#vapor letters

[hoseoksluna]

and to that blondie who broke my babys heart count your fucking days i’m gonna haunt you in your dreams trruusssttt i’m not gonna let u live in peace

oh trust me she’s suffering for her sins in my head 😁

wasnt that backstory kinda random? i just wanted jk to have some spice? felt like i made him seem too, too perfect yanno?

[shadelesssocket]

still thinking about the siege of bergen-op-zoom war letter from rogue where braddock calls haytham a brat

[umemiyan]

💌!

eeeeeee hello!!! we’ve only been mooties for a short time but i already adore your vibes!!!! like i see you on my dash and i’m like “yes. yes we are on a Wavelength™️”

also your aesthetics are super awesome and your blog looks gr8!!! ❤️

[coricus]

Thinking about my dice collection again for the first time in a while.

I like collecting little shiny clacky things.

[haintxblue]

listen I'm just gonna say it ok

I'm not judging you on the basis of your subjective opinion on whether the freud sexting about cocaine letter is hot, that's between you and your tastes

But those of you acting like it's some ungodly unbelievable unimaginable kink fest must be the most vanilla people on earth, I almost said vanilla motherfuckers but it's freud let's not, because there is not anything that kinky in there and for the time period nothing kinky at all because it's just "strong man provide and dominate weak woman"

Even if it was chemsex and feederism that isn't that whack but it isn't even that

VANILLA.

[ritzcuit]

ive been having like a category 5 dhurkedatz brainrot event for the past few days it's really.it's getting bad. i cant focus on drawing them because everytime i draw one line im like(shaking) (Trembling)WDid you know they

[elektraflowers]

A girl walked past me and turned the corner. I looked after her and saw a small, half-transparent cloud that lingered behind her. She walked on, unseeing, and the cloud remained. I couldn't take my eyes away from it. I watched the vapor turn and spin and come apart in the air. I could say it looked like a dancing cobweb but it didn't. It didn't look like anything but itself. I could only see it in front of the bush, if I moved my head it vanished. In moments it rose and spread and disappeared entirely, and no one else saw it. But I saw it. And as I walked away, I felt that I was made of song. I never would have seen it without you.

This is what love does, even fake love for a stranger. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. And even if no one ever sees you, you too are beautiful, a beauty that exists apart from observation. A beauty revealed by love.

Photo by Rayson Tan on Unsplash

[kalisbaby]

“From the River to the Sea.” A Poem by Samer Abu Hawwash, translated by Huda Fakhreddine

every street, every house, every room, every window, every balcony, every wall, every stone, every sorrow, every word, every letter, every whisper, every touch, every glance, every kiss, every tree, every spear of grass, every tear, every scream, every air, every hope, every supplication, every secret, every well, every prayer, every song, every ballad, every book, every paper, every color, every ray, every cloud, every rain, every drop of rain, every drip of sweat, every lisp, every stutter, every yamma, mother, every yaba, father, every shadow, every light, every little hand that drew in a little notebook a tree or house or heart or a family of a father, a mother, siblings, and pets, every longing, every possibility, every letter between two lovers that arrived or didn’t arrive, every gasp of love dispersed in the distant clouds, every moment of despair at every turn, every suitcase on top of

every closet, every library, every shelf, every minaret, every rug, every bell toll in every church, every rosary, every holy praise, every arrival, every goodbye, every Good Morning, every Thank God, every ‘ala rasi, my pleasure, every hill ‘an sama’i, leave me alone, every rock, every wave, every grain of sand, every hair-do, every mirror, every glance in every mirror, every cat, every meow, every happy donkey, every sad donkey’s gaze, every pot, every vapor rising from every pot, every scent, every bowl, every school queue, every school shoes, every ring of the bell, every blackboard, every piece of chalk, every school costume, every mabruk ma ijakum, congratulations on the baby, every y ‘awid bi-salamtak, condolences, every ‘ayn al- ḥasud tibla bil-‘ama, may the envious be blinded, every photograph, every person in every photograph, every niyyalak, how lucky, every ishta’nalak, we’ve missed you, every grain of wheat in every bird’s gullet, every lock of hair, every hair knot, every hand, every foot, every football, every finger, every nail, every bicycle, every rider on every bicycle, every turn of air fanning from every bicycle, every bad joke, every mean joke, every laugh, every smile, every curse, every yearning, every fight, every sitti, grandma, every

sidi, grandpa, every meadow, every flower, every tree, every grove, every olive, every orange, every plastic rose covered with dust on an abandoned counter, every portrait of a martyr hanging on a wall since forever, every gravestone, every sura, every verse, every hymn, every ḥajj mabrur wa sa ‘yy mashkur, may your ḥajj and effort be rewarded, every yalla tnam yalla tnam, every lullaby, every red teddy bear on every Valentine’s, every clothesline, every hot skirt, every joyful dress, every torn trousers, every days-spun sweater, every button, every nail, every song, every ballad, every mirror, every peg, every bench, every shelf, every dream, every illusion, every hope, every disappointment, every hand holding another hand, every hand alone, every scattered thought, every beautiful thought, every terrifying thought, every whisper, every touch, every street, every house, every room, every balcony, every eye, every tear, every word, every letter, every name, every voice, every name, every house, every name, every face, every name, every cloud, every name, every rose, every name, every spear of grass, every name, every wave, every grain of sand, every street, every kiss, every image, every eye, every tear, every yamma, every yaba, every name, every name, every name, every name, every name, every name, every name, every name, all…

[johnbrand]

Recycling

I watched as the next employee entered the chamber. He appeared a bit confused, probably having expected a conference room rather than the dark space with mirrored walls. By the look of it, he had no idea that any one of the panes were one-sided, hesitantly fidgeting with his tie as he announced his presence with a timid “Hello?”

I leaned into the microphone, “Good afternoon.” The nervous boy’s eyes dashed around the room, trying to identify the person speaking to him. His physical characteristics and mannerisms resembled a mouse, small and skittish.

“Am I supposed to be here?” he eventually replied, choosing the speaker above my viewpoint as his receptor.

“Yes, this is the meeting to discuss your annual review.” I replied. “You're in the right place, Mr. Donson. Would you like for me to refer to you by your given name?”

The boy shuffled anxiously, “Drayton is fine.”

Habitually, I continued. “I’m sure you're wondering why your annual review this year is different from those in the past. Don’t worry Drayton, you are still one of our top performers, and your review reflects your incredible performance.”

Feeling a delicate surge of confidence, Drayton let a smile sneak up onto his lips. Being clean shaven and still holding some baby fat, it frankly was quite endearing. Cute even.

“As you are already aware, our company has been having some financial issues recently. And as a high-ranking official in our accounting department, I am sure that you are more than knowledgeable on the details of this subject.”

Drayton’s youthful glee faltered for a moment.

“Unfortunately, we do not have the funds available to keep you on board and give you a raise,” I started. “The company would like to offer you a deal: in exchange for accepting a substandard review and a 19% decrease in pay, we will offer you external benefits.”

Shock emerged from Drayton’s face, “What benefits would be worth a fifth of my paycheck?”

“Unfortunately I am liable to disclose that information,” I robotically replied. “You can either accept or tender a resignation.” 

Drayton took a moment to decide, just like all the other employees typically did. But eventually, they all convinced themselves that losing employment at the company was the worse of the two options.

“I’ll accept.”

“Stand by.” I followed procedure, locking the exits and airways into the chamber. Once that was done, I began flipping the switches. Steam mechanisms, followed by audio machines, followed by visual projectors. I did not even pay attention to the squabbling accountant, panicking as his chamber was bombarded with smoke, abrasive phonics, and commands that flashed against the walls and reflected into every corner of the room. 

Thanks to the padding in my control room, I absorbed none of it. I simply ignored Drayton’s screams and opened my laptop, getting back to my own duties as the process did its work. With all the vapors, I typically could not witness any of the changes that happened anyway–which also meant I could never attest to possible allegations if our company did ever come under some sort of legal fire in the future. But sometimes I did spot little things, flashes of commands that were being ingrained into the employee. MASCULINE, TRADITIONAL, ATTENTIVE. The small letters would pulse by an instant, although they were meaningless to me within my enclosed accommodations.

Eventually, my timer went off, and I closed out of the procedure. I exited the program and flipped the switches back over, shutting off all stimulatory mechanisms. It took a moment for the smoke to clear, presenting me with a new version of the employee. More muscular, more masculine, and more virile.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Donovan?”

"It’s Donson, boss." The man stood tall, stoic. His voice now held much more depth and presence.

"It’s Donovan, Drake Donovan,” I affirmed. “That's what's in our system."

I watched the man process this, the command’s installation literally visible behind his now less-intelligent eyes. 

“I see you were able to find part of your new uniform already.” I was referring to the briefs and sweatshorts that were covering the lower half of Drake’s much larger body. The remnants of the former business casual outfit were scattered across his large feet. “The closet behind you will contain the rest of your attire. Company fitness uniforms and approved footwear that will better fit your size and new position.”

“New position?” Drake inquired, his question curious rather than interrogative.

“The company has decided to reassign you as a security liaison, seeing as that will be a better fit for your paygrade.” I typed away at my reviewal report, adding in details of Drake’s benefits package. Increase in height, dramatic increase in musculature, increase in hair, increase in virility…

To save money, the company liked to recycle its employees. We would bring in fresh graduates to run our corporate operations, and then once they hit their pay ceiling, recycled them into more manual, less intellectually-driven roles. Naturally, no one ever filed any complaints about this procedure as no one realized it existed. And even if they did, they would no longer have the brains capable to file such a complaint.

“Sounds good, boss,” Drake replied, even though I had already known what his answer was going to be. With his dominating size and brutish stature, Drake had been remodeled into the standard male form that we needed for our team. And with this mind simplified to only focusing on traditional objectives (upholding masculinity, working out, fulfilling his role), Drake was now bound to solely focus on the company’s objectives. Thanks to the recycling process, our company would keep the profits high and the employee turnover low. And now, Drake would remain entertained without the extra money by merely following orders and enjoying the simpler things in life, like flexing his muscles.

[gordoncstewart]

A Vapor that Vanishes

A Vapor that Vanishes

“For what is your life? It is but a vapor that appears for a little time and afterward vanishes away.”Letter of James 4:14b RGT A Vapor or a Mist The Letter of James’ answer to the question of who and what we are is unexpected by those trained to believe one’s life is more than a vapor that vanishes away. Other translations render ‘vapor’ (ατμις) as a mist or smoke that vanishes or disappears.…

[foone]

So here's how the story goes. Four young adults are teleported away from 1940s earth, where it turns out they're the last descendants of the great sages who defeated evil all those years ago, but with his last breath banished the sages to earth. Now, 200 years later, evil has risen again: a vile sorcerer has raised an army and is threatening the peaceful kingdoms of a fantasy world, and only the Divine Bloodline can weild the Weapons of Light and defeat the rampaging hordes. The heroes take up their weapons and fight the good fight, leading the armies of man and elf and dwarf and beast against the evil orcs, who are vaporized by their touch. They cut a path through the horde and defeat evil's greatest champions, who were guarding the Gem of Control, an ancient artifact that gave the terrible wizard control over the orcish population. Just as one of them swings their hammer to shatter it, the wizard intervenes, and uses the last bit of his control to destroy his army, lest they join you in their freed state. As the pieces of the gem hit the floor, already losing their sickly green glow, they see the attacking orcs fade into mist. They'd killed hundreds in your crusade, sure, but he just killed all of them. They later learn, against all fervent hopes, that this extended to the orcish homelands. Men, women, and children, cooking in their homes, planting the crops, raising brutecows and hunting in the dark forests... All gone in an instant. The scouts report a silent land with tools lying in workshops, food left uneaten at dining tables, and bursting into tears at entering a house to find it was a schoolhouse: Quills lying in all the seats, with rough parchment next to it showing the first few letters of the orcish alphabet.

They redouble their efforts, now fueled with genuine hatred for the evil sorcerer. He shifts his tactics, relying on darker magics to summon undead minions, which don't need the Gem of Control. They don't go poof when a holy weapon touches them, but are still no match for the divine warriors. With a skeleton the size of a zeppelin smashing down towers around them, the warriors reach the wizard and drive a broadsword of light through his chest. The skeletons collapse back into their eternal slumber in little piles on the floor.

The warriors put aside their weapons as they're received with great cheer. They're invited to join the royal families of the four kingdoms, marrying into the human, elf, dwarf, and beast royalty. They spend the rest of their long reign ensuring peace returns, monuments are made for the fallen orc nation, and the remaining undead who fled are not allowed to prey on the peasants, only taking up arms again to fight a den of vampires left behind.

In their old age, the wizard who brought them here reappears. It's taken him decades to develop the right magics, but he can finally send them home. They abdicate, letting their hybrid offspring take control, certain in their ability to run a kingdom with wisdom and justice. They leave behind their holy weapons, in case evil rises again. The wizard warns them that much may have changed in the world they left, as 80 years has passed there while it was only 40 for them, but they still want to see if London still stands and if their families or their descendants are alive.

They appear in the modern day, 2024. They're amazed at the technological progress, of course, but then there's a bigger shock. This isn't just an isekai story: this is a reverse-isekai story.

The holy weapons were forged using the same magics that brought them to the fantasy world in the first place. When they vaporized orcs, they didn't die, they were teleported. Teleported here. Every mind-controlled orc warrior that tasted their blade woke up uninjured... in Portsmouth.

And when the sorcerer tried to wipe them all out as the Gem of Control shattered, all he did was transfer that magic to every one of them. None of them died, except for a few elderly orcs who dropped dead from shock at ending up in England, Earth, 1943.

It's now 2024. The Orc population of London is 3 million. There's twelve orcs in parliament, and another in the house of lords. The world has changed a lot since they left, for the better, the weirder, and the greener.

[hoseoksluna]

Really loved the story but you could’ve excluded the cigarette out.. I don’t smoke 💀

that’s okay, honey! that’s why i use original characters in my story. they’re not you, they’re not anyone i know personally, but for a moment we can become them in a whole different world we escape to.

but if it bothered you so much, you could’ve skipped that detail. it’s not that serious! 🙈🩶

[zriasstuff]

All because I liked a boy

Theodore Nott x reader

Before you scroll: THANK YOU FOR 314 FOLLOWERS RAHHH <<33 (the pi number is perfect) and special shoutout to @babygoddam who ALWAYS likes my shit first, you a real one. Feel absolutely free to send in requests (totally not because im running out of ideas)!!!! // pt.2 here

Summary: Theo is dating Pansy, but is also seeing you secretly behind her back. What happens when you get sick of that and present him an ultimatum. Will it be her or you? And what if a unexpected friendship develops from all this?

It’s your last year at hogwarts, so that makes you about 17/18 yo.

Everything about your clandestine meetups behind the quidditch field was morally wrong. As you’re walking up to your meetup spot, you feel the urge to stop yourself and go back to your dorm. You want to, and most importantly should stop making the same mistake again and again. But your lack of self control would be the eventual death of you.

Actually, no. Theodore Nott would be the eventual death of you. He was the reason for your lack of self control.

The freezing January air made it impossible to breathe, your red nose hurting from every drawn breath. Shivers ran through your body, all the way to your head where you were experiencing a first hand brain freeze. How was it possible that this is what your life has come to.

Through the foggy air, you eventually make out a tall and lean figure, approaching you with arms crossed and head down. Death has arrived.

“My bad on suggesting to meet up here in this crappy weather, but my dorm is occupied”, he breathed out while clouds of vapor escaped his mouth.

“What about the library then?”, you suggested. Any place inside would be better than this.

“No”, he decisively rejects your idea while shaking his head.

“Why not”, you ask.

“You know why”, he says, sounding increasingly annoyed.

“I don’t” You do. You know exactly why. You want to hear him say it.

“Don’t do this”

“I really don’t know”

“Stop, I really don't want to do this right now” Theo let out a repressed huff with his head lowered. One of his hands that was in his jacket pocket began ruffling through his hair. Whenever he was uneasy he did that.

“Fine”, you let it go. Truth be told, you were also afraid that you wouldn’t be able to digest what Theo would say. On one side, you knew that this was wrong. But on the other hand, admitting it was wrong meant that you would have to end it, otherwise it would make you guys horrible people.

Not that you weren’t horrible people now, but saying it just made it all the more real. Real is bad. Reality sucks. It was easier to hide in a bubble.

Theo looks you in the eyes again, assessing that this probably wasn’t a great time to do anything. But he didn’t want to make you feel like trash either.

“So how was your day?”, he awkwardly asks.

“We don’t have to do this, don’t pretend you actually care”, you sigh. His attempt was meant well, but it was futile. He could never make you feel fully cared for. And that was alright. You know you don’t deserve it anyway.

“I do care”, he exhales while nailing you with his intense stare.

“For your dirty mistress? How naive do you think i am”

“So you do want to do this right now” You thought you didn’t, but today seemed to be especially hard on you. Perhaps it was the stress from classes, perhaps it was the passive aggressive letter you got from your parents, or perhaps it was Theo barely acknowledging your existence in between classes.

“If not now, when then? I'm getting sick of not talking about it” It was time to face reality and put your fears aside.

“I thought you were okay with this”, he raised his voice confusingly.

“With being your side chick who can’t be seen or associated with you in public? Am I okay with seeing you prance around with Pansy, while I have to meet you out here like this?”

“Hey I'm not the bad guy who is forcing you to do this”

Theodore Nott wasn’t forcing you to do anything. No. He would just call you baby behind closed doors. Buy you flowers. Secretly spend nights with you. Anything a boyfriend would do, just without the emotional attachment.

And Pansy. His girlfriend he actually prances around with. His girlfriend who thinks she means the world to him. This slippery slope with Theodore down to where you were now started approximately four months ago. He had gotten into a really bad fight with her and at a party he started flirting with you. He lied about having broken up with her.

The worst part— you didn’t even find out up until two months later. In those two months he had obviously made up with her and didn’t end it, but he was sneaky. You had to give him credit for having juggled the two of you for that long without either noticing. You guess it helped that you were in Gryffindor. But after two months Theo got tired of being on edge all the time, so he decided to make his relationship with Pansy public again.

Why didn't you end it with him back then? Good question. All you remember is a bunch of unconvincing bullshit from him. But as unconvincing as it was, he gave you a sense of comfort. And although he didn’t make you feel fully cared for, he was still better than your supposed friends. Those two months you lived in the unknown were special, you had to admit. You felt special. But even the brightest spark eventually dies out.

“I know you’re not forcing me, but I'm getting fucking exhausted of this. And I feel terrible about Pansy”

“Why do you even care about her?”

“WHY DON’T YOU?!”, you suddenly burst out. Yes, he chose her over you because he had been together with her before you got together with him. Admittedly, he’s treating her better than you. But you don’t hate her. She actually didn't do anything. And unlike you, she isn't actively hurting you. It was so frustrating to know that you were choosing some guy over the “girls protect girls” vow. All because you couldn’t handle being alone again. Pathetic.

“Do you realize how ridiculous you sound Theo? Saying you like both of us, but in reality you treat both of us like shit.”

“Well what do you want me to do?”, he angrily asked.

“I'm giving you an ultimatum. Either you break up with me and stay with her. Or you tell her and deal with her breaking up with you. If she doesn’t, and if you also don’t, then I will anyway”

Perhaps it sounded a bit too extreme at the moment. You were definitely the last person to talk about morals, but it wasn’t too late yet. In the long run, it would benefit Theo too. A huge weight was finally going to be lifted off of your shoulders.

“Please, you’re not thinking straight”, he pitifully pleads in a last attempt to escape his responsibility and ultimately reality.

“I mean this works just fine. Pansy is happy, I can make you happy, and i promise you won’t feel like a dirty mistress”

A scoff is all you’re able to respond with. “You got until the end of the week, otherwise I will immediately cut off any ties with you”

Are you as important to Theo as he says you are? It’s wrong, but innerly you wish that he would break up with Pansy without telling her. That would be ideal for you. Freaking Theodore Nott, who showed you what kind of person you really were.

The next day, you caught Theo and Pansy making out in the hallways. “Ugh get a room”, you think to yourself. The day after, still no change. And on the day after that, everything was still the same. And as one could imagine, on the fourth day, still nothing.

With Friday approaching, Theo would only have two more days to make his decision according to your ultimatum. Perhaps he thought that you didn’t mean it seriously, but you did. You swore to yourself that if after two days still nothing happened, you’d break up with him. “Break up”, as in quit being fuck buddies, it wasn’t like you were in a real relationship.

Consumed by your own thoughts, you apparently missed McGonagall's announcement. Suddenly half the class was packing their stuff and getting up.

“Hey what’s going on”, you ask a guy sitting in front of you.

“Did you seriously not pay attention?”, he hisses.

“What do you think, smart-ass, since I’m asking you right now?” This was not the time to be lecturing you.

“We got a new seating arrangement, she just read out all the pairs who are going to be sitting next to each other. I think you’re with Pansy”

Shit. You swallow hard at the mention of her name.

“You sure?”, you ask dumbfounded.

“I mean she’s walking up to you right now”, he says shrugging his shoulders, “anyway gotta go”

You hope to fuck that he was wrong. But after turning around frantically, you observe that Pansy was in fact walking up to you. Out of all forty students, of course you would be next to her.

“Heyyy, looks like we’re going to be stuck with each other for a semester. Cute bracelet by the way, where’d you get it?”, she greets you in quite a chipper tone.

“You’re boyfriend actually got it for me after our first time”, is what you would say if you didn’t lie. Instead you reply “thanks, a friend got it for me but I don’t know from where”

“Y’know I actually have a really similar one”, she says as she’s sitting down next to you and pulls up her sleeve, “Theo gave it to me”. It was basically the same bracelet, just in gold instead of silver. So, what were the chances that Theo bought several bracelets in the same shop and just gave them out to whoever he fancied at the moment. Not even the slightest effort.

“How sweet”, you force yourself to say in the happiest tone you can manage.

“So what’s going on in your life?”, she continues the conversation, “I just realized that I barely know anything about you, even though we’ve known each other since year one”

You almost want to say “trust me, you don’t want to know what’s going on in my life”. Instead you say “nothing much, I’ve been thinking about maybe trying out for the quidditch team”

“Oh how cool, I’ve seen you fly in class, you totally should try out. You know during the last game between Slytherin and Gryffindor Blaise did this really funny thing where…”

What Blaise did, you’ll never know because you tuned out. But what you do know now is that Pansy is actually an incredibly nice person. In just five minutes she has shown you support, complimented you and began talking to you like you were her new friend. Perhaps she thought you could be friends. After the lesson ended, you felt almost carefree. You guys barely got any work done, but instead gossiped about anything that came to mind. Time practically passed away in seconds, and you were just hugging Pansy goodbye before going separate ways. Nothing felt weird at all until…

As you’re about to pull away from the hug, you catch Theo staring intensely from the corner of your eye. Was he suspecting something? Truth be told, you could’ve inquired more about his and Pansy’s relationship, but you decided to not be nosy. The less you knew, the better.

Later on, after you spent hours feeling like an empty shell of a human being, you slouch to your dinner table. During the day your thoughts felt like a huge, untieable knot, so you decided to ignore everything. When all classes ended, you immediately hopped into bed, rolling around, slowly rotting. Feeling nothing was better than thinking too much. There was simply too much. There was the question of whether you were a terrible human being, wondering if you should completely rebrand yourself, thinking about what Theo would do and about how it would affect Pansy, and so much more. In the end, nothing would be answered by just thinking about it.

Even while eating dinner, you have to restrain yourself from letting your most inner thoughts wander. Though, Pansy sure added fuel to the fire by smiling at you. Genuinely flashing you the purest, brightest smile. For no reason at all. Just to be nice probably. Instead of smiling back like a normal human being, you almost choke on your water.

This was it. You couldn’t pretend to be unbothered. You had to end it. You hated that option because it meant that Theo could escape from his responsibility, but it also meant that you could redeem yourself. Right? After all, you also carried some of that responsibility.

To contact Theo, you wrote “meet me at astronomy tower, important!” on a small piece of paper and slipped it into his hand after dinner was over. Hopefully no one saw that transaction. Since everyone always pushed another, it was only natural to bump into someone and touch their hand or arm.

Halfway on your way to the tower, you question if all this had been a huge mistake. Would you even have the guts to do what you had set out to do ? Theo could be so goddamn persuasive sometimes.

On your last few steps you lose a bit of balance and barely make it to the balcony, feeling like you would collapse any time soon. It even takes you a second to realize that Theo was already there. Before he turned around you just thought that it was some random guy.

“How were you faster than me”, you huff completely out of breath.

“I have my ways”, he says. “So why’d you want to meet me here”, he asks, seeming disturbingly nonchalant. As if he couldn’t guess the possible reasons.

“I want this to be as quick and painless as possible”, you begin. You gain an eyebrow raise from the otherwise collected looking guy.

“Let’s just officially end this. You and me. We are officially over.”

You were pretty sure that you didn’t sound as confident as you wish you had, but nonetheless you had done it. Officially calling the breaks would be your ticket to a normal life again. Whew did that feel freeing. But this wasn’t fully over yet.

“I thought it was up to me”, Theo sounded agitated now.

“Well i changed my mind”

“That’s not fai-“

“Seriously, Theo, you want to talk about fair ?”

“So what if i told you that I would’ve chosen you over Pansy”, he tells you while throwing his arms around. “You just want to give up like a coward?”, he spits at you, blowing up in anger and disbelief. His widening eyes and clenching jaw told you were enough to convince you that he was full on serious.

Is that what you were doing? Giving up on something genuine? You never thought about it in that way. Sure, your connection to Theo was undeniably strong, but were you ready for actual commitment?

“You don’t get to say that”, you defensively say as you take a step back. He immediately gets in your face again.

With tears forming in your eyes, threatening to spill out, and quivering lips, you try your best to curve your mouth upward and take your last stand.

“I am not giving up. We never had anything to begin with because you were a coward.”

He steps even closer, his nose touching yours. His dead brown eyes looked hauntingly beautiful in the moment. “But don’t you see, I want to give us a try”

“I CAN’T DO THIS THEO”, you yell in his face, not caring that your tears streamed down your face. All that bottled up anger came down to this. “WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, THERE IS NO US.” Just as you say that, you frantically tear off his gifted silver bracelet and throw it in his face. “We’re done Theodore” are your last words before storming off.

When you notice him following, you run even faster, yelling “STOP FOLLOWING ME FOR FUCKS SAKE”. Eventually you stop hearing his footsteps, and you allow yourself to break down in an empty corridor. You keep muttering “it’s for the best” as a way of reassurance, but you don’t even know if that’s true anymore.

That night you went to sleep, wanting nothing but to drown out everything. Instead you got a fucking nightmare about the entire events at the astronomy tower. Only, you were watching from the third person point of view this time.

Luckily, as you wake up, you realize that it was a Saturday, so you could be in peace a little longer. Apparently you also woke up pretty late because you were alone in the dorm. Great, your “friends” didn’t even bother pretending to include you. It was always like that. They were nice to your face, but actively excluded you. What was it about you that alienated you from everyone?

*BANG*

HOLY FUCK.

You suddenly jolt up and watch Pansy come through the door. She looked furious and extremely messy. You notice her heavy eye bags and smeared mascara.

“YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHY THE FUCK YOUR BRACELET WAS ON THEOS NIGHTSTAND?!?”, she shouts, probably loud enough for everyone in Gryffindor to hear.

“What are you talking ab-” It was mid sentence when you realize that you in fact threw your bracelet in Theo’s face yesterday and that Pansy recognised it from McGonagall's class.

There was no point in lying. “Pansy please I can explain”, you desperately choke out, feeling a knot in your throat.

“Fuck you. I actually liked you, but i guess you are just another snake”

Before you can actually explain yourself, she already left. All by yourself, you begin to sob. Perhaps your “friends” were right in excluding you. You wouldn’t even want to be friends with yourself.

This mess you were in— what if you never went to that party where you met Theo? But that wasn’t even the most important part. You had to find a way to make it up to Pansy.

Argh this is it…for now ? So if you read the deleted original fic “Baby”, you will recognise the first part, but not the rest. I asked if you wanted a pt.2, but then i realised i could just make all of it into one, longer part. I really really hope you found this if you read “Baby”. And who knows maybe this storyline will continue.

Also thank you for the people who commented, i tagged y’all (except for two i couldn’t find), so you could find this more easily. @onyxwingsandcrowblackdreams @princessofsilverandserpents @pumpkinchee @laur20a23 @ladyblablabla @the-mrs-malik-styles @boomdolle @mmeskywalker

[salem-witch-slut]

Shotgunning (18+)

Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader

SYNOPSIS: Ellie finds out you've never gotten high before.

WARNINGS: Recreational drug use (marijuana vapes), SHOTGUNNING, swearing, risky lesbian sex, semi-public, fingering, pussy eating, dom!Ellie, sub!reader, happy trails (its hot, okay?)

WORD COUNT: 2.8K

A/N: Get ready for a barrage of kinktober prompts coming in. I'm fresh on my bullshit now.

DIVIDERS MADE BY @cafekitsune

“You seriously never gotten high before?”

That was the sentence that started it all. You had no idea what you had been thinking when you agreed to this shit. Maybe it was the idea of the hottest bad girl in school being in your house? Your bedroom? Or perhaps you just didn’t want her to fail the calculus test tomorrow.

Everybody knew you had the highest test scores in the class, and that you studied like it was your only purpose in life, while said girl in your bedroom was either at sorority parties fucking anything that breathes or making videos with her skateboard tricks. She was quite the rebel, and you were crushing on her HARD.

Yes, Ellie Williams was a player, but she was still the sexiest thing to ever be close to you and there was a sick part of you that wanted to do literally anything she asked you to. If she put a gun in your hand and told you to shoot someone, you may feel driven to pull the trigger if she promised to kiss you after.

Ellie clearly knew she had you under her thumb. You were at her mercy, despite this being your territory. So, when Ellie pulled out her vape and didn’t even ask if it was okay before she took a hit, you tried not to look at her while you were looking through your Calculus textbook.

A moment passed, and you heard the burning inside of the cart before Ellie released another hit from her lungs and offered the vape for you. “Want a hit?”

You didn’t even glance up. “No, thank you.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have herpes or anything,” Ellie joked, the THC already working through her as she leaned back against the wall on your bed and sighed. You dared a glance upward and saw her face, and how blissed out she looked. A silly grin was on her freckled face as her ringed fingers twitched. “Promise it’s good shit, angel.”

You blushed at the nickname but attempted to focus. “I don’t really know what classifies THC as ‘good’, so I wouldn’t have a compelling argument for that.”

It took Ellie way too long to connect what you were saying, and she gaped, sitting up and scooting closer to you. “You seriously never gotten high before?”

Not like it’s by choice, Williams. You thought to yourself but kept your mouth shut. All you did was shake your head and write something down on the paper in front of you but had to stop mid problem. The letters of the triangle went from RST to THC, and you groaned, putting the pencil down and rubbing your temples.

Ellie simply held the vape out for you. “C’mon, take a hit, angel. It’ll calm you down.”

“Ellie,” You looked up at her, seeing the look in her eyes and feeling your heart stammer… This was your chance to finally get in good with her… Fuck it. What was a little vaping compared to being friends with THE bad girl?

You curled your fingers around the vape cart and pressed the mouthpiece to your lips. Ellie watched you hold down the button on the front of the device and you cautiously inhaled… the second the substance tickled your throat, you immediately pulled the vape away and started coughing.

Ellie snorted, watching you drop the vape and slam a fist on your chest to try and stop hacking up the substance while she took it off the mattress and immediately took another hit. You watched in jealousy as Ellie blew the vapor out of her mouth and you bit your lip a little.

“Wanna try again, angel?” Ellie slowly reached out and slid a finger into the beltloop on your jeans and pulled you closer. You thought she was just going to hold the vape out again, but you felt your breath leave your lungs when Ellie pulled you into her lap, straddling her thighs and slowly pressing the mouthpiece to your lips again. “Slower this time… nice and easy for me, yeah?”

You slowly breathed it in, feeling the vapor travel down your throat and fill up your lungs. You felt slightly tingly, your fingers twitching by your side as your hands reached upward and slowly curled them against the back of Ellie’s neck. She watched you hold the vapor in your chest and slowly breathe it out, grinning at how well you handled it, and how your pupils were dilating in response. She took another hit, blowing the vapor in your face and watching you blink slower than normal.

“How’s it feel?”

You sighed, relaxing against her. “Feels good… really good…”

“Good girl,” Ellie praised you. Your cheeks heated up and you took her offer of another hit, inhaling the substance without hesitation and letting it sit a little longer before you released it again. Ellie was drowning in you, enjoying being at the momentous occasion of your very first high, and she was so out of it already that she only noticed the cart was nearly empty until she looked down and saw the red blinking light.

“Fuck,” She scowled, looking at the cart and then at you. She wanted to keep feeding you, but she was desperate to float like you seemed to be doing already. Very slowly, Ellie held the vape up for you and frowned. “It’s almost empty.”

You don’t know what possessed you to be so bold… Maybe it was the weed working through you, or maybe Ellie was just that addicting to be around. You accepted the vape without a question and when you inhaled this time, Ellie was surprised when you reached down, grabbing her face with both hands on her jaw and easing her mouth open with your thumb.

“Take it from me,” You said, breathing down and watching Ellie inhale the vapor from your mouth and into her own. You whined a little and leaned down, pushing your nose against her neck and holding her like this was the only thing that mattered to you. Ellie was pouting. She wanted to feel euphoria… “I have… other ways to make you feel good, you know?”

Ellie looked at the side of your face curiously, wondering in what way you meant, and she immediately understood when hands grabbed her ass through her jeans. The sound she made was almost animal as she growled and pressed her lips into your hot skin.

“I dunno what I’m saying,” You admitted, blushing slightly as you hid away in her shoulder but didn’t remove your hands from her rear. “You make me so damn nervous, Ellie—”

“Hey, relax angel,” Ellie cooed sweetly as she pushed you back a little by your shoulders and smirked, hands sliding down to the hem of your shirt and slowly pulling it up just enough to expose your bra under your clothes. You blush, biting your lip and without warning, pulled the fabric of your top and your bra over your head. Ellie didn’t waste any time before she was latching her teeth to your breasts, licking and sucking all over your flesh and making you whine. “Take real good care of you, yeah?”

All you could do was whine and nod your head as Ellie took control. She pushed you down onto the bed and began stripping you slowly before you were laying on your bed in nothing but your black ankle socks and boy short panties that she couldn’t stop admiring. The cute star patterns on the fabric made her think you wore them just for her. “So fucking sexy.”

“Please,” You rolled your eyes. “Your just high.”

“So are you,” Ellie leaned down, leaving a trail of licks and kisses from the middle of your chest down to your abdomen. You watched her, shivering at her wet lips leaving a visible wet line on your body before she was dipping down and laying on her stomach between your legs. You shivered, looking down as you scooted up a little and rested your head on the many pillows of your bed.

Ellie reached down, gently pushing her fingertips against your clothed cunt, seeing the visible wet spot on the fabric and also feeling it through the material. You let out a soft yelp and immediately covered your mouth to shut yourself up.

“Shhh, quiet angel,” Ellie cooed, her eyes dilating at your sounds. “Can’t let your parents know you’re about to get fucked, can you?”

As a college student still living with her mom and dad, this was definitely an embarrassing thing to admit to the hottest girl in school, but she seemed to like teasing you on that, especially now. The thought of your parents walking in while Ellie was licking your clit… You immediately covered your face with both hands and whined.

“Still shy, hunny?” Ellie grabbed the vape that had maybe 5 hits left and offered it to you. “Let’s loosen you up then.”

Wordlessly, you took the vape from her hands and inhaled the vapor like you needed it to survive. Ellie watched and grinned before she dipped down and licked a long stripe over your clothed pussy. You sharply inhaled, chest inflating before you breathed out. Ellie watched the vapor leave you and gather in the air.

You were on cloud nine as she pulled your panties to the side and dived inside of your pussy, tongue immediately attacking your clit and making you squirm against her face. Ellie wrapped her tattooed, veined hands around your hips and held you down, drooling all over your cunt and making you feel more pleasure than you’ve ever felt in your entire life.

Your soft little noises only spurred her on as you spread your legs as wide as possible, grinding down on her face and almost drooling. “El… Ellie… Ohmygod, please keep going… Feels so good…”

She started off slow, licking from your hole to your clit before repeating the entire process repeatedly and loving how your body twitched and jerked upward when she caught her tongue on a certain place above your clit. It didn’t take long for her to catch on to what you wanted before she was wrapping her lips around your nerve bud and sucking. Hard.

The noise you made was stifled when you bit down on your forearm to keep quiet. Ellie loved watching you struggle to hold it together as she attacked your clit with her lips, licking at it while sucking and letting her teeth graze over it just a bit. You were already seeing stars, just like her as she stared at the panties on your hips.

Ellie was practically making out with your pussy, drooling and slobbering all over you as the taste of your cunt was like the most addictive drug she’s ever had in her life. You on the other hand? You were embarrassed at how Ellie got you so close, so fast.

Hands went from your side and into her hair, undoing that half-up ponytail she had going on and yanking on her auburn locks, making Ellie groan into your cunt and roll her eyes back a little before meeting your gaze. “E-Ellie… M’gonna… f…fuck…”

Ellie mumbled against your slippery folds. “Yeah, cum for me angel… Make a mess on my face…”

You were gone after she began licking even faster. Your orgasm made your entire body arch off the bed before Ellie yanked you back down and continued to lick at your clit until you were practically begging her to stop. After many pleading attempts, she pulled away and licked her lips before leaning back down and taking the vape from the bed near your side.

Through half-lidded eyes, you saw Ellie inhale the drug again, holding it in her chest before she bent down and you gasped, feeling her lips against yours and that burn of the vapor as she breathed it from her lungs, directly down into yours. Both hands tangled in her hair and you pressed your tongue against the roof of your mouth, tasting yourself on her lips and for some reason, loving every second of it.

When Ellie pulled back, you licked your lips and began to reach for her jeans, undoing the belt around her waist and unzipping the denim fabric. Ellie smirked, watching your desperate attempts to get her jeans off and she decided to humor you, shimmying until the fabric was off her body and on the floor.

Ellie sat on her knees, naked from the waist up as you saw the mess of auburn fluff overtop of her cunt, but for some reason, you found it incredibly hot that she was for the most part, unshaved. Ellie scooted forward on your bed and you reached up with one hand, still tripping on the THC as your fingers came in contact with her soaking wet slit.

The bad girl let out a soft sigh at your touch, hissing through her teeth and gently grinding down on your hand as your fingertips circled her clit and made her squirm against you.

“Fuck, that feels good,” Ellie bit her lip and leaned down until her forehead was on your shoulder. You wrapped an arm around her and let her lean forward just enough to rest her elbows on the pillow behind your head. Her chest was inches away from your face and you couldn’t resist pulling up her t-shirt and gaping at her not wearing any kind of bra. Ellie hissed, her hips jerking forward when she felt your lips around her right nipple, squeezing her hip with your free hand and slowly pushing your middle finger into her cunt.

“Nnnn, god—Fuck, angel…” Ellie groaned at your desperation to feel her cum on your fingers as she pretty much fucked herself down on your digits. You added a second finger and she began rolling her hips forward, loving how your tongue felt on her tits and how full your fingers felt inside of her pussy. You twisted your hand a bit and she felt your thumb rub at her clit, making her see stars behind her eyes.

You didn’t mean to look smug, but seeing her like this for you and you alone made your heart race with euphoria. You smiled, the idea of being caught by your parents no longer taunting the back of your mind as you kissed all over her chest and licked her other nipple. Ellie squeaked when you curled your fingers upward and stroked that sweet spot in her cunt; the one that made her whiny.

“You like that, baby?” You mumbled against her tits, suffocating in her presence. Ellie just nodded, her fingers curling into the fabric of your pillow behind your head as you began to move your fingers faster, thumb rubbing hard on her clit and pounding that sweet spot inside of her hard enough for her to start squirming. “Come on, please… please, wanna feel you cum on my fingers…”

“Fuck, fuck, don’t stop… d-don’t fuckin’ stop…” Ellie pulled back enough to look down into your eyes, pressing her forehead against yours as you took the vape from her hands and pressed it against your lips. Ellie watched your eyes roll back as you took the biggest possible hit ever and you began pumping your fingers into her even harder. The sounds her pussy made had you blushing as you yanked her down by her neck and pressed your lips against hers.

The orgasm that rippled through her body was the most intense feeling of her entire life. And when the vapor passed through your throat and into her lungs, she was bordering on convulsions. Her legs gave out and she fell down on top of you, your fingers pushing inside of her so deep that she squealed into your mouth.

You shared the moment of not only sharing the high of the THC, but the high of her climax. Her inner walls quivered against your fingers and you licked at her bottom lip before breaking the kiss just long enough to meet her eyes. Her pupils were blown out and she was panting, sweaty, and flushed.

You thought she was even hotter like this. Ellie watched you remove your fingers from her cunt, whining at the emptiness she felt, but blushing even harder as you brought them to your mouth and sucked her juices off your digits.

“Fuck, baby,” Ellie sighed, collapsing next to you and wrapping both arms around your body. You giggled, curling into her and nuzzling into her chest as she ran her fingers through your hair. “Not bad for a fuckin’ nerd.”

“Excuse me?” You pretended to be hurt, a hand going to your chest as you chuckled and watched Ellie just roll her eyes. “You’d be surprised at what this nerd can do.”

“Oh yeah?” Ellie put both hands behind her head and you almost drooled at the way her abdomen sucked in, drawing attention to that happy trail on her tummy that mixed with the hair on her pelvis. “Show me then.”

“You are so—”

The sound of knocking had you both looking up at the door. The color drained from your face and you felt like your heart was gonna stop.

“Girls, everything okay in there?” Your father’s voice petrified you.

You gulped. “Fuck.”

[pricetagged]

lorica

Dark November nights aren't safe, especially not for women lingering outside pubs. A taxi should get you home, and it would have if you'd remembered to double-check the license plates.

Here is 2.2k drabbly nonsense since I feel bad about my month-long lack of posting. Ghost/Reader/Price (with implied 141/Reader at the end).

Content: Dark, MDNI, kidnapping, threat of violence, guns, body neutral, f-reader, unedited.

_____________________

White whisps danced and swirled in the air before you, your breath given substance in the chill of the night.

You shuffled from foot to foot, cold air and anxiety swirling in a discomforting soup that sunk down to your bones  A glance up and down the street confirmed that yes, your taxi still hadn't arrived. You unlocked your phone once more, foolish in the hope that staring at the screen would make the car appear sooner. The little black icon on the app mocked you. Your driver is 2.6km away!

A sudden cheer split the silence, flooding from the frosted windows of The White Hart. You and your friends had agreed to leave by 8 p.m., hoping to avoid the jeering and jostling of impassioned football fans. A quiet drink after work was one thing; you hadn't, however, planned on lingering to catch up with the Premier League. The noise of rowdy punters and drunk men spilled once more into the street behind you, making your heart race a little. They were just watching a match, just in their cups…

But standing solitary as you were in the dimly lit street it reminded you that you were alone.

A single streetlight buzzed and flickered its dim companionship.

You could see your breath puffing out in front of you, white on black as the night stretched on. Perhaps you should've agreed to the lift that your friends' offered, cursing your politeness. Don't want to inconvenience you! I'm headed in the opposite direction - let me just call a cab. Dark nights weren't often kind to lone women. Winter, too. It left you shivering, trussed up in fleecy fabrics as the wind bit at your numb nose and made your eyes stream. You looked like some soft, gentle thing huddled in a doorstep, hoping to pass the night safely. You panted a little, unease quickening your breath. The misty vapor furled upwards; you imagined it carrying off your hopes. Your desperation. Please, let this car arrive. Let me get home.

A nondescript black car slowed along the curbside, wheels slick and splashing in the stagnant water gathered by the gutters. You caught the tail end of the license plates, mud splattered yes, but you could see some numbers and letters shining through. Finally. You puffed out your relief, tucking your phone away as you reached for the door. Prayer answered, it seemed.

A wave of warm air kissed your cheeks as you slid in, dry and comfortable.

'Hi, how's it going? 2350, right?' You sent a half-glance at the driver, pulling your seatbelt on as you waited for confirmation.

The gears of the belt buckle clicked in the silence. Heavy, noticeable silence.

Turning back towards the front seat, your polite smile wavered slightly. The driver was a big man. Strange that you hadn’t noticed it before, but he was hulking in the seat, shoulders stretching beyond the limits of the side panels. You swallowed slightly as you noticed the headrest barely brushing the nape of his neck.

Two unwavering, dark eyes met yours in the rear-view mirror.

'Uh…' you faltered slightly, perched like bird in the backseat eager to take off, feathers ruffling and twitching. 'This is- you're the car I called? Confirmation number 2350?'

You could feel your face heating -from the chill outside, the AC inside, the mounting embarrassment - skin feeling itchy and tight. Still, you were reluctant to break his gaze. Your instincts sparked, flared to life illuminating only the thought to keep him in your sights. You felt altogether too cramped in the car, his presence spilling across the back seats.

'Yeah, 2350,' his voice rumbled over the hum of the engine. 'Tha's right.'

He made no move, didn't even blink as he stared you down. You could just about make out the arch of blond eyebrows, the craggy lines of a well-worn face but a black barrier mask halted any further consideration. You cracked first, glancing down to his thick, gloved hand resting on the gearstick. The entire dash was dark, no blue light or luminosity from his phone. No digital dials or screens anywhere.

'Aren't you gonna type it in the app? Confirm it from your end?' You hoped he didn’t notice the shake in your voice, unease plucking at your vocal chords weaving nerves into noise.

'Waitin' on yer rideshare, aren't I?'

'I didn't book a rideshare, this is just-' You cut yourself off as your numb, clumsy fingers groped for your phone. 'Let me check, I should've just booked a solo journey-'

'No need, 's'a busy night. Friday. Match on, lots of punters.' His voice was deep, tumbling like gravel from his chest. It was disjointing, actually, with his mouth covered and the lights off. His voice seemed to echo around, filling all the dark curves and corners of the car's interior. Coming from nowhere but this beast of a man with no mouth.

You shook off the thought like waterdrops from your hair. He was just a working man. Big, yes, gruff, but no need to tar him with the sticky, resinous pitch of your paranoia.

'Yer lucky to get a ride,' he continued. 'Car pool's better than standin' out in the street by y'rself. S'not safe.'

You relaxed a little into the seat, tension trickling away. Slightly. It lingered still at the base of your spine, on the back of your neck.

'Right,' you puffed out a breath as you slid your hand from your pocket. 'Do you know how long they'll be? It's just that I've been out since work this morning and I'm looking to get home sharpish.'

He snorted at that, loud and curt, "'e'll be out when he's out. Someone waitin' for ya to get home, or wot?'

'No,' you hesitated, awkwardness cutting you short, 'sorry. Just tired.'

He hummed at that, flicking his eyes around the silent street outside. Murky, orange light cut through the condensation of the pub windows, casting a faint haze on the shutters and bars of the nearby shops. All closed for the night. All empty.

'Wot you doin' out by y'rself anyway?'

Odd. He didn't seem the type for small talk.

'I wasn't out by myself,' you cringed at how pandering it seemed. How you felt you had to justify yourself. 'Was out for drinks with some colleagues and friends.'

He huffed at that, muttering something too low for you to hear. It made you prickle, for sure that it was at your expense. Maybe you should stick in your earphones, stop talking and just treat this like the transaction that it was. You drummed your fingers against the door panel, breath fogging up the window as you stared out aimlessly.

A few beats passed like that, quiet settling uncomfortably in the car like an itchy blanket. You could feel it, wanted to shift away or throw it off or something, but a glance outside at the damp, litter-strewn street kept you still. Better just to endure the discomfort if it got you home.

The snick of the locks disengaging made you jolt, drowsiness dispersing at the sudden shock of cool air from in front.

A man, almost as tall and broad as your driver, settled into the front passenger seat. His eyes, flinty under his stern brow, mapped the length and breadth of your bundled form. His lips twitched under his mustache, amusement or disbelief carved into the burgeoning smile.

'What's this, then? Picked up a stray?'

You bristled a little, scintilla of apprehension raising the hairs on your arms. They shared a look, something warm and familiar passing between them as the idling engine hummed back to life. They sat in front, black-clad and broad shoulder to broad shoulder nearly blocking your entire view of the dash.

'It's your rideshare, in't it?' the driver grunted as he pulled away from the curb.

'Booked a cab, did you sweetheart?' the stranger turned to you, strong face in profile. You could make out fragments - high nose bridge, dark hair, mutton chops obscuring most of his face. The darkness veiled the details, like staring at a painting through gauze. He was the image, the impression of a man, yes, but distant. Unsettling.

'Clearly,' tiredness and nerves made you sharp. Brittle. You sunk further into the seat, clutching your bag on your lap. As if it could act as a barrier. A shield.

A string of tension hummed, taut and quavering. You tried to ignore, watching streetlamps blur together outside, it but it whirred high and distracting. They noticed it too, you thought, shoulders squaring up as muscles tensed and flexed. The stranger huffed through his nose, proud and steady as an ox. You swore that you heard the driver chuckle under his breath, a low hehehe as he indicated right and turned off from the M60.

'Testy one, I see,' he hummed, disapproving. 'Gonna have to fix that attitude.'

The string snapped, you snapped, 'Look, Sir, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't fancy a chat. I'm just trying to get home.'

You fumbled in your bag for your earphones, hoping to drown out any awkward silences or terse comments.

'Alright, that's enough of that. Simon, pull over.'

You looked up, half in alarm and half at the authoritative tone of his voice. The driver, Simon apparently, swerved into the hard shoulder with a 'roger that'.

The tattoo beat of your heart drowned out your thoughts, heavy thumps rushing past your ears and thrumming down to your fingertips. You scrambled for the doorhandle, scratching clumsily like a mouse.

'What are you doing? Is this some kind of Chuckle Brothers double act because if so, it's not funny,' your words fell like fragile little shards, hoping to cut but shattering in the air. Your pitch rose, 'You want the bag, my things? I'll report you, you shouldn't be fucking working this job.'

Your phone felt heavy in your hand, shaking fingers missing the keypad as you tried to type the password.

The stranger sighed heavily, patronising. Like you were inconveniencing him in some way. You licked you lips and glanced up, ready to run your mouth again as the app loaded.

A steely glint by the central console strangled the words in your throat.

'Didn't want to have to do this sweetheart,' the stranger's lips quirked up in a sad, half-smile. You scanned his face, seeing no note of hesitation. Just cool, steady eyes and that stupid, fake smile. 'Hand that over, nice and easy.'

Neurons fired, trying to make connections or plans. Trying to assess. Here you were, alone in a car with two strange men. You shouldn't hand your phone to them, you could barely feel your fingers anymore, never mind unfurl them from the edges of the case. If you handed over your phone - your lifeline- then what?

If you didn't hand it over, you had the answer to that question from the barrel of the gun pointed your way.

You stared at it, dull silver in the dark. Like a cynosure, it pulled your gaze towards it. A sick facsimile of the North Star, leading you away from safety and further into the den of the wolves ahead.

Your animal instincts screamed, struggled, but lost as you passed your phone into his large, calloused grasp.

'Good girl,' he smiled fully then, round cheeks and bright eyes masking the coldness beneath. 'Don't get fussy now - Simon, the locks - just sit tight and you'll be home in no time.'

You tugged futilely at the handle, useless now that Simon had engaged the child-safety lock.

'I don't live down this way, I- this is not the right way,' you licked your lips again, mouth dry and bitter with the taste of rising bile. You could see, now, that you wouldn't be going home that night. Your next words tasted acrid, tinged with defeat.  'Why are you doing this?'

'Thought ya wanted to come wiv us,' Simon's gravelly voice cut in, amusement warming the pitch into something mocking. 'Why else jump into a strange car?'

'You said you were my taxi, you confirmed-'

'Did I?' you saw his eyebrow quirk, dead predator eyes meeting yours once more through the rear-view mirror. 'Not very good at lookin' after y'rself, are ya?'

Your quick little breaths fogged up the window beside you. It was hard to see, hard to think. But clearly, not thinking had brought you this far. You didn’t think to accept your friends' offer, didn’t think to properly check the license plates, didn't think open the app and check the journey status.

There must have been something of surrender in the tremble of your lips. In the flickering of your wide, glossy eyes. It scented the air, whetting the appetite of the beasts in front of you, swirling around their chops.

'S'alright, love. We'll get ya home. Get ya taken care of.'

Lacrima painted your lash line, salty and hot as it brimmed over and down your cheeks.

You heard a rustle, felt a rough thumb brushing at your tears. The stranger had reached back, large hand nudging your face back up to look at him.

'No more tears, now, c'mon,' he dug his into the corner of your mouth, tugging your lips into a coy, marionette simper. 'Smile, sweetheart. The rest of the boys are dying to meet you.'

________________________________

Bit rushed, but hey 🤷‍♀️. This has probs been done before but here's my spin. Apologies for the lack of fics lately! Feel like I'm getting my groove back so should have some actual content out soon.

[wcdonaldo]

i think cover letters should let you skip the interview and also vaporize the hiring manager who reads it