#/so i was turning after i'd gone down the hill

[keeps-ache]

went skating and ending up in a ditch eating grass 👍👍

[apas-95]

There's such a thing as a wolf in sheep's clothing. I've seen one.

It was standing right by that tree on the sun-facing meadow, bathed in moonlight. The herd was asleep, with the mountainside just behind. That night, I hadn't been able to sleep, curled up beside my mother - it was my first winter.

The wolves had been howling all night, the locations of their packs and territory echoing across and over the valleys. A few restless sheep still ambled around, grazing halfheartedly. Rufus, the big, fluffy one with the splotchy-dark fur, was sat a short ways away from the rest of the herd, occasionally rising, yawning, and sauntering over to another location on the outskirts of the group.

Terrified, but not wanting to move or wake anybody, I kept my eyes locked on every movement, and my ears locked on every sound. When the moon had eventually risen to almost the very centre of the sky, the whole valley was illuminated in a mute monochrome, like a dream. Slowly, I had started to associate between the wolf-calls and Rufus's movements. When a particularly loud, particularly close howl would be heard, Rufus would get up and calmly trot over to lie between it and the herd. When I realised that, I started to relax, and let my eyes rest a little.

I think Rufus must have dozed off completely at some point, because I realised, with a start, that the howl I was hearing was far louder, and far closer, than any I'd heard before, and Rufus was sat on the complete other side of the herd.

This was my first time ever seeing a wolf. Two of them had crested the hill. They were... sharp. Their ears and faces poked out, like thistle-thorns. Rufus was a bit pointy, too, but in the same pleasing, round way as a scut tail, or a pair of horns. Still, it's what I saw Rufus do that scares me.

Rufus must have realised at the same time, because as soon as I had glanced over, Rufus was already a blur. I had never, and still haven't since, ever seen a sheep run that fast.

I expected Rufus to ram them, face them down, charge them back. Maybe I was a bit naïve. Still, even now I wouldn't have anticipated what happened. Rufus shifted her posture, spiking up on her long legs. Her face contorted, flaring her ears and sneering back her lips to reveal rows of long, sharp teeth. Even her matted-down fur shifted, now shooting up in fine hairs.

The wolves backed down, Rufus letting out a guttural, almost inaudibly-deep growl the whole time she slowly paced them away from us. The whole herd had been shocked awake at that point, and I squeezed up against my mother's flank, barely able to make out another lamb's bleating over my own pounding heartbeat. But none of them had seen what Rufus had done.

When she came back, the moon was almost behind the mountains. I could barely recognise her in the dark. My mother had nipped me by the back of the neck and dragged me to the centre of the herd, so there were other sheep between us, but... I slept uneasily. Still, I didn't wake for the rest of the night.

The next morning, after the shepherd took us out to graze, I paid close attention to Rufus. When she went over to the shepherd's tent, as she did whenever he whistled, I stared, and listened, straining a little to try to peer into the dark interior. I caught just a glimpse, just the barest glimpse, of the shepherd feeding her something.

And on the breeze, for just a moment, when the wind turned just so, I caught a scent. Meat. And then it was gone.

[steveshairychest]

After defeating vecna for a second time, Steve decides he's had enough of Hawkins and all things supernatural.

After hunting around for a few weeks, he scores himself a quaint little apartment big enough for him and for Robin when she eventually moves in after college. He doesn't sell his parents' house or demolish it like Robin suggests. No, he leaves it to sit and rot. He hopes his parents will come home one day and find it overgrown and falling to pieces, hopes they'll trudge up the steps to find the note that he had nailed to the front door that says, 'Welcome home :)'. Robin insisted on adding the passive-aggressive smiley face.

They move away from Hawkins and don't think about it for years. Sure, Steve still calls their friends who decided to stay there, and he often finds himself missing their company, but he doesn't miss the place itself. Only the people. He's made it very clear to them that he doesn't intend to step a single foot back into Hawkins until he dies. Everyone knows this, especially Robin, who's been informed on multiple drunken occasions that Steve wants to be buried on top of the hill next to Eddie so that he at least knows someone else in the graveyard.

But then he gets a letter in the mail, a simple letter in a white envelope and it haunts him for days.

The letter is from Wayne. His handwriting is rough and messy but familiar; they've been sending each other letters for a few years now. The cigarette ash smudged in some corners makes him smile. Most of the letter is just niceties; asking Steve how he is, what he's been up to, if he's found himself someone. Stuff he's used to. But then the words, 'I can't be alone for it Steve, I can't do it. I need you here. It's been 5 years, and the day still hasn't gotten any easier. I'd like it if you came to visit.' They punch Steve in the gut and leave him aching for days.

It takes him an entire week to call the number on the back of the envelope and confirm with Wayne that he'll be there. Just this once he'll go back to that retched place. For Wayne.

For Eddie.

The drive passes by in a blur, one second he's on the highway, the next he's passing by the Welcome to Hawkins sign and driving along the streets he thought he'd never see again. Wayne told him over the phone that morning to meet him at the cemetery, said that he wanted to get the hard part over and done with so that they could spend the rest of the day catching up and listening to Eddie's tapes. He'd be lying if he said he didn't cry for a solid 10 minutes in the car park, the memories that he had tried so hard to forget rushing back the second he lays eyes on Eddie's grave at the top of the hill.

He still remembers the hollow ache in his chest the day he helped Wayne pick out a spot. He had gone home that afternoon and begged Robin to make it stop, to hold him and tell him that the pain would go away. She had told him what he wanted, she had held him on the kitchen floor and promised he would never have to feel like that again.

She'd lied. That same ache spreads throughout his body as he trudges up the hill to stand before the shabby grave and the tears he thought he had left back in the car come bubbling back up as he stares down at the graffitied headstone. He hasn't seen it since the day he left. He forgot how overwhelming it is to see Eddie's name carved on the headstone.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited." He says through sobs, his vision blurred by tears as he plops down on the soft grass in front of the headstone. "I miss you." The words almost choke him.

There's the sound of footsteps behind him, boots crunching against the leaves and twigs. Wayne must have finally shown up. Steve doesn't turn around, he doesn't want Wayne to see his tears. He's supposed to be here as support. He's supposed to be the one coming up behind Wayne to offer his condolences. He stops beside Steve and sighs softly.

"Hi." Steve says weakly and finally looks up at Wayne - except... it's not Wayne.

"Hi, Steve."

It's Eddie.

[horseshoegirl]

Set Me Alight - Part 6: Running Up That Hill

📜The angst... continued... Though I loved hearing all your thoughts about who you guys disliked the most in the last chapter. I'd love to know what you think after this chapter. I've been warned this one is a bit... OUCHIE?!

❗️+18, Minors DNI, Strong Language, Enemies to Lovers, Original Female Character (s), Short OFC, Bradley Bradshaw x Natasha Trace, Verbal fights (some mean stuff is said here; there might be some gaslighting), so bullying, wildlife encounters, shitty family dynamics, and angst.

#7k

Part 5 | Masterlist | Part 7

Everyone scattered in the aftermath.

Even Jessica and Veronica were nowhere to be found as you made your escape. You hardly blamed them for it. If you had been in their shoes, witnessing that shit show, you would have shuttered hard from the waves of secondhand embarrassment rolling off all the tension.

But you couldn't feel secondhand embarrassment from it; you were the embarrassment. And all because of the same reason that got you to this point in your life. 

Jake Seresin just couldn't keep his damn mouth shut.

You're slightly optimistic about where the group could have gone, even with how hurt you felt. You hoped no one had heard or seen any of it, and they already had gone off to do their own thing. Probably the more likely choice, they did and wanted to avoid the fallout altogether, just like certain people had been all along.

Then a third miserable thought entered your mind - they were all pissed with you, maybe even with Jake, and wanted you gone. You could hardly blame them for that, either. Maybe deep down, you wanted to leave too.

It's how you found yourself following the rocky path, perhaps even dangerous if one wasn't paying attention, up to the top of the waterfall instead. The trail was open for use, though, from appearance alone, it looked like only some people came up here looking for another photo opportunity for someone with a camera below.

Climbing up the slope, rather than glancing below to the water, you turned your head towards the river, winding through a stretch of forest. If you weren't so upset, you might have stopped to wonder if this was the scenery authors envisioned when writing fantasy books. This stretch of woods ranged along the top of this mountainside terrain, and perhaps if you ventured far enough, somewhere you'd find yourself standing on the edge of the world. 

You followed the river bank instead, even if you could call it that, your eyes so intently focused on the rushing water you had nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. 

Cora's face flashes through your mind first. A shameful, disappointed look after asking if you had set up any more pranks. You had no intention to fuck up what was supposed to be a happy memory for Nat, but Cora could have put two and two together and assumed you were taking it another step too far.

Grace and Bob? Even Mickey? Pity. You didn't need to think about them further; the guilt from their expressions alone would drive you right into the dirt.

Rueben and Javy, you couldn't say, but Jessica and Veronica, you pushed from your mind, even if they tried to claim a few of your brain cells. They'd be so laced in pure, self-centred bias that you'd even go so far as to classify any remark they might make in the style and prose of Regina George's Burn Book - Masters of passive aggressiveness but perfect at playing the victim when the situation turned against them, as demonstrated the night you injured your hand.

Even if they had no part in what unfolded, any defensive remark would only be met with another, perhaps twisted, sentence intended to put you down.

You might have laughed at the fact had you not felt like crying instead.

It was a few minutes before you found the fork in the river, and there was a solitary rock big enough and flat enough to sit upon. You went to it without haste, letting your feet guide you by their own accord. Being mindful of your hand as you hoisted yourself up and settled onto the smooth surface, you drew your knees up to your chest rather than let your legs hang over the side. You didn't even bother removing your backpack; the weight pulling against your back was a comfort and a burden.

Weakly wrapping your arms around your legs, you let your cheek rest on your kneecaps. What comfort your arms could give was meagre and weak, and even as you stared at a riffle in the water, the gentle trickle or the momentary peace did nothing to help you.

While there was a part of you wishing Jake had decided to leave altogether, to hike back to the entrance of the park, never to show his ugly no, good, untimely, "if not now, when" ass again, you know there was no point. It wouldn't fix what had happened, and it wouldn't make Nat feel any better either.

To say this wasn't the first time you found yourself in the middle of a fight would be an understatement. As friends usually do, you and Nat had your fair share of them over the years, though they always ended up with the two of you making up.

Always because someone caved - that someone being you - maybe that's one of the reasons why you wanted to seek her out.

But you knew your presence wouldn't be welcomed. No matter your explanation, she wouldn't want to hear it, shoving it off and turning you away, especially after the first-row seat to her rage.

Her words hurt you, but you still knew you owed it to her to apologize.

For letting your temper get the better of you, yelling at Jake? Yes.

For the aftermath of it ruining her proposal? Also, yes.

You would sooner run after her for that apology alone had not Bradley gone after her - rightly so. That was something you couldn't interrupt or insert yourself into, especially after a clusterfuck such as that.

The 'thing' building in the pit of your stomach against the white, nauseating feeling of guilt also made you rethink your decision to seek her out. A feeling that only arose from you replaying Nat's rage-filled words repeatedly in your head.

Jake could be right. It's looking like he had always been right.

You don't understand why now, of all times, you'd entertain the possibility of accepting Jake's words. It is something you want to remain a mystery, shoved deep down into the forgotten places of your mind.

It's an impossible feat.

Nat's rage, so hot and what you'd classify as spiteful, blew the doors open so wide there was no amount of pressure you could shove at the idea to make it disappear. You buried your face into your knees, eye sockets aching under the force, driving lights and shapes to appear behind your lids.

What if? What if I said this? What if I did this? What if I just walked away?

But something else shot forward in your mind, something you'd never thought you'd entertain.

What if I did confront Nat? Confront her for the lack of support throughout the entire trip. Not just in the heat of the moment, but truly laid bare that she purposely brought me on this trip without telling me Jake would be here too.

If you told her how you felt, how she had made you feel, would that have made a difference, too?

You think not. Even if you had a part to play in your feelings of isolation, there would have been a reason, an explanation, a word vomit of her hurt feelings without care for yours. You had never truly voiced your feelings before, always burying them under wit and sarcasm.

There was no chance you would now.

Ironic, isn't it? All that snark you've mustered up for Jake, for the two twins incarnate, and you still couldn't bring yourself to stand up for yourself and set a boundary with your 'friend.'

You supposed that's how it's always been, too.

Growing up in the shadow of expectations, your voice often ended up unheard. A middle child sandwiched between an older brother who followed in your father's footsteps and a younger sister brimming with self-selected compassion – and two parents in high-achieving roles.

In the rare instance that all five of you could actually sit down and have a family dinner together, conversations only seemed to revolve around that fact. They were limited to surgical techniques, case studies, medical research projects, and overseas missions.

Your father always sat at the same end of the dining room table. Dr. Xiaver Spencer, the authoritative head neurosurgeon, would often glance over the rim of his glasses, nodding approvingly at your brother's, Dr. Alex Spencer, recounts of complex brain surgeries. Your mother always claimed her spot at the other end. Dr. Heather Spencer, the CEO of a prestigious teaching and research-based hospital, would meticulously plan her next board meeting in between bites. 

With your brother between them on one side, Ella, your younger sister, would occupy the other. She often regaled the family with tales of distant lands and communities, places she had adventures to as a volunteer with UNICEF. If she wasn't home, she was overseas, helping build homes, handing out supplies, assisting medics, or studying.

Only 16, and she was off seeing the world, her pure joy of helping those in need making your paintings and designs at the local animal shelter quaint in comparison.

That left you and your seat at the table, never fixed or permanent, wedging between your brother, sister, mother and father in a different spot every time.

They made you feel quaint, too. Any attempt to share or talk about art, your art, or even the opportunities coming your way was always met with a "That's nice, dear" or "It's good to have hobbies."

Alex would laugh. Ella would remain silent. And nobody took you seriously enough when you started discussing it as an actual career.

Because the path you had chosen for yourself was less valuable than the stringent standards surrounding your family and what it meant to be a Spencer. Because pursuing a Fine Arts or even an Arts Illustration Degree was abhorrent when you could be working to save lives instead.

You might have taken to talking back and standing up for yourself in the early days. Each remark or attempt was followed with one of their own, so cutthroat it would have you sinking into the polished and unmarked leather of one of your mother's overly expensive dining room chairs. You would poke at the designer dish with the fancy silver fork through your tears, waiting till everyone else finished before taking off to your room and calling Aunt Viv.

Each time you did, the urge diminished, and soon, you didn't say anything unless you were spoken to. However, that was a rare instance indeed.

Why give your opinion? Why voice your thoughts when they weren't really warranted?

Correction - Wanted.

Aunt Viv, though. She... cared. Pure, unwavering support, no matter what you said, did or would think to do. She pushed you towards what you loved and stood by you like a rock when cash was tight, and scholarships weren't cutting it. She was unafraid to throw your name around in conversations. Not your full name, but "My niece Maeve does this," or "My niece is such a talented artist."

Who knew growing apples could have such a sway? You weren't sure where you'd be now if it weren't for her.

You knew you couldn't stay here on this rock forever. But you didn't know what else to do. Walk back with your head held high? Give Cora, Grace, or even Bob the compass and the map, and let them take over for the rest of the day? Hang out in the back of the group where you belonged, not saying a word to anyone else?

You could always leave.

The thought was tempting - walk away from it all. From Nat, from Jake, from the situation. You're surprised you didn't attempt to do it before. But leaving now felt like admitting defeat, and despite everything, you weren't ready to give up. Not yet.

Four-plus years, and it would have been a waste for nothing if you did. Cause if you walked away now, you'd never come back.

As you slowly slid from the rock, you decided on a plan. You'd walk back, find Nat to apologize, and attempt to mend whatever was left of the week. You and Nat had purposely planned more than one stop on this trip where Bradley could propose; he still could if things calmed down.

You followed the river back down the way you came, trying to figure out what to say, what to do, that would make the apology meaningful.

You would have to do it sooner than you thought. Cause the second you lifted your head at the sound of stones clacking hard against one another, Nat was striding towards you, completely lost in her thoughts.

Your initial thought would have been she was seeking you out had it not been for the devastated look on her face.

It left you frozen, unwilling to take a step further.  You had geared yourself up to swallow your hurt to apologize for a mess that hadn't been entirely yours, but standing here and now in front of her, you knew.

It wouldn't matter what you said. 

It's not a disappointment you see it reflected in her face. It's not love for a friend either or even dislike either. That would be giving her too much credit, and even after feeling sorry for what happened, acknowledging you owed her an apology, and burying that hurt aside, failed proposal or not, it comes rushing back inside. 

Even then, you still caved first.

"What can I say or do to make up for what just happened?" you manage to plead.

She scoffs in the face of your honest ask. "You really don't know?"

You shake your head hard. "No. No, I don't. Not for this. All I can do is ask and offer whatever apology I can that would truly make it up to you."

Nothing on Earth could have prepared you for something like this.

Her hand flew up, preventing you from saying another word. “Just save it,” she spat. “I don’t want to hear it, Maeve. Not now. Maybe not ever.” 

You gasped, and Nat's gaze hardened further, if possible.

 "You think you're the only one hurt by all this?" Her voice raised, bitter and cold.  "You think you're the only one with feelings? God, Midge, you can be so self-absorbed sometimes. It's always about you, isn't it?"

Your mouth dropped open like a fish. "You really think I wanted this," you emphasize by spreading your arms out wide, "To happen? Do you think I purposely wanted to fuck up your proposal just to get back at Jake? Come on, Nat!"

"Honestly?" she cries out. "I don't know!"

You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. "Wow. Okay then."  

"You've been so caught up in your own drama with hating Jake that you didn't even see what was happening right in front of you. How all of it has been affecting everyone else in the group?"

You don't mean for your anger to get the best of you or for it to be directed at Nat, but her remarks are so spiteful that you can't help the shrill laugh crawling up your throat.

"And you did? Like you haven't been the picture of understanding and support. You had to have seen the way Jessica and Veronica have been treating me. Where were you then?!"

Nat eyes you up and down like she's just caught you in a lie. "Funny you say that, 'cause they told me the same thing," she insinuates.  "How you've been less than welcoming. How you can't let things go. How you can't take a joke...."

Your jaw tightened, and the fact she was buying into their words and their stories without questioning it further stung harder than you wanted to believe. 

"So their behaviour is justified because I was standing up for myself? For things you never saw from the sound of it!?" 

And what does she do but shrug? The action is so dismissive it only fuels your frustration further. "You're not exactly innocent in all of this." 

You know it's not those two she's referring to. 

"What, Jake?" you mock. "You never told me Jake was coming on this trip. You've always known how I've felt about him, how it's always been between us, and you said nothing!"

"Because I thought you could handle it for one fucking week!"

"I leave a room the second I realize he's in it. I purposely go out of my way to avoid him. That's me fucking handling it! I avoid him at all costs because I can't stand to be in the same space as him without feeling like I will lose my mind. And you thought throwing us together was a good idea?!"

Nat didn't say anything, prompting you to continue. "A good friend tells her friend if the guy she hates is going on a week-long trip with them. A good friend acknowledges the hurt this person has caused..."

"A good friend explains why she dislikes a guy so much! She explains she lets them know...." Nat interrupts you, though you interrupt her right back.

"He's your fucking friend! I won't be the one to drive a wedge into a friend group that existed long before I ever came around!"

As if I could.

Nat's response was a mix of frustration and disbelief. "You just gave up! You just gave him the cold shoulder, and the next, you two were at each other's throats."

"And what?" you cried out.  "You just believed what Jessica and Veronica said about me? Without even asking my side? You know how they can be, Nat! you know!" 

Her eyes narrowed, and she moved closer, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. ”If you ever faced your problems instead of sprinting in the opposite direction, we wouldn't be in this mess. It's no wonder everything's falling apart around you."

Her words held you in a chokehold, a sharp intake of breath your only defence against the burning sting in your lungs. You remain silent, hurt flashing across your face as your eyes blur with unshed tears.

"Wow," you finally manage, voice croaking. "Kick me while I'm down. I'm sorry your proposal was ruined, Nat; I am. But that doesn't give you permission to be cruel." 

She turns her head away from you to stare at the water. You press on further. 

"Let's talk about this," you hold your arm up. "Or the fact I was the one hiding behind the bush first, not him. With my phone, trying to get photographs for you. Jake was the one who approached me. Who decided that was the best moment of all other times to start fucking with me. I might have pranked him earlier, but I wasn't about to do it during a moment such as that. I was the one telling him to back the fuck off. " 

Your eyes were welling up with tears, but you fought them back, refusing to let her see just how much she'd wounded you.

"Or let's talk about how Veronica gave me a snide remark about my art, and I stood up for myself, only to have her knock my brushes to the side. Or how they cornered Jake into pulling a prank that resulted in this?" you hold up your arm. 

She turns to you, her eyes harsh. "Like how you pranked Veronica?" 

You rolled your eyes. "It was meant for the Asshole, but you know what, I'm happy she got a little bit of Karma after everything you just admitted." 

Nat's face twisted, a mix of anger and something else you couldn't quite place. "You know what, Maeve? Maybe you're right. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake. You and Jake, this trip, everything!" 

"And you think blaming me is going to make it better?"

Nat opened her mouth to retort but then closed it, pressing her lips into a thin line. The anger seemed to drain from her face momentarily, replaced by a weary resignation.

"Maybe I never should have invited you instead."

You bit your bottom lip, nodding more to yourself than to her. A sad noise crept up your throat, a laugh, though it was one more of resignation, maybe even ironic amusement. The thought comes rushing forward to sweep you off your feet like the first time you heard it.

Because Jake was right, after all.

Standing there wounded and silent, in the hardness of Nat's eyes, you conclude that perhaps you were never really a friend in the first place.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you never should have. At least then, I wouldn't have spent years thinking we were actually friends after all."

Shaking your head, you turned away from her, the weight of everything pressing down on you. With each step you took, the sound of the river beside you grew louder, its rushing waters seeming to beckon you forward. The thought that if you could allow yourself to be swept away, to tumble over the waterfall at its end, flashed through your mind. That would be enough to wash away the pain. 

Nat sighed loudly from behind you and then called out after you, "Midge, stop!"

The fact she called you Midge, not Maeve, made your resolve burn brighter.

You twisted, continuing to walk backwards. You dramatically threw your hands out to the side as you sarcastically called out through your tears, "Why should I? I only think about myself, right? Make everything about me? Why quit now when I'm only following in the example you've so clearly set?"

You sniffed a breath, and then the remark slipped past your lips, the defence mechanism you've used in all other circumstances, finally landing a blow on someone you once considered a friend. You purposely stopped, raising your hands to clap against the thick fabric of the bandage on your arm.

"Let's give a round of applause and a standing ovation to the one and only Natasha Trace, the saint who never does anything wrong!" you dropped, bending yourself down into a dramatic bow. "Bravo for putting up with me for so long! What an Oscar-worthy performance, indeed!"

You didn't bother seeing her reaction, purposely straightening yourself to turn back to walk the path ahead. Honestly, you didn't want to see it either.

You simply had enough.

All those years you spent fighting against the words of one jock in your apartment bathroom because you didn't want to lose Nat as a friend - gone in minutes.  

Fighting your sobs, you tried to devise some plan, anything beyond your initial decision to leave as you stormed forward. Perhaps some other tourist below would take pity on your situation and let you tag along back to the park entrance. There was a bus station there. You could buy a ticket back into the city and then take the train home.

Either way, your decision to leave had been the obviously correct one. Nat made that so abundantly clear.

You could see the opening to the slope from a distance, and you took a moment to compose yourself. Wiping at the lingering tears on your face, you drew in sharp, equal breaths, hoping the fresh air would calm you down.  If you were about to ask a total stranger for help, you couldn't do it looking like this.

You tilted your head back on your shoulders, closing your eyes as you tried to feel the breeze on your face, seeking solace in its cool embrace. You let your hand rest on the nearby tree, trying to feel the sensation of its bark under the palm of your hand. Rolling your head forward, you shook your shoulders, straightening your posture before opening your eyes.

But the path ahead was no longer empty. And you caught sight of the last person you wanted to see, making their way up the hill. 

The universe was a fine-flecked bitch, so that it would seem. Because there was Jake, in all his glory, precariously walking up the slope. 

Seeing him sends the sensation of sheer ice shooting across your skin. And the hurt that had found a home inside your chest amplifies into an overwhelming urge to run. Run, and never look back. Run and escape.

Run. Run. Run. Run.

But is it from him? Or from his words and the truth in them, haunting, following you from that night? A truth that was proven only a mere few seconds ago.

Panic flutters in your chest at the thought he'd seen you, and you spin rapidly on your heel, hoping you could find another path or maybe even hide until he accomplished whatever he intended to do by coming up here.

But your bag snags on a branch, and you wince as the leaves rustle obnoxiously, knowing that if Jake hadn't seen you standing there before, he certainly would now.

Jake lifted his head at the sudden noise, only to see a quick flash of bright blue. Your sleeping bag curled on top of your backpack disappeared behind the thick trunk of a tree.

"Midge, wait!"

Like hell, I'd wait for you.

His voice spurs you on, taking off into the thick underbrush. Jake is undeterred in the slightest, taking off after you.  He wasn't far behind, having extended his pace to get to you quicker once he was up the side of the hill.  You were at a disadvantage; your short legs were no match for his long ones, and your heavy bag only weighed you down.

Your only hope would be to lose him in the bush, counting on his height, build, and weight even, to slow him down and watch where he was going. You were small, yes, but you could get through the gaps or the trees better than he ever could.

But Jake was uncaring if thorns were ripping at his jeans or if branches were smacking him in the face. He was so fucking stubborn, and his drive was absolute. If not to get you to talk, then not to let you disappear into the woods alone.

"Midge, stop running! I'm not going to hurt you!"

His voice came from everywhere and anywhere, seemingly bouncing off trees and down the paths they grew, a haunting echo that unleashed a fresh wave of tears. As you rounded the corner of a tree, you came across an intriguing root system twisting along the ground when your vision blurred.

You cried out when you tripped over a root. You caught yourself and, without stopping, lifted your arm so the bandage might catch the tears rushing down your face, feet continuing to step in the spaces between the roots blindly.

You did. You have been. And you probably still will.

The thought, bitter and resigned, fueled your steps farther and farther. The underbrush grabbed at your legs like hands pulling you down. Burs stuck to the fabric of your leggings and pricked at your skin. Branches whipped at your face and arms, leaving thin lines of red in their wake. But the thought of losing Jake, getting out of this park and never seeing him again urged you on.

But when you finally burst through the underbrush, expecting to find a trail, a slope down, or even a trail marker to tell you where to go, you were met with nothing of the sort. It was a dead end, a sheer cliff drop that had you skidding to a jarring halt against stone ground. Gravel slid beneath your feet, and your arms flailed wildly as you desperately tried to save your balance.

Your heart must have stopped briefly as you were forced to look down, confronting the edge of this unexpected cliff and the daunting drop below. While not lethal, a fall like this would only lead to injury, one you wouldn't tempt fate for.

A cold wave of realization washed over you as you finally regained your balance and looked around. The ledge you found yourself on was a narrow outcropping that offered no path forward, only a steep fall or retreat back through the bush toward Jake.

You were utterly, utterly trapped.

Twigs snapped under Jake's boot as he stepped out from behind the bush. His breath was laboured, audible harsh pants that had you reaching up to cup your hands over your ears before sliding them forward to cover your eyes.

I can't do this now. I can't do this now.

"Why do you always run from me?"

You couldn't think. Nothing was coming forth to save you now. No witty retort or clever line. No semblance of that resolve that rushed through your veins before. You were literally incapable of rescuing or being enough to save yourself from what was about to unfold.

So, your anger rose up to greet you like a long-lost friend instead. 

"You don't get to ask me that! Why do you even care?" The words erupted from you louder and more forceful than you'd care to admit, letting your hands fall from your face to smack against the side of your thighs. "What the fuck more could you possibly want from me, Jake?! What... what was the point of you chasing me? To corner me? To say more about me or remind me how much of a fuck up I really am? To drive the wedge, the fucking knife, deeper?"

Even as you yelled, you still couldn't face him.

"Everyone in this fucking camp hates me! In general. Do you think I don’t know what people say? How they look at me? And you… you’re no different. You’ve made your thoughts about me crystal clear from the second I met you." 

You stomped forward, pointing your finger into his chest. "We made a fucking deal not to ruin their week for them. We agreed. But you just had to cause shit. You just had to bang that pot; you just had to put away the coffee; you just had to think of the worst fucking shortcut; you just had to scream, bear. You just had to hurt me!" 

You were panting hard, thumping your finger into his chest. 

"I told you. You throw that shit at me. I'll throw that shit back. So thank you for that, because if your point in all of that was to end Nat and I's friendship and kick me out of the group, then congratulations. You succeed!" 

As he absorbed the full force of your words, the pure hurt pouring out of you, he seemed to deflate right before your eyes. For a moment, he stood there, his features softening and his usual cocky confidence nowhere in sight. Some might have even called it a genuine look of distress and confusion. 

Jake's voice was barely above a whisper when his shoulders slumped, and he asked defeatedly, "Why do you hate me so much, Midge? What did I do?"

In his honest green eyes, you could see the plea for an answer, any answer that might get you to open up to him and simply explain.

But you couldn't.

How could you explain the reason you yelled, shouted, snarked, and downright hated him was because he had been completely right? At the infamous Halloween party, you caught him about to hook up with that girl in your bathroom, uttering about your supposed friendship with Natasha?

How, since that moment, you had been running from him because it was the easier option? Better than giving yourself over to the possible truth - a truth you have seen time and time again. Because allowing yourself to feel hurt over catching him with another girl when he flirted and showed an interest in you for most of the night was better than possibly ruining the one friendship you had.

It shouldn't even matter right now. You already had. And just like that night, Jake had been right the first day by the lake. You did run away from your problems.

Because I don't know how to do anything else.

His question hung in the air, a plea for some understanding, some clue, some indication of how things could have gotten so bad between you.

A gasp tore from your throat instead.

Not because you were outwardly expressing your frustration and struggle in answering him, but for the fact you caught sight of a massive creature emerging from the treeline behind him.

Every emotion you had felt before vanished at the sight and was replaced with only two: panic and fear.

Your arm moved by its own accord, your hand latching onto Jake's sleeve. He tried to tug his arm back, but you wouldn't let him. You were near catatonic, your grip as strong as metal and your face pale as ice as you watched the approaching creature finally notice your presence. With its mouth hung open, the brown monster stood on its haunches to inquire if you were friend, foe, or its next meal.

Jake remained clueless to your reaction, frowning when he reached up to pry your hand away, unaware of the approaching threat. "What the fuck, Midge. Let me go!"

You couldn't. You couldn't let Jake go. You couldn't do anything except stutter out, "baaa baaa... Bear!"

How your legs hadn't given out yet, you had no clue.

"Really? Do you think I'm going to fall for that after what I did to you? No way. Stop changing the damn subject and give me an answer."

You're not sure how you managed it, but you attempted to hit him on his shoulder, nervous energy causing you to let up on the force behind such a move. You hadn't even felt the sting of your bandaged wrist, adrenaline masking any pain you might have felt, even if it was a rather flimsy attempt.

You still hadn't taken your eyes off the brown animal. It was massive, rugged, and looked like it had no protests about which one of you it would eat first. The scar across its back and face was another story altogether, too. Its teeth would have no problem tearing into Jake; you'd merely be a tiny slice of desert. Or the appetizer.

"Midge, stop and talk to me like a fucking adult!"

The fact he still didn't listen to you seemed to wake you out of your stupor.

"Turn the fuck around and look, you idiot!"

You aren't sure if your prompting would have gotten Jake to turn around and look. Because once you finally managed to gather the courage to draw your eyes away from the thing deciding who to go after first, Jake's face was frozen, contemplating if you were telling the truth.

The bear roared, shattering any doubt.

His reaction was instant, eyes flaring and mouth hanging slightly. He spun, shooting out his arm as his hand made contact with your hip, urging you behind him. Your hands scrambled for anything to grab onto as he turned, eventually settling on clutching the strap of Jake's backpack.

If you weren't so scared, you might have wondered why Jake was here, putting himself in harm's way for you. You might have even whipped out a sarcastic, "Yeah, that's right. Eat him first, you wild creature."

But either one of you had anywhere to go. And even if you could manage to distract it, there was no way either of you could outrun it.

"What are we going to do?" you shot out nervously.

"It's a bear, Midge!" Jake rushed out. "Just stay the fuck behind me."

You panicked and snapped back, "I saw it first! I know what a bear looks like!"

It bellowed, making Jake jolt backwards. You let out a cry, burying your face into the back of his massive bag.

The bear safety facts from the class the park rangers made you take before you ventured into the park are conveniently missing from your mind. All except the one you whisper harshly, "They tell you not to run."

Jake's voice cut through the tension. "Well, if we can't run, I guess now's a good time to see who can yell louder?"

"You really want to start a shouting match now?!"

"Were you paying any attention in that safety class? Running. No. Yelling. Yes. Surely, between the two of us, we can manage that!"

"I was doing that before it decided to show up! What makes you think that's not the reason it sought us out, dumbass?"

"Because I refuse to believe my sparkling personality is what attracts bears!"

You laughed sharply as the bear seemed to be weighing its options. You were not sure why it hadn't decided to charge the two of you yet, but you would have bet good money it had to do with the scars littered across its body.

"You called for one the other night, remember? Practically pulled a Dory!"

"Don't hate on a children's Icon, Midge!"

"I'm hating on you for what you did to me! They aren't mutually exclusive things!"

Jake took a careful step forward, testing the waters. You shuffled with him, eager to put space between you and the ledge. The creature tilted its head as if pressing its ear to the ground. Then, without warning, it let out a deep, resonating roar directly at the both of you. You buried your face into Jake's backpack again, trying not to scream.

"That was probably not one of my best ideas."

Your voice was muffled against the fabric. "Want me to make a list?"

Jake's laugh was nervous. "Only if I can make one for you."

The bear, seemingly unimpressed by your banter, shifted its weight, causing Jake and you to tense up again.

"Thinking yelling at a bear would actually work as a deterrent is on it."

"We're supposed to yell at it, not at each other."

"You think it can tell the difference?" you asked him, your voice pitchy. "It doesn't matter who or what we are yelling at."

Jake managed a strained smile.  "Common ground. Wow, we're practically bonding over here."

"Because nothing brings people closer like shared trauma," you snap, fear sharpening your words. "I'm tripping you first."

"I'm leaving you behind."

"I'll feed you to the bear myself."

"I run faster, scared than you do, mad."

"Hang on, let me find a stick and shove it up your ass."

Jake's eyebrows shot up. "Now there's the Midge I know."

Peering over Jake's arm, the bear made a sudden, decisive lunge forward with a single paw, claws extended, as if taunting its prey, waiting to see if the two of you would scramble. The move was unexpectedly aggressive, and it sent the two of you scrambling backwards in panic.

Neither of you realized how close to the cliff's edge you actually were. Only when your boots slid again on gravel, and you were brought back to a few moments ago when you nearly fell over yourself.

"Jake! The cliff!" you cried out, desperately trying to push on his backpack. You could feel it, one or maybe two more inches, and you'd be slipping off the edge.

"Hang on to me!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" You shot back, your words laced with adrenaline-fueled irritation and fear. However, you did find your grip miraculously tightening further to anchor yourself to him. But you couldn't with your injured hand, trying desperately to wind it through the straps across the bag instead.

Jake's mind flickered rapidly between the bear and the crackling stone beneath his feet. "Okay, new plan. We let it charge, and we dodge."

"And your an action movie junkie, that's never going to work!" you rushed out. 

"What else do we have, Midge?!"

Honestly? Nothing.

Jake widened his stance, almost as if he was sizing up the bear. You mirrored his movement as best you could, though it seemed futile with your smaller stature.

"When I move, you move!" Jake's voice was sharp, a clear command, and if this were any other circumstance, your instinctive retort would have been a defiant, "Don't tell me what to do!"

For this?

 Nope. Have at it, Jake. Maybe they'll let me torture you in hell.

It was stupid. Idiotic even. But what else could the two of you do? You were literally boxed in—no way to go.

Then something popped under your foot. And above the frantic beating of your heart, more menacing than the bear's growls, came a sickly sound that made your blood run cold.

An ominous crack.

What followed was worse - a series of smaller yet equally sinister sounds and the feeling of pieces of stone wobbling beneath your feet. You didn't dare look down, for you already knew.

The damn cliff was falling apart.

"Jake!"  Your voice was desperate, trying to pierce through his concentration. But he hadn't heard you, solely focused on when this bear would finally decide to leap. Or maybe he did and thought it was you being scared.

You shoved at his back, but he was like a brick wall, and you had nothing to ground yourself with.

You shouldn't have tried to push him, either. The second you tried to apply some force behind another shove, a chunk of stone came loose, allowing the ground beneath your feet to give away.

You dropped with a cry, legs knocking hard into the fragmented pieces of stone, and you found yourself dangling, held aloft solely by the one strap of Jake's backpack. The elastic straps around your wrist had already snapped against your bandage, freeing your arm, and it waved out, reaching for something that had never been there in the first place.

Jake fell backwards at the weight, causing him to step back at an angle. He called out your name and tried to keep his eyes on the bear while trying to reach for you blindly. You were trying to bring your legs up to a section of stone that looked stable enough to not give under pressure so you might be able to grab his hand. But with how heavy your pack was, you couldn't gain enough momentum to swing your leg over, no matter how hard you tried.

Suddenly, his hand gripped the bend of your elbow hard enough that you were sure there would be bruises if either of you managed to get out of this in one piece.

"Let go, Midge! I'll pull you up!"

"The bear!"

"It's still deciding which one of us to eat first!"

"Don't take your eyes off it!"

"What do you think I'm doing? Picking daisies?!"

You weren't sure what was louder—the bear's unsettling clacking or the ominous sounds of stone shifting ominously under Jake's weight. The truth was, you didn't want to find out.

You let go, entrusting your entire weight into Jake's hold, crying out when you dropped a few inches. But whether it was your cry or Jake needing to ensure your safety over his own, he dared to take his eyes off the bear to glance over his shoulder.

That was all it took for everything to happen all at once.

The brief shift in his gaze, the twist of his waist, and the slight lean were enough to unsettle the already compromised ground beneath him. With a heart-sinking crack, the remaining piece of the cliffside he was perched on gave way.

The bear roared, charging forward at the prospect of losing its meal.  And Jake lost his balance, using the momentum to twist his body to fully face you, some last-minute attempt to ensure your safety if he could, with a look of a thousand promises he could never make nor keep.

But you didn't see it. You were too busy watching the last crumbling stone disappear from underneath Jake's boots before gravity took over, cruel and unforgiving, as you finally started to fall.

For a breathless moment, you were suspended in the air, Jake's figure falling forward with you, nothing but white overcast clouds behind him. His hand was still gripping your elbow, and his eyes were wide, the realization of what was about to occur striking him hard.

With a final decisive tug born out of desperation, Jake pulled you close as he tumbled over, your face colliding with the solid wall of his chest. His other arm wrapped around your back, around your bag, his body twisting mid-air with you in his grasp, ensuring in the split second before gravity claimed its due, you were on top of him, not beneath.

Then, with a terrifying rush, the two of you fell, the ground rushing up to greet you both. Another roar of the bear above faded into the roar of the wind in your ears. With the pit forming in the pit of your stomach, above the wind, the scream you produced vibrating against Jake's chest was worse.

What happened after that, you couldn't recall.

The world didn't fade but snapped to black.

Had to throw the cliffhanger in there somewhere? 😂😅💛

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Part 7 - My Blood - In-progress

[i8h0on]

is it over now? — yang jungwon

synopsis: after being gone for a year, y/n returns to her hometown, seoul. with the aim of recovering her lover, jungwon, she takes the risk of going to a party with her best friend. is her love lost forever?

genre: angst, literally

warnings: lots of swearing. mentions of alcohol, sex & smoking.

word count: 7.5k

﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒︵

I COMBED MY HAIR for the twentieth time that night, trying to disguise the frizz starting to build up in my long, black hair.

the big white clock on the glittery wall of my small room read 8:30 p.m, and nari, my best friend, hadn't made an appearance at the front door, lacking even her usual honk – a playful annoyance i had come to expect. that only meant one thing: she was too busy swallowing heeseung's mouth to remember to pick me up.

gazing into the mirror, i observed my precarious false eyelashes, a skill i'd mastered over time, now unstable, poised to detach. the subtle pink gloss on my lips was barely distinguishable from the natural color of them, and my blush made me look like i'd been slapped in the face. god, when did i get so bad at makeup?

reminiscing, i once held the title of sephora's most loyal customer, just as i dominated every store that tested my mom's credit card limits. however, that was all before she whisked me across the country. precisely one year ago, i hastily packed everything, boarding the first train to busan – akin to a real refugee. was it foolish? perspectives vary. the optimal choice? perhaps not. regret? not in the slightest.

my mother took me to a small village in the hills, where people didn't live so much with materialistic things and the atmosphere was more conservative. my appearance, in turn, was much lighter and more natural while i lived there. that’s probably why now i couldn’t even use a bronzer without looking stupid. it seemed that all the beauty tricks i had learned from vogue had gone down the drain.

i was too focused on correcting my dark circles with concealer when a sharp, deafening horn blared through the house, causing me to shake completely at the sudden sound and nearly go blind from the concealer that had stuck to my eye. nari, that bastard. she knew what she was doing.

— tell her i'm coming! — i shouted downstairs with no response.

i hurriedly grabbed my bag, put everything i thought i needed into it, put on my coat, took one more look in the mirror and flew out the door.

when i got to the living room, i saw my younger sister, iseul, propped up on the big mint-colored sofa munching on chips and watching "the penthouse" for the twenty-fourth time. this 14-year-old brat never did anything at home.

— could you, hum, for the first time in your life, be useful for something other than finishing off my chips? — i warned her. the youngest just gave me a debauched, childish look.

— you've been back for less than 24 hours and you already want to be the housewife?! relax, sis. — the audacity!

— when mom sees this greasy sofa, i want to see who's going to relax. — i hastily closed the door. i knew very well that my mother would go crazy when she saw it. the chips weren't even hers, dammit.

iseul had always been a cheeky child, but i never thought that a year away would make her any worse. she was impossible to live with, and i hadn't even spent that much time with her since i arrived, but it was enough to find her unbearable.

i ran over to nari's car, the black hyundai was still exactly the same, although it had a few more scratches than usual. nari loved to go on adventures, she was crazy.

i opened the car door and the familiar smell of vanilla filled my nostrils. so many memories in this car, my god. it seems like yesterday that my first drink ended in vomit on these very seats, there's still a little brown stain on them. and that time we ran afoul of the police for attempted trespassing? that was definitely the best, don't ask me why. we were very angry and annoying teenagers, at least under the influence of alcohol.

— y/n, my love, how i've missed you! — nari practically swallowed me up in a tight, cozy hug, and i don't know how she didn't break her back the way she squirmed all over the front seat. i hugged her even tighter, i missed her so much. we talked every day by facetime during the time i was away, but nothing matched having my best friend in the flesh by my side. i had been looking forward to this moment for months.

i met jeong nari in the first year of elementary school, when before she was the best-known girl in the school, she was still the girl that wore glitter elastics and bottle-bottom glasses. she helped me rebuild my sandcastle when a stupid older boy destroyed it with his footsteps, and we've been inseparable ever since. nari was the funniest girl i knew, it was impossible not to burst out laughing when i was next to her. even in the worst, most inconvenient situations, i would piss myself laughing whenever she opened her mouth.

she was the kind of girl who didn't need to make an effort for people to like her, who attracted attention even without any intentions. unlike most of the snobbish girls at my school, who tried to make it to the top by being cheap copies of regina george, nari stood out for being the most generous, fun person ever. she could go to school in a sweatshirt and bobsponge pants and easily still be the prettiest girl there. when you needed her, she was just there. always there. that's why she was so well-known, so loved. she was a ray of sunshine in such a dark city. there wasn't a single day that i didn't admire her, she was the best person ever. the spotlight was always on her face, her gorgeous face. not only was she popular, she was also extremely intelligent, her place at seoul university was already guaranteed. she really had it all, she was everything.

and i... well, you could say i was just... there. unlike jeong, i was the most sociably awkward girl seoul high had. not that i was an 80-year-old who spent her free time reading books in the living room in front of the chimney, not at all. i was just...me. although most of my senior year knew who y/n was, i was mostly known "nari's friend". not that it bothered me at all! i loved going unnoticed, living my life quietly and not having my name on everyone's lips every weekend. that is, with the exception of this one, for obvious reasons. "nari's friend is back in busan after 1 year completely missing" will be in the local papers, if you doubt it.

— i missed you too, girl. — i kissed her on the cheek as i undid the hug, not even remembering that heeseung was watching the intimate moment. — hi to you too, man. — i smiled slightly while we shaked our hands.

— it's good to see you again, y/n. — he said, smiling. lee heeseung was the classic heartthrob from every cliché movie, easily having all the girls in the world at his feet with a wink. the perfect match for nari, literally. i'm not sure how the two of them met, i've only been told that another friend of ours introduced them and since then they've been stuck together with permanent glue. cute. too cute.

i snuggled into the seat, preparing myself for the short journey. we were going to my supposed welcome party, according to nari herself. but in reality, i knew it was just another of jay's weekend parties at his luxurious mansion, and they'd taken the opportunity to stick me there. seriously, there weren't even enough people who knew me to fill a party in a house that size. but i was grateful for the attempt.

i spent the whole trip gossiping with my best friend, and surprisingly heeseung, about my boring and uninteresting life in busan for the whole year. unlike normal teenagers, who used to have the best experiences of their lives when they went to another city or abroad, i had nothing. as always, my life was so boring. the most exciting story i had was when i had to chase a flock of sheep down a mountain and almost died. wow. they couldn't even hide how sorry they were that my year had been so bad, even though nari made hilarious jokes about my misfortune. they also gave me all the updates about our (un)loved classmates, and no chance that yerim from english class was pregnant?! and that miyeong had cheated on her boyfriend with her neighbor?! i swear, my school was definitely not normal. about three hundred rich, snobbish teenagers together in one place, who even thought that would be a good idea? every week there was a new scandal, it was pure chaos.

another ten minutes or so and we arrived at the park house, music blaring from inside. i was always impressed by jay's ability to convince his neighbors, all of whom were just old men who surely went to bed at eight o'clock at night, not to call the police. when i was little, even using my little ukulele in the garage at four in the afternoon caused problems. having money has its advantages, i guess. we all got out of the car after nari parked.

— now, let me look at you properly, girl. — nari picked me up and spun me around like a doll, making me dizzy with so many pirouettes. — oh god, you look so gorgeous!

and look at that ass! have you been exercising, like… mountain climbing? — she joked, making me turn redder than i already was with that ridiculous blush. while she thought i was hot, i thought i was a bit fat, but i would never confess that out loud.

she looked at me like a proud mother, as if i were her baby who had just taken her first steps or said her first word. she was just like that, more dramatic than usual. — seriously y/n, you look more beautiful than ever. — the girl repeated, and if i didn't know better, i'd swear that her teary eyes were real. i didn't understand what all the compliments were about, after all, i didn't look very stunning. i wasn't wearing anything extravagant or attention-grabbing. i was wearing a black mini skirt, which was almost not mini at all, a white corset that was almost crushing my bones, and a black leather jacket. the most basic outfit you could wear for a night out. there must have been at least ten girls in the same outfit as me in there. probably more attractive, but still.

i even tried to dress up a bit more and try to look more attractive, but the sequined dress made me look like a mirrorball, not to mention all the other dresses i tried on and they all made me look like what i did best: pathetic. i just gave up on the idea, preferring to go in a more comfortable way. well, apart from the fact that i wasn't very comfortable. but if i really came the way i wanted, i'd be laughed at. who would wear a minnie sweatshirt to a party? one way or another, as soon as i stepped inside that mansion, i was going to seriously regret my fashion decisions by comparing myself to the other girls, it was something habitual already. i didn't even have to go in, because the dress nari was wearing, which made her look like a real angel, made me regret ever coming. i was just...me, again. at least my clothes were good, but they weren't outstanding, like always.

i breathed heavily as we headed for the door, nervousness taking over my body once again. y/n, it was just a fucking party. a party that, by the way, didn't even focus on me. all i needed to do for the next few hours was smile and pretend that my months away had actually been interesting. as i was the most awkward girl ever, it certainly wasn't going to end well.

heeseung opened the big door, and the music that was already blaring throughout the condominium just blared in my ears, making me almost deaf. i walked down the long corridor with great difficulty, having to apologize every time i took a step for accidentally bumping into someone. for god's sake, there were at least a thousand people there. how could a place full of hormonal teenagers, dripping with sweat and with disgusting alcohol breath, attract anyone? well, i couldn't answer, because i only knew the answer when i was already under the influence of shots of vodka. while the alcohol wasn't injecting itself into my veins, which was when i become a completely different person, i just sat on the sofa, waiting for someone to talk to. i only became sociable under the influence of alcohol, something i started using to try not to be so introverted. needless to say, it went horribly wrong; i even had my stomach pumped. my parents still won't talk about it. fair enough.

i sighed heavily for the thirtieth time inside that house, when we passed the death row and saw someone we knew. it was none other than park sunghoon, one of heeseung's best friends and also one of the best ice skaters in high school. as well as being talented, he was also very attractive, although his jokes were never funny. we hardly ever exchanged a word, only in biology lessons from time to time, when he didn't know what page was in the book. apart from these interactions, i rarely spoke to him, but we had many friends in common.

— nari, heeseung. — the tall boy announced, greeting the two as if they were great partners. i mean, they really were, i just wasn't aware of his sudden closeness to my best friend. he looked at me, as if i were some kind of exotic animal he'd never seen before, and smiled after a while. — y/n, i see you're back. did you like boston?! — he said in a calm voice, barely able to understand his words in all the noise.

— busan, i went to busan. — i said out loud. boston?! for heaven's sake. he looked at me, his pupils more dilated than the milky way. well, at least he hadn't changed one bit. even though i wasn't his friend, all the students at seoul high knew about sunghoon's love for weed. and it was clear to see. he started laughing at himself. — yes, that's it, busan... did you like it?

i forced a smile, trying not to look unpleasant. — you have no idea. — he nodded, even though i was sure he hadn't heard a word i'd said. but it was okay, he seemed too drugged to understand, or drunk. i felt sorry for his stomach. and for him too, the next day he was going to wake up with a head heavier than a stone.

he exchanged a few more words with lee and disappeared like dust into the crowd, leaving the three of us alone again. nari approached me.

— hee and i are going to talk to the basketball team, do you want to come? — i tried my best to understand, the seoul accent not helping my thinking. the basketball team, although good at what they did, were too noisy for my liking. when they weren't disturbing everyone's class with the noise of their balls on the court, they were making a complete mess of the school corridors.

— no thanks sweetie, i'll be fine here. — i lied. no, i wouldn't be fine over there. i hardly knew anyone, not well enough to hang out at a party for a while. i wasn't even planning on drinking that night.

— are you sure?

— yes, don't worry, i'll call you. — i reassured her. did i even have a battery in my phone? i didn't even bother to check it before i left the house, what a responsible daughter i was.

she just smiled at me, probably tired of screaming in my ear, and the couple disappeared. i was completely alone now. i looked around. rihanna's "don't stop the music" was blasting everywhere, while all i could see was people rubbing up against each other. gross. i preferred to leave that pornographic scene and headed for the kitchen. well, at least the kitchen i remembered being in the house. i'd be pretty screwed if he'd changed the rooms.

i was hoping that the situation would ease up a bit in the kitchen, but it was the same, if not worse. people making out, kegs of beer in every corner, drinking games, some questionable attitudes, just another normal night in this house. i headed for the sink, where i hoped to find fresh water, which was all i needed at the moment. i don't know if i needed a glass or a whole barrel of it, but i definitely needed it. i filled a plastic cup, which was certainly covered in sexually transmitted diseases or questionable fluids, with water. i drank it in two seconds, not even realizing how thirsty i was.

i was about to put the second glass in my mouth when someone spoke up next to me.

— y/n. — someone spoke, and i immediately recognized that voice as more annoying than my algebra teacher. it was nishimura ri-ki, my seatmate. the most annoying person on this planet, universe if you ask me.

— in flesh and blood. — i tried to sound as nonchalant as possible with my answer, certainly failing. ri-ki was not only the most annoying person in the world, but also the most chatty. his soul was like that of a gossipy old lady, always talking. if she even said anything at all, it was only to pick on me.

— i can see my daily rest is over. — he said in a tone that was too sarcastic for my liking. i raised an eyebrow.

— i beg your pardon? who spends all their lessons talking about their lego cars instead of paying attention? — i asked, intrigued. he just laughed, something that wasn't very common in our regular conversations.

— that never happened. — he said resolutely. of course, it never happened. just as it never happened that he almost got kicked out of class for painting his fingernails. it definitely never happened.

— yes, ri-ki, that never happened. — he looked at me strangely, i probably looked crazy. his expression softened, and he quickly walked away with a slight smile.

— enjoy the party.

did nishimura ri-ki just smile at me? not to make fun of me, or laugh at my misfortune? boy, things were different around here. very different. i decided not to make a big deal out of it, i just assumed he was drunk too. i leaned against the bar and looked around, anxious for the time to leave.

i was bored, trying to recognize the faces around me, which by the way were all the same, despite slight changes, like how wonyoung was blonde or how jeno had stopped wearing his glasses. strange. i analyzed every corner of the room, remembering everyone who was there. i knew all the details of their lives, but they didn't even know my surname if they were lucky. if i hadn't become friends with nari, i probably wouldn't even be allowed in here…but god must have blessed me, he knew i'd been through enough humiliation. but it was still a bit of a shame. sitting on a balcony completely alone while everyone else seemed to be having the time of their lives wasn't much fun, nor was it new. it happened almost all the time, especially when i didn't have nari to distract me.

i was about to fall asleep leaning against the fridge when something caught my attention. in a far corner was a large group of boys, probably athletes due to the width of their shoulders. just like everyone else in there, they were getting drunk and definitely laughing out loud at something that shouldn't even be funny. it was a huge group, about 15 guys. i watched each one, fully remembering everyone. they were almost all part of jay, sunghoon and heeseung's group, which, by the way, was the most popular in high school. surprise? i don't think so. it was too clichéd, it felt like i was in a cheap version of high school musical. i'd like to believe that i was gabriella, but deep down i know that i was just an extra in other people's lives.

jesus, even that boy who barely opened his mouth, lee sohee, seemed to be integrating very well into that circle of friends. and soobin... hadn't he been transferred? i needed to catch up on the gossip urgently.

nothing was catching my eye apart from the large hickey on one of their necks, which didn't shock me at all, until i laid eyes on one of them.

suddenly, it felt like an electric charge all over my body, every hair standing on end. my heart, which was already heavy, accelerated to its maximum, bringing me close to a heart attack. it was like losing all the strength in my muscles at once, only not collapsing thanks to the support of the wall behind me. my lungs were deprived of air, causing me to gasp within seconds. it wasn't just any teenager, it was him.

his eyes met mine, and i could have sworn that for the tiniest second, the whole house fell silent. as if all the walls had shrunk and were crushing both my body and my soul. it was really him.

yang jungwon.

even in that dark crowd, i could see his features perfectly. my god, he looked exactly the same. perhaps a little darker, but it was still him. completely him. not an evil twin or a trick of my own mind, it was him. beautiful as always. my heart almost leapt out of my mouth when his smile fell as soon as he noticed me, as if i had sucked up all the happiness. well, i technically did. not at that moment, perhaps, but definitely a year ago, when i disappeared without a trace. when i left him hanging outside my house for hours, while i was already in another city. when i didn't answer any more of his messages. when i literally took his pure heart and shattered it into a thousand pieces.

the eye contact, which made me sick, only lasted a few seconds, as he immediately turned to his friends. but it was enough to make my emotions run wild. the regret of being there only tripled, i was about to throw up. all the memories of my actions were turning my stomach, it felt like i'd drunk a whole barrel of beer.

the world was about to collapse, i needed to get out of there urgently. i rushed outside, disoriented by the huge halls. i didn't even care about bumping into people anymore, i wanted them to fuck off. i just needed some fresh air to free my lungs, which were about to explode. i didn't have asthma, but i was faithfully considering a diagnosis. i ran in as clumsily as possible, narrowly escaping a glass of drink falling on me. don't these people have any manners?

when i finally reached a large balcony, it was as if a weight had been lifted off me. fortunately, i was alone. perfect. i sat down on the small purple sofa, crossed my legs and let myself sink into my thoughts. i was about to have a psychotic break.

yang jungwon, literally the love of my life, had pretended that my existence was null and void after a year without any contact. i mean, morally correct, he did more than he should have. if i had been in his position, i wouldn't even have bothered to look at myself. what was i expecting? a kiss and a bunch of flowers? after all the shit i've done? boy, i was really a fool. fool to believe that he would forgive me, if i didn't even believe it. i just talked myself out of it all year so that the guilt would subside. deep down, i knew i was more guilty than a murderer. and for a year, it was really the only thing i felt. something that consumed me every day in an exhausting way, eating me alive. just thinking about every call denied, every message ignored... my heart shrunk like a helpless animal.

i remember that day for the twentieth time.

it was early in the morning and i was clearly upset and fed up with my life. all i wanted to do was disappear, and so i did. no advance warning, nothing... i just vanished like magic into thin air. i tried to make excuses in my head, but there simply weren't any. i was just an idiot.

i was trapped inside my own head when i felt a hand on my shoulder. i flinched, startled by the sudden movement. i was about to punch person when i realized it was nari, great relief bursting from my lips.

— you’re here! i have been looking for you everywhere!

her face, which until then had been laughing, quickly turned into a sad expression when her eyes met mine. damn, was i that ugly for everyone to change their mood when they looked at me?

she sat down on the sofa next to mine, remaining silent for a few moments, with only the muffled sound of pitbull's "she doesn't mind" echoing in the background. i didn’t knew what to say.

— you saw him, didn't you? — those words came out almost as a whisper, as if she was afraid of my answer. i took a long pause.

— yes, i did.

— are you okay? — she asked calmly.

— i’m fine. — i said harshly. i didn't want to talk about it, because i knew i'd end up in tears. i didn’t want to be seen crying all over school on the first day back. actually, i didn't want to expose my feelings, because i knew that once i started, i'd never stop.

she came closer, enveloping me in a warm hug. god, i loved her hugs.

— you know i'm here for you, don't you? for everything. — she said firmly. i admired her so much.

— i know, nari, and i love you for it. but i'm fine, seriously. — she looked at me again. i knew that look. she felt sorry for me, as if i were someone without any hope. well, maybe i was. the hug lasted a few more seconds before i pulled away from her. the warmth of the hug quickly turned cold, the gentle wind giving me goosebumps. i was so focused on the situation that i didn't even notice it was freezing outside.

— he's in the garden. i saw him a few minutes ago. — and with that comment, she stood up and disappeared back into the crowd.

she knew perfectly well what she was doing, torturing me psychologically. she knew how much i wanted to talk to him, and how much i would fight against my will. if my impulses were faster than my neurons, i'd be out of here by now. but i couldn't, i just couldn't. i wanted it, oh god, i wanted it more than anything. but i couldn't. i just sat there, my ass already sore from sitting there for so long.

time passed and passed, and that thought didn't leave me for a second. i tried everything. i tried creating random couples on the dance floor, i tried counting how many blue plastic cups there were in that house... i really did. but it was swallowing me up.

i couldn't stand it any longer and got up.

fuck this shit.

i passed through the disgusting crowd once again, this time like a real hurricane. i was getting used to it. i ran as if my life depended on it, until i reached the garden.

just as my best friend said, there he was. on his back, leaning against one of the pillars of the house's white façade, watching the sky, which was full of stars. he was obsessed with astronomy. even from the back he was handsome. was that even possible?

once again, my heart began to beat excessively. my hands were shaking more and more with every step i took, my legs were weak. the desire to stay and the desire to flee were fighting each other in a brutal way. i needed to do that. i needed to find an end point. seeing my life flash before me, i leaned against his side.

— hi.

my voice came out trembling. i didn't dare look at him, but i could feel his eyes watching me, burning my face like lasers. i waited for an answer, but nothing came out of his mouth, as expected.

he took a packet out of his jeans pocket and took out a cigarette, lighting it in front of me. the act surprised me a little, as the jungwon i knew was the biggest hater of smokers. he was acting as if i wasn't even there. childish, but i couldn't judge him.

— ignorance game, got it. — i said it without thinking twice.

he let the air out of his lungs with extreme ease. the disgusting smell quickly reached my nostrils, making my nose twitch.

— i thought you liked that game. — ouch. the ease with which those words came out of his mouth hit me like a sharp knife. who was that and what had happened to my jungwon?

— i don’t.

— well…— he paused. —…i guess i was wrong.

— you are wrong about many things. — i attacked.

i was expecting a reaction, but all i heard was his laughter. even though i wasn't looking at him, i could picture his dimples perfectly.

— thank god that’s something that we both agree. — i didn't understand his metaphor.

silence quickly filled the garden again.

various things were going through my head, but no words seemed good enough to say out loud. i just wanted to end it once and for all. i turned to him, finally seeing his handsome figure, and then, at the speed of light, i let words slip out. i spoke so fast at that moment that i could easily be considered eminem's daughter.

— look, jungwon im sorry. i never meant to hurt y….

— stop. — his rough voice echoed at a higher volume, cutting off my speech in a harsh manner.

i tried again.

— no, let me apologize, i’m really sorr….

— i don’t need your apology for shit. — oh. he used a curse word. yang rarely used cuss words like that, it was a warning. he was pissed. i was fucked.

— i can explain, please…

— your explanation date has expired. — he just kept cutting off my hopes, one by one.

— please, just hear me! — the desperation was noticeable in my tone.

i was sure that if someone were watching this scene, they'd laugh at me. i was making a fool of myself. i looked like i'd gone back to the age of 5 and was asking my mother for ice cream in the supermarket. how pathetic.

— i’d rather be deaf than listen to your voice again. get the fuck out of here. — he was definitely losing patience. but i couldn't give up. each insult hurt me more.

— no jungwon, please, listen to me just for a second. — i was ready to kneel in front of him and kiss his feet. maybe i'd be stoned in a public square for my sins. i just needed him to listen to me, just once.

— if you dont go i will. — he gave me an ultimatum.

i wasn't going anywhere.

i stood there, about a meter away from him, static. i wasn't going to leave, not again.

realizing that i wasn't going to disappear from his sight, he just shook his head, turned on his heels and headed into the house. the roles were reversed. it would be comical if it weren't tragic.

my blood boiled. why the fuck was he being like this? i could feel the anxiety and fear being filled with anger. i was getting sick of it.

— so, its that? you just run from your problems? — i screamed with all my will, hoping it would reach his ears in the middle of all the noise.

he instantly stopped. it definitely hit him.

i saw his silhouette turn. he approached me slowly, without saying anything. i trembled completely. he seemed to be struggling with his own thoughts.

— who the fuck do you think you are? — it came out almost as a whisper. a gentle breeze that reached me like a hurricane.

i felt my insides squirm.

— excuse me? — i said, not believing it. i felt so tiny next to him.

— you heard what i said. — if looks could kill, i'd already be decomposing.

— who the actual fuck you think you are? do you think you are that important to come to this party wich, by the way, you werent even invited, and just decide that i exist again?

— you always existed to me.

— stop. im sick of your bullshit. — the only one who was sick there was me. i wanted to throw up.

— it’s not bullshit, i swear.

— oh really? thats not what it looked like in the last 12 months. — it was as if i had ripped the entire vocabulary out of my mind with that sentence. i didn't know what to say. i only could utter apologies.

— look, i’m so sorry, i didn’t meant to. i’m so sorry, i shouldn't have done that.

— no, you did the right thing. it made me realize who you really were. they only thing you shouldn’t had did was come back here.

i could feel the tears threatening to come out.

— i was very unhappy with myself, you can't imagine. i had family and addiction problems, all i wanted to do was get away from this place...i was losing my mind.

he laughed evilly.

— and you still have the nerve to accuse me of running away from my problems? i've realized what you are.

— what am i….?

— a fucking psycho. what did you think, hm? that you would come back and i would see you and your pretty face and run away to your arms? no y/n, im sorry to break your little fantasy, but that is not happening. im not doing this again. — he raised his voice, practically screaming at me. i could see how angry he was.

— you have to believe me, i never had the intentions….

— imagine if you had. — he laughed at his own joke. it was driving me crazy.

— i’m being serious jungwon, i never meant to hurt y…

— gosh you are so annoying! — he finally exploded. — for god’s sake! can’t you just take responsability for your actions and stop acting like a twelve years old for a moment in your life? stop trying to find excuses to it, just stop!

— i was stressed, okay?! my life was falling apart, i needed to go! — i was screaming too without even realizing it.

— right, how convenient of you.

fucker.

— you know what? it's not because your life is perfect that others have it too. it's not my fault that i wasn't born into the same world as spoiled rich people like you.

— my life is not perfect. — he shot back.

— oh really? i'm sorry, your life must be really bad for your only concern to be which car you're going to choose for your 18th birthday. i’m really sorry, it must be really hard for you, poor jungwon.

i vividly remember all the moments when i realized that yang and i were from different realities. like when he went to school by private car while i had to wake up every day at 5am to catch the bus, or when his bedroom was twice the size of my entire house. i always felt bad about it, even though he said it wouldn't change anything in our relationship. and it was true. but still, i felt bad everytime i stepped into that house. that seemed to move him. he briefly paused the discussion.

— yea, my life is fucking perfect. my mother died in a car accident three months ago and my family's company is close to bankruptcy. but you're right, my life is perfect.

i froze. i could feel his voice trembling. my god, poor jungwon. he loved his mother more than anything. mrs. yang was the sweetest person i knew, not counting her son. how come i didn't get this news? oh my god.

— i’m so sorry, i didn’t kn….

— that’s exactly your fucking problem! you didn’t knew! you didn’t even care to know! — he was in pain. he had every right to.

— don’t say that, i always cared about you!

— no the fuck you don’t, you only care about yourself. when things don't go your way, you cry like a baby. this is not a fairy tale, y/n!

my fist itched to punch him. he was being so cruel. but was he lying? no. i really was childish. there was nothing i hated more than not having my plans the way i wanted them to be, i lose a neuron every time something goes backfired.

— i’m telling you, i was in trouble. how many times do i have to repeat? — i was getting tired of screaming. my voice was already getting hoarse.

— and that’s how you deal with your shit?! you just run away without thinking about others? wow — he started clapping at me. — how empathetic of you.

— you wouldn’t understand me, i was afraid of telling you…— no i wasn’t. i just simply didn’t want to. i didn’t wanted to bother.

— i was your fucking boyfriend! that’s what we are supposed to do, be there for each other no matter what!

he couldn't get enough.

— i know it, i know you were! — i approached him, hoping to find some forgiveness in his eyes. but nothing, nothing but hatred.

— you’re right, i was there for everything. and if i wasn’t, was because you didn’t wanted me to. now let me ask, y/n. — he paused. — when was the last time that you were there for me?

he asked me the rhetorical question, remaining silent for a few seconds. — ‘cause if i can remember, you left me at my worst.

i had a lump in my throat. i could think of nothing. i couldn't do this for much longer. i was as fragile as a glass vase, about to break at any moment.

— i am so, so sorry. there hasn't been a day when i haven't thought about the shit i've done. please, i'm so sorry…— i grabbed his hand, hoping to find some sign of life in that dead love, some hope. but nothing, absolutely nothing. it was empty.

he stared at me for a few seconds, as if he were studying me. god... those eyes. they were the death of me. i kept stroking his hand, seeking warmth in the midst of his coldness.

for a moment, i could have sworn that something inside him changed, as if he had softened.

i was beginning to believe that his next move would be a kiss because of the way he approached me. i could hear my heart beating as loudly as the jbl speakers at the party. had i succeeded? had this story come to an end?

he let go of my hand.

— well, i hope that haunts you for the rest of your life. i hope it's on your mind every second, minute, hour, month, year, decade. i hope it torments you so much that it drives you insane. i hope you never forgive yourself, just as i don't. ever.

as always, all my expectations were violently snatched away from me by fate.

i was about to fall off the cliff, i mean, to be thrown off it.

— jungwon, it is not that deep. — the words came out of my mouth faster than my mind would let them. like a bucket of cold water, they fell on him like sharp knives.

his eyes filled with tears. i had hit rock bottom.

— not that deep, you said. — his voice broke. — y/n, i i loved you. did you even realize that? — he paused again. i was fighting back tears.

— i loved you with every bone, muscle and cell in my heart. i loved you with all my strength. i loved all your traits, both physical and psychological, even the ones you hated. i loved your fucking sensitive and stubborn personality. i loved your laugh and also the hilarious way you cry. i loved the way you tie your cords and the way you eat cereal in the morning. i loved you drunk, drugged, crying, sleepy and sick. i loved you from the moment i first saw you in the library. i loved you with my whole soul. and all you managed to do was kill that love.

tears rolled down his face like a real ocean, his face was red. even in that state he was the most beautiful boy i had ever seen. i didn't look any different, i had surrendered to my sadness from the moment he said the first three words. it was hurting me so much, more than any physical pain i've ever felt. not even breaking my leg in fourth grade made me cry so much.

— i loved you too, i loved you so much. — i confesed. i used to love him so much.

i still did.

he was the first and only boy i truly loved, with all my heart. he was the first boy i trusted with my body, my trust, my soul. he was the love of my life, but perhaps not the love for my life.

— no, you didn’t. because when you love someone, you don't do shit that hurts them. ever. and that's the only thing you knew how to do. — he was totally sobbing. we were like two children fighting over a toy.

— please, i know i hurted you, let me reward you. we can fix this, we can if we want…— i was so desperate. i couldn't let him go, i just couldn't.

he took a step back. shit.

— that’s the thing, i don’t want to. i never want to have anything to do with you again. i don't want to be near you, to breathe, to talk. i don't even want to exist in the same place as you never again in my life. do you hear me? i will ensure that your existence is as significant as an ant.

i felt like i'd just been hit in the back of the head with a brick. my vision was blurred, i was dizzy, helpless. my make-up was smeared and my hair was tangled.

it felt like my whole life had been sucked out of me.

it wasn't happening, it wasn't. it couldn't be happening. it had to be some kind of prank. the tears came out of me automatically, i almost drowned in them.

— now, do me and everyone in this town a favor and disappear. again.

and with that, he turned his back on me and went into the mansion.

— but i still love you. — i yelled one last time.

he stopped, and turned his head.

— that is your problem.

[pepsiboyy]

beyond the contract - part 3

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8

pairing: matt sturniolo x reader summary: where the sturniolo triplets are part of an organization known as the eclipse alliance, matt has constantly failed to pull through with pulling the trigger on a target. fed up, their boss gives matt one last chance, where he is sent to northside high school to get some answers out of a girl. warnings: just cursing! author's note: THIS CHAPTER IS SO IMPORTANT u guiys dont even KNOW YET ok enjoy <3 lov u all WC: 1631 lowercase intentional !!

to tell the truth, matt had no idea what he was doing.

"why don't you just distance yourself?"

"you signed up for it, no?"

nick's words echoed in his head as he bit his lip and sat up, raising his hand to run through his hair rather than picking at his fingernails.

"wanna get out of here?"

-

"where are we going?" i questioned after a few moments of silence. "you're not gonna like... i don't know, murder me?" i joked, lightening the mood a bit. i felt relief washed over me when i saw matt smile softly.

"of course not," he responded softly, as i continued to follow him. we had walked through the streets and into a foresty area with many trees and some hills. matt would step over everything expertly and mutter a soft, "watch your step," to me each time. i could tell he had taken this route on multiple occasions.

"i thought you said you knew a spot," i breathed, checking my phone to see fifteen minutes had gone by.

"i promise it's worth it," he responded as he smiled and pulled a few bush branches out of the way, making sure i got through before letting them go. "here," he breathed and turned to me.

i shifted my gaze from matt to the sight in front of me, my eyes widening. it didn't even look real.

the way the trees perfectly aligned across the soft pond, where the water ran slowly and fireflies danced across the muggy water. there were logs along the edges, one was propped in a nice spot. matt headed towards that specific log.

"i come here a lot when i have to think, or when i get bored." he mumbled as he sat down on the log and patted beside him, motioning for me to sit with him.

i took his offer and slowly sat beside him, looking around before letting out a soft, breathy chuckle. "what, so my tutoring bored you?" i joked.

"yeah, a little bit," he responded as he smiled softly and i smacked his arm.

we sat in silence for a moment as we listened to the water run through the pond, before a question came to my mind. i turned to matt and tilted my head slightly.

"why did you transfer to northside high?"

matt seemed to let out a hefty sigh, biting his lip. he turned away as he began to pick at his fingernails a bit again. "uhh, i dropped out at one point and decided to go back to school," he mumbled, a little bit faster than most of his statements.

i nodded as i smiled and turned back to the water. "i see. i'm proud of you for trying again," i breathed, and matt turned to me. "i mean, as much as people shit on school, i've met a lot of amazing people and learned some awesome things, even if it means i have to learn that the estimated number of moves possible in a single game of chess is greater than the amount of atoms in the universe." i mumbled, shrugging.

"where in the hell did you learn that?" matt mumbled, smiling softly and seeming to loosen up a bit.

i shrugged and stared in front of me. "chemistry."

a bit of silence washed over us both as we sat peacefully and stared at the water.

"would you wanna go out sometime?" matt shifted slightly where he sat as he spoke.

i turned my head to matt and blinked a few times, a bit of shock running over me.

"i mean, i know we just met-" he defends, but you quickly cut him off, smiling at him.

"yeah, i'd love to." i responded, and matt smiled softly at me, nodding as he turned his head back to the water.

a few more moments of silence went on, and matt gently moved his hand to rest on top of mine, not making eye contact.

i turned to him and smiled warmly, scooting a bit closer to him and resting my head against his shoulder.

-

"you asked her out?" chris blurted, as nick stood beside him and pressed his fingers to his forehead while shaking his head.

"i- i don't know, it was just in the moment, and-"

"you're so fucked, matt." nick stated calmly as he took a seat beside him and gently set a hand on his back.

matt shrugged and sighed. "it's bad, i tried to distance myself and i folded. i really did. you guys should see her, she's really sweet.. and pretty, too.." he whispered, intertwining his hands together and resting them on his forehead as he leaned his elbows against the counter. he was kind of freaking out.

"what's her insta," chris pressed, pulling out his phone.

matt turned to him with a look of disbelief. "dude," he breathed and turned to nick, who just shrugged.

"well, what is it?" the older questioned, making matt groan.

after a few moments of looking, chris found your instagram and blinked a few times. "oh yeah, you're fucked dude." he mumbled as he turned the phone to nick.

nick let out a long, exasperated sigh. "i'll see what i can do, matt, but your options are extremely limited."

"maybe i'm not cut out for this," matt replied coldly, standing up from his seat. "i really can't see myself harming someone, i don't understand how-"

"matt," nick mumbled as he stood in front of him and set his hands on either of his shoulders. he looked into his eyes before sighing.

"no, i'm serious, nick," he gently pushed his arm away from him and stepped back, looking at chris, who had a concerned expression on his face.

matt took in a deep breath. "i can't do this, not to her.." he mumbled as he stood up and left the kitchen, going straight to his room.

nick let out a deep sigh as he buried his face in his hands.

chris moved to him and gently rubbed his shoulder. "give him some time, nick. he'll come around." he breathed before heading down the stairs to his own room.

-

matt scrunched up his nose as he looked at the papers being taped onto the walls in the hallway before scoffing. "what're they doing, remodeling the place?"

i scoffed and shook my head, walking closely beside him as i held my backpack straps closely in my hands. "no, advertising.. prom is coming up," i breathed, and smiled softly.

matt shrugged and hummed softly to himself. "loud music, lots of people dry humping each other.. i'm good." he chuckled, and i smirked and lightly hit his arm.

"come on, matt.. you know you wanna go," i giggled as i stopped at my locker, and matt leaned on the one beside me as he watched me, the corners of his lips upturned slightly.

"not really, parties and stuff aren't really my thing." he shrugged, watching me as i went through my books within the locker. i felt my cheeks heat up at the feeling of his gaze resting on me.

"i guess i can see that," i mumbled in response before shutting my locker. "but think about it.. after going back to school and whatnot.. it's your senior year too, right? why not give it a shot?"

matt watched me as i spoke, and after a few moments once i was done, he let out a breathy chuckle as he looked down and shook his head, arms crossed as he leaned against the locker. "i'll think about it," he responded softly, before lifting himself off of the locker and beginning to walk in the direction of our class, where i closely followed beside him.

-

footsteps echoed against the tile in the large and empty room.

"sir, i feel that matt should be excluded from the eclipse alliance corporation," chris's voice rang as he swallowed, clearly a bit nervous to be speaking with their coordinator. he kept his arms at his sides as he looked at the man. "he cares a lot.. about people around him," chris started, but he was quickly cut off.

"does he not care about his family within the corporation?" he breathed, his voice calm.

chris swallowed as he looked down as his feet. he took in a deep breath. "uhh, i think he-"

"look at me when you speak to me." the man stated firmly, and chris immediately lifted his head.

"right, sorry sir," he started, before clearing his throat and biting his lip. "i think matt cares a lot, too much even, and it's making it hard for him to act on the tasks he's given. nick and i wanted to ask you if there's anything we can do, or any advice we should give him?" he stated, the last part flowing a lot quicker than the rest. chris was practically shaking in his boots, to put it simply.

"matthew has a deadline. april 25th. if his task is not finished, he is cut." he started, before cocking an eyebrow. "have you and nicolas... told him yet?" he questioned.

chris looked down at his feet and took in a deep breath as he looked up at their coordinator. "nick and i are waiting for the right time." he stated, almost with confidence, as he knew they were doing the right thing.

"very well. is this all?" the man spoke, and chris nodded softly.

"yes, thank you for your time," he breathed as he waved and began to walk in the other direction. he let out a shaky breath of relief as he continued to walk, his forehead now dripping in sweat. "he has no idea," chris whispered as he let out a shaky sigh.

"i'm so sorry, matt."

taglist;; @star-saturn-xx @sturniolo-girl @p1xieswrld @rac00ns-are-c00l4 @sweetbabydoe

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

19 with Dwayne please!!🫶

"I'm trapped! The sun's coming up and - please help... please?"

I hope you like this!💜

------------------------------

I took a slow, deep breath as I looked at my surroundings. Rocks. The ground was solid rock, the walls were solid rock - and I had no idea how I was going to get out of here. If I had fed, like Dwayne had advised me, I might have been able to fly out of the hole I'd found myself trapped in. The problem was that I hadn't been able to. I couldn't feed. I had frozen up, I had panicked, I had looked on in horror when the boys tore their victims apart...

I hadn't known what to do. I had been scared, not realising that this was what they had in mind when it came to feeding. It hadn't even been my decision - to change, that is. I hadn't been ready to change. I definitely hadn't been ready to feed. But Max had demanded that I changed and fed, and so David and the others were obliged to follow his command. Dwayne had told me so, just so I would know that it wasn't his choice to force me into this. I had known that. I had also known that I had no choice: if I didn't do as the boys told me, they would be in trouble. Honestly, no one would be able to win in this situation. And, honestly, I somehow managed to let both me and the boys loose. Great.

I sighed, ignoring the hunger I felt. When they'd talked about feeding, I had imagined a quick, clean hunt. A single bite, draining one victim of its blood, and that was it. I thought it would be similar to what one would see in those old black and white movies. This bloodbath? It was horrifying. And in my fear, I'd done something stupid.

I stood on the top of the hill, frozen, trying to catch my breath and failing to do so. And there he was, holding my hands, grounding me.

"Breathe, love. Look at me," he said softly, waiting for me to do so. He pulled me closer, embracing me. We stood there for a while until I pushed away.

"It's horrible." I said after a while, my voice no louder than a whisper.

"The first time always is. It doesn't matter whether you kill quick or slow - people have to die in order for us to thrive."

"I don't - not like this.. you never said it would be like this? You- why would you not tell me?"

Dwayne sighed. "Because I knew how you'd respond. If it were up to me, we would have gone about it differently."

"Then why didn't you?"

"It wasn't up to me. You know that."

I was beginning to feel angrier with the second, and he just stayed calm. Compassionate. He understood. And that, above all else, pissed me off.

"You could have stopped them."

"No."

"You could have told me! You could have told me that I'd have to slaughter people like that!" I yelled at him.

"If I hadn't brought you here tonight, you would have been force fed by our sire. You don't want that."

"You don't know what I want! I didn't want any of this! I didn't want to -" I paused to take a breath, turning away from him. "I hate what you made me."

And then I ran. Over the hills, through the trees, all the way back to the cave. I sprinted down the stairs, slipping the final step and landing badly on my ankle. I cried out, both in pain and frustration. I got up, limping further and further into the cave, deeper than I'd ever been before. I couldn't see, and I just kept moving forward. Until forwards stopped. And the ground beneath me disappeared. I screamed as I fell, crying out when I landed.

I had already realised that I wouldn't get out of here on my own. There was no way I could climb up the smooth, rock walls. I sunk to the ground, leaning my head on my knees. I sighed, taking a deep breath, and realised I was crying. I hated how I'd lashed out at him, what I'd said, and how I ran. I hated that I had hurt him, that I let my fear control me - and how stupid I was for not talking about feeding before going with them. I cried until my tears no longer fell down my cheeks. It was only then, after I had stopped crying that I looked up. The pit I was in had gotten lighter.

I stared up with wide eyes, realising that I could see the night sky. The moon was still high, but I could already see the sky beginning to lighten, a dark orange visible. I shivered at the thought of this - sunlight would enter this pit. I would get severely burned if I didn't get out - apparently, even half vampires could not stay in the sun for long without experiencing any harm. If I didn't get out, my last conversation with Dwayne would have been one where I'd been angry and scared. Where I told him I hated him. That while I could say without a single doubt that he was the only person on this planet I ever truly loved. And I hadn't even gotten the chance to tell him that yet.

He had been my friend when I lost my friends. I had been his when some kids almost gotten them killed. I had learned to love life through him, and he'd told me that somehow I had made his eternity seem way too short. I had started leaving him little gifts whenever I had to leave the cave during the day, and I noticed that he did the same if he had to leave me in the early morning. No matter what happened, I realised he was my home. Every day, I woke up, excited by the prospect of seeing him again, of being with him again - and now, stubborn and scared as I was, I was about to burn in the sunlight without ever telling him what he meant to me.

"I don't know where they went. They're not here." I heard Paul's voice in the distance. The boys had come back home.

"Are you sure? Where else would -"

"Dwayne?!" I called out, my voice thick and raw.

I heard footsteps running towards me, and I called out again.

"I'm trapped! The sun's coming up, and please help... please?" My last please came out uncertain, almost as a plea.

"How did you get in here? Are you alright?" Dwayne stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at me.

"I think so. I didn't pay attention to where I was going and-"

I stopped talking as Dwayne jumped down, landing next to me as if it was nothing. I looked at him, not sure what to do. "I'm sorry for how I lashed out."

"I know," he nodded. "Next time, don't yell at the one who's always been there for you."

I nodded, trying to ignore the tears welling up in my eyes. He softly brushed them away with his thumb before holding me and flying up to the edge of the pit. We didn't say anything to each other as we retreated to my bedroom, both getting ready to go to sleep.

"I was so scared that the last thing I'd said to you would have been that I hated you." I said softly, unable to sleep.

Dwayne looked at me but didn't say anything, so I continued. "Because I don't. I don't hate that you changed me. I'm scared sometimes about what it all means, but I know -" I sighed, taking a deep breath. "I realised down there that - I, well, I don't think I can describe how much I actually love you. And I never even told you that..."

"You told me now." His hand brushed lazily through my hair. "And I'm glad you did."

"Me too," I said softly. I looked up to him, my head laying on his chest, my hand loosely in his free one, when he gave me a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I love you too."

[bonefall]

sorry for the trivial question, feel free to ignore

i've been curious if you have any songs you associate with Bumble (canonic or bb)

for me it's "Smooth criminal" by Michael Jackson and "Don't lose ur head" from six the musical, maybe someday i'd draw a pmv for each of them

love the new ask button design btw

For BB!Bumble, I feel like Constellations by the Oh Hellos is her song. It's about the fall of the Tower of Babel, but also... the way that things explode and change, the loss of meaning after something you love has gone away, how everything is a sort of interpretation.

The opening lines especially bring to mind the First Battle, and its buildup.

How she couldn't translate fast enough, Clear Sky, Thunder Storm, and Tall Shadow eventually ignoring her to shout at each other in Tribemew, The Wind Runner demanding Bumble give the words to her so SHE can shout, King Arc losing patience just wanting his son back.

The way she can feel that it's all about to topple down, the building fury, the horrible dawning that she's lost control and is about to be in the middle of the battlefield.

I can feel it on my tongue; brick and mortar Thick as scripture, drawing lines in the sand and laying borders As tall as towers I babble on until my voice is gone This hill I'll die on is about 90 meters of bricks Coloured indigo, and inscribed with my name, and lined with cedar But the words fall flat like Cymbals crashing, like molars gnashing

The invocations of "constellations" later in the songs also strikes me a certain way, with Bumble in mind. She wasn't raised with a star-based religion. How strange must it have been, for the strength of belief of all the other cats to make it real?

'Cause like constellations a million years away Every good intention, every good intention Is interpolation, a line we drew in the array Clinging to the faces, clinging to the shapes in the silence

The idea that it's all lines we drew, to make meanings. She is a character who grapples with that, too, her own self-worth, purpose, and meaning in early ThunderClan. Especially when (ironically, considering the story of the tower of babel), the languages start to merge into Clanmew and her work isn't needed like it was.

And the end of the song has that, too.

Like constellations imploding in the night Everything is turning, everything is turning And the shapes that you drew may change beneath a different light Everything you thought you knew will fall apart, but you'll be all right

It's her song, in my mind.

I also really like songs from Cass Elliot in her mouth. Make Your Own Kind of Music, Dream a Little Dream of Me, New World Coming, etc.

[vintagewildlife]

Can we hear about the time you saw a vätte? (You get the swedish spelling lol)

I've actually had two encounters with vættir! Both of them do have rational explanations, but rationality has already killed enough of our folklore - I'd rather have harmless superstition than dead lore.

My first encounter was when I was about 12, out riding in the woods with the pony riding school. It was a forest with a lot of memorials, including a memorial stone for a Danish poet, an arboretum to honor a teacher, and a historical hunting lodge that was burned down by a pyromaniac a few years prior. And yet the forest was only really used by our riding school, a few dog walkers, and a nearby primary school. Desolate enough for wildlife to thrive, yet frequented enough that the woods could never grow completely wild. Strange things seem to happen - or at least be observed by people - in those kinds of places.

As our train of ponies reached a hilltop and looked down, we all saw a white horse running between the trees, with neither tack nor rider. We all commented on it, but for some reason none of us even considered trying to track it down and make sure it was okay. It was like we all just instinctively knew the horse would be gone by the time we'd made our way back down the hill.

White horses are a common type of... ghost, I guess you could call it, in Danish folklore. They're often headless, but not necessarily. They may breathe fire or leave a trail of fire, or they might not. In most records the white horses are just said to show up at a given place, with no speculations on their origins. When people do talk about their origins, the typical explanation is that they're manifestations of dead people or terrible past events. Here are a few stories collected by Evald Tang Kristensen throughout the late 1800s:

There's about a hundred of these stories, give or take, in ETK's "Danske Sagn Som De Har Lydt i Folkemunde, bind 5" (Danish Tales as Told by Common Folk, part 5).

My second encounter was more simple. I was staying over at my mom's place and I put my earrings on the dresser next to the bed. I turned away for a minute and when I looked back... they were just gone. I looked for them everywhere, under the bed, in the dresser, behind the dresser, I even called my mom in to help me, but neither of us could find them. After she'd left I felt like I didn't really have anything to lose, so I said out loud, into the room "Whoever borrowed my earrings, please give them back, it's my favorite pair and I don't want to leave without them." A moment later I heard a 'thump' from the dresser and they were lying there in plain sight.

Is it possible that a horse got loose in the forest and we were all just too stunned to do anything about it? Is it possible that I missed my earrings while looking through the dresser and then imagined a 'thump'? Sure. But that's not really fun, is it? I like the white horses and the húsvættir a lot more.

[ips-northstar-official]

So... It's the person from the hypothetical thing about the Balor. Here's the whole thing, as it is.

See, I'd just got done with a job along with my Lance: Things were great, I wound up seeing what happens when a Balor literally pulls itself back together from a front-row seat (spoiler alert: It was fucking awesome), and I wound up getting enough cash to do some... Acquisitions.

So! I decided to stop by a black-market scrapyard I knew about: Odd spot ran by an unshackled NHP everyone calls "Mamaw": She heard the term on an out-of-the-way planet, liked it, and decided to use it as an alias. Lotta people dump mechs that are too junked-out, expensive, or time-consuming to repair there: Wear-and-tear from a death-world, too much damage from a job gone horribly wrong, used for something horrible by a rich ass-hat... You name it, Mamaw's got it lying around there for resale and trade.

It's like a Flea Market for mech parts!

... And also maybe ship parts butlet'snottalkabouthat-

ANYWAYS. Stopped by to say "Hi!", ask around about any good deals, and she'd told me that she had pretty much just gotten in a Blackbeard from some salvage crews. I was interested, so she guided me to it.

When I tell you this mech was fucked, I mean it was Capital-F FUCKED. Missing a leg and both arms, any armor was molten slag, wiring was shredded, the works. According to Mamaw, somebody had let their Sekhmet-Class off the hook, ejected, and just ran away. Left 'em behind to fight while they fled for the hills.

The mech got damaged enough that the Sekhmet-Class couldn't move an inch more, and after the battle the Salvage teams moved in to do their job. So, imagine their surprise when the wreck they go to grab starts swearing the air blue at them. Just... Absolutely laying into them. Insults that I could not repeat in polite company, according to Mamaw. They tossed the whole mech off to her, she got the Sekhmet outta there with some conversation and offers of therapy, and everybody turned out pretty alright. She's apparently a very good underground fighter now.

Where was I? Ah, right! The Balor eating the Blackbeard.

So! I'm sitting there haggling the price with Mamaw, and she's making sure to get a good list of what I want off of the BB. Mid-conversation, she trails off while looking over my shoulder after we've finally got the price figured up and paid. I turn around, and my Balor's just... Eating the Blackbeard.

Greywash fully in effect, swarming the wreckage: It was like watching a swarm of locusts pull apart a 3-D puzzle. They'd find the weld-seams and bolts, pull 'em apart like a damn surgeon, pulled the whole chunks into the swarm, and then go back for seconds and thirds.

Weirdest part was, the Balor seemed almost... Gentle, as it worked. Held the parts it was pulling in almost reverently, and when the Blackbeard was down to just the framework and wiring, it picked it up and... hugged it. Held it, like a close friend instead of a meal.

And as it ate, it just got... Bigger. Went from standing with plenty of room in the warehouse we were sifting through to scraping the ceiling. And then...

VRRP. No more Blackbeard.

I turned back around to Mamaw, and she seemed pensive about the whole thing for a moment or two before she started smiling.

"A good eating young-'un, there. You take good care of them, you hear me?"

Well. I couldn't help but agree.

So, yeah: That's how my Balor hypothetically ate a Blackbeard. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go see somebody with a hypothetical Goblin to work on some hypothetical VPN-work. TTFN!

Ok so I’ve got corporate distracted for a bit so I can post this because letting this be my sole spoils of war here would be unfair to everyone on the Omninet

Also I’m gonna kick this down the road back to @horus-unofficial to please explain to me what’s going on with that Balor

That kinda sounds like it’s alive

Anyways back to standard corpro-posting love you guys

—the intern

[whatdudtheysay]

Roderick heffley x F!Reader

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨ ¨*:·.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

CW - quickie, rough sex, basically vanilla ig???

Tell me if I missed anythingg

⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯

"SHIT!" Roderick cursed loudly, his hands slamming against the metal door, making you flinch.

"Fuck." He murmured, realising there was no way out.

You were both crowded in an old art closet that had little to no space due to the hills of art supplies and forgotten canvases.

You sighed and rolled your eyes.

"If you knew you weren't strong enough to hold it you should've let me do it."

He chuckled deeply.

"You? You're half my size kid." He teased, leaning against it.

"I'm not a kid." You spat, glaring at him from under your lashes.

He just scoffed and his grin turned into a blank stare.

You sighed deeply, turning to the small window at the end of the closet. Just great. You were stuck with your ex childhood best friend in a stuffy closet.

You manoeuvred your way to the end of the closet, peeking out of the window. How long would it be till someone found you? If the teacher notices you're both gone for such a long time then they'll probably think you're both skipping class. Even if they tried to find you, this would be the last place they'd check.

You silently hoped you'd be found soon, moving into your tippy toes to see if you could see anything or anyone out of the dust covered window.

Roderick slumped down, sitting on the floor. He glanced over at you and then at the floor, stopping when he realized. He glanced up at you and that's when he saw your skirt raising, giving him the view of your laced black underwear.

He smirked to himself, watching as you tried going higher.

"Maybe we can get this open and scream for help-?" You brought up, glancing behind you.

You had caught him red handed, blood rushing North once you dropped to normal height.

"How much of a pervert can you be?" You murmured, pulling your skirt down.

He shrugged, getting up and walking towards you.

"Wanna find out?"

You rolled your eyes.

"As if I'd ever give you a chance." You dismissed, turning back around to look out the window, being cautious of your skirt.

"Careful princess. You don't want me to give you a reason to roll your eyes."

You blushed, feeling your stomach flip.

He's just bluffing.

You ignored him and stayed silent.

He moved closer.

"You don't wanna have fun y/n?" Roderick hummed beside your ear.

You bit the inside of your lip, trying to block out his voice.

You took in a small breath once you felt his hand snake around your waist, pulling you closer to him, your ass meeting his crotch.

You were about to say something but you froze at the sound of the door handle. You pushed Roderick away immediately, making him stumble on some paint buckets. The door finally opened, revealing a girl from your class.

"There you two are! Jeez, did you get locked in?"

You nodded quickly.

"Thank you so much. We were worried we wouldn't be able to get out." You thanked, walking out of the open door, Roderick slowly following behind you.

"No worries, let's get back."

Class ended and everyone began to leave. You were sorting your things in your bag whilst everyone left the room, the ambience slowly dying down.

Your teacher got up from her desk, grabbing her things too.

"You two have a good weekend." She hurriedly said, running out of the class.

You were about to shout a reply but realised what she had said. You looked behind you and saw Roderick, putting homework into his backpack.

You turned back quickly, remembering the events that happened in the art closet.

You shook your head lightly.

Forget forget forgett

You quickly, shoved more things into your bag and pencil case. You were almost done, but unluckily, one of your erasers rolled off the table, right near Roderick's desk.

Kill me now.

After taking in a few reassuring breaths, you walked over and bent down to pick it up. When you stood back up, you were face to face with him.

You tried walking back but Roderick grabbed your arm, pushing you against his desk.

His eyes dug through you, a light smirk fighting it's way onto his lips.

"Why are you running?"

You put on your best poker face.

"I was walking."

He clicked his tongue and pressed his hips against yours.

"Wanna continue where we left off?" He offered.

You scoffed, avoiding his gaze.

"Even if we did, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even get to finish so what's the point?"

Once you looked back at him you saw he had a dark glint in his eyes.

"Well, I'll take you up on that."

He grabbed you by the hips, pushing you onto the desk and spreading your legs. Your breath hitched once he pushed your skirt up.

Roderick's eyes lit up at the sight of seeing your panties again, a hungry glow in his eyes.

He kneeled in front of you, pulling you to the edge before tugging the lacy material off, letting it dangle on one of your ankles.

He wasted no more time, licking a flat strip up your slit, making you shiver. He moved back up, sucking against your clit whilst his hand crawled up your thigh, pushing his fingers against your entrance.

It didn't take much before you were a whimpering and moaning mess under his touch. He was definitely skilled. Skilled enough to fog your mind and make you forget where you two actually were.

He laid a kiss against your clit, looking up at you whilst his fingers continued scissoring into your heat.

"Haven't even given you the real thing and I can tell you're close to cumming." He taunted, returning his mouth to your clit.

"N-Fuckk no-" you sighed, pleasure wavering over you, sweat coating your body. "Doesn't feel good-"

You tried your best to hold back but how could you when he was going down on you so well?

He picked up the pace once he felt your needy pussy sucking on his fingers. Despite what you said, he knew you were on the edge of cumming any moment. your body was shivering with every lick he directed to your clit, his fingers adding to the pressure building rapidly in your stomach.

You almost lost your mind once he added a third finger, matching his deep and fast pace.

"Cmon, y/n. I know you wanna cum." Roderick breathed, his breath tickling your hard bud.

You shook your head, still in denial of it all. There's no way he of all people was about to bring you to your climax.

Roderick sighed against you. He knew you were stubborn, but this stubborn? He added a fourth finger and your nails began to scrape at the table, your back arching as his fingers pushed against your sweet spot.

You desperately tried focusing on something else. Anything else. But it was no use. You were barely holding on anymore.

As a last attempt, you tried pushing yourself away but Roderick strengthened his grip on your hips, tugging you closer and sucking on your clit.

You moaned a lot louder than you had hoped, your orgasm suddenly hitting you, your eyes glossing with tears as one hand went to tug at Roderick's hair, giving in and finally grinding against his face to help you through your orgasm.

Once you calmed down, your grip on Roderick's hair loosened, using the rest of your strength to hold yourself up on the desk.

Roderick stood, his face glistening in your arousal. He licked his fingers clean then his lips, humming in delight.

"What were you saying about you not finishing?"

You took deep breaths, your heart beating rapidly and you looked up at him.

"That was nothing." You weakly mumbled.

He raised a brow.

"Really?" Roderick asked, moving towards you to rub a few tears that had fallen. "Then why are you crying, hm? Haven't even given you the real thing and you're already sulking."

You fought the urge to rest against his warm hand, letting your pride take charge and instead looking away.

"Just get this over with."

You could feel him smirking.

"Since you asked so nicely."

You glanced back once you heard him unzipping his pants, watching as he tugged them down, revealing his hard length.

Your mouth watered at it, whimpering at the way he slid his tip over your slit. It was long and curved and surprisingly he was well trimmed. You could only imagine all the different ways he could reach deeply inside you .

"Think you can handle it?"

You looked up at him and then at his dick.

"That's-" you stammered, clearing your throat. "Of course I can."

He shrugged and wasted no time, pushing deeply inside you. Your eyes clamped shut, biting back several moans once he bottomed out. His tip resting snugly against your deepest parts.

"Fuck- you're clamping round me hard." He groaned, digging his hands into your hips.

He slowly pulled out before penetrating you even harder, his pace becoming harder.

"Shit!" You moaned, "Please- fuck, slow down-" you cried. You hadn't been able to adjust to his size as much as you wanted.

"Sorry, but there isn't as much time as I want." He grunted, wrapping your legs around his waist before going even deeper, making you scared of him bruising your cervix.

"Fuck, Roderick! You moaned louder, your pride basically being fucked out of you, submission taking place.

Your hands gripped the edge of the table, trying to get yourself together as he pounded into you, a sticky slapping sound filling your ears.

"Feels good, huh?" Roderick questioned, smirking when you quickly nodded.

"Fuckk, I'm close!!" You whined, hands moving to try to stop his hips from practically murdering your pussy.

"That's right, y/n." Roderick sighed, grabbing your hands and pushing them to your chest.

You found yourself trying to wriggle away but it was hopeless. He felt so good. Too good. Your hands raised to wrap around his neck.

"I'm gonna-" you whimpered, brows knitting together as your orgasm rushed up to you.

Roderick fingers crept between your thighs, rubbing your clit rapidly.

Your eyes rolled back as your second orgasm washed over you, making you scream in pleasure, legs locking around his hips.

"Shit, " Roderick cursed. "Gonna cum y/n."

You nodded, the overstimulation settling in.

"It's fine, I'm on the pill ."

Roderick sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, chasing his upcoming orgasm. He finally poured his cum into you, giving you a few finishing thrusts before pulling out, his aftermath pouring out, making a mess on the floor.

You both took deep breaths, Roderick helping you off the desk before pulling his pants back up. He walked to the teachers desk, grabbing a box of tissues aiding you in cleaning up the mess he left inside you and on the floor.

When the mess was cleaned, you sorted your clothes out, trying to walk despite the pain between your legs.

"So..." Roderick started, grabbing his bag. "What was that about you saying you wouldn't finish?"

You gave him a warning look before walking over to your desk, grabbing your bag.

"Want a lift? You can barely walk."

Your first choice would be to decline his offer and storm off but right now, you knew it'd take an extra 15 minutes to get home.

"Fine. Just don't try anything funny."

[luke-o-lophus]

In The Light

Nathan Bateman x Female Reader

Summary: Nathan takes you camping to the highest mountain in his estate. He may have more plans than he's letting on.

A/N: 18+, fully consensual smut, bit of powerplay, Nathan has control issues, brief reference to scars and wounds that are canon. Written on the spur of the moment on my phone so typoes. Thanks to @my-secret-shame for thinking it's an idea worth a story

"Holy fuck", you whistled, taking in the sight before you. When Nathan had suggested trekking up the hill to camp, you'd expected...a camp. It did pique your interest that you weren't carrying tents, and he'd insisted it's not necessary to pack much. Now it made sense. At the top of the mountain right behind his research facility, the man had built himself a cabin worthy of magazine covers.

"How did you...", you start, eyes sparkling in awe. "There's not even a path..."

"Life finds a way", he says shrugging off his daypack and padding over to a fully stocked wine cabinet. "Fancy a glass?"

You blink owlishly as Nathan pours a couple drinks without waiting for your response. You were still sweaty from the long hike up. Heck, you'd had to climb up rock faces at a couple spots. Within six hours you'd gone from lush rolling meadows to grey rocks and thin flaky snow. Your feet bring you to the French windows overlooking the valleys, his estate lands as far as your eyes could fathom. It's a beautiful sight, the empty rolling hills, and the knowledge there's not a single other human for all the miles around.

"I come here to take a break from everyone", He hands you a glass, tilting his own in a salute. You scoff before you can stop yourself. His brows pinch in a faint frown and his chin tilts down. His wide brown eyes peer over the gold rimmed glasses, daring you to explain yourself. "You talk as if you're not a recluse already", you mutter, setting the glass down after a small sip. Usually he'd challenge a comment like that, or outright start a debate, but today his lips curl up into a smirk.

"I lied", he shrugs, a far too recognisable spark of mischief in his eyes. Before you can open your mouth to respond, he closes the few inches separating you. When you're back knocks against the thick glass of the floor to ceiling windows, he's grinning like a cat that got the cream. "You wanna know why I really come here?" he eggs you on. Something tells you it's a trap, another of his games you really shouldn't play into, but you're oh so curious. When he presses the rim of his glass to your chilled lips, coaxing them open and slowly pouring some in, you slowly nod.

"I come here", he starts, drawing away the empty glass and setting it aside. "To remind myself" His warm fingers trace your cold rosy cheeks, pausing and taking in the slight tremor in your form. "...To remind myself what's mine"

Your brows shoot up, ready to call him a cocky bastard. But words die on your tongue as a large palm settles at the back of your neck and swiftly turns you around so your face is pressed against the glass. The glass is surprisingly not cold, but there's a thousand feet drop before you. Nathan's hand slowly strokes down your back, as if petting a pouting toddler. "Relax, it's strong enough for an elephant", he says in a voice that doesn't seem eager to reassure you.

"What the fuck, Nathan", you hiss. "Let me go"

"I could", he starts, gathering your hair and sweeping it across one of your shoulders. You feel the soft brush of his beard on the sliver of skin on the other shoulder. "Or I could tell you why you're here"

You sputter in indignation at the comment. "A certain someone told me we're going camping", you huff, pressing your hips back into his. Two can play this game.

"And you believed them. Seems like my algorithm did a better job at choosing you than I'd expected", his voice is practically dripping with mirth.

"Your genius creation didn't work as you'd expected. Who would've thought", you mutter dryly.

That makes him pause. His fingers loosen around your neck, and he even takes a step back. The warmth of his broad form hovers inches away and it feels like a loss in more ways than one. Did you cross a line? Fuck, yes, you did.

"Nathan...I...", you whisper carefully. "I didn't mean to..." His hands leave you completely now, and you swiftly turn to face him. With his lips pursed he shrugs,"I brought that upon myself" He doesn't resist when you grab a hold of his hands, press a chaste kiss to his chest where you know the scars are.

"You did", you agree. "But that wasn't cool...am sorry" He regards you carefully for a few moments before he shakes his head with an amused chuckle. "You're too empathetic for your own good", he points out. "Or you wouldn't be stuck with me"

"How do you know you're not stuck with me?", your eyes dance playfully, grateful for the dissipating tension.

"Because, baby, when I'm up here.... whatever the light touches and my eyes can see, it's mine"

It sounds conceited, superfluous. If this was anyone but Nathan Bateman, you'd shrug it off as pretentious. But this man is honest, raw. As infuriating as it is to hear, it's the truth.

"I wanted to show you the sunset from here", he continues, stepping closer. His hands slide under your shirt to grip your sides, chest pressed against yours. "And I wanted to see how you look in the falling light", he completes.

Everywhere the light touches....

Your eyes are wide in a mix of awe and disbelief when he presses his lips to yours. From that it's a few moments to you moaning deeply into his mouth, tongue rolling over his as you both struggled to get the upper hand.

Your cheek bumps against the glass again, and his hands are almost rough as they pull down your trekking pants. He's grinding into your ass, hot and hard, hands grabbing your breasts in pure hunger. "Fuck me", you demand, rolling your hips into his. "You don't give orders", his snap comes out almost as a purr. If the harsh pinches on your nipples were meant to be a rebuke they didn't achieve the intended outcome.

"I decide what happens here", he whispers into your ear, rewarding your grunt of frustration with another strong squeeze of your breasts.

"M-make me yours?" your voice falters, and you swear you feel his hips stutter.

"Say that again", his voice is breathless.

"Make me yours Nathan, show me who I belong to", you moan, groaning as that earns you a sharp nip on your bare neck.

"Don't bother keeping quiet, angel", his warning sounds more of a gloat. And that's all the warning you get before he quickly parts your thighs and impales himself in one bold stroke.

The sounds you make are filthy, needy moans and pathetic begs of going harder, faster. His hips are fucking into you at a punishing pace, and your trek-tired body would've given out had he not held you up by your chest. He chases his orgasm with all the focus of the genius he is, but damn is he good at what he does. Your lips leave a small line of drool on the glass as your mouth parts in a silent cry, pleasure overwhelming every sense. When he finally cums in you, you're shaking at the ebb of your orgasm, knees weak and mind in a daze.

You wake up to soft sheets and a warm figure pressed to your front. Morning light poured into the room and the man curled up with his back to your chest was still sound asleep. You began to push yourself up to wash, but dropped back to the bed with a wince.

Nathan was up in a jiffy, eyes almost wild as he looked for potential dangers. His face softens into a chuckle when he sees it's just you, curled up in a way that explains exactly why you'd winced. "Too much?", his voice is teasing. "Did you forget I'm not an Android?" you huff, watching as his figure steps off the bed and disappears into the washroom. "You asked for it. Quite literally", he comes back with a wet cloth, coaxing you to lay back and placing the warm fabric on your swollen folds.

"Well now I can't trek down", you're actually worried now. The climb up had not been a breeze and the idea of going down in this condition was frankly terrifying.

"We're not trekking down. Arthur's getting the helicopter here in two hours. Told him we have a medical situation."

"Very believable, Nathan", you grumble burrowing your head in his chest. "A medical situation that can wait hours"

"It's a shit ruse", he agrees. "And that's how he'll know you're mine."

[footballfanficwriter]

A Happy New year

Summary:Jude and The reader are spending new year's eve together

It's new year's eve and Jude and I are spending time with his family, I would spend it with my family but everyone had their own plans .

I love coming over here cause I feel like I'm home when I'm here, the Bellingham family have made me feel so welcome and never made me feel like an outsider.

" hey babe, mom's asking if you want something to drink" Jude says

" no I'm alright thanks"

"Ok" he says and comes sits next to me on the couch

He puts his head on my lap and I play with his hair

"Can you believe it's gonna be 4 years since we've been dating" I say

" and 15 years since we've been best friends"

"That just shows you how far we've come"

" yeah, it does"

He lifts his head off my lap and goes in for a kiss

I peck his lips, but he doesn't look satisfied

"I'm not going to snog you in front of your family" I say

" they don't care about what we do"

"But I do"

"You're such a tease" he says

"Only for you love"

He puts he's head back onto my lap

" if you're going to sleep at least let me be comfortable as well"

"Fine"

He gets off my lap and I lye on the couch horizontally then he lies next to me an wraps his arms around my waist

" I love you" he says

"I love you more"

"You know, now that I think about it , I might be the best boyfriend you've ever had"

"What ?"

" yeah, remember Mathew"

"What about him?"

"Wasn't he that one who cheated on you, and had you saved as hoe 3 on his contacts"

"Ok fine I get it alright, but I'm also the best girlfriend you've ever had"

"Oh how so?"

"Remember Jade"

"Yeah"

"She was the one that was using you to get things she wanted, she was controlling you and your life"

" she wasn't controlling my life" he says

" she literally said that you should get rid of me and stop being friends with me"

"That one nearly ruined our friendship"

" imagine if you had listened to her"

"Then we wouldn't be lying on this couch and cuddling"

"I'm glad you chose me"

"I'll always choose you babe,every time"

"Well I'm glad and happy to hear that"

" we should actually be thankful to Mathew and Jade"

" why?"

"Because if they hadn't fucked up, we wouldn't be where we are now"

"Well I guess we should be thanking them then"

"How did we even find out about him cheating again?" He asks

"One of the girls that he cheated on me with approached me and told me "

"What a prick"

"Yeah, he was"

"I actually believed he loved me, he treated me so nice"

"Well he's gone now my love, and you've got me now"

"And I'm glad I do, cause I don't know where I'd be without me "

"Probably dead"

"Don't be so dramatic"

He laughs and I feel myself smiling at that

" you are one of the best things to happen to me y/n, I really am head over hills for you"

"Oh I'm sorry sir, but I didn't tell you, I'm head over hills for someone else" I say with a smile on my face

"Must you always ruin moments y/n"

"I'm sorry babe, I just had to"

"Yeah whatever you goof ,I'm quite knackered" he says

"It's ok babe, you can sleep"

"Ok"

He falls asleep rubbing my belly and after a while I fall asleep as well

♡

"Y/n, wake up honey, it's almost midnight"

" what?"

"Come on wake up"

I turn to see Denise looking down on me

"Where's Jude"

"He's already outside"

"Ok" I get up of the couch and go to the bathroom then splash myself with water , just to wake me up a bit

Then I start making my way out side.

I open the sliding door and see Jude standing there with his back against me as he's watching his cousins run around and act like kids while his aunts and uncles are sat at a table outside having conversations

I walk to him and wrap my arms around his waist

"Hey" I say

"Hey babe, sleep well?"

"Yup"

"Alright everyone 5 minutes left until the next year" Denise yells

Jude turns around and we're now facing each other

He let's go of me and backs up a bit

Then goes on one knee and pulls a ring out

I feel my eyes start to widen

"Jude get up right now"

"Y/n, I love you more than words can ever Express or explain themselves, and I've known you for 15 years of my life, you are my best friend and no one knows me like you do, no one knows how to calm me down when I'm upset like you do , no one knows how to cheer me up when I'm sad like you do, no one annoys me like you do and even though I hate it sometimes, I still love you because that's who you are and I love everything about you, so y/n Y/L/N will you you give me the honor of calling you my wife and making the luckiest man alive"

"Yes" I whisper

"Wait really?"

"Yes, you big goof ofcourse I'll marry you I would be an idiot not to" I say

"You don't have to say yes, the answer could be yes or no and you'd still be an idiot"

"What?"

"I'm joking my love"

He gets up and slides the ring onto my finger and we kiss eachother just when the fire works start shooting at the sky

"Happy new year babe"

"Happy new year love"

Just then my family appears out of no where

"Mom I thought you had plans" I say and I run to her

"Aww sweaty did you actually think we'd miss such an important part of you life"

" let me see the ring bro, how big is it" Gina my sister yanks my hand to see the ring

"Bitch" I say

"Nika come check this ring out" she says and calls my other sister

"It's so beautiful y/n we're happy for you "

"Thank you so much"

"Nice pick mate" Nika yells to Jude

"Thanks, took me awhile to pick it out" he says as he walks over to us

" now can I please have my fiance back" he says as he pulls me away from my family

We walk back into the house and start making out , then was both upruptly stop

" are you happy?" He asks

"I'm ecstatic"

"Well I'm happy you are, now we're stuck together for the rest of our lives "

"I actually should have said no" I say

" there you go again"

I laugh and lean in to kiss him and he kisses me back

"I love you"

"I love you more"

[melonteee]

I'm really enjoying the live-action show. It's different, but I think some changes are improvements, some changes are neutral, and some changes are for the worse. Overall, I'd say it's about as good of an adaptation as the East Blue anime is (factoring in the changes the anime made).

Syrup Village is a great example, they cut Jango (though you do see his Bounty poster, so he still exists in canon), but they also made Kaya's illness be the result of Butchie poisoning her and part of Kuro's plan. Luffy drinks the poison soup and that replaces the scene of him unconscious from hypnosis. Zoro has to climb out of a well, and that replaces him climbing up an oil-covered hill and also sets up for Mihawk saying he's a frog in a well. They also change the setting for the battle from a beach to inside the mansion, introducing a horror theme to the story which rachets up the tension a lot more. Sham is also gender-bent and super cute.

And it's not wrong to say the showrunners understand and love the characters and the world. All of the bottles of alcohol are brands in One Piece, the barrel Luffy gets into has the name of the fishmonger from his village, Garp mentions that he's turned down multiple promotions, Nami reads Noland the Liar to Zoro while he's unconscious after his fight with Mihawk, Arlong introduces Fishman discrimination.

I think it's best experienced from the perspective of "it's going to be different, and that's okay". The characters are written a little differently, but not in a bad way. They still feel like the characters at their core, Inaki's Luffy and Taz's Sanji are two stand-outs, they're fantastic.

I understand if it's just not for you, and you did watch one episode, so I can't say you didn't give it a chance at all. I just feel like you and the others are being too harsh on it. It's way better than any other live-action anime adaptation I've ever seen.

I appreciate this anon and I do think the poison change works, but there's certainly a 1 good thing for 9 bad things ratio going on. Because in all fairness, I am going to be extremely critical of a 20 year old series that's making an adaptation with a 17 million dollar budget per episode - especially from Netflix. If I'm being approached by friends who were actually excited for this series and they came out of it disappointed, somehow I don't think I'm gonna have a good time myself. I'm watching One Piece for One Piece, I don't think I should go into an adaptation thinking this is gonna be different in STORY and CHARACTER. I can accept changes for medium, of course, but there are so many absolutely bizarre changes that literally do nothing. You don't go from the manga to the anime and think "Well if I just disconnect these characters from their original selves, I can soak this in fine" because in all honesty, that probably means it's a bad adaptation if you need to work to see what you want to see.

Also the 'frog in the well' thing is exactly my point of this script just slamming you in the face with what it's trying to do, we are not meant to take that literally. The well is the east blue that Zoro lives in, not a literal well lmao. It's a nice cheeky idea to have, but the goofiness of Zoro's character is removed from the scene where he's trying to run up a greased hill like an idiot. Because yes, even THAT scene served a purpose for Zoro's character and how we view him. It's definitely subjective to say the characters are written differently but not in a bad way, because ripping away parts of a character to leave them as this Frankenstein version of themselves is personally not something I want? Why would I WANT all the goofiness and stupidness taken out of Zoro? It might be good for some, but it just feels like a total downgrade and misunderstanding of his character to me. Same goes for Sanji just being this artsy guy who's complaining cause he can't make the dishes he wants, with his over dramatic, angry, violent flare completely gone. Those changes being good or bad are completely up to you, but I am personally just made to see a hollowed out, dumbed down version of them because I liked these characters as I originally met them and that's what made them stand out.

I appreciate the time they put into the sets, I do think the visual world was made well (although it could've used a bit more style), but the little physical details mean absolutely nothing if I can't even FEEL the magic the original gave me. A set does not make a series, 1000 strawhats will not make me see Luffy unless he is written to be Luffy, and that's the problem. I don't want to watch an adaptation that removes the most emotional and impactful moments of my favourite character just to replace it with a fight or to focus on ANOTHER character they've deemed more important. I am going to be critical because these characters mean a lot to me, and I am expecting to feel from an adaptation what I felt from the original with such characters. An adaptation does not mean making things different just for differences sake. I am glad you enjoyed it anon, as many people have, but if I'm watching something that's literally called One Piece and have been told this is an adaptation of One Piece - with the producers even saying they want to put the manga on the screen, mind you - I am going to go in there expecting One Piece, from the characters to the story. I shouldn't have to do the work in my own head and go "Well, they did their best!", especially at a million dollar Netflix production...sigh

[funky-fox-fics]

Am I the asshole for killing my best friend?

Hear me out, this isn't rage bait, I promise.

So, like a week ago, me (30M) and like a dozen other people went on a camping trip. We didn't really know each other, but we were pretty sure it'd be fun to have a bit of bonding.

Halfway through the trip there, we get lost in the middle of a forest. As if this isn't bad enough, car dies abruptly. Guy who owns it doesn't know what happened. We have no cell service, no car, nothing.

We were standing there, trying to contact someone for god's sake, when a wild animal - a bear, I think - came running out of the forest and injures this guy, S (29M). Badly. Broken arm, wounds, thank goodness it wasn't rabid or something. I chase it off, but everyone realizes the woods are unsafe. Before long, R (31M) and M (32M) decide to split off from the actual group. S pledges his loyalty to me because R and M weren't here. The rest of us split up, and it's only me and S.

Rest of the day goes by. We set up camp at the top of this big sandy hill. S stole a survivalist guide from M so we know what's safe to eat. Two others, J (27M) and his boyfriend, come and we share the stuff we forage. None of us die, which is good.

Next day, we find out someone's stolen the survivalist guide. We track down R and M, and it turns out they have it. They agree to let is take pictures of the important pages (we have solar chargers) if we agree to help them search for stuff. We agree, but they don't let us take pictures of important stuff - like what berries are safe to eat or not. S has a terrible memory but didn't show anyone else, so now only R and M know what is safe to eat. They tell us they don't trust us, which is weird, but S decides to give them some food in return. We take a few of the nonpoisonous food we saved, and we leave it near their little tent.

Except the next day M comes to tell us: R is gravely wounded and may die from his injuries.

I'm shocked. It turns out that a bear had come, attracted by the berries, and now R is swearing vengeance for our mistake.

Everything is a whirlwind after that. R and three others form an alliance against me and S for killing R, the three people join on M's side, me and S are left with J (22M) and his boyfriend. I swear I didn't mean for the bear to come, but it just did.

And then S breaks his leg after he falls into a ravine, and M decides to repay me what I did to R.

Long story short, everyone... dies. I can't believe it, even as I type it out. Everyone is dead. Everyone. I'm sorry if I sound callous, I get like that when I'm grieving. But M tried to come after me, so I hit him in the stomach and- someone stepped on him, and me and J and S and J's boyfriend were trying to defend ourselves, and- well. Everyone died.

Now's where I might be the AH. It came down to me and S, but I swear I could see the ghosts of everyone dead. Me and S were just on the hill, and S was trying to weasel his way out of it, but then S was on the edge and something hissed in my ear in R's voice to kill him and I just pushed him off right there and then.

It was like I'd gone deaf. Everything was silent. I waited there for five minutes, staring at S's broken body, but he was still very dead.

I decided to do what no one else had done, and I took the food and ran away from everything. Abandoned the car and the tents. I don't care who finds it now, it doesn't matter, they'll find my friends first. I ran for a long time, thank goodness I was a cross country runner in high school, and finally I made it to a really small town with cell service. I'm writing this now as I work up the courage to see if I can't get back to Hermitcraft and tell everyone what happened. I know I can't stay there, but maybe they'll hear me out before killing me too. I'm so sorry, S. I didn't mean to kill you, not really. RIP.

So, now, I ask you all: am I still the asshole?

[feigeroman]

The Boulder Quarry Line

I recently binged the entire Classic Series again, as background noise while I was working on something else. When I got to Series 5-7, I remembered a headcanon I’d developed ages ago, to link together most of the Skarloey Railway episodes from those seasons. This recent binge spurred me to finally write it down, and bash it into something a little more coherent. Most of this is just me thinking aloud, but I thought I'd run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it...

1951

Just as operations are winding down at the old slate quarry at Ward Fell, new beds of good-quality slate are discovered in the hills north of Rheneas. A new quarry is established to extract this slate, and this helps to revive the Skarloey Railway’s then-declining fortunes. Even so, the surveyors who uncovered this slate are convinced there are still further treasures to be found deeper into the mountains.

1950s-60s

The search for such treasures is carried out as time allows - which isn’t very often, considering all the new developments which take place on the SR during this time.

Roughly 1970

Finally, a discovery is made - large deposits of stone in the northern foothills of Shane Dooiney, of similar quality to that quarried at Ffarquhar. Plans are quickly devised to extract the stone, and the Skarloey Railway is tasked with building a line to the new quarry.

The proposed line branches off the Rheneas Quarry line, passes through a natural ravine known locally as Echo Pass, travels alongside the main Skarloey-Peel Godred road, and finally turns south towards the new quarry site.

1970-early 1972

The line is constructed, following the route described above. When it is completed, trains start carrying building supplies to the site of the new quarry. Some trains are also laid on for the benefit of a road-building company, which is upgrading the Skarloey-Peel Godred road so that heavier vehicles can access the quarry as well.

Winter 1972

Due to a problem with the winch, some trucks break away on the incline at Rheneas Quarry. The breakaway tumbles into Echo Pass, triggering an avalanche which buries Skarloey, who happened to be travelling through the Pass with a supply train. He is subsequently rescued by Rusty.

These events are later loosely adapted into the episode Snow.

Early 1973

The new quarry finally opens for business, and even has a new name - Boulder Quarry, after an enormous, spherical boulder which looms ominously over part of the line. Boulder Quarry enjoys a prosperous first few months, and the Skarloey Railway enjoys the revenue boost provided by the new stone traffic.

After a while, Rusty begins to feel nervous about the Boulder, but can’t really explain why. The others don’t take him too seriously.

Autumn 1973

After several weeks of heavy rain, Boulder Quarry is able to try out its latest acquisition - an experimental drilling machine known as Thumper. Unfortunately, the vibrations from Thumper cause the Boulder to fall off its perch, and run away down the Skarloey Valley. The Boulder causes a great deal of damage to track and property all down the valley, culminating in the destruction of some new stone-cutting sheds just outside Crovan’s Gate.

All concerned parties agree the disaster is an act of god telling them to leave that part of Sodor alone, and Boulder Quarry shuts its doors for good - financially crippled by having been forced to pay substantial compensation to every property owner in the valley.

The Skarloey Railway also ends up in dire straits - besides the damage caused by the Boulder, several years of hard work have just gone down the tubes.

The remainder of 1973

The Thin Controller decides to temporarily close the SR, so that everyone can focus their efforts on repairing all the damage to track and property. The rest of 1973 is spent doing just that.

The events of Duncan Gets Spooked take place during this clean-up operation.

At some point, the time is found to move the Boulder to a new, safer perch - on a specially-constructed plinth on a hill near to Crovan’s Gate, and positioned to face in the direction of its old perch.

That winter, during a break, the little engines tell Thomas (or more likely some other standard gauge engine) the story of Skarloey’s Avalanche.

1974

The clean-up continues into 1974, and the line remains closed for the first half of that year. The Thin Controller hopes to have the line ready to reopen in time for the start of the summer operating season. Fortunately, Rheneas Quarry is closed for the two weeks before, freeing up men and engines to help. Elizabeth also happens to be working in the area, and is persuaded to lend a wheel. With all this help, the clean-up is completed in the nick of time, and the Skarloey Railway is officially declared open once more.

Meanwhile, the people of Glennock decide to treat themselves to a new organ for the village school. Headmaster Hastings personally oversees the delivery of the organ. This isn’t really relevant to the Boulder saga - I just felt like mentioning it.

1975

By this year ,things are more or less back to normal on the Skarloey Railway. One day, Rheneas takes a special charter train carrying a party of schoolchildren from the Mainland. On his way back down the line, he is accidentally diverted onto the abandoned line to Boulder Quarry. The line isn’t in the best condition, and wasn’t designed to carry passengers anyway, so Rheneas has a real rollercoaster ride to the Quarry and back.

Since the children enjoyed themselves so much, the Thin Controller lets Rheneas off for his mishap, but it gets him thinking about the old line, and how he might be able to get his money’s worth from it after all…

Surveys are carried out, and it is decided to reopen the old quarry line to serve as a connection between the SR and the Culdee Fell Railway - the latter being reached by rerouting the line in the direction of their station at Skarloey Road.

 The line also passes through many areas of natural beauty, and so a number of stations are proposed to serve some of these areas. These stations include Elephant Park (above) and Rumblin Bridge (below).

The terminus of the line is at the village of Skarloey Road. So as to avoid confusion with the CFR station, the SR station is known as Upland Station. While not a direct link between the two railways, their respective stations are still a reasonably short walk away from each other.

The reconstruction of the line takes place throughout the first half of 1975, and is completed just in time for the summer operating season. Sir Topham Hatt and Lady Hatt attend the grand opening, having first viewed the new line from a hot air balloon (and then made a crash-landing in said balloon).

To finish off, here is a rough map of the original Boulder Quarry line, the subsequent Upland Extension, and how they both relate to the main SR line.