#where's the cliff I need to throw myself off

[fringephile]

I'm just going to die here today.

The way she opens up and actually says things.

The way she says "mom" and not "my mom".

The way she says Fox.

The way he sits quietly and lets her talk.

The way he comforts her.

Maggie's ashes. 😭

[ohthewh0rror]

.

[kingkat12]

seven minutes in hell (roman godfrey x reader)

WARNINGS: 18+, public sex(??), voyeurism, emotional extortion (Roman is such an ass omg), groping, foul language, smoking, angst, mentions of sex

summary: after you made out with Roman during a game of seven minutes in heaven, he insists that you owe him for not telling Letha about it-- how can someone so beautiful be so evil?

word count: 8,192 (yes I know lol)

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9

a/n: after having my inbox flooded w sweethearts asking for a part two, here you go!! I do advise new readers to read the first one before this, because idk how much sense this is going to make without it lol, but enjoy!!<33

Paranoia. That was the only word that could describe the week that followed the party where Roman and I had kissed.

I had spent every waking moment wondering when Roman would show up to cash in his debt or prick me with a goddamn needle. His words lingered in my mind, haunting me; "Fine, I'll be nice. But you owe me," The reminder of those words sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder how I could've been so stupid as to rope myself into something like this.

Roman knew I liked him. In fact, he knew it very well. I couldn't even mask my feelings with hatred anymore, and everything about that made me want to throw myself off a cliff-- that would probably be more merciful than whatever it was that I had in store. 

After we had made out during seven minutes of heaven, I had to tell my best friend, Letha, that nothing had happened. If she found out that I had made out with her cousin, I doubt she'd want to have me hanging around any longer. And quite frankly, Letha was my favourite person in the whole world, so it was detrimental that she stayed close. She was like a ray of sunshine peeking out through heaps of stormy skies; there was no way in hell I'd lose her without a fight.

Which is why I needed to keep Roman in check, along with my body un-pierced by any incoming needles. 

The first time I saw him after the party, was a few days later in the cafeteria at school. I had stopped in my tracks, completely turning to stone as I watched him with his friends. It was almost as though I was afraid he'd see me if I moved, and to my shock, that's exactly what happened-- as I shifted my weight from one foot to another, harshly gripping my tray of food, his eyes landed on me with a quickness that immediately threw me into a state of panic. I bolted with speed I didn't know I had, not stopping until I reached the other end of the school, panting. 

The second time had been at the library. I had been looking for a specific book that was quite old, meaning I had to do a lot of searching-- the librarian had been of no help, of course. As I scoured the shelves of endless books, crouching down to get a look at the lower sections, I suddenly felt a pair of eyes on me from above.

I looked up to find Roman's green eyes staring at me from the other aisle; his height made it ridiculously easy to lean over, having no visual obstruction of my side of the shelf. Something about the smirk playing across his lips made me freeze up-- it felt like I was prey, about to be eaten whole. I let out a squeak of horror as I grabbed the first book I saw, not letting him get a word in before I dashed towards the exit without a second thought.

The third time was the absolute worst; I had been walking down the stairs with Letha, on our way to our shared history class, as we suddenly encountered Roman on his way up. I felt my heart beat against the books I now pressed tightly against my chest, holding my breath as he neared us with a conniving look on his face-- I was quite sure I had lost all the blood in mine.

As Roman and Letha had a conversation about some sort of family dinner later, I did my best to make myself as small as possible; I wondered whether I should slip away into the crowd or just throw myself down the stairs. 

I was quite sure that it was clear to Roman why I was avoiding him, and I was even more sure that it also was amusing to him. It was rather obvious, with the way he obnoxiously eyed me up with a growing grin. "You okay?" he asked, nudging me. "You look spooked."

Asshole. Just the slightest touch was enough to make me flinch, and my words came out in a breathy mumble; "I'm fine," 

Roman nodded, exchanging a look with Letha. He grew taller when he took a step up, inching closer as he leaned over to check which books I had pressed up against my chest. His long, slender fingers reached forward to tug at one of the books to get a better look, and I would've missed the note he slipped down along the front of my history book if I had blinked. As Roman pulled away, dragging his fingers through his hair as though nothing had happened, I held my books as tight to my chest as I possibly could to not let the note slide down to the floor. 

My heart was beating harder than ever as Roman made his way past me, his familiar cologne lingering in my system as Letha and I made it to class five minutes early. As she left to use the bathroom, I could finally put away my things, inhaling a shaky breath as I checked the note;

meet me behind school in an hour, or I tell Letha everything

I couldn't help the groan that escaped me, ripping the piece of paper to shreds. This was not going to end well.

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Somehow, I had managed to pry myself away from Letha for long enough to make it in time for my meeting with Roman. I was tugging at the sleeves of my jumper, anxiously ripping at the fabric. Wondering whether I should've worn protective gear to shield myself from any needle-kinks he might impose on me, I trembled with fear-- I didn't want to see him. 

Despite my wishes, Roman eventually came around the corner, a rather mischievous smirk spread across his soft, pink lips as he neared me. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he leaned against the wall next to me, his green eyes etching themselves into my skull. His usual cardigan was draped around his shoulders and over his white shirt, tied in the front, as he crossed his long legs in the classic Roman Godfrey stance. "I'm glad to see you came,"

"As if I had a choice," I mumbled, glancing at our surroundings, not wanting to be caught alone with him here. I had to do everything in my power not to look at the casual swoop of his hair, not wanting to think about how handsome he looked right now. "What do you want?"

Roman blinked twice, almost as though he had expected me to say something else. "Isn't it obvious?"

I was afraid my heart was pounding audibly in my chest. "No," My gaze darted down to my shoes, kicking away a nearby rock. "Can't we just forget any of it ever happened?"

"Well, that was sort of the draft of the original plan," Roman said, shrugging. "But you've clearly not been able to forget it, with the way you've been avoiding me for a week now... So it seems we have to resolve this, somehow."

Did this mean that I had only made things worse for myself? I wanted to hit my head against the wall and bleed out-- that would probably feel better than what I was feeling on the inside right now. "The actual kiss hasn't been on my mind much... Mostly just the needles,"

Roman let out a huff-- was it a laugh? "I'm not going to fucking poke you, could you calm down about that?"

"I can't be sure when it comes to you, Roman!--"

"So you haven't thought about it?" He cut me off, eyes sparkling with the need to know. "The kiss?"

If I'd had something to throw at him, I would've done so in a heartbeat. Why was he so keen on knowing that? "Not much,"

"Only at night?"

I couldn't even hold back my grimace, listening to him snickering like a proud toddler. "Definitely not," I grumbled, now kicking at another rock. "Why does it matter to you?"

Roman shrugged; "I don't think you understand how intriguing it was to find out you've liked me all this time," He watched as I continued to tug at the sleeve of my sweater, looking like a nervous wreck. The image before him made his grin widen. "You've been the biggest bitch ever, do you know that? I was dead sure you hated my guts until you begged me to fucking kiss you!"

"I didn't beg!" I exclaimed, protesting. "In your fucking dreams, Roman!"

He rolled his eyes, taking a step towards me. Feeling his presence inching closer, I stopped kicking the scattered rocks around me, looking up to meet his gaze.

Roman leaned down, matching himself on the level of my widening eyes. He studied me as I froze to my spot like an icicle, holding my breath to not get swept up in thoughts of how good he smelled and how soft his lips looked up close. "You're still running your mouth," he mumbled,  and I felt his eyes fall on my lips as well. "I thought you might get a little nicer if I complied with your little kiss."

His way of thinking had me furrowing my brows, confused. Was that why he kissed me? A tiny piece of my heart broke, the hope I had buried deep in my gut dissolving. Why had I ever hoped that his reasons for kissing me the way he did had been different? "I'll be nice if you agree that I don't owe you anything anymore. It's been driving me nuts,"

With this, Roman broke out into a rather abrupt laugh; "Are you kidding? There's no way in hell I'd absolve you of that, anymore,"

The laugh felt so damning, I couldn't help but shudder. I was two seconds away from kicking him instead of the rocks. "What do you want, then?"

Roman straightened up, the look on his face giving away that he was debating what to choose. "It's probably not something as bad as you expected it to be," he said, nodding to himself as he no longer met my hard gaze. "I'd just like it if you told me why you like me."

What? I stared up at him in disbelief, lips parting in shock. Had I avoided him like the plague over a simple question? Sure, it wasn't the most comfortable one to answer, but my mind had already concluded that he would stick me with needles like a voodoo doll and leave me for dead on a road somewhere.  "Uh... Could I ask why?"

"Nope,"

I nodded; "Okay...?" Clearing my throat, I pondered where to start. I hadn't actually thought about this question, and I had to scour my brain for the answer. "I don't know," I eventually mumbled. "I guess I just think you're handsome." Saying it out loud physically pained me, but I knew I had to get this over with.

Roman blinked twice, meeting my gaze with a rather empty look about him. "That's it?"

"I don't know? I think so," I shrugged, searching through my mind for more. "You're my type, I suppose. Tall, brown hair, green eyes... And unattainable. I guess that a part of me likes that you'll never like me back." Saying this out loud, however, was even worse. I hadn't thought about it like that up until this moment.

Roman seemed even more confused than I did. "So it was nothing that I did?"

Something told me he was searching for something more meaningful, but I had always known that my crush was superficial. "I don't think so..."

What followed would haunt me for days on end; Roman broke out into a rather maniacal laugh, running his hands through his hair in clear denial. "So it's just the same, then," he said in between hiccups of laughter. "It's not about me at all!"

I could only watch as he went into some sort of a mental storm, biting down on his lower lip to suppress the noise. "I don't think you quite understand how it is for no one to like you for you," Roman continued, now pacing back and forth as his trail of words sped up; "You've probably never had that problem, right? Guys probably like you because you're nice to them, I've seen that multiple times. Or that one guy that just hasn't left you alone since you sat together during assembly that one time-- what the fuck was his name?"

I held my breath; what on earth was I witnessing? "Roman, I think you're spiraling, let's just breathe--"

"Daniel, wasn't it?" Roman finally looked back at me, a cramped smile on display along his lips. "He definitely likes you for you, right? Not just because you're cute? That must be fucking nice." 

I had never imagined that I would pity someone for only being liked for their looks. Somehow, I found myself wanting to comfort him, and I had to fight that instinct. "It would probably be easier for you to find something real if you weren't such a prick," I mumbled. "If you didn't tug people's hair, throw stuff at them, or stab them with needles?"

That seemed to be enough for Roman to take a step back from his weird state, his pacing coming to a halt. Something seemed to be dawning on him, a crushing realization that should've come about ten years ago, but instead of taking it like an adult, he retaliated; "Well, you're not exactly doing any better than me! You've liked me for God knows how long, and you've treated me like utter crap!"

"Because you did the same to me!" I said, feeling my voice raise with my emotions. "You've had no interest in me, along with all the bullshit you've pulled all year! Don't you think it would probably be easier for me to like you for who you are if you had been a pleasant person to be around?"

Groaning, Roman turned his back to me, ready to walk away. After taking a few steps, he turned on his heel, facing me once more. Fury was burning in his green, green eyes, fists balling up as he spoke; "This is not over. You tell anyone just a tiny fraction of this conversation, I'll tell Letha I fucked you raw," 

My jaw fell in complete and utter shock as he walked away, cursing myself to the heavens and beyond. How had I managed to make this an even bigger mess than it was before I came? As I went back to kicking rocks, trying to catch my breath, bits of the conversation suddenly came back to me; did he just say that I was cute? That he had seen me with Daniel during assembly, and that he had spotted me talking to my previous flings?

This only made everything furthermore confusing; it was obvious that he didn't like me, either. But what on earth was going on in that brain of his?

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

The next time I saw Roman was a few days later in the hallway during rush hour. I had spent several nights tossing and turning, trying to decrypt the conversation that continued to haunt me. The conclusion I arrived at, was that he might be lashing out with the needles and the childish behaviour because he didn't know how else to express interest. 

But then again, that would mean that he was very interested in me. I was sure something was wrong with that conclusion, but I couldn't pinpoint any other possible theory at this moment. I also couldn't shake how upset he looked when he found out my crush was purely superficial; was his need to be seen for who he was so overpowering?

So when I finally flagged him down, Roman was in a rush, and this was rather unfortunate; my legs were much shorter than his, and I had to go into a jog to not lose sight of him. Eventually, I caught up to him, grabbing his wrist and tugging at the sleeve of his shirt to get his attention.

Roman seemed rather confused, glancing down at me with a wild look in his eyes which quickly died out when he saw who it was. "What are you doing?--"

"You smiled at me in class," I confessed, feeling my cheeks redden. "The sun was hitting your eyes in a way that made them extra green, and you smiled at me and handed me a pencil. That's when I knew I liked you." Slowly, I pried my fingers away from his wrist, letting out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. It felt like an enormous weight had lifted off my shoulders, like the anxiety that clung to me had been washed away in a calm stream of water in the mountains.

Why did I feel such strong a need to tell him my crush wasn't purely superficial? That it had stemmed from the simplest act of kindness? I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Did I pity him that much? 

Roman's pupils expanded, and he stood as if glued to his spot. People kept passing us by, but it was as though all the surrounding sound died out. It was clear that his mind was racing, his brows drawing together in confusion-- or was it disgust? I couldn't be sure. Either way, my heart was thumping so hard in my chest that it hurt. 

I cleared my throat; "Have... a nice day," Before he could answer or make fun of me, I turned on my heel and bolted down the hall, knowing my heart wouldn't be able to take it if he shut me down once more. 

I couldn't take any more of this. Clutching my heart as I made it to my locker, I knew I had to get ready for class and that I didn't have time for the crushing feeling taking over my chest. 

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A big part of me had hoped that our last interaction would be the end of it all. That I wouldn't have to owe Roman anything anymore, that he wouldn't be threatening to tell Letha that we kissed or fucked or whatever-- I should've known that was an unattainable reality. 

I was practically falling asleep at the end of a long day of school. Exhausted, I allowed myself to close my eyes as I leaned my head against my palm, elbow at my table, waiting for class to start. A worrying thought popped into my head as I realized that chemistry was the only class I shared with Roman, which meant that he would probably be showing any time soon. 

With a yawn, I blinked several times, hoping to wake up as I sat back in my chair. I was about to do some stretches, but as I turned to my right, I let out a yelp, nearly falling off my seat.

And I would've fallen right down to the floor if Roman hadn't grabbed the edge of my chair, holding me back with one hand as though it was nothing. "Careful, there," 

That's exactly what he had said when we were in that damn closet playing seven minutes in heaven. I shivered, getting a severe case of deja vu as I looked back at him in disbelief. "When on earth did you show up?"

"Right around the time you nodded off," Roman's books were already on the table-- had I genuinely slept for a minute or two? How could I have missed this? He let go of my seat with a snicker, shaking his head; "You're quite the case, aren't you?"

I didn't like the sound of that. "What do you want? Why are you sitting here?"

"Could you relax?" Roman rolled his eyes, his mood worsening by the second. "Look around, Sherlock, there's nowhere else to sit."

It pained me to realize he was right. With a huff, I fought the urge to kick him under the table. As the teacher finally entered the classroom, excusing himself for being a few minutes late, I let out a sigh of relief; I hoped to avoid talking to Roman as much as possible from now on. After I had confessed to him and gotten nothing in return again, I was dead tired of seeing his gorgeous face-- it was physically painful, at this point.

As class started, I reached into my bag to find a pencil. A good minute passed by as I rummaged around, which eventually garnered Roman's attention; he immediately knew what I was looking for. He turned to me with a spare pencil which he had lying about on his table, holding it out in front of me.

Someone up there was definitely playing pranks on me-- I was sure of it now. With an embarrassed smile, I watched as the sun hit the green of his eyes, illuminating them further as I reached for the pencil. The tips of our fingers touched, just for a few seconds, but it felt like I had almost burned myself with how my nerves reacted to the nudge of his hand against mine. 

Roman seemed to understand the irony of the situation, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards into a dizzying look of kindness. 

There it was. The root of all my problems-- the simplest act of warmth along with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. The bullshit that started it all. 

I hummed to myself as I broke eye contact, crouching over my table to start taking notes, desperate to distract myself. Every fibre of my being felt like it was buzzing with electricity, unable to calm down. 

It didn't take long before Roman shoved a small note onto my part of the table. I gave him a look before I opened it, sighing.

we need to talk. meet me by my car after school

Turning to Roman, I couldn't help but glare; this again? But his smirk melted me in more ways than one, and I knew that it could have consequences if I didn't go. 

Fuck.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

I waited until there were almost no cars in the parking lot in front of the school, hiding away in the library in the meantime. I didn't exactly want to be seen talking to him. As I finally walked out past the front entrance, I held my breath as I spotted Roman leaning against his red jaguar, typing away on his phone. I wondered who he was texting-- was it Brooke from the cheerleading team? No, it couldn't be; unless she still wanted to be with him after he pricked her with the legendary needle.

It didn't take long for Roman to put away his phone, watching me as I neared him. Something about the way his hair lay in waves over his forehead made him look like even more of a heartbreaker than he already was. "Long time no see, hm?"

I didn't even want to fake being entertained by that-- we both knew that we'd seen each other in class less than twenty minutes ago. "What do you want?"

Roman rolled his eyes; "Can't you at least act like you like me? We both know you do,"

Something about being called out like that didn't sit right with me, but I swallowed my curses. I had to be on his good side, after all, so that he wouldn't turn around and tell Letha what had happened between us. "Did you want me to come skipping down the stairs and run to you?" I asked, getting a good look at him. "Or maybe a blowjob before I bake you a pie?"

A humoured smirk spread across his lips, giving in to a chuckle. "You could at least start by standing a little closer?" Roman put his hands up in the air as though he was surrendering; "Look ma, no needles!"

I huffed, complying. I took a few steps forward, watching the last car leave in my peripheral view. It was definitely not a good idea to be alone with him like this-- I should've known better. 

This didn't seem to be enough for Roman, who proceeded to tap the spot next to him on the hood of his car. 

I groaned; "Roman, come on--"

In a swift motion, he hooked his fingers inside my front pockets, dragging me forward as I yelped. Roman grabbed my hips, forcing me down on the car with a soft thud. With wide eyes, I turned to him, watching his hands disappear back into his pockets. 

"You're infuriating," Roman mumbled under his breath, fishing out a pack of cigarettes from his right pocket. He held it out in front of me; "Want one?"

Honestly, I had only smoked once. It had resulted in me coughing up what felt like half a lung. "No, thanks," 

He shrugged, lighting up a cigarette as he hummed. This little dance around why he had told me to come made me further nervous, once again reaching for the sleeve of my sweater, tugging at the seams that had come loose. The smell of nicotine infiltrated my nose, and I turned to him just in time to watch him exhale a few rings of smoke, eyes transfixed on them as they evaporated into thin air. 

Finally, Roman spoke up; "I'm calling for a truce,"

What? My eyes widened, scanning him for lies. "... What's the catch?"

Roman turned to me, a slight smile splayed across his lips. "You know me too well," he said, chuckling as a light breeze passed us. "I want us to play a game, and then all is forgotten."

"Oh no," I blurted out. "What kind of game, Roman? Can't you take pity on me just once?--"

I immediately shut up as I felt his arm wrap around me, holding out his cigarette in front of my mouth between his fingers. I wasn't about to start fighting him in an empty parking lot, so I parted my lips, accepting the cigarette despite knowing I would cough up everything I had eaten for lunch if I inhaled properly. 

Roman's face was suddenly very close to mine; "Ever heard of this game... Wait, what was it called? Seven minutes in hell?"

For fuck's sake. I watched as he laughed, amused by his joke. Still, my eyes darted down to his bouncing leg, watching as he gave away a sliver of nervousness. I reached for the cigarette, getting it out of my mouth; "Sounds about right," Balancing it between my fingers, holding it out in front of his mouth just as he had done to me, Roman hummed as he wrapped his lips around the cigarette, taking a puff.

Before Roman could take it back into his hand, I pulled the cigarette away from him, putting it back into my mouth. Something about sharing the cigarette was making a familiar ache between my legs throb, which in turn made me cross my legs. I didn't inhale the smoke into my lungs, keeping it in my mouth before breathing it out, knowing it was hard to differentiate between that and the real thing. "Where would we play?" I eventually said, glancing at him.

Now that we were sitting like this, Roman's arm around me, I realized we hadn't been this close since that party where we had kissed. Something about his embrace was comforting, despite me knowing that he was doing it to take the piss out of me. However, my steadfast belief in his reasons became shaky as I met his eyes, watching how unusually big his pupils were as he looked down at me, a certain calmness about him. "My car?"

I couldn't help but giggle as I handed him the cigarette, our fingers meeting in the exchange. "I'm not making out with you in your car,"

"Why not?"

"Every single cheerleader slut at this school has been in the back of that thing," 

Roman shrugged; "Not everyone. Eleven out of fifteen,"

"Ew, you're not making it any better!--"

"Fine!" he huffed, giving me a squeeze with the arm he had around me. Roman put out his cigarette by throwing it to the ground, giving it a proper stomp before he turned to me, a mischievous smirk on display. "No one has been in the front, though."

It was hard to say no when he looked at me like this; how was it possible for someone so conniving to be so beautiful? I had to look away from Roman-- it was getting impossible to breathe. Tugging at my sleeves once more, I realized I had ripped out a new seam. "Look, I have to say I'm a little confused... You're not even into me, so I don't get why you'd want to kiss me again," I let go of my sweater, realizing I would probably manage to rip it all apart if I didn't calm down. "It really is a power thing for you, isn't it?"

Roman hummed, rubbing my arm in a soothing manner as he stared out at the parking lot with a rather hollow look in his eyes. "Yeah... That's definitely what it is,"

I didn't have time to wonder why he didn't sound so convinced. As I dared to look at him again, I watched him lost in thought, pondering something. I took that as my cue to get out of playing his game; "Making out would probably be fun and all, but don't you think it is more beneficial for you if we maybe got to... I don't know, know each other?"

Confused, Roman's gaze darted back to me. "Why?"

"You seemed to be a little upset that I didn't like you because of you, remember?" I gave him a playful nudge, drawing forth a smile. "Instead of imposing your weird dominance kink or whatever it is on me, wouldn't you want to prove that there's more to you?"

This seemed to strike a chord with Roman, who slowly started to nod in approval. "That... doesn't sound so bad,"

I damn right hoped so-- I let out a shaky breath, relieved to not become the twelfth girl to end up in Roman's car.

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I couldn't believe that I had managed to fix myself up with a date with the Roman Godfrey. He was practically known for never going out on dates with anyone, but here I was, running around my room trying to find something nice to wear.

However, there was one tiny hoop I had to get through-- Letha was on speaker phone as I rummaged through my drawers, and my heart was racing as I tried to avoid her questions."I still don't get why you can't hang out today!" Letha whined, clearly upset with me. "I thought you were going to help me pick out some shoes down at the sale!"

I grimaced, feeling like the biggest prick on the planet. "I'm sorry, Letha, I'm just not feeling too good..." With a heavy heart, I could hear her sulk on the other end as I finally found the perfect bag. 

"I've barely seen you this week... You've been so jumpy, I just feel like you're avoiding me. Did I do something?"

No, no! I was about to protest until I heard a sound coming from my driveway; I made my way to my window, glancing down at Roman's red car, watching as he parked. Clearing my throat, I rushed to my phone; "Letha, I'm so fucking nauseous, I think I need to throw up... I'm so sorry, could I call you back later?"

I heard her sigh; "Get better soon, okay?--"

As Roman started honking outside, clearly impatient, I had to leave the call without even saying goodbye. Groaning, I gathered my stuff, making my way down the stairs and outside with hurried steps. "Stop that!" I said, trying to steady my breathing as I approached the car. "My parents are inside!"

"So what?" Roman's cocky smirk was on display as always, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "Whatever dumb fuck told you I'm a patient man, is a dumb fuck." Roman got out of his car to open my door on the other side. It was nice to see that he had a gentleman bone in him-- it gave me hope that this date wouldn't crash and burn. 

And weirdly enough, it actually went quite well. I had been worried that he'd take me out shooting or whatever it was that he did in his free time, but Roman settled for something simple-- we were currently sat in my favourite café in the city, having the most normal conversation we'd ever had. 

"You're kidding me?" Roman said, putting down his coffee with a look of shock on his face. "You've never seen The Godfather?"

I couldn't help but huff-- this was a solid reminder that he still was a guy at the end of the day. "I haven't gotten to it, I guess,"

"Well, you have to!" He ran his fingers through his styled hair, shaking his head in disapproval. Roman was wearing a different shirt today that I hadn't seen before, and I was getting the feeling that he had actually dressed up a bit despite how casual this date was. "What else haven't you seen?" 

"Uh, I don't know?--"

"What else haven't you done, is probably a better question," Roman was grinning from ear to ear now, eyes sparkling in anticipation. "First kiss?"

"David Parker, eighth grade," I put down my milkshake with a smirk, happy to be sizing him up. "You?"

Roman seemed beyond amused; "Amanda Reiley, sixth," He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, intrigued that I wasn't backing down from his intrusive questions. "First time?"

I had to suppress a cough, feeling as though I was choking on air. There was no way in hell I'd tell him I hadn't had sex yet. "... Some guy I met on vacation last year in Greece, don't remember his name,"

"Really, now?" Roman hummed, leaning back against his chair. "Not buying it. You squirm like a virgin every time I look at you."

My breath caught in my throat-- "Pardon?"

It seemed that my reaction only amused him, but he still spared me by brushing over it. "My first time was with Denise Campbell, ninth grade. Was really sweet, actually,"

I tried to shake off the fact that Roman had been right in his deductions. The story of his first time was unexpected, and he had been quite young-- concerningly young. "Roman Godfrey and sweet don't usually go together, in my book. Did you light candles or something?" I took a sip of my milkshake, watching him break out into a smile. 

"Honestly? I think she lit one," he said, a soft chuckle following.

 I had forgotten how beautiful his laugh was. Flustered, I put away my milkshake, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I met his gorgeous, green eyes. There was a calmness about him now, something I had trouble getting used to. It was a big contrast to the way he had looked at me while we played seven minutes in heaven, or the way he had been looking at me the whole week I had avoided him. The usual feeling of unease that crept up my system whenever he was around was long gone-- it was almost as though we were friends. 

Nervous about my next question, I started picking at my nails; "So where did it go wrong?"

"Pardon?"

I didn't meet his gaze anymore. "When did it become casual to you?"

"Sex?"

"Sex,"

Roman hummed, taking a rather long sip of coffee. I wondered whether I had gone too far with the question, but he didn't seem fazed. "Didn't get too far with being sweet, I suppose,"

This was definitely a chapter in Roman's life that I hadn't expected to hear about-- who had broken his heart? And why was it comforting to know that he'd had that experience? Something about it made him more human. "That's sad," I mumbled, forcing myself to leave my nails alone. "Sweet usually gets you quite far."

Something about that seemed to intrigue him; he moved to the edge of his chair, closer. "Don't you girls usually like the bad guys? That seems to work well, in my experience,"

I shrugged; "It can be fun for a week or two. Any longer than that, and your heart starts to tire,"

"Ah," was all Roman said, tapping his fingers against the table in an impatient manner. "Would you want to get ice cream? It's on me."

This conversation was starting to give me whiplash. "I'm sold," I eventually answered, shooting him a smile. It was nice to know that he wanted to continue the date despite my intrusive questions-- I couldn't lie; I was rather enjoying myself. And my ego was getting the biggest inflation it'd had in a while, remembering he didn't usually go out on dates at all.

About half an hour later, we were now walking down the street with our ice cream, once again debating why I hadn't watched The Godfather-- boys really love that movie, don't they? I took the liberty of looking up at him as he explained the plot to me in excessive detail, watching his hands flail around in excitement as he spoke, eyes round and green, and the way a single strand of hair lay in front of his eyes, straying from his stylings.

The man I had hated this whole year suddenly became a person to me. A person with interests, quirks, and feelings-- weirdly enough. Roman didn't come off as a spoiled brat right now, and I could barely remember a time when I would run away from him and his needles. Like this, I could imagine sweet moments with Roman, possibly even holding his hand as we walked down this street, doing normal stuff together. 

In another lifetime, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.

However, I was quickly yanked out of my daydreams when I spotted a familiar figure leaving the shoe store across the street. With a panicked yelp, I grabbed Roman, dragging him down the nearest alleyway as I felt my blood run cold. 

Roman looked beyond confused; "What are you?--"

"Letha!" 

His mouth formed an 'o', watching me press myself up against the wall. "She doesn't know?"

I shook my head, letting out a shaky breath. This was definitely not what I needed right now. If she found out I was here with Roman and that I had lied to her, I was sure she'd have my head. Why couldn't I just melt into the wall and become immaterial? 

With ease and calm, Roman grabbed my finished ice cream, putting it down on the ground along with his own before nearing me. "We'll wait it out,"

What? "Thought you were ready to rat me out?" I leaned forward, glancing past the corner of the alley, making sure Letha hadn't seen us. 

"Well..." Roman put his hand on my shoulder, guiding my back to the wall once more. "I know she'd kill you, and you can't die before watching The Godfather."

Had I not been preoccupied with being quiet, I would've groaned right in his cocky face. The hand he had on my shoulder burned against my skin, and I was getting flashbacks to our time in the closet at the party where we had kissed. "I've repaid my debt to you now, anyway," I mumbled, warily glancing past the edge of the corner where we were standing, watching Letha from afar. 

Roman's hand on my shoulder quickly made its way into my hair, fingers twisting themselves into the nape of my neck, forcing me to face him. I let my breath escape me as my lips parted, watching him with big, wide eyes; what was happening? It was at this moment that I realized how close he was standing, how he was practically pressed up against me.

There was something sinister about the look on Roman's face-- it suddenly dawned on me that he was still the same person, even though he had buried this side of him for a few hours. He would always thrive when seeing someone in an anxious state, feel joy at any visible conflict or misery, and it dawned on me how bad of a situation this was when his next words came out in a dangerous whisper; "I could just call her over here, do you know that?" Roman's grip on my hair tightened, almost enough to make me wince. "You've made quite a mess of yourself, sneaking behind her back. I could ruin you in a second."

"You won't, though," Fucker.

Intrigued, Roman's green eyes sparkled; "And why are you so sure of that?"

My chest was heaving against him, hating every second, every minute of this encounter. When had he turned into such a sadist? Was it after Denise Campbell in ninth grade? I wanted to make sure I asked him that next time. "Because this gets you high," I hissed. "This feeling that you get from watching me get scared? You're addicted. You're a fucking junkie." 

I felt Roman breathe out against my lips, leaning closer, eyes burning into mine. I could see the flickering flames in them, and I knew that I had set them alight-- I was quite literally playing with fire at this point. "Well, this is who I am," he said through gritted teeth. "Do you get it now?"

"Get what?"

"Why no one likes me," Now, the fire died out, turning into an unintelligible emotion swimming in the green of his eyes. I didn't need to be a specialist to understand that he was baring his coping mechanism for me to see. "Why no one ever will. And why you will go back to hating me once we're done here."

It felt as though I had finally finished a puzzle with five thousand pieces. This was it. Had Roman made himself so unlovable to protect his feelings? Were all his stupid quirks just means to scare away girls so that they would stop liking him? I couldn't help but pity him-- beneath his harsh exterior, I could sense who he was beneath all of it. In a flash of emotions, I reached out to touch his face with a wary, gentle touch. 

Roman's eyes widened, confused, as I moved away the strand of hair that strayed from the rest.

"I know you said this wouldn't be easy," I said, voice soft. "Whatever would ensue between us. And I spent a lot of time thinking about that, actually, and I think the answer is that you just make it hard for yourself." Sighing, I let my hands rest against his shoulders, watching his every move and reaction. It was obvious that he was caught off guard. "I pity you, Roman. But I thank you for making me realize how much guts one must have to feel... Why are you so scared?"

Roman just stared at me, his breathing coming out in shallow breaths through his nose. He stood as if frozen to his spot, and his hand left my hair, falling to his side as his eyes never left mine. "I'm not scared," he eventually said.

"You're terrified,"

"No,"

"There's no point denying, it's really fucking obvious--"

"No, it isn't!" Roman snarled, grabbing my hands, and prying them off of him. "Maybe I just don't like you in that way, have you ever considered that?"

I shrugged; "I have. But it still doesn't change the fact that I can read the fear on your face like an open fucking book,"

Groaning, Roman let out an exasperated sigh. He let go of my hands, the fury apparent in his unsteady breathing. It was obvious that he had never confronted his issues head-on, and that he didn't like the process one bit. "You need to watch your mouth,"

"Or what?" It was as though my fear had escaped me, staring him down with challenge burning its way through my veins. "You're going to tell Letha we fucked or whatever? Go ahead, see what I care! Just know that I will be telling the whole school that your dick is smaller than my pinky if you do."

Roman's eye twitched as he let out a guttural growl, body tensing up as he balled his fists, one of them returning to my hair. It was clear that I had angered him; he grabbed a fistful, yanking my head upward with a force that made me wince, pulling me flush against him. It was at this moment that I felt something press up against my stomach-- my eyes widened with the realization that he was hard. "Do you still like me?" he asked, his breath tickling the underside of my nose. 

When I refused to answer, Roman took my silence as a yes. "You're going to hurt yourself if you continue to,"

"Wasn't it you who proclaimed me a masochist?" I answered, a smirk forming on my lips. Something told me that I had him cornered. 

And I was right-- it was Roman's turn to go silent, staring into my eyes as multiple emotions flashed before him. Standing like this with him was almost comforting; I had finally deciphered him. I knew that he had practically built himself a fortress of hate and fired the canons at any signs of intrusions. He was so desperately human right now-- it was making me dizzy. Or was that just his harsh grip on my hair? 

"Roman?"

A hum.

"You can kiss me now if you want to,"

The hand in my hair loosened its grip, and I watched as Roman inhaled a long breath, no longer conflicted.

And so our lips came together in the alley, a rather hungry kiss ensuing. My hands went up into Roman's hair, letting out soft gasps against him as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him with a burning need. I could taste the remnants of the chocolate flavoured ice-cream on his tongue, the sweetness mixing in with the roughness of our kiss. I wondered whether he could taste the vanilla on mine-- chocolate and vanilla were my favourite mix, anyway.

I knew there was a possibility of Letha spotting us if she walked our way, but it only made me more desperate for Roman. I had missed him dearly, the memories of our last kiss having haunted me through every hour of every day. There was no doubt in it now-- he wanted me too. It gave me such an immense rush, along with the satisfaction of feeling how hard he was against me, the throbbing of his cock continuing against my stomach as he pressed me further into the wall behind me. Something felt wrong about him being aroused after our fight, especially now that we were practically in public, but I knew I didn't want to push him away just yet. 

I was completely breathless by the time Roman shifted, his thigh now pressing up against the apex of my own. Caught off guard, I whimpered as he grabbed my hips, moving my hips against him as the kiss deepened, growing further needy. I could feel it in my bones; not only did he want me, he needed me. This was just about the biggest high I had ever had. Roman Godfrey-- all mine in this moment.

The friction between my legs, feeling his cock continuously brush up against my stomach through our clothes, had me gripping his shoulder, disconnecting our kiss to catch my breath. My head rolled back against the wall behind me as I pondered how I had allowed this to happen, not used to pleasure caused by others. 

Roman's fingers wrapped around my throat, holding me in place as we rocked against each other, lips hovering above one another before they came crashing together once more, unable to keep away. I let out a broken whimper, my hands flying back up into his hair, pulling him closer as pleasure coursed through my veins in a way I hadn't ever felt before. I couldn't quite put my finger on what this was, but I had never been this certain that I liked it.

I let out a broken moan as my head rolled back once more, which in turn had Roman connecting our lips, muffling any sounds. This was where I was reminded that we were in public, wondering if I had gone absolutely mad-- I blamed it all on him. His beautiful eyes, his strong arms, and his addicting, soft lips. As Roman continued to grind me up against his thigh, pulling away to watch my lips part and my body squirm in pleasure, I gazed up at the way the corners of his mouth turned up into his signature smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing-- messing with me like this, practically in public. 

It took a lot of willpower for me to push him away, whimpering slightly at the loss of contact. "We-- We can't," I said, catching my breath. 

Like this, I could see how disheveled Roman's hair was, how his lips looked swollen with kisses, and it made my stomach flip-- how was it possible for someone to be so beautiful, even when completely unraveled? 

Roman shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. It was clear that he was scanning my look of arousal; "My car is right around the corner,"

"Okay...?"

Leaning forward, Roman captured my lips in a short kiss. "I can park it somewhere desolate," he said, nipping at my lower lip. 

I couldn't help but shiver-- that sounded really fucking nice at the moment, but I knew I had to control myself. And I wasn't about to lose my virginity in a car? "Another time," I mumbled, struggling to catch my breath. Who would've known that arousal could cloud the mind like this? 

Roman nodded, accepting my words as a promise. "I'll hold you to that,"

Oh no-- This again? Great.

Just great.

(a/n: here are the links to PART 1, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9!<33 thank you for reading!!)

[norrizzandpia]

Happy Birthday (LN4)

Summary: It’s his favorite person’s birthday

Warnings: literally none just language

Note: my bday being a few days ago has nothing to do with this!!!!!!!! I know it’s short but I got a late start to this tn 😭😭 hopefully I can get some much needed writing time tomorrow

landonorris happy birthday to my person! I told myself I would just say all of this to your face but on second thought I want the world to know just how much I care about you. To be honest, when we first met, I never thought we would be here; in love and prepared to spend the rest of our lives together. I just didn’t think you would like me that way. However, the day you said yes to going on a date with me will forever be one of the greatest days of my life. That was the day my life truly started because, as cliche as it is, you are my life. I’ve never cared or loved someone as hard as I do you and I’m eternally honored to be the person you come home to at the end of the day. Being your boyfriend over these past few years has taught me a few things. The first thing being that someone’s laugh actually can become your favorite sound. Always thought that was an over exaggeration but hearing you laugh and knowing I was the one to make you laugh is completely different from the happiness I feel when I win a race. The feeling’s better because you’re better. The second thing being that loving someone doesn’t have to be hard. I feel like people think love is a hard thing but with you it’s not. From the start, loving you has been easy because you understand me and you love me wholly for who I am. There has never been a time where I had to force myself to love you or work to strengthen the love I harbor for you, and there will never be a time that will happen. Loving you is like watching the sunrise. It’s peaceful and quiet, beautiful to look at and experience, and, most of all, it’s relieving because you know there’s going to be the hardships of the day, but that’s ok because you can always come back to the memory of waking up, starting your day, with such a gorgeous view. I don’t have to say that I think you’re the most stunning person to grace this Earth, you already know. But, if somehow you don’t, I’ll repeat it to you for the rest of our lives. Lastly, sorry I know this is long, the third thing you have taught me is to enjoy life. People seem to think that mentality came from my own mind, but, no, it didn’t. It came from you who said it to me one night when I had a panic attack over the stress of racing and performing well. You sat with me in our bed, held me as I freaked out, comforted me, and told me that I had forgotten to enjoy life. In the moment, you had related that statement to me enjoying the privilege of being able to do what I love as a profession especially when what I want to do is so hard to get in to. Although, after thinking on that statement, I realize that enjoying life has nothing to do with racing and everything to do with you. Enjoying life is cherishing the moments where I get to wake up to you, cherishing the times when you tell me you love me, cherishing the ability to love you, cherishing the calls I get in the middle of the night because you don’t care what time it is where I am, all you want do to is tell me the gossip you heard that day, cherishing the fact that I’m the person you want to spill those secrets to, cherishing the knowledge that I’m the person you trust enough to confide in, and cherishing you. Anyways, I should stop now because you’re actually calling my phone as I write this. Probably going to tell me something about your high school arch nemesis coming back into your life to ask for F1 tickets. Don’t worry, I’ll act surprised and tell you she’s out of her mind if she thinks she’s coming anywhere near a race circuit dressed in our colors. Happy birthday, baby.

Loved always by me,

Your biggest fan 🧡

Comments:

mclarensgirlyy SO BASICALLY ILL JUST GO THROW MYSELF OFF A CLIFF THEN

f1fan22 i will never recover.

ynnn LANDO THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING I HAVE EVER READ I AM FUCKING CRYING I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH LAN THANK YOU I LOVE YOU

- landonorris I love you more baby

- mclarenfan4 STOP THIS MADNESS 😭😭😭😭😭😭

ln4andop81 he is so gone for her like I just genuinely don’t even think winning is top priority for him anymore it’s her

- landonorris ofc I’m literally so in love with her she’s my end all, be all

- ynnn so I’ve passed away.

[tosotd-wwe]

McLaren Orange

*based off the song “tennessee orange” by megan moroney*

lando norris x fem!reader

warnings: fluff *first person pov*

summary: y/n was raised in a ferrari family, but a special driver in the papaya car gets her to wear the mclaren orange.

I felt as if I was going to throw up. My hand hovered over my mothers contact, shaking from the knots in my stomach. I knew I shouldn't be nervous, but knowing the way my family is I couldn't help it. Finally after convincing myself to tap the icon, my phone began to ring. The ring went on an awful long time, making me feel even more terrified.

"Hi Mama," I say into the phone once she picked up.

"Hey darling," Her sweet voice echos into my ear. How am I supposed to tell her this?

"I've got some news for you," My voice cracks.

"Is everything alright? You're not in trouble are you?" Her tone becomes serious, I could tell she had her eyebrow raised looking towards my father.

"I'm not in trouble, Mama" I laugh slightly, "But, don't tell dad about this, please."

There was silence on the other side of the phone. I knew she was debating listening to my request, but also on not. I heard her shuffle around a bit. Maybe she headed into a different room for privacy.

"I know you guys raised me to know right from wrong, and I know you're thinking I did something wrong, but don't worry everything is okay." I sigh, "It's just, I've never really felt this way. I don't know where to start."

"You can tell me anything, sweetheart." She reassures me, my heartbeat already calming down.

"I met this guy," I mentally smack my head in embarrassment.

"Oh, I was expecting something totally different." She laughs loudly.

"He's got these gorgeous blue eyes." I feel my cheeks grow warm just thinking about the way his eyes look into mine. "He even opens the door for me. I don't think he's made me cry once."

I had met Lando after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. A couple of my friends and I decided to go out for the night, we needed some freedom. Just that morning we were all wearing our red gear, cheering for the Ferrari's as they raced. Lando just happened to be at the club we decided to go to. He was with a couple of his friends, hanging around the dj booth in the back. I must have felt risky that day because I walked up to him, congratulating him on his race. Yes, I congratulated the enemy. We ended up talking a little longer. A little longer was the rest of the night.

"He's not from where we're from." I explained, "But, he feels like home somehow."

"Where's he from?" She qustions.

"The United Kingdom, Bristol actually." I tell her.

"He sounds like a very lovely guy," She compliments him. This makes my heart warm. Hopefully the rest of the story wont make her too upset.

"I've done things I've never done before with him, Mama." She could probably hear my wide smile through the phone. "He took me to this beautiful restaurant the other night. Oh, and we went cliff diving too!"

Talking about just a few of the adventures we had been on together already made my stomach burst with butterflies. Thinking back to when our hands were holding tight to each other as we jumped off the tall cliff, waiting for our fall to be caught by the blue water. When he gave me his jacket after our dinner because it was raining.

"There is one thing though," I hesitate.

"What is it?"

"Mama, he's a driver." I try to lead up to the fact that he's a big racing star, but not for our big team.

"He's a driver? Like a racer?" Her voice fills with excitement. "Are you dating Charles Leclerc?"

"No Mama, not him." I laugh, "He's not on Ferrari."

Yet again there was a silence on the other end of the phone.

"Mama, he drives for McLaren." I whisper, a weight being lifted off my shoulders as I did so. "Lando Norris."

I heard the door open from the phone, she was walking up to my father.

"He took me to Spain with him, that's why I was gone for a little while. He gave me the hat he had sitting on his dash when we got to the airport." I try to distract her from telling any information to my father. As long as he's a good guy why should it matter? "Mama, can you forgive me? Don't tell dad, please. I like him a lot."

"Honey, I'm not mad at you. I can't change the fact you like this boy. As long as he doesn't make you forget you look better in red." She sighs, the phone now on speaker mode.

"I don't know, his smile makes me forget sometimes." I fiddle with the rings on my finger.

"Hi daddy," I say quietly, knowing hes listening into the conversation. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Your mother and I are so happy for you, Y/n. I could never be mad at you for chasing your heart."

"I still am rooting for Ferrari, don't worry." I laugh, feeling relieved by their acceptance. "But if you every see me wearing McLaren. Just know I'm wearing the orange for him."

[kaciebello]

No need for mail

Masterlist Badger express ★ Lorenzo Berkshire x Hufflepuff! reader (fem) Summary: While doing a school project, Lorenzo tries his luck. With the help of the wind and the sun, he falls harder and harder.  Warnings: no use of y/n,  Authors note: Haiya! This is a sequel series to the whole delivery one. This one is gonna focus on the boys separately! hope you enjoy it! English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes beforehand. Proofread by me and me only (Ｔ▽Ｔ) And just so you know, it always has been him. ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ( and yes I know he's a slut, not here tho, maybe next time.) word count: 1.1k Song: Married In Vegas - The Vamps

Light breeze messes with his hair. He does not care as much as his attention is on the mooncalf nest that rests below the cliff. The girl next to him is doing the same. Her hair is held together in a braid with a yellow ribbon wrapped into it. They are both lying down at the edge of the cliff, one wrong move and they would be rolling down. He turns his face to her.

“Why are we doing this?” He whispers, yes whispered as he has already been scolded once for speaking at his normal volume. Apparently, it would scare the weird animal away and that is not what they want.

“It's a school project, I told you that.” She says, her gaze not moving away from the big-eyed cows.

“I don't think Hagrid would care if we pulled everything out of a book.” He argues back but knows there is no way out of this. He's finally being let in on a Hufflepuff sacred. No wonder they always get the best marks in ‘care for magical beasts’. They simply just vibe with them. The girl just shook her head at him.

The girl scooted a little bit more over the edge. Lorenzo's hand flew over to her and grabbed the back of her shirt. For a witch, she does not have even an ounce of self-preservation in her body.  A small rock fell from their shuffling and landed near the nest. Scaring all the mooncalf, making them run and hide.

“look what you did!” the girl says and, with the help of Lorenzo, sits up.

“Me? I'm not the one trying to throw myself off the cliff!” he says, now too, sitting.

The girl scoffs and gets up to make her way over to the blanket where they set their stuff. He makes his way to her and sits down right next to her. Their knees touching. They both pulled out their notebook, he wrote down his observations and she finished her sketch of the animal.

Silence falls upon them as they both do their own thing. Lorenzo's eyes shift to see her sketch, only to see a familiar face. He does not know if he should call her out or not. But since he considered himself her best friend, a fact she constantly denies, he decided to do the first option.

“AYO, is that me!” Startled, the girl closes the notebook so fast it makes a thud so loud that he's certain the mooncalf all hid again. He tried to take the notebook from her, but she threw it on the other side of the blanket. She restraints one of his hands and the other one lands by her back.

When Lorenzo noticed how close they were, a smile crept on his face.  She noticed too, as his legs curled a little. She turns her body to face him more and places her other hand near his, probably so she can quickly grab it if he tries something.

He noticed her eyes were scanning his face. A breeze messes with his hair again. The girl blinks and lets his arm go, going to fix it for him. He places his, now free, arm on her thighs, squeezing them to make sure his arm lands where he wants it to without actually looking.

The two friends stay silent. Not an awkward one, but a comfortable one they always seem to find themself when they are together. 

“You're so pretty, I wish I could get you pregnant.” She breaks the silence. Lorenco can do nothing but chuckle. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. His arms now sneaking around her waist. Pulling her closer to his body.

“Ditto” He murmurs. He can feel her shake with laughter. She was now playing with his hair, something he could let her do all day if he could.  That's why he peels himself off of her. She just looked at him confused. Lorenzo just shakes his head and moves a little, before ploping his head down on her lap. He makes sure to grab her arms and slam it on his head for good measure.

She looks at him with a shocked expression before sighing. Nonetheless, she does what he wishes for and plays with his hair. He flashes her a smile full of pearly whites. 

“You're annoying.” She says looking down at him. he pokes her side making her squirm a bit.

“But you still love me.” he sings back to her. She does not answer to him. They fall into silence again. The girl is not looking at him. Something in the distance caught her attention. He did not mind, as if she were to look down on him, she would see a fool in love.

A sun framed her head and made it look like a halo. He was smitten.

“So you know how you just wanna be friends?” He says making her give him attention. Looking down at him her arm came to a stop.

“Yeah?”

“That's cool and all, but I'm like in love with you.” 

“Same” The girl just breaths out. Lorenzo did not expect her to say that. In a second he has decided he is not letting her change her mind.

He shoots up and cages her with one of his arms while the other one goes to her neck and pulls her closer. He does not give her a chance to register what is going on.

Their lips met, softly than someone would expect with how fast Lorenzo was with his moves. She took a few seconds before kissing him back, her arms cradling his face.

The kiss was sweet and slow, a fairytale-like.

Soon they ran out of breath, the girl gently pushing Lorenzo away as he tried to chase her into another kiss. Still, with closed eyes, he lends his forehead to hers.

“That was-” A low whistle cuts him off. Cursing under his breath, Lorenzo opened his eyes and straightened out. there stood four of his friends. A whine leaves him.

“AYO I DID NOT KNOW YOU HAVE A GAME LIKE THAT.” Draco makes sure that he can be heard all the way back to Hogwarts. Multiple praises and hollers sound on the little cliff they found themself on.

All the boys make their way to Lorenzo, lifting him up and repeatedly tossing him in the air. All he could do was catch a glimpse of the girl with a yellow ribbon in her hair laughing. Not even noticing the love note falling out of his pocket and getting lost in the wind.

tag list: @daisiesformylove , @klimovatereza-blog , @lafrone ,@enfppuff , @rafegfs , @frogtape , @lovelyygirl8 , @catiwinky, @anyam444 , @leeleecats , @ghostgardn , @reverse-soe , @ultramarinetovelvet , @iwishigotswallowed , @jazz-berry , @justatadbonkers , @partnerincrime0 , @schaebickel , @bunnyhopsstuff , @deluluassapocalypse

[heartfullofleeches]

Moonlight Waves

Yan Alien Human Guy Person + Jellyfish Hybrid Reader 

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: None, pure fluff

“If you put some thought into it…The ocean and space have a lot in common.” 

Vast, boundless frontiers- Depths and reach never to be fully unveiled to the eyes of man. All imposing surfaces blanketing both heaven and earth. Two opposing bodies that on nights just like this might align, conjoined by midnight and the luminous orb mirrored upon them both. The full moon was a blessed companion for those who found themselves alone on eves similar to this- Solace and guidance found in her radiance. 

“Whelp- Guess it's time to throw myself.”

Wiser folk have said desperate times call for desperate measures- While there were lesser extremes he could have gone to, this seemed like the quickest solution to their predicament. Twenty-four years on this planet and they had still yet to conquer the strenuous feat that was learning how to swim. His mothers were gentle in their upbringing- Apparently too gentle as they never pressured their child into braving the horrors of the swimming pool. On one hand, the biggest factor to their child's fear may have been the fact that it was their neighbor’s pool - and it'd be quite difficult to explain the eerie glow to their toddler's tears and the stains they left on clothing. 

They were fine with it early on, but as he grew - Alien realized how much he was missing out on being unable to swim. Most humans know how to swim by their age anyway which would give less credit to his claims of an earth born and raised member of the population….Which they were regardless of whether or not they knew how to swim.

Alien squares his shoulders, testing the binds of  numerous weights anchoring various parts of their body. Unsatisfied with the distribution, he plucks a stone from the moist sand surrounding his legs - unfastening the velcro of their right breast pocket and adding it to the collection. A horde of trinkets ranging from shells to stones to a couple marbles crowded each pocket from the vest they wore down to the swimming trunks they purchased for the occasion. So what if his body was more buoyant than the average human being- requiring additional weight to avoid floating off into the endless sea. Alien had always been a scrawny person-

“That should be enough- Wait…Is that?” 

Srounging for more space to stuff the final stone, a gentle glow envelopes their fingertips following a faint- snap! Alien pushes the rocks and shells aside, wrestling the shining band from beneath them with minimal effort. 

*Jackpot! I thought I used all of these already. With this baby on, I'm definitely ready for this. Wish me luck up here!”

Alien gazes up at the moon as they slip the glow-stick bracelet onto their arm. It's the last thing they see as their legs carry the rest of them towards the end of the cliff. Had it not been a full moon or the sky so clear- tonight may have gone different for them. They could've swallowed their pride, and went to bed with intentions to sign up for the nearest swim class come morning. Realistically, Alien knew he'd never go through with that plan, but it was nice in theory. Safer too-

Head lost in the cloudless sky, Alien yelps as the ground is swept from beneath them - their screams swiftly snuffed by gallons of water as they're dragged into a plummet off the cliff's edge. Their body connects with the sea, pockets of air bubbling to the surface from the force at which they collide. The oxygen escaping him would have been alarming - had they any need for it. Whether they could hold their breath or their biology simply skipped the stage where their lungs depended on air was a secret they'd take to the grave. 

Sinking fast, Alien realizes what some might call a flaw in their ingenious plan. 

Perhaps, just maybe, they potentially added too much weight for them to claw their way back to the surface.

…

Ah well. 

Since they're already down here, there's no harm in exploring. Hard to see much beyond the gleam of their jewelry dangling freely around their wrist, but they dig the vibe of it all - drifting weightlessly without aim or reason. The deeper they dove, the brighter the natural fluorescence of their skeleton bled through their skin. Alien had heard of a condition that made people's skin slightly yellow before. Surely the green glow of their bones had to be in the same family. The shine widens their range of sight. By now, it was hard to decipher which way they were facing. The moon had long since faded from view….

Oh, wait. There it is..

….

Is it?

Stranging their eyes through the blackened depths of the ocean, Alien can clearly make something out miles away from them - shrouded by a halo of light. It almost mimics their guideless descent - floating off course before gradually aligning itself in a mostly linear ascent towards them. That alone was enough evidence whatever they were looking at was not the moon. The fluctuation of its surface and the four, almost crescent shaped markings atop only served as further proof. Inch by inch, as the space between them grew narrow, Alien could make out more of its features. Flowing tendrils, a pair of arms floating freely at its sides, a face adorned with a dopey smile. 

Face to face, the near angelic like figure raises one of its hands - waving its fingers at the unfamiliar face within its territory. Alien’s eyes tighten from the phosphorescence of the creature's skin. Ignoring the sting, Alien lifts his own hand, mirroring the entity’s motions. The corners of its smile peak higher upon its face, head following the dim glow of their bracelet. The lightly draws focus to the stones bulging from his pockets. The creature's grin falters into tight lipped confusion.

“Hey…Hey!” 

Alien struggles to make a sound as its hands paw at the straps of their pockets. Successfully tearing the sleeve open, the creature yanks out every rock, every shell- It pauses briefly to marvel at the eye of the marbles in Alien's pocket before shoving them beneath the cap of their head as they continue. Depleting their vest of its contents was all it took to send Alien on their upwards rise towards the surface. The angel waves again before swimming its way to the top, gliding gracefully as a true angel would through the sky. It grabs onto Alien's wrist, tugging him along with them as he apparently took too long for their liking.

Alien could only watch on in awe as the darkness peeled away - moonlight adding on to the ethereal, otherworldly glimmer that was this being and its flesh. Could this be Alien's first encounter with an extraterrestrial? There was no possible way a creature of this radiance was from earth. They just couldn't be-

The creature releases their hold on Alien's wrist as they breach air. Alien finds himself searching for their touch, and another item he appeared to be missing. The angel, the only term Alien found fit for them, wandered towards the shore without him- back facing the sand as they spun a glowing band around their finger. Alien channels the knowledge of every training video they viewed before their trip as they doggy paddle in the general direction of the shore. Thankfully, there was still enough weight in their shorts to keep them perfectly balanced between drifting off and going under. 

The energy is depleted from their very soul by the time they reach their destination. The angel sits with its lower half still bathed by the oncoming tide, rolling a marble through the crystalized sand. It throws its arm into the air as Alien appears.

The angel waves. Alien, running on fumes and the strange heartache that would come from not reciprocating their kind gesture- waves back.

The angel helps Alien sit upright, returning the marbles they had borrowed back into the land dweller’s pocket from which they can. Alien fishes out of the marble they saw the angel toy with and gives it back to them.

“Keep that one… So-  you got a name?” 

The angel’s mouth falls open in a “O” of both surprise and honor at the present. They brush the sand smooth before rolling the marble through it once more. Inspecting their craft, Alien can make out letters the further along the angel continues.

“Y/n? That's your name?”

You clap your hands in praise, sound and ferocity increased by the wetness of your palms. Cute. 

“You, uh, come here often?”

The point of your finger towards the water states the obvious fact that you live here. A murmur akin to laughter slips past your lips at that one. 

“You got me there… The sea’s pretty big, though. What I'm asking is can I see you again?”

You tap a finger to your chin in thought, head dipping towards the bracelet now hanging from your own wrist. You point to it, hope and wonder present in your grin. 

“You like the bracelet? You can keep that too. I can bring you more if that's what you're asking.”

Clapping again, you latch onto Alien's side - merging your fingers with theirs as you hold them both to the sky. Moonlight pours through your skin and theirs, transparency muddled by the existence of their bones. Your head falls to their chest- a whisper so quiet they almost missed it. 

“Like me…” 

They're glad that they didn't. 

[motherboardmania]

chronic sniffler.

soap and tissues thoughts under the cut

the thing abt soap n tissues is that theyve got like. Really opposite versions of the same problem. tissues' condition causes him to have problems with cleanliness, and soap's OCD (not canonically stated but. its pretty coded.) causes her to be obsessed with compulsively cleaning to the point of... putting hand sanitizer in pizza. Which is pretty bad.

shes clearly really afraid about potential contaminants which, yeah. OCD is based in fear and uncertainty. its not gonna be easy for her to manage it, even if she dumps all her cleaning supplies off a cliff. things Do need to be cleaned, and i feel like her avoiding cleaning supplies could easily result in a worse avoidance-based compulsion. (like, "oh theres sponges here. Sponges mean things need to be cleaned. things in here might be unclean, so i need to throw out the sponges." which isnt logical but OCD doesnt adhere to logic anyway.)

i think her tossing her cleaning supplies off the cliff was already a significant attempt to stop feeding into her contamination fear through compulsive cleaning! which is great. but i think it would be a great additional step for her to talk to tissues more often, especially because he was unfairly caught in the crossfire.

i think itd be cool for them to make amends. tissues could provide a healthy outlet for soap's urge to clean, and point out when she's being obsessive. n soap could help tissues out with cleanin up when hes havin trouble, and keep him company during flares bc sneezing, nausea, vertigo, + chronic pain is definitely something thats easier to cope with when youre not also lonely about it. At least for me. (coughs awkwardly.) point is i think them being friends would be good for both of them long term.

in FFF tissues noticably softens a little after bein referred to as a friend by fan, and like. emotional comfort definitely helps make the physical a little less bad. i like to think thats why he was able to fall asleep in the chair. also makes me think that maybe people dont consider him a friend nearly as much as hed like, and well that probably makes the chronic illness more frustrating.

idk. being disabled (whether that be mentally or physically) is rough. I want these two disabled girls to be nice to each other n help out where they can. i think they could make each others lives a little easier that way.

this is only like. 1/3 projection. im not going to lie n say im not projecting a little, but these two just happen to have similar problems i do. and i like them a lot for where i can relate, even if we def dont have the same personalities. its nice bein able to see myself in both of em. Also theyre underrated.

[dovesdreaming]

Pirates charm

Summary: You’re the daughter of Meg and Hercules, everyone always compares you to your mother saying your exactly like her. You couldn’t deny it either especially with how you wouldn’t let yourself swoon for Harry hook.

Requested

Masterlist

-

Being the daughter of Meg and Hercules wasn’t easy. On one hand, you were expected to live up to your father’s reputation. The strong, brave hero of Olympus who could move mountains and defeat titans. People looked at you like you were supposed to be just like him- noble, pure, a shining example of what a demigod should be. But on the other hand, you were also Meg’s daughter. And that meant you were sarcastic, quick-witted, and more than a little cynical. If your dad was all about heroism, you were about surviving in a world where happy endings didn’t always happen. Your mother had made sure you understood that. She’d been there, done that, and wasn’t about to let you fall into the same traps she had.

You were, as people liked to say, the spitting image of Meg. From your sharp wit to the way you carried yourself, always with a knowing smirk and a hint of sass in your voice. You weren’t a wide-eyed optimist like so many people in Auradon. No, you knew better than that. Which was why Auradon Prep had become.. a little boring. The whole "perfect world" thing? Yeah, it got pretty old fast. Sure, there were plenty of bright, smiling faces and happily-ever-afters, but after a while, it all felt a bit fake. Like everyone was just pretending everything was perfect all the time. You needed something different. Something real. And then… Harry Hook showed up.

The first time you met Harry, you were standing by the docks, watching the Isle of the Lost kids as they arrived on their ship. Ben had done his whole "integration" thing, and now, here they were, villains' kids walking the pristine streets of Auradon. It was all very dramatic, with people whispering and staring at the new arrivals, like they were some kind of dangerous animals let loose in a zoo. You didn’t care about most of them. But then, you saw him. Harry Hook.

With his long coat, swaggering walk, and that trademark hook hanging from his hand, he made quite the entrance. His sharp blue eyes scanned the crowd, taking everything in like he was already planning his next move. His smirk was lazy, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that made you raise an eyebrow. And when his gaze landed on you? Oh, he noticed you too. His eyes flicked over your figure, taking in the sharpness of your features, the confidence in the way you stood. Unapologetic, like you didn’t care what anyone thought. It was enough to make him pause for a second, his smirk faltering before returning even wider.

“Aye, what do we have here?” he murmured as he sauntered over to you, his voice dripping with a Scottish lilt that sounded both amused and intrigued. “Didn’t know Auradon had girls like you”.

You crossed your arms, eyeing him up and down. “What? You thought we were all sunshine and rainbows?” He grinned, his hook tapping against his side as he stopped in front of you. “Somethin’ like that. But I think ye’re more storm clouds, lass. And I like that”. You gave him a dry smile, the corner of your lips lifting. “I aim to disappoint”. Harry’s grin didn’t falter. If anything, it grew wider. “Ah, ye’re trouble, aren’t ye? I can tell”. You shrugged, glancing at him with a bored expression. “If you’re looking for damsels in distress, you might want to look elsewhere”. “Damsels?” He raised an eyebrow, his smirk full of mischief. “I don’t do damsels. I like girls who fight back”. You tilted your head, feigning interest. “Good, because I’d rather throw myself off a cliff than need saving”.

He laughed, a deep sound that was rough around the edges, like he wasn’t used to laughing much. But there was something about you that seemed to break through his usual bravado. “Aye, I can tell”. After that, it was like a game between the two of you. Wherever you were, Harry wasn’t far behind, and every time he tried his usual pirate charm on you, you gave it right back with a smart remark or a sarcastic quip. He’d call you “lass” and you’d call him “Hook” with a roll of your eyes, but beneath all the teasing, there was something else. Something you weren’t quite ready to name.

Because despite all the back-and-forth banter, Harry Hook was different from the others. He wasn’t like the perfect princes of Auradon, who threw themselves at you with grand gestures and shining armor. No, Harry was raw. Real. He didn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t, and he didn’t expect you to either.You liked that about him, even if you’d never admit it.

One afternoon, you found yourself sitting by the lake, enjoying some peace and quiet when you heard footsteps behind you. You didn’t need to look to know who it was “Should’ve guessed you’d be here” you said, not even turning around as you leaned back on your elbows. Harry sat down next to you, close enough that you could feel the warmth of his body. “Can’t help meself” he said with a grin. “Ye’re just too much fun to annoy”. You glanced over at him, eyebrow raised. “If this is your idea of fun, you need a hobby”.

“Oh, I’ve got hobbies” he replied, his voice teasing. “But ye’re definitely the most interestin’ one so far”. You rolled your eyes, fighting back the smile that tugged at the corners of your lips. “You must be really bored”. Harry chuckled softly, but then his expression shifted, turning more serious. “Ye know, ye’re different from the rest of ‘em”.

That caught your attention. You turned to him, curious. “What do you mean?” He tapped his hook lightly against his leg, looking out at the water. “Auradon, it’s full of people pretendin’ to be somethin’ they’re not. All smiles and pretendin’ everythin’ is perfect. But you?” He looked at you with those intense blue eyes. “Ye don’t pretend. Ye’re real”.’You blinked, not expecting the honesty in his words. For a moment, you didn’t know what to say. You’d spent so long deflecting with sarcasm and wit that someone seeing through you like that threw you off balance. “I’m just me” you finally said, shrugging as if it didn’t matter. “Nothing special”. Harry’s gaze didn’t waver. “That’s where ye’re wrong, lass”.

There was something in his voice that made your heart skip a beat. You weren’t used to this, this raw, unfiltered honesty. People didn’t talk like that in Auradon. They didn’t look at you like they could see right through the mask. But Harry did. And, gods help you, you liked it. You cleared your throat, breaking the tension. “And here I thought pirates only cared about treasure”. Harry smirked, his teasing nature slipping back into place. “Aye, well, maybe I found somethin’ better”. Your heart did another unexpected flip at that, but you didn’t let it show. Instead, you gave him a lopsided smile. “If you think I’m going to swoon, you’ve got another thing coming”. Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, I wouldn’t want ye any other way”.

The two of you sat in comfortable silence after that, the sound of the water lapping against the shore filling the space between you. For once, there were no quips, no banter just a quiet understanding. Maybe you and Harry weren’t so different after all. Maybe, beneath the sarcasm and smirks, you were both just looking for something real. And maybe, just maybe, you’d found it in each other.

-

Thank you for reading!!

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Some popular theories floating around on why Galadriel jumped off the cliff, and why I don’t agree with them:

1) “Galadriel jumped off the cliff to protect Nenya”

I used to think so myself, but this hypothesis doesn’t make any sense. Sauron could easily go down there and take Nenya for himself, without Galadriel being able to stop him (since she would be R.I.P.).

Sauron isn’t a physical being, he’s a immortal spirit who belongs, up and foremost, to the Unseen world; he can walk invisible (because he’s a spiritual being), and between the Seen and the Unseen world. He can choose his physical form in the Seen world (that’s the whole deal with “Halbrand is Sauron” in Season 2; Halbrand is one of Sauron’s physical forms).

He’s also a powerful sorcerer (versed in both Ainur and Dark magic) and a necromancer who can literally command the dead (Season 2 already introduced this). Sauron doesn’t need to walk all the way down from the cliff to get Nenya.

Meaning: her jumping off the cliff, and mortally damaging her body would only allow Sauron to get Nenya for himself, faster. She wasn’t protecting the ring, at all, by throwing herself off a cliff into her death. And Galadriel is aware of all of this; Sauron’s reputation is well-known by the Elves, that’s why they fear him so.

Gil-galad, Elrond and Arondir show up, and Sauron is pissed. Do you think three elves were going to stop Sauron from getting Nenya? Not only that but Gil-galad also has Vilya. Sauron had two of the Three Elven rings of power within his reach, but was too shocked to do something about it. So, no, there has to be another explanation.

2) “Galadriel jumped off the cliff because she would rather die than join Sauron”

Galadriel is a immortal spirit; her body can die, but her spirit can’t. This hypothesis would only make sense if Galadriel believed her spirit would pass onto the Halls of Mandos (Valinor), where she would cleanse for a time until she resurrected and was reunited with her physical form again, dwelling in Valinor.

You known, the place she refused to go back in Season 1 because she wanted to hunt down Sauron, because she believed her task on Middle-earth is not yet complete? So this plan of action doesn’t only seems odd, but OOC.

If Galadriel knows her “mission” on Middle-earth is not over, and she spent the entirety of Season 2 talking about why the Elves need to stop Sauron and safe Middle-Earth from his tyranny as the new Dark Lord, why would she want to die at the end of the season, exactly?

There’s more foreshadowing over the season of her succumbing to Sauron, than of her dying in the process or whatever (one line about sacrifice).

Sauron is literally “in” in 2x08, and she succumbs, she’s about to actually join him, of her own free will, because that’s her heart’s true desire. Her believing that Sauron deceived her and everything between them (including his offer in 1x08) was a lie, and a scheme on his part, were the only reasons stopping her from actually joining him. Many might not like it, nor understand it (mostly because they whitewash Galadriel’s character), but this is what Season 2 has been building up to.

And Galadriel’s immortal spirit wasn’t passing over to the Halls of Mandos, but to the Unseen world (“shadow realm”). Sauron’s true realm, and where he could have her and no one from the Seen world (Elves, Dwarves and Men) could do anything about it.

Meaning: Galadriel killing her physical body, would only allow Sauron to get her soul way faster. Because her body is like a prison to her soul (she’s bound to it); the moment her body dies, her soul is set free, and pretty much within Sauron’s grasp. And he could still get Nenya.

No, none of these hypotheses are “it”. There must be another reason. And that’s Nenya. The ring of power refusing to surrender itself to Sauron makes perfect sense.

And 2x08 foreshadowed something of this sort happening:

And this is why “Sauron holding Feänor’s hammer” is the last shot of him in Season 2. He’s already planning on forging a master ring to control all the others, and bind them to his will.

Sauron’s poem and the inscription of the ring: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

Sauron spent a lot of his power into forging the One, and placed a part of his soul into this object. That’s why he would always be able to rise to power if the One Ring wasn’t destroyed. He can’t die because he’s immortal, and one of the forces that first shaped the world. His magical imprint is everywhere.

The Three Elven rings of power feed of Sauron’s power. But they don’t bind their ring-bearers to his will, like the Seven, nor enslave them like the Nine. We know this from Tolkien legendarium. The Three lose their power once the One Ring gets destroyed and Sauron is left weak and diminished, unable to regain his former strength. After the One is destroyed, the Three are nothing more than pieces of jewelry (no longer magical artifacts).

“Rings of Power” provided an explanation as to why this is: we see repentant Mairon (aka Halbrand) working with Celebrimbor. He spent weeks handling that piece of mithril; and I already talked about this in this post.

The Three Elven rings hold Mairon’s essence, and the qualities he had when he was first created by Eru himself as a Maia of Aulë (before he was corrupted by Morgoth): purity of heart, loyalty, beauty, order, creation and perfection. This is why we see the “Eye of Sauron” making an appearance when the alloy for the Three is being mixed:

And Season 2 already made a nod to this:

But this wasn’t Celebrimbor at all; this is powerful Ainur magic, that only one of the Ainur could conjure: and that’s Mairon. “Perfection” was one of his contributions to the shaping of the world, in the Ainulindalë (“Music of the Ainur”), after all.

This is why Galadriel and Elrond will use the power of their rings to “beautify” their kingdoms, Rivendell and Lothlórien (especially Galadriel). And this is why the Three have healing properties: healing Middle-earth is Mairon’s goal (before he fell back into evil, and embraced the "Sauron" persona in Season 2), and that’s the intent he transferred into the Three (for the Seven he only needed to infused the mithril with spells, too). This is “Rings of Power” building on Tolkien’s lore.

Sauron knows that his power is connected to the Three. So, having one of these rings of power resist him, left him shocked. And that’s why he doesn’t go down the cliff, and that’s why he just doesn’t snatch Nenya out of Galadriel’s hands (he knows the ring belongs to her). He’s a control freak and a mastermind who’s ten steps ahead of everyone else, and this was a blow on his masterplan.

We know that the One Ring has a “will of its own”, but what if this is true for the Three Elven rings of power, as well?

Nenya refusing to surrender to Sauron’s will, not only makes sense with Tolkien’s lore, but kicks out the events of Season 3: Sauron waging war on the Elves go get the Three for himself (Lindon), and Sauron forging the One to bind all the rings of power to his will.

[sparrowrye]

Alastor x Fem! Reader {soulmates} Part 3

Synopsis: soulmate AU where you have the same mark on your body as your soulmate, and if your soulmate dies, you die too. Alastor needs to make sure that his soulmate is safe so he can continue his reign - whatever that takes.

Part 3: Lesser of two evils

Part Pilot | Part 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The very next day, I attempted another escape.

Surely he wouldn't assume that I would try it again after yesterday. He might think that I was too 'scared' to escape so soon. So I dared it again.

I started from the very beginning. When I woke, I quickly dressed, fortunately in pants this time, and opened the ancient window. I cracked it just enough to slip through. I let the wind carry me from the window to the edge of the cliff, out of view of the kitchen window. I moved with the wind as far as I could until I could see a beach forming at the base of the cliff. I glided down and started at a brisk jog.

If I stayed along the beach, I was sure to come across something right? Unless it was an island of some sort. What would I do then? I decided to cross that bridge when I got there.

The cliff side eventually evened out and blended into the beach. I slowed to a walk, constantly looking over my shoulder. My neck was starting to hurt from constantly checking. I was waiting to see Husker's bright wings but they never appeared.

After walking for what felt like hours, I had succeeded. I saw a pier in the distance and immediately started running. I had found civilization. I had found my escape. I felt a huge sense of relief knowing it wasn't an island.

The closer I came to the pier the more I could see people walking back and forth. My legs burned from running on the soft sand but I didn't dare stop. I was so happy to have found people and to have gotten this far.

A force from behind drove me into the ground. A furry arm wrapped around my neck and pulled me up. I pulled my legs up and abruptly dropped them, nearly throwing Husker's weight forward. He flapped his wings and pulled me off the beach into the woods. I reached up and poked him in the eyes, momentarily stunning him. I ran for the beach but the wind shoved me back. He enveloped me in his wings, cutting my vision from the town.

I pulled out his feathers and he howled in pain. He tightened his grip and moved his wings out of reach. I shoved my chin between my neck and his arm, slipping myself out of his grip. His claws grabbed at my shirt and raked down my skin. He pulled me back and wrapped his legs around my waist. I started pulling at his fur. He hissed loudly in my ear and shoved a cloth into my face.

I inhaled dust of some kind and began coughing. He let go of me as I scrambled away, sending him back with more wind. I jumped to my feet and ran for the beach again. I tripped out onto the sand but didn't dare stop.

I looked over my shoulder. Husker was nowhere in sight. My simple wind was barely anything so why wasn't he chasing after me? I kept running as I looked around, waiting for him or Alastor to appear somewhere else.

The next time I looked over my shoulder I fell into the sand. My surroundings began tilting and I felt like I was clinging to the side of a cliff face. I tried using magic but it did nothing.

I was on an anti-magic drug.

Someone picked me up and my strength all but vanished. I didn't recognize the person until we had disappeared into the forest again, the shadows revealing Husker's angry scowl.

I had failed again.

The drug had an effect for a full twenty-four hours. I was forced to stay in bed the whole time for fear of losing my balance and hitting my head. I was nauseous but never got sick. It was a horrible state to be stuck in.

I waited until the following night to escape again. The drug had worn off and everyone was supposedly asleep. I slipped through my window once again and walked along the beach. Husker found me much sooner than last time.

I tried several more times to escape and with each one I attempted, the sooner they discovered. I was growing tired of the countless failings. Husker always managed to get the stupid drug into my system. I had a feeling it was because Alastor would be angry if my injuries showed up on his skin. He always managed to cast some kind of remark about how a Slight hand was no match for a Full mage. It was the only interaction I had with the Radio Demon.

Eventually I stopped trying run. Then Plan B sprung into action.

Alastor wanted nothing to do with me and wanted to be left alone. How would he feel if I became a nuisance? Surely dealing with someone so bothersome would entice him to let me back into the world. As dangerous of a game as this was to play, I had to remain confident in the fact that he simply couldn't kill me. Granted, I know better than anyone there were much worse things than death, but I had to at least try. Threatening suicide always seemed to work with my past ring masters, and they weren't even soul-bound to me.

It started simple (definitely not because I was afraid). I always made sure to include curses in my sentences whenever he was passing. Husker caught onto it but he never corrected me, instead rolling his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh. Several times Alastor snapped at me like he had done before. He liked his scare tactics such as the dampening of the lights, extension of his antlers, and the yellowing of his large, sharp teeth.

Next were his quarters. I managed to find paperclips and other little objects to use as a picks for the locks. Picking locks had been a skill I learned to master early on as a kid. It made my old masters incredibly angry when the guards yelled at them to get a better leash on me. It meant they had to buy an expensive cage that I couldn't pick my way out of. I never went into Alastor's room, though I did peak into the red rooms. His bedroom looked like a normal master bedroom and the office had various radios sitting around. I left them unlocked and cracked open every time he returned for the day.

Much like with the cursing, it was more of a sharp word and distortion of his body. He never really laid a hand on me since our fight in the woods, which surprised me. I had expected the Radio Demon to be more aggressive with those 'under' him. Even Husker seemed to be bracing for something more than a stern talking-to.

After a few weeks, I started noticing Alastor spending more time in his office. I could hear his old radios playing and his door stayed locked tight. I decided to make one more big, final stand against this tacky mage. I attempted another 'escape' and managed to steal some of the powder from Husker's pockets. I hid it under my pillow and waited until the following day. I found Husker sitting on the porch again, drinking another bottle of whiskey.

I had the napkin of powder behind my back as I approached him, asking to pick more clothes from the store. As he pulled out his phone, I rubbed the powder across his nose. He shoved me away but the drug had gotten into his system already. He coughed and furiously pawed at his face.

"How's that feel, huh?" I yelled.

"What is wrong with you?" he coughed.

"Using that drug so often on someone can do serious damage to their physical and magic well-being."

"Maybe if you didn't run I wouldn't have to use it." He rubbed at his eyes that were now red.

"Maybe if you didn't keep me here I wouldn't have to run." I slammed the front door behind me. I quickly ran to my room and locked the door behind me. I opened the window and glided down to the beach. I casually started in the direction of the town, waiting for Alastor to appear. If Husker's magic was dampened and Alastor was in the house, surely the cat mage would request help from his master.

My guesses were confirmed when Alastor appeared in front of me from the shadows. I stopped where I was and crossed my arms. I pretended to glance down at a fake watch on my wrist. "Took you long enough."

Alastor let out a sigh. "What do you want? You've been trying to get my attention for quite some time now."

"I want you to let me go."

He rolled his eyes. "You know that's impossible for you, dear."

"Hey I'm just saying," I lifted my arms and walked past him, "if you leave me in the town right down the beach here, you won't have to deal with me anymore. A powerful mage like you can teleport so what's the problem?"

"The problem is that you and I share a soul," he watched me walk past, "What happens to one happens to the other."

I turned around to walk backwards. "I don't like you anymore than you like me. So let me live with normal people near that old house of yours, check on me whenever you want, and we'll call it even. You can let poor Husker go back to whatever he wants. How's his nose doing by the way?" I pointed to my own nose with a sly smile.

"I must say," he started to follow me, "you have proven to be far more of a nuisance than I thought possible from someone who lived her life in a cage." That made me stop in my tracks. "You're so used to being in a cold, dark cage that I thought an elegant one would serve you much better."

"Well I am human. I escaped using my own two hands and made a living for myself for five years. I've had a taste for freedom and now I'm hungry for it like never before." I wish I had claws to slice into his throat. "And I won't stop trying."

"I have been incredibly understanding and patient." He started walking around me in circles. I never let my back turn to him. "If you wish to be back in a cold, damp, dark cage I can arrange for that. I need not make you comfortable, but alive." The environment around me turned into static and symbols. I found myself standing in an old, dark cellar with a single lightbulb overhead. "Would you prefer something like this instead?"

I looked at him. His body had turned completely black save for his bright red eyes and yellow teeth. Everything in me bristled as fear choked me. I sent a blast of fire at him but he dispersed with his shadow. I heard his cackle echo in the room and fade into the distance. I looked around to find old, broken furniture stacked piles high around me. Was I back in the house? In an old cellar that I didn't know existed? There was no sign of a staircase. No sign of an exit.

Panic grabbed at my chest as I tried to stay calm. Surely there was a way out. He was using his magic to make it look like there wasn't. I ran to the closest wall and started running my hands all along it. There was a way out. Even if it was locked, there still had to be an exit. It was all an illusion. I wasn't actually in a cellar. He was trying to scare me.

I ran every inch of the cellar, climbing over old furniture and scraping myself on splintered wood. I became frantic and started running head first into the walls. They were solid concrete. There was an exit. There had to be. I just wasn't finding it.

Logic started to slip as fear settled in. I was running around like a scared animal. I began throwing things at the wall and sending blasts of hot fire or slicing through with wind. I tried parting it like I could do with the earth but nothing was working. Tears streamed down my face and my breathing was all over the place.

"You can't keep me here!" I screamed. I kept running into the walls until my arms, shoulders, and head were sorely bruised. I looked down at my hands. I grabbed the nearest sharp object which happened to be a splintered piece of wood. I laid my one arm on the ground and lifted the wood. I closed my eyes and plunged the sharp wood into my arm. I let out a scream as I did it again. Blood splattered around me and on my face. I would either be let go or die here fighting.

I leaned against the wall and held the wood up to my face. I braced myself and dragged it across my cheek. I pressed my hand to the injury and looked around. Still he was nowhere to be found. Did he think I wouldn't go through it all the way? I took the wood to my neck last, dragging it just enough across my throat for the lines to bleed a little.

"This is awfully pathetic of you." I looked up to see Alastor standing above me. He held his hands behind his back with his cane. He had an ugly smile on his face but his eyes told me he was upset. Good.

"I've been through too much," I gasped, “You either let me go or I end both our lives right here. I'm sure I'd be doing the world a favor." I looked him up and down.

He closed his eyes for a moment before snapping them open. "Very well." He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me to my feet. "If that's what you wish."

The room disappeared and we were thrown back into the world. I stood alone in a dark alley. There was no sign of the Radio Demon anywhere. I didn't recognize what town I was in but that didn't matter. I had succeeded.

I wiped away the blood as best I could. The sun was setting so trying to move around in the daylight looking the way I did wasn't the smartest. I sat behind one of the dumpsters and waited. As happy as I was to be back on my own, I had to start from the very bottom. All of my money I saved had disappeared when Alastor had taken me. But I could do this.

Eventually, the sun set and the town was thrown into shadows. I had fallen asleep for a few minutes. I was abruptly woken by the sound of yelling. I poked my head around the dumpster right as a young boy ran into the alley. A man was chasing after him and kicked the small child into the wall with ease. He grabbed the boy's head and lifted him to his feet.

"You'll do just fine in the rings," the man laughed, "If you make me enough money maybe I'll let you go."

"You'll do no such thing." I stood up and faced the man.

"Who do you think you are, whore?"

"The person who'll end your pitiful life in this lonely alley."

He laughed and lowered the boy so his feet could touch the ground. He dragged the boy with him as he strode over to me. The man was much larger than me, clearly all muscle. That meant he was slower. He would be easy to fight. That was until I saw him withdraw a knife. He caught my chin as I jumped back. I rolled back onto my feet and jumped onto the dumpster. I cast wind down the alley and tried to push him off balance. He planted his feet, still gripping the child, and fought against the wind.

I let out a tense sigh. One more time. Just one more. For the boy.

I used the wind to jump overhead then between his legs. I jumped around him like a rabbit, never staying in one place for too long. He couldn't land anything on me, growling and yelling at me to stay still. I covered my hand in fire and grabbed the hand holding onto the boy. He jerked his hand back and nearly stabbed the boy as I pulled him away. I pushed the boy behind the dumpster and jumped around the man again.

I caught the man's hair on fire, watching him drop the knife to put it out. I grabbed the knife and buried it into the man's throat. He sputtered as he dropped to his knees, eventually falling on his back. The blood pooled around his twitching figure.

Clenching my teeth, I turned around to see the boy staring wide eyed at the dead body. I looked down at my own hands and stared at the dark blood staining them. I kept the dumpster partly between me and the boy as I knelt down to his level.

"You're safe to go home now," I told him.

"I don't...I'm not..." the boy couldn't place the words but I already knew. He was an orphan who was probably on his way back when the man found him. They always went after orphans. Who would look for a child with no parents or guardians to care for him?

I went over to the dead man and wiped his blood off as best I could with his clothes. My skin was still stained but it wasn't coating them like before. I turned to the boy and held out a hand. He ignored the hand and buried himself deeper in the corner of the brick wall and dumpster. I couldn't leave him in an alley next to a dead body. Jail wasn't a good option either.

A sigh left my lips as I carefully and slowly lifted the boy up. He looked to be around six years old. He clung to my shoulders but his eyes didn't leave the dead body. I walked to the other end of the alley and disappeared down the street. I had to find the orphanage before I could take care of myself tonight.

I had barely gotten a single block before I stopped dead in my tracks. Striker stepped out of the shadows with his toothy smile plastered on his face. I gripped the child tighter and took a step back. Fear dipped in my stomach as my old master locked eyes with me.

"It's been such a long time, Python," he greeted. "What have ya been up to?" I swallowed hard. This wasn't happening. Surely this wasn't happening to me. I had to run. I had to get away. I had to make sure this child was safe but I had to run. Where should I even run to?

I turned tail and ran. The boy clung to me for dear life as I made sharp twists and turns down various streets. Why wasn't there anyone on the streets? Where were the people? Where were the police? I needed help.

Striker stood at the end of one street then the next. How was he moving so fast? Why isn't anyone noticing? I was in the center of a city. Where is everyone? How do I get the boy to safety before I take care of myself?

"Striker I can...we can..." I backed myself into a fenced off corner. I could feel the boy crying as his tears drenched my shirt. "Just wait. We can work something out."

"Work something out?" he hissed, "You ran and embarrassed me years ago. You think I'm about to let you work something out?"

"I can't...I didn't...I'll make a deal!"

He stopped, eyes widening. "You? The great Python who never makes any deals suddenly wants to make one now?"

I looked behind him and yelled, "Help!" He turned to see no one. I casted myself up to the flat rooftop and nicked my knee on the edge. I dropped the boy and pushed him away. A lasso tightened around my ankle and pulled me back over the edge. I hit the opposing wall and landed awkwardly on my leg. I screamed from the pain and rolled over on my back.

Striker planted a heavy foot on my chest and wrapped a lasso around my neck. He pulled on it so our faces were inches from each other. "You're coming back with me and making up the five years you missed."

I tried pulling on the insanely tight rope. "You'll have to get me there discreetly first."

"Oh you don't know, do you?" His smile turned smug and the rattle of a snake could be heard.

"Know what?"

"The mayor of this city declared all ring fights legal. And he's not the only one who did either."

"Ring fights aren't legal," I growled.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. I limped badly as he dragged me to the street. Keeping me up with one arm, he led me down the sidewalk with his rope still around my neck. People had hidden in their homes and were daring a peak through their curtains.

"Take a look, sweetheart," Striker said. "And how lucky you are to have wandered into the right town."

Wandered. I hadn’t wandered into it. Alastor had put me here because he knew it had legalized ring fights. He had done it on purpose. But why would he willingly let me go back into the ring fighting? Wasn't he worried about me getting killed?

I tripped in the midst of my limping and jammed my knees into the pavement. Striker laughed and waited for me to stand up, hands planted on his hips. "Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" His smile turned into a snarl.

"Why do you want me? I gave you years of fighting and good money. Surely you can let me go after all that."

He pulled the rope up and grabbed my chin so I would meet his eyes. He answered, "You dampened my reputation. No one had ever escaped my claws before except you. No one wanted to trade me their winning piece when I couldn't even contain my own. This is your payback." He pulled the rope even higher, forcing me to clamber to my own feet.

"We'll see the healer tonight and your first fight will start tomorrow." He grabbed my arm again and led me down the street. I had failed. I had gone from bad to worse to bad again. I had been lucky to escape the way I did. I wouldn't be able to do it again and not soon enough with no trust between us. Building that master-servant trust would take years after this.

I dropped to the ground again. "You'll have to drag my dead body, first," I snarled. I sent a heap of fire at his face but he deflected it with ease. He wrapped his claws around my throat and pinned me to the cold concrete.

"Don't think I won't," he snapped, "I'll break your other foot and arm if I have to. You can always be fixed." The corners of my vision darkened around him.

His weight was abruptly lifted off and my vision restored. I coughed to the side and pushed myself up. My eyes widened to find Alastor standing near my feet facing Striker. I inched backwards as Striker did the same. His hands were tight in fists but each step was a step backwards, not forward.

"Are you willing to lose your life over her?" Alastor asked. He remained in his calm pose with his staff in front of him.

"You don't participate in ring fights. What do you want her for?" Striker demanded. "She's been under my service for most of her life."

"That's for me to know and you never to find out."

Striker looked between the Radio Demon and me. His eyes were gauging the surroundings, desperately trying to determine if this was a fight he could win. Though both he and I had yet to hear of someone beating the Radio Demon.

"She'll be mine soon enough," Striker said and slithered down a street. By the time Alastor had turned to face me, I was gone, limping down another street.

Alastor appeared from the shadows and perched himself in front of me. He had a smile but he wasn't showing his teeth this time. "That was quiet interesting."

"I know what you're trying to do," I jutted a finger at him. I leaned against the wall to get off my injured foot. "You did this to me on purpose. You're trying to make me grateful for you."

"So what if I am?" He put his hands up like sharp ugly flowers. "After all, you should be grateful. You could carry on with a life in the rings or spend it in a distant safe house with nothing to worry about ever again.”

"It's a cage."

"To you, my dear, everything is a cage." He walked over and put his hand out to me.

"What?" I looked between his red eyes and his dark claws.

"Are you ready to return home now?"

I almost wished he had just teleported me back without asking. I didn't want to touch him let alone take his hand. Who knew if he had conjured up some kind of magic deal that solidified when I grabbed his hand?

And yet, when I looked around at the quiet, dangerous town, I knew there wasn't another option. He would keep looking for me and a Full mage with his power could most certainly find me with ease. I didn’t want to go back in that cellar. All because I had the worst luck in the world and had him as a soulmate.

I looked down at my feet and took his hand.

[xoxochb]

hiii!! first time doing a request so i apologize if im doing it weird😓

could u please do a leo x reader angst?? but then make it better in the end😇 sorry if that’s vague i truly don’t know what else to say

ty and please take ur time!

⋆·˚ ༘ * leaving me bereft and reeling

warnings: angst (with redeeming fluff)

pairing: leo valdez x fem reader

“I didn’t think that-”

“yes, that’s exactly the problem! you never think!”

you stand in the infirmary in front of leo who is sitting on an infirmary bed, badly wounded from a reckless attempt trying to climb a tree to grab a paper plane for one of his younger siblings. although this was a sweet act of kindness he almost killed himself when he fell from the top branch

now here he is in the infirmary with a broken wrist and tons of bloody scratches, along with you yelling at him for risking his life

he frowns at your words and tears begin to make their way out of his eyes, but he’s quick to wipe them away so you don’t see

“I’m sorry” he whispers, he thinks if he spoke any louder the tears would start pouring out

“that’s what you said last time, and the time before. this is the third time this month you’ve gotten badly injured” you cross your arms

you wait a moment to let leo speak but when you realize he isn’t going to you leave the infirmary and head back to your cabin

that night leo didn’t sleep, instead staining the pillow with pools of tears until he couldn’t breathe, and on the other hand, you lie awake staring at the ceiling regretting your choice of words

☕️

for the next three days you don’t speak with each other, you were too afraid he hated you after what you said to him. you would’ve went longer if nyssa hadn’t spoken to you

“you’ve gotta talk to leo, I’m dying over here” she takes a seat beside you at your cabin’s table

“why?” you inquire

she sighs, “he’s sad, won’t stop talking about you. well more like whining. that’s all he does, I’m getting sick of it”

“I don’t know…” you begin

“this isn’t an option. you are going to talk to him because I’m going to throw myself off a cliff if you don’t” she stands up and walks away before you have a chance to reply

it’s your turn to sigh now, maybe you should talk to him

you stand and make your way to his bunker where you’re sure he’ll be but when he’s not there you go to cabin nine, where you find him lying on his bed facing the opposite side of the door

“leo?” he turns at the sound of your voice and you take this as a sign to walk over to his bed, “can we talk?”

he sits up and rubs his bloodshot eyes, “yeah”

you sit on the end of his bed before speaking, “I’m sorry about what I said. I know you were just trying to help your brother, and I admire that you care so much but I worry about you. you’re always putting yourself into life threatening situations to help someone you love and I’m afraid that one day you’re going to kill yourself doing it”

he opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off, “let me finish. please” you sigh, “do you remember the day we met? my bracelet broke and fell into the lake, you saw this from afar, and you didn’t even know me, but regardless of this you jumped in to retrieve my bracelet, you would’ve drowned if I wasn’t there. I knew the moment I brought you back to shore, where you sit coughing up water handing me my bracelet, I knew I was in love with you because you decided to risk your life to help me, and I think that’s the sweetest thing someone could do. I love that you have such a big heart but you really need to be careful because I don’t want to see you hurt”

he leaves the room to be silent and when you finally look up at him and notice the tear stains covering his cheeks you pull him in for a hug. he would be lying if he said he hadn’t been craving your touch

“I’m sorry” he mumbled into your shoulder, a few single tears wetting your shirt

“I know” you kiss the top of his head “I love you”

“I love you too”

[wizzdot]

The Patron Saint of One Way Trips

Ch15

Description: We catch Hassan - We meet Graves - Rudy is potential BFF material, Simon is resisting. Laika is exhausted and hurt.. we will see how she gets on at base in the next chapter!!

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

Sitting in the back seat of the car is uncomfortable. My body begins to seize up, cold, wet clothes not helping. I am cramping badly through my injured shoulder, I keep rolling it and shrugging it to try and keep movement while we are in the car. Obviously it has to be the shoulder that's closest to the Lieutenant so I try my best now to bother him but I can feel his side eye in my peripheral.

*Simon's POV*

The girl had been injured. No fuckin' wonder. She's vanished several times when shit's hit the fan. When we first entered the village with Alejandro, she followed us until the first shot was fired, then her scent disappeared, I had to concentrate on the job at hand but I was pissed off - I thought she had done a runner. Imagine my shock when we arrive to the house Alejandro knew Hassan had been in to find guards already dropped. Not only that, but there was obviously a bit of a struggle in the final room. The biggest guard had something over his face and had had his throat slit messily - that's when I see it. In his hand. Her fuckin' handkerchief that had caused so much trouble when she first arrived. She'd been here before us...

I keep this information to myself, quickly stuffing the hanky into my front chest pocket before anyone saw. If she had been here already, where the fuck was she now?!

I return to the conversation with Alejandro, trying to push aside my concern for the girl. Then she innocently pops her head round the doorway and Johnny swallows her lies hook, line and sinker.. I glance down and see that her knees are covered in blood - that would have happened during the struggle with the final guard. Stupid girl coming here alone. Could have come up here to find her dead.. taking stupid, needless risks would get her killed. And Hassan had already moved, so it was totally pointless..

During the chase with the Cartel controlled Army, I notice that she keeps holding her right shoulder - she's hurt. I keep an eye on her until she disappears again. I keep growling under my breath.. this girl is a fuckin' liability! I'd need to tell Price when I call him later on..

Johnny appears, a little behind the main group - he shouts to me asking where the girl is - I just shout that she will have to catch up. Then the whistle of a sniper bullet flies through the mountains towards us. I quickly clock it as friendly fire, due to an army troop falling forwards. She is flanking them from behind. I wasn't sure if that was clever or fuckin' stupid..

She will find herself facing friendly fire if she isn't careful..

She reunites with the group near the cliff - still favouring that damn shoulder. She screams in agony when Johnny catches her mid-jump. Johnny flinches at her reaction, he probably doesn't realise it yet but his inner-Alpha is clearly in turmoil due to her sharp "don't touch me" scream. He takes a few minutes to start smelling like normal Johnny again.

I guess I'm not in her good graces anyway, so when she hesitates and looks back toward the army when Alejandro jumps into the river, I act before she has chance to make yet another stupid decision - I throw her off of the cliff. Of course she can't fuckin' swim - my stomach sinks as I see her splash and struggle in the water. Thankfully I reach her and scoop her to the surface before handing her to Johnny to take care of. I feel the slightest bit of guilt but at the end of the day, I know Kyle and the Captain would not be happy if she ended up in a casket.

We squeeze into the car - all to close for comfort - especially fully kitted out with weapons and kit, not to mention being fuckin' soaked. The girl keeps rolling her shoulder, touching up against me in the process. I glance at her face, she keeps wincing but is obviously trying to be brave about it.

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

"You boys good to roll up on Hassan with some fire from the sky?" Its that chirpy American again. "Lets wrap this fucker up, Graves" Johnny replies aggressively. A shiver travels down my spine - the last time I'd seen Johnny so hot-headed, was when he captured me for the first time...

We arrive to the position and leap from the pick up truck. It's a bit daunting because it was now just the four of us - the others had extracted to re-join Rudy. I look to the sky and see the American's air support circling above the area. "Shadow-1 , we will mark our position with an IR Laser" - "Roger that, Lieutenant".

"Position marked - there are four of you? Over" the American voice asks. "Four, yes - over" Ghost responds.

I gulp, Ghost motions us forward - I can't hide or go on my own this time, knowing that I'm now at risk of being blown up from the air. My arm aches, but I push that to the back of my mind and tentatively raise my gun and stick close to Johnny. We spot a few armed men and a couple of incoming trucks. Gun fire erupts and I quickly return fire, dropping a couple of men. The car to my right explodes.

"Negative on Hassan" Ghost shouts after about fifteen minutes of fighting - "Copy, you have multiple vehicles approaching from the South - I need you to move North, NOW, Lieutenant!" Graves shouts over comms.

"Copy - moving" we head away from the buildings and once we are clear, fire rains from the sky. They completely flatten three buildings, debris flying everywhere. A small piece of wood slices the tiniest cut in my cheek and I wince at the initial sting. I reach up and touch it, it's barely a paper cut but it's bleeding like crazy. I ignore it - it doesn't hurt anyway.

We enter the main courtyard and Alejandro gets a visual on Hassan, he tries to flee but Johnny and Alejandro are on his tail.

The Lieutenant and I remain outside, guarding the entrance. I am beginning to get overwhelmed by the crashes of the air support. My head is pounding and the taste of blood from the small cut on my cheek isn't nice either. I try to gather my thoughts, desperate to finish and be able to have a hot bath..

"Target Secured!!!" Johnny shouts from inside the house, Ghost relays the message to Graves.

"Whats the status of your exfil?" the American asks. "two minutes out!" - "You've got a military convoy approaching the AO" - "They're with the cartel - free to engage!" Alejandro calls to Graves.

Rudy approaches in the black jeep and we all emerge from the house. Johnny has Hassan and shoves him in the back seats, sitting next to him to keep him quiet and make sure he doesn't try anything. Ghost roughly grabs my arm (the good arm luckily) and drags me to the rear door, opening to reveal bench style seats in the back of the jeep. He shoves me in and climbs in after me.

"Go Rodolfo - package secure. We are RTB" I furrow my brows, confused by all of the military jargon. We travel quickly away from the danger, dirt roads kicking up dust in our wake. Rodolfo comes to a sudden halt. We look around before Graves' voice cuts through on comms again "what's the hold up..?"

"Shadow-1, there's movement at the fuel station ahead.. possible Cartel" - "Copy, we'll recon the area - be prepared to move.." Graves replies to Alejandro.

I whine to myself and squeeze my eyes tightly closed, trying to get myself into the correct head space again. We wait, stationary, in the car for a couple of minutes before Graves tells us to move. Apparently there were no threats in the area.. my eyes remain trained on the men at the gas station up ahead. As we approach the gas station a man starts to cross the road. "Rudy! Drive!!" I shout, shocking everyone in the car - it's the first words I openly speak to the entire group. It's too late though. I'd noticed the parked car, revving up too late. We reach a junction and get slammed into by another car, purposely flipping our vehicle.

I grunt with the impact, I'd been unbelted in the back so when the car had flipped and landed on the roof, I'd been thrown backwards and hit the roof, hard - on my already sore shoulder.

As soon as I get my bearings and manage to open the door, I see Cartel men climbing from the car that they'd crashed into us. I then hear bullets rain from above again, far too close for comfort. The lieutenant sees how close I am to being hit and barks down his radio "SHADOW-1, CHECK FIRE _ CHECK FIRE".

I manage to crawl from the upturned car, holding my shoulder. Fucking hell.. why did I agree to this..?

Alejandro leads everyone to a secure building and instructs his Omega to call for helicopter extraction. Fucking finally!

I hide behind a counter in the building. It looks like some sort of restaurant. I close my eyes and collect myself before Johnny slides beside me with the hostage. He smiles at me as if to apologise for hurting my arm earlier and check if I was holding up.. its amazing how he can convey so much with just a simple look..

Hassan then turns his head to face me and sneers at me. "Didn't realise they use little bitches in the military now, huh?" he taunts. I look away, disgusted. Johnny roughly shuts him up by headbutting him. "You fuckin' shut it, pal!" he barks, bits of spit flying from his mouth in his rage. I try to shuffle away but Johnny reaches my hand and squeezes it softly "Don't listen to him, Lass.."

All of a sudden the heavens open. The Shadows must be flattening the place. There are shouts and orders coming through over comms and then Graves addresses us for the first time in a while instead of his own men. "They're sending everyone they've got - but your exfil is here. If you can make it to the football pitch, east as you leave the building, you'll be extracted. We will cover from the air..over!" He shouts over the crashing and bangs of explosions and screaming.

I take a deep breath and stand, following Rodolfo. "You better fuckin' cover us, Shadows.. We've burnt through ammo - not got much left.." the Lieutenant growls down the radio.

"We'll do what we can. They're sending fuckin' missiles back to us - so hurry your asses up!" the thick southern drawl shouts.

"Argh!" Rudy shouts "I'm down to two mags.. not enough" I tap him on the shoulder and offer him my Assault Rifle, wordlessly. He looks down at me confused but I old up my knife and smaller pistol as if to say 'I've got plenty'. He takes the gun from me with a quick nod.

*Rudy's POV*

I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's the Garrick girl. She holds her gun out to me, obviously hearing that I hadn't got much ammo left. She wants me to take her gun..? I must look confused because she then removes a pistol and knife from her belt and thigh holster. At least she won't be unarmed.. I take the gun with a thankful nod.

I neglect to comment on the fact that the knife was covered in fresh blood. It was still red, yet as far as I'm aware, we hadn't come close enough for any knife fights.

Strange girl... I'm not sure if I'm imagining it but I think I catch a faint scent of honey and.. oranges..? Omega, like me....???

Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

We leave the building and arrive to utter chaos outside. Fire, debris and men who had been blown to pieces. I try not to look. I just follow the others towards the sound of the helicopter blades.

I make it to the helicopter, the journey here had been a total blur. I'd taken a bullet graze to the leg, but it was just a small wound. It hardly makes a difference to my utterly exhausted body. Alejandro is first to the chopper, escorting everyone inside. He pats Rudy twice on the back as he steps in. I'm last to make it and he pushes me towards Ghost. I stumble on the ramp and put my arms out to save my fall when I'm caught by two strong arms. The lieutenant. "Watch it, girl.." I glance up at him, embarrassed, and quickly shuffle to sit on the opposite side, furthest from everyone, but only a seat away from Rudy.

"Vamos! Go Now!!" Alejandro roars to the pilot. We lift off and head to safety. I shut my eyes and exhale, trying to release all of the pent up tension in my body.

We fly for what seems like ages. I manage to fall into a peaceful state which I would count as rest but it wasn't really. More like sheer exhaustion. We land in the middle of the desert, it seems. I look at the others, confused.. "Time to meet Phillip Graves.." the Lieutenant grumbles, standing and opening the helicopter ramp..

It's dark out, a circle is lit by the car headlights that are already waiting for our arrival.

Johnny drags Hassan out with a sack over his head that he had put on him when he called me a bitch.

"Oan your knees!" Johnny slams him roughly to the ground. A blonde man steps forward from one of the cars and opens a computer. "Y'all got a clear picture?" he says in a familiar voice. Graves. It was Graves. He was an Alpha.. He smells of bourbon and spices.. it isn't an unpleasant scent but it's too sharp for my taste..

I then hear an older man's voice and a woman, who I think to be Laswell, reply over the laptop speakers. What am I witnessing here...? Are they about to torture him..?

I whimper slightly, under my breath and the American looks up at me, meeting my eyes. I stand, nervously on the top of the helicopter ramp.

Graves chuckles and introduces himself to the team, shaking everyone's hands as they are down on the ground. I am the only one still on the chopper. He directs his attention towards me.. I watch him nervously.

"So, sweetheart, you must be the number four I spotted from the TV-visuals up in the air.. I was advised that there was only the lieutenant and sergeant joinin’ us on this mission.."

"Last minute change of plans, Graves!" Laswell answers on my behalf. Graves doesn't take his eyes off of me.

The Lieutenant interrupts, clearly wanting to get on with the interrogation. I silently thank him for that, even though I know he didn't do it for my benefit.

Graves slowly shifts his gaze away from me and as soon as he does, I feel safer - more relaxed. God, he is intense..

Rudy walks back towards the helicopter and stops at the bottom of the ramp. I try to keep my eyes on Hassan, to make it look like I'm concentrating.

Hassan speaks up first "Do you speak Arabic?" he asks Graves, who crosses his arms with an obnoxious smile on his face.

"Nope!" he says, cheerfully, clearly trying to piss Hassan off.

"Farsi?" Hassan tries.

Graves looks skywards as if he is sarcastically thinking.. "No!" - what a cocky arsehole!!

"Course not" Hassan answers "Then I'll have to speak your bastardised medieval English because you're all uneducated streetdogs!" He snaps, looking around the group.

His eyes settle on me when he says 'streetdogs'. My body tenses and I gulp. He has a knowing look in his eyes.. Does he..? - he couldn't possibly...

I turn sharply and walk back into the hold of the helicopter. He smirks and laughs once before turning back to face Graves. I sit with my head resting in my hands.

I try not to break down. I'm almost at the point of tears when I feel a calming presence appear next to me. I glance out of the corner of my eye. It's Rudy.

"We will leave the mean stuff to the Alpha's huh?" He says with a friendly, gentle tone.

I sob a laugh, slightly turning toward him.

"Why are you upset..?" He asks with furrowed brows.

"I - I'm not cut out for all of this..." I whimper, in reply.

"I'd say you did a pretty good job today, Amorcito, no?"

I shake my head "I was a - a liability.."

"No no, you weren't.. you're very brave.. I know I wasn't there for some of it.. but I notice you've used your knife..brave girl.. I try not to get close enough.. or they smell me.."

"Oh.. I didn't use - I don't know..." - "You don't have to lie around me, Amorcito, please..?"

"That's.. that's not my name.. I'm - I'm Y/N.. or Laika.." I sniffle

"I know, it isn't your name" he chuckles softly back.

"Hey, look.. look at me Amorcito" I look up at him. "You've done a great job today. Come with me.. we will get cleaned up.. leave them to interrogate the terrorist.." he offers me a hand and pulls me from my chair with my good arm.

I walk with him to the back of the helicopter where he gathers a medical kit. He takes some wipes and antiseptic gel. He starts by gently wiping the small cut on my cheek. "Air support is messy, no? Glass and wood flying everywhere.. Alejo told me to keep an eye on you. I'm sure he thinks you are called Garrick.." He chuckles.

I blush and look down at the floor. "I - I'm not.." - "Is Garrick the name of your Alpha..?" He asks.. I freeze.

"Oh.. no-NO .. I don't.. I'm not.." - "Not what, Amorcito..?" he looks confused by all of my stuttering.

"Not presented. I'm a - I'm a stray they took in. They don't really want me here.. Laswell just told them to babysit me..." I dump on him.

He looks at me as if he doesn't believe me "Now, I'm sure that's not true.. I - I can tell your two Alpha's out there are fond of you. Even the Ghost..."

"He- He hates me, Rodolfo.. you've not seen.." - "Rudy, please.. and I've seen plenty to know what I see.. please.. join Alejo and I for dinner tonight. I will show you to your room. The base is going to be busier than usual - we have the Shadows and yourselves staying.."

I gulp. "I - I don't sleep well" - "Don't worry about that.. your Captain called ahead. We have organised everything so it's as comfortable as possible for you, Amorcito".

He gently taps me on the calf, just below where I'd been grazed by the bullet. "That's you cleaned. No infections hopefully, lets go sit down.."

I hadn't even realised that he had been cleaning the wound on my leg. I smile and wince as I stand, using my bad arm to push myself up.

"Oh, and take this for the shoulder. Hopefully just deep bruising..."

I nod and smile at him. He smiles fondly back when he sees that I'm more comfortable around him.

We sit back in the main hold together, Rudy directly next to me this time.

I yawn and he chuckles. "Tired, Amorcito?" - "A little bit, yeah.."

He tells me to rest my eyes and I do, the interrogation is still ongoing outside, it's just quiet back ground noise from where we are sitting though.

*Johnny's POV*

This Hassan dick! We had to let the Prick go!! Apparently not enough to hold him on.. what the FUCK!! I can feel my hot headed temper flaring as we walk back to the chopper. Simon clasps me by the shoulder before stepping onto the ramp. "Quiet Johnny, I'm pissed off too, but -" he nods towards Laika..she is fast asleep on Rudy's shoulder.

My temper dampens a little bit but I am still fuckin' raging.

I sit across from Rudy and Laika and watch her fondly. I was a little surprised that Simon had told me to calm down. I wouldn't have thought he would give a shit if I had woke her up or not.

Alejandro pipes up quietly from his spot beside Rudy. "You've made a new friend, Cariño?" Rudy chuckles and nods gently. "What did she say..?" he asks.. "Nothing much, alpha - she is a nervous, shy little thing.." he says smiling down at my the girl fondly..

My Alpha feels like growling at Rudy.. but I manage to hold it in. He is an Omega, after all. And she looks so relaxed for once.

Alejandro chuckles and raises an eyebrow at Rodolfo "If you take her under your wing, Cariño, we could keep her.." he jokes, kissing Rudy on the cheek before standing and heading towards the pilot.

Simon growls at that.. I look over, shocked that he had been listening and that he seemed to care...

Laika stirs and blinks her eyes open, seeing that we are back on the chopper and in the air. Her eyes flash to a growling Ghost. Not helpful.. She whines and backs away slightly, apologising to Rudy.

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

Darkness and calm took over. I was comfortable and surrounded by a soft, calming scent. I am disrupted by a fiery smell and the low sound of a growl. I blink away the peaceful sleep I'd been having and meet eyes with the Lieutenant. My mind immediately flashes back to Hassan calling me 'streetdog'... what had he told them?? Was Ghost going to kill me??

I scramble backwards away from Rudy and away from the growling. Johnny leaps forward and catches me before I fall off of the seat. As soon as I am in Johnny's arms, the growling stops. I'm shaking like a leaf and Johnny gently shushes me and strokes my hair as I rest against his chest. He sits down with me practically in his lap.

*Rudy's POV*

I am shocked.. the poor girl is terrified by Ghost. I understand now what she means. But she has got it all wrong. The Lieutenant was only marking his territory. Alejo has always been a flirt. He is a fiery, hot-blooded Alpha. His comment was a little joke, but the Lieutenant didn't seem to like it one bit. I sit quietly, allowing the pair of Alphas to settle before standing up and walking towards Ghost. The Omega in me is brave now, having spent many years in the military and standing up to Alphas, but I still feel like I'm fighting instincts when I stand face to face with an angry Alpha.

The massive, angry Alpha stares down at me. I know he isn't angry with me, so I proceed.

"Lieutenant.." I whisper.

"What!" he growls back.. this might not go down well..

"The girl.. what is she to you and your pack?" I ask, gently. "She ain't pack..." He growls again.

"She smells like pack.. She is wearing Garrick's, whoever that is, jumper.." I accuse with an eyebrow raised.

"She ain't-" I sniff the air, interrupting him, "Even you, lieutenant - you smell of her.. she has a faint smell.. but I can smell it on you...why is that..?"

He huffs under his breath. "I don't know and I don't care.." He is resisting - not good with words.. got it..

"So, you won't mind if she stays with Alejo and I while you are here in Las Almas?" I taunt, gently.

He growls again. "Your Captain requested safe, secure sleeping quarters. No un-mated Alphas.. we will keep her safe.." I raise my eyebrow.

"That's what Johnny and I are here for" he barks at me.

"For what..? I don't follow?" I act, trying to get him to say something more.

"The girl shares with Johnny and I, that's final". I smirk.

"Suit yourself, Lieutenant. You may wish to apologise and treat her a little more softly if you wish to spend the night with her.." I tease, walking to Alejo before he grabs me when he realises I'd backed him into a corner. Alphas can be so stupid when they are pining after Omegas...

*Ghost's POV*

Fuckin' stupid Alpha.. you'd fallen for Rudy's little ploy.. Thinkin' with your fuckin' Alpha brain again. Possessive, protective, selfish shitbag!

We touchdown at the Vaqueros' base and I glance to Johnny. The girl was curled up in his lap. Does she know that she is scenting him..? Her nose is stuffed right in the crook between his shoulder and neck, where his scent glands are. Johnny just grins at me as if he had won the fuckin' lottery, puttin' his thumbs up and everything.

Fuckin' hell - the quicker this mission is over, the better...

[thebarontheabyss]

Happy Halloween to all dead and alive patrons of TBOTA! 👻🎃

Sharing another entry from the archive update if you haven't tried it yet—one that is just perfect for tonight. All other entries are available in the menu or during Chapter 4 of the game!

Have a spooky-but-fun holiday, and see you in the Abyss! 🖤

The Last Recordings of Ibaria Kell’ani

——————▸ Recording 001:

Finally, got this thing working.

My name is Ibaria Kell’ani. I’m a field agent of the Extrarealmic Exploration Institute of Civitas. I was taken hostage by inhabitants of realm C520, for reasons I still can’t figure out.

We were ambushed just a few miles from the gateway right after we descended into the valley. Everything happened so fast.

I… I don’t know where the others are.

When I woke up, I found myself in this chamber. No sign of my team, no sign of my captors—just cold stone walls and… silence.

Shit. I need to think.

——————▸ Recording 002:

An hour has passed since my last recording. Finally managed to calm down.

Let’s see… the important details.

So I woke up in this lavish room, not exactly what I’d call a cell. It’s... unsettling. The bed is large, almost too comfortable, with golden embroidered sheets and a flowing canopy. There’s a faucet in the corner, and a plate of fruit on the bedside table—perfectly arranged, by the way. Fresh, untouched.

Were I not a hostage, I’d give this place a five-star review.

There’s a large window overlooking the valley, and based on the view, I think I’m on the opposite side from where we landed. The elevation is dizzying. It’s way too high to climb down. I thought about making a rope from the bedsheets, but considering how far the drop is, I’d probably fall to my death.

So… let’s file that under Plan Z for now.

Oh, and the door to my room is wide open. Not locked. Not guarded. Just… opened.

I took a peek outside. There’s a huge corridor, stretching in both directions, but it’s too dark to see where it will take me. But I did see some ornate carvings running along the walls, the kind that would take lifetimes to craft.

What a strange prison cell. If that’s even what this is. I called out for my team, but the only thing that answered was my own voice, echoing back.

Nothing. No one. Just silence.

I think… I was hurt during the ambush. There’s a wound on my chest, right above my heart. I didn’t notice it at first—maybe I was in shock. But when I looked, someone had sealed it up. The stitching is crude, primitive. And yet, it doesn’t hurt.

In fact, it’s… warm to the touch.

I’ve been debating whether to leave the room. The open door feels like bait. Like part of some elaborate plan. This realm—C520—has already proven dangerous, and I’m not naive enough to believe my captors would forget to lock my door.

But it’s either that or the window. And I’m not ready to throw myself off a cliff just yet.

I’ll… I’ll keep you updated.

——————▸ Recording 003:

What is this place?

It took some self-convincing, more than I’d like to admit—but I did it. I went outside. Walked through the dark corridor, my flashlight shaking in my hand the entire way.

At the end of the hall, I found a sodden door. Behind it… there’s a worship chamber, or something that resembles one.

Oh, I should mention—my comm device. Still broken. Probably fried during the ambush. So, I’m left with my secondary recording device. It can’t do video, but I’ll keep doing these audio docs, so If anyone ever finds them…

You know, I should probably stop thinking about that.

Anyway, the chamber. It’s huge, like some sort of ancient monastery. Big statues, lined the walls, their faces obscured by time or maybe deliberate damage. I think they depicted warriors, or Gods–or both. Each statue was clutching something—heads. Humanoid heads, held like stone trophies in their cold hands. There were unlit candles scattered across the floor, and carvings covering the walls and ground. It all screamed of some kind of cult-like ritual space.

Wish Agent Joles were here. Her expertise in extrarealmic anthropology would’ve come in handy. I’m just a field agent—a grunt. I’m here to follow the experts, not to play investigator in a nightmare temple.

I wonder where the others are.

The chamber was cold, but the atmosphere was worse than the temperature. I tried to read the carvings, but without my comm device, I couldn't translate them.

There was no exit except for the way I came in, so after a while, I left. Honestly, the whole place gave me the creeps. Those statues… those heads. It felt like they were watching me as I walked away. I know that’s crazy. I know I’m probably just freaked out. But I heard rumours, about the things hiding in some of these realms.

Although, that won’t make sense, right? They scan every realm before expeditions. They check for dangers. And for safety measures, we had a whole squad of security guards. So… how did this happened, for Dominie’s sake? We were supposed to be prepared for some primitive inhabitants. What the hell happened?!

Sorry. Got carried away.

So, when I got back to my room, I downed some water from the faucet. I kind of hesitated before drinking it, but they wouldn’t poison it, right? I mean, there’s no point. They can do whatever they want to me. It’s not like a 5’4" field agent is going to pose much of a threat.

Actually, another thing I don’t want to think about right now.

I need to reassess. The sun—looks like it’s starting to set. I’ll head out again. Try to cover more ground.

Wish me luck.

——————▸ Recording 004:

Hello again. It’s morning already. I was so tired I fell asleep and forgot to record.

So… where do I start? This place is huge. And I don’t mean big in the normal sense—I mean *palatial*. A labyrinth of halls, corridors, and rooms. It took me more than two hours just to make a partial sweep, and I’m not even sure I’ve seen half of it.

There’s a throne room, of all things, sitting empty like its monarch left centuries ago. I walked past more than ten chambers—some grand, like mine, others more bare but still way too fancy to be normal cells. I found a grand hall, kitchens (complete with gleaming silverware and bowls of nothing), and long stretches of corridors leading to dead ends or locked doors.

All of it… deserted.

It’s like a whole kingdom got up and walked away one day, leaving everything behind. There’s no dust, no decay. Just vast emptiness.

No sign of my team, as well. Not a trace. Not a voice. The only sounds are my footsteps and my breathing. I tried the doors leading outside, but they’re all sealed shut, not even a lock or handle to work with. I think… the lock is on the other side?

After a while, I could feel another panic attack creeping up on me. But… I was too damn tired to let it happen. I didn’t have the energy to be scared anymore.

Instead, I stumbled back to my room, drained. The plate of fruit was still sitting there on the bed, so I ate the whole thing in one go. Honestly, I don’t even remember what it tasted like. It could’ve been cardboard for all I care. I just needed something in my system. Then, I collapsed onto the bed and slept.

When I woke up… the plate was full again. Back where it had been yesterday. Fresh fruit, arranged just as perfectly as before.

That’s when I lost it. I yelled—really yelled—until my throat hurt. Not because I was scared. No, I was pissed. Furious, actually. I don’t care what’s going on anymore. I don’t care what they’re planning or what they’ll do to me. I just wanted this stupid, endless suspense to end.

But no one came. No one answered.

No footsteps, no voices, no movement at all.

Nothing.

So here I am again, talking to this recorder like it’s a friend. I’ll… I’ll try another walk around today. There has to be something I missed. Maybe a door I overlooked. Maybe some clue that’ll help me make sense of this.

I can’t give up. Not yet.

My wound seems to be getting better. I mean, it’s not hurting anymore. Just… pulsing a bit. That’s weird, right? It doesn’t hurt, but it’s like there’s a heartbeat just beneath the skin.

I don’t know. It’s the least of my problems right now.

——————▸ Recording 005:

It’s been three days. I don’t think there’s a way out.

I’ve searched every inch of this damned place—every hall, every room, every shadowed corner. And as far as I can tell, the only real exits are the windows. I spent yesterday walking through even more fancy halls and ornate chambers, all just as grand and empty as the rest of this palace.

There’s also a garden, which… well, I have to admit was a nice break. I needed the air. But other than that… Nothing.

Every morning, the fruit plate on my bed gets replenished. I checked it this morning, waiting to see if someone would sneak in while I slept, but… no. No one. It’s magic. I saw it happen. The fruit just appeared, like it was summoned out of thin air.

That’s when I started thinking about Samir. If he were here, with his arcane knowledge, he’d probably be able to figure it out. Or at least, he’d have some theory. But Samir’s not here, is he? No one is. I’m alone.

Maybe someone managed to escape? Maybe all of them did. Maybe I’m the only one unlucky enough to be captured. Maybe… maybe the search parties are combing through the valley, following protocol, marking my absence on some cold, clinical report.

Either way, I need to be patient. I’m not in any immediate danger, right? No one’s tried to harm me, there’s food, there’s water, I’m not hurt… at least, not physically. I just need to keep my head on straight. Just be patient, Ibaria.

I had the strangest dream the other night. I was back in the chamber with the statues—the one with all those warrior effigies. It was snowing inside it—not just cold, actual snow falling from the ceiling. I remember watching it fall on those stone faces. And then one of the statues moved.

She was a woman, tall and armored, a warrior just like the others. But instead of standing there, frozen in place, she stepped down from her pedestal. She walked right up to me, took my hand, and kissed it. Her lips were cold. I could feel them, real as anything. And then she whispered, “It’s going to be alright.”

I thought about searching that chamber again, but honestly… I’m afraid to find her there.

I’m trying to stay focused, to keep some semblance of a plan.

So here’s what I’ve got:

- Plan A: Wait for rescue. Patience. Hope the Institute hasn’t forgotten me.

- Plan B: Try some of the locked doors. See if I can force my way through one of them. Maybe there’s something I missed.

- Plan Z: Jump out the window.

Let’s… hope it doesn’t come to that.

The wound on my chest is still there. It’s not hurting, but that pulsing sensation? Yeah, that’s still happening. Almost like it’s synced to my heartbeat. If I focus hard enough, I can feel it—this subtle thrum beneath the skin, warm, constant.

I can’t figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.

——————▸ Recording 006:

The others are dead.

It’s been two weeks since my last recording. Two weeks of silence. I had no reason to record. No purpose. I’ve just… wandered around this place. Lost, alone. Waiting, I suppose.

Until today.

I dreamed of her again. The woman from the chamber. She came to me every night, standing there in the snow, whispering things I couldn’t understand. But this morning… I didn’t wake up in my room.

I woke up in the chamber.

The cold stone floor was beneath me, and I could see my breath in the air, though I felt no chill. I bolted out of there, heart pounding in my chest. But something made me stop at the door. I turned back. I don’t know why. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something I’d missed.

I searched the chamber again, behind the statues this time. That’s when I found it.

A door.

It was hidden behind a statue. The door was ice-cold to the touch, frost curling along the edges, but I didn’t hesitate. I pushed it open and stepped inside.

And that’s when I found them.

My team.

What’s… what’s left of them.

Their bodies were frozen in place, scattered across a huge, cavernous room. Catacomb-like, the walls were encased in thick ice, but I didn’t feel the cold. It was like the air had been sucked out, leaving only silence, death.

Their chests were split open. Not torn or clawed at—opened. As if something inside them had burned its way out. The skin around their wounds was charred, blackened, but the rest of their bodies were pristine, preserved in the ice.

I found the professor. Sylvia.

She was my mentor. I’ve known her for years. She always had this calm, steady look about her. But now… she looks terrified. Even in death, that fear is etched into her face.

But they weren’t the only ones in that chamber. There were others. Other bodies. Explorers, I think, judging by their clothing. But not just from Civitas. No… these people were from other realms. The styles of their uniforms, the equipment scattered around—it was all different. But their fate was the same. Chest opened, frozen in ice. Like something had devoured them from within.

And then, at the center of it all, a circle of bodies.

My captors.

They were arranged in a circle, lying in perfect formation, like some kind of ritual. All of them dead. I think they poisoned themselves. There was an empty bottle in the middle, the liquid long gone. It didn’t make sense, none of it makes sense.

And at the end of the room I found… her. The statue.

The bronze woman, the one from my dreams, her form still and cold. Covered in ice, just like the rest of the chamber. But there was something about her. She wasn’t just another statue. I could feel it. Like she was watching me. Waiting.

I ran. I couldn’t take it anymore. I bolted back to my room, slammed the door behind me, and collapsed on the bed, my mind racing.

Before I left the chamber, though, I grabbed something—Sylvia’s log. Her personal notes. I’ve been combing through them ever since I got back, trying to make sense of all this.

The final entry… it must have been written just before everything went wrong. It says: *“Someone has interfered with the gateway. We are in the wrong place.”*

I don’t think anyone’s coming for me.

——————▸ Recording 007:

It’s snowing outside.

The valley is white, pristine. It’s been snowing for two days now—relentless, endless. Everything is buried beneath it. The world is so quiet.

There was once an empire here. A pantheon of warrior-gods who ruled this realm. They waged wars—horrible, unending wars. So many dead. Gods and mortals alike. We’re so similar, aren’t we?

And she… she needed someone to save her. Someone to carry her. Not all mortals are capable, she told me. She needed someone who crossed the realms, absorbing void energy. But even then, some… can’t take the weight.

So she had to try, again and again.

I’m… I’m not in control of myself anymore. I wake up in places I don’t remember going to, sleepwalking through this palace. I feel tired all the time, like there’s a weight inside me pulling me down. But she said it’s alright. It’s all part of the process. The cold is everywhere now, but she says my warmth will sustain her.

I was just a field agent. I wasn’t special. I wasn’t important. But she told me I am. I will be. I was the only one who mattered. This place—it’s been waiting for me. All of it. The halls, the statues, my throne. Waiting for me.

To take back my realm.

To lead my people to victory.

To be the war, the snow, the cold.

The wound on my chest—it's healed now. It closed days ago. I feel stronger. Clearer. More… whole than I’ve felt in a long time. I thought I’d lost myself, but no. I came back through.

Thank you, for your sacrifice. It won’t be in vain. You gave me the strength I needed. The strength to do what must be done.

I will take back what’s mine.

[harrywavycurly]

Hey Sarah I’m in a mood and I was wondering if you could break my heart (pls put it back together tho) with any of the Eddies or Joes

Hiii lovey!! I will gladly break your heart and I’m gonna be totally honest I had a whole moment where I went “what if…I don’t put it back together?” but don’t worry I will…eventually(I really will fix it I promise) 🙈 but I did this in a conversation formate because that’s how it flowed the best in my mind so I hope you enjoy💖

-I had to create a whole new Eddie for this because I simply couldn’t bring myself to break any of my precious babies hearts😂

A/N: This has a cliff hanger and I’m sorry I feel like it’s necessary and you’ll see why, don’t hate me✨

“You know staring at it won’t make it magically disappear right?…you’re gonna have to open it eventually.” “Gee thanks Steve…what would I do without your words of wisdom?” “Listen jackass sitting here on your front porch staring at a cardboard box isn’t exactly how I planned on spending my Friday night okay?” “Then why’d you come over?” “Because…you called and sounded all…upset…and you’re like one of my bestfriends so…here I am.” “Thanks…” “So…what’d you do?” “I fucked up.” “I mean yeah…that’s a little obvious…I mean what did you actually do to make her send all your stuff back in a box marked…the asshole’s stuff?” “We got into an argument and she walked out and I didn’t go after her.” “Wait..what?..what do you mean you didn’t go after her?” “I mean exactly what I said Steve…I said some shit…she said some shit and then she left and I just…let her….” “What was this argument about?” “She got a wedding invitation from some girl we went to high school with and it made her all…happy and hopeful for our future and..she started talking about us getting married and I just…I’m not ready for all that shit man I’m only twenty three I can’t be someone’s husband.” “Okay so you just tell her you’re not ready yet…you don’t just throw in the fucking towel Eddie.” “You didn’t see her face when she was talking about our lives together Steve…she’s ready for that like right now and I don’t…I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.” “What exactly did you say to her?” “I just told her…if she’s looking for someone to marry she’s looking in the wrong place…and…and she just..called me a selfish asshole and left.” “Well she wasn’t wrong…and that’s when you just let her drive away?” “I didn’t even move from the couch…I sat there the rest of the night because I just assumed she’d come back after she calmed down a bit.” “You’re such an idiot man…but just tell me…is it the idea of being with her forever that you don’t think you’re ready for? Or is just being her husband you can’t wrap your head around?” “I love her…more than anyone and I know she’s it for me but I’m not husband material Steve and that’s not…fare to her.” “Oh fuck off with that…she clearly thinks your husband material or she wouldn’t bring it up so don’t go trying to say you did this as a favor to her okay? You did this because you’re scared.” “I’m not scared.” “Yes you fucking are Eddie…you’re terrified that someone else loves you so much that they literally want to be legally bound to you…that’s some heavy shit man so I get it but that’s why you made her run away…it has nothing to do with this lame ass excuse of you not being husband material.” “I just..I don’t want to fuck it up..I’ve seen enough horrible marriages I don’t need to be apart of one too.” “Sorry to break it to you man but…you kinda already did.” “Yeah…I did didn’t I? She couldn’t even write my name on the box…” “Oh asshole isn’t your first name? I’m shocked.” “Fuck off…” “Sorry…but you wanna go through it now or…wait?” “I don’t need to go through it…I know what’s in it.” “Oh really? What?” “A few mix cds I made her… a teddy bear from a claw machine at the arcade…some letters…a photo of us at the lake one summer and hopefully a few Metallica shirts.” “Letters?” “Yeah? We used to write each other all the time…it was like our way of expressing how we felt sometimes when we couldn’t really…get the words out…why are you looking at me like that?” “Do you want her back?” “What?” “Answer the question man.” “Yes…yes I want her back…” “Just checking…because…I may have an idea…” “Okay…I’m listening…”

[mustainegf]

➜ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒 — ❝ 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 ❞

The house felt heavier that night, the air slower than it needed to be. Everybody was restless, Lars pacing in the kitchen, Cliff tuning his bass for what had to be the hundredth time, Kirk strumming on his guitar as he stared at the floor. It wasn't hard to figure out why. It was unlike James to not leave his room during the whole day, which alone was strange for him. They were supposed to practice for another gig but without James that was pointless.

I could feel their annoyance, and it was getting on my nerves as well.Every time Lars sighed or Cliff muttered something or another, it grated on me. It wasn't like I was particularly enjoying being in close proximity to James either, but his brooding absence was somehow managing to be more annoying than his general presence.

Kirk lifted his head from where he had been lounging on the couch. "He still hasn't come out.”

"No shit," I muttered, folding my arms. "You guys have been waiting for hours."

Lars clattered the cupboard shut, and the loud bang from it sent us jumping. "We've got a gig in like two days. He can't just hide in his room like some sulky teenager, like what the fuck?"

I finally pushed off the wall, exhal­ing. "Screw this. I'll go talk to him."

Kirk's eyes widened and Cliff looked up from his bass. "Are you sure?" Kirk asked.

"No," I said, already halfway down the hall. "But someone's gotta get his ass outta there.”

I stormed down the narrow hallway, my footsteps too loud against the quiet of the house, and stopped in front of James's door. The wood was scuffed and worn from years of being slammed too hard, and I could faintly hear music playing from inside, some old heavy riff, deep and growling, just like James himself. I knocked, not really bothering to be polite about it.

Nothing. Just the low hum of his music, buzzing through the door.

I knocked again, harder this time. "James!" I called. "The guys have been waiting for you to practice. You're seriously gonna let everyone down because you're throwing a fit?"

It was suddenly silent, and then I heard footsteps. The door swung open with a jerk, and standing in the doorway, James seemed to flash toward me with those piercing, steel blue eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" he snarled.

I braced myself, crossing my arms and matching his glare. "The band's waiting on you. Stop acting like a brat and go practice."

He snorted, shaking his head like what I'd just said was hilarious. "Get lost.”

That frustration came over, pushing me to say something I knew I shouldn't have said. But I couldn't help myself. "You're such a coward, you know that? Hiding in your room like this because what? You can't deal with someone calling you out? It's pathetic.

His eyes slitted dangerously and for one moment I almost believed he'd slam the door on me. Instead, I just kept right on going.

"Seriously, Hetfield. What's your problem? Can't handle that your mommy didn't baby you enough?" Words were spilling out of my mouth before I could catch them, sharp and venomous.

James's eyes went still.

His whole body turned to stone, something unbearable in his face. His hand clamped down on the doorframe hard enough I really think he was going to snap it, and his face went a shade of red I'd never seen. He just stared at me, his lips pressed together in a thin furious line.

Then, he slammed the door so hard the whole wall shook. It reverberated through the hallway, the sound making my heart jump in my chest.

What the hell had just happened? I had seen James angry before, sure, but that was just overreacting.

I spun around, scoffing, and Kirk, Lars, and Cliff were standing at the far end of the hall staring back at me as though I had done some sort of terrible thing.

"No way you just fuckin’ said that to him," Lars muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Kirk ran a hand through his dark curls. "That's why he's been like this all day. God, no wonder…”

I blinked, confusion settling over me. "What? What are you talking about?"

They all stared at each other, and I felt I had crossed some line that I hadn't even known was there. Kirk stepped forward with a serious look. "Come with me," he said quietly.

I hesitated, but in his tone was something that told me this was even beyond James being James. Down the hall, away from the others, into the small, cramped living room, I followed him. He shut the door behind us, and immediately it felt thick, the air was suffocating.

"What's going on?" I asked shakily.

Sighing, Kirk rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I know James can be a dick sometimes, and he's been acting like a real pain in the ass lately, but there's… there's more to it."

I frowned, not getting it still. "What do you mean?

"James didn't have a typical childhood. His parents were… well, they were seriously religious. Like, really religious."

I leaned against the wall, listening, my heart continuing to race. I didn't know where this was going, but something in the way Kirk spoke told me this was bad.

"They didn't believe in doctors or medication, or any of that shit," Kirk explained. "His mom… she was really strict about it. She thought that faith would heal everything, and she refused to take him or his sister to a doctor, even when they were like.. Crazy sick."

A knot jabbed in my stomach as he spoke, and I could feel the guilt crawling up inside of me like a spider in its web. "That's… terrible."

Kirk nodded. "It’s worse... James's dad walked out on the family when he was thirteen. Just left one day and never came back. And then, a few years later, when James was sixteen, his mom got cancer."

I swallowed, the weight of his words sinking in. “Oh...”

“She refused treatment," Kirk said softly, his eyes locking onto mine. "She believed that prayer would heal her, that God would take care of it. And James had to watch her die."

My hand flew up to my mouth, covering my shocked gasp that escaped me. It was as though the air had been sucked from the room, straight out of my lungs.

"He was pretty much orphaned at sixteen," Kirk continued gently, though unflinchingly. "Went on to live with his half brother, but… you know, just not the same. Gotta grow up too fast. It’s a lot of where he is now. He doesn't speak of it, and he lets nobody in, but…. " He trailed off, shaking his head. "That comment about his mom… that's why he did that."

I just stood there, my hand still over my mouth as I tried to process everything that Kirk had literally just told me. My chest felt tight as I could barely breathe through the guilt crushing down on me. I hadn't known-how could I have known? Yet that didn't matter, I had said it and hurt him in a way I hadn't even realized.

“Oh my god…” I breathed, not much louder than a mouse. "I didn't… I didn't know."

Kirk gave me a small sad smile. "I know you didn't. But James… he doesn't talk about it. Not to anyone.”

I sank down onto the edge of the couch, my hands shaking slightly.I couldn’t believe it… I’d just torn open a wound. "I just thought… I don't know what I thought. He was being such an asshole, I didn't think-"

"You couldn't have known," Kirk repeated gently. "But now you do.”

I nodded, I was the worst person in the world. Sure, James had been mean to me, but he was clearly carrying so much more than I'd realized. And I'd taken one of the deepest wounds he had and thrown it in his face like it was nothing.

"I feel awful…" I admitted, my voice shaking.

Kirk leaned forward, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Look…Maybe… just try to understand where he's coming from. He's not good at dealing with people, but he's been through it.”

I nodded again, wordless. All I could do now was sit here, letting that torturous heat burn me from the inside out.

Kirk got up giving me an assuring smile. "I'm gonna go check on the guys. You okay?"

I nodded but I wasn't okay. Not even close.

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