institutionalize-me

[institutionalize-me]

nro i finally deleted my c.ai account after so long😭😭 I’M FREE

[institutionalize-me]

THEY WERENT KIDDINF ABOUT RANK ADDICTION BEING A REAL THING…

[institutionalize-me]

Going on a walk! Don’t bother me!

— ෆ —

Pairing: Telepole Heathcliff/GN!Reader

Description: You’re out on a walk today. SOMEONE decides to go on and bother you during your most sacred hours.

“Someone… get me out of here…”

As the Captain of Knights and one of the members of the High Council, you are expected to promote the general welfare of your people. It’s your responsibility to oversee your fellow knights, ensure the safety of the citizens, and allow everyone—regardless of race, gender, age, income status, sexual orientation, or more—an equally improved quality of life.

Here, establishing a healthy relationship between the authorities and the common folk and having a peaceful kingdom is top priority, and you thank the current king and queen for being such level-minded individuals. It’s rather rare for rulers to not grow hungry for increased power, be it for land or resources, and end up oppressing their own people.

However… today, while you typically don’t disagree with the decisions of the monarchy, you are beginning to doubt their sanity just a little.

”Ah? Whaddya say? Y’know, if you’re badmouthin’ me, I can just report that to the Princess and you’ll be good as gone~”

”I didn’t say anything! Heathcliff, stop making everything about you!!”

As the Captain of Knights and one of the members of the High Council… you should NOT be expected to babysit a fully grown half-wolf man who is old enough to take care of himself, yet acts like some spoiled toddler!

You were simply going about your day, taking your daily afternoon walk around the kingdom to greet the citizens and enjoy the sights of the quaint little empire the monarchy put in so much effort to sustain. Bakers of all kinds putting up their freshly-baked pastries on display, farmers filling up their baskets with newly-harvested fruits and vegetables, seamstresses allowing their clients to try on new dresses and watching as their faces light up with joy…

That is until some dog decided to jump at you (okay, this is an exaggeration, but he STILL put himself right beside you when you didn’t want him to) and ruin the scenery! Damn that Heathcliff!!

Watching the bustling streets every day, even if it might seem repetitive, is a soothing task for you. It was the only thing that stayed consistent in your hectic schedule, and it allowed you to gain a sense of peace in your life. It was the one moment you were given fresh air to breathe, allowed to process all of your thoughts, and prepare yourself for new ones.

You needed these walks. If you didn’t have them, you would go insane.

Near the end of your walks, you would leave the castle walls to take a trail down the nearby forest and greet an old friend of yours who lived there. He was rather reclusive and tended to hide away from the rest of civilization, due to… body modifications, but you knew he was a good person at heart. Occasionally you would bring him gifts and food to make sure he didn’t go hungry, and if you had extra time, you’d stay over to listen to his stories.

The trail was what you and Heathcliff were currently going over now. And unfortunately, even though you’d love to have another long conversation with Gregor, you know damn well this mutt would ruin it all for you.

”Ah, ya really should be more careful ‘round these parts,” he drawled with a satisfied grin, “ya never know when a big bad wolf will—“

You swiftly cut him off with an angry glare and a light jab to his stomach with the hilt of your weapon. Very hardly did you ever fully draw it, for the kingdom preferred displays of emotional maturity from all parties and peaceful resolutions to all problems, but there were times some people just really got on your nerves. Like right now, for example.

”Ooooh! Now, why don’t you take a gander at this!” He snickered in amusement at your actions. “Ain’t it the Captain’s responsibility to be… what’s it called… rational?”

”Shut it, Heathcliff! You’re being really irritating right now, can you please stop?”

”Rather late to say ‘please’ after ‘shut it’.”

…You don’t know why the Princess ever took a liking to him.

Just as stated before, you weren’t typically one to doubt the decisions of the monarch, but this one… was too much for you.

See, a few months prior, the Princess had come home with an exciting announcement, and told everyone who was currently at the castle, “There shall be a forthcoming member of the monarchy! I plead, for all who will hear these words, to host a grand welcoming banquet alongside a bustling parade! Greatly, doing so would meet anyone with mirth!”

Initially, the folks were confused. Someone’s joining the monarchy? That’s strange—the queen has explicitly stated she refused to bear another child! Does that now imply adoption, then? Some of the housekeepers did not resist inquiring further for more details—after all, if they wanted to plan the perfect celebration, they needed to know who it would go towards!

“Princess Yi Sang,” a housekeeper politely called out, “who may this ‘forthcoming member’ be?”

The man cleared his throat, and excitedly played with the ends of his grand and frilly dress, meant for a lovely royal princess just like him. There are stacks on stacks of fancy, shining jewelries that have been placed on him, even in his silky black hair that’s tied down to a ponytail. His makeup is light yet exquisite, his knee-high boots are of the highest quality, and his overall demeanor exudes a gentle air of nobility—there is no doubt that a man like him would receive the best care in terms of fashion.

”A rather wild one, one might say. He may be warysome to most, but there is quite the fascinating charm he holds. Are you familiar with the tale of a half-wolf which dwells in the cavernous forest over yonder?”

The eyes of the housekeeper widened in near-horror at his implications and his body stiffened, but the latter continued the conversation regardless.

”Princess, do you mean…? But he is a threat to our kingdom!”

”Yet so is prejudice, and false stories. I have personally been in contact with the half-wolf the common folk claim to be dastardly, and I deem him a fit for our kingdom. It is quite necessary to allow proper representation of all minority groups—including beastly people—in our society.”

“I suppose you raise a point. But… should he raise any future concerns, what would we do to combat it?”

”For he will be brought to the family as a pet, and I shall claim the position of his rightful owner, all responsibility falls unto me.”

You remembered thinking to yourself, “Princess, why do you act like he’s a child when he’s nearly as old as you are?” But did not speak up against him at that moment. All you knew was that Heathcliff—the beast fabled to bring destruction—was going to be an official member of the monarchy.

When the day comes where he finally stepped inside the kingdom walls, many citizens awed at his unusual appearance—those black pointed ears, glowing purple eyes, sharp fangs, equally sharp claws, swaying bushy tail, and black spots that covered his appendages along with the right side of his face. It too was worth noting he was also quite tall, had many scars littered across his body, dressed rather strangely, and had a powerful and confident gait.

Many people had not seen him in person, and only knew of him from the stories. And to be honest… some were disappointed, because they’d expected a more “creature-ish” look to him. But no, he just looks like a furry.

As you and some of your knights marched down the streets of the parade, you couldn’t help but overhear several voices whispering amongst themselves.

”What do you think of the wolf?”

”I don’t know… I will admit I’m a little nervous of what’ll happen.”

”Same! Like, I love Princess Yi Sang, but… I don’t get why he would do something like this.”

”I remember him talking about giving minorities representation. I think that’s a noble wish!”

”Sure, I appreciate the intentions, but… was electing him as a part of the royal family necessary?”

”Maybe they have something planned. He isn’t one to make rash decisions.”

Before they could continue on with their gossiping, Heathcliff suddenly butted into the conversation with a bit of a purr in his voice, almost like he just intrinsically knew he was superior to all of the knights.

”If you folks got a problem with it,” he remarked conceitedly, “why don’tcha say that to your little Princess’s face? It was his decision to drag me here, y’know.”

You scoffed under your breath. Trying to instigate in the middle of a goddamn parade on his literal first day here… if he’s going to start something, can he at least do it AFTER???

”We will address this concern after the celebration is over, friends.” You calmly and quietly stated, and shot a backwards glare at him. “For now, please focus on your duties. That includes you too.”

”Ah? Tryna boss me around already?”

”It’s my job to make sure there aren’t disruptions here.”

”I’ll just do ‘em elsewhere then. See if you can do anything ‘bout it, Captain.”

Ever since then, he’s picked you as his human to torment, and has been pestering you nonstop. Perhaps it was your assertive nature, or your position as Captain, or just because he thought you looked fun to mess with. Whatever his reasoning is, doesn’t change the fact that you’ve been essentially turned into an overworked petsitter! How many times did you have to stop him from raiding the butcher’s shop, fighting with some of the local dogs and cats, or making a big mess in the middle of the High Council’s meetings?

”Princess Yi Sang,” you sternly called out to him one day during your visit to the castle, “we need to talk about Heathcliff.”

”Dear!” He cried, clutching his pearls. “Has he been proving to be a hassle?”

”Yes. I request you find countermeasures against his disruptive actions.”

”My deepest condolences, Captain. I had been negligent regarding care towards the pair of you—I shall summon him this very instant, and discuss with him privately.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

And so you went on and continued your day, feeling better knowing that there’d be some change going on. You’d tried to be forgiving towards Heathcliff, and considering the fact that he isn’t used to civilian life it makes sense why he behaves the way he does, but it still ends up being YOUR problem.

Well… about that. Change DID in fact happen, but not in the way you wanted it to—no, he just became more of an issue than before! The only difference now is that he’s smarter about the problems he creates and can hide them a lot better!

And that’s where it has led you two now—into the forest that’s barely illuminated by the setting sun, away from anyone else in the kingdom who would try to help you. You just simply went down this path because it was a part of your walking routine, and by the looks of it, Heathcliff’s gonna do something. Again.

“Why, don’tcha think it’s too late to be walkin’ here?” He mocked. “Ya know the day gets short in the winter, and night comes quick.”

“Don’t even. I’ve been on this path more times than I can count—I’ll be fine.”

You can feel the light breeze of his wagging tail from behind you, and he lowers his head so that he’s whispering—if not purring, like at the parade back then—right into your ear.

“I have too, love, and I’ve seen tons of creatures far worse than me lurkin’ around.”

You were about to yell at him not to call you that nickname again or get all weirdly close… but as if on cue, his ears perked up at the sound of distant screaming, and a wolfish grin came to his face.

“Like that one, over there.”

You squint your eyes to try to find the source of the sound, but to no avail—it’s too dark, and the trees outside the trail are pretty dense. Instinctively, you were about to step closer to investigate, until you felt a large hand grab you by the neck of your uniform and yank you backwards. Just like before, you were about to reprimand him for doing something as forceful as that, until you saw just what he was referring to come into view.

“Your people got lots of stories ‘bout the woods, yeah? I’m sure ya heard of the Electric Sheep.”

OH.

“Is that really…?” You muttered under your breath.

“That’s the sheep, alright. Finally—I was gettin’ hungry anyway.”

Without waiting for your response, he just… went for it. And now the two are duking it out. It would’ve been a really concerning sight to watch someone face THE Dreaming Electric Sheep if those two weren’t having a scrap in the middle of the forest like they’re two highschoolers in the 70s having a fistfight outside.

Was the forest ecosystem always like this? Yes, there were a lot of tales of beasts out and about, but… watching them interact is just so anticlimactic?? You’d assumed there’d be a lot more crazy lightning and thunder involved… oh well. Today’s a Monday—you wouldn’t blame them if they just weren’t feeling it right now.

Since Heathcliff looks like he’s having the time of his life, you figured you should just let him do his thing before it got too dark. He’ll be fine—he’s lived here for god knows how long!

“I’m gonna go then!” You attempted to shout over the noise of commotion. “Don’t be out past curfew—the princess will grow worried!”

You heard a grunt come from him at your words, and assuming he’d heard, you turned around and jogged off. This whole thing delayed your walk by 5 minutes! By now you would’ve already been out of the forest if Heathcliff didn’t keep making you stop for random reasons!

It’s alright though, you supposed. At least you’re finally out of there—you didn’t actually travel too far into the woods, so getting out and returning to the kingdom wasn’t an issue. By now, some stores have begun to close for the day, and people have returned to their homes to rest, which made you a little sad since the people-watching was one of the more fun parts of going out. You liked seeing how your citizens interact with one another—the random instances of small acts of kindness and smiles passed towards each other was always a heartwarming sight—but whatever! You’ll be able to see more of it tomorrow, so it’s not that big of a deal.

As a part of your routine, you would head back to the security department and run brief checkups on the current state of the knights before allowing your supervisors to take over for the night. It was just nice to see where everyone was, how they were doing, what kind of progress they’re making on their duties, if they needed any extra support, et cetera. Here, you were seen as a commendable leader who cared for your army—not seeing them as knights or any kind of battle troops, but rather friends who wished to bring peace. Even if your nation had people of many different personalities and beliefs, some of them strongly clashing with one another, everyone understood that at the end of the day you all lived in the same place and there was no point in making things worse for everyone else just because one person couldn’t have their way.

I really, really hope the same idea applies to your—not the reader character’s, but YOUR—nation as well, wherever you may be.

And so when you arrived at your office in the department, the next several steps seemed like clockwork to you. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing, so there were very few annoying little interruptions out to bother you!

Well… except him.

You were just about to exit the establishment after your supervisors had checked in, and guess who’s right outside the main door!! That’s right—Heathcliff, with a cocky grin, totally doused in blood!!!

”Gah! Heathcliff, why are you—?!”

“Huntin’ gets messy, love.” He interrupted.

Before you can say anything further, he raises a large bone clean of any meat—presumably from the sheep—and you frown at the sight. In his other hand is a large slab of raw steak, which you assumed he was going to save for later.

You questioned, ”…Did you at least prepare it properly? Also, don’t call me that.”

”Prepare? I ain’t had the time to!”

A grimace comes to your face. You just knew, deep down, that if he were to get food poisoning then it’d end up having to be your problem.

”If you need to get yourself cleaned up, you could probably ask someone from the castle to help you with that.”

”Ya think I need help with some basic groomin’?”

”No, I meant… ugh. Never mind, just head back to the Princess. He’s probably waiting for you.”

You politely (or, well, at least as politely as you could in your current state) dismissed him, and hurried away before he could be more of an annoyance. He looked like he wanted to say something, but decided to leave it for later—he supposed he should really get cleaned first, since that’s what the humans like and all.

You thought that was going to be the end of it for the day.

But nope! Much later into the night, when all of the civilians have already gone to sleep, you hear a knocking at your window. And you proceeded to do absolutely nothing about it because there was only one person in your mental list of people who would do such a thing in the middle of the night, and you weren’t in the mood right now to feed into his attention-starved actions. He has Princess Yi Sang to play with, anyway! Why does he insist on going to you all the time?!

The knocks were gentle at first, but when you didn’t heed its beckoning, it got louder and louder until you couldn’t possibly ignore it anymore. You planned to pretend that you were deeply asleep so that he’d stop and walk away, but… you supposed not tonight. When you’ve had enough of him, you crack open your eyes to see a familiar silhouette and a glowing pair of purple eyes outside your window. He notices you finally responding to his actions, and his tail starts wagging like he was a puppy anticipating a treat.

Heathcliff stared intently at your disheveled figure through the glass panels, almost as if he were studying you. “Open the window, love. I know you’ve been ignorin’ me.”

“It’s, like, 1 AM! And I said not to call me that!” You groaned. “Why are you here?!”

“I got a gift for ya. Can’t wait.”

To follow up with his words, he picked up a large plate enveloped with a cloche from a place outside of your lane of sight, and lifted the cover. It was, to your amazement, a perfectly cooked steak of sheep meat! That wasn’t it, and there was more on the sides: steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, an assortment of fruits, and more. It was a large and hearty dish, probably enough to split for two, and it was still warm! He also brought some silverware with him too—isn’t that nice!

”Why did you… oh, whatever.”

You knew he was just going to keep bothering you until you let him in, so you reluctantly crawled out of bed and pushed open the glass panels to allow him entrance. He wasted no time crawling in, and before you knew it, he was already huddled up on your bed and sniffing every surface like a dog!

”Don’t spill the food, I beg…” You tiredly whined. “I just cleaned all of the sheets today.”

”Why should I if I’m gonna be sleepin’ on ‘em?”

…HUH.

”What?”

”Yeah.”

You growled, “It’s too goddamn early in the morning to do something like this, Heathcliff…”

“And guess what? I’ve been up too goddamn late in the night to even think about doin’ anything else!”

He lazily reached over to you with a clawed arm and dragged you onto the bed with him, making sure neither of you accidentally hit the platter. It was a weird feeling—suddenly being pressed up against the body of a large half-wolf. You could feel the ends of his fur slightly tickling your face, and had you not been in your grouchy mood, you probably would’ve just thought he was trying to be silly and maybe played along with him. However, considering the time… you just can’t right now. Well, actually, you never actually could—he was kind of too much of a pain to warrant anything fun like that.

A huff leaves your lips when he repositions the both of you so that you’re sitting straight up against your pillows with the plate of steak on your lap; and he’s lying on his stomach right next to your leg. Finally, he at least let go of you… it was weird having a guy you only knew for a few months clinging onto you as if you were some kind of couple.

“I’ve been hankerin’ for a better crib, anyway.” He mumbled. “The Princess is loud, even when he ain’t awake! Can’t even get a damn wink of shuteye in there!”

You snorted in slight amusement at his comment. “How about I report what you said to him?”

”Won’t let ya.”

”How so?”

Heathcliff turned on his side so that he could get an easier look up at you. At your question, one of his ears slightly twitched, perhaps in slight irritation. He didn’t know why you would ask something like that when you’ve been around him enough times to know what he’s capable of doing. Not that that’s any big issue though—he simply wraps an arm around your leg and nuzzles his face into the soft fabric of your pajamas, the tiredness he’s experiencing making him feel a little less inhibited than usual.

”Ya ain’t allowed to go anywhere without me.” He started in a strangely quiet voice. “I won’t let you leave.”

“You’re so weird tonight. Just go to sleep, Heathcliff…”

Before he can give you a witty retort, you give him a reluctant pat on the head. At your brief touch, his tail starts slightly wagging again, and he looks up at you still with a neutral expression. However, if you look closely enough, you can see that his pupils were a little dilated—perhaps that’s his way of asking for more.

You weren’t going to give him that pleasure, though. Not after everything he put you through—in fact, you’d say that just allowing him into your house was extremely generous! You return your attention to the meal on your lap, and after a few seconds of inspection, you cut out a piece of the steak and eat it.

It was, suffice to say, incredible.

“Did you have one of the chefs at the castle make this?” You questioned, with a noticeable look of surprise—then newfound glee—in your eyes. “It’s amazing, thank you!”

An amused scoff leaves his lips at your comment. “Chefs? Nah, those lads and lasses wouldn’t do somethin’ like that for a bastard like me. Had to do it myself. And don’tcha worry, it ain’t a problem.”

”But aren’t you technically allowed to order them around? You are considered a part of the royal family.”

“Suppose so.”

His answer was oddly dismissive. Like, what do you mean, “suppose so”? It wasn’t like him at all to say something like that! Well…

You’d never hear this from him, but it was because he couldn’t stand the idea of admitting the fact that he made it for you as a way of showing his care, even though he already pulled up with it to your house. As he was beginning to make the meal, he did consider just having one of the chefs take over the job for him, but if he did that… how could he consider the gift his? How can he say he cooked the meat when he really didn’t? No, no! If that happened, he’d be demoted to some kind of fetch dog or delivery boy, and that’d defeat the whole purpose!

Again, not like you’d ever hear that.

”Still, it’s really good. You’re a great chef!”

You promptly devoured the entire plate. At this point, you didn’t even care that it came from the Dreaming Electric Sheep—it was damn tasty as hell!

Seeing you basically ravage that meal was a bit of a shock to him. You seemed so tired earlier, but now that you had food, you were suddenly so energetic! It wasn’t something he’d expect from the Captain of Knights—he’d heard many stories of you like how you’d heard many stories of him, even all the way out into the wild forest. The travellers in the area would shower your name with praises if ever mentioned, saying you were courageous, kind-hearted, intelligent, and more. They’d say you would persevere in working with even the most difficult individuals all for the sake of harmony—not just with them, but with the whole community, and eventually with yourself. It was all very impressive work you’d done, and so even before he even knew what your face looked like, he’d already built up a regal and pristine image of you in his head.

And seeing you act so wildly now, the same way he did with the sheep meat earlier, couldn’t help but bring a smile to his face. Yes… you were as human as anyone else was, had many complexities to your character—that made you even more beautiful in his eyes. He supposed he was wrong to assume you were entirely some kind of regal white knight in shining armor.

”Ya got some on your face. Here.”

Before you could reach out for a napkin to wipe any juices off of your cheek, or wherever it was, he already had a hand on your face gently wiping away the mess with his thumb. And as if that wasn’t enough, he then started licking the liquid off of that said thumb right after.

Damn that dog! Always doing crazy shit like that out of nowhere, and expecting you not to react!

”You—!” You huffed, although more in an embarrassed manner than before. “I could’ve gotten that on my own!”

“That’s too damn bad!”

He sat up so that he could get a better grip on you, and wrapped his arms around your waist. When that elicited a response even more powerful, he just simply buried his face into the crook of your neck and sniffed it. Why? Because he can.

You decided now is the time you’d stop trying to make sense of his strange actions, and simply resigned yourself to your fate.

”Well, I can’t sleep now that I’m full.” You sighed. “It’s all your fault. Also, I still don’t know why you had to do this during the middle of the night.”

”Ya gonna complain about gettin’ free food?”

”You know that’s not what I meant…”

”Ah, but that’s what it sounded like.” He took one big inhale of your scent.

“Ah!” You yelped in surprise. “Don’t… ugh, and don’t give me that. Just go to sleep!”

”Hmph. Good night then, love.”

”I told you to stop calling me… oh, whatever. Good night.”

[institutionalize-me]

THIS IS SO GOOD???? OH MT GOD

Do you do somewhat angsty? If so could I suggest Ncorp Heathcliff x a reader with a prosthetic?

Stained

n-corp. kleinhammer!heathcliff x reader

warnings: angst with...a sort of happy ending i guess? / depictions of violence / attempted murder(?) / brainwashing (typical inquisition stuff) / reader is gender neutral / this is not explicitly romantic but can be read that way. um maybe

wc ; ~1.1k

hi anon! we loveeee angst 😍i hope i did this request justice! — mod sundew

Lately, his memories have gotten foggy.

The memories of why he joined this cause. The memories of his previous cause. The memories of you.

But Heathcliff remembers your hands in vivid detail. Your palms, full to bursting with blood, the pulse of your heartbeat flowing heavily through your veins. The slick sweat from your exertion. The tremble in your grip. These were the things that made you human– no. These were the things that made you holy. That’s right, isn’t it? (Rid yourself of any distracting thoughts in advance.)

The two of you were always together. Always scolded for losing focus. Always intertwined somehow, hand in unoccupied hand. That’s how he knew.

That hand wasn't yours. It is the cool steel of an unholy heretic. It lacks warmth, lacks humanity, lacks the feeling of blood pumping between each one of your once-calloused fingers. And Heathcliff, with his foggy memories, his foggy feelings can do nothing but retract his hand in disgust.

He doesn’t mean to. Doesn’t want to. Didn’t want to. Heretics shall be purged.

Your sinful hands are shaking.

Heathcliff had never been a fan of this cause. He only joined to become stronger— he had only joined because there was nothing left for him at that damned Manor. He sees no point in this brutal slaughter. Saw no point in it. But now, as he looks at you, your metallic hands reflecting the orange warmth of the flames that surround you, Heathcliff can only feel the better sting of betrayal.

You, his friend. You, his fellow Kleinhammer. You, a sinner.

He feels sick to his stomach.

And really, he's too deep in it now. It's too late to claim innocence. Not when he's ripped people—heretics— to shreds as they pleaded with him for their life. Not when his current clothing, once pure and white and good, are already stained with the bitter blood of today. He's too far gone. (Rid yourself of any distracting thoughts in advance.)

He takes a step forward, and you take one back. You shudder so violently he can practically see it from here. It's the same way everyone —every heretic does. Your fear is palpable. He's sure his is too.

What does he do? Heretics must be purged.

"Heathcliff…"

Is that voice yours? Or is it a sinner who speaks? Those eyes that water with such mournful tears, that face distorted by fear, is that you, too?

There's no way out of this, is there?

"Bloody hell," it's said through painfully gritted teeth, "Trying to get us killed?"

It's him or you. Heretics must be purged. Rid yourself—

He doesn't want to. You don't deserve this. No one deserves this.

Rid yourself of any distracting thoughts in advance.

Heathcliff picks up his hammer and nail. They fit in his hands perfectly, just as yours once did. Part of him wishes he could've squeezed them again one last time. Heretics—

"Listen," he takes a few more steps forward, and there's no space for you to back away, "Either I kill you now, h..heretic," It is meant to be a threat. It is meant to inform you that you are now nothing to him, but even a brute like him is smart enough to know it is unconvincing. "Or the lot of 'em will come find us, and kill us both."

Another step. Your metal hands reach for him without any real purpose.

He cannot feel any heat, and blood does not pulse beneath your skin. Your pulse cannot be felt when you touch him. The flames are a mockery of your once human warmth. Heathcliff does not shove you away the way he should. He should put the nail in your head and swing already. Rid yourself of any distracting thoughts in advance.

You call out to him again. The fear in your voice is more painful to him than it should be. 

“Heathcliff—”

“It won't be too painful, yeah?” his voice is wavering again. He feels he barely has the strength to speak. Not when he's lying so boldly in your face like this. His tongue has gone numb with shame. 

“I’ll..I’ll make this quick. Swear it.”

No one deserves this.

You slump to the ground. Shame must eat away at you, too. You'd become a heretic after all, the very thing you had been trained to exterminate. And you know this well too— that of all the people to be sent after you, Heathcliff is the most merciful option. He hopes you know. 

And it all is just a testament to the cruelty of the Inquisitors. They knew he was soft on you, knew how much he valued your time, your company, your touch, and chose to send him to finish the job. To prove himself to them. Heathcliff raises his hammer.

It will be quick. A swift blow to the head. That's all. It will be quick. He swears it. Heretics shall be—

You're shaking before him. You've been on the opposite side of that hammer and nail many times before. You've seen what happens. His tears are pathetic and scalding as they fall. 

Heathcliff tightens his grip. He needs to tighten his grip.

He decides to take one last look at you— just one. The streaks of tears reflect the burning flames around you, your sinful hands attempting to brace for impact. Worst of all— you're looking at him one last time too. Heretics shall—

“Dammit!” 

His hammer and nail fall with a clank, and Heathcliff yanks you up by one of your metal hands.

“Dammit— run—” Heathcliff is shoving you now. More roughly than he would ever want to handle you, more cruelly than he would ever want to, “Doesn't matter where. Just bloody run. Don't turn around— not for a second.” 

You don't move— your eyes are wide, flames brighter than ever, shock-still. Your mouth is dry.

“But…if they find out you've let me go—”

“Fuck’s sake,”

His hand is at your back and he surges forward, practically marching you along, “They won’t, if you keep moving. What, your legs are all metal too? Move!”

It's a sweet, kind little lie. There's no doubt they'll have him punished for this, or worse. There's no doubt he'll have to stay up reciting the passages tonight, or a few nights, perhaps. But at least he doesn't have to kill you. At least you get to live. 

One last push— you've started to move at last. Heathcliff watches as you run. Watches until you're a mere dot on the horizon. Watches you so no one else will— making sure no one tries to intercept you. 

Heathcliff will go back, tell his superiors that he beat you to a pulp as all Kleinhammers should, and that will be the end of it. They will find out, somehow, that he allowed you to escape. He will be punished, and that will be the end of it. Mealtime will repeat as usual, and his memories of you will grow foggy again. 

That will be the end of it.

work by the @fairy-festival. do not plagiarize or use for ai.

reblogs and comments are appreciated !

[institutionalize-me]

GUYS WHY IS IT ALREADY 3:37 IN THE MORNIND 😭😭😭😭😭 WHAT THE FREAK

[institutionalize-me]

↳ DNF/BYF

—

So, like, I’m fine with anyone reading my works as long as there’s no harassment going on. That’s pretty much all i hope for. Everything i post is quite literally just a pile of random ass delusions and/or infodumps i have put in a written format and published—and if you don’t like it, that’s totally fine, please block this account and go see another person who will make the kind of content you enjoy reading.

Speaking of infodumping, I also love yapping, so you’ll probably find me occasionally wordvomiting in the middle of a fic;;; i have a lot of topics and ideas on life i’m passionate about, and i like to ingrain them into my works as a way of expressing that.

Anyway, i will say that i won’t write anything NSFW, RPF, or incest/stepcest. If you plan to request anything of the sort to me… please don’t.

I’m best at writing angst, because that’s what comes naturally to me. I can try writing other genres like fluff or even crackfics, but—and i wish i was joking when i say this, but unfortunately i’m not—every one of my stories turn out relatively dark even if the original plan was something lighthearted. There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to post about something you might not like, such as:

Graphic violence (including abuse)

Gore

Death

Severe mental health problems

Self-harm

Suicide

Body horror/eating disorders

Yandere themes

If any of the above makes you uncomfortable, please block this blog. I don’t want anyone to have to force themselves to look at something i wrote and end up being traumatized as a result—please prioritize your mental health above a random internet madman’s postings about fictional characters, i beg. I will always put warnings of any triggering themes at the top of my works and in the tags, so please check them beforehand.

Again, this is literally all just random crazed shit some teenager wanted to throw on the internet for the sillies. You can literally block me out of nowhere for the most insignificant reason and i wouldn’t try arguing with you.

Love you! ^^

[institutionalize-me]

↳ More about me! ✭ .°･*

— ෆ —

Omg yaaay you got on this page i’m so happy!!!

Like i said before, i’m han, i’m aroace, and i’m a minor. I’m the kind of flavor of aroace that likes the idea of romance, but doesn’t like the reality of it—that’s one of the reasons why i have nothing against writing romance ^^

As i’m writing this, my current hyperfixation is heathcliff from limbus company OH MY GOD HEATHCLIFF RHFJGJFHF although i don’t have anything against writing for other characters too. I’m one of those people that, when i get a favorite character, i kind of… forget everyone else exists;;

Also idk why but i end up hating everyone i love too… erm so i’m never going to beat the mentally ill allegations but shhhh

I really like art, and i use creative activities as a way to express my many thoughts that i don’t think i’d be given a chance to otherwise. A few topics include workers’ rights, educational reform, gender equality, and government corruption! I—and many others—have been heavily impacted by many of these throughout our lives, and so they’ve grown to hold a lot of significance towards me.

(Just in case i have to say this though, not everything i write about represents what i believe in. Cause yk… i still js wanna write silly fictional stories…)

…okay so i now realized that i didnt have as much to say as i thought i wanted HELP😭 it’s okat chat i’ll fill you in as we go!!!! Trust!!!!!!

Also i really like egg drop soup

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[institutionalize-me]

↳ Heathcliff (Limbus Company) ✭ .°･*

OH MTGOD MY WIFE

— ෆ —

Written works

↳ College heathcliff insanity (college AU, heathcliff/reader)(the link goes directly to ao3 because PLEASE. ITS 3 AM AND I DONT HAVE THE ENERGY TO MAKE 15 NEW REPOSTS FOR THE CURRENT CHAPTERS I HAVE PLEASEEEEWWW I BEGGGGG)

↳ Going on a walk! Don’t bother me! (Fantasy/Medieval AU, telepole heathcliff/reader)

— ෆ —

[institutionalize-me]

M✭IN MENU.°･*

— ෆ —

↳ Menu last updated on: 4/24/25

— ෆ —

Hihihi please call me Han^^

i write whatever silly stuff comes to mind! All works of mine can also be found on AO3 as well! If you know me from c.ai, um… nuh uh…

Most of this will be xreaders of whatever character i’m currently hyperfixated on, and all of my reader characters don’t have any specified gender.

All works posted are SFW (i’m a minor) so anyone is free to read what i make!! However, since the genres i write can vary widely, please see my DNF/BYF because it’s very likely i’ll post something you’re not comfortable with. Your mental health matters most!

Anyway, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the bulk of the content!!

— ෆ —

DNF/BYF ✭ .°･*

— ෆ —

Masterlist ✭ .°･*

Well, isn’t that just a nice way of saying “here’s what i’m totally obsessed with!”

↳ Heathcliff (Limbus Company) ෆ

↳ Norton Campbell (Identity V) ෆ

— ෆ —

Request info ✭ .°･*

↳ I can’t say i’ll ever get to your requests, but tell them to me anyway! I love collecting things!

↳ Again, please check the DNF/BYF if you haven’t already ^*^

More about me? ✭ .°･*

↳ I’m literally a professional yapper. Like i got my license in yapology too /j

just felt like making one self-indulgent post about myself (well, i say “one” as if the rest of my posts arent ALSO self-indulgent) ^^ feel free to ignore!

— ෆ —

Anyway, i hope you enjoy my really manic ramblings! Or not, that’s also fine! Love you!!

[institutionalize-me]

“You love me, and you know it.”

Chapter 5/Finale - And that you belonged to me.

— ෆ —

Pairing: Norton Campbell/GN!Reader

WARNING: this fic contains depictions of violence, stalking, kidnapping, and mental health issues.

“Hi! Did you miss me?”

…How long ago has it been since he’d last heard those words from you?

When he first heard the heavy knocking on his office door not too long ago, he knew something was off. None of his men would dare apply too much force onto the polished surface—as it was seen as a symbol of disrespect—unless they wished for a gruesome punishment from him. As the loud sound of bang, bang, bang! rang throughout the quarters, he knew he was going to have his hands dirtied. How dare those under him blatantly mistreat his property! He was going to have their head!

Before he could lash out at whoever was knocking his door, however, a dreadfully familiar voice practically sang from behind it.

”Norton! Where are- ah, hey! Stop it!”

It was safe to assume you had one of his followers alongside you, and they were trying their hardest to silence your brazen attitude.

…For the longest time, he thought you’d simply moved elsewhere, and finally left him for good to pursue a life of your own. He thought, at the very least, you would’ve forgotten about him—that you had your own worries to tend to, or decided to be with someone you met now instead of some guy from years ago. Why were you here again?

Hurriedly, he rushed to the office door to open it himself, and… yep, that’s you. How could he ever forget that sweet, yet self-interested smile you always wore around him? Behind you stood one of his men, with a ghastly expression on his face—he must’ve been prepared for one heavy punishment for allowing you to make such an infringement against Norton.

After a few seconds pass by, the former quickly regains his composure and shoots a scowl at the man.

”Since you weren’t the one to knock,” he started, “I’ll let it slide this time. But just what the hell is your business here?!”

When the lackey knew he wasn’t going to be reprimanded, he visibly relaxed his shoulders and quietly sighed.

“We’d received a letter from this person about a deal for classified information on the government. A few background checks have been run… what they have to offer is credible. They demanded they talk to you personally, and discuss private affairs with you.”

Private affairs… he doesn’t like the sound of that at all. However, when he looks at you in the eyes and sees your expression, he can’t really find himself to deny you. Not in the “you’re so cute I can’t resist you” sense, but rather the “I just know you’ll be a bigger pain in the ass if I said no, so I’ll play nice for now”.

”Fine then. Come in—you,” he shooed the subordinate away, “return to your duties.”

The latter quickly hurried off at Norton’s orders, and soon… it’s just the two of you. You shut the door behind you, and he mentally braced himself for more suffering he knew damn well he could easily prevent.

”Well?” You grinned. “You never answered my question!”

”Get to the goddamn point. Why are you here?!”

”Is it wrong of me to want to visit an old friend? It’d just be nice to say hi like before!”

”People don’t just go on and ‘say hi’ to mafia bosses for no reason!”

Your smile began to turn to a frown at his insistence, and you scoffed like you have many times before when he snapped at you. Just how miserable is he?! How could he brush you off so easily—aren’t you, despite the long physical distance, still emotionally closest to him? It’s not a crime to try to catch up with someone after literal years have passed! Does he really think you’ll try to take advantage of him or something?

”Are you stupid?!” You chided. “I just want to talk! It’s as simple as that! Why do you overcomplicate every little thing?!”

Oh, that wasn’t the smartest thing to say to a guy in power.

His face darkens at your scathing insults, and without thinking, he’d grabbed your arm and dragged you into the depths of his quarters, far from anybody who could be of help. Well, actually, now that you think about it… the moment you traveled underground you already relinquished that, so that doesn’t really change much.

Scenes of the opulent hallways pass, filled with paintings of Norton and his many displays of power. One from when he first became the boss, another showing his violent pursuit of riches, one more glorifying him and basking him in light you knew he wouldn’t be able to have today. These halls don’t look too different from the ones outside his quarters—they brandish just as many depictions of Norton, with large statues then and there, almost as if he were trying to state his omnipotence outside where he lounges. This isn’t an unfamiliar sight—there are real-life examples of dictators doing this—you just hadn’t expected Norton of all people to be put in a position to do it.

Suddenly, you’re practically thrown against a large door with all sorts of intricate little decorations carved into it. You didn’t really have the time to appreciate the craftsmanship, unfortunately, and swiftly Norton pushed you down to the ground and forced you to stay down with his boot on your neck. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it was enough to let you know that he wasn’t afraid of escalating things further should he deem it necessary.

”I’m fucking tired of you!” He shouted. “You terrorize me, abuse my heart, and expect me to still want you around?! You’re the stupid one!! You’ve got balls, showing up out of nowhere like that and thinking nothing’s gonna happen to you!!”

His boot presses a little more firmly on your neck now, and you start having bouts of coughs at the sudden lack of air. How dare he talk to you like that! You glare up at him, and grip at his ankle in an attempt to pull his leg off of you. When that doesn’t work, you opt to jab at the spot behind his knee. To your great relief (both mentally and physically), that causes his leg to buck a bit, and you use that chance to shove him off of you.

He’s not light though, not at all. There’s much more muscle on his body since you last saw him at the mines now that he’s actually being fed properly, and so he quickly just catches himself and stumbles back into place.

“God, you insufferable little…!”

He was about to stomp on you again, until—now this was a move done in a state of panic—you scrambled to your feet, pried open the large door behind you, and slipped yourself inside. You couldn’t think about where this would lead you to, or what would happen afterwards; the only thing that took all of the space in your head right now was the fact that Norton would probably kill you for what you did.

A shame, really. He was always so adamant to a fault! Can’t he just admit he’s an insecure and pitiful man underneath his powerful exterior, and that there was no one who could possibly accept him but you?

When you made your way to the room, you first noticed just how dark it was, and you could just barely make the outline of a large bed near the center. The man soon turned on the dim lights, and… oh. It’s a bedroom.

HIS bedroom.

Oops! So basically you just cornered yourself even further! You quickly turn around and see, lo and behold, a seething Norton Campbell!

”Norton…” you began, and strangely enough he paused to wait for your words. How would you react now, since you’ve pushed yourself further into a hole and made this situation even messier? Even though he’s angry at you, he can’t help but also think that this would probably lead to the most fun he’s had in a while. Who else would dare challenge him but someone as crazy as you? When he’s so used to bossing everyone around and always having his way… it gets a little unfulfilling.

And finally, after a while, you continued.

”…your bedroom is a mess!!!”

What.

“Haven’t you taken a look around?!” You cried. “Your clothes are everywhere, the books on the shelf are disorganized, your desk is a mess, there’s bundles of dust gathering on the antiques, and you just have a random thing of rope lying around on the floor! How can you call this an appropriate place for us to continue on with our business!”

He stood there, dumbfounded, not even sure which insult to call you at your sudden outburst. You’re standing there, having trespassed into the room of an angry notorious crime lord, probably two seconds away from dying by his hands… and the first thing that you talk about is how messy the room is?

”You say that like I wanted you in here in the first place!” He retorted. “Tell me, who was it that decided to jump in without even bothering to check where you’d be?!”

”Well, how is it my fault that you went and tried to break my windpipe?! I ran in here so I could get away from you!!”

“It is all your goddamn fault!!”

The two of you continue your petty squabbling for the next 5 minutes as if you’re some old married couple. Eventually, with the last of his human decency, he shoves you into his bathroom and locks you inside until he calms down… whenever that would be.

The area is spacious, nothing less than what you’d expect of a rich millionaire. The shower was massive, the double-vanity was sleek and clean, and you noticed several luxury-brand hygiene products just casually lying about the countertop. Well, at least he’s a clean man now, you supposed. Out of boredom, you decided to dig through his cabinets for anything of interest, and saw a large gallon of liquid soap.

It’s soap. It’s literally just soap. That’s kind of all there is to it. You picked it up with both hands and felt just how heavy it was, along with the durable material that’s used to package it.

…And that’s when you got a great idea. Norton wasn’t going to pay you any attention until you forced him to, right? So you’re going to do just that.

For the next several minutes, you patiently waited to the side of the entryway. By then, you’d turned off all of the lights of the bathroom, and stood in the dark room until he decided to open the door. Just to make sure he didn’t forget you, you quietly knock against the firm surface, and a grin comes to your face when you hear his familiar footsteps approach you. You hear something shuffling around—probably the removal of furniture he used to barricade you in—and soon dim light spills from his room into the restroom.

The moment he didn’t immediately see your annoyingly cheerful face, he realized something was gravely wrong, but he couldn’t process it in time before you’d struck him on the head with the soap.

”You—!”

His body crumples down to the floor from the blunt impact, and your grin grows to a satisfied smirk. Finally! You place the bottle onto the vanity, and kneel next to his unconscious form, taking a moment to admire his appearance now that he isn’t yelling at you. Oh, he’s so cute! You just want to take him home with you—you probably would’ve actually tried doing that if you knew his legion of men wouldn’t go headhunting for you as a result.

You grab him by the wrists and drag him back to the bed, hoisting his body up to the fluffy cushions and—for security purposes so that he doesn’t try to literally murder you again—tying his wrists and ankles to the bed frame with the same rope on the floor you’d commented on earlier.

…This isn’t kidnapping, is it? No! No, you quickly dispelled that thought from your head—it’s not like you’re actually taking him away to some basement or anything. You’re just… keeping him still for a moment! Yeah, that’s right! You’re not committing any real crimes. And besides, why should you care if you’re really breaking the law? You’re in the living area of a goddamn mafia boss! Every “bad” thing you do against him is automatically justified because he’s an even worse person than you are.

You’re just doing this to show him how much you care.

And so, you crawl under the sheets with him, and hold him tightly against your chest. When he wakes up, he’ll finally learn what it means to be accepting of love.

[institutionalize-me]

“You love me, and you know it.”

Chapter 4 - Was to show you that I loved you,

— ෆ —

Pairing: Norton Campbell/Reader

WARNING: this fic contains depictions of violence, stalking, kidnapping, and mental health issues.

Meanwhile, somewhere far away from the public eye, Norton—the man himself!—lies flat on a large, luxury-grade bed made with the softest mattress, the fluffiest pillows, warmest blankets that he once thought he’d never have in his possession. He’s inside what a person could consider his home—his very own place underground filled with all of the belongings he’d ever dreamed of having ever since he was a teenager, be it stacks of gold bars, premium quality furniture, rare antiques, crazy kinds of collectibles that any fan of them would murder for… except for one.

Oh, it was simply the sight of the bright blue sky that he lacked.

Ever since he climbed (if not clawed) his way up the chain of command, he’s been forced to grow increasingly more and more reclusive despite his heightening position. It’s because, the greater rank he has, the bigger of a target he is, and the more people would pay for his head. Now that he’s the boss, he is forced to have his men do his bidding for him, otherwise he’ll just put himself in unnecessary danger.

He can’t freely go out, roam the streets, head to a nearby restaurant to buy food with the few extra spare change he would have back then. He can’t feel the crisp breeze of the night wind, or listen to the chirping of the birds, or watch the way stars shine in the dark sky that hangs above him.

When was the last time he felt the gentle warmth of the sun? Even if he was surrounded by all sorts of fancy glowing structures, what he wants most is to be free enough to have another look at the sky.

Isn't it kind of funny how he now yearns for the things that he used to have the easiest access to.

While he’s on his topic… he supposes he sort of wants companionship as well.

Again, he had you back then too!

Even if he’d spent most of his time back at the mines thinking about how he detested you, you were the only person who even bothered to look at him. Even with how you were so quick to abandon him, turn each situation around so that they’d be all about you, force him in no-win situations… you’d run hot-and-cold, your moods were unpredictable, and you couldn’t stand even the slightest bit of criticism. You were as self-centered as his bullies, yet you cared for him in your own strange way.

Who else would ever love him the same way you did?

And that is exactly what he detested about you—the fact that you would do all of those affectionate gestures. It forced him to see you as a three-dimensional human being, rather than someone as simple-minded as his regular oppressors. How can he truly despite someone who would take the time out of their day to feed a lowlife like him?

He supposed there was a more accurate way to word this: he hates how he can’t hate you.

God, just what is wrong with him? Why does he feel such a strong attachment to the one who practically manipulated him for months on end? It’s been years now, and he’s perfectly capable of grabbing himself any other random person he finds reasonably attractive and having his way with them! So why…?

A scoff leaves his lips as he sits up on the bed, and glances around the room. All of the lavish decorations and amenities in his bedroom just looked… old. Now that he’s had them in his possession for a while, he’s grown bored of owning luxuries. It’s not like the chairs can talk, nor can the gold bars walk. What he wants is something new! He wants entertainment, but he’s already exhausted everything available to him! He doesn’t care for rewatching the same series over and over, or bringing another “lovely visitor” to his quarters, or killing for joy, or anything! How can he possibly fill in the monotony of his daily life when he has indeed been there, seen that, and done that?

He felt like he was going to go insane.

Before he can continue his train of thought, however, he can hear a muffled voice from behind the many walls. Looks like one of his henchmen wants entrance into his office. He slips out of bed, takes a moment to briefly reexamine his appearance before deeming it appropriate, briskly heads out of his bedroom and down the equally-opulent hallway, before arriving at his office and taking a seat on his plush chair.

“Come in,” he sighed, barely loud enough for the latter to hear, and as the other entered holding a stack of papers, he raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve got your progress reports for the overtaking of this city, boss.” The subordinate stated, and neatly planted the sheets down on the center of his desk.

“Our efforts are going smoothly!” He continued. “Criminal justice ain’t got nothing on us. All of the detectives are stumped, wondering where you possibly could be, and nobody’s strong enough to stop us here. At this rate, we’ll have complete control in 4 weeks.”

Now, for a mob boss who usually loves having power, this information was supposed to please him. However, he just looks as bored as he did before.

“...Is that it?” He raised a disinterested eyebrow.

This was a bit of a shock to the underling. He thought his superior would be stoked to hear of this! After all, for a while his heart was set on conquering territories and expanding authority… so what happened? All of his men know he’s quite the impatient individual—if he didn’t get what he wanted in a timely manner, he will lash out. And the last time that happened to another one of his followers… suffice to say it was messy.

“Ah, uh… yes, sir. I will be on my way now!”

The lackey hurries out of the office in fear of angering Norton further, and once again the man is left alone to his devices. He glances down at the papers on his desk, boredly skims through the text, and just shoves it aside once he’s had enough.

How can he find any joy in this information when he knows that he’ll just put himself in this same cycle of dominating cities—and eventually nations—over and over? How is this new from buying more and more premium goods that he didn’t own before until he practically owned the entire market, and getting tired of them later? We all know how he feels about the expensive things he has in his rooms. And once he reaches his goal, then what? He’ll just return to being tired of everything! The future will eventually return to being just as dreadful as the past.

He hated being stuck here, but he can’t afford to leave either. Even if his men were slowly gaining more and more influence over the city above him, he still had to be wary of any assassins that could’ve been after him. Sure, it was unlikely, but he would much rather stick with the boredom of staying within the jail cell he’d built for himself rather than going outside and dying just because he wanted to go for a stroll.

…He kind of misses you.

Ugh, not this again! He slapped himself at his insane thoughts, but they just kept coming. Yes, you were a bad person. Yes, you only wanted to interact with him just because it gave you a sense of superiority. And yes, you practically tortured him every time you went away for long periods of time. But at the same time, you broke the monotony of mining rocks every day! You were the only thing that he deemed interesting in his life, even if it got him hurt in the process.

But even then he’s always getting hurt. It wasn’t anything new—in fact, he’d grown… awfully accepting with the feeling of emotional and physical pain. It was to where, when he’d finally been awarded with the title of the mafia boss, he’d experienced bouts of extreme discomfort just knowing there was no longer someone to terrorize him the same way you or any of his past bullies did.

It was strange—he was so used to suffering, he couldn’t seem to go without it in his daily life.

Ugh. Maybe he should order his men to get him a therapist next…

[institutionalize-me]

↳ “You love me, and you know it.” - Full Collection ✭ .°･*

All 5 chapters of that one mafia norton/reader fic, together in one spot!!! Hooray!!!

— ෆ —

↳ Chapter 1 - Oh, Norton…

↳ Chapter 2 - Why do you run from me?

↳ Chapter 3 - All I’ve ever done,

↳ Chapter 4 - Was to show you that I loved you,

↳ Chapter 5 - And that you belonged to me.

— ෆ —

[institutionalize-me]

↳ Norton Campbell (Identity V) ✭ .°･*

I actually havent touched the idv fandom in the hottest minute erm

— ෆ —

↳ “You love me, and you know it.” (A really janky mafia AU where the reader is lowk insane OH YEAH)

— ෆ —

[institutionalize-me]

Awifgj repostinf this from ao3 and teyinf to set up my blog is too much for me to do when its 2 am 😭😭😭 i ljtwrally have school tomorrow too oops

[institutionalize-me]

“You love me, and you know it.”

Chapter 3 - All I’ve ever done,

— ෆ —

Pairing: Norton Campbell/Reader

WARNING: this fic contains depictions of violence, stalking, kidnapping, and mental health issues.

As you lazily skim through a random newspaper after a day’s worth of lugging boxes around and unpacking your belongings to move into your new place, you see a rather interesting headline. Something along the lines of:

Norton Campbell and his men, spotted in the city. Whereabouts still unknown!

You could not help but giggle in amusement at everyone else’s cluelessness. Whereabouts unknown? No, that’s not true! You know where he is—you’ve BEEN knowing his general location for many years, ever since you two started having your dubious romantic relations with each other at the mines.

Well, there’s two things to address here. Firstly, “dubious” as in you two never actually became official, much to your dismay. No, he was usually so caught up on mining coal, he could hardly take the time or even the effort to properly discuss how you both were going to work things out. His focus was always on either food, money, or how much he hated everyone around him. And yeah, that included you too, even though you LITERALLY bring him food all the time.

“Norton!” You called out his name one night, years back, as he was in the midst of picking up some more coal. It wasn’t unusual for you to appear out of nowhere when he was in the middle of work—it was just one of those things that he had to get used to as a familiar of yours.

“What is it this time?” The man grunted, and you couldn’t help but notice an absence of his usual scathing remarks. Oh, that made you so happy! It just meant that he was getting more comfortable with you, especially after that intimate moment you shared a few days prior.

“I was wondering,” you began with a large blush and a dopey smile on your face, “if we could… maybe try to…”

“Norton!!” An unfamiliar voice rang out from the entrance of the cave, and when you turned around to look at who it was, you saw a large, gruff man, wearing somewhat expensive clothes almost as dirtied up as your beloved’s. You don’t know who he is, but you can safely assume he’s one of the former’s superiors. “What the hell are you doing, talking to your little friend while on the clock?! Get your ass back to work! And you…!”

At the boss’s demanding words, Norton lets out a noise of reluctant affirmation, and retreats to the depth of the mines. You were about to tell him to wait, and that you were in the middle of saying something important, but the older man gets to you first.

“What’re you doing out here? Don’t you see this is a private workplace?”

“…I have special permission to be here,” you simply stated, “one of your other managers has allowed me access to roam about the area. You can even ask them!”

“Well, I don’t wanna see you messing with any one of the staff while they’re working, alright? We’re already extremely busy here, and we don’t need any distractions getting in the way of work.”

An irritated scoff was dangerously close to leaving your lips at his order, and you were just about to tell him off, but you held your tongue. There wasn’t much point in arguing with him right now, unless you wanted to risk losing the privileges that you had. And so, you politely nodded, and made your way out of the site.

Because of annoying little interruptions like these, you never really had a chance to lay down any of your foundations for dating—nor even try to officially declare you wanted to be together—and the one moment you were about to, he announced that he was going to travel around to 13 different caves in search of… more gold.

You remember it clearly, for it was another visit held just a few days after you’ve been kicked out of the area—“Benny got me this list of mines that might have gold!” He shouted, for the first time, in ecstasy. “I won’t have to keep hiding away in the dark, picking at these rocks for long!”

Ugh, it’s always that fucking money that he’s always looking at!! What about you?! You’ve done everything you possibly could for him, so why can’t his eyes light up whenever you visit the same way they light up when someone talks about the idea of getting rich?! It’s awful! You spent all those months cooking for him, buying those ingredients with your own money, getting him clean clothes, providing him entertainment…

And yet he’s even friendlier to the men who exploit him than to you.

“Oh, but I…” you muttered, before clicking your tongue in reluctant acceptance, “ugh, never mind. Congrats—I hope your ventures for gold don’t blow up in your face.”

…Looking back, you decided you were far too passive in your advances. No, you had to take matters into your own hands! You had to show him just how he’s supposed to accept and appreciate all of the love you’ve given him. Avoiding—and therefore temporarily cutting off his food supply—for long periods of time wasn’t enough! No… you need to rethink your plans. From the moment the two of you have parted ways, it’s been years since you two ever actually held any kind of contact with each other. Trying to start things slowly like you did last time didn’t work out then, and it probably won’t work out now given the fact that he’s a literal crime lord.

You were definitely going to have to commit to something equally as bold as he does.

And secondly, how do you know where he is? Don’t worry about it. You just do.

…What? You’re Norton’s to-be-lover! It’s only natural that you know every single little detail about him, isn’t it? And that just so happened to involve you secretly using your family’s resources alongside your amazing charm and wit to garner as much power within your community as possible, and practically install your very own surveillance system anywhere he might have been. With your many established connections that expand far throughout the area—INCLUDING from within his mafia—there’s very little that you don’t know about him. Is that creepy? No! You prefer to think of it as simply watching over him from afar to make sure he’s safe. It was actually the reason why you could walk about the mines in the past, although not every one of the authorities there knew who you were.

Oh, you were also aware of all of his crazy controversies prior to joining the crime world. You know that the mining accident back then was his fault, and that his greed was what killed many of his coworkers. You know of his distaste for the rich and who’s on his list of targets for his planned murders, plus all of the specific methods that he has to get rid of each one of them. You know how his organization works, all of the ties they have with businesses at the heart of your city, where each one of the bases are, and which one houses his quarters.

And why doesn't the media know this? Well, how could they? All of the people who had given you this information harbor malice towards the police, and would much rather tell everything to their lively associate (you, who is known to be trustworthy in the region because of the intel-gathering business you partake with their other familiars) instead of the general public.

Anyway, to sum it all up, you know that your beloved is hiding right underneath the central parts of the city. The only question is: how are you going to utilize this information to benefit you?

You fold the newspaper and neatly set it on a nearby table. Oh, you’ve got ideas, and you’re going to make them work. Even if you claim to be a “nobody” without any kind of special access to services or support the way you did earlier… you’re not.

Is this considered a plot twist? No, it’s more accurate to call the description of yourself from chapter 1 a straight-up lie. Unfortunately, intel isn’t very cheap, my dear reader.

Once your plan solidifies in your head, you walk straight over to your desk, grab a pen and paper, and begin to draft a formal letter. There’s someone you need to pay a visit to, and soon, before Norton leaves you again.

[institutionalize-me]

“You love me, and you know it.”

Chapter 2 - Why do you run from me?

— ෆ —

Pairing: Norton Campbell/Reader

WARNING: this fic contains depictions of violence, stalking, kidnapping, and mental health issues. Also, this chapter has mentions of starvation.

The original contempt Norton might’ve held for you regarding the both of your little outbursts eventually washed away when he saw you hadn’t returned with more snacks, and was then replaced with more feelings: ones of guilt, desperation, and… once again, anger.

Guilt for pushing you away, desperation because the familiar sensation of starving had returned, and anger because… oh, for a multitude of reasons.

He was angry at himself for letting you, the only person who would willingly take time out of their day to feed him, go. Yet he was also equally as angry at you for giving him the heavenly taste of properly-made food, only to strip him of it right after. It’s been weeks since he’d last seen you—that means it’s been weeks since he'd been able to eat a proper meal.

There was not a single day that went by where he hadn’t thought of you. How he hated you, wished he’d never met you at all, and told himself he was just simply using you for food the same way you were using him for validation.

But honestly, if he could choose, he would much rather you had just let him starve on his own in the first place. At least then, all he knew was the taste of somewhat moldy bread… but once you’d started giving him warm lunches, pastries, candies… he couldn’t help but yearn for more once he had just a single bite. He used to be content with gnawing on old and stale biscuits, but now? Oh, god, all he wants more than ever right now is one regular dinner. How can he return to digging for scraps from a bin when he can only imagine the warmth and richness of the foods you’d provided?

Just as he was thinking about you, whether it be a blessing or a curse, you’ve returned to the dark mining area for him. And this time, holding a plate of fresh stir-fry noodles that were still steaming.

“Hi!” You chirped. “Did you miss me?”

His eyes went to the cooking, then to your strangely happy ones. Oh god… not this again! You KNEW you had the upper hand in this situation, and he hated every ounce of it.

“Are you here to gloat about how you have food and I don’t?” He scoffed, and sent you a hateful glare.

“Why, you’re just overflowing with bitterness, Norton!” You giggled. “How can I possibly brag about that when you could eat tonight?”

“…What do you mean, ‘could’?”

“Mmm… I’ll just get straight to the point then—you can have this plate here if you kiss me, and allow me to feed it to you.”

What.

He couldn’t even form words at such an outrageous proposition! Kiss YOU?! He’d rather die than get himself romantically involved with some spoiled brat, even if…

…Well, it’s not like he can finish that train of thought when the smell of the stir-fry came wafting over to him. God… just then, it was almost as if he were a helpless man getting seduced by a temptress! He could imagine the comfort of the noodles, the savoriness of the sauce, the sweetness of each topping… all of them combined into one plate would be enough to sate this starving man for tonight.

Internally, he was fighting. Did he want to succumb to the pleasures—no, the need of a fine meal, or did he want to resist and not give you the satisfaction of knowing you had him under your control with just a bit of food?

“Hurry, Norton,” you beamed, “or it’ll go cold!”

God, how he wanted to smack that stupid, self-serving grin off of your face.

Whatever. He’s hungry, and he’s been hungry for weeks now. He wasn’t going to pass up a rare opportunity for good food, even if that means he’d have to wallow in his shame later.

He dropped his old and worn-down pickaxe to the side, harshly pushed you against a dusty wall of one of the old shacks in the mining area, and shot you an angry scowl.

“Don’t you goddamn do this to me! You know I… I…!”

A frown crosses your own at the force of his shove, which causes you to nearly drop your plate. Thankfully, you were able to regain your balance quickly and hold the plate with a steady hand once more, but at the sight of his aggressiveness… well, isn’t that just the perfect opportunity to poke a little fun at him!

“Oh, quit doing that, or you’ll make me drop the food!” You droned with a pout. “Shouldn’t you be gentler with the one who’s going to feed you?”

“Shut your damn mouth! I’m sick of hearing you go on non-stop about how good you are, how you’re oh-so generous and kindhearted, as if you’re not just some self-absorbed and arrogant wretch!”

…You’d assumed he’d learned to treat you with dignity after the fight that happened weeks ago. Perhaps you should’ve let him fester in his own misery for another week, and see if he’d become more receptive to your efforts by then. A shame, really—you made this stir-fry yourself, but if your love is going to go unappreciated, then you might as well just toss it away.

“Mmm… okay. Well, I see how it is.” You huffed indignantly. “You’re just an unappreciative little pest who doesn’t know how to act nicely to those who cared for you. How disappointing! I really was hoping I could try to fix things with you, but I guess you’re just another waste of time.”

Before you could tilt your wrist to let the noodles plummet down to his feet, he firmly grabs the plate with one hand, and leans in even closer so that his face was just a breadth away from yours.

“If you drop even a single strand,” he snapped, “I’ll make sure you don’t ever leave these mines, just like the rest of us.”

Just before you could make a witty retort, his chapped and dry lips slammed onto yours.

It was a kiss not too different from the ones you’d imagined you’d have with him—one filled with passion, pent-up anger, hatred… and yet the undeniable yearning for more. Even though you knew he despised you with all of his heart, the rest of his body couldn’t help but collapse under the overwhelming pleasure of sharing such intimacy with another, even if it would be with you.

It was just a kiss, really. He sees couples do this all the time! And yet, now that he’s actually participating in one, why did it make him melt? Why did it make him want to keep going, until he couldn’t breathe?

��Norton was a man deprived of basic needs, including love, and you knew it. The moment he had a taste of regular affections—the same way you’d given him a taste of a proper meal—he couldn’t get enough.

And oh, while he originally intended for the kiss to be quick, he couldn’t stop himself from demanding more from you. A quiet groan leaves him at the immense sensations, and presses himself even more firmly up against your body.

God! He’s going to actually suffocate you at this rate! When you tug at his shirt as a way to signify to him to give you a moment to breathe, he only tightens his grip on your shoulder and bites down on your lower lip in response. As a result, your mouth opens to let out a gasp of shock at his forwardness, and… oh dear. Well, suffice to say he did not let this opportunity to escalate things pass by.

You could’ve sworn this man hated you before—not that you were complaining though. It just means that you’re another step closer to securing your future with him! Oh, how you loved your sad, pathetic, and miserable boyfriend-to-be!

[institutionalize-me]

“You love me, and you know it.”

Chapter 1 - Oh, Norton…

— ෆ —

Pairing: Mafia boss!Norton Campbell/GN!Reader

Description: uh its just two really mentally ill freaks who dont know what letting go means and are at it for several years LMAO

WARNING: this fic contains depictions of violence, stalking, kidnapping, and mental health issues.

There was nobody in the city who didn’t know the name Norton Campbell.

Oh, he was fearsome, he was terrifying, and he was undoubtedly more dangerous than anybody could fathom. Each civilian, upon hearing that accursed title, couldn’t help but cower—what would he and his men do this time, like they hadn’t already done so much to ruin the lives of others? As the head of one of the most notorious crime groups known in the nation, it was no wonder why so many people had grown wary of the streets at night! Not only was his group famous for their gruesome manipulative tactics among the common folk, there have been numerous disappearances recently, all of them having ties to one another.

Each victim was wealthy, associated with large corporations, and extremely affluent. They were by no means easy targets at all—every target had easy access to some of the most elite security systems… yet they’ve all been plucked from life as if they were merely a few strands of weeds growing in a garden, or some little specks of dirt which easily fly away the moment a bit of wind flows by.

Those living under such people couldn’t help but grow increasingly fearful. If he could easily lead such strings of attacks on a variety of powerful figures, all of which done in rapid succession, and still have yet to be arrested by authorities… who knows what he could do to them? The city was no longer the safe place its inhabitants once knew it as—now that the organization has effectively taken control of all its systems, how could anyone live their lives in peace? How, when they can hear all of the violent attacks done to innocent citizens each night, and when they can see the remnants of such lying about the alleyways the next morning?

It was horrible. All of this was happening… and yet no one was powerful enough to stop it. No one knew where Norton was, nor his headquarters, or even how his men worked. He was a smart and cunning man—the moment detectives find what could’ve been a lead, he turns the situation around so that all of their valuable evidence has gone to waste. Oh, you say you know where his area might be located? He’ll just move himself and all of his belongings entirely, and no one can track him because surveillance systems are being manned by members of his own organization. Or he’ll just simply send someone after you.

And then, speaking of, there’s you. There was nobody in the city who knew your name. You’d recently moved here, despite knowing the predicament you would’ve put yourself into, just because rent was cheap.

…Yeah, inflation’s been getting really bad.

You are, and—now that you really sat down to think about it—have always been, a nobody. You can’t really be somebody when your competitor is NORTON FUCKING CAMPBELL—sure, you’re not directly competing with him, but when his name is all that comes out of everyone’s mouth… it’s kind of hard to get your own in.

Not that you ever really bothered trying. You’re just here so you don’t go broke trying to pay your landlord—there’s really not much room for other opportunities when you’re stuck in some mafia-run hellhole like the one you’re in now.

…Is what anyone else would’ve said. Oh, but you’ve got plans! How, when you’re just a random person? Well…

Suffice to say you’ve liked Norton for a long time now. As in, a REALLY long time. Ever since your time in school—when you two first met and interacted with one another outside the mines several years ago—you’d slowly developed a crush on him that grew into… well, something A LOT bigger.

Back then, he was just some scruffy teen who would work to pay off his father’s debt. He didn’t go to school, or have friends, or anything. In fact, you have had to watch as he’d get bullied by the bigger and richer kids around him! He was one of the many targets of corporate greed, if you will… and yet that only added to his charm.

When he first saw you, he couldn’t help but be a bit repulsed by the sight of your clean clothes beside his dirty and tattered ones, for they reminded him of those that his oppressors wore. Why is it that you get to have someone who provides for you, while he’s forced to work for literally everything he owns?! It was so unfair!! However, once your visits have become more frequent, and that you’ve proven to not be a bother to him… he figured your company was a bit more tolerable than most.

Although this does not stop the snarky comments from him.

”Are you here to make fun of me?” He’d occasionally spat. “Trying to rub the fact that you don’t have to work all over my face?”

And even though he was outwardly harsh towards you, you couldn’t really get yourself to process it that way. No, you just saw him as a victim of his own environment, and that elicited more pity and care from you than anything. How horrible it was, that he’d grown to be so bitter at such an early age!

”Oh, don’t be like that,” You calmly—albeit with a hint of playfulness—stated, “I came to say hi to you enough times for you to already know how it is at my home. I’m just here to give you some snacks!”

You retrieved several bars and little hard candies from your pockets, and pushed them into his arms. They were ones that you’d stolen from your family, because… well, Norton needed them more! Even if it was ACTUALLY considered theft, it was more of a noble cause than anything, really. At that point, you couldn’t help but notice just how skinny he was—yes, he was always rather lanky, but when was the last time he ate? His eyes widened in surprise at your kind gift, but words refuse to leave his mouth… not that you really cared. After all, you already knew he was thankful!

Why wouldn’t he be? After all, there’s no one else who possibly loved him more than you did.

“…Hmph.” He grunted, and averted his gaze from yours, “I don’t know why you come visit so often. Don’t you have anything better to do, or do you just really want to lie to yourself that you’re some saint?”

Oh, that wasn’t a part of the script. What he said was just <em>a little<em> too much! Your expression shifted at his words—a bit of anger on your usually-cheerful face was clearly seen, and you weren’t really afraid to express that then.

”Do you NOT want me here then? I’ll just take back the food I gave you if you don’t, and give it to someone else who likes me more.”

”No! It’s mine now—you already handed it to me, so I’m going to take it!”

”You…!” You growl from between your teeth. “Fine! See if there’s anyone else who’d even try to feed someone like you!”

And then, without taking a moment to hear him out, you stormed out of the mining area. How could he! How could he say such a thing, when all you were doing was trying to bring him something to eat?! You were nothing but good to him—he was just an ungrateful brat who didn’t know how to accept kindness, and made it everyone else’s problem.

Only when you’d fully made your way out of the mines and left Norton’s lane of sight, he slumped against one of the many crates of coal and let out a heavy sigh from his lips.

Why did you react in that way? Were you just so prissy to where you couldn’t stand a bit of questioning… or was it because you knew he was spouting the truth? He couldn’t stand pompous idiots who kept acting as though a bit of insults thrown around were the death of them.

Oh, he hated people like you.

Yet it was also you who gave him these snacks, when he’d been starving for so long. A frown crosses his face—yes, he was angry at your mean comments, but did he have to express that so much?

You were one of his only sources of food… so he supposed he might as well treat you like one.