#(<- due to food hoarding)

[transmechanicus]

Woke up from my little power outage nap and couldn’t even manage to eat a full box of macked cheese, grad school will fuck you up for life kids, do it at your own risk.

[the-axolotl-skellie]

info dump ihshkdfsjyodsithod

uhhh TW we're getting into some self harm themes here- but it's like the biting/burning

Specifically biting—Lune is self destructive, most of the time it's on accident. But they're fully aware pain = stress relief and absolutely abuses this. One of the many reasons they tend to bite things, a lot- they just don't realize how bad of a mentality that is. They don't understand why its bad, it 'helps' them.

They'll also sometimes get into the stove, or other firey things ;-;

Also they've got a thing for not just hoarding shiney/gold things, but also food

Entire loans of bread will dissappear, juices vanish, chips gone—They've got a 'secret' hiding place for it. And unfortunately, they'll forget they hid it, and the foods often spoil

Uhh another thing is Lune just gets into ridiculously small spaces, and nobody really knows how or why they do it. But Lune LOVES hiding in dark places. Under beds and couches, in dog houses, literal caves, they love being able to hide. They just enjoy being in the dark on a literal level

(@fell-is-suffering here's some fell related hcs >:))]

Also I'd say they tend to get into Fells house around like, when it starts getting light. They'll just fall asleep under his couch until the sun goes away, abd they'll just pop up. And like they're good at being sneaky sometimes, so nobody even knew they're there.

And around when Fell gets to bed, is when Lune will leave.

Also sometimes they'll leave random ass trinkets in their house I like to think. Like one time Fell probably sat on the couch and accidentally sat on some random jumbled up wire. But he'll also find a full on pearl necklace in the refrigerator but the milk will be missing

And yeah like I said, Lune hoards things they deem need to be protected. It's why when they first meet people they like, they tend to try and drag them into their cave. So poor fell, on multiple occasions, I like to think they've woken up to being wrapped up in a pillow fort cave thing, and like Lune is 'guarding' it, AKA curled up at the foot of the bed. I think Lune likes to build him caves as a sign of appreciation lol

[jinwoosungs]

05/21/25; 12:10am

{ drabbles / headcanons }

[ you get severely injured ]

warnings: blood mention.

featuring: sylus, zayne, xavier, rafayel, caleb

it all happened so fast-

one second, you were simply following sylus from close behind, readying your weapon as you shot at the wanderers that lunged at you.

and the next, there was a sharp pain felt going down your spine and the sensation of blood staining your uniform. it was enough to take your very breath away as you fell to your knees with sylus shouting your name.

the last thing you remember was falling-

being surrounded by his powerful embrace as you succumbed to a dreamless slumber-

one that sylus was terrified of you not waking up from.

so with your unconscious body held tightly within his embrace, sylus barks orders at luke and kieran, telling them to finish off the job with mephisto acting as their eyes.

with you in this state, there was no way the onychinus leader could focus on the mission at hand, let alone steady his gun to even aim properly at the hoard of enemies.

however, due to how he was fueled by rage, he manages to use his evol to disintegrate the wanderer that had attacked you from behind, dealing his revenge while leaving the area with you still in his embrace.

{ … }

your body felt sore, seeming to ache all over when your eyes fluttered open. as your eyes adjust to the intimate lighting of the room, you were dimly aware of a record player playing some soothing music.

was that clair de lune?

you had most likely survived that attack and had been taken to sylus’s main base of operations. sitting up in bed, you gingerly touch at the bandages wrapped on your side (a clear sign that someone had cleaned and cared for your wound).

“you’re finally awake.” you startle slightly at the sound of his voice, his footsteps echoing throughout the room as sylus enters with a tray of food in hand. his expression was unreadable, yet you could see the hint of worry within his crimson gaze.

setting the food off to the side, you felt sylus’s added weight on the bed while he gently lifts you up. his hands kept trembling as they wrapped around your form, unable to hide just how shaken up he was when you lost consciousness.

“how long was i out for?” your voice was hoarse from who knows how long from disuse, with sylus shaking his head while letting out a bitter laugh.

“roughly a week, which is still far too long for my liking.”

you were ready to apologize for making him worry-

for not seeing the enemy in time-

yet when you open your mouth, sylus suddenly surges forward, capturing your lips in a searing kiss that takes your breath away. no words needed to be spoken when you opened up to him, allowing your lover to explore your taste as he wraps his powerful arms around your body-

and when you manage to embrace him as well, you gave his back a gentle squeeze, reassuring him that you were still alive and would never leave his side.

your mission had gone awry, with you sustaining multiple injuries as you could feel your blood staining at your clothes.

for some odd reason, even as you felt the life draining out of you, you had a compulsion to see zayne again. your feet makes its steady trek toward akso hospital, drawing in the public’s concern as they surrounded you in the lobby.

“what happened?!”

“quick, get a doctor!”

even with all the barrage of voices, you kept repeating a single name over and over again-

zayne zayne zayne zayne-

as if in tune to your cries of his name, you saw a familiar figure dressed in white, his eyes filled with fear as you managed to smile up at him.

finally, zayne…

knowing that you were safe now, you fell to the ground as the cardiac surgeon breaks your fall. he holds you tightly against his chest, calling out so many orders that his throat began to hurt. without wasting another second, zayne takes you into the emergency room, ready to save you at any cost.

{ … }

the first thing that rouses you from your slumber was the incessant beeping of some machine-

the second was the uncomfortably bright lights that were felt burning at your eyelids, making you wince as you moved, only to feel something restraining you.

yet your slight moans and movements did not go unnoticed.

immediately, someone was heard stepping closer to you, hands gently holding yours as a soft voice speaks to you, “no sudden movements, you’re hooked up to an iv right now.”

finally, your eyes manage to flutter open, meeting zayne’s tired eyes and concerned gaze. something akin to relief was seen in his expression as he gently frames at your face with his two hands.

“you finally opened your eyes.” his tone was tinged with reverence as he takes a hold of your hand to press a kiss against the back of it.

despite how dry your throat felt, you managed to tell him, “i’m happy… i got to see you again.” zayne was trembling now, pressing several kisses on your knuckles while you continue to speak, “even when i felt like i was close to dying, all i could think of was seeing you again.”

words could no longer be spoken when zayne manages to capture your lips in a kiss that conveyed how much you meant to him. he delves his fingers into your hair, not once moving away from you as he deepens the kiss-

making you wonder if zayne was actually crying when you tasted what felt like the saltiness of his tears against your lips.

it was supposed to be a normal mission, one that you and xavier had experienced a million of times in the past. yet because of the high influx of wanderers in the area, everything became a blur.

you had taken out a group of wanderers, ready to call out to xavier when the sight of the beast lifting its claw, ready to strike his back makes you act on instinct. shielding xavier from the attack, you felt its claws pierce through the front of your uniform while managing to fire a single shot to its head.

as a sharp, throbbing pain was felt burning across your chest, you were aware of someone screaming your name. blood rushes to your ears, making it more difficult to hear when you fell to the ground-

only to be caught by a pair of comforting arms.

“i refuse to let it end, not like this!”

those were the last words that you heard before falling into an endless abyss.

{ … }

you awaken with a start, recognizing that you were currently in an infirmary at the association. you attempt to sit up, yet felt an intense ache that forces you back down on the bed.

“you shouldn’t have done that.” a low voice heard coming to your left breaks you out of your reveries, and your gaze lands on xavier. he was settled in a chair close to your bed, dark blue eyes appearing solemn, no longer having its usual tranquil, true blue hue.

“i’m sorry, but i didn’t want to see you get hurt-“

“and you figured that i would want to see you get hurt instead?!”

you were taken aback by how fervent his voice became, watching with wide eyes when he shoves aside his seat before coming closer to you. when he frames at your face, you could feel how his hands were trembling so much that they could barely keep still.

without another word, xavier captures your lips in a searing kiss. he moves against you with a desperation, telling you through his actions that he was terrified of losing you. and when you manage to kiss him back, you lift up a hand to delve into his hair, pulling him closer to you as you made an oath to get stronger so that you’ll never have to see the pain in xavier’s eyes ever again.

it was a deep cut on the back of your legs that rendered you unable to walk after a particularly grueling mission. in your throes of pain, you were immediately transferred to a hospital to get your wound treated.

admittedly, you had suffered through worse during past missions, yet your boyfriend of 3 years had other thoughts.

when he realized that you had gotten severely hurt, rafayel wasted no time heading to the hospital you were staying at. his expressive eyes were filled with tears as he remained glued to your side.

“l-listen, if this is to get back at me for pretending to not recognize you when i was a patient, then you’ve already got your revenge!” rafayel playfully whines to you, pressing the side of your face with a plethora of kisses, “don’t ever hurt yourself like that ever again!”

you spent a good amount of time comforting rafayel with your own kisses, reassuring him that you had no intentions of getting back at him for anything and that this was just an accident. yet still, you had to admit that it was quite cute to see rafayel clinging to you like a lost puppy.

it was also nice to see rafayel caring for you as well, even going as far as peeling an apple for you before cutting them into bite-sized pieces, feeding you with a playful smile on his face.

when night had fallen, rafayel manages to convince the medical staff to let him stay overnight with you. and despite how exasperated you felt with his antics, you were actually glad that rafayel was able to stay with you.

as he sleeps while resting his head on your bed, you smile and gently thread your fingers through his hair, rousing him from his slumber. he opens his hazy eyes, meeting your gaze while sleepily calling your name, “nnn, what is it, princess?”

remaining silent, you inch closer to him, capturing his lips in a chaste kiss as he responds eagerly to you. not allowing you to pull away, rafayel ends up deepening the kiss, conveying just how much you meant to him as he kept his lips locked with yours beneath the moonlight.

the rain manages to cover the stench of your blood, with you sustaining a wound on your left side. it was a surprise attack made by a wanderer, and you weren’t sure if you were going to make it.

with unsteady steps, you walk out of the alleyway, taking out your phone from your pockets as you called a single person. he picks up not even two rings later, his cheerful voice calling out your nickname-

yet all you could manage was cough up something bitter and metallic from your mouth.

“caleb…” you wheeze into your phone, coughing even more as your chest clenched in pain. “i’m so sorry… something went wrong with the mission, it hurts… so much-“

“stay on the line! where are you?!”

you detect the desperation in his voice, yet only smiled, “i love you, and i’m so sorry. so so so sorry.”

a sharp cry of your name was the last thing that you heard as you fell over face first in the rain covered street and dropped your phone, completely unaware of how the device was flashing as bold letters that spelled out TRACKING was seen across its screen.

{ … }

you wake up with a start, believing that you were still dreaming when you recognized the scent of caleb’s cologne surrounds you.

there was no way that you were still alive-

that you were actually within the safety of your shared bedroom with your boyfriend-

and there was certainly no way in hell that your boyfriend was glaring down at you at this very minute.

“i’m not dead?” your voice was hoarse, yet when you asked that question, a flash of annoyance was seen across caleb’s face.

“as if i’d ever let you die.” the colonel admits with a scoff, sitting next to you on the bed as he wipes the sweat from your brow. from his expression, it was clear that caleb was still shaken up from your near-death experience.

“what happened…?”

with his eyes flashing with pain, he shakily takes a hold of your hand while keeping it close to his lips, “i… i found you after tracking your phone. when i heard you collapse in the rain, my heart genuinely stopped. i was running on autopilot, rushing to you as i called someone- anyone to come and save you.”

he closes his eyes, taking a moment to breathe as you began putting the pieces together. “you called zayne?”

“he was the only one i could trust with saving your life.” caleb’s eyes were burning now as they met with your own, and you felt him press another lingering kiss against your hand. “and it was a good thing that he came at the right time. i didn’t know what i would do if he didn’t save you in time.”

as caleb thought about how much he owed zayne, he was broken out of his thoughts when you pulled him closer. “when i was out there, bleeding out-“

“don’t.” caleb sharply hisses in response, not wishing to relive the moment he thought he’d actually lost you, yet still, you continued.

“caleb, when i believed that i was about to die, all i could think about was you. i knew that as long as i heard your voice again, then i’d be okay-“

caleb doesn’t allow you to finish your sentence, the thought of losing you sending his mind into a frenzy as he crashes his lips into yours. he swallows the rest of your words and soft moans, tongue delving into your mouth as he tasted you, kissing you as if tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed while tightening his grip around you, swearing to never let you go for as long as he lives.

end notes: the new main story update got me feeling all type of ways, and i had to write a new story based on how everything made me feel 😭 currently unedited, but i’ll make any necessary changes once this is posted ♡

all stories are written by rei; please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my works!!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

commonly confused words

accept: to receive except: with the exclusion of

advice: recommendation (noun) advise: to recommend (verb)

adverse: unfavorable averse: opposed to

affect: to influence (verb); emotional response (noun) effect: result (noun); to cause (verb)

aisle: space between rows isle: island

allude: to make indirect reference to elude: to avoid

allusion: indirect reference illusion: false idea, misleading appearance

already: by this time all ready: fully prepared

altar: sacred platform or place alter: to change

altogether: thoroughly all together: everyone/everything in one place

a lot: a quantity; many of something allot: to divide or portion out

angel: supernatural being, good person angle: shape made by joining two straight lines

are: plural form of "to be" our: plural form of "my"

accent: pronunciation common to a region ascent: the act of rising or climbing assent: consent, agreement

assistance: help assistants: helpers

bare: nude, unadorned bear: to carry; an animal

beside: close to; next to besides: except for; in addition

boar: a wild male pig bore: to drill a hole through

board: piece of wood bored: uninterested

born: brought into life borne: past participle of "to bear" (carry)

breath: air taken in (noun) breathe: to take in air (verb)

brake: device for stopping break: destroy; make into pieces

buy: to purchase by: next to; through the agency of

canvas: heavy cloth canvass: to take a survey; a survey

capital: major city capitol: government building

choose: to pick chose: past tense of "to choose"

clothes: garments close: to shut; near cloths: pieces of fabric

coarse: rough course: path; series of lectures

complement: something that completes compliment: praise, flattery

conscience: sense of morality conscious: awake, aware

corps: regulated group corpse: dead body

council: governing body counsel: advice; to give advice

dairy: place where milk products are processed diary: personal journal

descent: downward movement dissent: disagreement

dessert: final, sweet course in a meal desert: to abandon; dry, sandy area

device: a plan; a tool or utensil devise: to create

discreet: modest, prudent behavior discrete: a separate thing, distinct

do: a verb indicating performance or execution of a task dew: water droplets condensed from air due: as a result of

dominant: commanding, controlling dominate: to control

die: to lose life; one of a pair of dice dye: to change or add color

dyeing: changing or adding color dying: losing life

elicit: to draw out illicit: illegal, forbidden

eminent: prominent imminent: about to happen

envelop: to surround (verb) envelope: container for a letter (noun)

everyday: routine, commonplace, ordinary (adj.) every day: each day, succession (adj. + noun)

fair: just, honest; a carnival; light skinned fare: money for transportation; food

farther: at a greater (measurable) distance further: in greater (non-measurable) depth

formally: conventionally, with ceremony formerly: previously

forth: forward fourth: number four in a list

gorilla: animal in ape family guerrilla: soldier specializing in surprise attacks

hear: to sense sound by ear here: in this place

heard: past tense of "to hear" herd: group of animals

hoard: a hidden fund or supply, a cache horde: a large group or crowd, swarm

hole: opening whole: complete; an entire thing

human: relating to the species homo sapiens humane: compassionate

its: possessive form of "it" it's: contraction for "it is"

knew: past tense of "know" new: fresh, not yet old

know: to comprehend no: negative

later: after a time latter: second one of two things

lead: heavy metal substance; to guide led: past tense of "to lead"

lessen: to decrease lesson: something learned and/or taught

lightning: storm-related electricity lightening: making lighter

loose: unbound, not tightly fastened lose: to misplace

maybe: perhaps (adv.) may be: might be (verb)

meat: animal flesh meet: to encounter mete: to measure; to distribute

medal: a flat disk stamped with a design meddle: to interfere, intrude metal: a hard organic substance mettle: courage, spirit, energy

miner: a worker in a mine minor: underage person (noun); less important (adj.)

moral: distinguishing right from wrong; lesson of a fable or story morale: attitude or outlook usually of a group

passed: past tense of "to pass" past: at a previous time

patience: putting up with annoyances patients: people under medical care

peace: absence of war piece: part of a whole; musical arrangement

peak: point, pinnacle, maximum peek: to peer through or look furtively pique: fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity

pedal: the foot lever of a bicycle or car petal: a flower segment peddle: to sell

personal: intimate; owned by a person personnel: employees

plain: simple, unadorned plane: to shave wood; aircraft (noun)

precede: to come before proceed: to continue

presence: attendance; being at hand presents: gifts

principal: foremost (adj.); administrator of a school (noun) principle: moral conviction, basic truth

quiet: silent, calm quite: very

rain: water drops falling; to fall like rain reign: to rule rein: strap to control an animal (noun); to guide or control (verb)

raise: to lift up raze: to tear down

rational: having reason or understanding rationale: principles of opinion, beliefs

respectfully: with respect respectively: in that order

reverend: title given to clergy; deserving respect reverent: worshipful

right: correct; opposite of left rite: ritual or ceremony write: to put words on paper

road: path rode: past tense of "to ride"

scene: place of an action; segment of a play seen: viewed; past participle of "to see"

sense: perception, understanding since: measurement of past time; because

sight: scene, view, picture site: place, location cite: to document or quote (verb)

stationary: standing still stationery: writing paper

straight: unbending strait: narrow or confining; a waterway

taught: past tense of "to teach" taut: tight

than: used to introduce second element; compared to then: at that time; next

their: possessive form of "they" there: in that place they’re: contraction for "they are"

through: finished; into and out of threw: past tense of "to throw" thorough: complete

to: toward too: also; very (used to show emphasis) two: number following one

track: course, road tract: pamphlet; plot of ground

waist: midsection of the body waste: discarded material; to squander

waive: forgo, renounce wave: flutter, move back and forth

weak: not strong week: seven days

weather: climatic condition whether: if wether: a neutered male sheep

where: in which place were: past tense of "to be"

which: one of a group witch: female sorcerer

whose: possessive for "of who" who’s: contraction for "who is"

your: possessive for "of you" you’re: contraction for "you are" yore: time long past

commonly confused words part 2 ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[5starwitch]

Astrology Observations: Lilith Edition

Lilith in Aries may have felt growing up like they couldn’t be themselves and they couldn’t be assertive. Their intense, bold energy may have been stifled in some way. So, when they get older they might either become overly rebellious, but try to hide it or they might act in passive aggressive ways. That energy has to come out one way or another.

Lilith in Taurus may have issues with food. They may have some form of an eating disorder or just eat emotionally. They also might have a tendency to hoard because maybe when they were younger resources were scarce.

Lilith in Gemini might have grown up feeling like their ideas or thoughts were stupid. Someone might have made them feel dumb for expressing themselves. So they usually find other ways to express themselves like writing blogs, tweeting, poetry etc.

Lilith in Cancer might have been made to feel unsafe in their home environment, so as adults they might cling to anyone who makes them feel safe or brings them comfort. They crave comfort and safety more than anything.

Lilith in Leo craves attention and drama secretly. They might have grown up in a household where they weren’t given attention, or the spotlight was always on someone else. So as adults they might pretend to not care about attention, but constantly do passive aggressive things to get attention and drama secretly.

Lilith in Virgo was made to feel like they had to be the “good girl” so they rebel in other ways. They might have two sides to them. The “good” one and then the one that does “bad” things. They’re constantly conflicted because they have a difficulty integrating their shadow side.

Lilith in Libra may act rebellious in their relationships. They might cheat, cause drama, and just be difficult to get a rise out of their partner. They crave that good relationship, but a lot of times sabotage it because they secretly want their own autonomy, and feel like having a partner takes that away from them because they give so much.

Lilith in Scorpio may have grown up feeling like they didn’t have control or power. They might have grown up in a toxic household where they felt victimized, so when they grow up they crave power and control. They always need to be the person with the upper hand. They might read a lot of books on psychological manipulation so they never fall victim to anyone again.

Lilith in Sagittarius probably had a lot of difficulty in school, especially higher learning because they feel stifled in a controlled environment like that. They learn from experience. They might have grown up in a religious household, and have trauma from that. Due to this feeling of constantly being controlled, they crave freedom above anything. Not wanting to settle down with a person or in any one place.

Lilith in Capricorn may have had to grow up early on in life, and this causes them to have their wild teenage days in their adulthood. They felt like they always had to be the responsible one, so now it’s their turn to be the wild one having fun.

Lilith in Aquarius may have grown up feeling misunderstood and made to feel like they were weird. Maybe for the way they dress, act, or their interests, but as they grow up they tend to attract friends from all walks of life who accept them. They also tend to have a lot of online friends. They thrive on social media.

Lilith in Pisces may have had to deal with addiction within their family and this could affect them in two ways: the first way being that they could fall into the cycle of addiction as well and the second is they could completely be against drugs and alcohol. They have escapist tendencies regardless. They might be very spiritually powerful, but get sucked into a lot of maladaptive daydreaming.

...

Purchase a $30 general birth chart reading or a $60 Lilith persona chart reading from me

[lavilavs]

୨୧ ── Now I know you want me

Continuation of — I wish I knew you wanted me

› Pairing: Dick Grayson x Fem!Reader

› Scenario: A blind date? He can't let that happen! After realizing his mistake of letting his chance go by, he challenges fate itself to have you in his arms.

› Notes: English is not my first language. Reblogs and likes are very appreciated! + I hope this lives up to the first part. This is mostly fluff and a happy ending. ^^ 4k words btw

Dick felt the whole world's weight from what he heard. Kory said what?

He's using his willpower to keep himself from dramatically falling on the floor. He knows he heard her correctly, he cleans his ears two times a week, for god's sake. Still, that crooked smile on his face didn't fade along with that twitch in his eyes.

Maybe Kory just used the word 'date' wrong. She might've mistaken it for 'date' as in the day of the month or year. He even googled the definition to show her. Denial makes you go to the limits of logic and into the spectrum of insanity, and right now, Dick Grayson can prove that.

He's thinking of every possible misunderstanding that they can make about the situation. Dick was a ticking time bomb of 'what ifs,' about to explode if not for his 5 stages of grief in front of an unimpressed Kory.

"Kory, should I kiss you again? Because you might be using some words wrong." There was sarcasm laced in his voice. His eyes were wide in disbelief.

He wanted to laugh in her face so badly. Tell her that he's willing to teach her to enhance her vocabulary, that maybe she's got some definitions mixed up.

"I told you, Dick. She said she has a blind date today." She repeats what she heard from you earlier that day. And the Tamaranean could swear she heard something shatter. Dick slumped on the floor with his hands covering his face. Regret bubbling in his chest.

He knows you were deeply affected by what transpired the other day. You weren't a workaholic like he was, so when he found out that you were barely inside the tower anymore due to your sudden eagerness to go on missions and stakeouts, he knew this was your way of releasing anger.

Who was he to stop you? After all, he was angry too. The chance slipped through his fingers. As a result, he barely saw you anymore. The tower felt emptier without you freeloading around when you didn't have anything to do.

He wouldn't say it out loud, but he appreciates the noise you bring to breakfast when you grumble about the food being distasteful when he cooks it when you're also the one hoarding it all. All those broken training dummies when he specifically told you not to overdo it, your witty and sarcastic remarks in team meetings, having you by his side during missions... Dick misses it all.

"And? What did you say to her?" He speaks through his hands, refusing to look at Kory. It was childish of him, but he can't help it, she should have tried to stop her from going out.

Dick can already picture Kory face palming at his behavior from the sound of her exasperated sigh alone. While she understands how Dick is feeling, he hasn't acted this irrational in a while. Kory knows him, she dated him. She knows how much this man can love. Dick can risk it all for it. The thought of him being such a man causes a mystery in her mind: if Dick Grayson is a risk taker, why didn't he take it with you?

Human feelings and the relationships here on earth were different from Tamaran, but Kory isn't oblivious or ignorant to their differences. Still, it wasn't her place to speak on it. Even if she knew you still had a place in his heart, Kory never showed resentment. She was only curious about how two people who are clearly in love with each other can't be together. What fear was holding you both back?

"I told her to enjoy her date," she states the obvious. "I wouldn't stop her from finding happiness. If you're against it, you should've taken the opportunity to confess the other day."

"It isn't as easy as you think it is." His tone turned lower with each word, knowing it was a weak reason.

"Maybe I don't, but look at you now—where exactly do you stand in her life to complain about her trying to love, Dick?"

Kory's right. He was basically nobody but a leader and a close friend to you, they had no right to intervene in your love life. That doesn't make it any better.

Dick's audacity knows no bounds if he thinks that you shouldn't just agree to dates, much less a blind one! He felt uneasy that you're going to meet someone you don't know and possibly... You'll find them much more appealing than him—your closest friend of 15 years.

He should take a breather first and then think about ways to sabotage her date—no, stop that, Dick! Don't even think about it.

His conscience tries to reason with him, but his love outweighs morality. By the time Kory realized that look on his face, Dick was already bolting out of the tower in his motorcycle. She yells after him, hoping that he'd stop and rethink the devious plans he concocted inside his brilliant mind. It was futile. A man in love knows no bounds.

This was wrong, and he knows it. The revs of his motorcycle drown out every message his conscience sends him. He only went faster with desperation as his fuel. Dick's grip on the handle tightens when he thinks that he's too late, perhaps you're already enjoying the presence of that person.

He prays desperately under his breath. Just this time, this one time—let Fate be his friend. He'll do everything to be heard this one time.

Dick swears that if fate can hear him right now, he'll stand by his words, and this will be his last opportunity to have you in his arms at the end of the day.

Only now that you're completely about to slip away from him is when he decides to move. He lives up to his name, he is a dick for doing so.

The words, "Why now?" are on the table, but he bargains that it was better than an "I loved you." at your wedding in the future with this blind date of yours. And he can't have that.

He was beginning to think that fate was only his enemy when he suddenly got a whiff of your perfume in the air. Dick maneuvered his bike to the side, his head whipping from side to side to catch a glimpse of your figure.

It was a distinct smell that sets you apart from the citizens here in this forsaken city. He knows since that scent was from him. You loved his gift so much that it became your signature scent. You were certain that the brand could name it after you as well, as if it was solely for you.

You emerged from that shop you once said was not to your taste with a big smile on your face as you talked with your date.

Dick remembers laughing at your face when you tried not to show your displeasure at the drink you just shoved down your throat. You were trying hard to show a smile instead because of the staff happily asking for a picture to promote their shop.

When they asked you to come again when you stood by their doors, he almost cracked again at your small forced smile—looking like a life sentence had befallen you.

Did they bring you here? Why didn't you say you didn't like it here? Did they even ask you? He was beginning to get agitated again just thinking about it. If they wanted to take you out on a date, they had to take you to the most extravagant places here. It didn't matter if they had only met you today, you deserved the best.

As you walked through the streets of Blüdhaven, Dick couldn't help but feel you were everything and your date was just there. Like a fully rendered drawing next to a sketch of some sort. It was obvious you were out of their league. Emphasis on 'their' since he, himself, is also included.

As said before, Dick put you on a pedestal that nobody could reach. Not even himself. It doesn't mean that he's in love with the idea he created of you—god, no. He's in love with everything about you, good and bad.

So, seeing you with someone who hasn't properly learned how to love you? It gives Dick an unpleasant feeling. They don't seem to be that bad, but for you to be with them? You're too special for that.

The audacity to even bring you on a date in his turf is just beyond him. Everyone knows Nightwing is the protector of Blüdhaven, and they still brought you here. There were other places—better ones that he'd think of to take you. Anywhere else but here.

Throughout the time he's spent with you, Dick knows you like the back of his hand. He's got you memorized down to the way you'd cover your mouth while you laugh if you found it boring like you're doing now. He clicks his tongue in annoyance, thinking that you've never faked your laugh with him before, so why bother staying with this annoying, boring piece of sh—okay, Dick, calm down.

You joke around with your date until you both enter a restaurant. Dick stands outside of the chosen restaurant this time after a few minutes had passed. Dick can't even mask the displeasure on his face. Is this another one of Fate's jokes, because why this one? This blind date of yours must be truly blind for picking the worst places to take you in.

You hated this one as well. You didn't like the customer service and the way they made your pasta soggy. Dick was practically pulling on his face from the irritation your date's decisions bring. He was more irritated that you didn't seem to mind. How can you sit there, across from your date, looking so pretty and happy as if you didn't tell Dick that you never wanted to go back here?

He interrupts the incoming waiter, "Table for one. I prefer that spot behind those two lovely couples over there." Dick didn't wait for them to respond. There was nobody using that table, and he has the liberty to choose where he sits. The server didn't even interfere with his demands—Dick's face was unpaintable with his overwhelming rage bubbling inside of him.

Dick uses the menu to hide his face, purposely sitting behind you to perfectly conceal himself. His ears perked up with every fake laugh you gave your acquaintance—he decided just now that they weren't even worthy to be called your date at this point. He dislikes how cheesy their jokes are. Those jokes are second-rate when it comes to his puns that you genuinely laugh at. He can't even count how many times he has rolled his eyes today.

The servers interrupted their fake stand-up comedy, coming in just in time to save Dick and you from hearing any more jokes. Dick's server had also arrived at his table at the same time. He stole a glance at where you pointed, realizing it's the same one you ordered last time you were here with him.

"I'll have this, thank you." He hands his menu over. Before they could leave his table, Dick stopped them. "Can you make them chewy but not soggy? That's what sh—I like." Smoothly covering his words up.

The waiter left just in time for Dick to listen in again. You guys weren't laughing anymore, you just intently listened to them. His face sours again. When you're with him, you're talkative. Contrary to the cold and mature vibe you show off on TV, you were completely different around him. How he loved hearing you talk and talk about things he doesn't know about. Dick always made sure to research it after.

"Have you dated before?" Their question takes you both aback. A nostalgic feeling from days ago is brought up again. Another simple yet difficult question was thrown your way.

Even if you had your back turned on Dick, he had a feeling you had the same look as you did back then. Lost and unsure, but you already have an answer inside. Just too scared to say it without sugarcoating it.

"No, I haven't." Dick hears a smile from your voice, doing its best to sound soft and unhurt. His heart twitching at your words. He feels sorry, but he can't place why.

"I'm surprised a woman like you hasn't dated before. Are the people around you blind or just outright cowards?" Dick mustered up a nasty side-eye to give your acquaintance. He was mad because he got hit by an imaginary arrow.

"I suppose it's both?" You laugh awkwardly. An image of Dick pops up in your mind again. He's been showing up in your thoughts nonstop ever since you went out on this blind date.

Meanwhile, the guy in question can't help but feel bad about himself for making you feel like you're unwanted. It wasn't that people were blind enough to not appreciate you but rather the latter. There was this air around you that made people assume that you were already promised to someone. He even argued with Wally once or several times because the poor boy also liked you.

"Well... have you ever loved anyone?" Now this was a question Dick was also curious about.

He stayed tense in his seat, anxiously waiting for your answer.

"I have, of course. But I'm just not the girl of his dreams." You spare another laugh, a sad-sounding one that the two people fawning over you in this room felt bad for hearing your answer.

"How so? Have you ever tried telling him your feelings?"

"I have. But before I got to, he—"

The server interrupts another crucial time that Dick can't stop a groan from escaping his lips. It naturally garnered attention, he hid himself by pretending to pick something up before you could even see him.

Am I going crazy, or did I just hear Dick? You shrug it off, no way he's here.

Dick returned to his seat when you looked away, his order already waiting on his table. The dry chuckle you let out caught his attention, then it went to the dish in front of you. It looked like the same soggy noodles they served last time.

He quickly raised his hand for assistance.

"I'm sorry, you must've switched my plates with that dear lady over there."

"Pardon? But this is—"

"Trust me on this one." Dick had no room for arguments, he carefully picked his plate up and handed it over to the server. He watched as he explained the switcheroo.

You look at the server in confusion. How could the plates be switched when it's the same dish? The server whispers at you to look at the man behind you. You were expecting a fifty-year-old man who had a thing for soggy pasta.

Long story short, it wasn't. You locked gazes with Dick Fucking Grayson. How long had he been here?

Dick curses under his breath. He did not see that coming. That server is such a snitch. For doing his job and looking after the safety of their customers. You were right, customer service does suck here.

Perhaps he was grateful for your personality that disliked scenes in public. Because deep down, he was scared shitless at what you would do if you weren't that kind of person. You knew better than to confront him now, as there was always a later.

"It's okay, I'll take this. Thank you." Having known who it is, it makes you less worried about being poisoned. You were about to dig in when you noticed the consistency of the noodles. From sight alone, you knew that it was cooked the way you liked it. When you compare it to the old dish, this was definitely better.

"Are you okay? Here, have some tissues." Your date hands over some tissues, worry laced in their face. Huh, you were crying without knowing it. And it's because of the same person again. This asshole just knows you to the bone. He understands and respects every part of you in his mind.

Why is Dick acting like this when you decide to go on a date to forget him? To remind yourself that there were more people out there. The only thing you've realized is that there are more people out there, but none of them will ever be him.

Your heart still wants Dick Grayson.

"I'm sorry. You're a great person, really. I can't do this to you when I love someone else." You try to sound fine. Although it was already too late, with the tears making you choke on your sobs. They let you go, understanding how you felt. With a smile from them, you gave them your gratitude.

"Here's my half. Thank you for taking me out today." And with that, you hurriedly exit out of the restaurant.

Dick saw you leave without looking back. This is it, you're running away again. He also put his payment on his own table and was about to exit the vicinity when he took the money you left on your own table with him.

"Don't let her pay. You troubled her enough." He rolls his eyes at your acquaintance before leaving entirely.

Dick calls out your name as soon as he is out of the restaurant. It gathered attention from passersby, but he couldn't care less.

He made a promise to the wind, to the sky, to the gods, to fate, that this will be his last chance to have you. If he lets you go now, he'll regret it forever. He also wants to know what you were about to say earlier. Agh—he has a lot of questions.

He gets on his motorcycle, driving as fast as he can to each block you may have gone to. Fuck—just where were you? Dick composes himself and looks at the radar on his bike. What nearby places could you have run off t—The pier! Yes! If you wanted to clear your head, the pier was one of the places you'd go to.

Thank God he had a motorcycle with him, he could already see your figure slipping through those wooden stairs to reach the secret spot you shared with him. It makes everything easier. He carefully threaded through the hollow woods, surprisingly still standing after all these years. It makes creaks, alerting you that he was here. Who else could know about this, anyways?

This spot had a clear view of the ocean and granted you both some solitude. It was the perfect place to talk.

"Why'd you leave your... date? They seemed lovely." You knew he was lying when he gritted his teeth to compliment them. Despite feeling down, you still had the energy to laugh and smile at Dick. Like you had a spare set of batteries made just for him.

"Some Dick was following me the whole time. That's why."

"You're lucky a Dick was following you, not a pussy like that date of yours." Dick cringed at his own joke, but the sound of your laughter eased him.

You both knew it wasn't the reason, though. That's why he's patiently waiting for you to speak again.

"I'm sure you heard it, Mr.Cleans-his-ear-a-lot. Don't ask me why." You roll your eyes at him, gaining a chuckle from him.

"Sooo... you love someone else. Great. Who are they?" He had no time to waste. Dick prepared himself for your answer. What he didn't expect was that your face turned even more displeased.

Dick really is a dick. He sounds like a friend. But it isn't what you want. With the way he worded it, he sounded unaffected that you love someone else that's not him. That realization hurts you all the more.

"How can you be this dense when you know me so well, Dick?" Your voice cracks as you question him, glaring at him through your tears. For once you don't make it look like you were this strong superhero that he can always rely on. You wanted him to look at you like a woman that cracks at love's painful conquests too.

"I even went on this stupid date just to move on"

"You did?" For me?

"I did." For you.

For once, Dick doesn't know what to answer you. He always had something reserved for you but not this time. He didn't anticipate this happening. It all dawns on him right at this moment.

"I tried telling you thirteen years ago but you left me alone with no answers. You just left me there—didn't even let me finish what I was saying. That time, I felt so unbearable that even you decided to leave when I told you I love you."

Dick feels his stomach churn in guilt. He had no idea. He was too scared to confront his own insecurities, so he ended up hurting you in the process. This whole time, for more than a decade, you could've been together if he just faced you like a man. But sadly, he was just a boy back then.

"I'm sorry—" Your name sounded like a plea for forgiveness. "I was too scared back then. I freaked out. The thought of you loving me back was nothing more than a dream for me back then." You felt his muscular body holding you close to him, so tight that you felt the thump of his heart in your ear.

"Even just seeing you near that idiot earlier made me frustrated at myself because why did I wait this long until someone had the chance to take you out on a date before me?" Your hair feels wet. 

"Just to think that someone you met today already did the things I've always wanted to do with you made me realize how much of a coward I still am when it comes to you." You look up at him. He is crying.

Your hands pull him down to your level, fingers working their way up to his face, cradling him like a precious jewel. His cheek felt hot against your palm despite the flowing tears dripping down from his eyes.

"I hated how they took you to those places you hate here in Blüdhaven. Did they even realize it? They didn't know you like I do, and yet... fuck. I'm so mad at myself." He snuggles up to your palm more, chasing the comfort it brings. "Tell me, do I deserve your love even when I'm like this?" A coward, insecure, and beyond fixation.

Dick looks into your glossy eyes. Its softness still remained after all that he said. You still looked at him the same, nothing has changed except that the warmth in your eyes was a flame that he could clearly see now. His insecurity has completely blinded him from seeing the good things.

You pull his head closer to plant a chaste kiss on his forehead. Your fingers thread his hair back, smiling down at him with tears streaming down your own face.

"You've always been deserving of it. How could you not?" You plant another kiss on the tip of his right eyebrow. "And they didn't pick it, I did." You laugh a little when you share the truth before pressing your lips on his other eyebrow.

"In the end, I still subconsciously picked you. I picked it because it reminded me of you, no matter how much I hate those fuck-ass 1-star businesses of theirs." More tears flow out of you as you kiss his nose.

"It didn't matter that the drinks tasted like shit or if the pasta was soggy. I still loved it because I was with you, Dick. You're capable of making me love things I thought I wouldn't." You kiss his tears away.

Memories flash on your mind as you speak—every single one had Dick in it.

"How can I not love you when you made me feel seen?"

You remember how he'd always include you in a conversation whenever he caught up with old friends in the street. Dick introduced you proudly to his friends.

He'd talk about how amazing you are instead of talking about how he's been. As much as you were flattered by it, you felt embarrassed that he shared about you more than his life.

"But you're a part of my life, aren't you?"

"How can I not love you when you've always heard me?"

The meeting was turning into a mess. It happened when you were just new to the team and Batman had already appointed you a big role in the next mission.

Seeing as you were new, it was difficult to communicate with the team, especially when it was such a crucial mission that made everyone clash with their beliefs.

But Dick was different, even when you weren't saying anything, he suddenly yelled.

"Wow! That's a great idea. What do you suppose on doing when—" And he just kept going and going until they all eventually listened to you.

"Think about everything, Dick. You make everything a reason for me to love you." The speechless look on his face had you leaning in, it felt right to.

"May I?" You ask for permission. It didn't take long for you to feel his lips against yours. Nothing in your life has felt right other than this.

You were both a tearful mess, but you couldn't care less. Fifteen years of waiting has come to this. It felt intense and gratifying to have you after years of yearning for one another. Dick kissed you passionately, stealing and giving air—back and forth.

He'll take whatever he had just for this kiss to be endless. A few minutes wouldn't be enough, this was basically half of his lifetime. Best believe that he's already thinking about spending the other half with you already.

Dick wouldn't have let go of you if he didn't feel your hands tapping his back. He broke the kiss with a pop, lips already swollen with the ferocity of your first kiss. You both desperately gasp for air, breathing heavily with love adorned in your eyes.

"Breathe enough?"

"Y—"

That one syllable was enough for him to smash his lips against yours again. Dick needed this—You needed this. He kissed you like he'll lose you again. He smiles when he feels you reciprocate the same energy back.

It was evident that this is what happens to two hopeless people when they realize it after fifteen long years, it burst like a dam, now they're drowning in each other. They'll even be thankful if they did.

Dick was thankful that fate didn't make a joke of them this time. Maybe it had enough of seeing both of you fighting hard against what was written in its notebook of destiny. He was content knowing you both broke free from his threads and had the liberty to write your own ending.

He's sitting here with you in his arms, just the two of you and the ocean. It's crazy to think that fifteen years ago, you both sat here making guesses about the future, goof around, eating the stolen food from the fridge. Those were all good times.

Talking until Bruce even sent out police forces to find the two of you. You didn't realize the moon had risen from its slumber because of how distracted you both were with each other. That's how enamored you've been, to the point where everything feels like a fantasy. It really was just you and him from the start.

Despite all of the misunderstandings and heartache, you're both finally here. A smile on each other's faces, sharing a look that you both shared the same thoughts.

I wish I knew you wanted me—sooner.

Extra scene!

You leave your secret place in the pier hand in hand. A big smile adorning your faces. Man, it felt good to have each other.

At the distance, Dick saw a familiar man. It was the server from that 1 star restaurant.

"Wassup, buddy. End of your shift already?"

"There he is, officer, it's this man right here."

Within a second, Dick was in handcuffs. You both stared at the waiter with wide eyes. You scramble around Dick and the officers escorting him. "What the hell? He didn't even do anything, let him go." You glared at the men in duty who flinched a little bit.

"Uhm, excuse me? He robbed you and you don't care?" The waiter sassily judges you. "He what?!" Your hands were immediately on his shoulders, shaking him to get more answers.

"He stole that money you left on the table and ran away." He looks at you deadpan.

"DICK, WHAT THE FUCK?"

"I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GO 50/50 WITH THAT LOSER."

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Reader) Monster AU pt 17

(Naga Jamil has a tendency to coil up during classes, usually sitting by windows and anywhere sunny so he can keep his reptile half warm. He is technically warm-blooded, but it does take a large amount of food and magical ability to keep the snake half warm, so he will take the sunlight's assistance whenever available. During the winter, Jamil can often be found curled up in Scarabia in the sun-warmed sands or coiled around heaters for the warmth during classes.)

Warnings: Monsterverse TWST, yandere, multiple yanderes, platonic yanderes, romantic yanderes, violence, stressful meetings, protective behavior, obsessive behavior, cruelty, somewhat brat!reader, slight violence, fem pronouned reader, redemption, backhanded comments, Nemean Lions, Hellcat, Shinigami, Cervitaur, Dragons, Vampire bat, Harpies, Drider, Toad, Rat,

~~~~~~~~

Cheka smiled and happily ate the plentiful food in front of him, sitting side by side with Grim as they feasted. You decided to have an early lunch seeing as you were going to be busy around actual lunch time. It made you happy to see Grim wasn't being aggressive towards Cheka anymore and Ortho was happy to keep the cub entertained.

Naturally, you made a simple sandwich that Silver could easily replicate as the Cervitaur was keen to help you in the kitchen especially due to your leg. Despite how you wanted to walk around and even make something complicated like fried chicken- that new deep fryer Idia made was calling to you- Malleus was keen to keep you off of your leg. It was likely a result of the diligent guarding of the dragon that your leg began to stop hurting, feeling much better than it had since you were stabbed.

All you really needed to do was wait until the actual noon hour rolled around for your fated meeting of the representatives, but you were free until then. As you watched your two young charges eat and play together, a faint cool breeze on the back of your neck had you turning to look at your company. Malleus stood with you, his tail holding you up a little above where you would stand and taking the majority of the weight off your leg. He had insisted on giving Silver a break and seemed content to just hold you.

Rook and Vil were going to be stopping by soon, wanting to choose the outfit you would wear to this deciding of fates. They were actually surprised to hear that the representatives could potentially take you away and were determined to do everything they could to stop that outcome. It seemed like everyone you spoke to about the upcoming event was of a similar mind, even Riddle swore to appear before the group to plead your case.

"You seem so happy with your cubs, (Y/n)."

"Well, Cheka isn't mine to keep, but he is a sweet boy. And of course I'm happy to see him and Grim getting along."

"I am glad. I feel much of the same when I am among my Hoard."

A slight grimace pulled at the Dragon's smile and you frowned in response. Something was clearly bothering him.

"Tsuno?"

"I don't wish to lose any member of my Hoard, yourself included. Twice I have come close to facing that reality, and twice I have been late to defend you. The Ancient One has given me excellent council that I hope to heed, and with Lilia's guidance, I have decided to bestow a blessing upon you."

"What kind of blessing?"

Malleus held up a clawed hand, shadows seeming to be drawn to the space above it and almost seemed to condense into a physical object suspended in space. The item looked like one of the magestones that the other sudents carried around on their weapons, only somewhat different. It was a bright green crystal ball that sat encased in black metal akin to briar thorns, the top of the bauble making a loop that could easily connect to the upgraded tracking collar you now wore.

"This," Malleus started, letting you observe the interesting summoned item, "is something I hold quite dear to me. It is a twin to the magestone I now use. It belonged to my mother, both stones passed into Lilia's care along with my egg before she... It means a lot to Briar Valley. It means a lot to me. Only a Dragon of my lineage can wield the unruly wild magic it contains. I have considered and agonized over ways to keep you safe, now I can do exactly that. So long as you carry it with you, I am only a breath away. Speak my name, my full name, and it will bring me to your aid."

"Tsuno, I... I don't know if I can accept this. If it means so much to you, I would be consumed with guilt should anything happen to it."

"Just as I would be consumed with guilt if anything happened to you. Indulge me, (Y/n), and wear it proudly. You are always under threat and I can't always be there. Let me be your protector and call upon me when you need me. Call me to your side even when your life isn't at risk, I adore our conversations. Allow me protect what matters to me."

This was clearly something vitally important to Malleus, so you didn't fight the Dragon further on the matter. He moved and maneuvered his tail to attach the lovely bauble to your collar, smiling as it gleamed proudly from its spot against your collarbone. It almost felt weightless on your warm skin and you vaguely wondered if it was a result of being a Magestone.

Malleus couldn't help but admire the way it adorned your soft body, drawing his affectionate gaze over your figure. He was being truthful when he said you could call out to him with it, but that was not the only role the gleaming stone played. It was the smaller of a pair of Magestones and the larger partner was always with Malleus at all times. He could now keep his eyes on you even from a distance, the pair of Magestones working as a viewing glass. On top of the added benefit of checking in on you, Malleus could now slowly begin feeding his own magic into it and you.

He took to heart the wise words of his trusted friend and advisor, Lilia, and decided to try and begin the process of extending your life. It would take time and patience on his part, but once it was ready and charged enough with his magic, your life would last as long as his own. Naturally, he wanted your approval before taking such a drastic measure, but he did not wish to live without his most precious treasure. Even Lilia would one day die before the great Dragon, he did not wish the same fate for you.

He recognized that you may see it as too much or may be upset that he acted in selfishness, but Malleus already lost so much to this world. His mother. His father. The Dragon refused to lose you too. Besides, he was certain you would carry the next generation of Draconia and he wanted you to be there to see your young grow and mature. It took almost 30 years for a Fae infant to even begin walking, let alone the slow aging Dragon Fae. If you were to carry his young, Lilia's young, and possibly even Silver or Sebek's young, you would need a long life to support those children with your ever loving and compassionate heart. He refused to let his hatchlings grow up without a mother.

"It looks stunning on you, (Y/n)."

"Are you sure about this, Tsuno? I'm still worried something may happen-"

"Enough. If I was not sure, I would not have gifted it to you. You have already given me so much, allow this Dragon to guard the treasures he values."

"Alright. It isn't like I'm going to be removing this collar anytime soon... Not unless the representatives decide to take me away."

Malleus frowned deeply at this, a sudden low rumble of lightning sounding overhead. You were surprised to hear the lightning as you had not seen a cloud in the sky earlier. It was while you glanced towards a window that Malleus gently used his hand to draw your gaze back to him.

"They will not take you. They will have to fight me for even thinking they could take you away."

"Malleus?"

"Tsuno. I am quite partial to the name you have gifted me regardless of how flippant the act may have been in the moment, I would rather you use it."

"Tsuno," you glanced from his serious expression to the rolling storm that appeared outside, "are you the one who has been summoning the lightning?"

"Yes. It is a bad habit of mine. My emotions easily impact the weather and even directly control it at times. Lightning tends to come about with my anger. Snow often comes forth with my sorrow. My joy usually brings clear skies. I must guard my emotions carefully and control them with a steady mind."

"So the lightning that second night I spent here... The storm that woke me..."

"It was a creation of my emotion. Poachers sought to take you, I refused to let them."

It always surprised you to learn the sheer strength Malleus himself carried as he seemed so gentle with you and Grim. Apparently that gentle disposition did not extend to others outside of his Hoard and it made you vaguely worry about those around you. If Malleus was that powerful, how could anyone stop him if he truly snapped one day? Perhaps that is why Lilia emphasized the calming impact the Hoard had on the Dragon. You were beginning to realize the weight of the duty that had been lain upon your shoulders.

But where did that put Grim? As far as you were concerned Grim was your boy, your child, your cub. If you were part of Malleus' Hoard, did that include Grim as well? Lilia said only Hoard members could enter a nest built by Malleus, and Grim slept in the nest with you and the rest of the Hoard.

"Tsuno, is Grim a member of your Hoard?"

"As your cub, yes. Any you choose to take under your care shall be accepted into my Hoard. I have been more than serious about your standing among the Hoard and how much your happiness matters to me. Grim makes you happy and he has managed to win over the others as well."

"Will you protect him like you protect me?"

"With all the power I have available to me."

~~~~~~~~

You were a little frustrated at the ensemble Vil and Rook insisted on for your meeting with the representatives, feeling like some kind of dress-up doll. Both men had insisted that they be allowed to coordinate your outfit and you gave up trying to fight them on their choices. They took choosing your outfit rather seriously and once they finally agreed on one, you had to let them dress you up in it.

Apparently they weren't the only ones who were keen to keep you in Night Raven. Almost all of the Housewardens and their Vice-Housewardens showed up at your dorm to try and render aid, all except Leona who was oddly absent. Despite how you wanted to ease their concerns and tell them about Papa Hades' willingness to keep the representatives from taking you, you didn't want to disrupt the plan by loudly telling everyone about it. If you were going to be safe in Night Raven College, you had to at least make an attempt to expose the representative that tried to have you killed.

Now it felt almost like you were on a death march, Silver carrying you, Cheka, and Grim to where you were supposed to meet the representatives. You were flanked on either side by Idia, Ortho, and Sebek. Not only did your guarding entourage follow you, but Papa Hades and Malleus walked silently along as well, using a complex mix of invisibility spells and concealment spells to hide their presence. When you asked why they were hiding themselves, Papa Hades said the representative was more likely to act out against you if they didn't know of their presence.

It made sense, so you simply nodded along and let the Shinigami and Dragon do as they wished.

Crowley was holding the meeting in the Hall of Mirrors and your anxiety slowly raised as the Cervitaur walked you to what would be a gathering to decide your fate. If you wanted to have any hope of returning to your home, you would have to stay at Night Raven College. You fell into this monstrous world here, you could escape this world of madness here. All you had to do was root yourself in place and refuse to let the others take you away. Easier said than done.

The doors opened ahead of you as Silver walked you into the room, feeling everyone's eyes landing on you the second you crossed the threshold. It was more than a little unnerving to be the center of such intense attention. That is why you were glad Cheka and Grim were both with you during this. The cub and kit only purred reassuringly as you held onto them much in the way a child would hold to stuffed animals.

"There you are, (Y/n)," Crowley greeted you with a smile despite the fact he knew you were arriving, it was obviously more for the representatives to put a name to their wayward ideas of you being Human, "glad you could join us for this."

"I don't have much of a choice when people demand my time and threaten my peace to satisfy their own curiosity."

Crowley was silent for a moment, privy to the plan that had been put in place but somewhat thrown off by your more than clipped words. He was used to your proclivity to be a bit more goading around him- he did collar you first, after all- but he also knew you were more of a tentatively gentle disposition in most cases. It was odd to him to have you be less than understanding of the situation.

"... Anyway, these are the representatives of Twisted Wonderland. Several have come from the various Kingdoms and Queendoms to confirm you are being treated fairly at Night Raven College. Some are also here to plead their case for why you should be removed from Night Raven College."

You nodded, taking a quick look across the several representatives seated around the large table. There were various types of creatures present and one in particular stood out to you. A man with an orange and golden mane sat proudly at a spot between where you were and the end of the table, his neck, arms, and body adorned with gemstones and golden chains. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Cheka," the little cub looked up at you curiously, "is that Dada?"

He followed your pointing finger to the Lion man who looked caught off guard by you singling him out before his eyes landed on the cub in your arms. There was little to describe how surprised he looked as several representatives began murmuring and talking about the Nemean Lion you held so securely. Cheka was not nearly as thrown off by all of this as the representatives were, a wide and excited smile taking over his features as he began to wiggle in your grasp. His little paws reached out to the older Lion and you were happy to facilitate letting him return to his father.

Though it took more energy and strength than you cared to admit to release the cub, you still placed the young boy on the table and let him scamper away. A vague sadness pulled at your heart as Cheka scrambled past several others to reach his father's arms, purring loudly and cuddling into the surprised man's embrace. Clearly, the lion had not expected such a greeting but took it in stride and held the cub all the same.

"You know," you started, tone somewhat chastising, "Leona may be your brother but he is not- and never will be- a good option for a babysitter. I'm fairly sure you knew that going into this. But, I'm always game to take little Cheka on field trips if you ever need a break from him. He's a sweetheart."

The Lion man seemed somewhat dubious about your offer even as the cub cuddled into his chest and purred at him. If anything, not even Crowley seemed at ease despite how non-threatening the cub actually was. It was this unease that gave a representative- a toad looking man with bugged eyes- the courage to speak.

"No Nemean Lion should ever be allowed near a Human, not even cubs! They slaughtered Humans for food and we all know that Sunset Savana was instrumental in driving the species to extinction-"

"And we all know it happened in the past, long before this current generation of Lions. Are you truly so bogged down by history that you would hold contempt for those who are not directly responsible for the current issue at hand? Or is it simply your own racism against them that makes you speak so confidently about a topic you nor your ancestors were privy to? In fact, I've learned that other species had shown violence in the past to Humans- from Unicorns, to Naga, to Kelpies, even certain Fae- and not only that but disease and greedily hoarding my species as pets played similar roles in the death of Humanity. Can you stay with the utmost confidence that every Human was killed by a Nemean Lion?"

The toad man opened and closed his mouth, unable to respond to your direct accusation with any grace or ability to save face. In some ways, you wondered if you were being too aggressive in your responses, but Papa Hades made your role in this dance very clear. Any representative who pushed their agendas against you should be met with equal or greater pushback from you. Besides, you have been witness to the poor treatment Ruggie and Leona received simply for being born the species they were.

"They- well, they-!"

"Yes or no. Can you say every Human was killed by a Neman Lion?"

"... No."

"My point exactly. Unless you have something truly useful to add to the conversation, maybe it isn't your place to speak at all on the matter."

The man seemed to shrink back into his seet under your gaze, wanting to be anywhere but that room as your ire was clear. His silence was enough reason for you to move on from the conversation, turning to Crowley expectantly to get this 'conference' under way.

"Yes, well, let us continue with assessing her general well-being-"

~•§•~

"-which is why I petition the Human to be put into my care."

It had been at least three hours of listening to the various representatives speak and make their opinions known. Around the midway mark is when you realized it wasn't just representatives, but scientists who were clearly eager to try and test you for more information. You were mostly tolerant of the pressing and curious natures of the scientists, but your tolerance was running low.

Cheka had moved between you and his Dada several times in an effort to keep himself entertained, currently laying in your arms and batting at Silver's uniform. Despite the exciteable cub, no one was willing to reprimand him as it was more than clear you were willing to defend him from them. Even with his interruptions- which were quite welcome given the monotony of the conversations- many had been able to make their opinions and views known without too much infighting.

Few dared to speak openly against one another, especially after you promptly shut down that first toad-man in defense of the Sunset Savana King- Falena Kingscholar- and you were bored to tears. There was only a handful of representatives who had not spoken yet- the representative of Briar Valley being the most prominent- but even those who were more long-winded were losing patience with the man who now spoke.

He was a Rat looking monster that somewhat reminded you of a Gnoll given his twisted pelt stretched over a humanoid skeleton. Since he first started speaking you got a bad feeling from him and the way he seemed to sneer most of his words. You were less than amused with this creature than you figured to be possible and you were bored enough to have a bit of sport at the expense of the clearly proud Rat.

Not only had he been ranting about how 'trustworthy' he was, but he spouted off repeated flashoods. You understood that many in Twisted Wonderland didn't understand Humans and debated what species Humans were, but the Rat spoke down to you like he was doing a favor in 'educating' you with falsehoods and lies. Something you could call intuition told you that this beast was the one who hired the Wolves.

"Tell me again what species you think humans come from?"

"Pigs. Obviously."

"Yeah, well, you're wrong."

"Not possible! I-"

"We're an evolved species of great ape. Not monkey either, we don't have prehensile tails. Ape."

The Rat seemed to try and save face, glancing around at the table before back to you.

"Well, surely a blood sample could prove-"

"Furthermore, this idea of yours that claims Humans frequently consumed their young is just reprehensible. We killed for our young. True, some abandoned them or gave them to others to raise, but to dare suggest such a thing as all Humans eating their children? Absolutely vile."

He choked and tried to speak over you, huffing out the words in indignation. It was clear to you that your pushing and less than approachable behavior was unsettling the supposed 'Human expert' as you called out his falsehoods in front of the other representatives and scientists. Many of the scientists taking notes as you spoke.

"They were theories-"

"And they are wrong. That is not the issue I have right now. My issue is the fact you are trying to argue these things with me- an actual Human- who actually knows about, you guessed it, Humans. A Human who has lived among other Humans for the majority of my life. A literal world of nothing but Humans as the primary sentient species. Do I need to continue?"

The Rat man was glaring at you now and his lip curled upwards to bare his teeth at you. Despite his attempt to look intimidating, you refused to back down or let the Rat-man talk over you. If anything, he looked pathetic instead of frightening. He didn't even seem to notice you reaching up to cover Cheka's ears as he huffed at you.

"You could try to be polite-"

"Polite? When you came in here- the place I call home- and decided you were the expert on my species. Then proceeded to say the most inane bullshit fucking excuse of a theory and dare say I need to be polite when I disagree with your flat nonsense?"

"I have a degree-"

"And I am the 'creature' you claim to study. Not comparable in the slightest. If you're as educated as you claim, you would know that."

The silence that followed was thick and hung oppressively in the air, but you still sat tall and stared the man down. Cheka- whose ears were were covered by your hands- tilted his head curiously at you as he patted at your hands to move so he could hear. You weren't about to let the cub hear your angry cursing or taunting words, keeping your hands in place on his kitten soft rounded Lion ears.

The Rat was not faring well against your words, clearly becoming angry due to how his wormed tail writhed and his fur fluffed. There was a kind of tension in his limbs that made you wonder if he were really about to leap at you. He certainly seemed angry enough to try such a brazen act.

"What's wrong, Mr. 'Overly-Educated'? Lion got your tongue?"

"If only they killed you."

"Excuse you?"

"If only those idiotic hounds killed you. I pay them everything they demand to get rid of you and they had to muck it up! Wasted money and resources-!"

His voice caught in his throat as he seemed to realize the situation he just put himself in. Some of the representatives were shocked and some just seemed angry. All of them were staring at the Rat. When it seemed like he was about to back track on his words, you decided to be more than a little spiteful and threw in a light jab just to add salt to the wound.

"Go on. You were so confident before, did you run out of all that bought power and bullshit, or did you just realize how out of your depth you truly are?"

Only a singular eye-twitch told you what was coming as he threw himself across the table, his main goal being to maim and injure you however possible. He didn't even get close enough for Silver to respond before he was flying back the direction he came. Materializing out of the air was a familiar grayish-blue hand of a more than intimidating entity standing at your back. Even the Rat, who was trying to pull himself to his feet, flinched upon seeing the smoldering fury of the elder Shinigami behind you.

"Want to try that again, or have you realized the extent to which you've fucked up?"

"I'll kill you-!"

It was then another sound met your ears, one that rumbled and grew in intensity as the air around you began to spark with green lightning. Almost all representatives were unsettled by the show of power as Malleus materialized next to Silver, the rage in his eyes clear. Outside the deep sound of rolling thunder boomed across the island as his rage became clear.

The only one who didn't seem bothered by Malleus' appearance was the rather elegant woman that represented Briar Valley. In fact, she looked thoroughly amused by the rage of the younger Dragon. She had first drawn your eye when you had begun to mentally tire of the conversation a few hours ago, looking much like an effeminate Malleus. The only notable difference this woman had to Malleus was her apparent chest and thinner set face. Otherwise the two looked like they could be related.

Malleus told you earlier that day that his mother and father were no longer among the living. This meant that the woman who now smiled at the Dragon was either his grandmother or great grandmother. She certainly didn't look to be that old, but then again, Lilia didn't look old either. She sat alone at the table with no clear guards, but you figured a Dragon didn't need guards.

"Malleus, calm yourself, little hatchling."

"I refuse. He dare threaten my Hoard and even dare to claim violence towards my Hoard. He pays for his transgression with his life."

"That is fair, but also not your place to deliver punishment on this island. We are not in Briar Valley anymore."

"That makes his crime no less serious."

Talking to the woman clearly began to calm Malleus, and the Rat took this lapse of rage as an invitation. Blinded by rage at your earlier taunts, the Rat decided to try and leap at you again. The one who blocked him this time was an unexpected presence you hadn't even heard enter.

Leona stood holding the Rat by the neck, clearly amused in squeezing the fragile windpipe of the squirming creature.

"There you are, Mousey. Figured you had that brat with you, certainly had me running around campus looking for you two. Funny, I didn't think Rats had that much interest in Mice."

"Hi, Leona."

"That's all you're gonna say?"

"... You're an awful babysitter and you weren't invited to this meeting."

"Don't care and you're welcome, Mousey."

The Lion grinned as he threw the Rat back, clearly playing with the rodent man and not overly threatened by him. This sudden interjection was enough to make the other representatives answer the call to action as several rushed forward to detain the Rat that admitted to hiring poachers. It was while this uproar was taking place that several other Housewardens made their presence known, all of them entering the room and taking up posts around you in what was akin to body-blocking the representatives.

"You know," you loudly started, bringing a silent order to the chaos around you as all eyes turned back to you, "for all the talk of if I am safe here, not one person has addressed the full issue at large; am I safe anywhere in Twisted Wonderland? A representative- someone who is standing on guard for their country- had the gall to hire poachers to kill me and attacked me while surrounded by their peers. A room of people who claim to have my best interests in mind were incapable of acting to protect or aid me. Can any of you say you are doing a good job at keeping my safety in mind, or is this all just posturing? So far, the only ones who have truly acted in my best interests are those right here at Night Raven College and their associates. Judging from all of the complaints and issues brought up, it all pales in the light of reality that none of you could come to my defense when I needed it. Where I'm sitting, it seems like I'm already safest right here. Sure, poachers are here, but clearly they are everywhere. I don't think this meeting needs to continue, especially in light of the circumstances."

~•§•~

Despite the events, it still took time to wrap up the meeting and for the representatives to agree with you. Some scientists were still dubious and some wanted just a moment more to study you. It took your agreement to several research sessions in the future, visiting various Kingdoms and Queendoms personally, and Crowley's promise to give consistent wellness updates to get them to concede to your wishes.

Only a handful of representatives were interested in staying past the meeting, and it was primarily those who already had ties to the students that guarded you. Some scientists hovered around and- with your permission as well as Malleus' permission- took photos of you for reference and further study. None seemed willing to push you too much given the Shinigami and Dragon combo that hovered over your shoulder.

"Thank you, (Y/n), for keeping Cheka safe. He is an adventurous little cub, but he is still my son and I value your willingness to protect him."

"Of course, Falena! And I was serious about keeping an eye on him if you ever need a break. My door is always open to that rascal."

"At least I know better than to leave him with Leona again."

The Lion in question was scowling as Cheka ran circles around him, tugging at his arms and tail. You just smiled in response to the sight before turning back to Falena. He wasn't nearly as outwardly hostile as Leona had been and he was keenly interested in your recounting of the Wolves incident.

"Eh, don't write off Leona too soon. The way I hear it, he spent all day trying to track Cheka down. Despite how grumpy that Lion is- and the fact he will never admit to it- he has a good heart. He cares more than he will ever say, he just isn't the best at showing it."

"Then you see more in him than the rest of Sunset Savana. You seem to also see more in Sunset Savana than the rest of the world. I thank you for that."

"No need to thank. I've seen first hand how others treat your citizens and I don't appreciate it. We can only learn from history so we do not repeat it, no need to guilt descendants for the actions of their ancestors."

"Would it be too forward of me to hope you'll visit Sunset Savana some day?"

"Well, according to the representatives, I'll be visiting a lot of places in the near future. I don't see why Sunset Savana can't be included in those visits."

"Meeting you now and hearing your wisdom, it's hard to believe my ancestors were so willing to harm Humans for nothing more than a meal. Hopefully I can prove to the world that we in Sunset Savana have grown past such violence and barbarism."

"I don't blame you for what has happened, and I am glad it was Leona who saved me from the Wolves. Hopefully this can be an end to the mistreatment of your people."

"I would love nothing more."

As you spoke to the Nemean Lion King amicably, two Dragons watched you from afar. One elder and one younger. With both of them standing next to one another their shared blood was obvious.

"I see you saw it fit to gift her your father's magestone. You are aware those magestones are a pair and how they work, correct?"

Malleus nodded, gazing out at the Human he so greatly adored. Everything about this day had taught him more than ever that he could not bear parting with his most prized Hoard member. It didn't matter to him if he had to work endlessly to defend his soft Human, the world would fall in line for daring to encroach on his Hoard.

"You are certain?"

"More than I can convey."

"Very well. You will do well to take heed of how fragile Humans are, especially to us."

"I won't let you down."

"Lilia still has a few centuries left based on his species, his guidance will be invaluable. You may not wish to heed his words at all times, but you should still hear them all the same. I remember my court of Humans... Such fascinating creatures. Be a good Dragon and guard your Hoard."

"With my life."

[domina-honoribila]

If you grew up under severely restrictive rationing and were had been chronically malnourished for most of your life, you'd do the same.

My granny grew up in London during WWII, just like the Pevensies, and she and her siblings used to fight over who got to suck the marrow out of the ham bone in the pea soup.

Everyone wants to give Edmund shit for selling out his family for turkish delight, but no one talks about Lucy going off to a strangers house when promised tea and sardines. I think maybe the Pevensie children just need to stop trusting complete strangers that offer them food.

[drst]

Stock up time, Americans

OK this is not fear mongering, folks, this is for real. If you live in the US, you need to start stocking up on supplies right now, especially anything that is imported from China.

There is a major drop in freight shipping from China happening right now (late April 2025). Even if someone with two brain cells got into a room with Trump today and convinced him to back down on the tariffs against China, it's too late. There are going to be shortages and empty shelves. It's a question of how long they will last now.

It will take a few more weeks to be felt across the US, but as cargo ceases to arrive on the west coast, you have around 3-4 weeks for the effects to fully reach the east coast depending on the items. People are already reporting price hikes just on orders from China due to the tariffs, but this is going to be a void where things we normally expect to be able to buy will no longer be available.

There could also be major ripple effects from this as the trucking industry gets hit with either layoffs or firings. A lot of people could be thrown out of work, on top of the cuts to federal and government-adjacent jobs. This will push the instability in the economy even harder. And who knows what catastrophes could come up next.

So what can you do now, at the end of April 2025? All of this advice should be considered based on your financial situation. Don't put yourself in debt to do any of these things, but maybe look at your budget and your savings and see what you can afford to do right now.

Stock up on medications. As we know from 2020, a lot of components of our medicines are made in China. Buy extra supplies of anything over the counter you rely on. See if you can get bulk refills on prescriptions. I know it's tough with insurance companies but check with the pharmacy and see if you can fill early, or see what the out of pocket cost is for a refill and if you can afford it.

Personal care and hygiene products too - buy extra soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Feminine care products (diapers if you've got little ones).

Electronics. Almost everything we use is made in China or relies on components made in China. If you've been thinking of getting a new phone or your laptop is failing, now is the time before the prices go even higher.

Same deal with cars, although that's a major expense to replace and interest rates on loans are high right now. We assemble cars here in the US but every car manufacturer makes parts overseas. Take your car to a mechanic ASAP, get it checked out, make sure it's in good working order. Replace anything that needs replacing.

Paper products like toilet paper are not imported from China. As I understand it, the shortages in 2020 were due to other factors, buuuuut, let's be real. People are going to see bare shelves and panic. They're going to start hoarding and since we all remember the TP shortages 5 years ago, it would be a good idea to stock up now so you're not fighting the panic buyers.

Tools - weirdly a large percentage of scissors sold in the US are imported from China. Make sure you have a basic set of household tools. This is a list of 15 basics for handling a house. There's also the ready.gov list of what you need for an emergency kit. Also a basic sewing kit is a very good idea to have available.

Food-wise, again, while direct imports from China may not make a huge impact, if people begin to panic, you want to be prepared to deal with other people hoarding. If you have space and your electric bill can handle it, this is a good time to pick up a chest freezer. You can get a small one for under $200. You can buy the value sized bags of frozen stuff you like to eat (particularly important if you have food issues or if you've got kids who love their chicken nuggets). Grab extras of shelf-stable things like cereal, pasta, rice, and canned goods. If this feels paranoid, you don't have to go crazy, but buy at least some extras.

Get cash from your bank just in case. This is good practice in any circumstances, but don't assume your cards or your Apple Pay are going to work in an emergency. Hit the ATM, squirrel at least $100 away at home. Try to get small bills if you can, it's easier to carry some with you and leave the rest at home.

Lastly think through things you use daily, check where they come from, resupply or replace anything coming from China ASAP. Some folks already did this at the end of last year (durable goods purchases were up over 10% above average in December because people were worried about the tariff shit back then), but if you can afford it, get replacements or new supplies right now.

I sincerely hope 6 months from now this looks like panic and overreaction, but a lot of people smarter than me are giving this advice. It feels very much like February of 2020 again, where people watching the news closely could see something really bad on the horizon, but the majority had no idea. Better to be prepared.

[xetlynn]

Scars and Faint Memories

Vanessa Palmer x Fem!Reader

chapter five<- -> chapter six -> chapter seven

Warnings: Shauna underwire scene. Shorter chapter.

1996

You focus on your steps, purposely stepping on twigs to hear the crunch and snaps. Walking alongside Van as you guys scavenge for food. It’s been a bit more rough lately due to animals doing the same thing. Hoarding for the cold winter to come. Akilah, Mari and Lottie were right behind you. 

Mari’s stomach loudly growls. “Jesus, Mari. Turn the volume down.” Van speaks with irritation even though the girl can’t control it. You glance up at the girls. “Oh, excuse me as my body devours itself from the inside out.” Mari replies, rolling her eyes. “I told you to eat before we left.” Akilah reminds her. 

“I did, if you call bone broth food.” Mari huffs and you frown. “We all get the same rations.” Van shrugs, sick of the complaints and you place a hand on her forearm. Attempting to calm her down, her eyes look into yours apologetically. Knowing that she has somewhat of a short fuse when it comes to the others complaining. “We’ll find something soon.” You assure the group and as you say that you come across a patch of berry bushes. 

Unfortunately though there’s barely anything on them. Mari kicks at it angrily. “Seriously? How the fuck are there no fucking berries?”

“It could be birds picking them off. Or mice.” Akilah says calmly. “I’d eat the crap out of a mouse right now.” Van admits unapologetically and the three of you look at her in disgust.

“Eww.” “Gross.” Akilah and Mari mutter. 

“Some animals live off of eating their own vomit.” Lottie speaks up, you had almost forgotten that she came with you guys. “Wow, thanks for that image, Lot.” Van sarcastically says. “Did Dead Cabin Guy tell you that? Or do you guys just chat about blood and stuff?” Mari smirks and you furrow your eyebrows at her words. Even Van sends them a warning look as the two snicker. 

“We mostly just talk about how Danny Mears dumped you for his own cousin.” Lottie snaps back and you press your lips together  as she moves further into the woods. Van and you making eye contact and bursting into quiet laughter. 

You then follow after Lottie, Van right there with you. “Hey, look, ignore Mari. I don’t think she’s taken a shit in, like, two weeks.” Van tells the girl who doesn’t seem to be paying attention. “You okay, Lot?” You place a hand on her shoulder and she seems disturbed over something before slowly turning to you. 

“Nothing. I’m fine.” She tells you, looking back away but you take a beat to squint at her. Trying to read her. Ever since that night it’s been a little weird. Lottie giving you quiet apologies for your arms. Her silence is what’s been bothering you though. You wanted to know what was going on inside her head. 

“Alright…” You murmur, heading back to the group without another question. Assuming she will tag along. 

2021

You sit on the motel bed, swinging your leg up to keep it somewhat elevated. Taissa stands next to you, arms crossed. It was a little awkward between the both of you. After her press conference Simone was in shock. You knew she wasn’t going to drop out of the race. You saw it that night she talked with her wife. 

Simone had vented to you shortly after it had happened. When Taissa wasn’t in the room. You feel for her but deep down you know where your loyalties lie even with everything that went down between the two of you. You stood up for Taissa at that moment. Making Simone even hesitant to continue talking with you. 

A panicked knock on the door startles the three of you from whatever you guys were thinking about. Natalie opens it and Shauna moves past her. Taissa and you watch as the two size each other up. “You look like shit.” Natalie comments. “Back atcha.” Shauna rolls her eyes. 

“Hey, it’s been ten years. Can we play nice for a minute?” Taissa speaks up, Shauna surveys the room, her eyes landing on you. “Holy shit, what happened to you?” She questions and you wave it off. “Mental crisis in Taissa’s words.” You simply answer, getting hit in the arm by the woman. 

“She was drunk and broke glass, somehow the glass got stuck in her calf.” Taissa tells Shauna swiftly, earning a small “oh.” She wants to question why the two of you seem… fine now. But instead she continues looking around the room. “So is this rock bottom, or does the elevator still go down a few more floors?” 

“Am I talking to a wall?” Taissa whispers to you, throwing her hands up in frustration to which you chuckle. “How’s Jeff? Still hawking futons?” Natalie smirks. 

“No. We are not doing this, not after all the shit we’ve been through. We’ve got a situation and we need to deal with it together.” Taissa cuts off the bitter arguing and Natalie shrugs. The two backed down. “Fine. What;s going on?” 

Natalie then shows Shauna the autopsy photos as well as the crime scene. “Is that… Travis? Oh God… is that the-” symbol. The symbol.

“Yeah. Someone strung him up and then tried to cover their tracks.” Natalie explains.

This then brings up Jessica Cruz… Day… Roberts? You couldn’t keep up with the last names anymore. “Did you not take care of her?” You look up to Taissa, Shauna also speaks up. “I thought we told you to take care of her?” 

“What was I supposed to do, kill her? I threatened a lawsuit and told her to back off.” Taissa defends herself but she avoids eye contact with you now. You stare up at her through your lashes, observing her closely.

“Okay, fuck this.” Natalie pulls out her cellphone. Finding Jessica’s card. 

“What are you doing?” Taissa inquires. “Bringing Jessica Roberts- nice fake name, by the way. To us. I’ll say I’m ready to talk.” Natalie says.

“And if it’s  not her? We’d be handing her the exact kind of story she’s looking for.” Shauna disagrees with the idea. You hum in agreement with a frown. Disappointed that you even have to agree with Shauna on this one. “Shauna’s right, Nat. Stop. Stop.” Taissa points a finger. 

Taissa and Shauna sternly lock eyes with your best friend who finally puts her phone down. 

“Can you get the money?” Shauna looks at you guys. “I’m working on it. We’re still waiting for instructions on how to make a drop.” Taissa sighs. You lay down on the bed boredly. You weren’t necessarily a part of this but you insisted that Taissa took you. Over sitting on a couch with nothing to do. 

“Once we do, we can put a GPS tracker in with the cash. Then we follow it, see what we’re dealing with.” Shauna comes up with a spot. “Together.” Shauna then adds, pointed at Natalie. The three of you nod. 

“I’m not going to be much help but I’ll definitely be there for support.” You put a thumb up and Natalie smiles at you. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but should we loop Misty in, too?” Shauna breathes out and you shoot up. “The fuck?” You raise a brow.

“She could be part of it.” Taissa says. 

“She’s the one who drove [Name] and I to see Travis. Well, after fucking with my car but still. She’s been helping me try to figure out what the fuck is going on.” Natalie stands up for the blonde. “Oh, right. Naturally.” Shauna huffs. 

“Anything else I should know about, or does the blackmail, Travis maybe being murdered and this one playing buddy cop with Misty fucking Quigley basically sum things up?” Shauna irritatedly asks, also giving you a passing by look. 

Something you definitely take notice of. 

“I say we keep Misty at arm’s length for now, then see how fucking weird she gets.” Natalie suggests and your shoulders slump somewhat relieved that you won’t have to deal with the girl. “And if it turns out she really is behind all this?” Taissa asks the burning question. 

“Then we deal with her.” Shauna says, the four of your trading looks.

“Yikes.” You mumble. 

“Are you ready to go back?” Taissa looks at you and you take a deep breath. “I guess.” You lift yourself up from the bed, Taissa gives you a hand just in case. The other two watch curiously until Natalie lets out a laugh. 

“This is great, when did you two make up?” Natalie motions and you deadpan in her direction. Leaning on Taissa as you situate how you’re standing.

“I’m putting my anger on hold. She was still on my emergency contact. Now she won’t leave me alone.” You grumble, limping to the door.

“Why was she even on there?” Shauna asks. 

“I needed to put someone after my mom died. I was dumped and then my siblings all moved away. Natalie was in fucking rehab or off with Travis I don’t remember. I didn’t have anyone else.” You exclaim, sort of surprising them with your words. Moving on though, you breathe in, grimacing at the feeling of standing on your leg.

“Are you two ever going to tell us what happened between the both of you?” Shauna interrogates. 

“It’s no one's concern.” Taissa speaks and you let out a scoff. “Right.”

1996

You were finishing your chore alongside Van who’s showing you how to “fold the clothes correctly.” Something that makes you laugh as she is directing you on what to do. You two were also out by yourselves.

“Look, you messed it up already.” She gently takes the shirt from your hand and you smirk. “Sorry, I’m a little distracted.” You defend yourself. 

“By what?” She rolls her eyes, folding the shirt for you instead of giving you another chance at it. “I don’t know, maybe the twinkle in your eyes.” You boldly say with a shit-eating grin and she snorts.

“That was horrible.” She shakes her head and you jut out your bottom lip dramatically. “Really? I thought it was a good one.” 

Van places the shirt down with the others. “You’re getting better but that was… okayish.” She says, folding another piece of clothing as you watch her. The two of you have been somewhat closer, you still have your guard up but spending time with her has been a wonderful distraction to the reality that you also have to face. 

There wasn’t a point in pushing her away when you were out here with no excuse to run. Right now everyone is vulnerable and doing their parts to survive. What does it hurt to… fall in lust a little...

“Just okayish? I know you secretly like it.” You rasp out, leaning into her side and she turns her head away bashfully. “Possibly,” she clears her throat. “You might just have to try a little harder.” She stands up, unclipping more of the shirts and pants from the makeshift line.

“Mind if I do a little example?” She cocks her head to the side, putting the clothes with the others. You eye her up and down as she offers her hands. 

“Hm?” She hums and you smile, taking them to help you stand up. “Go for it.” 

“Okay, okay, are you a loan?” She suddenly asks and you raise a brow. “What?” 

“Cause you’ve got my interest.” She gets out, trying not to laugh and you look taken back for a moment, trying to process what she just said. “Was that supposed to be better!?” You cackle, and she shushes you. 

“Wait, I have more.” She tells you. “Do you like Star Wars?” She inquires and you shrug your shoulders. “Eh-” 

“Cause Yoda only one for me!” She says but then pauses to give you a look. “Eh? What do you mean!?” She questions you and you just laugh at her. “I don’t know, I’ve never seen it!” You explain, emitting a gasp from her mouth immediately. 

“Oh my god! [Name]...” She drops your hands. “Have you at least seen The Goonies?” She quizzes you and you give her a sad no. “Hold on hold on, what have you seen!?” She grips onto your shoulders as if this was the most insane thing you’ve told her. “Sixteen Candles was pretty good.” You say and she backs away from you in shock. 

“The Lost Boys?” 

“Never seen it.” You clasp your hands together in front of you. “Wall Street?” 

“Nope.”

She lets out a horrid noise. “[Name] I am naming the most popular and best movies alive! Next you’re going to tell me that you haven’t seen Forrest Gump or Jurassic Park!” She throws her hands up with her rant. “I’ve seen Jurassic Park.” You say almost offended and she lets out a short chuckle. 

“But not Forrest Gump?” She crosses her arms and you smile at her. “No, sorry. I’m not a big movie person!” You announce and she snorts. “Yeah I can see that. I’m so going to have to change that when we get back.” She points at you. “Yeah?” 

She then pauses. “Would you want that?” She questions nervously. “Well it depends… How are you going to change that?” You step closer to her, putting your arms over her shoulders. Her eyes widen at your bold move.

“I was thinking, they have these drive-in theaters and they show 70s and 80s movies- the best movies there are.” She starts, building back up her confidence. 

Her hands going to your hips. “Mhm.” You hum, insinuating for her to carry on. “I could take you every other saturday. Call them dates or something…” She trails off for dramatic effect. 

“Or something.” You joke and she gives you a look. “I would love that, Van.” You look into her eyes, showing that you’re sincere. You notice her own eyes flicker down to your lips at that second. “Yeah?” She breathily asks. 

And as you lean in a little closer the two of you hear rustling from behind you. Instantly the two of you let go of one another to see Laura Lee walking forward. “Hey, you guys need some help bringing the clothes back?” She offers, not paying attention to the fear struck expressions on your faces. 

“Uhm- yeah, yeah. Here’s the folded ones.” You lift them up, handing them over to the girl. Van rushingly folding the rest of the clothes.

“Great, I finished my chore. I'm just trying to see if anyone else needs help.” She explains and you nod, letting out a breath with a forced smile on your face. The nerves make you sweat. 

“Well, we’re all good here. Thanks, Laura Lee.” Van sharply speaks, crouching down as she folds the rest of the clothes, the blonde awkwardly takes her leave and your eyes go wide as you turn to the redhead. 

She smirks up at you, keeping her lips tightly together as she tries not to laugh but the moment the silence surrounds you and you know she's gone the both of you laugh loudly.

“Holy shit! That gave me more adrenaline than during a game back home.” You place your hand over your heart dramatically. She smiles at you. “C’mon, let’s get these back before she sends everyone over here.” Van plops clothes into your arms. Nudge you as she picks up the rest. 

The two of you were handing the clothes over to their owners or putting them away in the cabin before coming back out. The girls all finish up their chores for the day as Natalie and Travis return from another unsuccessful hunting trip. 

But you all clock how they are a bit too close to one another, their hands almost slyly touching. A grin on Travis’s face. “Natalie and Travis sittin’ in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N-” 

“I think they were doing a little more than kissing, Laura Lee.” Lottie cuts her off bluntly. “Hey, Nat. What exactly are you and Flex hunting for out there, anyway?” Mari calls after the bleached blonde. You purse out your lips. “I hear it’s beaver season…” Van comments and the girls laugh, you gently hit her as you notice Travis looking embarrassed. 

Natalie gives you all the finger. “Sit and spin assholes.” 

Jackie then comes up to Natalie. “Is this why we don’t have any food? Because you’re running for mayor of pound town?” Jackie inquires rudely and you flinch at her words even though they’re not direct toward you. “Uh, go fuck yourself?” Natalie scrunches her eyebrows.

“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. You’re always down for a good time, aren’t you Nat?” Jackie continues and you go to step in but Van grabs onto your wrist. Stunting you. 

“I can’t magically conjure deer, Jackie. But keep talking shit, I’ll find something to shoot.” Natalie spits out in return. “Oh, wow, you’re so tough. I’m not scared of you, burn out.” Jackie laughs, you let out a heavy breath. Livid at the scene she’s causing. “No. You’re jealous. Cause you’re uptight, prudish bitch-” 

“Hey- Chill! Both of you.” Taissa steps between them, Shauna pulling Jackie away as Lottie and Mari grab Natalie. She shakes them off though.

Heading towards the cabin and you follow after her quickly. Feeling the loss of Van’s touch immediately. Misty leans to Natalie before she can enter. “I know how you feel. I have a secret boyfriend too.” Misty mutters. Natalie throws her a look as you give a confused glance but moving on from it. 

“Give me the word and I’ll beat her ass, Nat.” You speak and Natalie snorts. “You? You’re the least confrontational person here.” She shakes her head and you sigh. “Yeah well being out here seems to be changing that.” You roll your eyes, the two of you sitting at the table in the kitchen area. 

She glances up at you with a strange expression. Seemingly observing you closely. “What?” You question and she mumbles under her breath but you didn’t catch it. Natalie focuses on your eyes to which you begin to feel nervous. Peering away from her. “Sorry, thought… I don’t know.” She sucks in a breath, sitting up straight. 

“Uh, okay…” You fold your arms. 

Later that night you find yourself tossing and turning beside Shauna and Taissa. Not able to fall asleep. That’s how it’s been ever since you started sleeping up in the attic. Irritated, you throw the blankets off of you. Begrudgingly heading downstairs but still careful not to wake anyone up. Making it through the sleeping girls to outside. 

Less sleep but more energy, you didn’t understand yourself but at the same time you didn’t mind it. What bothered you is the lack of having something to do. Something to clean. You needed some sort of action. 

Some sort of change. Every day is beginning to blend with the others. You sat on the porch, knee bouncing up and down swiftly. Antsy. You were so stuck in your thoughts you didn’t hear the person coming out of the cabin behind you. “[Name]? What are you doing up?”  The voice rasps and you gasp, jumping slightly. 

“Tai?” You smile at her and she joins your side. “What are you doing out here?” She questions. You shrug your shoulders. “Can’t sleep. I want out of here.” You answer, squinting in front of you. Staring at the treeline before you. Wondering what lies beyond this area. “You and I both.” She laughs quietly. It falls silent between the both of you for a moment before you turn to her. 

“I want to go look for help.” You say, she furrows her brows. “Look for help?” She repeats. “Yes, we haven’t tried it, going south I'm sure there's something. I can go. Even if no one goes with I'm not dying here-” 

“I’ll go with you.” She cuts you off, placing her hands over yours. “Really? No explanation needed…?” You were caught off guard but secretly relieved that someone was as crazy as you. “I mean, we don’t know where the hell we are. Why not?” She says simply. You grin at her. “No one’s going to agree with us, you know that?” 

Her lips twitch upward, and you notice her eyes flicker down to your lips. Your smile falters and you stand up abruptly.

“This sounds crazy but I need to do something or else I’m gonna go crazy. Wanna go swimming with me?” You place your hands on your hips and she just stares at you curiously before smacking her knees and standing up as well. 

“Fuck it, why not?” 

The door creaks open and both of your heads snap in the direction. Van tiredly blinks at the both of you. “The fuck are you guys doing up?” She shuts the door behind her. Rubbing her eyes so they can focus clearly. “Uh…” Taissa looks to you. “Swimming.” You say and she gives you a look. “It’s the middle of the night, [Name].” 

“Best time to do it. Ever swim in a pool at night with nothing but the moonlight? Oh! Ever skinny dip?” You quiz them, talking a little fast, not letting them answer. “We gotta do it!” You laugh to yourself, suddenly feeling your nerves throughout your body.

You question your excitement but choose to ignore it by how you’ve never felt this… euphoric before and at night it really begins to shine. “I mean, why not? Who’s going to tell us no.” Taissa points out and you point at her. 

“Exactly, we might not get this freedom back home.” You say, eyeing up to Van, hoping that she joins. Practically pleading with your eyes. Her own gaze softens in your direction. She was skeptical at first, worried about the others waking up and noticing you guys missing. But then again you wouldn’t be doing anything wrong by swimming. 

“Fine, let’s go.” Van steps down from the porch and you gently clap your hands together. Leading the way to the lake. 

And as your feet touch the dirt you’re slipping your clothes off with ease. Not wasting a single second nor caring about the eyes that are on you as you do so. Van isn’t shy about her staring, admiring your figure in the moonlight. 

Taissa looks between you and the girl, slowly undressing as well. 

“Whipped.” Taissa whispers, following after you into the water and Van scoffs. She knows the girl is right though. She was utterly whipped for you and has been for a while. Way before the crash. Way before Senior year of high school. 

Van scurries after you to girls, tossing her shirt and sports bra off. The cool water hits against her skin and you swim on your back so you can look at her. 

“Wow…” You audibly let out on accident and she raises a brow. Taissa scrunches her nose but stays silent. You don’t add anything else, instead looking up at the sky. “The stars are much brighter without all the light pollution.” You hum, searching for certain constellations.

The two do the same, well Taissa does the same as a certain someone continues to eye you. Holding herself as she does so. 

“Do you think our families are up right now still trying to search for us? Or do you think  they think we’re dead and gave up?” You inquire, speaking without thinking and the two are stunned in place. 

“Way to lighten the mood.” Taissa sarcastically says with a scoff of a laugh. “Sorry, I just… I don’t think my mom cares.” You admit to them, not looking at either of them, your sight not leaving the starry night. “My siblings are probably devastated, or were. They’re young, easier to move on with grief.” 

They listened to your words, not knowing how to respond but just listening. “My mom works so much she never bonds with me- well, bonded. There’s nothing to miss. Maybe missing her free babysitter.” You snicker to yourself. “I understand how you feel.” Van lets the water engulf around her as she joins your side. “My mom’s not much of a workaholic. Just an alcoholic, some pills too. Too drunk or high to ever talk without some sort of argument.” 

She was a little tense talking about her mother but it was just you three and for some reason it was like nothing else mattered. It didn’t feel like you guys were stranded and helpless. “Moms suck sometimes.” You mumble. 

“Or all the time.” Van smirks and you huff. “Yeah…” You trail off. “You have a horrible mother too, Tai?” You look at the girl who was picking at her nails. Or underneath her nails… “How the hell did you get so much dirt under your nails?” You stand up, water slipping down your body. You shiver slightly at the feeling. 

Taking Taissa’s hands. “ I have no clue.” She continues to clean them. “You digging holes or something?” Van asks and Taissa rolls her eyes, splashing the redhead, accidentally getting you as well. 

The two of you squeal, splashing her back. Leading to the three of you attacking one another with the water. Laughing until you let out too loud of a noise and Taissa smacks a hand over your mouth. “Shhh, so loud.” 

“What? No one’s going to hear.” Van chuckles, pushing her arm away from you as you giggle. “Sorry, sorry, but Van’s right. They’re sleeping and in the cabin.” You swim around the two of them like a child. 

“You saw how they were with Travis and Natalie. If they saw the three of us- like this?” Taissa reminds you guys and you shrug. “I mean, do you, Miss Turner care about what they think? Plus we’re all friends here. Who cares?” You then quickly go under water, popping back up just as fast. 

“I don’t care what they think, just the drama that comes with it. I’m friends here, you two… whatever is going on, they might find out.You two aren’t being very discreet lately.” She points out and the two of you glance at one another. Not worriedly though. “They might find out eventually, that could happen.” Van agrees with that one statement. 

“Not if we get the hell out of here.” You speak up suddenly and Taissa shoots a warning look at you. Not thinking it’s a good idea to let Van know just yet but you don’t care. “We’re going to look for help. Find a way out of here.” You tell her confidently. “We’re literally surrounded by hundreds of miles of wilderness.” Van says. 

“How can you be sure?” Taissa chimes in. “What if there’s like, a town, or an outpost or something closer than we think? It’s not like we’re on an island. If we head south long enough…” Taissa speaks with intent, showing you just how much she’s been thinking about this. Before you have even said anything just moments before coming to the lake. 

Van shakes her head vigorously. “You two take off into the woods, how the fuck would you two survive?” She interrogates. “Hm?” She looks at you and you shrug. “I can’t tell you. But I can tell you that we don’t know what will happen if we stay. Winter’s approaching.” 

“None of us are prepared for that.” Taissa breathes out, staring off at the cabin and you frown. 

2021

You sit with Taissa as she’s on the phone. You watch Sammy sneakily giving a tater tot to biscuit. “Yes, I understand it’s a joint account. But I shouldn’t need my wife’s signature for a withdrawal of any size… Can’t I increase the cap?” Taissa questions, irritated but then Simone enters the room, kissing Sammy on the head and stealing a fry from his plate. Acknowledging you curtly as Taissa hastily ends the phone call. 

“Thank you for your help.” Taissa sarcastically mutters toward the person from the bank and you smirk. Simone pours herself a coffee, ignoring her wife. Taissa peers over to you and you get the hint.

Standing up, careful not to put your weight on your leg. “Hey, Sammy. Want to show me your room now that I can walk a bit more?” You ask and he nods. Getting up and leading you to his room. Biscuit following not too far behind. 

Once you enter the orange room he heads to his bed. Biscuit jumping up with him. You glance around the room, your eyes immediately landing on his drawings.

They were extremely… unsettling. 

“What are these, bud?” You limp towards his wall of drawings and he continues to pet his dog. “The tree lady.” He answers and you raise a brow. “Is she real or from a dream?” You question. 

“Real, I swear she’s real.” He says in defense and you look at him.

“Hey, I’m not calling you a liar, am I?” You smile at him and he observes your face, as if he’s trying to read you. To see if he can trust you. 

“She looks like mom, but it’s not her.” He quietly explains and you look back to the drawings. The lady in the tree… 

“Like Simone?” 

“No,” He shakes his head and as you stand there it hits you like a ton of bricks. “Like mom but not mom?” You repeat his words and he nods his head.

“Shit…” You mumble. He makes a noise at you cussing and you catch yourself. Apologizing automatically.

“Sorry kid, I’m sorry.” You join him on the bed, the last apology had a deeper meaning behind it though, one that you don’t even think you can get yourself to talk about. 

1996

Taissa and you slip into your blankets quietly but as you settle down Shauna whispers. “Hey.” It startled the both of you. “Where’ve both been?” She questions “Had to pee, [Name] couldn’t sleep so she came with me. What are you doing up?” Taissa responds with ease. 

“Bad dream.” Shauna frowns. “What was it this time?” Taissa asks. “Cheeseburger- baby?” You add in and she gives a grim laugh. “I should never have told you guys about that.” She then grows quiet. 

“What am I gonna do, guys?” Shauna’s bottom lip quivers and you place a hand on her arm. “I heard Katie Lindstrom did it with the underwire of her bra last year.” She suddenly says and the two of you give her a horrified expression. 

“Have you lost your mind? You’ll die.” Taissa utters, slightly sitting up so she can lean over your body. “I’ll probably die either way! I’m in the middle of nowhere and the OB-GYN on call is Misty-fucking - Quigley. At last this way I won’t die having my best friend’s-” Shauna abruptly stops herself, swallowing hard at the sound of her secret spilling. 

“What were you about to say?” Taissa asks, you let out a breath, eyes wide in disbelief. “Shauna…” You say with a hint of disappointment laced with it. “That at least I won’t die having… my best friend’s boyfriend’s baby.” 

A beat. A hard moment for the two of you to register what you were just told. 

“It’s Jeff’s?” Taissa mumbles in genuine shock. Shauna looks away, ashamed by the two of your faces. “Whoa, okay… I mean. Wow. Yeah. But still, Shauna, it’s not worth dying to keep Jackie from finding out.” Taissa tells the girl with sincerity. You then speak up.

“We have a plan. To head south and find help.” You say. 

Shauna turns back to you. “So wait… on your plan. Please promise us you won’t do anything stupid.” You grab her hand and she looks into your eyes. She nods and you press your lips together. Not knowing what else to do or say to comfort her other than being there.

2021

You sit with Taissa in her office. Observing her as she looks tired. Her and Simone have just gotten back from Sammy’s psychiatrist appointment.

You go to mention what you’ve figured out in Sammy's room but before you could, a knock on the door interrupts your chance. Taissa sits up, pretending to be working.

“In case today hasn’t been shitty enough, the bank just called. Someone pretending to be you tried to take fifty thousand dollars out of your account.” Simone announces, not really caring that you’re in the room. Lately it just seems like you’re invisible to them. Your eyes flicker to Taissa who hides her guilt. 

“Fuck. Are you serious?” 

“Yup, even knew our password.” Simone replies with a hard sigh. “Well we’ve gotta… I mean, change it and freeze the account.” Taissa says. “That’s what the Fraud Department said. I gave my authorization, but you have to call and do it, too.” Simone tells her sternly. “Right, sure.” Taissa responds absent-mindedly. 

“Please make it a priority.” Simone voices. “I will.” 

“Thanks.” Simone then stands there for a moment, you notice that she wants to say more. Or as if she’s hoping her wife will. But nothing comes from either one of them and she walks out, shutting the door behind her. 

“I can give you guys the money.” You declare. Taissa rolls her eyes. “To hold over our heads later?” 

You take offense to her words, crossing your arms. “Have I ever held money over your head, Taissa?” You question with slight irritation. “I have the money. I have more than you can fucking fathom, Taissa. Let’s not play pretend on who I used to be.” You then eye her up and down. 

"Still [Name]. That's a lot of money."

“Fifty grand couldn’t dent the number in my account.” You scoff, being back on your medication was causing you to be incredibly more irritated. Not meaning to be but your fuse was cut a lot shorter than normal. “Very humble.” Taissa whispers and you laugh.

“Call Natalie and tell her you have the money.” You stand up, heading to the living room. You were done staying here. 

You didn’t want to go home either. That feeling was starting to grow on you too. 

1996

You sit on the porch, drumming your fingers on your thighs as you think to yourself. Planning out how Taissa and you were going to find help. Wondering how it would go. Making up scenarios in your head as your eyes are planted on the grass before you. 

The door bangs open and Taissa pulls you up. “C’mon, I think Shauna did it.” She rushes you, not giving you time to comprehend what’s happening. “Let’s go!” She orders and you stop letting her drag you, moving your feet faster to keep up with her. Lottie was walking in the direction of the lake and Taissa stopped her. 

“Lot, have you seen Shauna?” 

Lottie stares at the both of you and you motion with your hands. “Lottie, have you!?” You ask, repeating Tai. 

“I think I saw her go that way.” Lottie points and Taissa grabs onto your hand, the both of  you ready to run but Lottie stops you both. “Wait! Tai, were you outside last night eating dirt?” 

“What the actual fuck? No.” Taissa makes a face. “But-” 

“I can’t do crazy right now, Lot.” Taissa twists away from her, her hand still locked with yours as you guys bolt into the woods.

The two of you tear through the wilderness, passing some of the girls who were scavenging. Van being one of them.

“[Name]? Tai? Where are you going!?” Van calls out but it’s ignored as you keep running. 

“Fuck!” You screech when a branch slaps you in the face, the two of you pushing through a bush. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon…” Taissa mumbles under her breath, her hand squeezing yours every once in a while.

“Is that her?” You point up ahead. Tai squints and then picks up speed. “Shauna!” 

The two of you take in the scene as you approach closer. “Shit,” you practically fall to the girl's side, Taissa doing the same. 

“You’re not doing this alone. I’ll help you. If you let me.” Taissa kneels before her and you were by her head. “We’re both here.” You move her hair out of her face. Gratefully she nods, passing the wire to Taissa. 

She gets in position between Shauna’s legs. You give the girl your hand, she takes a breath in. Nodding to Taissa after squeezing your hand. You watch Taissa’s face go pale, moving the underwire toward Shauna. 

Shauna jerks, stunned by the contact. The three of you have shared the attic alone. Sleeping beside one another every night but this… this was intimate and terrifying. Truly bonding the three of you together.

Taissa stops, checking on Shauna, the two are breathing hard. “Keep going.” Shauna assures. 

Taissa hesitates but does as told. Shauna’s grip on you was tightening, starting to actually hurt you but you didn’t care. Watching the moment but making sure your friend was okay. She lets out a moan of discomfort the more and more she grew uncomfortable. 

Whimpering at the pain until she can’t endure it much longer. “Stop!” She yells and Taissa carefully removes the underwire, dropping it quickly.

“I can’t do it. I can’t do it!” She cries, looking up at you. “I don’t want to die out here, [Name], I don’t…” Tears fall from her eyes and you pull her into your arms. Taissa begins to cry as well. 

You hold the both of them in your arms, swallowing down your own emotions as you let them wet your shirt. Comforting them, rubbing your hands up and down their backs.

Whispering to Shauna that she’s okay. Closing your eyes as you talk to the both of them in a low tone.

The three of you emerge from the woods together, tears have dried but Shauna still slightly clings to your side. Something Jackie clocks, frowning with a strange jealous feeling emitting from her.

Along with Van seeing you at Taissa’s side once again like last night. Her eyebrows crease but she tries to shake the feeling away. 

Noticing Natalie and Travis returning with a massive dead deer. “Meat! Fuck yeah!” Van cheers, the others joining. Even you clap your hands together. “Oh, thank you, Lord.” Laura Lee glances up to the sky. Suddenly everyone notices its bloody shedded antlers. A couple girls gag at the sight. 

“Whoa. That thing is gnarly.” Van musters and you wince, looking away. “It’s like- Freddy Krueger and Bambi had a baby.” Akilah hisses. “I’m not eating that.” Javi joins your side, as Shauna steps away for him to do so. 

“Guys, deer shed their antlers seasonally. This is all normal.” Coach speaks with reassurance. “You want to do the honors?” He then turns to Shauna who takes out her knife. Everyone gathered around. 

She slices into its belly and immediately you see infested parasitic worms. Making the meat tainted and completely inedible. Leaving the team utterly hungry and hope draining further. 

“That normal too, Coach?” Jackie scrunches. Ben looks grossed-out, just as everyone else.

Taissa and you peer at one another and she raises her brows. You press your lips together, shrugging. A silent conversation between one another. But totally understanding what each other means. 

“We can’t do this anymore, you guys! What happens when winter gets here? We starve to death? Freeze?” Taissa asks the girls, plus the three guys. Their faces troubled in return.

“We can’t count on getting rescued anymore- we all know that is not gonna happen. We have to save us. That’s why I’m gonna find help- [Name] and I are going to find help.” Taissa takes your hand and you puff your chest out, standing taller. Van grimaces at the choice of touch. You nod sharply, agreeing with the girl's words. The girls all react, either shocked or on board with the idea.

“We’re leaving in the morning. Come with us if you want to get out of this fucking hell-hole.” 

She lets go of your hand, stalking back to the cabin and you purse out your lip. A dramatic scene, but sure to sit with the group and make them think about their choices. 

“Think about it, it’s your choice. But we have to try something other than sitting here.” You speak in a calmer manner. 

2021

You hear the door open from Taissa’s courtyard. With a raised brow you sit up, looking at the woman’s figure trying to be stealthy, quiet to not wake you up. You feel your phone buzz, Natalie texts that it’s go time. 

You stand up and go to the woman who was at her steps. “Tai, you get Nat’s message too?” You inquire, your hand holding the railing. Keeping weight off your leg.

“Oh, uh yeah. I’m gonna go get ready.” She hides her face from you. 

Along with keeping one of her hands close to her body. 

Your heart drops. “Tai…” You reach out to her and she snaps away from you. Stepping up on another stair.

“You should get ready too.” She rushes up the stairs and you bite your bottom lip. Your exact fear, and worry was becoming more and more real. 

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[hoofpeet]

do hoofology guys have unique mental disorders . due to being their own species

probably don't know enough about psychology and shit to make up unique mental disorders so the only thing I can think of is like. Herd animal hybrids going into some sort of dissociative state when they're socially isolated from their own species for too long. Or mayhaps predator species hybrids being anxious about letting go of any 'valuable resource' like food/shelter/etc and being kinda prone to hoarding

[thegnomelord]

Ahh I love the food thing that you got asked <3 food can have such a special place in our lives it's so precious

Ya think Hound develop concerning eating habits due to Makarov? Due to the whole stressful situation

I just want someone in the 141 to cook him a meal, filled with love and care, maybe Hound is in the kitchen watching them cook it for his own security.

I just want him to have a nice meal 😔

-🐙

I do feel like Hound would have some food hoarding habits or just distrust about eating something he didn't make himself. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten drugged through food...

But the 141 making food communally would be a fun idea lol so here's a quick brain fart :D :

You feel out of place. Well, you're always out of place, but you feel especially out of place sitting at the table while Soap and and Gaz busy themselves by the stove, Price humming to himself to the side as he gets the mugs to make tea. Ghost sits next to you grumbling under his breath, both of you in 'time-out' — you hadn't done anything (save for not being trusted around anything sharp), it's Ghost that had gone and microwaved beans in the can. Now Johnny swears up and down the microwave is possessed.

Your eyes flicker between Soap and Gaz, watching them cook you don't even know what. The only British 'cuisine' you know of is the cremated steaks Price would sometimes make you before. . . that. But nothing the two are making smells nearly as bad as the charred hockey pucks Price would feed you and Simon.

"Hey!" Your brought out of your thoughts in time to see Kyle swat away Price's hand with his spatula. "Don't you dare cap! I'm not about to get rained on because of your bad cooking." You hadn't considered Gaz could take charge, too soft in your eyes, but you're surprised by how tight of a ship he runs when he's by the stove.

"Alright, alright." Price huffs while Ghost lets out an amused huff. He's not quite laughing, but you can see the subtle tremor of his shoulders in silent laughter.

That gets Soap to point a spoon in Ghost's direction. "Oh yer one te fockin' giggle. Mr. 'ah cursed the damn microwave with me beans'."

"Sod off." Simon grunts, but there's no edge to his words. Soap tuts, but soon enough starts off rambling about something you're not quite able to follow along to when your eyes once again focus on where their arms are, how they move, paying especially close attention any time they rest them by their sides (even though realistically you doubt they'd try to drug the same food they'd eat).

You still tense when you feel Price's hand on your back, only now noticing that you'd started hunching your back, your shoulders raised closer to your ears. "You're alright, straighten your spine, sweetheart." His voice is calm, his hand warm as he applies gentle pressure on your back until you straighten back out. "There you go, good man." He rumbles, hand going up to ruffle your hair before he pulls away before his touch can turn into stinging pain to your skin.

You blink as a plate full of food is placed in front of you. The food smells good and doesn't look like it had been cremated, made with care you don't deserve. "I. . ." You don't know why but your throat feels clogged, like someone had poured hot tar into your mouth and forced you to swallow, the collar around your throat constricting your breathing even more.

Simon's shoulder bumps into yours, "If you don't eat that I will." The childish threat makes you breathe out a small laugh.

"Aye, the bastard's like Henry the hoover, he'll eat anything." Soap supplies as he sits down opposite of you with his own plate. Though you get the impression he's talking about himself when he stabs a sausage with a fork and almost inhales the entire thing.

"Mhm," You grunt, taking the fork. "I don't doubt it." You stab a piece of black pudding. It tastes earthy, but the small coppery tang of blood sizzles down your nerves, but fuck it tastes good.

"Look at that, is it good?" Kyle chuckles as he watches your facial features shift as you swallow the food, his own face that of pride like he already knows your answer, but you nod your head all the same.

[punkeropercyjackson]

hey hey just out of curiosity what are all your Percy Jackson hcs? (Gender, sexuality, and otherwise)

Percy's full name is Perseo Isadore Jackson.Perseus dosen't roll off the tongue in spanish and Isadore is both a greek name and a black name

Multietchnic but monoracial.Poseidon is a black greek,Sally is a second gen dominican inmigrant with two black parents and Percy considers himself american out of New Yorker pride

He's darkskinned with a blue undertone that glows in the moonlight,really strong and regal facial features and such afrotextured hair it can't be silkpressed thanks to a literal black god for a dad.He was on the scrawny side in Tlt from being underfed(blame Smelly Gabe restricting Sally's african/latina diaspora mom urge to stuff her kids beyond full) but chunked up as the series went on as visual character development and a healing journey.By his twenties,he's got a dad bod and he's been hairy his whole life and dosen't even own a razor and he's 6'4 and he's more gruff yet sweet dad-shaped than ever

He's actually not adhd-He's audhd.The autism is undiagnosed due to higher stigma around it than adhd and he was called the r slur a lot growing up,hence why he repeated it so easily and so defensively to defend Tyson when he was called one in Som(speaking of which........i think we all know in-charactely and realistically he would've stood by him after he was claimed.It is Percyish in prostect though he was perfectly okay with Tyson when he thought he just had Down Syndrome but got grossed out when he found out he's a monster.Reverse ableism).Blue food is his safe food,Riptide is a comfort item,he wears loose clothes as he needs room to breath,his special interests are blue,kidcore,anarchy,child care,the sea,cats,video games,the Superfam and energy drinks,half the time he's standing it's in raptor hands,he meows as his main vocal stim and when he was nine,Sally intended to enroll him to a Special ED School but he overheard her on a phone call with the staff and melted down so hard she never brought it up again.They both regret it to this day and wonder what could've been

He also has bpd and bipolar disorder to go with the ptsd(he's still dyslexic too,dw).I've been considering schizophrenic Percy too for a friend of mine who's schizophrenic and headcanons it on love towards Percy and reclaiming it from Dark Percy hoes turning him into a demonized stereotype of her disorder

Transfem bigender.Masc Percy isn't real,in the books she never shows any liking towards masculinity and manhood and she gives me big time femme vibes.Her pronouns are he/she/they and a hoard of Percycore neos(blue/cookie/lego/dude/paw/scale/meow/sparkle/pix/wave/stitch)and she looks perfectly androgynous through a mix of natural genderqueer swag and only bits of physical transition i.e she was on estrogen for a while but decided to not get any surgeries.Her presentation is only feminine but she likes masc terms almost as much as fem terms and hates being seen as just a feminine guy rather than a feminine guy who's also a feminine girl.Call her a f*mboy and she'll drown you on land.She's bidemi too and fw's queerplatonic dating

Her aesthetics and subcultures are afropunk,solarpunk,kidcore,mermaidcore and black indie.Meaning she dresses punk but like irl punks and not the posers on tv created by normies on deliberate innacuracy,in earthy black girl styles but almost exclusively using blue clothes,wears things like decora-y pastel/girly y2k fits,mermaid inspired and sea based clothing items and outfits you'd see on manic pixie dream girls denifers.Waterproof glitter is a Percy trademark and so is somehow black lipgloss and she only wears revealing clothes if it's an alt thing,including swimsuits.She had different hair per book too:Baby breads(tlt),wicks(ttc),twists(tlo),an afro turned into dreads with muscle memory during the climax and added sea material diy'd beads in the next book(som and moa),locs from growing so long she needed to switch(post-Hoo)and dying yellow,aqua,pink and purple streaks in them(egg crack at nineteen).Percy's piercings are a standard double eyebrow piercing,a spider bite,forward helix on both ears and a tongue ring and were done at home

On Percy's twelfth birthday,Sally bought her a blue nintendo ds she saved up for for months as a complete surprise and it was Percy's only console for the longest time so she used and cherished it greatly and hunted down obscure cartridges for it and stacked it in personalization.Nowadays she has a tamagotchi collection and her own at home gaming setup but she still has her precious first gamer device tucked away in her closet and breaks it out when she's feeling extra sad or wants to be sappy with someone important to her

Her favorite music genres are post-hardcore,nu-metal,lo-fi chiptunes,rap and bedroom rock.Her favorite blue flavors are blue velvet,bubblegum and cookie monster.Her favorite sea animal is sharks and she also hates dolphins.Her favorite disney princess,male character,movie and show are Cinderella 1997/Brandy Cinderella,a tie between Oswald The Lucky Rabbit and Max Goof,Big Hero 6 and Phineas and Ferb but she actually hates Ariel,Eric and The Little Mermaid as a whole and finds Finding Nemo an overrated cornfest and the constant in-universe jokes and assumptions aimed at her over them are the root along with them just not appealing to her.Her favorite superhero is Clark Kent and she never watched Mcu movies as a kid as she was too busy reading comics she bought at the local comic book shop near La Residencia Jackson and thinks Bruce Wayne is a chump and sometimes went on forums to spite oldhead poser comics nerds with citations and facts and she owns a mountain of squishmallows that include some scattered dc and marvel heroes and Starfire half defined her taste in women,the other half of that honor going to Brandy Cinderella(she had Cinderella 1997 on DVD too!!).Her favorite toy and favorite book series are Polly Pocket and Warrior Cats

Loves stop motion movies,roguelike rps,time management games,weird ceramics,magnetic hairclips,unusually shaped candles,aquatic life taxidermy,vinyl records,glow in the dark stickers,affectionate nonsexual bites(giving and recieving + hard enough to leave a mark but not enough to draw blood)and dipping burgers in milkshakes

Potty mouth or should i say,swears like a sailor.Percy's also vulgar but not a pervert i.e her humor dives into dirty jokes sometimes but purely for the bit, she's not a horny person nor does she like flirting for the sake of it

Rachel was an autistic black girl✋🏼Her and Percy were the real deal,queerplatonic black love and unpalpable symptoms frightens the normies and yes i mean Percy proship stans.They caught up on childhood together by doing kid stuff they didn't get to when they were younger and experiencing teenagehood together as alternative teenagers specifically.Rachel is an actual art hoe,a black woman dedicated to her crafts and anti-capitalism/anti-consummerism,and her and Percy started their punk studies as a team leading up participating in the culture as a team too and she hangs out at Percy's me place regularly and they're thee red-coded/blue-coded duo of ever and share clothes and Rachel beat people up for sexually harassing Percy over her apperance and Percy doodled them together a lot

Nico and Hazel are her platonic soulmates in every universe.It literally dosen't matter who you(general you!)ship Percy with,seperating the Dead Sea Siblings is infuckingsane and the worst characterization dynamic possible.Nico and Percy spent the year gap inbetween botl and tlo reconnecting and bonding as they should've so Sally adopts Nico once Percy convinces him he deserves better than Hades and this happens with the final nail in the coffin of Hades insulting Percy and Nico going off on him so while his father is in shock,Nico frees Percy from his trap and Persephone prevents Hades from intervening further in their lives on wanting to be freed from Hades herself.Persephone does a slow gambit of becoming the queen of the underworld without a king and part of it is asking Nico and Percy to ressurect Hazel so she can be part of the Second Great Prophecy and Hazel lives as part time Camp Jupiter black sheep,part time 1930s New Orleans girl living in a 2010s Manhattan world.Life level two is easier on her than her starter,albeit Marie was a good mom to avoid misogynoir and the voodoo bits are totally cut to avoid even further stereotyping,and she has two of the best brothers anyone could ever ask for and who she never knew she wanted,her adultification trauma not letting her dare to dream of a real childhood.Percy functions as a dad to her too and Sally stays beating the deadbeat parent allegations and Hazel learns to form her own self of entierly her own will,wishes,whimsy and worthiness

Rather than Toa/Trials of Apollo,the third and final greco-roman core series is Tods/Tales of Dead Seas,titled after and starring your favorite siblings' favorite siblings!!It takes place one year after Hoo and spans over four years in four books ft.a Hazel sidebook 'Hazel-Blood' and the plot is kicked off by Percy killing Zeus because he tried to hurt Hazel for talking back to him.Thus happens a revolution fixing the system to turn it into a good one and give everyone a better world and the gods and other oppressors consequences for their actions.Nico and Hazel attend the Special ED School Percy was supposed to and are known as the nerdgy cringe goth activist boy(affectionate)and the cool popular pastel goth IT girl with her shit together who's nice to everybody and encourages them to be who they are and when her first art showcase comes,Percy powers through to go and support her and brings a bag of blue marshmallow cupcakes,blue food sticks and ensure bottles for them and their classmates like a PTA mom.All the kids admired him so much it cured any ill feelings he had on the place so he shows up regularly and the teachers at it are the only ones he's ever respected

Also in Tods,Hestia gives him The Backhomepack-a blue backpack containing infinite supplies she crafted for him to help on his journey as she thought it suited him better than a weapon.He's a lover,a fighter and a father so it was perfect for him.In Tods too,Sally opens up Familia Jackson Beach Shack as a family bussiness and Percy NEVER goes to college and works for her Mamí because going to college isn't nor does it need to be everyone's endgoal.......especially not someone who was suicidal before they were even thirteen purely on how the school system treated them(have a concious,eggheads).And in Hoh,him and Hazel swapped plots-Hazel fell into Tartarus in Moa so she was fleshed out as an underworld kid and earned the nickname The Princess Of The Underworld And The Unknown and Percy was chosen by Hecate so he made his own path as a conclusion to his narrative dooming by destiny.On Nico,no retcons for gay torture porn,he's accepted at Camp Half-Blood just like we literally saw at Pjo's end and him and Hazel are the other mcs' baby brother and baby sister and him and Leo in particular share a braincell and with Hazel too as their own subtrio/mini trinity(shorties squad!!):The Gummies Trio.Leo is cursed with Best Friend's Brother and Stacy's Brother applicability(Thalia is Stacy.Leocentric Valgraceson #FOR DA WIN).And Tlo Percy wasn't robbed so she became the Hero Of The Great Prophecy as she killed Luke and put the ball in the court of the roll up to The First Last War aka Tods

Percy moodboard right here

[felixcloud6288]

It's Hurricane Season so I'd like to share some advice as a life-long Floridian who's experienced a few things. This is going to be directed primarily to people living in areas at risk of blackouts which could last several days.

Preparations

Aside from food, water, and gas, some things you'll want to make sure you have are flashlights and batteries. Make sure to refill any medications you might need.

From @dea-certe: Fill up all vehicles and maybe a few gas containers now. Firstly because it will be more expensive in the storm aftermath, but also because it will be harder to find. I went to five different gas stations to find fuel at one point and was kicking myself because I had used so much has keeping the phones charged and keeping the heat going.

Get raincoats in case you need to go outside cause the wind will destroy any umbrellas.. If you can't get one, take a garbage bag and tear a face hole into it and use that.

Also, get bug repellent, especially mosquito repellent. Mosquitos breed around still water and there will be a lot of still water.

And if you have an infant, make sure to stock up on diapers, baby wipes, etc. Even if you don't have an infant, baby wipes can be useful to help keep yourself clean.

You might want to buy some gardening gloves as well to make the post-storm cleanup safer.

SUPER IMPORTANT FOR SANITY AND SANITATION: get caught up on laundry and dishes. No power means no running water. Don't make things worse by not having clean dishes or clean clothes to use. While you're cleaning, change your bed sheets as well. Once you have power, change your sheets again.

Also, download any games, ebooks, shows, etc you can onto any battery-charged electronic devices you have. It will help your sanity when all you can do is wait.

From @metadata-uber-alles: My recommendation re: radio is to make sure you have an actual AM/FM radio, one that can run on batteries. You can probably thrift it if you don't have one already. Most radio stations stream online too, but if the power goes out you'll be rationing your phone battery and may not have internet.

Finally, while you should ideally board up your windows to protect them from debris, make sure at the minimum that all your windows are closed. Wind pressures are going to suck air out of any openings in your home.

Food and Water

First and most important: DO NOT BE A HOARDER!!

Even if your home has no power, that doesn't mean your local grocery store has no power. You can expect some reduced supply due to damaged supply lines and a spike in demand, but you shouldn't be worrying about empty shelves. At worst, have the amount of supplies you might need for 10 days. If you normally go to the grocery store every 2 weeks or longer, just stock up the amount you normally would.

Buy more items that are less likely to spoil and don't need refrigeration. When you have no power, prioritize eating anything which requires refrigeration (milk, cheese, meats) or has a short shelf life (bread).

Demand will be higher in preparation, and supply will be diminished for a bit, but supply issues only become unbearable when people start hoarding.

As for water, you'll need a surplus since you need water for so much. I cannot stress this particular part enough:

You need water to flush your toilet.

If there's somewhere with running water you can go when you need to poop, use that whenever possible, but you need water available at home to refill your toilet's cistern if you don't have that option (either time, distance, etc).

Make sure you have a supply of drinking water. Don't go buying every water bottle you can find (See the bit about hoarding), but you should buy more than you might normally use. Instead, gather water through things like your sink or from a hose into any sealable containers you might have . If you have a bathtub, fill it up just before the hurricane. If you have a pool, that's another source of water. If no debris got in the pool, you can use it for bathing. If you have empty buckets, you can get some additional water during the hurricane by filling them with large rocks or bricks and leaving them out in the open to collect the rain water.

Different water sources will be used for different purposes:

bottled, canned, or other store-bought water: Drinking, cooking, and refrigeration (explained later)

Water in unsealed containers: refill the toilet cistern

Water in a sealed containers: bathing and cleaning (Can also be used for the toilet)

As mentioned with food, supplies at your grocer will be reduced but not necessarily empty. You should be able to buy enough additional drinking water and be able to also use it for cleaning, giving you more water for the toilet. The tip about gathering rain water will only work once. There will likely be no rain for at least a week afterward.

In case you need to evacuate

Keep tabs on whatever emergency alerts are available. Check what your local radio channel is or what sites to check online. Make sure you know how to get to your local shelter, including alternate paths in case a road is inaccessible.

Load your vehicle with anything you might need to bring with you before the storm so you don't have to spend time looking for them and double checking when every minute could count. Pack some pillows, blankets, and extra clothes just in case. Also include anything you cannot risk losing for school or work like laptops.

Refrigeration

Without power, your fridge is now just a giant cooler and a ticking bomb to being a biohazard. Fill it up as much as possible. Cold air escapes easily when you open it and heat disperses fastest throw the air. Remember how I said you should buy extra water? A fridge filled with cold water will stay cooler longer. Any liquid will do. Fill your fridge with water bottles, soda cans, beer, fruit juice, whatever. As long as it doesn't spoil at room temperature. Milk can technically help too, but since it spoils you shouldn't keep much of it and should use it quickly.

Additional things like fruits and veggies will also help. What matters is you want to reduce the amount of empty space and fill it with anything which can keep the temperature down. Put a frozen block of iron in for all I care. Just don't have a super empty fridge.

If you have a generator

Good for you. You're not completely without power now. But you need to set priorities on what to use it for. Generators can only supply so much power at a time so you can't just hook everything to it and expect things to work out.

Top priority is the fridge. Twice a day, morning and evening, plug the fridge to the generator and let it run for two hours to cool things down. Don't hook up the fridge when you don't expect to open it (like when everyone is asleep).

Second priority should be charging cell phones, laptops, and anything else like that. Depending on your circumstances, you can charge them at work, from your car, etc so only hook them up when batteries are low.

Third, comfort. I understand this will be stressful, but hooking up your tv and gaming computer isn't the best idea. If you've done what I suggested earlier, you'll at least have something to watch or do without needing to hook it to your generator. Like with the above electronics, you might be able to find other ways to charge them, but only attach them to your generator when you don't need to worry about necessities.

Finally for the love of god, DO NOT HOOK AN AC TO THE GENERATOR!!. Air conditioners draw a lot of power, especially once the room is hot. But your generator can only do so much. The AC will kill your power supply really quickly. Use a fan or the AC in your vehicle if you need to cool down.

Also worth noting, if you have an electric vehicle, that could potentially be used as well. I don't know specifics, but look into that if you own one.

Final notes

This is not comprehensive and I may be wrong about some things.

Please refer to actual expert sources for comprehensive help.

This is just suggestions from someone who has to deal with this every year and has figured out how to deal with the aftermath. Your living conditions may be different so please check how to handle any concerns unique to you.

Stay safe and do not give up hope.

[ragingsock]

Little one shot I wrote to get my mind off some stuff. Totally not projecting onto Phantom or anything.

Dew x Phantom is implied

Tw: disordered eating

Phantom’s used to feeling hungry. In the pit he never knew when, where, or even if he’d get his next meal. This followed him when he was summoned.

In the early days Cumulus would leave food at Phantom’s door, not wanting to pressure him into leaving his room if he wasn’t ready but she’d pass by later in the day to see it still outside his door cold.

Swiss, Rain, and Mountain would invite Phantom to picnics near Rain’s favorite pond. If Phantom accepted he’d pick at his chips watching Rain swim. It was the most any of them had seen him eat.

It was Dewdrop who got him to open up though. Phantom had collapsed during practice and Dew rushed him to the infirmary. Aether told Dew it was due to severe malnutrition. Poor Bug’s body couldn’t keep going in his current state.

When Phantom woke up Dew wanted to yell at him for being so stupid but the young ghoul’s sunken eyes and frail frame made him stop. He remembered what the pit was like. If you weren’t strong or fast or useful in some way you were left to fend for yourself, he was left to fend for himself.

Dewdrop sat with Phantom, telling him about when he first came topside. Terzo making his ghouls feasts, or at least trying to before he and Omega had to step in so the abbey didn’t burn to the ground. They established pack dinners, Terzo had said since they were summoned together, they’d eat together as a family. It helped take everyone’s mind off their new situation and bond. It was a tradition they kept when Terzo was no longer with them.

In return, Phantom told Dew about his time in the pit. How hunger felt familiar and comforting since he still wasn’t fully settled. How he hoarded food, his desk drawers were full of chip bags and any sweets he could get his hands on. He admitted that sour candies were one of his favorites.

During that time Aether had been listening. He packed the two a small lunch, something that wouldn’t be too heavy on Phantom’s empty stomach but would give him some energy back. And he might’ve put a bag of sour gummy worms in as a treat.

Dewdrop took Phantom to a quiet, more secluded place. A gazebo, a little run down but had one of the best sunny spots for naps. He told the young ghoul he’d come here to be alone. Think, nap, he pointed out a spot where the stone was scorched after he’d had his element changed. He admitted that wasn’t a good time for him.

While Dew talked he placed the food Aether had given them out. He didn’t force Phantom to eat or make a big deal about it but it was there if he wanted it. The two sat there till the sun set and by the time they were cleaning up, Phantom had eaten everything.

Well, almost everything. As the two walked back to the ghoul wing they shared the bag of gummy worms. Phantom slept in Dew’s room that night. Curled around the fire ghoul, softly purring as he dozed off.

It still took Phantom a while to be able to eat normally and with everyone and he still kept a snack drawer in his room but he’s forever grateful for what Dewdrop did for him that day.

[forsaken-headcanons]

Time to throw tons of most random HC like the randomized anon I'm :3

John Doe have hoarding behaviour,the item he hoard the most is clothings, plushie and box in his room

1x1x1x1 read book with whistle occurrence(flower) to spend time

1x1x1x1 drink soda TOO MUCH,and he influenced c00lkidd to do the same

1x have claws,but he prefer attacking with sword (unless he got unarmed) and helps John Doe with trimming claws to avoid to being too long and torn out by accident(John Doe don't like to trim claws,1x had to do it himself)

John Doe claws are supposedly long,but too long will cause it to be unable to retract back properly and potentially hurt himself (he prefer getting claws shortened by attacking survivors or scratching stuff to trim it)

Bluudud and c00lkidd often draw art of themselves or something and show it at each other (art fight, except literally just them keep comparing who's drawing is better,and they kinda just get along and improved cuz of this)

The c00lkidd and John Doe art in one of the map is drawn by c00lkidd,cuz the spectre feels like to let the killers decorate the map abit. While whole most just put some image cuz they're not as interested,c00lkidd go wild and designed most part of the map(I forgot the map name)

c00lkidd have autism

c00lkidd watch object show alot and have an object show oc even

Itrapped is actually originally gonna scam Chance for his money,but then they got along too well and became buddies and Itrapped instead helped Chance now

Bomber share diet as his bomb,so Bomber eat gunpower and fuel/gasoline or whatever explosive chemical other than human food

Taph and Bomber keep giving guest 1337 war flashbacks cuz of explosive (Taph apologies a lot for it)

Taph and Bomber had interaction before forsaken,Bomber become insane manic cuz of forsaken events(I assume)

Taph got foreakened due to cycle of guilt/self blaming and anger/hatred to other when he got hated for doing his job to take down house (related to forsaken being metaphor of cycle of guilt/grief HC)

Taph might have undiagnosed mental illness,but he pretend to be alright when buildermen is there

Buildermen is pretty good with sword cuz Shedletsky taught him on it before (they swordfight for fun a lot before cuz they're friends)

Buildermen is pretty strong, enough to throw hand and attack killer actually(but not as good at fighting as guest 1337 + he rather stay safe since he isn't that brave to face off monster,he only attack as last resort self defense)

Shedletsky's Telamon clothings is the merch he sold that turned out to sell well (which is why there's more than one character having the clothing lol)

Shedletsky can do street dance,skateboard and do trick with skateboard too(had done tricks with his before too) he tried to teach buildermen before, but buildermen isn't as interested into it but did tried it out before

Same for Elliot too(I think he shows off it more after becoming popular like in his milestones skin)

Both Elliot and Shedletsky can rap,they had collab before (second reason why Elliot gets popular)

Jason likes desserts,fav is Tiramisu

Noob is good at singing(he made the classic "the noob song")

2x2 befriended all the killer, survivor, NPC and even kinda get along with Spectre,so he basically gets rent free living in there (literally that one person with no enemies)

Jane Doe gives everyone therapy,as an effort to get everyone out of the cycle(related to forsaken being metaphor of cycle of guilt/grief HC,also related to HC where Jane Doe didn't get into game cuz she moved on from the past but didn't 100% move on)

There's one time spectre accidentally let all four killers in one round,the survivors got so traumatized from this they didn't have round for a very long time cuz of it,Jane Doe was real busy in these time

Toothy deer is spectre's friend or just spectre's pet(not in a weird way,just similar since spectre is probably god-like existence, basically the spectre kept Toothy deer,but they interact each other like friends or god and follower way ofc) that's why you get killed for bullying him in-game

ajarbythedoor(that Egypt cat looking NPC incase you don't know who I mention) got removed cuz they meet the criteria to break free of cycle already,and is giving advice to help other survivor before spectre remove them out of there (related to forsaken being metaphor of cycle of guilt/grief HC) (I remember the wiki say they're removed(and I checked before,they are) but now I don't see it anymore,so idk unless I check it out in-game again)

Thats all,I had tons of ideas today lol

-randomized anon

(I can finally be yellow now yippee)

We're back to our regularly scheduled program of yellow randomized anon.

I will go insane tagging all this.