepared to walk alot!”

jacob says as he bites out of a piece of bacon presented on the counters which you nod in agreement.

Mia finally exits the living room “are you guys ready to go? I already have the gear ready so we can document.” you, cady and jacob nod in agreement.

You then go towards the living room to grab some of the gear with the help of Jacob and cady.

You all then exit the cabin and walk down the same long pathway towards the town square of the community.

You sigh in relief as you all finally enter the twon square which causes the commonity members to stare at you all as you enter.

“what’s first on the list of stuff we have to do?” you ask in curiosity “well first we have to gather information on the resources they grow and make here so maybe we hould interview some of the farmers first?”

mia says qustionly, you nod your head in agreement. Jacob and Cady also nod their head, agreeing with Mia.

“alright then, off to the fields we go!” mia says as she approaches a female wearing a lamb mask. “excuse me Ms. if you dont mind could you point us in the direction of the feilds were the farmers work?” mia asks confidently which causes the female to nod and point ahead downanother path.

Mia mutters a thank you and walks off. You three follow behind her as you examine your surroundings.

But you can't help but feel like you're being watched again, which causes you to look around frantically, paranoia creeping up on you.

Finally, after a long walk, you four make it to the grass fields were some community members farm fruit and vegetables. This amazes you, to say the least, on how much effort these people put in to keep the community afloat.

“Okay, (name) you can stay here while we go and interview some of the farmers. Don't wander off, okay?”

You nod in agreement as your friends walk ahead and leave you on your own. But something catches your attention.

A community member struggling with a basket of fruit. You rush over to help her with the basket as you help her put it down.

Then you take notice of how old she looks and a worry look crosses your face.

“oh well thank you dearie for the help my old back hasnt been like it used to be when i was younger.” the woman says in a motherly tone smiling warmly at you behind the tiger mask over her face.

“Its no problem, ma’am im just glad i could help. Is your back okay?” you say in a worried tone. Which causes her to chuckle in amusement. “Oh, im perfectly fine dearie ive been through worse but i do appreciate your help this is the first time outsiders have been as nice as you.” you stare at her in confusion at her statement which causes her tone to turn solemnly.

“we haven’t had the best experience with outsiders as a whole. There have been few that have been here before hand that werent the nicest but of course, we took care of them!”

you look at her sympathetically, but her last sentence catches you off guard. What could she have meant by that? But before you could ask her, she was already walking away.

You sigh in annoyance but shrug it off, deciding to sit down in the grass fields and wait patiently for your friends to return. Hopefully, they’ll be back soon, you think to yourself as you gaze up at the sun.

fiddling with the dandelion in your hand as you slowly start to doze off. But before you could fully fall aslee,p you feel a small tug on your shirt.

And you're surprised to be faced with a child no older than 6 sitting next to you and fiddling with your shirt. You hadn't even heard him approach you. But you smile softly at him, which causes the little boy to flinch.

From what you can tell, he has strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes with the same white dress that you see all the other members wear he also wears a bird like mask on his face.

“hi, little one do you need something?” you say in an affectionate tone.

You always did have a soft spot for kids. He looks up at you in wonder before muttering, “I... I like your s-shirt,” he says timidly, which causes you to soften your gaze at his timid nature.

You carefully pick him up and set him in your lap.

He continues to fiddle with your shirt as he cuddles against you, which causes you to chuckle as you comb your fingers through his silky soft hair.

He cuddles closer to you before finally falling asleep. The scene just looks to serene and feels so peaceful.

You don't remember the last time you felt like this. Felt at peace.

But of course that peace has to be interrupted at some point as your about to close your eyes, you hear the talking if your friends as they approach you.

I guess they finished you think to yourself.

The noise causes the little boy to wake up in confusion but when he sees your friends approaching his grip on your shirt tightens as he galres at them This suprises you of course.

Your friends stop in their tracks as they quietly wisper to each other but to break the tense silence,e you wave them over.

They hesitantly approach causing the little boy to glare even more,e but he still grips onto your shirt.

“hey guys, are you done doing interviews with the farmers?” you say hesitantly trying to ease the tension forming. “yeah, we finished.” Jacob says sharply, and you can sense hes on edge, which causes you to furrow your brows in concern.

“Did something happen? You all seem..tense.” you say in concern as you inspect them. “Well-” but before Jacob could finish what he was saying Mia interrupted him sending a glare to jacob “nothing happened, so you dont need to worry now lets continue our interview so we can get it done before the so-called banquet we were invited to tonight.”

Mia says in a snipped tone clearly not wanting to waste any more time. You flinch at her harsh tone and nod reluctantly in agreement.

Your flinch doesn't go unnoticed by the little boy though as he glares even harder at your friends.

Of course, this goes unnoticed by you, but your friends do clearly notice and their shoulders tense at the harsh glare the boy is receiving to them.

You grab the little boy and place him off of your lap and stand up and dust the grass off your clothes. This causes the boy to pout behind the mask, having wanted to stay next to you a little more longer. But he doesn't voice this because he doesn't want to upset you, you ruffle his hair as you turn to face your friends as you happily converse with them.

But unnoticed to you the boy is having an inner turmoil of his own. Why do they have to capture your attention.

You shouldnt even be looking in their direction your friends are just a waste of space, not worthy of your presence because your his, his sister and he would be damned to let these insects ruin that.

Mama always have said outsiders are nasty people and now hes starting to believe it. But he hopes you can stay here forever with him and the community. Hes sure youd be very very happy.

Plus it's not like you’d miss your own boring life anyways right? You could have everything you need here. A loving community that is ready to do whatever it takes to keep you. And he hopes that that's what his community decides to do. Because he wants you to stay no matter what it takes.

You're extremely tired after four long hours of interviews and interactions with the other community members, you're finally glad the banquet came around the corner faster than expected because you were starting to grow extremely hungry.

Of course you weren’t the only one you noticed how antsy Jacob has been getting, clearly he’s hungry as well.

But the strange is that the little boy from earlier has been following you like a lost puppy which is cute of course but it still bothers you that his parents havent come looking for him at all and when you asked him he just said

“mama and papa are just busy! But thdey know im safe!” which of course has you smiling in relief but you still held that sense of worry.

As the hours stretched on your finally learnt his name, it was Abner. It was a cute name to say the least. But back to the present at hand, you four finally finished all interview needed for the first day and were getting ready for the banquet at 9:00. Which of course, Mia told us we had to dress “presentable” whatever the hell that means.

Of course, you didnt pack anything presentable to her standards so you opted for a black dress shirt and some formal pants with sneakers.

You sigh in contempt as you finally finish brushing out your hair and styling it.

You then exit your room. Then head towards the living room to wait for the rest of your friends to finish getting ready. You then spot jacob already dressed and ready to go as he scrolls on his phone.

Your smile softens when yo see him you then take a seat next to him on the old couch. He notices your presence and smirks “ look at you all fancy looking you look hot.” he jokes as you nudge him in the shoulder, playfully muttering a shut up.

After 30 more minutes of waiting Mia and Cady finally enter the room in ruffles dresses and high heels you sigh and roll your eyes at their so called “presentable outfit” “that’s what you all are gonna wear its not a ball you know?” you say jokily which earns you a galre from Mia and a scoff.

You chuckle again, putting your hands up in mock surrender but before mia could respond cady cuts in.

“stop teasing okay? We have to get a move on so we wont be late we are meeting with the leaders of this so called community. So we have to make a good impresion so we can get as much information as possible so we can pass this extra credit.”

Cady states sternly which causes you all to nod your heads reluctantly in agreement. Not wanting to argue any further you and jacob stand up and make your way to the front door ready to go, cady and mia follow behind you two.

You four exit the cabin and make you way down the path leading towards the community center. You look up towards the moon shining down on all of you.

You’ve always been fascinated by the moon and how it reflects. In your opinion, you say its absolutely beautiful everything about this place is beautiful

Finally, after minutes of walking, you all arrive at the community center and walk towards another pathway leading towards the great hall, an imposing structure that is made out of wood.

After 5 minutes of walking, you all finally arrived at the entrance of the great hall You can see the light peeking out from the large imposing door.

You four walk up the wooden stairs, and Jacob opens the wooden door allowing you three to enter in first.

Mia goes in first then cady, then you as you finally enter the great hall you are in awe at the scenery and design of the place.

From the flower decorations hung up on the walls to the candles and fruits then their is white tablecloth placed on the tables with a bunch of fresh food.

From chicken and beef to vegetables and fruit. All sorts of varieties littered the table which makes your mouth water and your stomach grumble in hunger.

You then take notice of the statue of a naked man standing at the end of the room with a large star like window placed behind him.

It's amazing how people who only depended on natural resources could make all of this happen.

Then you noticed the hundreds, maybe thousands of stairs boring into your back. You look around, finally noticing the community members are not only staring at your friends but specifically at you. Which creeps you out, to say the least.

But what shocks you even more is the 6 imposing figures placed infront of the imposing statue placed infront of the star window. To say they are intimidating is an underestimating it, they loom absolutely terrifying.

But one of the members you recognize as the pretty lady from yesterday which makes you widen your eyes in shock. She catches your gaze a smiles softly standing up to approach you.

You stagger back in shock to shocked to speak “hello its nice to see you again foreigner i would like to request that you join us for supper our leader would like to formally meet you as well as our officials.”

You look at her in shock but realize that you don't have any room for argument, noticing the serious tone her voice holds.

So, with a heavy heart, you nod in agreement, which causes her to light up and smile warmly. She grabs your arm and pulls you forward which causes you to stagger back.

But you reluctantly follow her to the table she pulls the chair out for you and allows you to sit down next to a very tall man. She then takes her seat next to you

“our leader will be here very soon so please dont mind his tartiness. Oh! I never got to introduce myself! My name is Ezra! Whats your name little one.” you pause deciding whether or not it would be a good idea to tell her but you decide to.

“My name is (name).” you say timidly, which causes the female to coo at your shy nature. Which causes you to blush in embarrassment with earns a chuckle from the other 5 officals. Which makes you blush even more in embarrassment.

But before you could respond a the great hall door slams opens as the gaurds from yesterday are stationed next it, bowing to what seems like a very large man maybe 7 feet tall? With long dark white hair that looks almost unnatural, he is wearing something totally different a robe with golden pattern designs with black dress shoes with golden designs as well.

He wears a bear mask, and from what you can tell, he is very muscular and has baby-blue eyes.

This unnerves you, to say the least. He's very intimidating, with a golden robe hanging off the side of his shoulder, and his steps seem precise and planned.

This also unnerves your friends as they glance nervously at you. But you notice the man is staring right at you. His eyes bore into your very soul with an intensity that is so extreme that it makes you uncomfortable. What is his problem?

You think to yourself, nervously picking at your skin as the man approaches with steady footsteps, as all the community members stand up to bow before his presence like he's some sort of god.

This unnerves you even more as his eyes continue to bore into you, analyzing every twitch and breath you make.

Finally he arrives at your table, standing right infront of you, ezra then stands up and bows the official sitting on the right of you does the same thing so does the other four officials.

But he doesn't respond to their formal behavior as he continues to stare at you motionlessly as you anziously pick at your skin.

He then reaches out and imoblizes your wrist from continuing to pick at your skin this leaves you in shock as you freeze in anxiety.

You can clearly see the size difference between the two of you. His hand can fit fully around your wrist like he could easily snap it at any time which scares you to say the least.

His intimidating frame adds even more to the tense atmosphere “ dont do that anymore child; you'll hurt your delicate skin, and we dont want that do we?” he says in a very soft tone which surprises you to say the least, not expecting his voice to sound so soft and velvety.

Which comforts you to some extent that hes not trying to intentionally scare you.

But he keeps a form hand on your wrist letting you know that he won't be letting go of it any time soon.

“I-i just do it out of habit i cant really control it sometimes when im really anxious.” you mutter timidly, not daring to face his gaze as he stares intently into you.

His gaze softens slightly, and he rubs circles into your wrist to soothe your growing anxiety.

Which doesn't exactly work as you can still feel him staring into you, including all the community members and your friends.

You’ve never liked being the center of attention so you're surprised you haven't gone into a full blown anxiety attack right now.

Maybe it's the way he's trying to ground you that prevents that from happening. You don't know, and you don't care you just want to get this over with so you can get back into that comfy bed and sleep.

But before you can dwell on the thoughts plaguing your mind you feel the mans hand let go of your wrist. He turns around to look at everyone else with a calculating look before that look softens to a more serene expression. “ let the feast begin!” he shouts.

He then walks over towards the seat standing right next to the statue. The chair looks more like a throne than anything with its golden pattern designs and the red velvet texture to it, you would think a king would sit on it.

You sigh as you snap out of your thoughts when a plate of food is placed infront of you with apple juice? The food looks absoulty delicious on your part.

From the perifcally roasted beaf with mash potatoes and vegetables on the side to the white rice with chicken in it. Damn you mutter under your breath as your mouth starts to salvate.

But then you take a look around and notice all the adults oncluding your freinds got some type of alcoholic beverage but you just got apple juice.

Thats weird you think to yourself but shrug it off not wanting to dwell on something not worth your time.

You start to dig into your food quickly which causes ezra to chuckle in amusement a she Coos at you.

“Don't eat so fast honey, we don't want you to choke do we?” this causes you to blush I. Emmbaresment putting your hea down in shame which causes her to chuckle even more. But when you took a sip of th apple juice it tasted very sour.

Which is weird but you shrug it off not bothering to worry about it but before you could take another bite, the chattering decreased in the great hall as the leader stans up to approach the center of the room, this of course catches your attention instantly.

“Brothers, and sisters daughters and mothers, fathers and sons tonight our banquet has been honored by the cesilatial god himself to bestow us and our community a blessing and so to thank him we will preform our ceremonial sacrificial ritual for our god and our guests as a thanks.”

he says in a soothing tone and you can tell his voice has a deep effect on these people her from their adoring looks to their devotion you can feel radiating off of them. It awes and unnerves you at the same time.

But what do they mean by a sacrafical ritual?

You think to yourself as you anxiety starts to grow. You look towards you friends who are sitting at a table near you and you also notice their anxious expressions.

But before you could dwell more on your thoughst the great hall door opens as two of the guards carry in a struggling woman.

Which makes you widen your eyes in shock and horror. The guards put down the woman oto the cement like structure of the statue and tie her in place.

Then you notice another community member come in with a large tray of candles a book and a dagger.

This unnerves you even more as you start to shakinly pick at your skin from the growing anxiety creeping up onto you.

What the fuck…what the fuck are they going to do to that poor woman. You think to yourself as you stare in horror at her as she screams and struggles and pleads.

This causes you to close your eyes and put your hands over your ears. You take shaking breaths as you feel an oncoming panic attack. But of course your friends don’t notice or are to shocked to care.

You return you sight to the scenes I front of you as the woman pleads but it falls on death ear as the leader grabs the dagger from the tray

“låt dem vara ljusa och låt vår gud ge dig gåvan av evigt stycke unge” he says to the woman before impaling the dagger in her lower stomach then into her right breast and finally into her forehead the blood from the stand leaks out of her lifeless limp body onto the floor.

You feel like your going to throw up as the community members stand up to clap in celebration like what he did was completely normal.

And you can’t hold it back anymore you dip down and realealse all what was in your stomach to begin with. You gag at the smell and pant feeling tears rolling down your eyes. Then you notice everyone is looking at you now again.

You need to get out of here now you think to yourself as you eyes look up towards your friends who are as equally shocked and disturbed at what took place.

But before you could say or do anything you feel the tightening hold of Ezra rubbing your back soothingly this disturbed you even more at how calm she could be when just witnessing a murder!

You can’t seem to wrap your head around it and your heart is pounding so fast you think you’d have a heart attack any second and maybe that would be for the better because you don’t know what’s going to happen next and you don’t want to find out.

You just need to get out of here now no matter what it takes you refuse to die.

Authors note: y’all I work so hard on this sooo please comment and like a lot I would like this to reach at least 1,000 likes that would be the world to me and I definitely am going to make part 2 which is way more darker and that’s were the more intense Yandere behavior comes in!

[steddieas-shegoes]

i knew we'd be fine

for @steddiesongfics using 18 by one direction as inspiration

rated e | 3104 words | cw: temporary breakup | tags: modern au, high school sweethearts, break-up, second chances, getting back together, chance meetings, time skip, semi-public sex (the door is open they don't get caught), hand jobs, love confessions

also on ao3

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

May 21st, 2018

“Eddie!” Steve crashes into his bedroom, dropping his backpack on the floor.

Eddie looks up from the exam in his hand. He failed. Again.

Steve’s excited, clearly passed all his exams. He never had any doubts. Steve works hard, studies for the tests he knows will be difficult. Does extra credit when he doesn’t do as well as he hoped to.

Eddie gets by in most classes, but pre-calculus was sent from hell specifically to torture him. This is his second year failing it, and it’s his second year being kept behind because of it.

The worst part is that he did try this time. He actually studied with Steve, and maintained a C average for most of the year. This last quarter was tough though, and he needed a B on the exam to pass the class. He stares at the 68 in big red marker on the front.

It’s not enough. He’s not enough.

“Eddie?” Steve’s voice is quieter now, and he sits next to Eddie on the bed, taking the paper out of his hand. “You didn’t pass.”

He sounds shocked, a little disappointed, maybe even a bit mad.

“Nope. Looks like another senior year for me,” Eddie says, voice shaking. He’s managed to keep from crying for the last hour, but he’s not sure how much longer he can hold off. “Third time’s the charm, right?”

Steve sets the paper down next to him and turns to Eddie, tears in his eyes.

“I got into UIC.”

Eddie’s heart drops to his stomach and his stomach drops out of his body.

They both knew Eddie wasn’t going to college. Everyone knew that. Steve was, though. He wanted to be a teacher, and he’d be a damn good one. Eddie was gonna follow him to college, find a job at a record store in Chicago, play his music when he could.

He was gonna fall asleep holding Steve every night, and one day, they’d get married, even though Steve deserves better than Eddie and always will. Maybe Eddie’d make it just big enough that he could make good money but still be around to start a family, adopt a couple kids to keep them busy and keep their house full of love.

That was their plan.

Eddie ruined their plan.

“Congrats, baby. That’s amazing. I knew you’d do it,” Eddie says, and he does mean it, even if his voice doesn’t quite show it. “You’re gonna do so great.”

Steve shakes his head. “I’m not going.”

“What do you mean? Of course you are.”

Eddie knows what Steve’s doing. He’s sacrificing because he thinks it will help, but it’ll just make Eddie feel worse, and Steve’s parents would never allow him to not go to college because of his loser boyfriend.

“I’m not going without you,” Steve’s voice breaks.

Eddie’s heart does, too, especially when he realizes what he’ll have to do.

He loves Steve so much. He has to remind himself of that as he ruins everything even more. It’s for the best.

As he breaks Steve’s heart, and ruins their future, and hurts himself in the process, he has to keep reminding himself that letting Steve go is the best thing to do. He’d never forgive himself for holding him back.

Steve leaves, tears still running down his face.

Eddie cries until he passes out and hopes he makes it through another fucking year at Hawkins High.

****

May 10th, 2024

Eddie throws his keys on the counter, wipes his forehead. The AC unit in the window is useless, and the summer heat hasn’t even really started yet. The record store’s AC is broken and the owner is trying to find a cheap fix to get through this summer while he saves up, but hasn’t had much luck. Wayne’s supposed to come take a look next week because he’s sick of hearing Eddie complain over the phone.

He pulls a beer from the fridge and pulls his phone from his pocket.

Robin texted him a selfie from last night, her birthday outing in Boston that looks like it was pretty fun. He lets her know her present is on the way, which it decidedly is not, but it will be when his paycheck hits his account on Friday.

Wayne sent him a text with his bus info so he can be there to pick him up from the station. The old man still refuses to fly, even though it would be so much faster and easier to do it. He gives a thumbs up and says he’ll call him tomorrow, just like he does every Wednesday night.

Gareth sent him a link to an open mic night not too far from his apartment with a question mark. It might be nice to get on stage. He’s only done a few open mic nights this year, and the stage is calling him. He tells him he’s in, but only if Jeff makes the trip, too. Frankie’s too far, or he’d insist on him coming.

They all still get together once a year, usually here in Chicago, but sometimes at Frankie’s place in New York if they can swing it.

A loud bang from the hall makes him jump, nearly dropping his beer and his phone on the floor. He’s used to apartment living, random loud noises are common above and below him. But he’s home early today, and most of the people in his building work regular 9-5 jobs.

He sets his drink and phone on the counter and goes to check through the peephole in the door.

A man is struggling to shove a couch through the door across the hall. It looks just a little too wide to fit, but the man is still trying to push it through.

Eddie should ignore it, finish his beer, shower, and maybe heat up the frozen pizza he’s been thinking about all day. He closed the shop last night and opened it this morning. He’s running on barely four hours of sleep and a Mountain Dew that gave him heartburn instead of energy.

He opens his door and steps into the hall.

“Not sure that’s gonna fit, dude,” he says to the man half-buried in a too-large couch.

The man freezes. Eddie can’t help but stare at the man’s ass. He’s having a hell of a dry spell, close to a year. Even before that he can’t remember the last time he was this intrigued by a dude’s ass.

The man stands up and turns and Eddie’s heart drops much like it did the last time he saw this man.

“Eddie?” Steve’s eyes are huge as he steps closer, seemingly forgetting that he was in the process of moving a couch into an apartment.

“Steve?” Eddie asks, scared to move at all.

He’s seen Steve in some pictures, of course. It’s hard not to when they share Robin like divorced parents share their only child. He’s always in the background, though, a little blurry or turned away just enough that Eddie can’t see his features.

“Do you live here?” Steve asks, which is probably a dumb question considering he just walked out of an apartment in this building, but he’s too busy staring at him to care.

“Yeah. Uh…do you?” Eddie asks, equally dumb.

“As of yesterday, yeah,” Steve hasn’t blinked since he turned and Eddie’s pretty sure he hasn’t either. That can’t be good for anyone, especially not people with glasses. Steve’s wearing glasses. Eddie’s brain stops working immediately at the realization. “I didn’t know you lived in Chicago.”

Which has to be a lie. There’s no way Robin hasn’t mentioned it at some point, especially because she’s visited him a handful of times over the last couple of years. Gareth’s even sort-of friends with him, and he’s terrible at keeping secrets. Not that it’s a secret, but. Well, he just assumed that Steve wouldn’t care what he’s up to.

“Moved here in 2022. Wayne wanted to buy his ma’s old house in Kentucky before it went to some ungrateful flippers or whatever and I didn’t find any reason to stay without him there.” Eddie shrugs. “Gareth’s in school here so he put the good word in at a record shop for a job and found this place for me.”

“Does he live with you?” Steve’s so close, Eddie could touch him. He won’t. But he could.

“No, no. This is just a studio. Can’t afford a two bedroom, even with rent sharing. He lives on campus until he graduates next May, so maybe then we can find a place. I dunno, he’s pretty serious with a girl so maybe not,” Eddie shrugs again. Why can’t he control his fucking shoulders? “Anyways! I figured you’d be in Boston!”

Steve frowns. “Why would I be in Boston?”

“Robin’s birthday?” Eddie didn’t imagine the text she sent, right? She went out last night to celebrate.

“Oh!” Steve laughs. “Yeah, I had to move, so I’m heading out there in a couple weeks to celebrate. My old landlord was a cunt and wouldn’t let me push it by three days.”

“Was it Darla?” Darla has a hell of a reputation in this area of Chicago. She owns four buildings, refuses to be bought out by corporations, and doesn’t let anyone get away with anything. Her buildings are nice, but she’s not. Eddie couldn’t afford them even if he wanted to, and he’s a little glad he can’t.

“Yep,” Steve gives an awkward half-smile. “If I’d known about her before signing the lease, I probably wouldn’t have.”

“Ah well, you’re out of it now. Daryl’s pretty cool here. He’s a bit slow to fix stuff, but he’s doing his best. Helped me out a few months ago when I was a few days late on rent,” Eddie shrugs again. Jesus, his back’s gonna be sore soon. “I’m surprised she didn’t convince you to move to Boston.”

Steve laughs. “She tried. Even sent me a few listings in her building. But I couldn’t turn down the job offer here.”

Eddie nods like he understands, like he knows what the hell Steve is even talking about. He doesn’t. He knows Steve graduated because Wayne went to his graduation, but that’s really all he knows. It’s all he’s allowed himself to know.

“Well!” Eddie claps his hands together. He’s suddenly even more exhausted and barely holding it together. “Best of luck. I don’t think that couch is gonna fit, though.”

“Oh,” Steve looks back over his shoulder at the couch as if he just remembered he was doing something before Eddie interrupted. “Right. Well, who needs a couch anyway, right?”

Eddie snorts. He feels his heart twinge in his chest. Steve was always so good at making him laugh, even when he was feeling like absolute shit. Apparently, it’s a gift he’s kept all these years.

“You could tilt it at an angle?” Eddie suggests. He’s not sure it’ll work, but he doesn’t wanna leave with nothing to offer. Not like last time.

“I tried. Couldn’t get a good enough grip to push it through.”

“I can try to help.”

Surprisingly, it does work. It’s not easy, and still takes them nearly ten minutes, but it gets through.

“Guess you live here permanently now,” Eddie huffs as he tries to catch his breath.

“At least my couch does,” Steve agrees with a small smile.

Eddie used to do everything to see Steve smile, anything at all. He finds he’d still do anything.

“Thanks for your help,” Steve continues. He’s so close. How’d he even get this close? “Probably would’ve just sent it back downstairs and let someone take it from the curb if you didn’t help.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. “Yeah, no problem. I guess I’ll be seeing you around?”

Steve nods once. He’s still so close.

Eddie wants to touch him, wants to reach out and see if he feels the same. If his hair is still soft, if his hips are still hard but he still has a pudge at his belly, if his nipples are still more sensitive than his dick.

He’s not brave, never has been. Not when it matters most.

But Steve is, Steve was always brave. He came out to his parents even though they were likely to disown him, insisted on it because he didn’t want to keep Eddie a secret. He came out at school even though the basketball team made homophobic jokes constantly because he knew he didn’t want to hide who he was. He applied for a college his parents didn’t think was good enough because they had the best education program that wasn’t completely across the country. He visited Wayne still, even after Eddie broke his heart.

Steve touches his cheek, leans in.

When their lips meet, it’s hesitant. Not even their first kiss was this delicate.

Eddie shivers as Steve pulls away. He doesn’t go far, but Eddie tugs him in by his waist so he can’t go any further.

They’re both smiling, practically glowing.

“Yeah?” Steve asks.

“Yeah.”

He pushes Steve down on the couch, kissing hard enough to taste blood. They’re both hungry, starved, and desperate to touch every inch of each other. He’s straddling Steve’s thighs, trying not to think about how much thicker they feel under him. He’s already hard, going 0-100 faster than he ever has before. Steve’s clearly not far behind, moaning into his mouth as his hips push up for friction.

Eddie bites his bottom lip and pulls away, but Steve forces his mouth to his neck. Eddie is willing to go wherever Steve wants him to.

“Need to close the door,” Steve pants.

“Just be quick,” Eddie says against his neck.

“But, neighbors.”

“No one’s here.”

Steve laughs, bunches his neck up. Eddie’s hit with something that feels a lot like the love he used to feel for this man. Back when they were both barely teenagers, back when they didn’t know how to explain to others that they were in love and it wasn’t just some stupid high school fling. Back when they first kissed, and their first kiss led to their first hand jobs, and then they had their first time together on Steve’s 17th birthday.

He knew what made Steve tick then, he knew exactly how to make Steve smile and laugh and moan. They were barely adults when he broke both their hearts, and he still isn’t sure he’s recovered from it.

“Hey,” Steve says, and it makes Eddie pull his face back to look at him. He’s smiling, soft and gentle, and his hands have gone light against his skin, no longer digging into his muscles and bones and very being. “We’re here, right?”

Eddie answers with a kiss, a gentle press of his lips against Steve’s, a silent agreement that somehow, some way, they are here. The universe threw them back at each other because it couldn’t accept a world where they weren’t together.

“Are you getting psychological?” Steve asks.

Eddie beams, kisses him again because he knows Steve knows the right word. He went to college, learned a lot of big words. Eddie’s pretty sure he always knew them anyway.

“I suppose I am,” Eddie replies.

His hand drops to his jeans and unbuttons them, wraps a hand around himself. Steve knocks his hand away and takes over and it’s far better than when they were teenagers, so much better than when they were still learning how to stop being embarrassed about what they liked and wanted.

He’s been with a few guys since, nothing more than casual hookups, but it was enough to learn that he’s good at this. He knows what he’s doing, he’s confident. He likes making people feel good, he learned that with Steve first.

But Steve has always been a giver, generous in bed and out of it. He’s glad that hasn’t changed.

Steve remembers him, somehow gets the rhythm and pressure just right to have him on the edge in less than a minute. He’s whimpering, bucking up into his touch.

“You too,” he gets out before he comes. “Let me touch you. Been so long.”

Steve’s somehow thicker than he remembers, though maybe he’s just lost in the moment or his memory isn’t as good as he thought it was. Hard to lose the memory when Steve’s been the one he always goes back to in his mind when he’s alone at night, trying to take the edge off with spit and his right hand.

They work each other up, edge each other so it doesn’t have to end. They’re kissing lazily while their hands work faster, then slower, occasionally squeezing drops of precum from the tip of their cocks. They’re sweating and making small noises that echo in the emptiness of Steve’s still mostly empty apartment. The door naturally closed most of the way, a small gap still visible, but neither of them care.

“Come with me.” Steve doesn’t wait for him to respond, just twists his grip so that Eddie has no choice but to come all over them both. Steve follows within seconds.

They’re breathing heavy, both of them shaking as they come down.

Steve brings his fingers to his lips, licks the cum off of them, leans his head back like he’s savoring the taste and the adrenaline high. Eddie watches him, can’t believe he gets to see Steve like this again.

He doesn’t want it to end.

“Did you really not know I was here?” Eddie asks quietly, not wanting to completely ruin the moment.

“I really didn’t,” Steve says without opening his eyes or lifting his head up. “Think it’s a sign?”

Eddie kisses his jaw, curling his head against his neck when Steve wraps his arms around him to hold him close.

“Pretty sure the universe knew we’d get here,” Eddie answers.

He’s not really one for believing in miracles or higher powers of any kind, but it’s hard to ignore this.

“I knew I’d find you again,” Steve admits.

“Could’ve asked Robin and saved us a lot of time,” Eddie teases.

Steve pokes his cheek, but he laughs. As long as he laughs, as long as Eddie can make him laugh, he thinks they’ll be fine.

“Still love you, you know?” Steve asks after another minute of silence. “Don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you just as much as I did when we were teenagers.”

“Good.”

“Good?” Steve’s smirking, he can tell.

“Yeah. Loving you alone was a little pathetic.”

Steve kisses the top of his head. “At least we can be pathetic together.”

[crystalrabbit246912]

Powerful First-Years

Imagine the first-years, hanging out at Ramshackle to get away from their dorm or just because it's become their place, just for them, and they start training their magic.

Now, I assume that Ace and maybe Epel and Deuce wouldn't be too receptive to this, not to mention Yuu has no magic to train, but they're afraid. They're terrified of losing each other to another Overblot when they've come to rely on each other so much.

So they start weekly training sessions along with their weekly study sessions. At first, it's a bit of a slog, everyone's clashing a little because they're tired and they just want to session to be over.

But, bit by bit, they start seeing improvements in their magic. They can summon their UMs faster. They can last for longer endurance-wise. Yuu and Ortho are constantly researching ways to make their magic better, more efficient and stronger, as well as looking for new spells.

The training sessions start to pass by in the blink of an eye, and they want to go for longer. So they do.

Soon, they're training together daily, sparring against each other and lasting for hours on end. They're improving rapidly, and Yuu is starting to work as kind of a medic/strategist for them.

But then, a test/exam comes up in Practical Magic or another magic-based class. The Housewardens and teachers have noticed that the group have been improving steadily in said class, but they just chalked it up to studying.

And every single one of the freshmen ace the test. Full marks, plus extra credit.

Now, it isn't that they were failing the class before, especially not Ortho, Jack, and Sebek. But it's very surprising to the Housewardens and teachers to see just how powerful their magic is.

Too powerful, in some opinions.

A Housewarden meeting is called, and they come to the conclusion that the first-years cheated to get the grades they did. Somehow, Azul said he didn't make a deal with them but given how he is, they don't trust him.

So, basically every Housewarden/teacher pulls the freshmen into their office to talk to them about their scores. The freshmen in question are very proud of their scores and are now doubling down on their training to try and beat each other next time.

The upperclassmen don't know what the freshmen have been doing (aside from Rook, because he's Rook). They think that they're just hanging out and lazing around in Ramshackle.

They don't know of what's become an integral part of the freshmen. They don't know how close they've become. They don't know who they are.

Best case scenario, they blow up at their Housewardens. "Do you know what we've been doing? Do you know who we even are?"

And they don't (Aside from Rook, again, because he's Rook). They don't know what they've been up to. They don't know who they are, as people. They know of some aspects of them, but they don't know who the freshmen are nearly as well as they do each other.

This leads to essentially, "They don't think we're good enough. They don't know how afraid we are. They don't know what we do because we're not important enough for them to think about."

And then the first-years flee to Ramshackle for a few days, have their meltdowns as the others try to comfort them, and then the Housewardens and teachers have to break through the barricaded front door to appologize.

Worst case scenario, collective first-year Overblot. Yuu somehow also Overblots, maybe by close proximity to blot in every other one plus this one pushed them over the edge.

You don't know us. You don't know how close we are. You don't know what we do in our free time and why we do what we do and why we're so close.

You don't know how afraid we are.

You don't know us because you don't care enough about us to learn. You don't care about us enough to pay attention to what we've been doing every day.

They were afraid of another Overblot, of losing each other to their upperclassmen.

At least this time, if one of them goes down here, all of them will.

[aquato-family-circus]

Interns & Teachers hcs best to worst

Morris obvs we know doesn't wanna trade his mentorship with Milla so they must get along well, or at least he thinks so! I think he really respects and admires her, and wants to impress her. Milla on her part is textually a very good teacher and caregiver so she probably has given Morris a lot to work with to grow and improve. Maybe Morris was even more of a rascal and trouble maker before we met him and Milla taught him to at least put that energy toward something productive. Like Pirate Radio!

I don't USUALLY like going to extra material for things I think are true but the art book says Adam is senior to the other interns which I think implies he actually has spent plenty of time with Truman, rather than the impression the game gives of "none at all hes in a coma, lol".

That being said I imagine their mentorship is on a very professional feeling level. they get along and maybe Truman even tries to be friendly and casual with the boy, but Adam is super focused on being a good student and working on his big historical project. After the mole incicent though maybe he loosens up! He nearly lost the chance to talk to his mentor ever again after all.

Gisu and Otto are super duper casual in contrast to Adam and Truman. Gisu skateboards into his lab, yells WHATS UP TEACH! Otto says something abt his latest project before throwing a wrench at Gisu who catches it mid sick skate flip because Otto just expects her to help with said project in exchange to credits + not having to do homework for a week. They barely talk outside of this bc the agreement is not spoken and just based on vibes and knowing winks.

After the games I think Lizzie swings back to Compton's and he gives her a stern look and a raised eyebrow like you didn't do my assignment? and Lizzies like dude I tried man. and she thinks shes gonna get a lecture but instead Compton's like I'm sorry about that, let's start over, and then they play chess and he wins 3 times in a row. He learns Lizzie likes "weird" and "ugly" animals like bugs and rats and he makes some new assignment about just observing them in the wild, maybe try to talk to them if she can! and reporting back to him. Lizzie still thinks thisis a bit lame but at least she doesnt have to set up a Goat Trap so its an improvement

Sam learns what Coach did at camp and she doesn't do anything actively malicious but she does give him horrible stink eye for like a week. afterwards they go back to getting along surprisingly well aside from all the times Sam says some shit that sounds oddly like a threat but it goes over Oleander's head like half the time.

If Adam and Truman are a good professional vibe, Norma and Hollis are a bit of a stinky professional vibe. Hollis obviously thinks shes a capable young girl, she did let her teach class while she was off meditating about bills. But Norma wants so much more than that and tries so so so hard to impress her even though she ALSO thinks her homework assignment is boring and childish. She goes to Hollis' office like I want a different assignment, with the unspoken want "do not treat her like a child". and Hollis is like oh ok do you want to learn some advanced techniques that come from reading this big dry book of theory as big as your head. and Norma is like well, no. and Hollis is like ok then do your assignment very neutrally and Norma leaves thinking SHE HATES ME!!! bc I think Norma probably has. bad responses to rejection.

Hopefully Norma improves over time though bc I think! I think Hollis could possibly see a lot of potential in her!! She might even see a girl who's impatient, prone to rash decisions, and wants to prove herself so badly, and see herself in her. which is something that's only just occured to me but i enjoy the idea a lot so thats where I'll end this.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Plush: Part Three

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.8k

Warnings: canon angst and violence, extra angst, feeling broken and utterly helpless to the point of depression

Summary: A case about a killer bunny brings you to Stillwater, Minnesota where Donna is expecting your help. Halloween is right around the corner, and you're doing everything you can to keep yourself from falling apart. It helps seeing your family safe knowing nothing is out to get them.

Season Eleven Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. I love seeing any and all comments <3

x

Since the Jester was taking back to the station, you three head back over there to see if you can get a word out of him. In the same cell the Bunny was in, the Jester stands and stares at you ominously. Sam takes out his EMF reader and runs it down the length of the Jester, and it beeps wildly.

"Yep, ghost possession."

"Oh, for jeez. Ghosts can possess people?" Donna scoffs.

"Yeah. Ghosts 101: Somebody's spirit can attach itself to an object or a bunch of objects left behind. In this case, masks. Whoever possesses the object or mask gets possessed."

You think back to when your dad was attached to his flask after he died. Oh, Dad. What would he say if he were here? What would he say knowing you killed so many and hurt so many more?

"If we can't get the mask, how the hell do you unpossess someone?" Dean asks.

"Everything has a weakness, even ghosts. They hate iron and salt. So, all we gotta do is spook the spook with a little salt and maybe we could pry it off."

Donna reaches into her fanny pack and takes out a salt shaker.

"This is my diet secret. One bite of dessert and then I dump salt on it. It kills the craving."

"That works?" Dean asks.

"You betcha. On everything except... salted caramel."

"That's cute, Donna, but I was thinking something a little bit more like her."

Dean turns to you and you widen your eyes in fear.

"What? Why are you looking at me?"

"The only way you're going to feel like yourself again is if you use magic. I can only imagine what you're feeling but you need to face your fears. You're not going to get better until you do. I might not be able to understand what's going on with you but I do know everything about grief."

"I'm not grieving."

"You are. You're grieving the ones that were killed. You're grieving the woman you used to be. The difference between them and you is that you're not dead. She's not dead. She's still in there," he points to your heart, "and she's waiting for you to bring her out again." Dean walks closer to you. "I know you're scared but I won't ever let you become her again. Don't you trust me?"

"I do," you whisper with tears in your eyes.

"Then use your magic."

"Magic? What magic?" Donna asks.

"This magic."

You raise your right hand and blue magic pours from it. You look at Dean who gives you an encouraging nod. The Jester tilts their head to the side as if challenging you to do your worst. You can do this. You've done this before... as the Scarlet Witch.

Before Dean can do anything, Sister Mathias smacks Dean in the face so hard that he goes flying across the hallway. You don't have time to bask in the joy of her kicking Dean's ass because she turns to you with the same deadly look. You grin and flash your eyes red to show her that you're not to be messed with.

"I don't think so, sister."

You blast her back with your magic but instead of a one-and-done hit, you keep your magic surrounding her and use it to pull Isabella out of Sister Mathias. With the spirit not possessing the young woman anymore, you blast her back so she's out of the way and turn to Isabella who looks more pissed than before. She runs at you with the intent to possess you but you grab her throat and slam her against the wall.

"You really aren't good at this, are you?" you laugh.

"The priest had to die. He made it his business to forgive you pigs when what you do is unforgivable."

You look down at your shaking hands and let out a sigh. I can do this without turning back to her. I saved my kids with this magic. I fixed the backyard. I can pull a measly ghost from this person. You look back at the Jester with bright blue eyes and a deadly glare. You blast the Jester with your magic and keep it encased around the person so that you can pull the ghost from the person. It takes more concentration especially since you're not confident but you eventually pull the ghost out of the Jester. The ghost blasts you back into Dean's arms before disappearing out of the small window by the ceiling. The Jester takes off the mask and a confused young girl stares at you.

"What's going on?"

Donna brings her to her desk and handcuffs her so that she doesn't go anywhere. Not like she tries to. She's just as confused as Mike would have been if he survived.

"The poor thing doesn't deserve to be locked up," Donna sighs.

"Let her go. No one saw her face, right?" Sam suggests. 

Donna walks toward the girl who looks fearful about what might happen.

"Don't worry, hon. We're just gonna ask you a few questions, then you're free to go."

"I am?"

"Scout's honor."

"Do you remember attacking Coach Evans?" you ask.

"No, I swear. I went to pick up the new mascot costume, tried it on, and the next thing I know... I'm in jail."

"Did you know him?"

"He was my P.E. coach last semester. I mean, he was kind of a hard-ass, but that doesn't mean that I wanted him dead."

"Where did you get the costume? Was it a thrift store?" Dean asks.

"No, someone donated it to the school."

"Do you know who?"

"Rita Johnson."

Rita lives on the ooutskirts of town in a neighborhood that isn't so nice. It's not terribly trashed or overgrown, but there are some much nicer than this. Donna knocks on the door and waits for Rita to answer.

"Rita Johnson?" Sam asks when she does.

"Who's askin'?"

You, Sam, and Dean take out your badges to show her that you mean business.

"We got a few questions we want to ask you about a case in town."

"Who is it, Mom?"

You look behind her to see a young boy, probably her son, trying to peek his head around her body.

"Um, Max, why don't you go back and finish your homework?"

He sees Donna's police car. "Why are the police here?"

"Hey there, fella. Have you ever seen a real cop car? I mean, if it's okay with your mom."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Donna takes Max out to her car so that you can do your job and question her about the costumes she donated.

"Mind if we come inside?" Dean asks. Rita allows you three inside her house but she stays by the window so she can keep an eye on her son. "We know you've donated some costumes to the school recently. Can you tell us anything about them?"

"Um, the costumes belonged to my brother Chester. He was a kids' party performer before he passed."

"How did Chester die?" you ask.

"My brother suffered from depression. He took his own life a couple of months back... Jumped off a bridge."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sam sighs.

"Max begged me to keep the costumes. He loved them. He loved his uncle. I mean, he lived with us, so they were really close. But they made me sad, so I donated them to the local high school and the theater company."

"Did you donate to the thrift shop?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask where Chester is buried?" Sam asks.

"He's not. He was cremated."

Sam hands her a notebook and a pen. "Would you mind making a list of his costumes? As many as you can remember?"

"Sure, but what does this have to do with your case?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."

"One more question," Dean adds. "Did Chester have a falling out with Stan Hinkle or Phil Evans? Or anyone for that matter?"

"No, not that I can think of. I mean, I don't even... I don't think Chester even knew those guys."

After Rita gives the list of costumes to Sam, you three swap places with her son. Max runs back inside to be with his mom while you join Donna's side by her car. Dean tells her everything that Rita said, and Donna sighs sadly.

"I remember Chester's suicide. It was real sad. So, now that we know he's the ghost, how do we stop him?"

"Usually, we burn their bones but he was cremated. Since he's tied to the costumes, the only way to stop him is to burn the costumes."

"Then we're already ahead of the game. I had Doug go to the high school and collect the costumes."

"Great, here is a list of the rest." Sam hands her the list. "Think you and Doug can round them up?"

"Yeah. You betcha."

"Now we just gotta figure out what Chester's beef was with the vics. Ghosts come back for something personal. Usually, it's revenge," Dean explains.

"Drop me off at the hospital. I'll check on the Coach." Dean looks at you and you sigh. "There's not a lot to fuck up over there."

"Okay," he nods. "Sam and I will see if we can find Stan's widow. Take this with you." Dean hands you an iron bar. "Just in case."

Dean drops you off at the hospital and you walk to the receptionist to figure out what room the coach is in. He is on the fourth floor so you head to the elevator and step onto it when the door opens. You did it before. You had a fear that if you used that kind of magic, you'd turn back into her. However, you pulled that ghost out of the Jester without turning back into her. It took some effort but you did it.

I might actually be okay.

Still, using that kind of magic again terrifies you because you might have gotten lucky once but that doesn't mean you'll get lucky again. The elevator stops on the fourth floor and opens but you don't get out. Standing right in front of you is someone dressed as a killer clown. There is blood all over his white suit, a knife in his hand, and a deadly look in his eyes. The ghost has gotten to someone else, and you have a feeling that he killed the Coach to finish the job. The clown steps into the elevator and stands in front of you, preventing you from leaving the small space.

As the elevator slowly descends to the lobby, the clown turns to face you. You're not scared of him and you can only imagine what Sam would have done if he were in your place. You look down at the knife and see him move it between his fingers as if he wants to hurt you.

"Try me, bitch," you growl.

The clown lunges at you with the small knife but you blast it out of his hands with your magic. He pushes you against the wall with his hands wrapped around your throat, squeezing tightly. You thrash against his hold but he's too strong for you to escape safely. You punch the man in the stomach with your magic behind it, and he goes flying into the side of the elevator. The elevator shakes violently but continues going down to the lobby. You take out the iron bar and shove it into the side of his neck. The ghost flies out of the person and escapes through the vent at the top of the elevator. You yank the mask off the man who looks just as confused as the Jester when you unmasked her.

"Who the hell are you?" he asks.

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[kathbunny]

Super College AU

Kyana and Dani studying within the same space (unsuccessfully)

Kyana gently poked Dani's side, holding her textbook in one hand. "You're good at math, right?"

"If you're turning to me for a math problem, then no. I'm the worst at math and should never be trusted to handle it." Dani lied, not even bothering to look up from her sketchbook, which was full of sketches that definitely weren't the assignment she had due tomorrow.

"Basically everything you build is math though!" Kyana poked Dani a few more times, for emphasis.

"Math that can blow things up, not whatever math you're required to do. I got to skip that." Dani said, erasing part of her most recent sketch to redraw it for the fifth time. "Credits from getting my GED."

"You can get credits from that?" Kyana asked, sitting down on the ground next to Dani's chair.

"...yeah?" Dani replied. "Didn't you do it to? You get a good enough score, you get college credit."

"Doesn't that mean you are good at math though?"

"Nope." Dani put extra emphasis on the 'p', making a sort of popping sound. "Maybe I cheated, you don't know. Use the internet."

Kyana frowned at Dani, which was a very unconvincing argument, and pulled out her phone, typing in whatever she was supposed to be learning. She flopped backward, laying sprawled out on the floor as she held her phone above her face. Dani nudged her in the side with her foot, revenge. This got a squawk out Kyana and made her drop her phone onto her face.

"Rude!" Kyana said, sticking her tongue out at Dani.

"It's not like I kicked you." Dani nudged her a few more times. "Plus, you're on the floor. You're acting like a rug, get stepped on." She joked.

"You lay on the floor all the time!"

"That different." Dani said, matter-of-factly. "Because it's my floor."

"It's really not!" Kyana sat up, picking her phone up as well.

There was a moment of silence, as neither knew how to continue after that point.

"I'm hungry." Dani eventually said. "Hey, wanna go get wings?"

"Don't you have something to finish?" Kyana asked, despite the fact she was immediately standing up and reaching for her jacket.

"Eh, who gives a shit." Dani said. "I'd have pulled an all-nighter either way."

[hestzhyen]

Kagurabachi, Family, and Abuse

(This is kind of heavy, so please take care if you choose to read.)

I can't stress enough how much I love Kagurabachi for it's nuanced takes on complicated issues. Legacy, abuse, trauma, and the people involved in these cycles- very sensitive stuff that should be handled with great care. So this manga taking the time to examine issues with delicacy is surprising for an action series where the MC and his foes lose limbs on the regular. The Rakuzaichi arc won me over heart and soul because of how it tackled abusive families in particular.

I don't think it's controversial to say that leaving your abusers behind to focus on yourself is a key part of healing. But when family is involved, that component tends to get scrambled or lost entirely. Somehow if it's a relative or a sibling or a parent, the situation is changed. The victim should try harder to work things out. The onus is on them to find out what's wrong and fix it somehow; become less vulnerable. Even the most saintly, well-meaning ally can fall into the trap of telling the victim that blood-related abusers somehow deserve extra grace. They're abusers but they're also family, after all. Families love each other and good intentions should mean a lot.

We see it all the time in media too. A parent lashes out in anger. A sibling destroys precious, irreplaceable mementos. A cousin bullies and their parents do nothing. Blood relations hit and hurt and do awful things. But family is family at the end of the day, so they come together to heal with tears and apologies. Everyone is suffering in some way but it'll be okay if they stick together and work through the pain. Pan out, roll credits.

Obviously the Sazanami clan was far more skewed towards villainy than what we see in the real world. But the extra context given to Kyoura right before his death humanized all of them. They were abusers who were trapped in the cycle by misguided devotion to familial duty. And now that the cycle is broken, the family has their chance to heal. Braidbro was told to help the little kids and honor Tenri's sacrifice by letting them avoid his fate, so hopefully they manage it. No more slavish devotion to the auction above familial bonds. They can come together with tears and apologies and work towards a better future.

Yet Hakuri won't be there to see it.

In another series, he might have stayed to help after working with Chihiro proved he was strong enough to stand on his own. Hakuri could have rebuilt the family with a new purpose since he's the first since the progenitor to naturally inherit the subspace sorcery. He'd have the clout to do it, being the only one able to ensure business returns to normal. He even landed the killing blow on Soya to prove his resolve and signal a shift in the family's status quo. It would have been even more vindication for him to go from family embarrassment to patriarch, and who doesn't love it when the underdog comes out on top? He could be the one to fix things! But taking over the family would have truly been a bad end for him- proof that he was still trapped.

Because what could possibly make up for what Hakuri endured all that time? No amount of crying and saying sorry and promising to do better heals an abuse victim. Braidbro and Sazasis could make sure he's waited on hand and foot for the rest of his life but the damage was done long ago. The emotional pain lingers far longer than the broken bones and torn skin. Even if Soya was the only one going so far as to use peelers and pliers on him, Hakuri was abused by all of them. They all agreed -implicitly or tacitly- to ostracize him and give him the worst jobs. We saw him getting ganged up on to be kicked and gut-punched. Kyoura wasn't the only one to deliberately look away. Hakuri's torture was a family affair.

So to see him walk free of it all makes my heart soar. Because Hokazono fucking gets it. The victim shouldn't be on the hook to lead the reform effort once the situation is exposed. They shouldn't even have to participate in group therapy. In order to truly heal, they need to leave. And Hakuri choosing to do so was framed as the best possible thing he could have done in the moment, thank god. No "but they're still family" guilt tripping from the author here. Hell, Hokazono even went out of his way to make sure Shiba gave Hakuri a clear out. Fuck rehabilitating abusive families thanks to the victim's hard work. Fuck glorifying victims becoming irreproachable ubermensches to stop "inviting" abuse. And a flying fuck off to giving the family the benefit of the doubt by waiting around to witness the improvement process. Hakuri is finally free to move on without looking back, as is every victim's right.

Kagurabachi went above and beyond my expectations for having this be the culmination of his arc. I was a bit worried that a story so strongly focused on family bonds would fall into the same pitfalls as many before it. I've been burned by authors mishandling familial abuse with "family above all" messaging way too many times. But we saw that dumbass mindset blatantly and thoroughly deconstructed into fine particulate matter at the end of the Rakuzaichi arc. And it's really sold me on Hokazono's ideals and storytelling in a way that the Sojo arc didn't.

This manga is more than just flashy sword fights and considering how best to honor and interpret family legacies now. Sometimes, families and their legacies are in fact too toxic to be allowed to continue. And thank god the abused kid doesn't have to be the one to help the family fix their shit after it all comes crashing down. I hope future arcs continue to showcase this level of sensitivity and care for the different types of pain the characters are going through.

[bokujou-monogatari]

Hey! What do you think of Harvest Moon Light of Hope? I really like it but there's not much about it. Ik it's after the marvelous/natsume breakup but uh, I kinda love it.

Okay, first of all, thank you so much for the ask! I'm thrilled that you sent this and shared something you love with me. :)

To preface, I was asked for my opinion, and (usually) I do not solidify opinion without retrospective analysis. So this is some personal opinion, and some observant fact discussion based on stuff that came out with the release of it. I can't talk about this without addressing some glaring discussion points.

My short answer is: I'm not really fond of it, or Natsume titles.

My long answer is below. Please don't continue past the read more unless you're prepared. 🥺

I want to stress that this is entirely not meaning to sour yours or anyone else's opinion and I hope you continue to enjoy what you love.

Never thought I'd ever have someone directly ask me about this game, because in the past, I've freely given my opinion of it. Forgive my long-winded verbosity in advance.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Light of Hope. Next to Little Farmers and Lost Valley, I'd rank it as very low on the list of games I'd ever willingly purchase out of the split. If you were curious, Winds of Anthos is the closest I came to feeling like I might throw $20 to Natsume, but alas I have yet to pay for any of their games. I don't need or want to - and we'll get to that.

If the game were named anything other than Harvest Moon, perhaps I'd have a less strict view of this game. Alas, it's a Natsume title. While being a "Natsume-published" title does not make a game bad by default, it's a Natsume-funded and outsource-developed title under a dead horse label. Light of Hope was, to dismay, released as the "20th Anniversary" title - as in "20 Years of Harvest Moon". I even have the book to speak to this.

As a consumer, and also as a game dev, I would not ever align myself with a company that seeks to obfuscate origin or take credit for others' work - as they so did when marketing this game, using this timeline to allude to sequential relation of their games and the originals under Bokujou Monogatari.

Separate to the name label debacle, there's clearly a progression of improvement across the board from the studio actually putting the effort in - Appci (formerly Tabot inc.) -- I will give them that.

From their previous games, players got a pretty similar experience of writing comparatively with Skytree Village, but there was still something to be desired about the overworld presentation. The overall gameplay loop did not regress but also did not particularly innovate anything. This title, largely, just felt like coasting on a household name without (perhaps intentionally) trying to stray too far to stand on its own two feet.

But this game is perhaps one of Natsume's most egregious offenders in the sheer amount of Questionable and Not Great decisions.

Among Questionable, Not Great, and perhaps Predatory decisions... there were DLCs present in their previous sole-developed titles of course, but this IP introduced:

Three release versions (Base, Special Edition, Special Edition Complete) with each subsequent release retailing for close to the same price as the first time

DLCs sold separately ($1.99, $5.99, $3.99, $5.99) - OR, $9.99 +tax for a "Season Pass" that contained all DLCs.

These DLCs were for tool upgrades, and extra marriage candidates that fans would have experienced to be Part of the Main Game experience if they played a Bokumono game.

Pure speculation on my part, but one of the pay-for-characters introduced was a clear point at Makise Kurisu from Steins Gate. It felt like they were really playing on that likeness to draw people in.

Perhaps the worst decision they made of all was a character known as Soleil. This character was introduced in Special Edition, as a character similar to Jamie (Magical Melody) or Inari (Trio of Towns) - originality be damned - and was portrayed as a gender ambiguous magical being that would be opposite to whoever you chose as the MC.

The kicker - this was a character you had to hatch from a crystal and raise yourself. The events between this character were more of parent and child, and ended with a confession of love from this being that imprinted on you. It was highly inappropriate. The pages are now deleted on their Facebook, but their social media manager took to responding to the criticisms. The responses did not help. You can find this discussion on Fogu for reference.

Soleil is also a new marriageable character once he is full grown! Wait a minute…wasn’t the earlier picture of him a male?! What’s the story here…?

Soleil is not a human! Soleil doesn't follow human aging…

Ring ring...Chris Hansen's calling. Just absolutely yikes. Deleting those posts was probably their idea of a smart move, but for those who were there, it is unfortunately very ingrained. People deserve to know the decisions they made here to make informed choices.

So what do I feel about the game?

It's among my worst rated games ever for sheer predatory practices and improper decision making. I'm glad there are people that can find it enjoyable, as I'm sure the team that developed this tried their best at the time. But damn.

[deng-yi-deng]

Cdrama: what I watched 2024

This year I got suuuuper picky and also pretty much stopped watching cdramas. Will this be my last wrap-up post ever? Tune in next year! Normally I keep a running draft review going that I can just post at the end of the year, but this year I forgot - which really signals my waning interest in cdramas generally - so my reviews are kinda vague.

No shade to folks who loved the big popular romance dramas but I completely gave them a pass. As a result, I had a great drama year - nothing under a 4/5 for this viewer!

Best drama this year: Heroes 天行健 (2024). Y'all slept on this one. Watch it now!! Even better than JoL2. Yes, you heard me. Shoutout to @lyxurious for reccing it to me. She has the best taste 💜

Mostly spoiler-free reviews of what I watched in the order I saw them under the cut

Follow Your Heart 颜心讥 4/5 (iQiyi)

(score includes extra credit for LYX bias)

Easy-watching, low-stakes, funny, and sweet. If I'm honest, one of the better plotted dramas that Luo Yunxi has been in. You know him as the beautiful crier, but his rom-com is not to be trifled with. Luo Yunxi is great as Jiang Xin Bai, the face-blind detective, but I was so happy to see Song Yi (Yan Nan Xing) in something where she wasn't playing a helpless girl or demure lady. It's the most enjoyable role I've seen her do apart from RuoRuo in JoL. Her comedy chops are also very solid, and she and Xixi were very cute together. The plot does falter a bit in the last 3/4 and slows down as they focus on the other couples, but then picks up and ends happily. Some great comedy characters - Jiang Xin Bai's mom is hilariously over the top - and fabulous performances by guest actors who play "Yan Nan Xing" when she shape-shifts. Also some good fight scenes! This is one I'd re-watch to de-stress.

Judge Dee's Mystery 大唐狄公案- (4)?/5 (Youku, Netflix)

Overall good, with movie-quality visuals, but I was disappointed by the last two mysteries which were simple and lacked oomf - I think the drama was split into two parts due to the new <40 rule, which would explain the fall off in momentum. As such I'm going to reserve a rating until the second half drops. Some of the individual mysteries - especially the one with Zhang Ruoyun - were fabulous. Acting was great from all the leads - don't believe anyone who tells you Ma Rong was annoying, she was not. The gender swap the writers did for that character totally worked for me. And I absolutely bought Zhou Yiwei as Di Renjie (though tbf I've only seen the Detective Dee movies).

Looking foward to s.2 (or part 2 however you want to count it)

Joy of Life 2 庆余年 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Lots more people have reviewed or commented on this so I will be brief - I enjoyed the focus on politics and the machinations of the emperor, so this season really worked for me. I also thought Wu Xingjian did a great job as Yan Bing Yun, taking over from XZ. I loved the interactions between Fan Xian and Wang Qinian, adorable. There was one scene where the emperor and Fan Jian were talking/ploting/negotiating and the dialog and acting were so aaagh. so clever. I was kicking my feet and squealing. It is nice when a drama does not assume its audience is stupid. And of course we can't forget the 'power point' Fan Xian and Fan Si Zhe give about treasury bonds. Worst part: Uncle Wu doesn't show up until nearly the end ;_; looking forward to LOTS of Uncle Wu in s.3

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 To the West 唐朝诡事录·西行 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Better than season 1 in production quality but particularly in terms of the mysteries themselves. Where s.1 gave us Scooby-gang like "the demon is just a guy in a mask" solutions, the mysteries here have a bit more to them, and plenty of cultural interest as they journey farther into the west, ending up in Dunhuang! Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming still have unbeatable chemistry, but I feel like LLF got the spotlight a bit more this season. I love them both, but hope my man Wuming doesn't get the short end of the stick again. Let's please not forget who the disciple of Di Renjie and all-around genius is?

S.3 they should head back to Chang'An and maybe??? get back to the original mystery of who is the worst royal in the capital!

Heroes 天行健 5/5 (Tencent, YouTube)

Some of the best and most entertaining storytelling in a cdrama that I've watched. The setting at the very end of the Qing, with the turbulence and uncertainty works perfectly to explore the question of who really is a hero, and for whom. And the fights! There are so many!! sometimes more than one per episode!!!! The characters are well written and well-acted. This drama cements Qin Junjie as one of my favorite actors now (having previously only seen him in Fox Volant). Also one of the few guys who can rock the queue and still be handsome. We follow three groups of characters as they try to find the pieces to a puzzle that will lead them to a treasure. One group is the old guard (royalty, the establishment), one the outsiders of the jianghu, and the third are the rebels - the new China. The stories and character relationships are woven together really well, and the pacing of each episode pushes you forward to the next, always wondering what will happen. I seriously did not think they could keep each episode as interesting as the last but they did - with twists that were surprising, but logical in hindsight. Each 'hero' is trying to find their place in the world and do what they think is best for their people - by following the rules, by breaking them, and by making new rules. It's as much a competition between philosophies as it is between individual groups or individual people. This drama is intelligent, but first of all it's entertaining. It understands exactly what it is and what it's trying to do and is very self-aware. Please please pay special attention to the opening credits because they change...(also kudos to the composer who so ably channeled Enrico Morricone when necessary.)

I Am Nobody 异人之下 4.5/5 (Youku, YouTube)

Though this came out in 2023 I didn't manage to watch it until the end of the summer (2024) and I'm glad I did. Pure fun. Hilarious, great concept and characters, well done all around. It gave me major KO One flashbacks - mostly because of the style of humor and the focus on 'teenagers' - but was completely it's own thing. Great characters with sweet and sometimes heartbreaking backstories. Bao Bao you deserve all the hugs forever 😭.

Highly recommended if you enjoy fun comic book style fights, clever storytelling, and slightly sophomoric humor with lots of heart.

Dramas I dropped:

Not as many this year, since I didn't even try any of the big popular idol dramas. Eternal Brotherhood lost me around the 2/3 mark but I can't explain why! It had a great plot, and I love Yang Xuwen, but maybe I just got distracted? When the second half comes out I'll probably try it again.

Kill Me, Love Me had a spectacularly plot-packed first couple episodes and then they put on the brakes. That kind of uneven pacing, and focus on secondary characters led me to drop around ep 9. Which was sad because I like all the actors and the plot seemed good, but I lost interest.

[ravetillyoucry]

PUPARIA

Chapter 22 - Flyaway

prev - chapter 1

Jules held the flesh on her thigh in a tight squeeze with one hand, the other in her mouth as she bit down. The first shot of the day was always the worst.

"Y'know..." The girl's eyelashes looked especially long as she kept her gaze down at the needle, "Isn't one a day the regular, recommended dosage? You have what, three? I mean... Is that really necessary?"

She was used to it by now. Size-shifting wasn't something Jules particularly ever wanted to associate herself with. It was a part of her that she hated more than anything. To be seen as a spectacle on one end of the spectrum, to be perceived from every angle, or to be defenceless and weak on the other end, invisible to anyone who didn't care to take extra notice. A minority within a minority, with the ability to shift to both. The best of all three worlds, and Jules couldn't bear it.

She hummed as she wiped her saliva off on one of the towels, "I'm not a regular person. But, I can't let anyone see me that way. You're.. Lucky enough you even know. Little shit."

The shifter hopped down from the bathroom counter, pulling her tights back up just to bounce around the penthouse trying to find her other shoe- not before running her hands through the equally as long brown hair of the girl first, of course. She leant against the frame of the bathroom door as she watched Jules stumble around for a moment, the shifter mumbling under her breath all the while.

"Julie.." She sighed, "You should go easier on yourself. It's not healthy to hold back like this. I mean.. You know.. You see-"

"Yeah, I see Hosah. You know half the time he's not even stuck, he just does it on purpose for attention. That's all it is with him, he needs something, anything to make people feel bad for him. I'm not like that. Elaine, I'm not like that."

"I wasn't gonna say that." Elaine spoke, running her own hands through her hair this time.

The shifter paused. She tilted her head, thought for a moment, and laughed, "You're right. It's just... The other night, I feel like.."

"You were too mean? Again?"

"I wasn't mean enough. God. You don't get it, I can't deal with him. Just.. Pathetic. Absolutely. He's not even fucking qualified. He's not! Not a single college credit." She stopped for breath, scoffing at her own train of thought as she shook her head, "I... It's not like I'm gonna let him go though. It sucks. I can't stand him. But I can't do it."

Elaine turned her back to the shifter, busying herself with her toothbrush and toothpaste, her voice echoing across the tiles of the bathroom, "And you can't stop talking about him either. If you hate him, why are you so attached to him? I don't get it."

"Cmon, El, you know he's like my brother. Just..." And just as quick as she took to attacking him, she came to his defence.

"No 'just'. You're both as bad as each other. It's why you deserve each other. The perfect pair."

Jules scoffed, pulling on her other shoe as she headed towards the door, "God, please. We're nothing alike. I mean, I have self respect, that's something."

"Sure you do." Elaine listened for the unlocking of the front door, and that same 'Goodbye, I love you' that was said every morning, on queue. "Bring back something for dinner on your way home."

"Yeah, yeah." The shifter rolled her eyes, the smile on her face dropping as soon as she shut the door behind her.

She huffed. The bicker her and Hosah had a week or two back still played on her mind. The things she should've said, and even the things she shouldn't have. Bringing up Chris was a low blow, but bringing up all the clubs they weren't allowed to get into however, was quite the proportional one. Despite how badly she wanted to humiliate Hosah, she knew he and Teddy were different. She knew this wasn't a casual fling that'd pass by with the seasons, with no hard feelings regarding to the fact she was probably the reason things didn't work out. He'd never forgive her if she fucked with their.. whatever it was they had going on.

She still stood by what she said. They'd gone through most of the shit together, and look at her. She wasn't in therapy, she wasn't being stalked and preyed upon, despite that probably being entirely out of his control, and she certainly wasn't letting it all get to her. He only suffered for pity, she suffered to become stronger. That was the difference between the two of them. Maybe to anyone else, he had the right to be a miserable shit, but to her, well, he wasn't any more worth than what came of his uncle. A stain in the carpet, even less than that.

He was infuriating. All Jules wanted was to send him back to butt-fuck nowhere Colorado and let him rot under the care of some poorly paid care workers for the rest of his life. Have someone with nothing else better to do sit around and talk to him like a pet, since that was probably all Edward was in it for. That was what pissed her off the most. How he didn't hate the way they all treat him. He was barely human in their eyes, and how he didn't see it, she'd never know. He needed Jules, and hell, Jules even needed him sometimes too. He's naïve, self destructive, and honestly, he was incapable. But she understood. She knew exactly what to do, what would help him, but he was too blind even to see that. Jules gritted her teeth as she stumbled her way out of the elevator door, trying to calm herself in order to at least appear somewhat presentable for the meeting ahead of her.

It wasn't often her dad called her about anything at all, and his sudden curiosity regarding the agency, his business, was something that worried her, to her core. It was this type of thing she had nightmares about. That he'd finally have enough of paying for the building, paying the wages, and he'd pull the plug. The agency started because of Jules, to protect her and those alike. There was a type of responsibility, an obligation she had to keeping everything sound and steady. As hard as she tried to come off as uncaring or cold, she couldn't help but care deeply for the cause. She might not be able to embrace her curse, but those with no other choice didn't deserve half the shit they got. Not many other shifters had the privilege of being able to shoot up somatotrophin three times a day, and Jules had to use that to her advantage.

Jules didn't really think back on the reason she even recruited Hosah in the first place all that often. He had such a way with words, no, with other shifters. He could get anything out of them, all he had to do was shrink down to their level, or perch himself in their palm, and it'd come spilling out. She watched it happen before, in the facility, it was why he was a favourite. Not only would he cooperate, being the obedient little shit he was, but he could get others to do it too. It made her sick to watch, but she knew when her father dipped from the agency, that it'd be plentifully convenient.

-~-

This was it, the final straw. The pair had come close to certain danger with how Scotty had convinced them it was absolutely necessary to go back and check Hosah's old apartment, and Teddy wasn't prepared to risk it again. He knew they shouldn't have gotten into the car the moment the engine started, and it was only with a stroke of luck that they were able to weasel out of it.

Hosah wasn't a doll, or a precious piece of glass that risked cracking and shattering if not handled correctly, he knew that. He knew Hosah had done just fine without him before, and he'd probably do just fine without him if he were to disappear into thin air overnight, but the obligation Teddy felt to protecting the shifter was strong, the feeling overpowering all logic his brain could muster up.

He didn't really think before he spoke all that often, not nowadays, not around Hosah, at least.

"I love you." Teddy didn't even realise what he'd said until he'd heard it himself, coming out of his own mouth. "I just... thought you'd like to know, since things have been weird lately."

Teddy spent the majority of his childhood in isolation. There wasn't much of anything to do once classes were over, and although he was constantly surrounded by people, none of them really wanted to talk to him. He didn't know what exactly he'd done wrong, and it ate him alive. Sometimes he'd stare at his own reflection and wait for the swarm of cicadas or the three aliens stacked upon eachother to come crawling out from under his skin, but they never did. That was what bothered him so badly, this was him. There was no other land he could return to where there'd be others of his kind, waiting with open arms, the truth was, Teddy was a human, whether he liked it or not.

Socialising with his peers felt a lot like the choir practices the church would make everyone participate in twice a week, except, Teddy was always just slightly out of tune. He knew it, everyone else knew it, and despite how much he turned the pegs of the cello he'd practice playing until his fingers bled, it'd always sound ever so slightly off. Instead of making it obvious, Teddy found it'd be easier to keep his head down, to not draw attention to himself, and that became an excruciatingly difficult task by the time he hit puberty and grew a foot taller.

The rules that came along with being a human being weren't something Teddy completely understood, even now at twenty six years old, but he knew even less when he was half his age. Teddy questioned the ideas and stories presented to him as fact, especially in school, especially when it came to the teachings of the bible. He didn't get it. He didn't get why his peers would give him dirty looks when he walked past them in the hallway, he didn't get why God would make him in such way that made him unloveable, unable to be saved, stuck in the stagnancy of his own desires, afraid that even acknowledging such things would make them too loud, too obvious, that God, or worse, his peers would know.

It took Teddy an embarrassingly long time to accept the fact he was gay. It took him even longer to pull his head out of the sand and act upon his darkest, best kept secret that was his sexuality. For a while he just thought he didn't have the ability to love someone, not like that. He loved many things with the whole of his heart, he loved feeling the sun on his face, even when it'd get in his eyes and give him a headache from the squinting, he loved cold breezes in the early winter that'd nip at the tips of his nose and ears, he loved fresh pastries in the morning on his way to work, and he loved making small talk with the cashiers even more than that, especially when he could tell with their shifting expressions that he'd brightened their day, even just slightly.

Hosah was the first person he could say with confidence that he was in-love with. He loved the idea of certain people, the prospect of them twisting and converting into the idealised versions of themselves that Teddy had invented and interacted with in depth in his head, but Hosah was different. He didn't find himself wishing certain behaviours or traits upon him, even the parts of the shifter that weren't at all desirable or even likeable, they weren't fixed in the mental image Teddy created of him. Maybe it was because Hosah was so unapologetic about who he was. He wished he could be like that. That Hosah cried in front of him, that Hosah lounged in his palm like there was nothing else in the world but the two of them, that Hosah leant into the brushing of the same hand through his hair. Teddy wished he could've done all those things at once. He wished he could've lifted the shifter up towards the light and said, is this such a sin? If God saw them both, if God saw the gentle cradling of his own creations, if he saw the way Hosah's face flushed, one cheek redder than the other depending on which side he'd slept on, when he'd first awake in the morning by Teddy's side, the love he feels being so powerful that it seeped from his heart and out of his pores, would he change his mind, and allow it just this once? Teddy wasn't sure if he hoped so or not, as an eternity in hell would be more than worth the human lifetime of love and affection he relished in.

What he wished most of all, was that he could tell himself not to care. Not to look at his peers as they snickered and glanced at him for questioning what was put in front of him as fact, to continue playing even if the tune wasn't quite right, and to press his hands against his cheeks as he stared himself down, telling the cicadas- or the aliens, that he knew they were there, and that he loved them dearly.

"I love you dearly." He added, ".. You don't have to say it back. I just.. It's true."

Hosah sat and thought for a moment, adjusting his seat on the desk beneath him. It killed Teddy to know that he'd never be able to look inside of the shifters brain and see what he was thinking. He'd even settle just for a few seconds of watching the cogs turn beneath the flesh of his forehead.

"I never understood that sentiment before, actually." The shifter spoke, nonchalant as ever, "If you love someone, you tell them, unapologetically. And saying it back isn't so hard either. I don't understand why saying I love you isn't something we've normalised already. I mean, no one dislikes being told they're loved, so, I don't get it."

It seemed like he was going on a rant to avoid saying it back after all. Teddy smiled, his crooked tooth being as charming as ever with how it hung over his lip, just slightly. He really hoped Hosah wouldn't hate him for what he was going to do.

"You know.. I think I'm gonna get lunch with Jeanne today, or, I'll try." Without stopping to hear the slew of words coming out of Hosah's mouth in protest, Teddy got up from his chair, "Uh- tell Thierri I'm sorry I couldn't make it later, 'kay?"

There were no 'if', 'buts' or 'maybes' about it, Teddy was going to get Hosah, and hopefully himself, off of the case. He had no idea why Jules allowed the two to work so closely to such a criminal in the first place, especially when the shifter was being put into such dangerous positions, even going as far as to needing to leave his apartment to avoid an actual serial killer from invading his home, and or killing him. It was cartoonish how messed up the situation sounded, especially when put so bluntly in his head.

Finding Jeanne wasn't too much of a challenge. Maybe if he were in a crowd, sure, but around the office, he was quite hard to miss with his short stature and general boy-ish features, despite the fact he was the eldest amongst the rag-tag team.

Although Teddy could clearly see the experienced detective in his direct line of sight, something kept him from approaching the man. He usually didn't look back at his past and cringe, but god, the embarrassment he felt remembering their previous interactions turned his stomach into knots. He took a moment to clear his throat, swallowing to try get rid of the dry sensation in his mouth, and he bit the bullet.

"Jeanne." Teddy's voice faltered as he called out.

He wondered what it was about the detective that made him as intimidating as he was. Jeanne looked over upon being called with expectant eyes (well, a singular expectant eye), his body unmoving from its position leaned up against the wall. Usually, around this time, he'd be out in the smoking area with Hosah. Maybe that was all it was, Teddy had spotted him in a different place than he'd expected him to be. It wasn't quite his appearance that made him hard to keep your cool around, as he stood at almost a whole foot shorter than Teddy, his face still rather soft in terms of his features, like he'd never finished puberty. It was just.. his aura. Stone cold, calculated, and pungent of fresh coffee. He'd have to ask what cologne Jeanne wore when the conversation topic was less of a serious one.

"...Let's get lunch. I need to talk to you."

For once, Teddy almost thought he saw the man crack a smile at him.

The detective shook his head as he stood up straight, "I already told you, you're fine. I forgive you, in fact. It's okay."

"No, it's.. it's not that. Not that Im not still extremely sorry, but, there's something else I need your advice on." Teddy found himself fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt sleeve, unable to directly look Jeanne in the eye as he stuttered.

"You know how I lost my eye, Edward?"

Teddy braced himself for a tragic, yet inspirational tale that'd heighten his already undying respect for the man, "Ah, no, sir."

"Yeah. I can't tell you either. Signed an NDA." Jeanne gave him a firm pat on the back as he lead the way out of the agency's office building, "You can pick the place, I'm not a fussy eater."

No wonder Hosah got along so well with this guy.

The pair didn't really seem to have much in common besides their care for Hosah. He was the only thing they could really talk about on the journey, and it took most of his efforts and energy for Teddy not to gush or say something stupid. Despite the constant reassurance from Jeanne that he was forgiven for his past mistake, Teddy was still overcome with guilt and embarrassment. It hindered his ability to have a nice conversation about anything other than work with the detective, and it clouded his mind whenever the two were alone together.

It had been months by now, but the memory was still fresh in Teddy's mind. Jeanne had told Hosah, maybe if you were there sooner. He didn't like to think of himself as an overly emotional person, but watching the tears spill down the shifters face without him even realising himself, Teddy just couldn't contain himself. He was ashamed of what he did after that, so much so that he didn't even want to think about it. He wasn't himself in that moment, he was the person he thought he grew from years ago. A person who goes to unforgivable measures to seek justice for those that don't ask for it. The truth was, as a boy, Teddy got into a lot of fights. He was an emotional child, one overwhelmed with the weight of not having a single soul his own age who understood or even spoke to him, and when he saw or heard something he disagreed with in any capacity, he didn't know how to cope with it.

Teddy promised himself to never, ever use his fists against another person, unless in a life or death situation. Hearing Jeanne say those words felt like life or death, and Teddy had no idea what overcame him when he entered that staff room and tried to lay his hands on the detective. He didn't expect Jeanne to be so tough, but he was taught the fact very quickly. That was when Teddy learnt that Jeanne was quite the reasonable person and was very open to issuing an apology once confronted with the weight his words had on the shifter.

Being put on the spot to decide where to eat, Teddy took his superior to a place he frequented in his early days of detective-hood. A family owned burger restaurant in the centre of the city. It was nothing fancy, and the food definitely wasn't anything special, but Teddy really had no idea what type of guy Jeanne was, especially in terms of an ideal lunch. He didn't seem to mind the choice, at least.

"Hm." Jeanne looked over the various screen captures from the forum board that Teddy had printed off earlier in the day, "And Scotty told you to catfish this guy?"

".. Essentially." It was hard to speak clearly with a mouthful of burger.

He slid the papers back towards Teddy from the other side of the booth, "It's so stupid that it might just work. I say go for it, but not on your home computer. At the library or the office. I doubt you know how to go incognito, remove yourself from the grid, become untraceable. Someone down on B-block'll know."

"Yeah.. Yeah. Okay. Right." Teddy fidgeted with the papers between his fingers, trying to slip them back into the folder he'd brought them in as smoothly as possible, and failing miserably. "Well, that's not actually all I wanted to talk with you about.."

He swallowed, hard. Jeanne didn't seem to be the type to blow up with emotions at people, especially in a public space, but Teddy couldn't help but worry. Maybe he'd be offended on Hosah's behalf, and would lecture him on how terribly he misunderstood the shifter and undermined his strength, both mental and physical, and his capability to continue on with the case despite the clear danger it put him in.

"It's, it's the case. I can't let Hosah stay on it, I just.. I know something really, really bad is gonna happen, it's already bad enough as it is, but-"

Jeanne cut him off, reaching an arm forward to rest his hand upon Teddy's, "No, I agree. Completely. I just don't know what the boss'll say about it. I doubt she'll even think twice before shrugging it off as a 'he'll be fine' situation."

"I haven't spoken about it with him yet." Teddy added.

"It's best if you don't. Pin it on the boss, she'll gladly take the fall for it, and shes done Hosah far more dirty before, he'll get over it."

Teddy pulled his arm away, his eyebrows furrowing as he considered the two paths ahead of him. He could either lie to Hosah about knowing anything about him being taken off the case, or he could tell him the truth and face the music of his actions for the greater good. It'd be so unbelievably hypocritical of him to go down the first route, especially after making a point to push Hosah to be honest and open with him about everything, and it'd be even worse in the long run if he'd slip up and reveal it was his own idea all along, not Jules'. At the same time, however, the last thing he wanted was to fight Hosah again. It wasn't right of him to make this choice for the shifter, he was his own person and could decide whether he wanted to stay on board or not, but there was no way Hosah would make the right decision and remove himself from the line of fire headed straight for him.

He nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

"Mhm. She has a meeting today with the previous head of the company, so we'll slip in her office tomorrow to talk about it." Jeanne had already started to get up to go back, having barely touched his food. "And... Don't look so beat up. It's the best thing for Hosah's safety. Even if he doesn't realise it."

And realise it, he didn't.

Once Teddy got back to the office, slightly exhausted from the mental anguish he'd been put through as his mind racked back and forth between guilt and embarrassment, he headed straight for Hosah. He still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, Jeanne had given him the best advice he could get, but his swelling heart told him otherwise.

"No, no. Dude. I've told you like five times now, they need to be the other colour to stack." Hosah lectured, swatting the giant’s hand away from the card game. Teddy always thought solitaire was, you know, to be played in solitude.

Thierri pushed his chair away from the desk with his head in his hands, “But, I thought it was descending numbers from ten?? Man, I don’t fucking get this game.”

“I don’t know how much more plain and simple I can put it for you!” The sight was certainly one to see, that’s for sure. A shifter, not even the size of one of the cards they were playing with, yelling at Thierri in a similar fashion to how he imagined the stories of doing homework at the dinner table with your dad when described to him.

It took a moment of exasperated sighing in frustration, along with the dragging of a few cards across the desk with all of his might, before Hosah actually completed the game rather quickly, only then noticing the fact Teddy had come back in the time between.

“Oh, hey.” Hosah sounded completely out of breath as he finally god the chance to speak, “You have fun?”

“As fun as work talk gets, sure.” Teddy shrugged, pulling over his own chair to Thierri’s desk, “…Are you having fun?”

Hosah flashed a look of exhausted annoyance before laughing, pinching the bridge of his nose like the morning paper between his pointer and his thumb, “As fun as playing solitaire with someone who’s never even touched a deck of cards gets.”

Right.

[all-souls-matinee]

Quick-bite reviews: V/H/S/Beyond (2024) dir. Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Virat Patel, Justin Martinez, Christian & Justin Long, Kate Seigel

I finally decided to stop covering this franchise (last year's '/85' remains unwatched) when '/Beyond' had to go ahead and be pitched as an alien-centric V/H/S with a segment written by my horror enemy Mike Flanagan. I've seen a fair chunk of alien horror movies and never have much to say about them because... they're bad... but I'm always rooting for a good one to come into existence. They're like my now-horrible home baseball team; I KNOW the storytelling optics aren't there, it wouldn't be a problem if we could assemble the perfect cast and crew and have infinite time and infinite money. The original V/H/S actually had a memorable piece of alien horror so that's encouraging? It wasn't good but it was memorable! It was there! My feelings on Flanagan only made for extra incentive; if I couldn't have a good alien horror movie at least I could have another alien horror movie to be performatively mad at.

Mike Flanagan has been forgiven; alien horror has made it to first base.

Beyond is still very much a V/H/S movie so was never going to be my thing, but I think it's successful(!) because every segment understands that the job of a V/H/S movie is to feel like a theme park haunted house. The usual buckets of gore and barf and what have you are coordinated this time around, showman-like. The frame story, notoriously the worst part of even the best anthology horror, re-grounds the aliens when segments stray and is a great example of how to lovingly and effectively mock cable-cum-YouTube documentaries. The creature design and bad acting of the first segment are fun enough, while the second segment is a commentary on Mumbai's Film City that feels like homage to and improvement upon the original V/H/S. The third segment goes crazy; UFO attack on a skydiving plane?? and then aliens with interesting designs chase everyone in broad daylight and rip them apart into Halloween decorations??? That's what we've been waiting for! The momentum is building! Then there's Justin Long's abysmal segment. Most unfunny comedy torture-horror I've ever seen, made me think I was going to have to rate this even lower than past panned V/H/Ses, Saw 18 directed by Doug Walker, etc., etc., until, finally, we lose the haunted house angle and Flanagan takes center stage.

His alien story is so good I didn't want to believe it was him writing it, and so painfully UNBEARABLY Stephen King I knew it couldn't be anyone else. Clever sci-fi concept that does my favorite thing in the world by focusing on the UFO itself, eye-rollingly maudlin over American family values, intentionally funny in places, and scary!!! I said 'no way' out loud when I realized how it was going to end; timed just right, not too early but still well before the protagonist. I'm giving Flanagan so much credit because it's the kind of short story I would've been completely enraptured by as a kid, but on film its function is really thanks to director Kate Seigel and near-solo actress Alanah Pearce. They use their medium (infrared camera!) and place in the framework to full advantage, which is why I'm glad it's a little treat within a schlocky horror anthology instead of a short film in its own right.

Buy a ticket? With these V/H/S reviews I always say 'no it's bad don't watch it unless you already like the franchise,' and THIS time... still no lmao. It isn't quite good enough to merit a recommendation, but that's on high highs and low lows rather than the kind of mediocre stickiness of past entries. If you're interested in going through a haunted house (these things continue to hit right at my limit for gore and body horror) to include one gnarly alien story and one interesting one? You could do worse. Not a home run, but first base. They hit the ball <3

[sarcasticfina]

For the prompts post if you are taking, 13 for buddie 💖

Im so glad to see you on my dash btw

i'm trying to get inspired to write fic so please send me some prompts from either of these sentence prompt lists: one, two (see original post for ship options)

13. Do you ever think we should just stop this? (credit)

It was late, and dark enough that Buck couldn't see much more than the outline of Eddie beside him. He should be sleeping. They had work tomorrow, and Chris had to be dropped off early for that science club he joined. Did Eddie pack his lunch already? They were a little distracted earlier...

In his defense, he hadn't seen Eddie outside of work for like... four whole days. That was a lot for them. Maybe he should double check the fridge. Chris had been snacking more lately. Another growth spurt. He could use an extra pack of carrot sticks or something anyway. Or maybe some of that trail mix he loved, even if he did add mini marshmallows to it, which wasn't exactly the healthiest snack...

"Stop thinking," Eddie grumbled. "Go t' sleep."

"Hey, did you pack Chris' lunch?"

Sighing, Eddie raised his head, hair in disarray, and squinted at him. "Huh? Yeah, I... Before. After dinner, I threw something together. Why? Is that what you're worrying about?"

"I'm not worried. I was just... wondering." Buck shifted around on the bed awkwardly and shrugged. "Did you add extra snacks? He's been eating more lately..."

"Uh-huh." Eddie dropped his head back down to the pillow. "Threw in some carrots and dip and some of that trail mix. Was like half marshmallows; you gotta stop letting him talk you into that."

"It was not half..." Buck rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's balanced out with all the nuts and raisins and dried apricot."

"Mmm."

Buck drummed his fingers atop his stomach, blanket pulled up to his chest. "Should I go out to the couch? He might have questions if he wakes up before us."

Silence answered him. But not an 'Eddie fell asleep' silence, no. This was tense, 'how do I respond to that?' silence. The worst kind of silence.

"Eds?"

"I heard you. Just... Uh... Do you wanna sleep on the couch?"

Buck frowned at the ceiling. "Not exactly comfortable for my back."

"Okay. Then stay here. I can set an earlier alarm if you want..."

Buck hummed. "I should've planned better. I wasn't even gonna come over. I was going home but then I just... didn't." He glanced in Eddie's direction. "You know, we never really talked about what the like... boundaries are."

"...boundaries," Eddie repeated. "About sleeping over or...?"

"All of it. I mean." Buck shrugged. "We just kind of... started this... thing... and we didn't really talk about it."

"Thing..."

"Historically, I'm the impulsive one, but you're not, so maybe I was expecting you to take the reins on how to handle this. Not that I was planning for us to become this. And it's not all on you, obviously."

"This thing?" Eddie sounded a little amused now and Buck frowned.

"I just don't want to overstep. Or make assumptions. Or... I don't know. I don't want to risk this... us... i don't want to do anything that might hurt Chris."

Eddie didn't respond immediately, and that heavy silence filled the room again. "What are you saying... exactly?"

"I guess..." Buck sat up and shuffled backwards. "I mean, do you ever think we should just stop this? Just go back to how it was before? Before we tried to be... more."

Eddie let out a quiet sigh and then he was shifting to sit up too, his back resting against the headboard. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Okay. First, Chris is fine. He will be fine."

"But how do you know?"

"Because he's Chris. Because he loves us and we love him. Because no matter what happens, I know you will always be a part of his life. Even if, somehow, this thing blows up in our faces, you will always put Chris first."

Buck swallowed a lump. "Yeah."

"And second, yes, we should've talked. Especially if you've been worrying about what we are. Maybe I had more time to figure out how I felt and come to grips with what it meant, I don't know. But... Evan, you're it. You're... I mean, I hope you feel the same way I do. I guess I just thought we were on the same page with how we felt. And now we're together. Boyfriend feels a little high school, but, uh, we've always been partners. Now we're just another version of that."

Warmth bloomed in Buck's chest. Partners. Yeah, that sounded right. He turned to look at Eddie, whose features were still mostly shrouded in darkness. "You're it for me too."

Eddie's shoulders slumped. "Yeah?" His voice was softer, filled with relief.

Buck grinned. "You're stuck with me for life."

Reaching over, Eddie took his hand and folded their fingers together. "Good."

"Sorry I was freaking out."

"You get in your head sometimes; I should know better. In future, we'll work on talking it out instead of waiting until..." He glanced at the old man alarm clock on his bedside table. "Dios, 2 am. Tomorrow's gonna suck."

"Whoops." Buck shuffled down the bed and pulled him along, turning onto his side to rest his head on Eddie's shoulder. He hooked an arm around him, fingers folding around his ribs. "You can sleep in. I'll bring Chris to science club and double back for you."

Eddie mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'I love you so much,' and then pressed a kiss to Buck's birthmark. "Go to sleep, cariño."

Anxiety assuaged, Buck listened.

[jollyreginaldrancher]

Yellowjackets liveblogging S3 e9

Was that adult Misty saying the "previously on" line?

My first question is did Melissa eat it?

Van's in hospital and seeing mini Van!

Aww she wants Tai

And mini Van is giving Misty props for sticking around lowkey while shading Shauna (as she should)

I don't want to believe it but Van's pretty close to death, huh? Cause they established you don't see the wilderness without a lil death and that's most definitely the wilderness talking to her through minivan.

Anyway looks like we're going on a journey.

Wonder what for

Tai, I don't think she's gonna make it home. I think this is her swan song. That you're gonna hitch a ride with Walter to oblivion.

Fuck I'm sad already

I've got a million different comfort foods but I just want Van to live. That's my comfort food.

RUN Kellysa RUN!

Good for her honestly

Oh fuck her wife did just say she was out of gas

Shauna's gonna be chewing into that ass in under an hour.

I never look at the credits cause I don't want spoilers but it sounds extra spooky today. I have a feeling shit is going down this ep.

I mean it's the second last though so yeah.

Tell her Nat.

I hate when Shauna and shit are right cause then I gotta side with the people I don't fuck with.

Tai's right though. They can't go yet.

That dude is tempting fate right now though. I'm guessing he's gonna try to run anyway. Wonder if he'll be part of the inevitable split in the group that I foresee happening now that we have two or more queens or just a side thing. Splintering into his own group. Maybe with Travis even. Totally not wishful thinking that Travis just fucks off btw.

Van has many points though, take a lot of seats Tai.

Practicing with the cards?!

The game is rigged!

Is she rigging it for her and Tai though or rigging it for everyone? Picking who lives and dies and so on? Tai lost the last one but they were fishing for a different card. I don't think she's been rigging it since the beginning but I'm sure she's gonna try from now on for sure. To keep herself and Tai and maybe even Misty and Shauna and Nat alive and Lottie too depending on how well thought out this plan is. I can see her and Tai sitting down and picking who needs to survive the most to give them all their best chance of survival and picking them out.

Adult Misty continues to slay away

They actually ran into Melissa I can't.

Out of the frying pan into the pyre.

She really paused to bandage her arm?!

Misty fuckdhskdjc recognised her ass immediately!

Also I love that despite Taissa's continued use of illegal tackles, it was Misty that got her ass lmfao. Like Tai and other Tai you can deal with but Misty in a leather jacket?!

Bottom Tai truthers are winning this ep.

Come on Travis, get pegged!

Please it's on my bingo card!

Pit trap origin story

Tell me that's not supposed to be sexual tension

Tell me Shauna's not gonna fuck that grandpa

Tell me nobody fucks that guy

Aside from maybe Travis, because I would count it as him getting pegged.

MISTY? SIDING WITH TAISSA AND SHAUNA AND MELISSA AND VAN?! MY HEART! MY HEART HURTS! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO YOUR WIFE?

Misty's self awareness though. She knows she's being fucked around. She doesn't lash out she just stores that info and uses it to her advantage. This is why I keep telling you she's not to be fucked with strategically but people are sleeping on my girl.

Not Shauna on crime scene cleanup lmao

YAS MISTY YAS QUEEN STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!

I give it five hours before she cracks the case wide open. I know she won't need them but I'll give them to her anyway.

Ain't no way Travis is trying to lead Lottie into a fucking trap right now.

Natalie I love you, I really do, but you picked the worst possible lineup for this ranked match

Back to the shitecki house. I swear if this is about the Joel's again i-

Is Misty about to get a literal lift via helicopter? Im- girl okay fuck it, put a ring on him

He's a creep and he will probably try to kill you but he'd do that anyway I imagine.

Queen of getting into people's heads Misty Quigley

What IS Van up to though? I'm curious now. First I thought she was fucking off but then I realised she's working on something

The phone?

Ok but is Misty gonna tell on Van for brownie points or is she gonna help her fix it? I think the latter but I can't be sure yet. Just from her reaction though. She seemed conflicted.

I see Hanna's already bonding with Melissa. Melissa and Shauna both knew she had a kid?! Damn. Anyway loving that there's trouble in paradise. Like Shauna BFFR you can't just be toxic and abusive and shit and still keep her loyal to your side of this shit.

Holly shit they went out and had a whole fight in the streets

Shauna calling Melissa nothing, saying she was nothing before her and is nothing without her and the way the camera focused on Misty there. Oof

I love how Natalie's just awkwardly standing there like two feet away from Melissa, doing nothing by the way. Everyone is, but Natalie is standing right in the thick of it lol.

WAIT, SHAUNA!

NOT THE FUCKING GUN ARE YOU SERIOUS?

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA FUCKING DOUBLETAP HER?

Shauna is in her Florida Man season I swear

Baby don't dare her you don't know what brand of crazy she's got

Oh my god I can't believe she just fucking shot her

And she ... Did she just? Oh my god...poor girl. Poor baby Melissa. I feel so bad for her this season. I take back anything bad I said about her. Van, you too. Fuck this. Fuck Shauna. That moment of humanity from Van, reminds me of the good times and why I loved her to begin with. She didn't really have much of those but the way she cared for Taissa all season 2 and has been taking care of people in her own way. Yeah, I do love her.

That was sweet. Heartbreaking moment. I wanna stand up and punch Shauna in the face myself.

Worth noting that Natalie who again was RIGHT NEXT TO MEL didn't jump in to protect her at all. Ultimately as much as she is for the people and protecting everyone she's powerless to stop Shauna and help anyone and she should have been pissing her pants too.

I can see you were conflicted Travis. I still don't care for you or your POV. Fuck you for trying to kill Lottie. It didn't take but fuck you anyway. And I am sure there's a reasonable explanation for this too, damn it. This doesn't prove anything.

I wonder if they're gonna include Misty and/or Mel in their plan to leave now. Doubt it, they're assholes, but yeah.

I don't care for the Callie/Jeff scenes either. Unless she reveals the missing note idg much of a fuck tbh.

Lmao not Shauna expecting Melissa to come to bed with her and shit.

Yas queen, has Melissa, go off with the shits!

For a second I thought Misty was in on it but I guess she's working on the phone?

I'm not buying the thrift shop excuse.

Also aren't they worried someone's gonna see all them lights are on in the middle of the night?

Hold on, whose hair is Shauna playing with? Jackie's? Did she take some of Jackie's?

Her hair is not this long is it?

Is Shauna Rapunzel?

Oh wait it was Hannah's, from that chase lmao, I forgot 😂

This is weird though

They all think Misty's weird but come on, this is serial killer behaviour.

Holly fucking shitty fuck!

I guess they're not busting out tonight. Or any night. I see your disappointment Misty, you were in on it, weren't you?

Maybe she was super duper ultra deep undercover. For Nat. Three timing them.

Anyway, Walter is too damn rich and connected for me to buy that story about his wealth.

Anyway she looks extra fine in this scene and honestly it's obviously Walter, like I think I suspected earlier.

Don't drink that, Misty, baby, you'll wake up I'm his sex dungeon, or worse, a bird cage.

Oh fuck this show for not showing us what Misty saw BTW

Anyway Melissa is still an idiot I guess. She took them out but at what cost? I gotta say I'm surprised though, I thought she was gonna try to use that cord to somehow escape from her bondage but not by almost dying first.

Aww van gave Tai her oxygen

Is that the PHONE FROM EARLIER THIS SEASON?

Probably not

Ooh Tai on Tai fight

Tai on Tai crime

Good Tai's back!

What's Van gonna do though? Save Melissa or end her? I mean all season she's been advocating to not kill anyone for her sake but now? She does think maybe though that she might have killed Lottie. That could factor into it.

Aww Natalie, my poor baby. Is it bad that I was laughing at this point? Like I can also feel myself losing my sanity. But also a tiny part of me was like "this is karma for what she did to Misty. This is karma for killing coach Ben" a part of me enjoyed watching her suffer. I'm not proud of it but a small vindictive part of me enjoyed watching all those tears. Yeah you killed him to save him but look at where that got you. You screwed yourself in the process. Hope it was worth it. Also Misty.

I don't know, I just spent a whole season of everyone abusing and using Misty to get what they want, and no matter how much I like them, it's kind of satisfying to see them suffer, at least a little, even if it's not directly for what they did.

Did she really just sit there and cry this whole time though? And everyone just left her? God, these kids are assholes. How could they forget about her? She's so white she practically glows in the dark. She's coming out of the woods like:

Love that Natalie took a minute to pause her sobbing just to be a nosey little bitch. Good for her. Honestly it's what I would've done too...

What's Misty digging up though?

THE GODDAMN FLIGHT RECORDER?

She hid it? That well? I gotta give her credit for this. She even remembered where she put it. I lose my glasses in bed and my whole day is gone.

Oh fuck, Natalie saw her.

Okay maybe it won't go that bad. Maybe she won't know what it is or she'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Misty looking so proud here. Lil goober.

Woah, hey, no, that's not the- ahh who am I kidding, Misty is toast. She's fucked. I didn't think they'd go there cause how the fuck does she survive this? Now especially? I feel like people peer pressured them into covering this and that's why they had to pull this out now, cause if she was caught in it in winter she'd be their next meal, for sure. Though now I'm starting to think she might have been dead all along and following the team as a damn ghost. Idek anymore.

Once again I ask how are they gonna get through this? How are they gonna not only both survive but also have the relationship they have as adults.

I just hope Misty can talk her way out of this. Without selling anybody out. We already have Hannah acting like Shauna 2.0, we don't need another Hannah in the group.

Please tell me we don't leave it like this. Please tell me we get some resolution to this plot this week. Tell me I don't have to wait a while week to see how Natalie reacts to this.

Ooh that song choice...

I'm so scared right now, I can't lie

Melissa has been inhaling smoke but look how she fought this episode. She's at the prime of her life. And Van is battling cancer. She could have let Taissa do it. If she was gonna... But she wouldn't do that. But now. I'm scared. Scared for Van. Scared for Melissa even. But I think I know it's not gonna be her. Not just from the vague posts I saw earlier but because Melissa has a whole family. She has a wife and a kid to fight for. And Van? She has next to nothing. She's sleeping with someone else's wife and robbing a kid from their mother. Her business is failing, her crops dying, skin unclear.

It's possible Melissa has been doing sacrifices on the side too, to prosper, mind you. Sent a message to see if Shauna was down like that too. I don't know though.

Nooooooooooooo

No

[northwest-cryptid]

Can we all just agree that $80 games would literally not be an issue if you were paid a living and thriving wage to begin with? Like, why is it a problem? It's a problem because there's a ton of people out there (more than you're thinking there are, I assure you) who literally work a whole day and come home with less than around $60 even before taxes.

"But federal minimum wage-" only applies to jobs that you don't get tips at, which means if your boss puts out a tip jar, congratulations your wages are literally $2 an hour "plus tips!"

I used to work with a guy who made roughly $40 - $60 a day working a full time 40 hour a week job. Let's average that to $50, or you know; $250 a week, $1,000 a month.

My rent is cheap here, and is still roughly an extra week or two more than that. Meaning he wouldn't even be able to afford cheap housing, food, gas to get to and from work; utilities; or basically anything else. He had to live with 3 other people in a 2 bedroom apartment, meaning he not only had roommates, but he had to share a room with one of them.

So let's say he's paying a third of the rent, and we'll go on the cheaper end and say he's paying around 1,250 for rent total. That means his cut of the rent costs him around $416, right now it costs about $100 for a weeks worth of food not even buying the fancy name brand or organic stuff. So that's another $400, putting us up to $816 before even factoring in gas, car payments, credit card bills, or any utilities he might owe on top of rent.

Not only is an $80 game more than a full day (or possibly 2) of work; but it's all but ensuring he can't put any money into savings for the month if he even had the $80 left after all the spending.

You want to know the worst part? Federal minimum wage is 7.25 an hour. Do you know how much you make at an 8 hour shift if you:

Don't pay for gas/transport to get there

Don't eat on your shift at all

Don't spend money in any way during your shift

Don't owe taxes on any of the income you make

It's $58.

All that math I just ran? You make 8 bucks more TOTAL if you're making the federal minimum wage, and many many people do if they're lucky enough to not have a job that gets tips. I used to work store management positions for 12.25 an hour.

As an adult the prices can't be justified even if the game would bring you months, if not years of joy. Because you're spending weeks putting tiny amounts of money aside from what you don't spend on food or gas, maybe you have to buy cheaper meals, maybe you're sustaining yourself on dollar store ramen, just to afford the new Nintendo game.

Blame Nintendo all you want, but if you were making a proper wage, $80 would be nothing to you. Pointing the finger at Nintendo, as shitty of a company as they might be; only helps companies who stiff you on payment avoid the finger being pointed at them.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

The Werther Project: Part One

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.5k

Warnings: canon angst and violence, extra angst

Summary: Dean's worst fears come to light when he and Sam mess with something that shouldn't have been messed with in the first place.

Season Ten Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. I love seeing any and all comments <3

x

For the past week, Dean has been trying to practice using your magic. You haven't come back to the Bunker since you left the cabin in Des Moines, and he doesn't really care. You're not here which means he gets to practice without you knowing he has your magic. The best place to do that is in the backyard you made. No one is around to enjoy it so it's become a breeding ground for magic.

Dean looks around the destroyed backyard with a sigh. The basketball net is shredded, Sam's garden looks like a car ran right through it, and the wooden gazebo is in pieces on the ground. If Dean continues this way, he will destroy everything else. Dean creates a ball of blue magic between his hands and tries to hold it but it shoots out of his hand and to the ground. Instead of the ground absorbing it, it bounces back and hits him square in the face.

"Fuck!"

"I take it it's not going well?" Sam asks.

"I don't know how Y/N did this. It's so damn hard!"

Dean conjures a ball of magic again and tries to lift Maryann's playset up but all it does is explode next to the swings, causing bits of hard plastic to go everywhere.

"Great," Dean scoffs.

"Have you tried reading the journals and books about the Sapphire Witch?"

"Yeah, I did. Multiple times. It's completely useless because I don't understand how easily it came to them. God, I wish Y/N was here to help me," he sighs sadly.

"Well, I got a lead on the book." When Sam told Dean he didn't destroy the book, he was pissed but it's the only thing that is going to help you so he's grateful that it's still here. "I'm going to talk to Rowena. She might be able to help."

"I don't like bringing this to her."

"The only other person who can decode it is Y/N but she'll destroy it. So, Rowena is my plan."

"Just go," Dean sighs. "I'll try not to destroy much else."

When Dean is alone again, he thinks back to some of your most magical times, one of them being this backyard. Magic looks easy when you're the one who was doing it. If you can create twelve of you to fight Cas then he can do a simple levitation spell. He doesn't need to be an expert on this, just enough to take you down. He takes a deep breath and tries again.

Rowena agrees to meet Sam at a restaurant only because she wants something. Sam gets there first and takes a seat in the back. Rowena strolls in moments later all doled up like she's going someplace fancy.

"Samuel," she grins and sits across from him.

"Rowena. I know you know we have the book."

"Yes, I do, but my help does not come for free."

"As I suspected. What do you want?"

"There's only one thing you could possibly do for me that I can't, at least presently, do for myself. Kill my son. He's expecting it from me. He already has his stinking minions on high alert. If you're wondering how a mother can get to the point of wanting her own son--"

"No, I'm really not," Sam cuts her off. "I'll do it. I'll kill Crowley. First things first, can you read the book?

"Of course I can. Besides the Scarlet Witch, I'm likely the only witch alive who can understand such old, dark magic. Just not in its present form. Allowing me to look at this book is bold even for you. I'm your mortal enemy. I've tried to kill you, your witch, and your brother as recently as last month. You wouldn't have come to me if I wasn't your last resort. You're desperate. You can stop pretending you're not. Now, I can't read the book in its present form, but there is someone who could. Nadya. Grand Coven witch."

"Where do I find her?"

"You don't. She's dead. Long ago. Murdered for her life's work. Her decryption formulas and her codex are what you can find. Bring me Nadya's codex, and I'll break this text right open and give you your cure."

"Where do I look?"

"If I were you, I'd start at home. Who do you think murdered Nadya and stole the codex in the first place?"

"The Men of Letters. I'll be in touch."

Sam heads back to the Bunker only to find Dean asleep in his room. You're still nowhere to be found but he can't care about that. He knows how hard this has been for Dean so he has to find this cure as fast as he can. You're his best friend. He'd do anything for you. Plus, the longer you go without your soul, the more it's going to hurt when you finally do get it back. Sam finds a bunch of stuff in the storage room that he moves into the library. Inside one of the boxes is an audio tape reel. He doesn't want to wake Dean so he plugs headphones in and listens to it.

"Please, let's come to order. Men of Letters meeting minutes--May 16, 1956. On the matter of Cuthbert Sinclair's expulsion."

"This is hardly your first offense, Cuthbert. You've been cited for disciplinary infractions seven times in the course of your tenure. This enchanted vault of yours, this Werther box has a warding so potent it achieves a theoretical rate of, in your own words, ninety-eight percent lethality."

"Extreme measures were warranted. The Coven is desperate to get the codex back. The Werther box works," Cuthbert explains.

"All too well, I'd say. Working in secret, embarking on this project without oversight left two fellow Men of Letters vulnerable to your most potent magics. Fletcher and Martinez were members in good standing. Fletcher chanced upon the box and died in two hours. Martinez heroically tried to shut it down. We found him dead on the floor beside the box, his wrists cut," Markham says.

"I already apologized for that accident. I refuse to do so again. Why are you all so small-minded? Hmm? We were brought here to do great things, to take risks, and to bring the fight to the monsters of this world. Yet, to a man, you choose instead to molder in these stacks. You are not men. You are NOT men. You're librarians, nothing more."

"Before we rule on what is to be done with you, I'm prepared to give you a chance to secure our leniency. Tell us how to shut it down. The box is still in St. Louis with the codex. It's still a danger."

"Let me tell you what you can do with your leniency, Markham. You know, I saw the writing on the wall. I knew you cowards would shut this project down, which is why I built it the way I did. There is only one way to silence the Werther for good. Let's just say Martinez was on the right track. I doubt you lot have the guts but you're welcome to die trying."

A door slamming sounds and Sam can only imagine Cuthbert left the room.

"Markham, would you have us keep trying?" another man asks.

"The box is to be interred and guarded where it stands, in perpetuity. Bury it."

Sam turns off the tape and looks through the records where he finds the Men of Letters headquarters in St. Louis. He takes out his phone and calls Rowena. It takes three rings but she eventually answers it.

"I was in the middle of taking my nap, Samuel. I'm over three hundred years old. Beauty sleep isn't optional."

"I've been looking into the thing we discussed. I got a lead, but it's guarded by a violent enchantment. I need a spell to break the spell."

"The Cabirian invocation. Easy to obtain. Good all-purpose disenchantment."

"Great. Thanks."

Sam is about to hang up but Rowena speaks again.

"It's not recommended for amateurs. In inexperienced hands, the invocation has a way of fizzling out. I could come. You might need me."

"I'll take my chances. Thanks," Sam says and hangs up.

"What are you taking your chances on?" Dean asks when he walks into the library.

"I got a lead on the codex. Are you up for it?"

"Give me ten."

Sam and Dean travel to St. Louis and pull up to a run-down-looking house. The white paint is chipping on the outside of the house, the yard is overgrown with weeds, and there are piles of newspapers sitting on the front porch.

"So, you want to do this or shall I?"

"Wait here."

Sam gets out of the can and walks up the porch steps, careful for the one step that's bowing in. He doesn't think anyone is living in this place so he doesn't bother knocking. He tries to look into the window on the door but there is a curtain closed so he can't see much. He takes out his lock pick and tries to use it but the barrel of a gun comes out of the letter box and whoever is on the other side is pointing it at his pelvis.

"Bad idea."

"Whoa! I can explain!"

"Yeah, don't bother. You have three choices: get arrested, get your bits blown off, or get back."

"I think I'll get back."

"Attaboy."

He walks back to the car and looks at Dean with wide eyes.

"Yeah, she threatened to shoot me in the dick."

"Really?" Dean chuckles.

"Dude."

"Alright. From what I gathered from Google, this family moves into this long-vacant house. One week later, three of them were dead at their own hands. The whole family was wiped out except for the daughter, Suzie, whose house is still under her name. I'm figuring she's the one who nearly unmanned you back there."

"Yeah, well, this long-vacant home used to be a Men of Letters chapter house. Remember Magnus?"

"You mean the dickwad ex-Men of Letters that tried to make a zoo exhibit out of me and YN? Yeah."

"Before he was expelled, he built Werther, a magical box with a deadly alarm system. Werther is buried somewhere in this house. It was supposed to have been guarded, but I'm guessing that plan went out the window when Abaddon massacred the entire membership in '58. The house stayed in limbo until some lucky family bought it. Werther's a time bomb and it needs to be defused. Not only is this in our wheelhouse, it's our responsibility."

"Our responsibility?"

"We're Men of Letters. It's our legacy."

"Alright. Different plan. She's only seen you. You sneak in the back and find it while I distract her. Think you can manage that?"

"Yeah," Sam rolls his eyes.

Dean walks up the porch steps to the front door and knocks while Sam runs to the back without being seen. He looks down at the letterbox, remembers what Sam said, and covers his dick with his hands as if that will stop a bullet. The door opens and a woman steps out with a gun pointed right at Dean.

"What did I say?" Dean squeaks when he sees the gun and looks at her with wide eyes. She frowns when she sees it's not Sam and looks around. "You're not.... Fella tried to.... What do you want?"

Shit, say something. Anything. Anything will do. Just say words.

"You saw him? Oh, tell me you did. I'm sorry, but my name is Dwight Twilley. I'm with the neighborhood watch. We're looking into a few recent break-ins, and if you saw the guy it would be mighty helpful if you gave a description. If I could--if I could just have a minute of your time?"

Dean steps into her home and squeaks out the word "time" but clears his throat to keep his composure. She looks around and closes the door before joining Dean in the living room.

"Tall, white fella. Pretty hair."

"Right. It's a nice house you have here, uh..."

"Suzie."

"Suzie. Do you live here alone?"

"Just me and Gus."

"Gus?" Suzie raises her gun in response. The kettle begins whistling in the kitchen so Suzie walks over to it with Dean following her. "So, all alone in this big house, huh? Must get lonely even with Gus."

"Yeah, well I'm used to alone."

She pours herself two cups and puts two tea bags in them. She offers a cup to Dean but he shakes his head politely. With her back turned to him, Dean looks at the back door and sees Sam trying to break into the basement door. If he's going to hide something as big as a Werther box, it'll be in the basement. He gets the lock open and gives a thumbs up to Dean.

"No, thank you."

"Been alone here since, uh, '80? After my family died, my Aunt Pauline moved in. She took care of me and raised me for a few years."

Dean hears something move in the basement and he coughs loudly to cover up the noise.

"So, what happened to your aunt?"

"I told her not to go in the basement. No one goes in the basement."

"What's in the basement, Suzie?" She looks out the window with tears in her eyes. She turns back to the kitchen counter and grabs a knife. "Ma'am you okay?"

She immediately turns and points her gun at Dean who backs up in fear.

"Oh! Whoa! Suzie!"

"My social skills may be rusty but I'm no idiot. The doorbell hasn't rung in months, and two visitors in one hour? One breaking in, and the other asking all sorts of questions about..."

"I told you, I was from the neighborhood watch."

"Yeah, yeah, neighborhood watch. Right. Boy, have you seen this house? There's only one thing in here worth getting at, and it sure as hell ain't me. You came for the box. Whoever left that Godforsaken thing down there.... I knew someday, someone would come for it. I swore never to let that happen. He's downstairs isn't he?"

Well, the gig is up.

"He's my brother, and we're here to help you."

"You call him up here. Now! You call him up here! Now!"

"Sam! Sammy!" Dean yells. "She wants you up here, now!"

Suddenly, a loud boom sounds from the basement that terrifies Suzie.

"No... No! Get out! Get out! Out! Out! You bastards!" Suzie rushes Dean toward the front door with her gun trained in front of her. He stops by the front door and looks at her who has tears in her eyes. "You let it out!"

Both he and Suzie look toward the stairs where there is a bright green mist. It flies all around the duo before entering their bodies through their eyes. Both of their eyes are yellow-green as the mist takes control of their minds.

"Dean!" Dean blinks and his eyes return to normal. "Dean!" He sees the gu in Suzie's hands and puts his hands up as he joins his brother's side. "Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Put the gun down. We can talk about this, okay?"

Something passes by the brothers from behind and Suzie's eyes go wide.

"What was that?" She looks at something between the brothers with fear in her eyes. "Oh, my God."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know."

"Stay back. Stay back!"

"Go!" Sam and Dean jump out of the way just in time for Suzie to shoot her gun at her bookshelf. She must be seeing something that isn't there. "What are you doing, huh? You don't have a plan. You don't have a defense."

"No!" Suzie yells from her office door.

"Suzie!" Sam yells and leaves the living room to head to the office.

x

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