#you still have time until the 31st! don't worry

[ackermonie]

in a perfect world, you and satoru would get married. you would move into a bigger house, big enough for megumi and tsumiki and yuji and nobara and all the kids you wish you could just hide from the cruelty of this world. you would even have children of your own, away from the gojo clan and their obsession of who is going to inherit the six eyes next.

you always dreamt of a big kitchen with lots of natural sunlight. somewhere far, far away, somewhere you can properly take care of satoru in the way he deserves.

sometimes if your mind drifts far enough, you could almost taste how that feels. you could almost feel the sun on your skin, hear the voices of innocent laughter and running feet echo through the warmth of your home…

but this isn't a perfect world.

in this world, you just happen to be staring at the face-down pregnancy test on the counter. you are bent over on the sink, elbows planted on the counter, and you let your chin hit your chest. breathing is an impossible task.

it’s cold, dull as the worst of knives.

october 31st. you were supposed to be getting ready for the impromptu Halloween party everyone just decided to throw. but once again, since this is far, far away from the world you wish you lived in, you're right here, in one of jujutsu tech's bathrooms with a ticking time bomb within a hand's reach.

"it's probably nothing," shoko puffs out the smoke in her lungs one last time before stomping on her cigarette. "you said you always use protection. I don't think either of you would joke around about something like this."

"my period is four fucking weeks late." you mutter out, yanking on your hair in frustration. "a whole month. this never happened before."

you've been trying to ignore it for weeks, convincing yourself it's just the stress of everything that's going on; it happened before. a couple of weeks and you'd wake up to your uterus being angry at you again, but your breasts grow sorer. you grow cranky and angry and emotional, but you discarded this as another symptom of stress.

four weeks is a little too long.

shoko is quite worried herself, but she can't join your little panic attack. she's the only one you decided to trust with this, and as nonchalant as she usually is, seeing you in such a situation stirred something inside her.

even more so when she has just received a text that summons all hands on deck in shibuya. a text she's sure you're yet to see. a text she shouldn't be showing you until this situation is handled first.

"let's just see it," she steps forwards, a hand on your back for comfort. "whatever the result is."

"i can't have a fucking baby right now."

shoko's hand raises to your nape, giving you a comforting squeeze. she bends down to your level. you look at her.

"we can always get rid of it."

something twists in your chest at the thought, but it seems that this could be the only possible solution for such a situation. you can even do it without telling satoru, since he's been quite busy recently. this would only burden him even more.

"yeah," you nod, looking back down at the sink again. the thought is still running in your brain as you straighten up. you run a hand down your face, shaking your head as if to shake away the anxiety, and you finally reach for the test.

shoko watches as you pause. your chest heaves as you attempt to take deeper breaths, and before she can blink one more time, the test is in your hands.

the bathroom door opens, grabbing only shoko's attention.

"apologies, ladies," nanami's deep voice seems to echo in the breathless bathroom. "we need to go." he takes a step in hesitantly, gaze switching from shoko to your stiff frame. "something is happening in shibuya."

his words fail to be registered by your brain for a while. it takes you all your might to keep standing.

"fuck," you let out breathily.

shoko reaches for the stick in your hand, her stomach twisting at the little + sign on display.

she sighs. "fuck."

"what the hell is going on?" nanami advances towards you two, unable to locate the source of stress in the bathroom until shoko turns around, test in hand.

he stops in his tracks.

"i'm pregnant."

==========================

more?

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

No Amount of Wishes

|| Sheriff Grayson x fem!enforcer!reader

|| Warnings; injured reader (concussion/broken arm/coma), Grayson worried for reader and feeling guilt, hospital setting, injured on the job

|| Summary; Grayson stays to keep an eye on reader, only to realize she's got to go to work. Then... reader wakes up.

Requests closed!

Started; December 31th

Finished; December 31st

HurtCember2024; Day 25, Accident

~~~

She didn't mean for this to happen.

For you to get hurt on the field. Everyone kept reminding her; "Grayson, it was just an accident. None of this was your fault." But she knew. She knew. It was her decision to send you out there. It all comes down to her in the end. Grayson was the Sheriff. She was supposed to be better than this- you were never supposed to get hurt. We really can't stop everything, can we? No matter how hard we try... beg the Gods. Nothing ever comes of it.

Grayson sighed, watching the steady rise and fall of your chest. You'd been hospitalized for a couple of days now, stuck in what felt like a never ending coma. Grayson couldn't bare the sight of you like this, but she hated the thought of leaving your side even more. Of course, she wasn't able to stay as long as she wanted to. The people still needed her. The city wouldn't rest just because you were bed bound. No amount of wishes could change that.

Looking to the clock on the wall, Grayson could see that her time with you was just about up for the day. This was the hardest part for her. Leaving you. She knew the hospital staff was good. That you were in good hands; even still. Grayson wanted to be the one to take care of you. She always had, it didn't matter how many times you told her you could handle things yourself. That you had it under control. Something, somewhere would go wrong.

"Grayson?" She had started to stand, removing herself from the seat. Her limbs ached, a sign of how long she had been sitting. It took her a moment to register your voice. You calling to her. At first, Grayson was sure she had imagined it. Her mind playing tricks created by her desire. Her desire for you. She still turned to look at you, just for the off chance that...

You were awake?

"Gods," Grayson breathed. Feeling a sense of relief run through her entire body. She rushed to your side, hand on yours while the other cupped your cheek. Her eyes never leaving yours, memorizing the colour and every detail. Assuring herself that you were there.

"I missed you," you murmured. You knew by the look she was giving you that you'd been out for a while. The fight you'd gotten caught in on patrol really did a number on you. The first was the broken arm. Having received quite the blow to your dominate side. Then a blow to your head that finished the job. You could feel a subtle pound that seemed to only get worse the longer your eyes were open.

"I'll always miss you more," the Sheriff murmured. Earning herself a smile from you. The hand that cupped your cheek trailed your jawline. Fingers ghosting your skin, sending shivers down your neck," the doctor explained that you had a concussion and broken arm. The blow to the side of your head was heafty, you'll be suspended for the next couple weeks until you've fully recovered."

Your eyes widened. Suspended? How were you supposed to spend your time? You'd get bored waiting around doing nothing. With a concussion and broken arm you'd be even more limited. Great, "yippee..."

Grayson laughed at your enthusiasm, or lack of," oh don't you start pouting with me. I may just have to kiss it away, you know."

"Oh really?" You smirked, glad to see that Grayson was in a better mood. You knew she had to have been beating herself up over this, whether the flirting was a way to hide it or not you weren't sure... but it made your heart flutter all the same," I'd take you up on that. First, though... you okay?"

"To be truthful, no. Seeing you like this..." She trailed off and shook her head, leaving you to fill the blanks. You had a good idea what she was saying. It hurt her, probably just as much as you'd actually been hurt.

"Gray... none of this was your fault, you know that. Don't you? My reaction time was off, I was slower, weaker. My opponent just had a better hand against me. But none of it comes down to you. That was my usual patrol line, it's not like anything changed from the normal scheduling. Just an unlucky day," you tried to comfort her. She did seem to ease, but not fully.

"I... suppose you make your points." She sighed, looking to the clock on the wall again. She was late for her shift by now, but.. if she's already late anyway, what's the harm in spending a few extra minutes with you?

[97keanu]

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ Since it 'Tis the Season of sharing gifts with one another, I thought it would be wonderful for our community to come together to share our creative works with each other!

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ This event is a Secret Santa styled event for fanfiction writers* in the keanuverse community. What this means is that should you decide to participate, you would be paired with another writer to write a fic for them for the holidays! *(if you are an artist, editor, etc. and you are interested please contact me and we will work something out!)

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ What are the rules and expectations? Your gift must be at least 500 words, you must go off of the prompts and guidelines given to you by your giftee(don't worry! You will be paired with some of similar taste that will suit the style you usually like to write and which keanu character you usually like to write for!). It is expected that you join our community on tumblr to keep up with check ins through out, and your gift must be given by Dec. 25th and no later than Dec. 31st. You must also, under no circumstances, let your recipient know that you are their gifter, that's why its a secret! It is more than fine if people know you are participating, just make sure it's still a surprise to your giftee for who their gifter was!

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ What if I join but need to drop out? No worries! I understand that things happen and life can be overwhelming. Please try to let me know by Dec. 12th that you are deciding to no longer participate, and I will try to find another gift giver and work something out for your giftee. No hard feelings at all and your withdrawal will be kept private!

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ What dates are check ins? Check ins will begin Dec. 1 and go weekly until Dec. 25th. I will post in the community about said check ins and you simply reply letting me know you are all good for finishing your gift in time! If something should go wrong, please contact me and we will work something out. I am making the minimum 500 words so that our gifts are very achievable, but feel free to write more than that! As long as you can get your gift done in time.

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ Where are we putting our gifts? Once our gifts are completed and Dec. 25th rolls around, we are posting our gifts or a link to our gifts on tumblr with your recipient and myself tagged(@97keanu)! Please tag the gift as #Keanuverse Secret Santa so that readers may be able to read the works we have created! You may also send your gift into our community page as a means of sharing as well.

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ How do I enter? Fill out my questionnaire on Google Forms linked and I will contact you with information regarding your Secret Santa reciepent by Dec. 1st. Make sure you put down the blog you are going to be posting your gift on as your @ as well as that I may contact you privately so that your recipient stays a secret!

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚ Other questions? Please feel free to contact me privately(@97keanu) or post any comments/questions right here in the tags/comments/reblogs etc and I will get back to you ASAP!

[gynandromorph]

I don't really need to wait until the end of the year to decide this. This year was okay. I miss my dog but it doesn't hurt as much as it did before. Just times where it hits suddenly and hard. I miss her, I have so many regrets. Such is grief.

I wish I'd been more productive with Idletry but I've been so in my own head I forgot that the script itself wasn't finished until June. It's the detachment from reality talking but from July 1st to December 31st is 183 days and I will have at least up to page 100 sketched. Not done. Sketched. But that's like half a page sketch per day. Not thrilled with the numbers. I'd rather have 183 pages--

Cupid is getting more mature, which is a relief, but she is still a high energy dog and I am no longer a high energy person. I would just really like for the walks to be less stressful. I wanted to just rest for a thousand years after mawkish and I didn't get that. Sometimes I have the energy to do more and sometimes I don't. I was waking up in the morning for a while and then something went catastrophically wrong... although devoid of sunlight the human circadian rhythm is like slightly longer than 24 hours meaning most people would drift aimlessly toward this sleep schedule and then out of it again and then so on if they lived in a cave (which I do not).

Whatever, what I mean is I've done all the healthy shit and I've not done it over the years and my energy levels are the same either way. Even Adderall did not meaningfully perk me up this year. I'm a little older now and can't deal with chronic sleep deprivation the way I used to so getting Enough Sleep But Not Too Much is the most relevant after General Mood. And my mood has been...... Bad.

My self esteem is tanked and I'm angry about my life in every way possible but at least I live a relatively stress free day-to-day, living environment notwithstanding, where I get to work on a passion project all day. Without tits. Glad to still be passionate about it, though I'm also deeply aware of everyone else's superior success with drumming up fanfare and selling their comics and shit now that I have to worry about how I'll afford to publish this one day. I try not to think about it when I can help it.

I expect all of 2025 to be occupied by working on this comic. If I drew a page every single day, I would still not be even halfway through the workload by the end of the year. This project is a huge undertaking and I absolutely would not be investing so much into it if I didn't think it was more important than several less meaningful finished graphic novels combined.

I'd love to be more active as always but hey. Life's tough when a little too much exertion can leave you with an excruciating headache all week. I'd also love to get into a rhythm with Idletry where I'm also regularly coloring pages and/or converting them to print resolution. We shall see.

Oh and I made Legend and Pegging this year, so that's been a positive (actually made them in October last year but the bulk of the writing and drawing was this year)

[izumiyagami14]

🎉🧡IMPORTANT INFO🧡🎉 PLEASE READ:

First off, THANK YOU for all your support so far!! My heart is so full💕🥹 we are already HALF way to our goal in the first 24 hours😭

HERE IS THE IMPORTANT INFO FOR FELLOW FANS WHO ARE STILL ON THE FENCE ABOUT PLEDGING:

If you pledge for this project, you won't be charged any money at the moment. Pledge now and pay later, just if the campaign is successful! If it is not successful, you will never be charged any money. After the campaign ends, Kickstarter will automatically charge you for your order. If there's any issue with the payment you will have 2 weeks to solve it, so please don't worry!!

It’ll ask for your payment info but won’t charge it until the kickstarter is over. And that is only if the goal is met. If you pledge now, you will NOT be charged until 11:59pm CST on August 31st!! And that is ONLY if the Kickstarter is FULLY pledged!!!💕☺️

The Kickstarter will run til the end of August! I hope this gives enough time for fellow Mobius fans to budget, and enough time to fund the Kickstarter🧡

[fookingmuffins]

James Potter A-Z Fluff Alphabet

Credits to imagineimagineimagine

I saw someone do this as prompts the other day and figured it would be something fun to try to get rid of my writer's block, but I'm gonna just answer something short for each letter. This was supposed to be published on the 31st of october but i forgot so sorry. But lets celebrate that i only need to turn in two more assignments for school and i go on break so yayy.

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about their partner?)

Physically: They love your lips they constantly just stare at them and he just loves kissing them. At first you would be intimidated when he did this while you guys talked but now you like to tease him about it. He also loves how tiny you are compared to him and how you seem to fit perfectly into his arms.

Mentally: You are stubborn and he just loves it so much he loves that when you set your mind to something you push until you get it.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

James Potter absolutely wants a family, the bigger, the better. This could mean kids if you want that, but if not, he's happy with as many dogs and cats as you two could possibly adopt.

C = Cuddle (How do they like to cuddle?)

When cuddling, this man will basically get on top of you like if he was a weighted blanket and lay his head on your chest, so you can play with his hair. But he also likes when you do the same and just talk to each other about everything and nothing, or read.

D = Dreams (How do they picture their future with their S/O?)

James is ready to tight the knot as soon as you guys graduate Hogwarts, but if you don't want the whole wedding deal, he'll still want the two of you to live together as soon as possible. I think he would definitely be the one to want to build a house or renovate one with you and just make every room special.

E = Emotion (Are they open with their emotions? )

I think with you James is pretty open most times but sometimes (and specially at the beginning of the relationship) he doesn't want you to worry and will just shut you out, but if you try to talk to him, he will open up.

F = Feelings (When did they know they’re in love?)

James claims he was falling in love the moment you guys talked, and you think it's a joke, but it's not. One smile from you and this man was thinking about a whole future with you. (James is delulu like us) But actual completely in love would probably have to be one time when the two of you were talking in the astronomy tower, and he was just watching you ramble about something you are passionate about and just knew there was no way back.

G = Gifts (Giving and receiving gifts)

James loves to buy you anything you could possibly like. Trips to Hogsmeade always leave you with loads of sweets and stuff he saw and reminded him of you, even when you don't go with him. If you are into making any craft or type of art and give hims something you made with your own hands, this man will never shut up about it and all of Hogwarts will know about how talented you are.

H = Honesty (Do they have secrets they hide from their S/O?)

James is an open book most times, but when he has a problem, he doesn't like worrying others and tries to deal with it on his own.

I = Injury (How would they react if you got hurt?)

This man will cause a scene if someone else did it, they are dead and no one can cross him. If you got hurt on your own, he will berate you about being more careful and keep an eye on you for at least a week so that it doesn't happen again. (he will still laugh his little ass off if you trip, tho.)

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous? How do they deal with it)

He will definitely get jealous, but not in a toxic way, just in the getting touchy and showing everyone he's your boyfriend kind of way.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss you? How do they like to be kissed?)

This man is passionate, and he LOVES your lips, so yeah, sometimes get a bit heated. But he loves kissing your head and forehead, probably because it's the closest things to him. He also loves to attack you by taking your face in his hands and kissing you all over.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

I think you did. Not cause James didn't know he loved you, but I think even he realized how quick he fell for you and was scared to scare you away, so he tried to hold back as much as possible but when you finally told him he was over the moon. I think you told him in one of those moments when you don't even think, and you just feel it, so strongly it spills out so you momentarily panic, but he immediately got the biggest smile and told you back.

M = Memory (What’s their favorite memory together?)

Obviously, when you agreed to go out with him and the first time, you said I love you. But also the time you helped him and the marauders pull a prank and somehow managed to talk Filch into believing it hadn't been you guy who did it.

N = Nightmare (What are they afraid of?)

James is terrified of losing you. Sure he may seem loud and happy but this man is terrified of you leaving him. One time you were trying to surprise him with tickets to the Quidditch cup, so you were kind of avoiding him and Remus and Sirius had to go looking for you cause this man was a mess thinking you were done with him.

O = On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they’re in love? Is it obvious to others? How do they express their feelings?)

My man's is veryyyy obvious when he's in love. Maybe when he first started liking you, he was a bit shy and scared. But he quickly grew confident, and he will gladly show everyone how he is so in love with you because he just feels so lucky.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Darling, love and I don't know, but I just feel like he might call you angel. I don't think he ever calls you by your actual name, a nickname is the closes you'll be to that.

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

He is down for everything he actually wants to spend most of his time hanging out with you (when I tell you this man SUFFERS during the time away from Hogwarts) but he also loves learning about your hobbies and tries to learn them but if he's not good at it, he will still enjoy keeping you company while you do them.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

On a rainy day, you guys usually pull some pranks around the castle with the other marauders. But he also enjoys invading the kitchen elves and attempting to cook something with you until you two are kicked out and banned for almost burning down the kitchen. He enjoys quiet reading time in one of your dorms and dancing to your favorite songs.

S = Support (Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?)

This man will encourage you to no end, he believes you could do anything. They are constantly cheering you on and helping you study when you have a test. If one day you throw out a random idea about opening a business or something like that, this man will immediately buy anything you need to start said business.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

longer than he would of liked but you were oblivious at first and then skeptical of his true intentions. You truly made him work for it but he doesnt regret it one bit.

U = Understanding (How well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

He would try his hardest to be the most understanding but he did grow up as a rich spoiled only child and his parents did their best and hes an amazing person for it hes just not always consious that not everyone grew up the same. Or that things outside from his bubble are different. However hes willing to learn and he will never make you feel bad for how you feel and will be there by your side to deal with whatever may come.

V = Value (How important is the relationship to them? What is it worth in comparison to other things in their life?)

To him the relationship means everything he would risk it all and leave it all behind. He truly envisions a future with you and hes willing to put the work for it.

W = Wedding (When, where, and how do they propose?)

I think he would be ready very soon however I want to say he would wait for a littlebit after you two graduated from hogwarts and settled because he wants to give you the best life possible with his effort and not just his parents money. I think he would also be down to travel a little with you before popping the question.

As for how he proposes i think he would plan something big but just the two of you and maybe some of your friends there to help set up. Or maybe something where both of your families and friends are there ( I personally would hate someone other than my SO and I being there but i feel like he would like that sooo)

X = XOXO (How affectionate are they? In public/in private)

He's affectionate in public and in private this man does not care i feel like touch is one of his love languages but if you are not into PDA he'll understand and try to stick to only hand holding or small lingering touches.

You know the hand flex? Yeah that was James Potter the first time you two touched before you two got together.

Y = Yearning (How well do they cope when they’re separated from their S/O?)

This man is dramatic when he's away from you even if it's just an hour (I feel like James is sometimes dramatic for shits and giggles and then people actually believe him), this man acts like it's been ages and most times someone will have to just call you so he stops mopping around. (One time when school was off it hadn't even been a full day and Euphemia had to come look for you and ask your parents for permission so you could spend a few days with them, so James would stop complaining.) If it's absolutely impossible for one of you to visit the other, the amount of letters that the two of you send each other is insane (think about texting but with letters.) your poor owls deserve better. sksk.

Z = Zen (What makes them feel calm?)

You.

Literally, the thought of just being with you makes James feel calm, he wants the quiet mornings and the late night pillow talks with you. Just whatever life might throw at you two, but if he's by your side, he's confident everything will be alright.

[v1nsmoke]

𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑹 // 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑹!𝒁𝑶𝑹𝑶 𝑿 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹

spooktober week 3 - modern au with slasher zoro!

tw: murder, d3ath, g0re, alcohol, can this be taken as yandere?, fire

summary: attending a house party won't be a bad choice, at least that's what you think until something changes the course of the night, and everything turns into chaos.

a/n: phew, my longest oneshot so far! i mean it took almost a week so i was hoping. i just want to say that im trash at writing endings so idk how that turned out, i feel like i fucked it up. also COP SHANKS CAMEO??!?!??! and firefighter Ace too!! LISTEN TO HOUSE OF BALLOONS WHILE READING, IT FITS THE VIBE!!!

first half until the garage scene supervised by lena!

tags: @stargirldelight cause cop shanks appearance at the end ♡ (sorry that i keep tagging u in shanks stuff)

wc: 5.6k

The cafeteria was bustling with people, just the average, daily experience. You munch on the horrid food they serve, the food you always tried to trade with the people who were smart enough to bring their own. You were lucky to have Sanji in your friend group, he always brought a bit of his own, delicious cooking, which Luffy would often steal.

"Here dear, I brought you some of your favourite!" Sanji exclaims, handing you a small portion of your favourite food with a smile on his face.

"Thanks, you're the best!" You take it and immediately dive in, hoping that you won't feel the taste of the cafeteria's food you finished a minute ago. While talking with Sanji, you could feel someone staring, but every time you looked around to check, there was nobody looking at you.

"Okay guys, last night I was thinking." Nami speaks up, now the whole group's attention focused on her as she stands up on the table. "Robin, you already know, I'm talking about what we discussed over the phone." She smiles.

"Just spit it out." Zoro says, losing his patience with the orange haired girl.

"Since it's our last year here together, I was thinking about hosting a big halloween party! And everyone is invited! And I mean EVERYONE. If you know somebody outside this highschool, feel free to invite them! The party is going to be held on October 31st! That's a week for you to prepare your costumes and get ready for the best night of your lives!" She excitedly says.

The whole group and the people present at the cafeteria cheer for her, everyone in on the idea. You haven't attended a good halloween party in years, and when it comes to parties, you know it's in good hands with Nami.

~○~

You walk trough the girl's locker room's door, the fencing helmet held in your hand since it won't fit in your bag.

"Thanks for waiting." You high five Zoro, standing at the entrance since he changed clothes faster. Maybe because he didn't spend a good twenty minutes with gossiping, or more like overhearing converastions going on about some random girl's personal life.

"So, what did they say?" You ask.

"What?" He looks at you bluntly.

"What do you mean 'what'? Oh. So you didn't ask them about the party." You sigh as realisation hits you.

"I didn't ask them about the party." He repeats, almost sounding proud of himself.

"Nami is counting on us!"

"The whole cafeteria heard her, isn't that enough people? Is her house even that big?"

"Even if it isn't, she'll find a way to get all these people together. She's smart, you gotta give her that."

Just then, a guy trying to leave the fencing hall bumps into you by accident. He rapidly looks up, making you notice his strange shaped nose.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to!" He apologises.

"No, don't worry, it's nothing. I was the one standing in the doorway, it's not your fault." You apologise back, picking up his bag that fell from his hands after the impact. He's about to leave, but you call out for him.

"Hey, uh, I was wondering if you could come to my friend's halloween party. October 31st. You in?" You shout, hoping he still hears you. The guy turns around, and shouts back a "sure" in response. "I'll send you the address, I think I have you on Instagram. Bye!"

The guy puts his thumb up and leaves. You turn back, and you're met with Zoro's eyes piercing trough you.

"What?" You ask, seeing he was clearly bothered by something.

"Nothing. Let's go." He sighs and heads towards his car, landing in the driver's seat.

"If you say so." You shrug and follow, getting in next to Zoro. You open your phone, and type in your address into Google Maps so that you won't have to guide him and his poor navigation skills. Sometimes you wonder how he got his driving license.

He stops at your house. You gather your fencing equipment, and step out of the car.

"Are you coming to Nami's party?" You hold the door open so you can speak with him.

"You sure sound very excited about it. I thought you hated parties, the people, drinks and all." He replies.

"I still do. But Nami and the others will be there, at least I won't feel alone. I want to see how it turns out. You still didn't answer me."

"I guess it's worth a try. She will probably buy the expensive drinks, someone's gotta try those out."

"You're saying that because you are an alcoholic, Zoro."

"I know. Bye." He grabs your door's handle and closes it, starts the engine and drives off.

"Yeah... Bye." You say to yourself.

You plop down on your bed, letting your body sink into the soft mattress. Maybe Zoro was right. Maybe you shouldn't go. Parties? You never attended them, the overwhelming amount of people and the disgusting smell of alcohol that would stay on your shirt keeping you away from these events.

But for God's sake, it will be hosted by Nami this time. She was your best friend ever since you started highschool, and she was also your number one supporter from the moment you two met. And now she was going to organise a huge halloween party with everyone invited, there's just no way you wouldn't attend it! Besides, all your other friends would be there, too! Robin or Sanji would definitely let you stick to their sides, you'd be safe there. You've got a whole week to get ready, both your costume and mentally.

~○~

Nami throws another ingredient in the cart, adding to the weight of it, making it even harder for you to push it forward.

"Did you even look at the price of it? Or are you just throwing in everything you see?" You ask your friend.

"We need all these, and I have the money for it. I just can't wait for tonight! This will be the party of the year, and I bet everyone will be talking about it tomorrow!" She exclaims, throwing another bag of potato chips your way. You catch it and place it on top of the heap of other food already in the cart.

"What will be your costume, Y/N?" Nami looks at you as the two of you join the line at the cash register.

"I couldn't come up with anything, I'll probaly go dressed as myself. Not very original, I know." You say as place the groceries on the conveyor belt one by one.

"Hm, I was looking forward to see you in some costume for once, but whatever." She sounds dissapointed, but at least she respects your decision.

After paying the crazy amount of money Nami decided to spend on snacks, you get into her car, heading straight towards her house. A few days ago you agreed to help her set up the party, but didn't expect it to be such a big thing. Sure, Nami was the host, so it's natural that she would plan something huge.

Her keys dingle in the front door's keyhole, and she opens it. Both your hands full with the bags, only being freed after you manage to drop them on her kitchen counter with a sigh.

"What should I help with?" You inquire, leaning on the white marble kitchen island.

"I was only thinking of helping with the groceries and now that's done, but if you're already here, could you put these into bowls? You know where to find them." She motions at the snacks in the grocery bags.

Of course you knew, Nami invited you over more than a million times, you could swear you knew the whereabout of every small item in her house. You open a cupboard, grabbing a bunch of bowls from it.

"I've got some things to tend to, Usopp should be here in about twenty minutes." She waves before going upstairs to take care of whatever she needed to.

"Ayyy! I didn't expect you here! Only here to set things up, or staying for the party too?" Usopp hugs you upon entering.

"Weird to see me here, huh? I'll stay for the party too, though I will probably stay by somebody's side, likely Robin or Sanji, maybe you, we'll see." You hug him back.

"Only an hour before the others arrive, I'm so excited! It's gonna be fun, I promise, and if ya ever feel lonely, find me!" Usopp pulls away and the two of you share your own handshake that took days to perfect.

~○~

The loud music with the same, repetative beat keeps playing from the speakers installed by Usopp earlier today, maybe an hour ago. You didn't expect everybody from the cafeteria to actually pull up, but it seems like you weren't the only one who thought it would be nice to attend a party just this one time. Everybody was there, event those smart students whose daily routine was entirely made up of studying and the quiet kids nobody knew anything about, and they all seemed to have fun. Except you.

You stood alone in the corner of the living room, awkwardly holding the red plastic cup filled with alcohol that you won't drink anyway. Maybe coming here was a bad idea after all.

"Uh, hey." You hear voice behind you, though it was faint since the music was being blasted. You turn around to see the guy from your fencing classes, the same guy that you invited here because Zoro wouldn't do it.

"Hi." You say, your fingers fiddling with the cup as you force a smile onto your face.

"I see you're alone. Zoro didn't come with you? I was sure he would." He starts.

"Uhhh I haven't seen him yet, but the party only started not so long ago, he said some days ago that he'll show up. He's bad with directions and navigation, maybe he just got lost." You explain.

"Oh, alright, if you say so. My name's Kaku. Nice to meet you, I've been watching you during fencing classes."

Zoro's face expressed disgust. Was it worth coming here? He stands still near the doorway of the living room, silently observing the scene currently unfolding on the other side of the room. When he entered, you were the first thing he saw amidst the crowd, but his happiness quickly dissapeared after a guy approaches you. Zoro could recognise him as Kaku from fencing classes, the guy who would always be paired with Zoro (and inevitably lose to him).

He couldn't hear what your conversation was about, the other guests and the music overpowering his hearing. Oh how he hated Kaku. He annoyed Zoro so much, his voice, gestures, everything. And now this man he hated was talking to you. It was supposed to be him. Maybe if he didn't take twenty-two wrong turns, get stuck in a traffic jam AND park his car in front of the wrong house, it could be him. But that wasn't the case right now, because instead of enjoying your company, he stood still on the other side of the room.

It bothered him how you had to force a smile, he could see it across the crowded room, but Kaku standing next to you couldn't. He just kept talking and talking, not noticing the way you were looking in all directions but at Kaku, who didn't seem to care.

"Heyyy, you wanna join me on the dance floor?" An unknown girl comes up to Zoro, pointing at the middle of the living room.

"No." He coldly turned her down, not even bothering to look at this girl. He couldn't take his eyes off you and Kaku, and knew that if the guy tries to do anything, whether it be a romantic or hurtful action towards you, he's going to be there between the two of you in the blink of an eye.

Just then, he notices as Kaku takes your hand into his, the movement making you seemingly uncomfortable. Seeing this, Zoro takes rapid steps trough the living room, squishing himself trough the crowd, his katanas colliding into each other. As he gets closer, he starts to hear you voice.

"No, uh, thanks, I-" you stutter, politely turning him down, trying to pull yourself back to the corner you were standing in.

"Come on, you're supposed to have fun, right? Zoro's not coming anyway, that asshole doesn't care." Kaku chuckles. Zoro deeply inhales. It took his all not to launch at the guy and gut him right then and there.

"No, sorry. I'm not going anywhere with you." You insist, pulling back your hand in hopes of freeing it from his grasp. Your heart was beating faster, and it was definitely not because Kaku's charms. You've already considered all possible outcomes of this. Lucky for you there was a small cupboard with a vase on it next to you just in case of an emergency.

"No way, I'm a nice guy, you know me! I-"

"She said no."

"Zoro!" You smile upon hearing your friend's deep voice, one that you could recognise anywhere. Kaku seems to lose some of his self confidence after Zoro's voice hits his ears, but he still didn't let go of your hand.

"Hey, buddy!" He gives the green haired man a fake smile. This was off to a bad start. Zoro could swear that if this guy called him 'buddy' again, he'll lose it.

"Let her go." He says back, not even greeting Kaku. Instead, he stared into his soul, and if looks could kill, Kaku would be gone by now.

"Alright, fine!" Kaku gets defensive, letting go of you and raising both his hands up like he was being arrested. It looked like he was waiting for a 'thank you', but you sure weren't going to thank him for the bare minimum. Feeling the tension, the guy tries to lighten the mood before Zoro accidentally stares too strongly at him.

"Zoro, buddy, can I invite you for a drink?" He asks.

Zoro nods, knowing that Kaku had no idea of what he just got himself into.

"I'll be back soon." Zoro smiles your way, which is not a rare phenomenon with you, then leaves wirh Kaku following closely behind him, leaving you alone yet again.

~○~

Zoro pours another drink into the cup, Kaku letting out a sigh of satisfaction as he downs it again. Both of them sat at the kitchen counter, drinking up everything they could find. They both consumed the same amount of alcohol, but one of them was definitely drunker than the other. Zoro was an expert at alcohol drinks, and could still stay sober even after an insane amount of drinks. Unlike Kaku. He was deeply drunk by now, just as Zoro expected it.

"Zoro, hi! You're actually here, cool! Though I would be happier if you left your katanas at home." Nami appears, greeting her friend.

"I always take them with me everywhere."

"Yeah, that's exactly why you are banned from so many places."

"Zoro, pour me and yourself another!" Kaku chuckles, his shaky hands holding the cup towards the green haired. Zoro agrees, but when he tries to grab another drink, he notices that it's all gone.

"Strange. I thought you were prepared, Nami." He says.

"I WAS! But you two idiots drank it all!" She shouts at the two, mad that they didn't leave any for the rest of the guests.

"So no more drinks?" Zoro looks over to Nami, earning a sigh from her.

"There is. Go to the garage, I have a few crates of it stored there. Bring those up, but leave some for the others."

"Why do I have to get them? You're the host, do it yourself." Kaku whines, clearly drunk.

"MAYBE BECAUSE I WASN'T THE ONE WHO DRANK IT ALL. NOW GO." she pushes Kaku out of the room, Zoro walking behind them.

He would be lying if he said this wasn't what he was planning all along. The crates in the garage? He knew about it. And he also knew that nobody will be there, all the guests in the living room or one of the guest rooms. He felt a bit bad for leaving you alone, but there were things that had to be done. And it was for your own good.

"Man, I'm telling ya, I would be long gone with that girl if you didn't interfere. Damn bro, I even had some aphrodisiac with me, I-"

Zoro didn't need to hear the rest. His steps slowed down, mind going in multiple directions. Did he just mean you when saying 'that girl'? Did he really want to give you that shit? Kaku may be drunk, but drunk words are sober thoughts, and Zoro knew that. He hated Kaku, but now he snapped. This guy was going too far, and Zoro didn't like the way this crazy dude talked and thought about you.

He opens the garage's door, holding it open for Kaku to enter, and he does so, skipping his way down the few stairs. Unbeknownst to him, he just walked into a trap, one that Zoro has been planning ever since Kaku started making flirty comments towards you during fencing classes, not noticing how you were internally cringing and creeped out by him, but neither of you ever said a word about this. And tonight really did it for Zoro. He didn't invite Kaku for a drink because he wanted to get closer to him. He did it to get him into this drunken state, and made him drink up every drink until there was none left. He didn't need Nami to ask them to get more, he would've done it anyways.

Kaku looks trough the shelves, searching for even more drinks.

"Zoro, you helping me or nah?" He inquires, still looking at the metal shelf.

"Sure. I think I already found one of the crates." He says, carrying a crate filled with whiskey over to Kaku. He tries to hand it to him, but drops it in the process. The glasses break, the alcohol spilling on the floor and Kaku, who is now soaked from head to toe, given that he was crouching when this happened.

"Sorry." There was no remorse in Zoro's tone, but the guy believed him anyways, the drinks doing their thing.

"It's okay buddy, mistakes happen." He smiles, going back to searching the shelf again in case he missed something.

He doesn't notice as Zoro quietly locks the garage's door, trapping the two alone together. He starts searching in his pocket, until he finally gets his hands on the keys to Nami's car, the keys that he stole from the hanger in the hallway. Zoro opens the car's door, sitting down on the leather seat of it, then inserts the key and the engine comes to life with a buzzing sound.

"Ey man, be careful or you'll hit me!" Kaku shouts, still crouching just a few meters away from the car.

"Don't worry. Stay there, and you'll be safe. I just want to test something." He lies, and steps on the gas pedal. The tires of the car squealed on the concrete floor of the garage, which had just enough space for the green haired to roll the car back a bit.

"Buddy, Zoro, no, no, let me just go back, you can try the car when I'm not here." Kaku stands up, ready to leave in this instant.

"Stay put. I'm here to crush your skull, not the car." And with that, Zoro pushes the car's gear, feet forcefully pressing the gas pedal.

A loud thud echoes in the garage as Zoro crashes into the wall, the breaking of bones and coughs ringing with it. Kaku tries to take deep breaths, but now that he was squished between the wall and the car, it seemed impossible. His head was spinning, eyesight hazy, the only thing he tried to focus his eyes on was the man in the driver's seat, staring at him with an emotionless gaze.

Zoro backs up a bit with the car, Kaku falling to the floor with broken ribs. He coughs, clawing at the floor in hopes of being able to crawl away. Zoro opens the car's door, slowly stepping out. Kaku was almost at the few steps leading to the door, when he looks back over his shoulders at the sound of footsteps, the green haired man approaching him.

"No, please, I-" he crawls a bit faster, but Zoro grabs him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him back with force, then dragging him along the cold concrete floor, back towards the car.

Zoro lifts him up, then places him in the drivers seat while he stands at the car's door.

"You're gonna be in big trouble when I tell the others about this." He manages to whisper between coughs, his own blood filling his mouth.

"They won't." And with that, Zoro steps on the gas pedal, quickly pulling his leg back after doing so. A deafening scream pierces trough the air, the car running into the wall yet again, the metal shelf between the two objects breaking right trough the windshield, the end of it sliding trough Kaku's head.

The car sparks at the impact, the alcohol spilled there by Zoro previously catching fire. Was the crate drop a few minutes ago intentional? Yes. Yes, it was. Now the car was in flames, the already dead Kaku stiff in the drivers seat.

Zoro calmly grabs a crate filled with beer from the other side of the room, and makes his way towards the door like nothing happened. He doesn't look back, letting the car burn with Kaku inside it. The whole garage was made up of concrete walls, which cannot catch or spread fire, meaning that Nami's house won't burn down if he leaves the fire to be.

He leaves the room, striding back to the kitchen. Just as he was about to leave the hallway and enter the living room, Nami comes rushing to him.

"Zoro! What took you so long?! We heard loud noises, I was getting worried that something happened to you!" She scolds him.

"I didn't know you could do that." He coldly replies, earning an eyeroll from the ginger girl, who noticed something.

"Wait, where's the guy who went with you?" She asks.

"Oh, Kaku? He told me to feel free to come back, said he wanted to try something. He should be here soon." He lies straight to Nami's face.

Nami shrugs, about to go back to the middle of the party, when she suddenly stops in her tracks. Her nose picks up an unkonwn scent, or more like smell.

"Zoro, can you smell it too?" She asks worriedly, turning back to the swordsman. "Smoke." Realisation dawns on her, eyes going wide. She rushes out the room, a curious Usopp and you behind her. "You're coming too!" She shouts back, clearly meaning Zoro. So, he follows them.

The grey smoke filled the hallway as they got closer to the garage, Nami already suspecting what happened. Usopp bursts trough the garage's door, letting out a few coughs along with Nami and you. The room was filled with smoke, the orange haired girl's car still in flames, it was only a matter of time before it gets worse and the car explodes.

"SOMEBODY HELP! WE NEED WATER! CALL THE POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS!" Usopp screams. Nami and you nod, running back to warn the others and call for help.

Now Zoro was left alone with Usopp, who was panicking, taking fast and deep breaths to calm himself down.

"You, Zoro? D-don't you feel l-like doing something about this?" He shakily asks, eyes on the green haired man.

"I already did." He answers. Usopp slightly scrunches his eyebrows, not quite understanding what he meant.

"What are y-you trying to say? You're creeping me out a bit, you know." He takes a tiny step back, Zoro looking at him with a colder, more menacing stare than usual.

Usopp swallows hard, feeling uneasy after Zoro doesn't give him an answer.

"Zoro, you... you didn't, right?" He nervously chuckles, but Zoro still doesn't move or say anything. Usopp realises that he's in grave danger here, and it's time for him to run. But just as he turns around, ready to sprint back to the living room, he hears as Zoro unsheats one of his katanas. Usopp grabs a vase, throwing it right towards Zoro, who simply cuts trough it.

"This can't be real, this can't be real, this can't be real!" Usopp murmurs to himself, shutting his eyes for a few seconds. But when he opens them again, Zoro's gone. Or at least that's what he thought, standing up, letting out a deep sigh at the fact that he won't die.

"Sorry. No witnesses." He hears the deep voice from behind, the blade making contact with his upper body. Usopp looks down, and is met with the sight of Zoro's katana going trough right his heart. He sees as Zoro pulls out the blade from his flesh, a hole left in its place. He coughs, blood spilling from his mouth before landing on the flooring beneath him with a thud.

Zoro's hands were now stained with his friend's blood, the crimson liquid staining Nami's floor and his katana's shiny blade. He had to get rid of the body quickly, before you, Nami and all the others return with the cops. So, he grabs Usopp's dead body by the legs, dragging him to the burning car in the garage a few steps away.

You panic, dialing 911 as fast as possible while Nami ushered everybody out the house before something else catches on fire too, or the flames reach the wrong spot of the car and it explodes. But Usopp was down there, trying to put it out with the buckets from the storage room. Or at least that's what you thought was happening.

"911, what's your emergency?" A female voice chimes in from the other side of the line, one that you could recognise.

"Uta, hi! Nami's car got caught on fire in her garage, and she said somebody was there too, it can explode any minute, Usopp is trying to put it out but I'm worried for him, I-" you dump all the information on her, but she calmly cuts you off.

"Alright. I'll ask my dad to go, he'll bring some of his colleagues too, so him and some firefighters will be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you. Bye." You shake, worried for Usopp and Zoro at the garage. Uta puts down the phone, and you do the same as you rush back to the garage to get the two out of the house.

You cough as you get closer, Usopp and Zoro nowhere to be seen.

"ZORO! USOPP! COME ON, WE NEED TO GET OUT!" You shout, hoping they will hear you. You slow in your track when you notice the splatters of blood on the floor and wall a few meters away from the entrance of the garage. Did something happen to them? You think for a second. Maybe the fire wasn't caused by accident. Maybe somebody set it on fire intentionally, killing the person Nami said was there. And now he maybe got one of your friends too.

"USOPP! ZOR-" you call out their names, when suddenly the green haired man appears in the garage's doorway.

"Oh god, you're alright! Look, we need to get out of here, the police, firefighters and ambulance are already on their way, there's nothing we can do about the fire now. And I might sound stupid right now, but there might be even a killer, and-"

"There is. Now come with me and get out of here." He cuts you off and grabs your hand, heading to where you just came from.

"But Usopp-" you try to stop yourself, but Zoro keeps dragging you behind him.

"He'll be fine." He replies, not even looking at you.

"You know what he's like, we can't just leave him here!" You argue back, slightly raising your voice.

"There's no time for him, we need to leave, now."

"No!" You tear your hand away from his. "He will panic that he's alone, or worse, he can die too! Don't you think about that?!"

"I do, but I don't care. I don't care if that fool dies, but if I don't get you out of here and you die because of me, I'll never forgive myself." He lifts you, throwing you over his shoulder, firm hands keeping you in place. You squirm, trying to get out of his touch, but it seems impossible.

He bursts trough the door, then places you down at the front yard. The other guests were either gone the moment they heard there was a fire, or watched in horror as the smoke flowed out the house. Just as you step on the sidewalk in front of the house, the sound of cop cars hit your ears, that same deafening sound as all the other times. Firefighters and ambulance arrive at the scene too, jumping out of the vehicles in an instant. You rush towards one firefighter, the black haired, freckled guy you were friends with.

"Ace! Ace, one of my friends is still inside, please, try to find him and get him out." You beg, tears forming in the corner of your eyes.

"That's my job, sweetheart. Don't worry!" He reassuringly winks, running toward's Nami's house.

You knew Ace since childhood, you both went to the same school and your moms were good friends, so you got to hang out with him a lot. He loved going on adventures, and was a good company. He always dreamt of being a firefighter, and it was like a dream come true for him when he got the job. You knew that he will be great at this job, and you trusted him. When he told you not to worry, you believed him, there was something about your friend saying this that calmed you down a bit.

"Hey, you alright?" Another familiar voice sounds from behind you, his hands placed on your shoulders. You turn around and see the red haired man with scars over one of his eyes, worry displaying in his eyes. You couldn't hold your tears anymore, this was it. You wrap your arms around him, face buried into his chest, sobs escaping your lips.

"It's okay, it's okay. You'll be fine." He hugs back, bringing a sense of comfort to you. Shanks was the usual friendly cop, the one who would always be there when an old lady called the police because her cat got stuck on a tree, the man who would knock into your home just because he was bored and wanted company. You knew him, his little secrets, and he knew yours.

~○~

The rest of the night you sat in Shanks' cop car, a blanket over you after a doctor checked up on you and it was all okay. You were devastated. Ace and the doctors did everything they could to save Usopp, who was found dead in the garage, stabbed. The other victim was Kaku, who died under mysterious circumstances. There was definitely a killer, but nobody knew who it was. Though you did have your suspect. And you could only wish you were wrong.

The last time you and Nami saw Kaku was when he was with Zoro, but Nami said that the two went to fetch drinks and Kaku stayed behind, so maybe that wasn't Zoro's fault. But it was also him who stayed with Usopp, he was last seen with him. And the fact that Zoro carries his katanas everywhere, including this party, and Usopp getting killed by a blade just fit together. Why would he kill Usopp? You had no idea.

Everyone got questioned one by one, and sadly all clues lead to Zoro according to Benn, who was Shanks' colleague. You didn't know him like you knew Shanks, but you would meet him often. He was smart, and knew what he was doing. And that's why you were so worried. Because he is likely right this time too, and that means Zoro, your best friend is a murderer.

You see as Shanks approaches his car where you were sitting, a serious look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" You quietly ask, worried that something happened, something wrong.

"I'm sorry. I really am." He says as he sits down in the back next to you, looking in a direction. You follow where his eyes are focused, and see what you didn't want to. Zoro in handcuffs, escorted to a police car. A tear escapes you, it hurts to think that your friend is a killer. You didn't know his motives, why he did what he did, but he probably had a good reason.

~○~

Life went smoothly. The image of that night was still vivid in your mind, but you forgot about it so often that it was almost like it's gone. You would still sometimes dream about it, but other than that, you were fine. Shanks was worried that you will be targeted after this, so he offered to take care of you and live with him if you want. You have been living alone ever since you were 15, and you knew Shanks well, so, you moved in with him. He has been acting as your father figure ever since, and you totally don't mind it.

You would sometimes still wonder: why did you do it, Zoro?

one piece and all related characters belong to eiichiro oda, i do not own any of those characters.

© v1nsmokes 2023. Do not modify, translate or rewrite.

[ummmlife]

mareridt ;

Warnings!; angst (but with a happy ending) , shibuya nanami

It was clear in your mind, words like those couldn't be forgotten easily and, most likely never be forgotten.

“Nanami Kento is dead”.

What a shame, isn't it? Your fiance, your soulmate was taken away from you in a matter of a second. How unfair.

Maybe he could stay as a salaryman, miserable but alive, exhausted but alive. But nothing matters now, he's dead and, by what you could understand of that call, it was a grotesque death.

True horror for a frightening night like this, October 31st.

The jujutsu sorcerers are talking about remains of a body, not a complete body worthy of burial. The universe is vile when it wants to, doesn't it?

Words weren't even a way to explain all what you were feeling. Grief? Sure, sadness? Also, but mostly despair. Your heart wasn't even beating anymore and your lungs felt like heavy sandbags ready to be thrown into the sea and sink to the depths, goddamn, you couldn't even stand up from the floor of your home.

A now broken home.

How could you even try to keep going with your life like this? How could you possibly try to lift your head against and face the world? Kento used to say that running away was always an option, one that you could regret in the future, sure, but still an option. But how could you run away from a cruel world that didn't even care about the massacre that was happening outside there in Shibuya?

The regretful thoughts didn't take too much to start appearing. It was your fault, it surely was.

You could have begged Kento harder not to respond to that emergency call and stop him from leaving. You could have locked the door and hid the key. You could start a temper tantrum just to make him stay with you. You could have done so many things but you did nothing.

Kento was dead because of you… right?

With the last strength you had left in your body, you crawled to the bed you both shared. A bed witness of moments of love and hate, a bed that was a safe space for both of you. His scent is still on the pillow and in the room in general.

It hurts horribly.

You roll over to grab his pillow and hug, pouring your love through your tears as the memories of Kento run free in your mind. Crying your heart out with sorrow by all the disgrace that life is giving to you.

Your stomach was churning while your head was spinning and it kept feeling like a nightmare. You were feeling like you were not connected to your body at all.

That's until you felt hands hugging you from behind and pulling your body.

— “Hey… You're having a nightmare again…”

That voice, that familiar voice.

— “Darling… Wake up.”

Just like magic you were brought back to reality by the raspy voice of Kento in your ear. He was holding you in his arms and planting kisses on your head as his hands caressed your arms in an attempt to calm you down.

— “You were having that nightmare again?”

It was an obvious question to ask, but yes. Once more, the same vivid nightmare plays in your dreams. It was a torture to this point.

— “I'm here, alright? I'm right here.”

Without hesitation, you hugged your boyfriend back, finding a comforting sense of protection in his arms. Kento is and has always been your safe place after all.

— “Don't worry, I promised you that I'm not leaving the house today. No matter what happens, we'll spend this Halloween all safe at home together.”

i DO NOT wanna see nanami dying. i swear i'm gonna throw up

anyway

i wanted to write this as a way to comfort my own self for what's about to come and, honestly? life in general has been feeling like a fever nightmare so...

i hope this can help you to cope the fact that this is the last time we're seeing nanami alive

[aurorabayrpg]

AURORA BAY HALLOWEEN FEST PART 2 ~ SHARKY'S HALLOWEEN PARTY {OCTOBER 15TH - NOVEMBER 1ST}

The time has come for part 2 of Aurora Bay's Halloween event! Sharky's Halloween party, The Monster Mash, is a 21+ annual event in the town, where residents can dress up, dance, eat, drink, and of course enter the costume contest!

The Monster Mash begins on October 31st at 9pm and ends at 3am! And don't forget to have some family fun trick-or-treating beforehand!

OOC INFO BELOW:

The dash is officially open for the Halloween party threads! In game the party, and of course trick-or-treating, takes place on Halloween night, but we wanted to begin this part of the event earlier because we know our muns are so excited for it and it gives everyone plenty of time to get some fun threads going!

Because of this we do ask that you tag your threads that aren't pertaining to the party as non-event!

This part of the event also opens the dash for trick-or-treating threads! We know there are plenty of parents and their kiddos in game so there definitely had to be something for them as well! Have your characters take their kids through the neighborhoods for their candy, but don't worry, Sharky's party begins at 9pm in game, which means there's plenty of time for parents to enjoy their own Halloween festivities!

You can find Sharky's official Halloween playlist HERE! these are just some of the songs you'll be listening to that night!

Rules:

Sharky's open starters: the first 5 can be posted without having to reply to others first, but after those 5 please be sure to reply to at least 2 open starters before posting your own!

Trick-or-treating open starters: the first 3 can be posted without having to reply to others first, but after those 3 please be sure to reply to at least 2 open starters before posting your own!

Please be sure to note whether your opens are taking place at Sharky's or Trick-or-Treating!

Non-event threads can still be posted, just tag them as such!

In game the party and trick-or-treating will be on Halloween, so keep that in mind!

Muns can continue to post their character's Halloween costumes until October 25th, which will be the cut off so a masterlist of the costumes can be made and soon after muns can begin voting for their faves!

More info about the costume contest and how voting will work will be posted later on!

feel free to ask us admins if you have any questions!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND HAVE FUN!!!

[autumnshowell]

11:45 PM, December 31st

It's late, nearly midnight, when the door opens to her apartment. Autumn's starting to get used to the self-imposed loneliness of the past few weeks. Too ashamed to go to Morgan, too afraid to go to Aria. She's let messages hang unread until they just stopped coming. Elyse, Kevin, well... she just doesn't trust herself around anybody right now.

Partly, she's been in limbo, struggling with the curse of knowledge - knowledge that everything is different forever now.

A.J.'s calls come and she answers those though; she owes him, after all, owes him for a lot more than she'll ever be able to actually repay. He's been quiet today though, mostly. Likely recovering from whatever psychopathic bacchanalia he'd engaged in the night before. It's given her a lot of empty space for thought that isn't taken up by through-roads and efficient driving and making sure she doesn't barrel-roll another sports car.

She'd for the first time in actual years, felt compelled to write something today, and so the trip to Hawthorn had been conceived, but the pages in her book remained unfilled up until a ghost of a friend had appeared and summarily called her on her cowardice.

A second ghost happened upon her at a little past two; on her way through town, and convinced her of a few other things.

It's a lot, knowing about monsters, and even more so, she's starting to find, being one. Things that used to mildly frustrate instead infuriate. Things that used to make her sad instead make her angry. It's like all the roads in her mind have been up-heaved and repaved to all head to the same exact destination. It's tiring.

So when she collapses on her shitty blue ikea couch with the huge coffee stain on one end and opens her notebook to once again stare into blank pages, she's not expecting what she sees sitting there. Though she guesses, given the day, that she might have expected it.

"Hey, Tum-tum."

She can deal with Olivier being a dick. She could handle an impromptu meeting with Miss Moss's dearly departed Mr. Moss. But this one actually hurts a little. "Hey, dad..." His smile's warm, warm like she remembers, even with the space of fourteen years. His voice though, god, she'd nearly forgotten it. "Everything okay? You look bummed."

"Yeah." She says, feeling her jaw clench, almost immediately, wet worrying at the corners of her eyes. Her voice cracks without the decency to ask her first. "I'm not doing great."

"Yeah. I see that," he says, looking around the apartment. "Going through it a bit, I hear."

"Yeah." She says.

"I'm sorry Tum-Tum." he says. "I set you up for this, and ... it really isn't fair to you. I thought I was giving you a chance at something a little more normal and well... I really messed up."

"Why didn't you guys just... tell me?" She says, sitting up, jaw clenching even harder. Because sad is weak, and that thing in the back of her mind abhors it. "Why didn't you just own up and... I don't know... why didn't you just take me and go?"

"Oh, Autumn," he says, next to her now, sitting there. "I don't have a good answer for that. I was getting sick and I didn't... I'm sorry Autumn. If I'd have known she'd felt that way, I'd have never..."

"But you did. You did and it killed her and it's... it's killing me now. I'm scared, dad." She sniffs. "I... I think I really ruined things for a lot of people. And now I'm..." "Beautiful?" He says. "Talented?" "A monster." "Unmotivated," he corrects. "But that's no sin." "I don't think... I don't think that really covers it, dad." "Well," he admits, "maybe not. But I always thought it was a pretty good story." He looks at the clock. "Well... something's telling me I don't have a lot of time left, so I'll say this. Maybe you're different, but you're you, babygirl. No matter what changes, you're still you. You can't change the past, Autumn. But you're still there. You can only do your best to fix what you can, yeah? You're the little girl who cried for a whole day when they melted the Wicked Witch. That's the who I remember. So you messed up. Went a little overboard. Ate your mom."

"Dad!-"

"Whaaat, I'm dead, let me be morbid. You think you don't get that fascination with all those scary movies from somewhere? Look, Tum-Tum. You're going to wrestle with that. It's just how it is. But the people who are still here with you? You've got a chance with them. Don't mess it up. Don't save it for later, or hope for the best, or expect it to just blow over. Fix it, or die trying. Time's short, Tum-Tum. You think you've got plenty of it and then suddenly you're not there anymore."

"And what if-" "Nope. No what-ifs." He smiles. She swallows back her protest, and then she sees the clock, and knows what he'd meant about time. There's never enough of it. "I... really wish you could stay. I... well. There's so much. I wish you could meet some of these people... the ones I have to... fix things with. There's this girl, Aria, she's... " "Yeah? Well. Maybe one day we can do this again and I'll meet her. I'm sure she'll understand if you just... lay it out for her. Besides, she's mixed up with a Howell, so she's got to at least be a little brave, yeah?" Autumn looks at the clock again, because she has a lot more she wants to say, and ask, but it's twelve o'clock and she can hear fireworks outside her empty apartment.

[didasgomas]

Happiness of Love

Part 3 of Day 31 of @augusnippets

(Extra) Prompts: Flashbacks/Relapse/Medical complications

Content warnings: Nocturnal asthma attack, momentary panic

Small and happier part of "In Mortality", an au of Cut Down The Altar, story by @missr3n3

11:04 P.M - August 31st, 2009 - Ewing, Mercer county, New Jersey

Samantha woke up to the sound of labored breathing. She turned around in the bed immediately, knowing who it was coming from.

"Sam, help-" Juliet managed to talk through the dyspnea.

Sam bolted out of bed and towards Juliet's bedside table, where she grabbed her girlfriend's inhaler, before helping her sit up on the bed and giving it to her. She hadn't even put on her glasses or turned on the lights, but having memorized their bedroom's layout, those hadn't been needed.

Five long minutes passed of Juliet slowly recovering her normal breathing patterns.

Sam had learned over the years that the most recurrent reasons for Juliet's asthma attacks were stress and the weather. There was still three weeks until the colder weather of autumn started, so it must have been stress this time. Forensic pathology wasn't an easy job at all, even if Juliet had a deep fascination with it.

Sudden attacks at night were almost nonexistent in her girlfriend's case, but that didn't mean they couldn't happen, and Samantha had developed a habit of entering in a state of panic if they were ever to occur in the evening, much less in the middle of the night.

"I'm okay now, Sam. Thank you"

"Are you fully sure?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, don't worry"

"I don't think it's safe for you to go back to sleep yet."

"Well, you start the month with two days of vacation, and tomorrow is my day off, so… How about we go to the planetarium tomorrow?"

"Movie night and then planetarium morning."

"Heck yeah!"

[tolerateit]

meg I am still working on the aristotle term paper and I now have three pages of 20 and time until the 31st and I am SCARED.

YOU GOT THIS 31st isn't that close!!! You can map out your week and divide the work across 7 days and you'll have enough time for editing and plagiarism checks, don't worry!!! I've got a deadline on the 25th so we'll both push each other to get through it <3

[eversea143]

December

It's the 31st of December, 23:58pm. You're at your place with friends and family, happily celbrating the end of the year and the arrival of next year. The air is abuzz with festive music and people chattering away merrily.

You're talking animatly with your sort-of crush from college, having a good time. Because of size constraint and the sheer turn up of part goers, you had to move into the kitchen in order to still be audible over the general din of the full apartment.

You have a glass in hand, the flute kind, topped up with the best champagne you could afford. You'd felt a little aghast at the price when you went to buy it, but for the holidays you're never averse to splurge a little. You'll make do with some warm up meals for a little while. Perhaps a nice thing to aim at for next year: saving up money.

Anyways, you're perhaps a little buzzed. Not full-on drunk, as the (only) responsible person at the party you're not about to start downing beers like some of the other guys. A couple actually already tapped out, snoring away on your couch with empty cans scattered about the floor. You at least hope they'll remember to clean up after themselves tomorrow.

A loud cheer rises up and your head snaps up before focusing on the digital clock of the kitchen oven. You look towards your friend and she seems to agree with your on-the-spot plan.

You both start counting down with everyone else.

It was a rough year, all the ups and downs making it not particularily difficult or easy. You remember the good memories fondly whilst hoping for better times conserning the bad ones.

On your little flat screen TV (a gift from your father after he saw the big box that came with the place) there's a livestream of some kind of public event, the calls of hundreds of thousands of people joining yours as you reach the end.

You aim to raise your glass right as you hit 1.

Then you pass out.

...

You awaken on the kitchen floor, eyes groggy and mind clouded. You aren't sure why you're on the floor, your memories of what had happened haven't yet cleared up. With some difficulty you get up, noticing shattered glass next to you and the pool of, presumably your drink, around it.

Your friend is almost right next to you, blessedly without a broken glass so close to her face. She's still out, like many others you notice when you begin to look around. You're the first to wake up from whatever affliction caused everyone to pass out.

You aren't terribly worried or concerned, strange as it is there doesn't seem to be anything else wrong. No one's dead, as far as you can tell, which is even better.

You check the time, not about to let this strange event faze you. Classes don't start until after winter break, but you have a part-time job that is rather stern about working hours.

It's only 8:05am, there's plenty of time to wake everyone up and send them on home.

Just as you look away, your head snaps back when you realize what else the digital clock is displaying.

32/12.

That can't be right, you think, frowning at the date. Dismissing it as an error, weird as it seems, you start rousing people in the living room.

But something in you has doubt, that oven clock never had the time wrong before after all. Against your better judgement you check the calender you bought for the new year and had hung up yesterday afternoon.

You blink and stare in utter befuddlement at the first page of the calender.

December.

Starting from 32 and going on until 62. It doesn't even say what proper day of the week any of them are, although you remember it being a Sunday yesterday, which makes today a Monday.

You reach out and start going through the pages, at first hoping and then silently begging for it to be a prank. Every one is similar, the month of December and numbers going up and up into the hundreds and beyond.

You pause when a part of you realizes how many pages you're holding up. You must have gone through over a dozen by now.

When you try to get a look at how many pages this cursed calander has, you find to your shock that they're a blur. You can't see how many, your vision there literally blurs into nothingness!

With a desperation for answers you turn to the TV, hoping there's some kind of news report on right now or something. This can't actually be happening, there's no way-

When you turn on the TV, which for some reason had turned off somewhere during the night, you find only one channel available to watch. And it shows only one message.

'December is here to stay. This year will never end. The worst is yet to come.'

You swallow nervously, then proceed to freak out.

The rest of the worlds is soon to follow.

[bledfear]

❝ I want to tell you something , a secret of all secrets, between you and me ... ❞

ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ⸻ bailey bass. gender non-conforming. she/they ⸻ i saw persephone around the forest , you know? the 21 years old that was driving from new orleans when they saw the tree on the road. percy has been here for eighteen years and i think they were unemployed before they got stuck in the town. with the way things are now, they are struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out without losing themselves or dying. lets hope you at least survive the night on their own . ⸻

GENERAL   INFORMATION.  ⸻

full   name   : persephone de belshaw du sang .

nickname(s)   : percy . 

age :  21 .   

gender   identity : gender non-conforming .     

sexual orientation :  not specified .   

place   of   birth   : new orleans .  

date   of   birth : october 31st .     

former   occupation : none .

3   positive traits  : philosophical , endearing , beneficent .

3   negative traits  : dreamy , fearless , stubborn .

moral alignment : unknown . 

faceclaim  : bailey bass .

TOWN   INFORMATION.  ⸻

current   residency   : the woods / forest .

current   occupation : any jobs around the town and colony house .

years in town : 18 years .

BIOGRAPHY   YOUR   CHARACTER'S   BACKGROUND.  ⸻

⸻ for as long as people can remember Persephone has always been the girl in the woods . those who have been there for more than eighteen years would know persephone's family ; a lovely couple who on hollows eve were driving back to new orleans after celebrating their daughter's 3rd birthday and were unfortunate enough to see the tree on the road as the sun was coming up .

⸻ they tried to get out of the town but every time they simply drive straight without turning , they drove right back into town . stuck and afraid , they were informed of their new reality . much like any other sane person , they didn't believe it. until the night after when their mother witnessed her husband get torn apart . now just Persephone and her mother have no choice but to HIDE AND PREY THE CREATURES OF THE NIGHT DON'T FIND THEM .

⸻ making the shed into her new home , she had no time to mourn for her husband when she needed to survive for her child and hope to find a way home .

⸻ no one knows when persephone's mother passed but what people will tell you that the girl was between the ages of 6 and 8 . ever since then percy had been hiding in the woods at night and during the day those who took pity on the girl would help her and feed her .

⸻ despite many tragedies that has happened throughout the years in the town , the odd girl always has a positive attitude . as playful as she is , percy is known as a sweet girl who help everyone in town and at colony house with whatever they may need . there are small moment when percy's poetic words gets people thinking , showing that they at times know more than they let on . still there are those that question percy's disposition and how they navigate the woods and town . there are times when she's asked to stay over as many are worried about the young girl's safety . the last thing those close to her want to find is percy DEAD .

[placegrenette]

Source.

I think about this graph sometimes. Or, rather, I attempt to think about it, and find I can't wrap my head around it. What was it like to live in a world where parents routinely outlived their children? In the world. Until about a hundred years ago, the world where parents routinely outlived their children was the only world that had ever existed.

From Antonia Fraser's The Weaker Vessel, about life for women in 17th-century England:

William Brownlow kept a meticulous recording of [his wife's] child-bearing from 27 June 1626 when their first child Richard was born, who died in October of that year, down to the birth of their nineteenth child twenty-two years later... At one point, between 1638 and 1646, seven children, born at almost exactly yearly intervals, died in a row: Thomas, Francis, Benjamin, George, James, Maria, and Anne. William Brownlow's exclamations of grief as each new tragedy struck show some attempt at reconciliation to the workings of providence -- "Though my children die, the Lord liveth and they exchange but a temporal life for an eternal one" -- but absolutely no diminuition in grief. Little George, his fifteenth child, managed to live from October 1641 to 29 July of the following year; when he died, his father wrote, "I was at ease but Thou O God hast broken me asunder and shaken me to pieces."

Or take the case of Peter the Great, quite possibly the most powerful man on earth for much of his reign: of his fifteen legitimate children, eleven died before their fifth birthday and a twelfth only made it to age six and a half. The chart above has a more expansive definition of "child" (to age 15) and even by its count, Peter the Great and the Brownlows were particularly unlucky. But still.

The other day, at a book sale, I picked up the diaries of Martha Farnsworth, who grew up in Kansas in the 1870s; her only child was born in January 1892 and lived five months. You can read the entries yourselves: January 24th, "The dearest, sweetest little treasure ever a mother had"; April 15th, "I can't thank God enough, for sending this baby into my life"; May 23rd, "My little treasure, don't get sick, for it makes mother's heart ache and ache"; May 31st, "My heart aches with fear"; June 27th, "God sent the angels for her and her terrible suffering ended and mine commenced."

And then I put the book back and went to pick up my kids from school.

And I think now: Martha Farnsworth would trade places with me in a heartbeat. Two children, both of them well past the age of five. One of them missed school today with a cold. I'm not worried. If you zoom out far enough I am in a cohort of the luckiest parents who ever lived.

So why don't I feel my good fortune more?

Part of it, granted, is that constant grateful joy is not necessarily the most useful tool in the parent's toolbox. Sometimes you have to stop thanking God that your children are alive and start pointing out to them that if they're going to borrow your phone then they need to tell you when someone's trying to reach you (for example). But in theory one can correct them, or have activities separate from them, and still think, "Wow, I'm a lucky dog," all the time, because if your kid is alive and healthy and growing then you are a lucky dog all that time.

I want to make a larger sociological statement, about how "X doesn't make us happier," for whatever feature of the modern world X, maybe should have very little value as a criticism. The tenfold decline in child mortality has to be one of the most profound shifts in human history; if we can take that for granted, then there may be no limit to our ability to make lemons out of lemonade. But I can't criticize other people for failing to do what I seem very bad at doing myself.

[hoziernaturalevents]

Week Three Update!

Well, we've cleared three weeks of sign-ups for the Hoziernatural Multi-Ship Bang!

We've already talked to you about all of the variety coming in with the favorite characters and ships, but let's talk about favorite tropes!

(below the cut, in alphabetical order)

2-Person Love Triangle

A/B/O

Accidental Pregnancy

Adventure

Age Difference

Ambiguous Relationship

Americana

Amnesia/Memory Loss

Angel/Demon Relationship

Angst/Hurt

Angst & Fluff

Angst w/ Happy Ending

Anything Cheesey

Apocalypse

Atypical Relationships

AUs

AU - Coffee Shop

AU - Crossover

AU - Fantasy

AU - Historical

AU - Human

AU - Mafia

AU - Magical

AU - Modern

AU - Soulmates

AU - Space

AU - Western

Awkward First Time

Blood/Gore

Break Up/Reconciliation

Canon Adjacent

Canon Divergence

Canonverse

Case Fic

Character Studies

Cheating

Childhood Friends

Childhood Sweethearts

Co-Dependency

Comedy

Crack

Creature/Monster Fic

Cuddling for Warmth

Darkfic

Dead Dove

Dean - Trans!Dean (ftm)

Dean - Stanford Era!Dean

Different First Meeting

Dimension/Universe Travel

Domestic Fic

Dreamwalking

Early Seasons

Empty Fic

Endverse

Enemies to Friends

Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Enemies to Lovers

Episode Fic

Epistolary Fic

Everybody Knows (But Them)

Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies

Fake Dating/Marriage

Fix-It

Fluff

Forbidden Romance

Friends to Lovers

Friends with Benefits to Lovers

Fuck or Die

Gen Fic

Gender Exploration

Glasses!Character

Guilt

Happy Ending

Hauntings

Heaven Fic

Hijinks

Holiday Fic

Horror

Hurt/Comfort

Incest

Introspective Fics

Kid-Fic

Magic

Magical Realism

Metamorphosis/Transformations

Misunderstandings/Miscommunication

Missing Scene

Mutual Pining

Mythology

Non-Con/Dub-Con

Oblivious!Character

Only One Bed

Open/Ambiguous Ending

OT3s

Outcasts/Outsiders

Pining

Platonic Relationships

Platonic Soulmates

Poly Ships

Porn Without Plot/Plot What Plot

Possession

Post-Canon

POV - Outsider

Pre-Slash

Protective!Character

Psychological Horror

Purgatory Fic

Religious Themes/Imagery

Reunion

Romance

Sam - Boyking!Sam

Sam - Demon Blood!Sam

Secret Relationship

Self-Cest

Serial Killers

Sex Magic

Sexuality Exploration

Sick-Fic

Single Parent

Slow Burn

Small Town

Soulbound

Southern Gothic

Stanford Era

Strangers to Lovers

Switching

Tattoed!Character / Tattoos

Thriller

Time Travel

Tragedy

Trans!Character

Trapped Together

Undercover

Voyeurism

Whump

Wing-fic

(Side note: If you don't see your favorites exactly as you listed them, they probably got combined with similar/similarly worded ones. Your mod Rauko has never had so much sympathy for the AO3 tag wranglers as they have today XD)

We are only just over a week from the end of sign-ups!

See your favorite tropes in the list? Follow us and watch for the content! Maybe even come join us! You can sign up as an author, artist, beta reader, author pinch-hitter, or artist pinch-hitter, and we will match you with a partner based on the preferences you put on the form.

Don't see your favorites yet? Come join us and bring your friends! Worried your favorite is too rare? We have a really eclectic group and a lot of people who've said they're down for just about anything. If you're still worried, share our event with your followers! The more you do, the more we'll be able to reach people with your similar tastes!

Also, for those of you who've already signed up, if you see something in this list that maybe you didn't think of and makes you go "oh yeah, I'd like that!" feel free to edit your form to include it (you should be able to assuming you signed in). They'll remain unlocked until the end of sign-ups (March 31st). When you do, shoot @rauko-is-a-free-elf a message and let them know to make sure they notice the change.

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