#to the person who asked about a pulled back version w/ beads that will also be happening :)

[sleepingsims]

okay so maybe i don't hate editing my own meshes?

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Texts from the Lost Tomb part 6.1

🎶 Back on the bullshit I never got off🎶

Is this another unnecessary story arc?? With three sections??

Yes.

Wushanju Crew Chat

Wang Meng: You know, I’m someone who appreciates consistency in my day. My life is pleasant, very few issues indeed if you ignore the big ones. And yet. Yet here we are. With unresolved messes at the end of a day.

Wang Pangzi: SOMETHIN YOU NEED TO SAY MARY POPPINS

Wang Meng: We need to talk about Huo Daofu and the glittery bead curtain.

Wang Pangzi: MY FAVE TEEN WIZARD SERIES

Wu Xie: did you turn on that suggested word thingy lol

What glittery bead curtain

Wang Meng: I closed the shop at 6:00pm this evening on the dot. I locked all of the doors in and out of the shop very carefully, especially in light of recent events. The hall leading to the back office was empty. I filed the day’s paperwork, updated and sent emails, and then spent an extra hour organizing receipts and dusting. When I came back out, there were glittery iridescent bead curtains over the front entrance to the shop.

What could this mean?

Wu Xie: uh that you need to spend less time at work?

Wang Pangzi: LOOKS LIKE WE GOT ONE FOR THE DETECTIVES. THE MYSTERY OF THE BEDAZZLED THRESHOLD COMMENCES

Wu Xie: I think we can be relatively secure in thinking a glittery bead curtain isn’t a hostile threat

Wang Pangzi: SAYS YOU

I REMEMBER YE OLDE EXPLORATION TIMES HOW FAST THINGS GOT FURIOUS

BEANBAG CHAIRS SET AFLAME AND LEFT ON DOORSTEPS AS A WARNING

GLITTERBOMBS FOR DAYS

PANIC AT THE DISCO

Wang Meng: Ugh, forget it. I should have just taken them down, regardless of who they belong to.

Zhang Qiling: They are not mine.

Wang Pangzi: A BOLD STATEMENT COMING FROM OUR PRIME SUSPECT

SOMEONE QUICK GO DRAW CHALK AROUND THE DOORWAY TO MARK THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

Wang Meng: Do we know anyone who *would* sneak in and put those up? For whatever reason, legal or not? Even as a joke?

Wang Pangzi: ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ASKING WHETHER WE KNOW ANYONE WHO IS CHAOTIC, AN OUTLAW, A PRANKSTER AND/OR SNEAKS INTO PLACES

BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN OUR SUSPECT LIST IS LITERALLY EVERYONE WE KNOW EXCEPT FOR YOU.

Wu Xie: okay let’s think about this; for starters, I didn’t break into my own shop

Wang Meng: You would be in danger of doing some work in the process, that’s true.

Wang Pangzi: LOL

Wu Xie: ANYWAY let’s keep going. For example, Xiao Ge would only break in somewhere for a good reason. Xiao Ge, did you do this?

Zhang Qiling: No.

Wu Xie: okay who’s next

Wang Pangzi: YOU REALLY MISSED YOUR CALLING IN INTERROGATION TIANZHEN

REALLY PUT THE SCREWS TO HIM

IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE;)

Zhang Qiling: How can we be certain *you* didn’t do it?

Wang Meng: Admittedly that was my guess, too.

Wang Pangzi: WOW I SEE HOW IT IS

BLAME PANGZI AS USUAL

ANYWAY HOW DOES HUO DAOFU FIT INTO THIS

Wu Xie: Oh yeah him! Oops I got distracted

Wang Pangzi: UR ENTIRE HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL

Wu Xie: Ugh fuck off

Wang Meng what abt Huo Daofu??

Zhang Qiling: ?

Wu Xie: oh sorry xiaoge I didn’t realize you wouldn’t have spent much time around him last year

He and I go way back

Zhang Qiling: Way back where?

Babysitters Club Chat

Wang Pangzi: I CANNOT BELIEVE HE IS BUYING YOUR INNOCENT ACT

IF YOU EVER TURN TO EVIL WE ARE FUCKED

Zhang Qiling: ?

Wang Pangzi: YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO HUO DAOFU IS

YOU WERE EXTREMELY POLITE AND BORDERLINE FRIENDLY TOWARDS HIM

Zhang Qiling: I wanted him to feel welcome. I wanted to be sure he understands he has a place here. A specific place.

Wang Pangzi: FOR A SILENT GUY YOU ARE A MASTER AT SUBTLE POWER PLAYS IM ALL TINGLY

LMAO THE IDEA OF WU XIE LEAVING YOU FOR HUO DAOFU IS HILARIOUS AND ALSO NOPE

Zhang Qiling: Rationally, I understand that.

Main Chat

Wang Meng: Huo Daofu is coming for the weekend—didn’t Wu Xie tell you? Wu Xie asked me to check in a week ahead so we could start getting ready for his arrival

Wu Xie: oh yeah I did do that

Wang Meng: Fortunately I know you and so I already went ahead and took care of everything.

Re: the trip

He made a deal with Wu Xie’s doctor that he would do periodic checkups on him here at Wushanju

Bc Wu Xie hates being in the hospital

And frankly the hospital hates him too

Wang Pangzi: FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT LOL

I FORGOT HUO DAOFU WAS DOING THAT

A VERY CHIVALROUS GESTURE

WOULDNT YOU SAY

XIOAGE

Zhang Qiling: Is it safe for him to be here with a criminal loose on the premises?

Wu Xie: Right, back to the curtain! Let’s focus on the curtain, hmm?

Wang Pangzi: I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND.

ALSO WE CAN RULE OUT XIAO BAI FOR THE CURTAIN SHE JUST SENT A SELFIE FROM NORWAY COVERED IN GREEN SLIME WITH ZERO CONTEXT, UR PROTEGE INDEED

Wu Xie: okay but who else would do something so oddly charming yet illegal and—wait.

Snake Eyes Chat

Wu Xie: hey, Glasses hasn’t been in touch lately right?

Li Cu: uh nope

Unless u count the outdated memes

Why, is money or Xie Yuchen missing

Or is this curtain related, I saw Wang Meng’s tweet

Wu Xie: haha no nothing to worry about really

(I mean maybe? but who knows)

Wang Meng is probably just getting a little paranoid in his old age

Li Cu: better than getting reckless and stupid as hell in ur old age

Wu Xie: …hey:(

Unknown Number: Li Cu, we discussed this.

Wu Xie: ????????

Li Cu: *sigh* fine, reckless and stupid as heck

Unknown Number: …close enough.

Wu Xie: EXCUSE who is that

Madame, Sir, Non-Binary Tree Spirit, etc—whomst the fuck

Are you

Li Cu is underage FYI

So Im staying on this chat

Li Cu: okay first of all, it’s not like that

Second of all I’m literally not underage I s2g

u threw the embarrassing surprise bday party, okay so u should remember

And C, that’s my counselor and I invited her. She wanted to meet u and I knew u wouldn’t agree to a visit so I added her to our chat

we have been discussing u

Wu Xie: Oh wow!!!!!!!

What a surprise:)

hi so nice to meet you:)

Main Chat:

Wu Xie: RED FUCKING ALERT

FUCK THE CURTAIN FUCK THE VISIT

IVE BEEN TRICKED INTO FAMILY THERAPY BY A SMUG TEENAGER WHO TEXTS UNKNOWN NUMBERS

Wang Meng: I assume that means something to someone here?

Not my problem? Good.

Wang Pangzi: AHAHAHA GOD I LOVE LI CU

HES LIKE ADORABLE KARMA FOR ALL THE SHIT YOUVE PUT ME THROUGH

IM RAISING HIS ALLOWANCE

Wu Xie: wait i give him an allowance

has he been collecting on two allowances??

Zhang Qiling: Three. I knew about both of yours.

Snake Eyes Chat

Wu Xie: so uh may I ask your name?

Unknown Number: you can call me Ms. Lee.

Now, if you’re comfortable talking in this format, why don’t you tell me how things have been going?

Wu Xie: oh everything is normal and fine and safe as usual, why do you ask:)

Li Cu: I heard about ur necklace thing. nice of you to NOT mention it.

another dangerous adventure. again. prick.

Ur lucky your cool boyfriend cares about you so much or you’d have already died like ten years ago

Wu Xie: lol try twenty years ago

Li Cu: That isn’t funny.

Unknown Number: …What?

Wu Xie: shit ur right, okay that was a bit glib, my apologies.

…I use humor as a coping mechanism?

Unknown Number: and Li Cu, how do you feel about that?

Li Cu: he doesn’t even know what that phrase means

He doesn’t cope, like ever

In fact

It’s kind of why we met

Which is a funny story in retrospect tbh

Wu Xie: haha what are you talking about sweetie hahaha need I remind you of certain anecdotes that could idk send me to jail maybe lmao

Unknown Number: …You know, perhaps an in-person meeting might be more effective?

Wu Xie: haha such a nice idea but why

Main Chat

Wu Xie: If I go to jail, I’ll have to create alliances for protection, right, that’s how it works on tv

Who do we know who spends time in jail

Other than Hei Yangjing, he’s only ever there for like 12 hours and i suspect he just gets himself arrested bc he enjoys the breaking out process

Also how’s the curtain case coming along

Zhang Qiling: Has someone threatened you?

Wu Xie: well not yet but soon I’m sure

Wang Pangzi: WHERE WAS THIS PARANOIA WHEN WE GOT TAKEN TO THE TEA HOUSE HUH

Snake Eyes Minus Your Fucking Therapist Chat

Li Cu: okay how tf did u pull off spy and undercover shit

u are sus as hell

Wu Xie: damn son is it pick on Wu Xie night

I missed the flyers or I would’ve invited my uncles

Also re: the curtain it’s been mostly solved

Li Cu: I’m not your son, idiot.

Wu Xie: …oh. Sorry, sorry, you’re right, bad choice of words, haha

Forget i said anything

Delete this chat even

Li Cu: shit I meant

Legally, biologically, I meant—

shit

…I turn into an asshole as a coping mechanism?

Wu Xie: oh that’s all okay! I have to go do something else now let me know if you need anything okay kid thanks!

Li Cu: goddamn it calm down who’s the kid here

lemme organize my thoughts so I can articulate my emotions fuckin healthily or w/e

Ugh maybe for like one afternoon we could go to Ms. Lee together? She knows how to word stuff

Wu Xie: uh…okay.

Li Cu: Anyway you don’t need to worry abt jail

As if you would survive prison for one day you’d piss off half the place in like an hour or less

I gave Ms. Lee the heavily edited version of the desert highway to hell roadtrip and i discussed it more in terms of like “nightmarish but still wouldn’t take any of it back”

Well maybe the sand

that shit was everywhere

Wu Xie: oh kiddo. It’s fine, really…You don’t have to explain yourself to me.

Li Cu: no, no it’s just

I do technically have a dad

who is an asshole. Being a son doesn’t really mean shit to me bc it sucked.

So you need to stop backing down just cuz ur guilty abt stuff. I’m really really glad ur not my dad in a good way. Do u get what I mean there

Where’s the mafia widower I followed into hell, huh

Wu Xie: Ur a good kid, despite my influence. I’m really glad you have someone to talk to after everything I…after everything. Wow this talking through feelings thing is kind of weird but nice ur right

Jfc no wonder it took me and xiaoge so long to—you know what, we won’t get into that

Li Cu: ew tmi

Also re: this week’s recent necklace fuckery

I moved my stuff here, I live here now

So you can’t die anymore

Or else…Idk I don’t have a threat planned

anyways abt the curtain

Wu Xie: oh my god, kid…kid you have no idea

I am in tears.

Li Cu: see this is why I can’t be nice to you I can sense the hallmark channel from here

Ugh don’t be sad in ur room that’s dumb

Go hug Pangzi or something

Maybe delete this chat

Or the curtain thing

Focus on the curtain thing

Just stfu and go away

Wu Xie: <3 screenshotting this <3

Li Cu: I take back everything I said. This is why Xiao Ge sleeps on the roof. I hope the ghosts of the Wangs put up that curtain to strangle you somehow. Go die in a stupid way, it’ll suit you.

Wu Xie: lol don’t worry I’m not gonna embarrass you with it or anything

Main Chat

Wu Xie: omg guys look how cute my kid is *sending screenshot*

Wang Pangzi: I MEAN

HE IS WISHING YOU DEATH

BUT SURE

CUTE I GUESS

Wu Xie: no but read the whole thing:):):)

Zhang Qiling: It is indeed very hard to remain angry with you. And you are welcome to join me on the roof.

Wang Pangzi: UH NOPE

NOT WHENI HAD TO BLEACH THE COUNTER IN THE KITCHEN

DONT TRAUMATIZE THE EARLY BIRDS THEYRE ALREADY FREAKED OUT BY U YA HOODIE CRYPTID

Wu Xie: ok true but babe ur like a sexy cryptid

Wang Meng: so, are we just accepting that there is a glittery curtain of unknown origin, and Huo Daofu is going to have to see it while he’s waiting for you at Wushanju bc you’re going to family therapy?

Wu Xie: right

Wang Pangzi: SHOULDA TAKEN EARLY RETIREMENT HUH

Wang Meng: I’m going to go dust something.

Unnamed Chat:

Unknown number: so the curtain…

Unknown number 2: yep, not my best work but I kinda panicked last minute u know

Unknown number: what is in the water at Wushanju that makes everyone dumb and attractive

Unknown number 2: relax they’ll figure it out

[infinitethree]

Hello Eret Prime! I don't think alot of people ask you alot of questions, so I'll ask one! What's it like hearing about all the other Erets out in the multiverse?

The scene opens with two people seated at just outside a cafe. The signage indicates that it’s A Slice of Heaven, which is Niki Prime’s cafe/bakery. It’s run by her, Baque–the Quackity from the T3’s swapped world–and a few other versions of Niki. Various Bads also help with baking, particularly muffins.

The two that are being focused on, though, are Eret Prime and Ferre. The latter is from the same world as Baque and is the swapped version of Eret.

Eret Prime pauses mid-sip of their tea, and slowly sets their cup back down. They're aware that something--multiple somethings--have been asking questions to people. They're also aware that, technically, only the T3 have an obligation to answer those questions.

Given the relatively harmless nature of this one and how unclear a lot of things are about the askers--especially what or whoever they may be--Eret feels it far safer to answer than risk starting things off on a hostile note.

Ferre raises their eyebrows at the pause.

“A question, from our unseen…guests,” Eret tells them. Ferre makes a noise of understanding, straightening up slightly in their chair. “Do you want to pick this up later, then?”

Eret shakes their head. “No, no, it’s…probably something you could answer too, if you want. They wanted to know how I feel about hearing about other Erets.” They give a small smile, and gesture slightly at the version of themselves who swapped roles with Fundy. “Some are pleasant surprises. As unhappy as I was that for Ferre, things happened the same way, sort of…it’s been very interesting to learn what was different.”

Said person grins. Tone light and playful they say, “The Alphabet Mafia is stronger than ever. Our sinister work is never done.” “I would hardly call a queer support group-slash-club sinister, but sure,” Eret points out, his own smile growing.

Ferre waves a hand dismissively, “The sinister part is making it sound ominous to outsiders. It’s fun to see how they’re stunned by how mundane it really is.” Eret laughs, adjusting the sunglasses that they wear. Ferre shifts their own back into its proper place out of habit.

“Though, really, nothing is mundane about a group that multiple Was-Taken brothers are in. Meetings get a little…chaotic.” Eret’s polite phrasing makes Ferre laugh. “Chaotic is an understatement. I’m still amazed Theo never murdered us all, back on the SMPza. Our Niki being an active member should have, by all rights, been a death sentence. And yet…”

Eret picks up where they trailed off. “And yet, he decided to stick around despite not really getting being aromantic or asexual. Which I had to explain to him, because Day had tried numerous times and failed. He still reminds me that he owes me a life debt for getting Theo to understand it. I’m…reasonably sure it’s a joke. Probably.”

There’s a shrug from the swapped version of the monarch. “Day was and still is strange. Though he certainly…makes more sense, knowing what we all know now.” There’s regret in Ferre’s tone, and they place a hand over their necklace. It’s nothing more than a plain chain with a very simple wire-wrapped ear cuff threaded onto it. The beads are telling; amber, prismarine, and emerald, along with one in black glass and one in orange glass.

Ferre still mourns that they lost the friendships they had made with Daedalus, Orpheus, and Atlas over Fundy’s betrayal. It hadn’t mattered that Ferre themselves was in the dark; they were pulled away from all the same. Sometimes they feel angry about how unfair it was; how they hadn’t known anything but was punished for it all the same. In the past, that anger was vented by pulling away from their adoptive older brother.

Fundy is gone now, though; he was one of the many victims of the Egg. It’s still a miracle that Ferre themself wasn’t dragged into it as well. They had never imagined that it would be Theo, Day, and Vio who rescued them. Them, Baque, and Jeste–or, before they changed names, Quackity and Punz.

The only other person who had been left was Niki. And, well…Ferre wasn’t thrilled that she met a bloody, violent end. Of course they weren’t; Niki had been a friend. But…Niki would have died no matter what they did. There was no way she wouldn’t; the T3 had been very, very clear about that.

There had only been a question of if the remaining three would stay and be infected, doomed to wander the server as it decayed and fell apart around them…or go back with the three of them to a place of peace.

They had all had some pretty severe doubts about how peaceful it actually was, but there wasn’t much of a choice.

It had been an…adjustment. To put it mildly. It wasn’t even the absurd details like a god having been murdered there or the existence of two time travellers that had been the worst part. No, no; the hardest thing to adjust to was Vio. The alien was frequently teased and poked fun at in little ways that, honestly, would have gotten just about anyone killed if they had tried it on the SMPza. But here, it was just…normal. It was simply another baffling facet of Sanctuary, that it all started with Vio deciding to turn it into a decent place out of spite.

It was still hard to wrap their head around. The same was true to Baque and Jeste, though admittedly Baque’s struggle was more with learning that, apparently, Vio would frequently lament not being able to get certain baked goods from the swapped Quackity.

Eret, who had been quiet for a few moments as Ferre was lost in thought, spoke again. “I’ve heard about some…interesting worlds. There was one where everyone was an animal; the T3 took pictures of all of them. I was a ferret. That seemed like it was one of the better worlds they’ve been in.”

And that was a huge understatement; it wasn’t uncommon for the Was-Taken family to sequester themselves within their home. While none of them went into detail about the exact reasons why, it was widely known that they were almost entirely due to Day’s trauma responses to what were phrased as ‘bad worlds’.

The monarch continues, “An odder one was one in which the local Eret absorbed Herobrine’s powers and became an unstoppable god. That was…strange to hear about. On the less odd side of things, though…I believe an early one was that Tommy and I co-ruled the Greater SMP area as joint monarchs. Even when I first heard about that one, it made a strange sort of sense; Tommy is, seemingly across all iterations of himself, capable of greatness. Just look at the empire he’s created with Make It Sew, or even how he was a core member of the original Reformation Team. I’m glad he’s doing so well and relieved we’re on good terms now.“ They smile a little at the thought.

It had taken a lot of counseling for them to get to that point, but it was well worth it. There would never be the same trust that there had been in the early days of L’manburg, but that was to be expected. That Eret and Tommy could have civil conversations–or, well, mostly civil; Tommy was still Tommy–was in, and of itself, nearly a miracle.

The same could be said of all of Sanctuary. How impossible, how improbable, that a place like it could exist at all. A version of the Dream SMP where disputes were settled with pranks or talking, where wars ended in everyone covered in glitter and laughing, where Tommys and Dreams and countless others who once drew the others’ blood instead hung out or caused only minor mischief against each other.

A place without the threat of explosions or exile, one with a community that sprawled across countless chunks. No canon lives, mandatory therapy, and the end being freely open to all who wanted to go. There are games and clubs and events and countless hands extended in support. It’s a refuge, an oasis, a sanctuary.

A home.

“So…my feelings are mixed, I suppose. The same as most complex things are,” Eret finishes. Ferre nods. “I agree. It’s nice to hear about the good, and disappointing to hear about the bad. If nothing else, it’s a relief that the other versions of us are rarely a part of the reason the T3 show up. Or, if they are, it’s as part of a larger group. I prefer that to countless worlds in which we’re the…villain, for lack of a better phrase.”

[sarcasmdunbar]

Just Human • t.r.

Author: @sarcasmdunbar

Pairing: Theo Raekan x reader.

Word Count: 873

Warnings: Blood, Vivid Nightmares, Death

Request: Hiii can you do a theo x reader using prompt 2, 22 and 45. Maybe where the pack is all sleeping over at Derek’s loft after a long night of researching and the reader is human and also very scared of losing her friends and she has a nightmare where someone dies and Theo hears her and goes to check up on her (her and Theo have a love hate relationship) thank u!

2: “You are never, ever going to be alone.”, 22: “Are you okay? I heard you screaming in your sleep.”, & 45: “Are you...crying?” 

The palpitations in your heart never seemed to ceased as you turned into a long, dark corridor. Overhanging connected by a single rusted chain in the middle of the hallway was a lone flickering fluorescent light. It swung back and forth despite the warm, sticky air lacking any breeze or hint of wind. The chain emanating a loud whining sound as it ominously swayed in its rhythmic pattern.  Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Repeatedly.

Your hand reached for the edge of the wall for a guide. Your breathing unsteady and heavy. There was something wrong. Something terribly wrong. Static caught against your shirt as your pressed yourself against the wall, using the brief flickers of light and the wall itself to lead you wherever. You felt like you had been here before. Whether you chose to remember it or not.

At the end of the corridor you could see what looked like an opening into a room. You pressed onward a heavy weight in your chest and a gut-wrenching feeling in your stomach. You turned into the room heart stopping your chest.

The room was a little brighter and filled with grime. A sickly-sweet scent wafting through the air. The room barren and empty. All but for the bodies lying on the floor. Your heart dropped to your stomach and adrenaline started to kick in. You rushed to the first person you saw on the floor.

You dropped to your knees, hands lying on the chest of the boy. And now, you could see vividly who it was. “Stiles,” You croaked, tears pricking your eyes. You shook him vigorously. His eyes were closed, his face paler than ever. A line of dried blood pooling out from the corner of his mouth. “Stiles wake up!” You sobbed even louder. Your voice contorting into a scream. With no avail. The usually lively boy was gone.

The tears poured from your eyes as you moved on to the next person. Scott. “Scott, Scott” You called, placing your hands on his abdomen to be met with a thick, sticky substance. Your eyes shot to his face, where his mouth was agape and his eyes stricken with fear, wide and bloodshot.

They were all gone. Lydia, Kira, Liam, Malia, Derek. Theo. Everyone. Every single one. With nothing you could to do save them. Your biggest fear becoming realized as you sunk into the corner of the room and bawled your eyes out. Your friends. Your family. Your pack.

“This is all your fault you know.” A cold, calculated voice echoed. It sounded all too familiar as the shuffling of feet against the concrete resonated in your ears. You looked up from your hands, the tears staining your cheeks. It was your voice. It was you.

A different version of you. It stood before you a sadistic smile plastered on it’s contorted face. Clothed in all black. It crouched down before you and spoke once again. Laying a hand on your shoulder. “You couldn’t save them.”.

You jerked upward frantically, sweat beading down your forehead. The moonlight poured in on your lap and illuminated where your friends all laid. Asleep. Alive. You glanced down at your hands, shaky but clean of where blood previously stained them.

You jerked again as you felt a hand lay on your shoulder. Your eyes shot from your hands to the outlined figure beside you.

“Theo?” You questioned your voice shaky, barely above a whisper. “W-What are you doing?”

“Are you okay?” Theo asked ignoring your question. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I heard you screaming in your sleep.”

“I was?” You asked your voice cracking. You reached up to your eyes and wiped them, tears transferring on to your arm. You sniffled. 

“Are you...crying?” Theo questioned a bit confused, taking a seat by you. Whether you wanted to talk or not he was going to press you. It was one of many things you disliked about him. It, however, was hard to ignore Theo Raekan.“What the hell happened?”

“I had a dream, a nightmare.” You started fiddling with your thumbs as Theo looked at you expectantly. “I was in this place. It was familiar but, I couldn’t remember where. I went into this room. And there was everyone…” You glanced up at Theo making eye contact with him. Your eyes began to water once more. You began to cry and hyperventilate as you recalled the details of your dream. “Dead. You were all dead. And I was all alone. I got you killed because- because I’m just a human. And I can’t protect you guys.”

Theo wrapped an arm around you pulling you into his chest as you sobbed. He rubbed your back as you cried, shushing you softly so you wouldn’t wake the others. “{Y/n}” He started gaining your attention. “You are never, ever going to be alone, okay? I won’t let that happen.”

You felt a small, sad smile touch your lips. You wrapped your arms around Theo and squeezed. It was rare, moments like these in such a dangerous world. Rare moments with Theo, whom you’d never quite see eye to eye with sometimes.

It gave you great comfort though, that with him there, you were never going to be alone.

[tyrustrash]

Summary of chapters 1-8: TK comes from an abusive home and struggles opening up to his roommates, Leon and Layla. He thinks Leon will be the typical straight guy he had to deal with in high school, but TK eventually comes out when he is proven wrong. During a Zumba class with Layla, TK learns to try new things because he’ll never know what he’ll enjoy. Along the way in his college experience, he meets Orion, Ricky, and Kyle, a group of friends that seem odd. After Orion and Ricky have a huge fight during Greek Week on campus, Orion moves into TK’s dorm to avoid sharing a room with Ricky. When the roommates get high, TK starts showing his feelings for Orion and the others pick up on his crush. TK learns that Orion was responsible for the car accident that gave Kyle severe brain damage. During their time together, TK starts thinking about his crush on him but doesn’t want to do anything about it because Orion is straight, and he just recently broke up with his girlfriend. He decides to step out of his comfort zone to impress Orion by getting a tattoo. Other information that might be useful: Regina and Kyle are dating, Layla and Regina are mortal enemies, TK is out to only Leon, Layla, and Orion.

 9. Dark Angel

           My first Halloween experience is something that I’m not prepared for. Growing up, my family never allowed me or Brighton to celebrate it because father didn’t want us to have any fun, or that it’s a Devil’s holiday, or whatever excuse he gave. To make up for it, Brighton would buy the two of us bags of candy and we would watch the Disney Channel Halloween movies because I was too young to watch the actual scary movies.

           We’re at this rich kid’s mansion and it’s already a mess. The night is dark with only the laser beams lighting up the outside. The music seems to be on a shuffle of the worst dance music, which probably doesn’t matter because most people will be focused on getting drunk or laid. There are piles of plastic cups and beer cans in the yard. There’s a girl being carried out by her friends because she’s passed out from drinking too much.

When we enter the house, there are more lights thanks to the disco balls and strobe lights. I notice that everyone from the campus is here, even Bubbles, who is dressed like Taylor Swift. I notice Ricky, in a terrible mafia boss outfit, trying to get girls. The only person I don’t see is Kyle, which is understandable. Orion can’t be here because he says he has assignments to do.

I turn to Leon and Layla and admire their costumes. Leon is in a skin-tight black latex catsuit, which includes a tail and a pair of cat ears. The suit fits him so well that it outlines all his features, including the parts of the lower half of his body. Layla is dressed as Harley Quinn from the Suicide Squad movie with the bat as a prop. She’s been using the bat as a dancing partner, which makes the others watch out.

My costume is an elegant white suit that has sparkles of glitter that shimmers when light hits it. I have a pair of angel wings attached to the jacket. The wings are made of the realistic prop feathers from the theatre department that are attached to plastic wiring. I’m also wearing a mask identical to the one Hilary Duff wears in A Cinderella Story, one of my favorite movies.

I walk around a bit before heading into the kitchen to get something to drink. Different brands of beer are covering the island and none of them seem good. I don’t care for the taste of beer and would rather enjoy a Seagram. I open the fridge and I’m not surprised to see that it’s mostly vodka and tequila.

“Looking for something?”

I turn around and see a guy wearing a black version of my costume. His entire suit looks like it’s made of the most expensive silk. It’s plain, yet charming. His wings appear to be a mix of angel and crow. His mask screams nothing but satisfaction from a BDSM night of fun. His slick back hair finishes the costume as a nice touch.

I shut the fridge and lean against the nearby counter. He has this aura that pulls me in. I can’t describe it, but I know I don’t have anything to worry about because I’m too busy swooning over him. I kind of think he’s sexy, even though a good bit of his face is covered.

“Just for something better to drink. I don’t like beer, or any hard stuff.”

“There’s wine in the top right cupboard, next to the oven.”

I open the cupboard and there’s an arrangement of different kinds of wine. My fingers graze the labels trying to find the right one, even though I’ve never had wine. I choose one of the last ones and show it to him.

“Is Pink Moscato any good?”

“How about we find out.” His voice and charisma are so striking that I can’t believe I’m about to drink with him. He grabs two wine glasses from under the island and takes the bottle and pours.

“Is that enough?” I ask while looking at my nearly full glass. I take it from him, along with grabbing the bottle, and go back to the counter and lean against it. “Don’t you think it’s too much?”

“You seem like you can handle it. Besides, it’s wine. You’ll need a lot to feel a buzz.”

I spin the glass a little before raising it to my lips. I hesitate for a second but start drinking when he gives me a comfortable head nod. It tastes semi-sweet as it goes down easily. I can’t stop drinking. I pick up the bottle and pour me some more.

“Woah,” he says while laughing. “Slow down, tiger.”

“I’m an angel,” I say childishly with a smirk.

“Sure as hell ain’t acting like one.”

He smiles as he comes towards me. The way he walks exudes swagger. His hips swerve in a motion that get me hypnotized and thinking what else he can do with his hips. He adjusts the cuffs of his jacket and I can only imagine what else he can do with his hands. When he gets barely inches away from me, I don’t know what’s going to happen. However, I do know that I want him to be closer.

He presses his chest on mine as he reaches over me to grab another bottle. I’m pleasured by taking in the scent of his Eternity by Calvin Klein cologne. He has taste, but I’ll forever prefer the American Eagle fragrances. His shirt lifts when he reaches, allowing me to see the waistband and some of his American Eagle Pride boxer briefs. My God. He just got even more attractive.

A guy in his underwear has always been my biggest turn on, but I never got this turned on, or turned on at all because I’ve never experienced anything other than when I was fourteen, and that’s still a confusing time. The closest that I’ve been was watching all the videos that I found online. Seeing that it’s Pride themed gives me reassurance. Everything about this sends blood rushing through my body.

My hand starts shaking and I accidentally grab his shirt and pull it down to cover up his underwear. I gasp when I realize what I did. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

“It’s alright,” he tells me as he slightly backs up, a new bottle of Pink Moscato in hand. “You can do whatever you want. It’s a party after all.”

I smirk. “But I barely know you. Hell, I just met you.”

“We can get to know each other.” He bites on his bottom lip and it’s enough to make me quiver. “There’s a room in the back that we can go to for some privacy. Only if you’re comfortable with that.”

I don’t know what’s coming over me. Maybe it’s the wine already taking its effect. Maybe it’s the thrill of our identities being a mystery that’s making this more exciting. But I take the risk of being bolder than I have ever been. Remembering Layla’s advice, I take the chance to venture out and do something that I have never done. I hope this plays out well.

I nod and say, “Only if we take things slow.”

He softly smiles as he grabs the first bottle and heads out. I follow him after chugging the rest of what is in the glass. When we go through the main room where people are, I glimpse at Leon and Layla on the dance floor. They see me going to the back with the guy and they both give different reactions. Leon gives me an approving thumbs up while Layla seems concerned.

The guy and I enter a dark room in the back of the mansion. He turns on the lights, which doesn’t help much given that the only light source are the rainbow LED lights scattered across the walls. For some reason there’s a pool table with a fish tank on top. There are some expensive looking fish swimming around. The only other thing in the room are assorted bean bag chairs arranged in a circle in a corner with what seems to be a box full of products pertaining to weed. I assume this room is used for nothing but a good time.

I go on one side of the pool table and rub my fingers across the velvet. The softness feels nice. I reach the fish tank and bend down to get a closer look. I see a little clownfish swimming around. I try waving to it, but it swims off. Looking forward, I see the guy on the other side looking straight at me. He smirks.

“You like fish, don’t you?” he asks while straightening up.

“I like a lot of things.” I walk to the edge of the pool table as he makes his way to the diagonal edge. I keep my expression and voice as seductive as I can be, which isn’t great, but I can tell he’s liking this. “I like exploring my interests.”

“How about we explore something together?” His voice is a little shaky. “We can possibly try something new.”

“What do you have in mind?”

I make my way over to him, strutting and making sure to use my hips. He bites his lip and some beads of sweat start forming on his forehead. I place my hand on his shoulder and I slowly make my way down his arm until I reach his hand. I hear a slightly audible moan that sounds so adorable. I then snatch the open bottle of wine from his hand and start drinking.

           I don’t know if it’s the wine, excitement, secrecy, or a combination of it all, but I’m in ecstasy right now and I don’t want it to stop. A mysterious man is making me feel wanted. Finally, a chance at a relationship if this goes somewhere. The only thing I’m worried about is messing it up by doing the wrong thing. That’s a later problem. Right now, I’m wanting to see how far I’m willing to go because I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.

           He places the new bottle of wine on the pool table. “What do you want to do? I’m open for anything.”

           “Let’s just talk for a moment.” Even though I do like the idea of doing things with him, I’d rather know more about him. “First question. Why did you bring me to this room?”

           “I’ve been to a few parties here and this is typically one of the least used rooms because it doesn’t have a bed.”

           “So you don’t want to take me to bed?”

“I do!” he quickly shouts. I give a sarcastic expression and he reassembles his thoughts. “I mean, I do, but only if you want to. I figured you wanted to privately talk first.”

“I do want to talk.” I rub my fingers on part of his wings and appreciate the feeling of it. “Let’s talk about your wings for a second. They’re so big. Definitely bigger than mine. I was embarrassed to go with these because I thought they wouldn’t be big enough.”

“Size doesn’t matter to me,” he says in a reassuring voice. “It’s all about how they’re used.”

“The bigger the better they say,” I say teasingly. “I bet when you fly you soar long and forcefully.”

“I can slow down if I’m with somebody. Gotta make sure we’re on the same pace.”

“You might have to teach me how to fly, I’m still learning.”

“That can be arranged.” He takes a hand and caresses the side of my face. He places the other on my back. He pulls me in closer and says, “What do you want to do?”

I lean over to his ear and whisper, “Let’s talk some more.”

“How exciting.”

I walk back to the back edge of the pool table and drink some more. He smiles harder and straightens his jacket. I check him out a little more and my mouth drops when I see something. “Looks like you’re really excited.”

He looks down and notices the big tent in his pants. He chuckles. “Yeah, I am. It’s because of you.”

“How sweet. You’re not going to try hiding it in embarrassment?”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just the two of us and you already noticed.”

“Moving on,” I say while wanting to change the subject. I know if we continue like this, I might do something I’ll regret. “What really made you come on to me? Like, half my face is covered, and I know we’ve never met before because I never go out.”

“Probably the same reason you agreed to come here with me. You have this aura about you that wants to make me get to know you more. Your smile is beautiful, along with your bright blue eyes that are like orbs of the ocean.”

“Poetic. Must be an English major.”

“Nah, just really cheesy.”

“I like cheese. It goes great with wine.” We laugh as I drink more.

“And I like your sense of humor.”

“Please. I’m awkward in these types of situations and I just say shit.”

“Why are you awkward?” he asks in a sincere tone. “Are you afraid?”

I chug the rest of the bottle and toss it to the side. The emotions from my past start coming back. All this wine in me isn’t helping to keep my emotions stable.

“Not of you, well, for the most part I’m not,” I say without looking at him. I turn my head to the side to keep him from seeing me getting emotional. “But it’s just that I’ve never had people care about me. I mean, I had one person, but it took me too long to realize it because of the mistreatment I received growing up. I’ve been outcasted, bullied, and I have no social skills. I’ve never had anyone show romantic interest in me and I don’t know what to do. I’m just trying to do what I see in movies in hopes of it working. I’m afraid I’m going to mess this up somehow and that you’ll end up hurting me.”

He rushes over to me and takes both my hands and looks me in the eyes. “I will never hurt you. I’m not that type of person.”

“You may not get the chance to since I doubt that we’ll meet again. Unless you’re willing to show me who you are.”

The silence in the room allows me to hear the fish swimming in their tank. He looks conflicted as he scratches the back of his head. I don’t know why I brought that up. I’m more than likely not going to reveal myself.

“I would love to,” he says, “but I prefer to keep the secrecy for now. I’ve been going through some stuff lately. I’ve been having fun, I have. I don’t want this to end. But I promise we’ll meet again.”

“How?”

“I know that the people over at student life are planning a huge party later in the semester. How about we show up in costumes to it. I’m sure I’ll be ready by then.”

I smile. “Sounds like a plan. So, what now?”

“I heard that the fireworks will be going off in a few minutes.”

“Fireworks? For a Halloween party?”

“The host is rich, they don’t care.”

“Makes sense.”

“Meet me on the balcony in five minutes.”

We make our way out of the room, but I make sure to take the new bottle of wine, open it, and start drinking. He takes the bottle from me and takes a sip. I tilt the bottle, resulting in some dripping down his chin and onto his outfit. I laugh as he tosses some of the wine at me and I get wet. He runs away while laughing as I meet up with Leon and Layla.

Layla comes to me and seems worried. “Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?”

“Yeah, he’s alright,” Leon says. “He looks like he enjoyed himself.”

“Oh, I did,” I tell them with the biggest smile on my face. “It was refreshing.”

“Nice. Let me know if you need the room later.”

Layla slaps his chest. “Leon, something could’ve happened.”

“And it seems like something did.”

“Guys,” I say. They stop and look at me. “Nothing like that happened. All we did was talk and it was great. I’m fine. He was a great conversation partner.”

“I’m glad you’re okay and enjoying yourself,” Layla says as she prepares to go back on the dance floor. She swings her bat around for a second. “But let me know if you need my help with anything.”

Leon places a hand on my shoulder. “Good for you for meeting someone. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” I make my way upstairs. “I’m going to the balcony to watch the fireworks. See you guys afterwards so we can go back to the dorm.”

Ten minutes go by and I start to think if I’m being stood up. I’m afraid to leave because if I leave and he comes then he’ll think the same. The night breeze chills my face and all I want is to feel the warmth of his arms around my waist, his breath running down my neck.

As I’m thinking about him, I hear the door open. A person stands next to me and I know it’s him. I want to hug him, but don’t want to risk someone seeing. We don’t look at each other, we just keep staring forward as the fireworks begin.

“You know,” I start saying, “tonight has been the most fun that I’ve had ever.”

“Really?” he asks as if I’m lying. “It can’t be. You seem to be the type to have tons of fun times.”

“I wish that were the case, but my childhood was rough. My parents, mainly my father, wouldn’t let me do anything. And since I started college, I haven’t really had that many experiences.”

“Well, I’m glad I was able to make you have fun. I wish I could do more.”

“Me too,” I sigh. I know how hard it is to figure things out, so I don’t want to make him feel like we have to rush things. “And we will have more fun later. Right now, let’s just enjoy the moment.”

We watch the fireworks as they go off in sets of bright colors. From red, to blue, to even multicolored explosions. The spectacular is amazing. This is my first time seeing fireworks in real life since father never allowed us to have them.

In the corner of my eye, I see his hand slowly making its way across the railing and coming towards me. It’s like he’s hesitant, not wanting to do something big in case someone sees. I return the action and I start moving mine. My hand starts shaking as our fingers touch. There’s a spark of electricity running through my veins and I hope he feels it in him too.

He places his hand on top of mine and holds it. At this moment, I feel like I’m in heaven. Holding a boy’s hand in public has always seemed so far out of reach for me. I start thinking about where this could lead us. We could eventually hold hands out of costume, then start a relationship, then kiss, then hopefully move on to more exciting moments.

I’m getting too far ahead of myself. Not even an hour of knowing this guy and I’m having these thoughts. I wonder if Leon thinks like this whenever he meets a new girl, or if it’s just me since I don’t know what it’s like.

His hand is soft and secure. I want to stay like this the whole night, but it’s cut short when we hear someone stomping towards us. We quickly retract our hands and hope the person doesn’t notice.

Regina soon steps between us. She’s dressed like Regina George from Mean Girls. How fitting. She reeks of alcohol and she appears a little tipsy. She has a plastic cup in her hand that’s half empty. She gives me a nasty stare before acting thirsty for the guy. She uses her free hand to rub his arm.

“Hey, handsome,” she says. “Angels are supposed to be pure, but how about we get a little dirty.”

He huffs. He’s annoyed by her and tries stepping back. “You have a boyfriend, Regina.”

“Please, Kyle’s so stupid that he’ll just think I was having a playdate if he finds out.” She doesn’t care about him at all, so it questions me why she’s still with him.

“Don’t call him that,” he angrily says. He’s hot when he’s passionately angry. “Besides, I would never want to do anything with you.”

“Don’t say that.” She reaches out and grabs his arm, squeezing his muscles. “I can give you things no other girl can.”

“No means no,” he says sternly. “Like I said, I don’t want to do anything with you. You’re not my type.”

She gasps as if it’s surprising a guy wouldn’t want to do her. “You come to my party and refuse me. You’re a bad guest.”

“And you’re a bad girlfriend. And a bad person.”

“How dare you say that to me.”

“How dare you think that I’m interested in you. How dare you continue stringing along Kyle making him think that you’re innocent. You’re nothing but a selfish bitch who doesn’t care about who you hurt as long as you get what you want.”

He storms off. Regina is left with me with her mouth hanging so low that her jaw could snap off. She then looks at me as if she’s considering lowering her standards. I don’t say anything to her, I just walk off.

When I go back inside the mansion, I don’t see the guy anywhere. I go check the room we were in and it’s the way we left it. I return to the main room and meet up with Leon and Layla. They see my worried expression and stop dancing.

“What’s wrong?” Layla asks.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “Can we go back now?”

“Don’t apologize,” Leon tells me. “It’s okay. We can leave if that’s what you want.”

I nod and we go to Layla’s car. On the drive back, all I can think about is why the guy got so intense with Regina. Do they know each other? They must if he said all that to her with such passion. Now I’m thinking if he’s okay and where he went. I hope he’s safe.

We enter our dorm with bags of Taco Bell that we picked up. Orion is sitting on the living room floor with his laptop on the table. His hair is wet, presumably he just got out of the shower. Leon tosses him a bag of burritos.

I take off my jacket with my wings and I remove my mask to throw them into my room. I plop on the couch and grab a burrito from the bag. I take a bite as I look at what Orion is doing. He has his email up and is writing something to Sora.

“What’ve you been doing tonight?” Layla asks.

“Mainly getting work done,” he quickly responds as if he’s ready to be asked. “Now I’m trying to figure out what I want to say to Sora, but I can’t think of the right words.”

“It’ll come to you,” Leon says as he begins taking off his costume. He brings the top part down to just below his waist. “Girls are complicated, that’s why I like to keep things simple.”

“Says the guy who’ll drop to his knees just for an ounce of attention from a girl and won’t stop crying until she notices you” Layla jokingly comments as she goes to her room.

Leon goes to our room and I remain on the couch next to Orion. He looks at me and shuts his laptop. “You had fun?”

“A blast,” I tell him. “Best night of my life.”

“Glad to hear. By the way, why did you go with the angel costume?”

“I was living my Violetta fantasy,” I say in slight embarrassment.

“What’s that?”

“Violetta is a Disney Channel show. It’s from Argentina, so you probably never heard of it. The main character dressed up as an angel and I wanted to resemble her because it’s one of my favorite shows.”

“Cool. How come you’ve never mentioned it before?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I always thought it was something to be embarrassed about. I always had to keep it hidden when I was at home because I knew my father wouldn’t approve of me watching a show in Spanish.”

“Well, you don’t have to be embarrassed about anything with us. We won’t judge you.”

“Thanks. Then I can tell you that I met this guy at the party. Now I’m really happy that I decided to dress up as the angel because the guy dressed up as a black angel. I think it’s a sign.”

“What happened between you two?”

“We just talked, but he made me feel special. We kinda flirted a bit, and I got turned on a little. He just knew how to draw me in and make me feel desired. Now I know what Leon must feel like with Stephanie, or what you had with Sora. Oh, sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he says as though it isn’t fine. “I need to learn to move on.”

“I hope you get the chance to. Even though I don’t know what it must feel like, I can listen anytime you want to talk. But I might not be the right person since, you know, I’m gay and all that.”

We chuckle a little as we eat our burritos. Orion scoots a little closer to me. He seems nervous to say something. He shakes his head as though he doesn’t want to say what’s on his mind. He doesn’t look at me as he says, “I have a question, and I don’t mean to sound offensive. I’m just curious.”

“What is it?” I ask while gaining concern for my friend.

“What’s it like being gay?”

That shakes up my brain. “What do you mean?”

“Like, when did you know you were gay?  What are the feelings?”

I shrug because I really don’t know. I never had to think about this. “I knew I was gay in the eighth grade, but I guess it’s the same feelings that you have for girls. It just so happened my feelings were with boys.”

“Were you ever confused?”

“Not really. Up until then, I never had any sort of feelings for anyone. It wasn’t until the end of middle school where it just clicked and my brain told me I was feeling things for a boy in my class. I did question why I had feelings for boys, but I never was confused. I just knew I liked them.”

“Ok, thanks.” He finishes up the burrito and grabs another.

“Why do you ask? I don’t mind answering, but is there a reason?” 

He shakes his head. “It’s just that I never knew any gay people before and I wanted to know more about them and what it’s like for them. There weren’t really any gay people back in my high school. There was one, but the moment he told people he was severely beaten up and sent to the hospital. He ended up being homeschooled for the rest of high school. When I heard the news that he was gay, I wanted to talk to him to ask why he was gay, just because I only knew what the media told me and I wanted the perspective of an actual gay person.”

“Well, you have me. I don’t mind answering any questions.”

“Thanks, man. I got one more question. Am I a bad person?”

“What? What makes you say that?”

“That gay guy in high school. When he was getting beat up, I just stood there and watched. I was afraid of stepping up because I thought people would think I was like him and then turn on me. I would’ve said or done something, I swear, but I was too scared. I felt like I had to choose a side: do the right thing or stick with my pack. I didn’t feel like I could do both. Does what I did in high school make me a bad person?”

I place a hand on his shoulder. “No, it doesn’t. I’m sure we all did things in high school we regret. What we did in high school doesn’t define who we are. It’s what we do as adults that matter.”

“Thanks for that.”

“No problem. Anything else on your mind?”

“Nah,” he says while shaking his head. “Everything else that’s on my mind I have to figure out myself.”

“Okay.” I grab the remote. “How about we watch TV to clear our minds.”

“Sounds perfect, but I pick what we watch.”

He takes the remote from my hand and pulls up YouTube. He quickly searches for Violetta videos and I get excited at the idea of him possibly liking something else that I like. He clicks the first video, which is one of the performances of “Underneath It All”, one of my favorite songs. It’s the performance where Violetta is singing as an apology to her boyfriend in hopes of him forgiving her.

Next, he chooses “Habla Si Puedes”, the one where it’s like a music video where Violetta is stuck between choosing two lovers and doesn’t know what to do. Orion knows how to get me in my feelings because these two songs are what I listen to the most as they’re what I imagine a future love interest of mine singing to me. I even want “Underneath It All” to be played at my wedding.

We end the night by putting on a playlist of the performances from the show as I explain the plot to him. Without realizing it, I get a blanket and cover us up as we settle for bed. I’m too tired to walk over to my room and I’m sure he won’t mind sharing the couch.