#And then she is killed right in front of him by Dark Dan

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny is Cass's brother

So! Back when David Cain was making his "Perfect Weapon", he came across a complication.

Lady Shiva, the woman who was set to give him his Weapon, was pregnant with Twins.

He decided that the Spare was useless to him, and that he needed to devote all his time to the Weapon. He was about to give it up, or maybe just dispose of it, when he decided that it was fine to keep it. A Spare is still a Spare after all, if the Weapon ever failed or died, he could start from scratch.

So, Danny was raised for the first 8 years of his life as a Spare Weapon. He didn't get the same rigorous training that Cass did, as she was the main focus, but he was still trained in the basics. Even a Spare Weapon need maintenance after all.

Then, when he was 8, Cass broke into his Cell Room and ran from the Base with him. She knew that once she escaped, Danny would be the next one to suffer, so she took him as well.

Unfortunately, they got seperated somewhere in Illinois when they got caught by some of David's mercenaries.

Cass kept going, running all across the country before ending up in Gotham at 15 (1 year earlier than normal). There, she got adopted by Bruce Wayne and became the Vigilante, Orphan. She never stopped looking for her brother, but at the very least she knew that he must have escaped David Cain's men. They were focused specifically on her after all.

Cass had enlisted the help of her new Family to search for him. DNA tracking, Facial Recognition, even asking some of their Underworld Contacts for information.

Unfortunately, they had no leads. Until one day when one of their Facial Recognition Programs finally picks up on a Match.

The face of a Small Time Hero in Illinois.

...

When Danny and Cass got seperated, he ended up in Amity Park. After a few days of Wandering, he was found by Jazz, who then took him to her Parents and convinced them to Adopt him.

When Danny is 14, he is in a Lab Accident that turns him into a Halfa. Using his New Powers and Old Training, Danny manages to keep his new Family and Home safe from the Ghosts coming through the Fentons Portal. He becomes a Hero basically, even though he doesn't really want to attention.

He thanks the Ancients when he finds out about the Media Blackout Amity is Under. He guesses it's not great, but at least he is safe for now.

He continues like this until one day when he is 16, and there is a knock on the Door.

He opens it, and stands shocked when he sees his Sister. Not Jazz, the wonderful woman who took him in and taught him how to speak all those years ago. The one who has acted as his Older Sister for the past 5 years.

His Sister. His Twin. Cass.

After a moment of Shock, they simultaneously go in for a Hug and start to cry a little.

After a few minutes of calming down, Danny introduces his Sister to his bewildered Family. Cass likewise introduces her Adoptive Brother, Dick, who came along to make sure she was safe on the trip.

While Dick and the Fentons get acquainted, Danny takes Cass up to his room to talk.

She explains what happened after they got seperated, what she is doing there, and how she found him.

She tells him that she had originally come to Amity to bring him to her new Family, but she could see the love he held for the Fentons. Also the town needed its Hero.

Danny is shocked that she even found him through the Media Blackout, but not so much at the fact that she nailed his secret identity on sight. She was always observant after all.

After that, Cass and Dick stay in Amity for a few weeks so Danny and Cass can catch up. He introduces her to his friends, shows her around his parents Lab, and even let's her meet some of his kore friendly Rogues.

They are just having a great time.

...

Back in Gotham, Batman just got a very frantic call from Barry.

"Bruce, I just came back from the future!" Shouted Barry through the Comms.

"Explain." Demanded Batman. Barry knew better than to Time Travel without just cause. If he was forced to time travel, it was serious.

"A Villain shows up, an Apocalyptic Level Villain." Barry explains, "He destroys Everything. And I mean Everything. None of us can stop him, he has too many powers to combat. Flight, Invisibility, Intangiblity, Energy Beams, Energy Constructs, Ice Manipulation, Weather Manipulation, Electrokinesis, the list goes on."

"How do we stop him?" Asked Batman. This was dangerous, a Villain with even half of those powers was deadly already.

"It's complicated, but I think he followed me and another Hero back in Time. I think it may be a Closed Time Loop. He is the catalyst for his own creation."

"Is there any way to break the Loop? What is the main driving force to his Creation?" Asks Batman.

"Well, I know his name at least. He goes by Phantom, but his real name is Danny Fenton." Barry explains.

Bruce feels his heart grow cold. He knows both of those names.

Phantom, aka Danny Fenton, aka Daniel Cain.

Cassandra's Brother.

Barry seems to hesitate, before continuing, "...and as far as I know, the catalyst for his creation is the death of Orphan in Amity Park."

[scaredpigeons]

More than some stress relief

Blade x Stelle NSFW 18+ MDNI

CW: Stelle asks Blade to spar with her, and unfortunately that results in some unresolved sexual frustration, because c’mon, he’s still a whole ass man. Luckily, mama Kafka steps in to lend a helping hand. (Not her literal hand, she just buys the toy lol) phone sex, mutual masturbation? The fleshlight blade uses is connected to Stelle through the (magical) necklace that was part of the set. (Magical) creampie.

WARNING: Blade is very violent in his descriptions of how he threatens to bone Stelle. If you’re uncomfortable with him saying things along the lines of: —until the carnage is unrecognizable, —until you’re nothing but hot pulp running through my fingers (just to paraphrase loool) please do not read this. Blade is a very broken man, I was really trying to play off his more violent tendencies with this one. Stelle is so fuckin down bad tho (relatable)

If you are 18+, comfortable with some gory descriptors, and willing to read, please continue! Enjoy.

——————————

🐺👾: you want to…. Spar with blade? Are you a masochist or something? Should I be concerned? 

🦝🗑️: shut up 

🦝🗑️: I have this crazy lance and I don’t really want to hurt anyone by practicing with it 

🦝🗑️: I know he’s got that healing thing going on 

🐺👾: 👀 ….��

🐺👾: I’m telling him you called it that 

🦝🗑️: DONT U DARE 

🦝🗑️: JUST PLEASE ASK THE MAN IF HE CAN SPAR WITH ME WITHOUT KILLING ME 

🦝🗑️: AND DON'T TELL HIM IT'S ONLY BECAUSE HES WEIRDLY INDESTRUCTIBLE 

🦝🗑️: I don’t wanna like, offend him or anything. Obvi I don’t want him to get hurt, but like, the off chance I slip up with this thing… he isn’t gonna get murked. You know? 

🐺👾: okay okay I get it, I’ll ask 

🦝🗑️: 😩🩶🩶💯🔥

🐺👾: he agreed. Here’s the coordinates. Have fun, don’t die. 

————

“Thank you for agreeing to this, I really appreciate it!” 

The man in front of Stelle says nothing, only stares as the winds coming off the water pick up loose strands of his hair, making the inky strands flow behind him. 

“You… remember me, right?” Stelle tentatively asks. 

Still nothing. 

“It’s okay if you don’t, we don’t even have to go through with this, I just thought you would be the best person for what I’m—“ 

“I remember you, Trailblazer. My mind is not so far eroded that I’d forget you so easily.” 

His voice is dark, just as raspy as she remembers it. She has to clench her teeth to suppress a shudder. If March could hear her thoughts, she’d blush and squeal, smacking her arm in scandal. If Dan Heng could hear her thoughts… he’d institutionalize her immediately. 

This man is dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. Stelle had to lie about where she was going just so no one would try to talk her out of it. 

Danger always pulled at something inside her though, that nasty, deranged thing inside her that craved violence and adrenaline. She figured it was a side effect of hosting a stellaron inside her body, but man— did this guy make her wish she could have something else inside her body too.

 *Wink wink*

Aeons. She’s such a fucking simp. If it wouldn’t make her look bat shit insane, she’d smack herself right now just to get her shit together. 

“Oh…” she said instead. “That’s good. I’m glad.”

An awkward pause lingered between them, and she found herself thinking that maybe she was standing a bit too close to him, despite there being at least two feet between them. 

“Are you… doing well? The last time I saw you, Kafka was… helping you feel better.” She said hesitantly. 

It could’ve been her imagination, but she swore that the furrow of his brow softened ever so slightly. 

“We’re not here to discuss such trivial matters.” His voice was harsh nonetheless. 

“Right, right.” Stelle said, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “So, how do we do this?” 

Blade summoned his sword, dragging his fingertips across the edge before spreading the tainted blood across the flat of it, causing the cracked blade to glow and radiate with unnatural power. 

“It is not your time or place to die here, so luckily for you, I will show restraint.” 

—————

Stelle could tell Blade was holding back, true to his word. 

Any flames she created were either quelled by his winds, or overfanned by his elemental power to the point that they grew too dangerous for the environment around them, or even Stelle herself. 

She found that with her control over the lance, she could call forth and dissipate her fires at will, so the damage to herself was minimal. 

She worried that if the flames grew too large, she’d lose control over them— but every time, she willed them away and they would flicker out, leaving charred shrubbery and stone in their wake. 

Didn’t mean they weren’t hot as shit though.  

The first time she’d used the lance, the freezing temperatures of Jarilo XI dulled just how hot her new weapon could become. 

But now, well she couldn’t tell if her sweat was from the flames or just how hard her opponent was pushing her. 

He was toying with her, clashing together brutally before jumping away and circling her like a hawk. 

He was resistant to her taunts, though keeping up with him left little room for her to pause long enough to think of something to say. 

He seemed completely at ease though, the violence in his eyes and the murderous grin doing nothing to help the degenerate part of her brain that was screaming and crying and throwing up at the opportunity to observe him like this up close, without Dan Heng around to make her feel guilty for admiring this man so much. 

Her arms grew heavy, and she’d not even made him sweat, let alone injure him in any way. 

She knew that the lack of true danger was causing her to remain at a reasonable power level, flash backs to the Herta space station incident making her shudder. 

She was really no match for him in this kind of situation. 

He lunged for her again, and this time, she was too tired to react properly. She parried his strike, but missed the signs of his next move, getting her feet swiped out from beneath her as he tackled her to the ground. His sword stabbed into the dirt just beside her head as he landed on top of her, effectively straddling her as he pinned her with his intense gaze. 

Her eyes flitted back and forth between his as her breath heaved in her chest, her heart racing as she struggled to right herself after being disoriented so badly. 

Something in his expression shifted, and instead of murderous amusement, his gaze seemed… hungry. 

He leaned closer, ever so slowly, and continued staring at Stelle so intently it made her do something so embarrassing she knew she would never live it down. 

She whimpered. 

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he was gone. 

He pulled away from her and disappeared within the same breath, leaving her lying there in the dirt as she caught her breath. 

She ran her hands over her face. “Well fuck.” 

—————

🐺👾: what did you do to him? 

🦝🗑️: ??????? 

🐺👾: last week. When the two of you sparred, did something happen? 

🦝🗑️: ….

🦝🗑️: why 

🐺👾: ever since he got back he’s been fucking pouting. 

🐺👾: well, I mean pouting in the way that blade does. It’s more of a scowl than anything else, but I’ve known him long enough to differentiate between his various types of frowns. 

🦝🗑️: … nothing happened. We fought. I lost, obviously. But no one was hurt or anything. 🙃 everything’s totally normal 

🐺👾 added Kafka🕷️💕 to the chat

🐺👾: Kafka, what’s she hiding? 

Kafka🕷️💕: some sexual tension, most likely. 

🦝🗑️: …. -_- 

🦝🗑️: mother, why hast thou forsaken me????

 Kafka🕷️💕: nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetie. 

Kafka🕷️💕: Bladie may be a tragic creation of the abundance, but his body was once human. It wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that some of the more… human tendencies of a man may still linger within him. 

🐺👾: F

🦝🗑️: F 

🐺👾: so you’re saying he’s pouting and kicking shit because he’s sexually frustrated? That’s fuckin nasty. 

🐺👾: @🦝🗑️ you need to fix this. I don’t wanna look at him sulk anymore 

🦝🗑️: me?!!?!? Tf am I supposed to do??? How is this my fault??? 

🐺👾: you fought him and now he’s horny. Fix it. 

🦝🗑️: … bruh 

Kafka🕷️💕: I don’t think the traditional way of solving this problem will be the best idea, silver wolf. 🤭

🐺👾: wym? 🤨

Kafka🕷️💕: I don’t think it’s safe right now for our little trailblazer and Bladie to get together on a more intimate level… he’s still a bit unstable mentally. 

🦝🗑️: you let me fight this man while hES UNSTABLE 

🐺👾: heh. L 

Kafka🕷️💕: fighting is what he knows. It’s what comes natural to him these days. Emotions? Not so much. 

🦝🗑️: I mean… I’m always down to help anyone whenever I can

🐺👾: *tucks hair behind ear* “i’M aLwAys DoWn tO HeLP aNyONe WHeNeVEr I cAn”

🦝🗑️: BRO FIGHT ME 

🐺👾: no thanks, I have better ways to waste my time 

🦝🗑️: ENGAGE ME IN A BATTLE OF FISTICUFFS RN 

🦝🗑️: IM ALWAYS DOWN TO HELP BUT USUALLY I GET NICE REWARDS TOO 

🐺👾: heh… you want a nice reward for this one too? 

🦝🗑️: I STTA ILL COME FIND UR LITTLE HOLOGRAM AND SMACK THE SHIT OUTTA YOU 

🐺👾: wtf does stta stand for you heathen 

Kafka🕷️💕: ooh! She’s used this one with me before. It’s “swear to the aeons.” Cute, right? 

🐺👾: 🙄 

🐺👾 has left the chat

Kafka🕷️💕: I think I have an idea on how you can help, if you’re open to it. 

🦝🗑️: …

🦝🗑️: what do I need to do? 

———

“Stelle sweetie!” Himeko knocked on her cabin door. “You have a package here.”

Stelle nearly slipped as her sock feet slid along the smooth floor of her room in her haste to reach the door. 

She tumbled along gracelessly and threw open her door, huffing as she took the package from Himeko. 

A box, about five hands wide and three hands deep, wrapped in plain brown paper, with a little card tapped on and slathered with all the necessary postage. 

“Thank you!” Stelle said hastily, reaching for her door. 

“Wait—“ Himeko put a hand to the door shaft, stepping forward a bit with worry in her eyes. 

Stelle cringed a bit, looking up at Himeko and trying to hide the shame she felt creeping up the back of her neck. 

“Listen,” Himeko started, eyeing the little card on the package with Stelles name written in pretty, looping letters. “I know you and that stellaron hunter have some strange connection that we aren’t sure about, and I know you’re unsure too, but I just want you to be careful, okay?” 

It took a solid two panicked seconds for Stelle to realize that Himeko was speaking about Kafka, and not the other stellaron hunter she’d so guilty formed a connection with recently. 

When the realization dawned on her, she tucked her package to the side and pulled Himeko into a tender side hug, snuggling into her chest a bit as she usually did. 

“Thank you for worrying about me, Himeko.” Stelle said, pulling away. “It means a lot to me, and I promise I’m being careful. I won’t do anything to jeopardize the safety of anyone on the express.” 

Himeko sighed, smiling as she pulled back too. “I know, I just worry about you. We’re all here to support you through this, you know that.” 

Stelle grinned. “I do, thank you.” 

The red haired woman nodded, smiling still as she said her goodbyes and left Stelle to her own devices. 

She’d never closed and locked her door so quickly before. 

Throwing the package on her bed, she hastily sat beside it and pulled the card from the packaging. 

She took a moment to trace her fingers over the pretty script on the card, before she tore open the envelope and read its contents. 

Stelle, 

Inside this box you’ll find the fun toy I told you about, along with a new shipping label to send it off to Bladie. 

I’m off on my own right now, far away from him, and I figured he’d handle it a lot better if it came from you, and not me. hehe~ 

Also, you’ll find a beautiful little necklace I had added to the set, that’s for you to wear. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time with it. 

Thinking fondly of you always, 

K 

Stelle blushed a little, Kafka was always saying the strangest things. She tucked the card away in her nightstand and gently pried open the package, not wanting to tear the postage stamps. 

Inside was indeed the… thing that she was told about, and she blushed furiously while looking at the nondescript white box, though the size and shape was very indicative of what was inside.

She pulled the new shipping label out, looking at the address inquisitively and realizing she had no idea where Blade even was, not recognizing the planet. 

She sat it aside and pulled out the other small box inside, opening it up and finding a rather beautiful blue choker necklace. The colour was reminiscent of her garter, and she smiled, happily pulling the gift from its box and wrapping it around her slender throat. 

It clicked nicely in the back, and fit perfectly. She smiled, patting it and thinking about how it was such a thoughtful gift, however strangely unrelated. Then again Kafka was a bit of an enigma regardless, so who knows what her thought process was when putting these two together. 

Stelle closed up the box, slapping the new shipping label over the old one and eyeing it as it sat in the middle of her bed. 

Fuck, I should probably write him a letter, some kind of explination so he doesn’t just throw it away without opening it. 

She scurried to her desk, pulling out a very cutesy animal themed stationary set that March had gifted her after their mission on Jarilo XI. 

The envelopes and cards were soft blue, covered in cute little bunnies and bears and what Stelle thinks are pink raccoons, surrounded with hearts and little stars. 

She laughed at the idea of Blade handling such delicate paper, and got to writing a quick note on her desk.

Hey, 

Don’t hate me, but SW was complaining about your… mood lately, and I thought this might help. I totally fuckin get it, trust me, I understand. Traveling with a group of people that’s more like family than anything else can really put a damper on your… personal time. So please take time for yourself, if not for me, then to at least make silver wolf stop complaining to me that you’re moody. 

I look forward to the day you’ll spar with me again. 

-Stelle 

It might’ve been doing a bit too much, but Stelle couldn’t help but feel like the note might help him to be more receptive to the gift. 

Being a bit delusional never stopped her before, so why should it now? 

She slid the card in the envelope and slapped it to the package, picking it up to go and have it delivered. Hopefully she could feel a bit more at peace once it was gone. 

—————

A quick and impatient knock sounded on his room door, pulling him from his deep meditation on the floor. 

“Hey asshole, you’ve got a package.” 

He and Silver Wolf were sent together to fulfill one of Elio’s scripts, and it was a brief period of lull in their respective duties. 

The inn they were staying at wasn’t lavish by any means, but they were discreet, and that’s really all they could hope for. 

Blade released a breath through his nose as he rose from the floor, walking over and opening up his room to find his fellow hunter standing impatiently, tapping her foot on the rough carpet of the hallway. 

Blade hated carpet in the hallways of inns. Always disgusting and ridiculously coloured. 

“Here.” Silver Wolf shoved the box in his hands, her grin was wide, spreading to her eyes which twinkled up at him with the mischief he tried so desperately to avoid. 

“Who could possibly know where we are right now.” He grumbled at her, though she was already turning to leave. 

“I have an inkling, and hopefully the stick falls out of your ass soon.” She laughed maniacally as she waltzed down the hall. “Enjoy!” 

Blade felt his brow scrunch up tight as he eyed the package. The blue envelope tapped into it was terrible to look at, the childish print making him want to throw it away immediately, but the unfamiliar lettering spelling his name across the paper made him pause. 

He brought the package to his bed, sitting down and thumbing open the envelope. 

The contents of the card made his stomach drop and then lurch into his throat. He was ready to run silver wolf through with his sword. 

Calm yourself. 

He took steady breaths, though he was angry, he was also rather curious about what exactly was in the box. 

With a carefulness he didn’t remember he had, he pried open the package to find a smaller white box without any words or indicators of what could be inside. 

He lifted the lid, only to drop it in shock at what lurked within. He knew what that was. He was older than most but he was still a man, and he knew exactly what had been sent to him— what was to help his “mood.” 

He sighed, pinching his temples. He didn’t know whether he wanted to thank silver wolf or strangle her. Either way, he’d be getting some kind of relief today. 

———————

Stelle was eating dinner when she felt the first phantom touch. 

Fingertips, as soft as a whisper, ghosting over her pubic mound and making her stomach dip. 

Her eyes darted around, but everyone else was still enjoying their meal, chatting quietly together with the melody of silverware accompanying their voices. 

She was sat beside Dan Heng tonight, but both of his hands were above the table. 

She leaned back to look at him below the waist, looking to see if he’d manifested his tail and was making a pass at her, or more likely, was absentmindedly flicking it about like he did whenever he took his secondary form. 

But no, he was tailless this evening, and now eyeing her a bit warily as her eyes darted around. 

“You okay?” He murmured, not wanting to bother the others. 

The touch ghosted along her outer labia now, making her drop her fork in shock. 

Everyone was looking at her now, and she felt something pulse around her throat, right where her new necklace rested. 

Her face heated, and she placed her utensils onto her half finished plate before scooting from behind the table. 

“I’m… not feeling the greatest. I think I’m gonna go to bed early, if you all don’t mind.” 

She stood quickly, standing there for a moment as the touches continued, soft and inquisitive. 

“Are you alright?” Welt asked, concerned. “Would you like me to bring you some tea, or medicine?” 

“No!” Stelle jumped, before she caught herself and smiled sheepishly. “I’m alright, just feeling a little off. Probably just need some good sleep. I’ll see you all in the morning?” 

They all nodded, watching her go with worried eyes, but letting her leave without more questioning, which she was so grateful for. 

As soon as she made it to her room, she felt the first touch swipe through her core, and she nearly keened. 

Her throat pulsed, the necklace weakly glowing in the dark of her room. 

Her body felt hot. She was embarrassed at the amount of wetness that was pooling in her underwear, but most importantly, she was so fucking confused at what was going on. 

Something wet and blunt prodded at her entrance, and her knees buckled as she locked her door. 

She nearly crawled to her bed as her choker pulsed and pulsed with a weak glow, and the blunt thing, which felt suspiciously like a pair of fingers, finally slipped inside her, curiously prodding around, as if feeling her out. 

She slapped a hand over her mouth as she squeezed around the phantom digits, their touch lingering at her g spot with ridiculous precision. The fingers withdrew and she breathed a sigh of relief, though it was short lived as something much, much larger prodded itself at her entrance. 

Her eyes widened, and she scrambled to pull Kafkas card from her bedside drawer. 

“you’ll find a beautiful little necklace I had added to the set, that’s for you to wear. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time with it. “

Stelle hadn’t realized what those words meant at the time, but as the blunt head of a ridiculously sized phallic object pushed at her hole, the meaning slapped her in the face like a rouge automaton. 

Her back arched off the bed as the phantom cock pushed into her, and she choked on a moan as it buried itself deep within her. She was so ridiculously wet she wanted to cry, and knowing who was on the other end of this feeling made her eyes roll back into her head. 

The thrusts started slow, but slowly worked their way up to something more intense, almost violent. Her insides churned, and she felt the telltale signs of an orgasm building up so quickly she might scream. 

No, no no no. She scrambled, reaching for the necklace, but when her fingers reached the latch, the thrusts changed angles, pounding directly into her g-spot and she cussed into the dark of her room. 

Her orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave, crashing into her and seeping deep into her bones. It was the first actually satisfying orgasm she’d had in an incredibly long time. 

Her fingertips shook as they lingered on the necklace a moment, before she threw them back to her sheets, gripping them tightly as the thrusts continued. 

Fuck, this feels too good.

Through the post orgasm fog, she wondered if he knew. 

Did he know it was connected to her? 

She suddenly felt overcome with guilt. If he didn’t know, this felt a little like taking advantage of his struggles. If he did know, then she wanted to hear him say it out loud, that he knew exactly what he was doing to her. 

She wanted him to hear exactly what he was doing to her. 

With shaking hands and twitching thighs, she slapped around her bed for her phone, biting her lip through the pleasure to scroll through her contacts. 

It was nearly at the bottom, and the last time it was used was a hack of Silver Wolf’s, and Kafkas words, not his own. But she had to try regardless. 

She clicked the call button, bringing her phone to her ear as she bit back moans. 

Suddenly, the thrusting within her stopped, though the phantom cock remained buried within her. 

She gasped as the ringing came to a halt as the line picked up.

There was no answer, though she swore she could hear his breathing, just a bit heavier than usual. 

“Don’t… don’t stop.” She whispered. 

She thought she heard his breath catch in his throat. She definitely heard the swallow before he spoke. 

“What are you talking about.” His gravelly voice reverberated through the phone, and she felt the cock inside her move ever so slowly, in and out. 

She bit her lip. “I didn’t know at first, I swear.” Her thoughts were scrambled as the soft thrusts continued, and the knowledge that he was actively fucking himself with the toy while she spoke make her stomach jump in pleasure. 

“You didn’t know what?” He said, voice low and nearly at a whisper. 

“It’s… we’re… we’re connected.” 

The toy stopped, and she sucked in a breath of relief, hoping to gather her thoughts so she could properly explain herself. 

Suddenly a moan was ripped from her chest as his cock thrust into the toy with vigor, and his intense pace was picked back up tenfold. 

She tried to hide it, but the damage was done, and if he didn’t know before, he certainly did now as he listened to her whine and whimper through the phone. 

“I thought the inside felt far too realistic.” He growled. “You’re squeezing me so tight, little Nameless.” 

She gasped, his voice along with the stimulation was far too much, and another orgasm was quickly approaching. 

She tried to play it off like she wasn’t being fucked within an inch of her life though. 

“Yeah well, it’s… been a while since I’ve gotten any action, s-so forgive me for being a little tense.” She stammered. 

He switched his thrusts to hard and deep, so hard Stelle could nearly feel the sensation of his hips hitting hers, and she’s almost positive the fat of her lower half would be rippling in the recoil if he were actually here. 

“I knew as soon as I saw you that you were just a needy hole begging to be filled.” Blade said, voice deep and oh so condescending. 

Stelle fisted the sheets, her eyes nearly rolling into her skull as her needy moans slipped through clenched teeth. He was right, he was so right— but that didn’t mean she needed to concede so easily. 

“That’s bold talk…” she hissed, biting her lips until they felt raw. “…For someone who literally ran away from m-me as soon as his blood traveled south.”  

His dark laugh made her squeeze around him, and she knew he could feel it because the laugh trickled off into a deep groan that set her face on fire. She felt like her fingertips were alight with electricity, like her body was attempting to defy the artificial gravity on the express as she arched off her sheets. 

The pounding within her never faltered as he continued speaking his vile, filthy words at her. 

“You’re lucky I did, little Nameless.” She could almost imagine his murderous grin, the violence that vibrated through his voice was astounding. “If I had stayed I would have fucked you until not even your beloved crew would have been able to recognize the carnage I’d left behind.”

She couldn’t stop the noise that flew from her throat, a guttural keening that had her gripping her cellphone in embarrassment as he laughed once more. 

“Oh?” He teased, voice edged with gravel and venom. “You must be desperate to enjoy the idea of me fucking you until you’re nothing but hot pulp slipping through my fucking fingers.”

Oh she was so desperate, so fucked. If anyone else had said something so absolutely horrifying, she’d have run far, far away. 

“Does the rest of the express crew know how fucking depraved you are?” His thrusts seemed to pick up speed, which would’ve seemed nearly impossible, except she couldn’t exactly think at the moment, only sob as they slammed against that spot inside her over and over again until she felt herself slipping slowly. 

“Do they know that their precious little star wants to be fucked by a monster?” He snarled, and she cried out into the soft light of her room, thrashing around as her orgasm teased its way at her— but she was holding it back, why, why?

“Please,” she gasped. “Please, can I—“ oh, she thought distantly. Oh I’m so fucked up. 

Blade groaned, the slick sounds of him thrusting into the toy ringing in her ear. “So desperate, so polite. You really are something else.”

She keened, arching her back as the feeling licked at her further, so close to toppling over the edge.

“Go on then,” Blade whispered darkly. “Cum for me.” 

It crashed over her, more powerful than anything she could remember feeling. It pulsed through her in quick waves, so strong and violent as he just kept going. 

It started to dance into sickly sweet overstimulation as she heard his breath quicken, and she steadied her breath, wanting to savor this moment. 

“You know,” she breathed. “I’m a lot tougher than you think.”

His breath stuttered, his pace faltering ever so slightly. 

“I could take it,” she whispered. “I don’t think you’d hurt me in any way I didn’t want you to.” 

He faltered, and she heard him cuss under his breath through the phone.

“Yeah?” He whispered. “You’d take what I give you?”

She nodded at her ceiling, knowing he couldn’t see her, but her mind was too foggy with brutal pleasure to think straight. He was undoing her. 

“Every disgusting, violent, nasty thing you’d give me Blade,” she said, clutching the sheets as tears welled behind her eyes, praying he was almost finished but simultaneously never wanting it to end. “I’d take it so well for you, and I’d thank you for it.” 

“Fuck.” Blade moaned, deep and guttural, and his thrusting seized inside her. Much to her shock, she could feel the warmth of him filling her up, pump and after pump of him coating her insides. 

They both lay there, staring at their ceilings and breathing heavily over the phone, not speaking but not really wanting to anyways. 

Finally, once the breath returned to her lungs unlaboured, she felt him pull himself from the toy. 

She felt like she’d been hollowed out, like a crater had been formed where her insides should be, and without him there plugging her up—-her guts would fall out and she’d be left empty. 

He made a confused noise, and just as he did she felt the telltale squelch of cum slipping from her still twitching insides, and she groaned in frustration. 

“Well then,” he chuckled, softer now than before— almost a forbidden sound. “That makes cleaning up easier for me.” 

She smacked her hand over her face. “This is the weirdest toy ever invented, and I'm going to cry the next time I have to face Kafka.” 

“I figured this had something to do with her,” he said, shuffling noises heard from his end of the line. “She can never stay out of my business for too terribly long, unfortunately.” 

“Mine too it seems.” Stelle sighed. She smiled when he made a neutral sound of agreement. 

“You sound like you’re in a better mood.” She said, uncaring of the consequences.

“Well, before I realized what this really was, I was just hoping to release some inconvenient pent up energy.” He said, voice flat. “But I suppose doing it this way has added benefits. I’m no fool, I understand how the human brain works.”

“So this… helped you?” Stelle asked tentatively. 

He sighed. “I’d be lying if I said it was entirely useless.” 

Stelle smiled, stroking the choker around her throat, the delicate glow now completely faded. 

“I’ll keep my end of the connection on, it's simple enough. Just call me next time, okay? I don’t need to embarrass myself at dinner again.”

“I make no such promises.” She thought she heard the faintest of smiles in that last sentence before the line went dead.  

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

The True Story of the Boise Murder House

805 W Linden Street in Boise, Idaho, its covered in a layer of soot, with windows broken and boarded up and trash strewn about the yard, the 2-story, 2,728 square-foot Craftsman-style home looks like an abandoned horror movie set. 

Known commonly as the Boise Murder House, the home is also sometimes referred to by locals as the Chop-Chop House, a glib reference to the gruesome homicide that took place there more than three decades ago. In the early morning hours of June 30th, 1987, 37-year-old Daniel Rodgers and 31-year-old Daron Cox shot and killed 21-year-old Preston Murr in the basement of Rodgers’s home at 805 W Linden Street. The two men then used an axe and knife to dismember his corpse, wrapped the pieces in plastic bags, and drove to the Idaho-Oregon border to dump the body parts in the Brownlee Reservoir. Horrifying as the facts of the crime are, there is one detail more haunting than the rest: Murr almost escaped.

According to court documents, an altercation broke out around midnight between the three men and Murr was shot in the shoulder by one of the two others. Having somehow managed to flee the home, he ran to a nearby house and banged on the door begging for help, but no one answered. The neighbor inside did call the police, however. He reported hearing pounding on his door, as well as someone screaming “let go of me,” followed by an anguished yell. Peeking out his window, he saw someone chasing Murr, eventually catching him and dragging him back into the basement of Rodger’s home, where he was fatally shot in the back of the head.

Though police never responded that night, they were called again the next morning by the same neighbor who asked officials to come investigate blood on his screen door. The blood found throughout the neighborhood—on sidewalks and at least one other neighboring house—further painted a harrowing picture of Murr’s desperate attempt to escape his murderers the night before. While the crime scene has long since been cleaned up, a dark legacy lingers around 805 W Linden Street to this day.

It’s unclear what happened to the house in the immediate years after Rodgers was sent to the Idaho State Correctional Center to serve out a life sentence without parole, but property records available online list a new owner, James Howell, as of 2000. Howell has since rented the house to a number of tenants and, given its proximity to Boise State University, it’s become a popular choice among students seeking off-campus housing. As a result, local lore about the house has a decidedly collegiate flair: One persistent rumor claims that fraternity brothers have reported seeing blood dripping down the walls of the basement for years. While there is no truth to this tale—and 805 W Linden was never an official frat house—many former residents say there is something “off” about the space.

“The basement was creepy and had a weird feel. We would take people down there to scare them. I never saw any ghosts but you could tell something wasn't right,” Joe W., a former BSU student, told a local radio station, 107.9 LITE FM. Another Boise resident, Rachel R., told the station that her family almost bought the house back in 2000, and to this day she still gets anxious when thinking about their tour of the home. “It looked like it had been abandoned and the basement was by far the creepiest part,” she said. But of all the accounts shared with 107.9, the strangest tale, submitted by Dan D., goes well beyond the basement.

According to his story, one night Dan and his friend thought they heard someone trying to break into the house. When they went out to the front porch to check things out, no one was there. After looking around the front yard, Dan turned to face the house and saw a “big black oily looking thing” in the window of a bedroom upstairs. He remembers seeing the shadow-y figure move back from the window and towards the bedroom door before it disappeared. Shortly after, it reappeared outside in a mirror sitting on the porch. Dan watched as the “ball of oily blackness” moved down the large column of the porch, slowly growing in size until it took up the entire reflection of the mirror and moved right through him. “It was the weirdest, most disturbing thing I've ever felt and just typing this makes me feel it again. It's like ice fingers sinking into my shoulders,” he said.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

The True Story of the Boise Murder House

805 W Linden Street in Boise, Idaho, its covered in a layer of soot, with windows broken and boarded up and trash strewn about the yard, the 2-story, 2,728 square-foot Craftsman-style home looks like an abandoned horror movie set. 

Known commonly as the Boise Murder House, the home is also sometimes referred to by locals as the Chop-Chop House, a glib reference to the gruesome homicide that took place there more than three decades ago. In the early morning hours of June 30th, 1987, 37-year-old Daniel Rodgers and 31-year-old Daron Cox shot and killed 21-year-old Preston Murr in the basement of Rodgers’s home at 805 W Linden Street. The two men then used an axe and knife to dismember his corpse, wrapped the pieces in plastic bags, and drove to the Idaho-Oregon border to dump the body parts in the Brownlee Reservoir. Horrifying as the facts of the crime are, there is one detail more haunting than the rest: Murr almost escaped.

According to court documents, an altercation broke out around midnight between the three men and Murr was shot in the shoulder by one of the two others. Having somehow managed to flee the home, he ran to a nearby house and banged on the door begging for help, but no one answered. The neighbor inside did call the police, however. He reported hearing pounding on his door, as well as someone screaming “let go of me,” followed by an anguished yell. Peeking out his window, he saw someone chasing Murr, eventually catching him and dragging him back into the basement of Rodger’s home, where he was fatally shot in the back of the head.

Though police never responded that night, they were called again the next morning by the same neighbor who asked officials to come investigate blood on his screen door. The blood found throughout the neighborhood—on sidewalks and at least one other neighboring house—further painted a harrowing picture of Murr’s desperate attempt to escape his murderers the night before. While the crime scene has long since been cleaned up, a dark legacy lingers around 805 W Linden Street to this day.

It’s unclear what happened to the house in the immediate years after Rodgers was sent to the Idaho State Correctional Center to serve out a life sentence without parole, but property records available online list a new owner, James Howell, as of 2000. Howell has since rented the house to a number of tenants and, given its proximity to Boise State University, it’s become a popular choice among students seeking off-campus housing. As a result, local lore about the house has a decidedly collegiate flair: One persistent rumor claims that fraternity brothers have reported seeing blood dripping down the walls of the basement for years. While there is no truth to this tale—and 805 W Linden was never an official frat house—many former residents say there is something “off” about the space.

“The basement was creepy and had a weird feel. We would take people down there to scare them. I never saw any ghosts but you could tell something wasn't right,” Joe W., a former BSU student, told a local radio station, 107.9 LITE FM. Another Boise resident, Rachel R., told the station that her family almost bought the house back in 2000, and to this day she still gets anxious when thinking about their tour of the home. “It looked like it had been abandoned and the basement was by far the creepiest part,” she said. But of all the accounts shared with 107.9, the strangest tale, submitted by Dan D., goes well beyond the basement.

According to his story, one night Dan and his friend thought they heard someone trying to break into the house. When they went out to the front porch to check things out, no one was there. After looking around the front yard, Dan turned to face the house and saw a “big black oily looking thing” in the window of a bedroom upstairs. He remembers seeing the shadow-y figure move back from the window and towards the bedroom door before it disappeared. Shortly after, it reappeared outside in a mirror sitting on the porch. Dan watched as the “ball of oily blackness” moved down the large column of the porch, slowly growing in size until it took up the entire reflection of the mirror and moved right through him. “It was the weirdest, most disturbing thing I've ever felt and just typing this makes me feel it again. It's like ice fingers sinking into my shoulders,” he said.

[layanasstories]

One shot - Burning Love

Prologue:

"They expect me to go. I want to go." I say to the hacker, who tries to convince me not to fall into the trap.

"You don't even know the area. Let alone find the entrance," he argues.

"I know. But this is the only way to get Hannah back." I grunt in frustration.

"Is that worth your life?" he tried in one last attempt.

"Yes! You know that I have more reasons to go than just for your sister. He... he killed him, right in front of me." the thought of what I had seen makes me sad. But angry too. I want my revenge, I want him to agonize as I did. "He's weak, Dan hit him. I know I can do this, I have to do this".

"Fine, I give up. Go if you must go" the hacker sounded defeated. "It was a great time working with you. I'll keep an eye out." then the connection was broken.

I was already in my car on the way to the mine. My navigation indicated ten minutes to my final destination. I'd already let the man without a face know I was coming. Now he waits for me.

---

Burning Love

I stand next to my car and look up at the trees of the forest in front of me. I take a deep breath and close my eyes to feel the calmness of the forest, to take in the serene scent, because I know that this is the last time the forest can ever make me feel peaceful again. I exhale and take my phone out of my pocket.

Layana: I'm here

Unknown: I know

Unknown: Go straight for twenty meters into the forest. There you will find a hatch. Go inside.

Layana: Okay.

With the flashlight of my phone I illuminate the path into the woods. He knows I'm there, how? Is he the hacker after all? I ask myself. I shake off the thoughts and keep walking. After a few minutes I arrive at a place where the trees and bushes make way for a clearing, in the middle of the it is a hatch. When I reach out to grab the handle, I see that I'm trembling. The fear of the unknown that lies behind the hatch takes over me. "Come on Layana, you can do this! You have a reason a purpose." I try to encourage myself up. I open the hatch and carefully step inside. The mine tunnel is lit by lamps, I follow the light until I reach the end where the tunnel splits in two.

Layana: Left or right?

Unknown: Right

Unknown: Wait to walk, show Hannah the exit.

I stop walking and wait. Then I hear the sound of running feet and Hannah emerges from the darkness, from the left path. She grabs my shoulders and looks at me. Her eyes confused and full of fear. "It's him... it was him all along." she says frightened. "Who Hannah? Who is it?" I ask her abashed as I grab her shoulders too. "Richy!" she looks at me in horror, then she lets go of me and runs towards the hatch. I'm frozen in place, unable to move. Richy? No, that's not possible, right? He is dead. The man said so himself, he killed him. She must be confused by everything I try to convince myself.

Unknown: Continue walking

I can't think anymore and take my first steps in the right tunnel. I turn my phone flashlight back on. There is no turning back, I must and will carry out my task that lies before me. When I have walked for a few minutes and have taken a few turns I start to see light and the smell of petrol also hits to me. My feet slow down towards the open space I see looming ahead. He stands there in the middle of the room, with the mask over his head. A cloth is wrapped around his arm, exactly where Dan hit him with the bullet. He's weak, he's weak, he's weak. with that I convince myself to keep walking until I'm standing in front of him with about three meters between us. My breathing stutters from the fear I feel. I feel my tears welling up, of anger, the sadness, the pain.

"How dare you bastard!" I yell at him, to my own horror I take a spurt in his direction and want to grab him. But he is faster and grabs me by the throat. His arm is strong and his grip is only tightening around my throat. I hit his arm with my fists with all my might, but it doesn't hurt him. He takes a few steps to push me against the wall to be able to restrain me even more. I gasp, and slip on my feet a little, now hanging almost in his grip. The panic sets in because I'm starting to choke. I want to say something so that he lets go of me. He notices and his grip around my throat loosens slightly.

"Choose your last words wisely" he sneered. With my free hand I pull the mask off his head in one swift movement. Shakily I look up and in shock I look into the eyes I saw die before. "I love you" I say in unbelieve. The tears stream down my face. "Kill me. If that's what the man I fell for sees as the only solution." I beg him. The grip around my throat just tightens. He doesn't say a word and stares straight into my eyes. Eyes that are empty, cold and dark. As the grip only gets tighter and tighter, he bends over to me and places his lips on mine, he gives me a kiss, which says goodbye. I close my eyes and surrender to the fate that awaits me. "I wish we had met in different circumstances," he says eerily soft into my ear. With one hand he still holds me tight, I notice that I almost lose consciousness. I try one last desperate attempt to break free, but to no avail. With my blurry eyes I see that he takes something from his pocket with his other hand, I hear a click and the sound of a lighter. The bright light of the flame blinds my hazy gaze. The moment everything gets dark and I lose consciousness I see the flames rushing their way up the beams of the mine.

[duskys-dreams]

I was replaying Minecraft story mode. It was supposed to be episode seven, but things were a little… different.

The team and I went in the manor, finding LDShadowLady, DanTDM, and StampyCat. I knew we were supposed to be finding Cassie Rose, so I led everyone around, trying to find her.

We came into the room that would later be the one that Lukas was tricked by the white pumpkin. Knowing the secret, I immediately punched the picture frame, revealing a startled Cassie Rose.

We chased her through the secret tunnels, eventually landing in a large room that had a river. Cassie Rose did a villainous monologue, and Petra stayed right by my side, protecting me.

Outside the game, I thought to myself about how I’ve always been exposed to Jesskas in the fandom, but this was why I loved the Jesstra ship. They aren’t as lovey-dovey, but they still care deeply about each other and would defend the other with their life.

I paused the game and wrote down a ship dynamic thing like the one I saw on Tumblr, about the smart popular girl and the brooding tough girl. I think I wrote it with a blue SmartBoard marker, because it was really hard to write down neatly.

I came back to the game. Cassie Rose kept going on her spiel about how she was greater than all of us and was going to trap us all here while she went to freedom. She was cut off by a skeleton standing in the river that shot her in the face.

Lukas pulled off his elaborate skeleton costume and yelled at us to run. We ran outside, and saw a second huge dark oak wood manor floating in front of the one we just came out of. It was on a one-block-thick plain about three blocks off the ground, and it was incredibly tall.

Lukas and Petra stayed back to guard while I explored the place with Dan, Lizzie, and Stampy.

We went down a winding spire, and Lizzie shrugged and told us that there clearly wasn’t anything here, and we should go back. Stampy agreed, as the entire manor was giving him the creeps. I wasn’t having it though, and I broke the north wall, revealing a secret office room with the Warden sitting at a desk, waiting for us. We all tackled him.

He surrendered immediately, and I broke the wall behind him, revealing a huge room with a giant unfinished nether portal. It had iron bars framing where each block should go. I suddenly remembered seeing a strange enclosed room outside when we were entering the manor, this must’ve been it.

Dan, Lizzie, and Stampy told me to finish the portal. I was in creative mode now, and tried to add obsidian to the unfinished parts. Something told me this wasn’t right.

The Warden was calling out the word “blue” repeatedly, and I eventually came over to ask what that was all about. He just told me “blue” again, and I stared at him. He sighed and told me to use warped tree logs. I finally realized that this was a puzzle, and went back to work, but not before placing polished andesite all around the hole that led to the portal room. I didn’t want the Warden jumping in and ruining everything.

The obsidian I had placed changed to warped planks once I held it in my hands. I kept placing, then decided that polished andesite wasn’t enough, replacing it with obsidian. The Warden said “yup,” as I replaced it, understanding my caution. I thought for a second, then placed bedrock outside the obsidian to make extra sure he couldn’t break out. He said, “yup, thanks for that.” Then I finally went back to placing.

I had worked my way to the other side of the portal before I heard blocks breaking behind me. Then, the Warden zoomed into my line of sight and swung three times at me, killing me instantly.

I respawned outside with Lukas and Petra, who asked me what happened. I told them that the Warden killed me, which was weird because I was in creative mode. This wasn’t how the game was supposed to go.

Since Cassie Rose had messed with the plotline, I decided that I would, too. I donned my elytra, along with Petra, and we flew behind the original manor. Right behind it, the world ended, and there was a layer of oak planks one block beneath it, barely enough for us to squeeze through.

Petra and I flew back through it and found the spot where the climax of the story was supposed to happen, the pit filled with Endermites. There was a large hole in the wooden planks, lined by red nether bricks, that went down to the room where Cassie Rose kept the real flint and steel. Petra and I agreed to come back later and take it, then storm the floating manor.

We went back and explained the plan to everyone, everyone being Dan, Lizzie, Stampy, Lukas, and about a hundred random people that were in the original manor, apparently. Everyone was on board, and we gathered our weapons.

I went back and stole the flint and steel as everyone else marched outside to confront Cassie, who was floating in front of her manor. Apparently she had admin powers now. She laughed at us and flew inside, and we chased her.

In the floating manor’s ginormous living room, Cassie’s own army waited for us. We clashed.

I had an unenchanted netherite sword, and it took three swings to kill a person. That wasn’t very good, considering how almost everyone else had more powerful weapons. Even so, I held my own, killing Cassie’s soldiers left and right.

I found a person that had a stiff wrist, but a sword that looked like an enchanted gold katana. I killed him, then took his sword. It was enchanted with Wrist II, which assisted with the user’s wristwork. Even with this enchantment, the other guy was not very good at moving his sword.

I attacked a nearby soldier in full plated armour, and the sword cut through it like a hot knife through butter. They dropped immediately.

I clashed swords with another person, and their sword became horribly dented after hitting mine. I struck their sword again, bending it further, and then killed them.

My army was doing well. We were steadily gaining the upper hand. Then, I spotted Petra, cornered by four people. Technically three, as the fourth one was unarmed and a few feet behind their comrades, gloating. I killed the one in the back, and that brought everyone’s attention to me. I gestured for Petra to run, and she did.

One of the fighters, who resembled something of a small giant, started stomping, causing sonic damage. I mimicked him, jumping in sync with my more powerful sonic attack. This killed the other nearby enemies, and eventually the giant.

The battle came to a standstill, and I met with Luna from My Little Pony at the kitchen table. She told me that we were losing and we needed help, and she knew where to find it.

She took out some sort of kit and explained that she would call the creatures that little ponies feared. The horrible creatures from folktales, like Discord and a harpy. She started singing Confrontation of Jekyll and Hyde, and they started gathering in the kit. I noticed that they all looked like plastic toys, and a good chunk of them resembled my dragon figurines. I pointed this out to Luna, but she didn’t seem to care.

More and more toys started to appear, and I noticed two Discords who were identical, except for the shape of their eyes. I knew that his right eye was red and his left was yellow, but it was harder to see on one of them. Less so on the other, and his eyes looked more angry.

Eventually, I got impatient and grabbed one of the toys, a harpy, and threw it across the room. Everyone had found a hiding spot by now, terrified of what Luna was summoning. Once it hit the ground, the harpy came to life, and attacked our enemies. I tossed another toy, the Discord with the angry eyes. He came to life, growing larger and ready to kill.

I looked back at Luna and told her that I didn’t think we needed this many, there were barely any enemies left. She couldn’t stop at this point, and I even noticed Nightmare Moon in the pile. I wasn’t expecting Luna to want to summon her of all people.

[the-firebird69]

Most of these assholes don't like her son but really today was a show and it proved that they're out okay they're huge huge dicks to him and they they just don't want anything to happen here and want to take him to Australia it's like notifying the bank you're robbing them waiting for SWAT and then trying it this a****** and his b**** wants to mess up social security and she fell out of the plane already she becomes cat girl she has a few other movies and that's it pretty soon too she does that movie Batman dark Knight rises and stabs Trump in the back and has been shooting at Dan. Cuz Dan's trying for her. And is the guy that shoots Dan in front of Chris multisani and that's coming up within the next few days and she ends up Dead about but really there's a point where it's over fix a while but not that long. And that's right she does wakanda she does Avatar and she dies in Avatar too and not that badly so goes on it's a while cuz she's heinous the reason why it continues is because they want to take him to Australia and having continued to collect social security and use this old address and they're saying they're hiding it and stuff that's why they don't want what they want to do $2,000 a month so it turns into bja cuz he'll never get them to New Zealand although it's the same thing so these people are nuts okay they said they're going to turn it off every month he's sitting there killing them constantly

Thor Freya

[notmuchtoconceal]

IV. Hurricane Street (from "Red Harvest" by Dashiell Hammett)

My destination was a gray frame cottage. When I rang the bell the door was opened by a thin man with a tired face that had no color in it except a red spot the size of a half dollar high on each cheek. \

This, I thought, is the lunger Dan Rolff.

"I'd like to see Miss Brand," I told him.

"What name shall I tell her? His voice was a sick man's and an educated man's.

"It wouldn't mean anything to her. I want to see her about Willsson's death."

He looked at me with level tired dark eyes and said:

"Yes?"

"I'm from the San Francisco office of the Continental Detective Agency. We're interested in the murder."

"That's nice of you," he said ironically. "Come in."

I went in, into a ground floor room where a young woman sat at a table that had a lot of papers on it. Some of the papers were financial service sulletins, stock and bond market forecasts. One was a racing chart.

The room was disorderly, cluttered up. There were too many pieces of furniture in it, and none of them seemed to be in its proper place.

"Dinah," the lunger introduced me, "this gentleman has come from San Francisco on behalf of the Continental Detective Agency to inquire into Mr. Donald Willsson's demise."

The young woman got up, kicked a couple of newspapers out of her way, and came to me with one hand out.

She was an inch or two taller than I, which made her about five feet eight. She had a broad-shouldered, full-breasted, round-hipped body and big muscular legs. The hand she gave me was soft, warm, strong. Her face was the face of a girl of twenty-five already showing signs of wear. Little lines crossed the corners of her big ripe mouth. Fainter lines were beginning to make nets around her thick-lashed eyes. They were large eyes, blue and a bit blood-shot.

Her coarse hair-brown-needed trimming and was parted crookedly. One side of her upper lip had been rouged higher than the other. Her dress was of a particularly unbecoming wine color, and it gaped here and there down one side, where she had neglected to snap the fasteners or they had popped open. There was a run down the front of her left stocking.

This was the Dinah rand who took her pick of Poisonville's men, according to what I had been told.

"His father sent for you, of course," she said while she moved a pair of lizard-skin slippers and a cup and saucer off a chair to make room for me.

Her voice was soft, lazy.

I told her the truth:

"Donald Willsson sent for me. I was waiting to see him while he was being killed."

"Don't go away, Dan," she called to Rolff.

He came back into the room. She returned to her place at the table. He sat on the opposite side, leaning his thin face on a thin hand, looking at me without interest.

She drew her brows together, making two creases between them, and asked:

"You mean he knew someone meant to kill him?"

"I don't know. He didn't say what he wanted. Maybe just help in the reform campaign."

"But do you--?"

I made a complaint:

""It's no fun being a sleuth when somebody steals your stuff, does all the questioning."

""It's no fun being a sleuth when somebody steals your stuff, does all the questioning."

"I'd like to find out what's goin on," she said, a little laugh gurgling down in her throat.

"I'm that way too. For instance, I'd like to know why you made him have the check certified."

Very casually, Dan Rolff shifted in his chair, leaning back, lowering his thin hands out of sight below the table's edge.

"So you found out about that?" Dinah Brand askdc. She crossed left leg over right and looked down. Her eyes focused on the run in her stocking. "Honest to God, I'm going to stop wearing them!" she complained. "I'm going barefoooted. I paid five bucks for these socks yesterday. Now look at the damned things. Every day-- runs, runs, run!"

"It's no secret," I said. "I mean the check, not the runs. Noonan's got it."

She looked at Rolff, who stopped watching me long enough to nod once.

"If you talked my language," she drawled, looking narrow-eyed at me, "I might be able to give you some help."

"Maybe if I knew what it was."

"Money," she explained, "the more the better. I like it."

I became proverbial:

"Money saved is money earned. I can save you money and grief."

"That doesn't mean anything to me," she said, "though it sounds like it's meant to."

"The police haven't asked you anything about the check?"

She shook her head, no.

I said:

"Noonan's figuring on hanging the rap on you as well as on Whisper."

"Don't scare me," she lisped. "I'm only a child."

"Noonan knows that Thaler knew about the check. He knows that Thaler came here while Willsson was here, but didn't get in. He knows that Thaler was hanging around the neighborhood when Willsson was shot. He knows that Thaler and a woman were seen bending over the dead man."

The girl picked up a pencil from the table and thoughtfully scratched her cheek with it. The pencil made little curly black lines over the rouge.

Rolff's eyes had lost their weariness. They were bright, feverish, fixed on mine. He leaned forward, but kept his hands out of sight below the table.

"Those things," he said, "concern Thaler, not Miss Brand."

"Thaler and Miss Brand aren't strangers," I said. "Willsson brought a five-thousand dollar check here, and was killed leaving. That way, Miss Brand might have had trouble cashing it--if Willsson hadn't been thoughtful enough to get it certified."

"My God," the girl protested, "if I'd been going to kill him I'd have done it in here where nobody could have seen it, or waited until he got out of sight of the house. What kind of a dumb onion do you take me for?"

"I'm not sure you killed him," I said. "I'm just sure that the fat chief means to hang it on you."

"What are you trying to do?" she asked.

"Learn who killed him. Not who could have or might have, but who did."

"I could give you some help," she said, "but there'd have to be something in it for me."

"Safety," I reminded her, but she shook her head.

"I mean it would have to get me something in a financial way. It'd be worth something to you, and you ought to pay something, even if not a fortune."

"Can't be done." I grinned at her. "Forget the bank roll and go in for charity. Pretend I'm bill Quint."

Dan Rolff started up from his chair, lips white as the rest of his face. He sat down again when the girl laughed -- a lazy, good-natured laugh.

"He thinks I didn't make any profit out of Bill, Dan." She leaned over and put a hand on my knee. "Suppose you knew far enough ahead that a company's employees were going to strike, and when, and then far enough ahead when they were going to call the strike off. Could you take that info and some capital to the stock market and do yourself some good playing with the company's stock? You bet you could!" she wound up triumphantly. "So don't go around thinking that Bill didn't pay his way."

"You've been spoiled," I said.

"What in the name of god's the use of being so tight?" she demanded. "It's not like it had to come out of your pocket. You've got an expense account, haven't you?"

I didn't say anything. She frowned at me, at the run in her stocking, and at Rolff. Then she said to him:

"Maybe he'd loosen up if he had a drink."

The thin man got up and went out of the room.

She pouted at me, prodded my shin with her toe, and said:

"It's not so much the money. It's the principle of the thing. If a girl's got something that's worth something to somebody, she's a boob if she doesn't collect."

I grinned.

"Why don't you be a good guy?" she begged.

Dan Rolff came in with a siphon, a bottle of gin, some lemons, and a bowl of cracked ice. We had a drink apiece. The lunger went away. The girl and I wrangled over the money question while we had more drinks. I kept trying to keep the conversation on Thaler and Willsson. She kept switching it to the money she deserved. It went on that way until the gin bottle was empty. My watch said one-fifteen.

She chewed a piece of lemon peel and said for the thirtieth or fortieth time:

"It won't come out of your pocket. What do you care?"

"It's not the money," I said, "it's the principle of the thing."

She made a face at me and put her glass where she thought the table was. She was eight inches wrong. I don't remember if the glass broke when it hit the floor, or what happened to it. I do remember that I was encouraged by her missing the table.

"Another thing," I opened up a new argumentative line, "I'm not sure I really need whatever you can tell me. I f I have to get along without it, I think I can."

"It'll be nice if you can, but don't forget I'm the last person who saw him alive, except whoever killed him."

"Wrong," I said. "his wife saw him come out, walk away, and fall."

"His wife!"

"Yeah. She was sitting in a coupe down the street."

"How did she know he was here?"

"She says Thaler phoned her that her husband had come here with the check."

"You're trying to kid me," the girl said. "Max couldn't have known it."

"I'm telling you what Mrs. Willsson told Noonan and me."

The girl spat what was left of the lemon peel out on the floor, further disarranged her hair by running her fingers through it, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and slapped the table.

"All right, Mr. Knowitall," she said, "I'm going to play with you. You can think it's not going to cost you anything, but I'll get mine before we're through. You think I won't?" she challenged me, peering at me as if I were a block away.

This was no time to revive the money argument, so I said: "I hope you do." I think I said it three or four times, quite earnestly.

"I will. Now listen to me. you're drunk, and I'm drunk, and I'm just exactly drunk enough to tell you anything you want to know. That's the kind of girl I am. If I like a person I'll tell them anything they want to know. Just ask me. go ahead, ask me."

I did:

"What did Willsson give you five thousand dollars for?"

"For fun." She leaned back to laugh. Then: "Listen. He was hunting for scandal. I had some of it, some affidavits and things that I thoughts might be good for a piece of change some day. I'm a girl that likes to pick up a little jack when she can. So I had put these things way. When Donald began going after scalps I let him know that I had these things, and they were for sale. I gave him enough of a peep at them to let him know they were good. And they were good. Then we talked ho mush. He wasn't as tight as you--nobody ever was--but he was a little bit close. So the bargain hung fire, till yesterday.

"Then I gave him the rush, phoned him and told him I had another customer for the stuff and that if he wanted it he'd have to show up that night with either five thousand smacks in cash or a certified check. That was hooey, but he hadn't been around much, so he fell for it."

"Why ten o'clock?" I asked.

"Why not? That's as good a time as any other. The main thing on a deal like that is to give them a definite time. Now you want to know why it had to be cash or a certified check? All right, I'll yell you. I'll you anything you want to know. That's the kind of girl I am. A;ways was."

She went on that way for five minutes, telling me in detail just which and what sot of a girl she was, and always had been, and why. I yes-yes'd her until I got a chance to cut in with:

"All right, now why did it have to be a certified check?"

She shut one eye, waggled a forefinger at me, and said:

"So he couldn't stop payment. because he couldn't have used the stuff I sold him. It was good, all right. It was too good. It would have put his old man in jail with the rest of them. It would have nailed Papa Elihu tighter than anyone else."

I laughed with her while I tired to keep my head above the gin I had guzzled.

"Who else would it nail?" I asked.

"The whole damned lot of them." She waved a hand. "Max, Lew Yard, Pete, Noonan, and Elihu Willsson--the whole damned lot of them."

"Did Max Thaler know what you were doing"

"Of course not--nobody but Donald Willsson."

"Sure of that?"

"Sure I'm sure. You don't think I was going around bragging about it ahead of time, do you?"

"Who do you think knows about it now?"

"I don't care," she said. "It was only a joke on him. He couldn't have used the stuff."

"Do you think the birds who secrets you sold will see anything funny in it? Noonan's trying to hang the killing on you and Thaler. That means he found the stuff in Dnald Willsson's pocket. They all thought old Elihu was using his son to break them, didn't they?"

"Yes, sir," she said, "and I'm one who thinks the same thing."

"You're probably wrong, but that doesn't matter. If Noonan found the things you sold Donald Willsson in his pocket, and learned you had sold them to him, why couldn't he add that up to mean that you and your friend Thaler had gone over to old Elihu's side?"

"He can see that old Elihu would be hurt as much as anybody else."

"What was this junk you sold him?"

"They built a new City Hall three years ago," she said, "and none of them lost any money on it. If noonan got the papers he'll pretty soon find out that they tied as much on old Elihu, or more, than on anybody else."

"That doesn't make any difference. He'll take it for granted that the old man had found an out for himself. Take my words of it, sister. Noonan and his friends think you and Thaler and Elihu are double-crossing them."

"I don't give a damn what they think," she said obstinately. "it was only a joke. That's all I meant it for. That's all it was."

"That's good," I growled. "you can go to the gallows with a clear conscience. Have you seen Thaler since the murder?"

"No, but Max didn't kill him, if that's what you think, even if he was around."

"Why?"

"Lots of reasons. First place, Max wouldn't have done it himself. He'd have had somebody else do it, and he'd have been way off with an alibid nobody could hsake. Second place, Max carries a .38 and anyobdy he sent to do the job would have had that much gun or more. What kind of gunman would use a .32?"

"Then who did it?"

"I've told you all I know," she said. "I've told you too much."

I stood up and said:

"No, you've told me just exactly enough."

"You mean you think you know who killed him?"

"Yeah, though there's a couple of things I'll have to cover before I make the pinch."

"Who? Who?" She stood up, suddenly almost sober, tugging at my lapels. "Tell me who did it."

"Not now."

"Be a good guy."

"Not now."

She let go of my lapels, put her hands behind her, and laughed in my face.

"All right. Keep it to yourself--and try to figure out which part of what I told you is the truth."

I said:

"Thanks for the part that is, anyhow, and for the gin. And if Max Thaler means anything to you, you ought to pass him the word that Noonan's trying to rib him."

[monstermaster13]

Night of the Living Dans

A 2022 Canada Day Special/horror comedy themes.

Warning: The following story has horror elements, transformation into a supernatural version of Dan Aykroyd and some really dark elements.

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

July 1st, also known as Canada Day…out of all the holidays to get the horror movie treatment, you wouldn’t expect it to be Canada Day, then again you obviously haven’t heard the story of what happened several years ago. Several years ago there was this writer who spoke of an Aykroyd inspired serial killer who possessed people, he saw it with his very own eyes yet the people of the city thought he was insane. That author’s name was Ian Blackbane, a Stephen King-esque writer who specialized in horror stories. He had foretold that the killer would come back to find new victims. Now on July 1st 2022, there had been reports of a series of deaths throughout the city of Oakendale.

And he knew the killer had something to do with it, but nobody believed him so he went to ask Werebelushi In The Shades for help. ‘Can I ask for your assistance Mr Werebelushi, sir?’ ‘As long as you don’t want to bang me, i’m fine with anything.’ ‘Do you know about the Canada Day Slasher?’ ‘That guy that guys around every Canada Day terrorizing people?’ ‘Yeah, well I said he’d come back for revenge on the people that called him a weirdo and now he’s back.’

Matthias/Werebelushi knew of this story, he knew that the killer was a Dan Aykroyd fan with supernatural powers who got bullied for being weird and every two years he’d go on a revenge spree, making sure those who called him weird would pay the ultimate price. ‘I knew it, I knew you definitely weren’t crazy.’ ‘Finally, someone who believes me.’ ‘I always did believe you, it’s Stephanie and her boyfriend that thought you were crazy. It is pretty hypocritical of her mind considering she got turned into a werewolf once and all.’

The both of them looked out the window and they saw a group of Dan Aykroyd characters…’This must be one of his powers.’ ‘Indeed it is.’ The Aykroyd characters including Pa Tex, Grocer, Elwood Blues, Austin Milbarge, Beldar and multiple Dan Aykroyds in general were running around throughout the city. Stephanie Haddingham was on her tumblr blog reblogging one of Nathan’s posts when she heard the news of what was happening…’21 Dans? Tumblr must have put the limit back again. I don’t normally reblog from that…thing but it’s bad enough that weirdo has all the Dan Aykroyd tags.’

“Who are you calling a weirdo?”

She looked over and screamed as she saw The Canada Day Slasher teleport right in front of her…’You, but…but I thought.’ ‘You thought what? That I had been killed off in the last movie? Oh no…i’m back, and so are all my boys, happy Canada Day. By the way, did I mention you were the one who did this to me? You called me a weirdo all these years ago and now you and your lover shall pay the price.’

“This has to be some kind of special effect stunt show or something.”

“Oh no…it’s very real.”

The slasher looked over at Stephanie as she attempted to ward him off, but of course this slasher knew just how predictable she was and he grabbed her. ‘Yes, what better way to teach you a lesson than to take control of you and make you regret calling me a weirdo.’ She dreaded what this would be but before she could do anything, he took on a spectral form and dove down her mouth and entered her throat, possessing her in the process.

Thomas Sheppard (her lover) looked over and shouted…’Whatever you plan on doing to her, stop it right now, you monster.’ ‘But don’t you want to see the fun that will unfold?’ He panicked for a bit as he saw Stephanie holding her stomach in pain as it gurgled loudly as if she had eaten something particularly nasty. He reached over to comfort her only to be met with horror when he saw her hands growing.

“What’s going on? What’s happening to you?”

“I don’t know but this doesn’t feel good.”

Stephanie watched as her hands enlarged and hairs grew on them, while her fingernails shortened for a while but then lengthened a little, looking a bit sharper than normal. In addition to this her torso and chest broadened while her breasts retracted, brownish hairs like the ones on her hands were growing on her chest while her stomach broadened, growing some hairs on it, her shirt’s buttons popped right off in the process.

She gasped as her back broadened and her arms broadened, along with her legs as her feet enlarged, bursting through her socks as two of the toes on both feet merged at the knuckle and gave her the appearance of having webbed toes, she moaned as her rear plumped up and her privates altered into the more masculine variant. At this point even the comment that she made on her reblog on her blog changed, changing to…’And I for one welcome our Aykroydian overlords’.

“Please stop, i’m sorry, i’ll never make fun of you again.”

“You should have apologized before but now it’s too late.”

There were several disconcerting sounds of cracks, groans and snaps as she elevated in height to 6’1 and her shoulders broadened, tears ran down her face as she tried to resist but ultimately..decided ‘screw it, I deserved this’ as her neckline altered and her hair darkened, her brow altering as her eyebrows thickened. Her eyes widened, one turning from brown to green and in the process her nose broadened as a cleft materialized in the middle of it.

Her features slowly contorted as her skin matured, her face taking on the appearance of Dan Aykroyd as her voice deepened and contorted to match, which meant she had Dan’s voice, a couple of seconds later her personality and mind altered as she or rather ‘he’ remembered he was Dan, a Were-Aykroyd who defended his other half. ‘Ah much better.’

Matthias/Werebelushi and Ian rushed over to where he was and didn’t expect to see him there hence why they were surprised. ‘Dan? You did this?’ ‘Why yes I did, poor Nathan was being attacked and being the caring were-aykroyd I am, I decided to become a slasher to teach her a lesson. And now everything’s better.’ ‘Yeah, she was kind of annoying anyway. Glad she’s gone, don’t need her in this episode anymore.’

“However…I am not finished yet.”

“What do you mean by that?”

‘Well you know, how about you…join us?”

The Aykroyd characters from earlier emerged and circled around the duo, Werebelushi fought some of them off but eventually they kept getting back up. That’s when he decided to run into his apartment and shut all the doors and windows and barricaded the door, he knew what was to come next. This naturally didn’t stop Grocer though. ‘Open up, we’ve got a surprise for you.’ ‘Oh no you don’t.’

“I like playing with you and all but now it’s time for you to let us in.”

“Never…”

Grocer shot a few shots from his pistol into the wall and hacked through the wall of Matthias’s door and popped his head through it…’Heeeeeere’s Grocer!’. He panicked as he attempted to hit Grocer but the other Aykroyd characters also broke in. ‘And now it’s time for the inevitable end of this episode.’ ‘Of course…you want me to join you, don’t you?’ ‘Oh yes.’

“I suppose if this is how it is going to be, fine.”

“Yaaaaaay.”

Dan the alpha Were-Aykroyd from earlier materialized as he was happy to see his friend was willing to become Aykroydian and he gave his friend a hug which transferred his Aykroydian powers into Matthias through his body, which in turn turned Matthias from a Werebelushi into a Were-Aykroyd just like Dan but he didn’t mind it at all. ‘This is the best Canada Day special ever.’ ‘It certainly is.’

Matthias had to admit that looking and sounding like Dan Aykroyd was awesome and he felt really good about himself and how the whole ordeal went down as he looked over at Dan and hugged him. ‘This isn’t so scary after-all, and being weird is awesome.’ ‘Indeed it is, welcome, we hope you like it as an Aykroyd.’ ‘Oh I certainly do.’

And thus with that we come to the moral of the story, never call anyone with supernatural powers a freak or weirdo, not even in a post or reblog, because if you do, you will end up paying the price and being the star of your very own horror story. And never ever piss off a Were-Aykroyd by going after their friends for being different.

Oh, and I almost forgot something..happy belated Canada Day.

[chrancecriber]

Radio NET Bulgaria (November 10, 2022)

23:57 NILS - Dance With Me 23:53 PAUL BROWN - R 'N' B Bump 23:49 NICK COLIONNE - It's Gonna Be Alright 23:45 NICHOLAS COLE - Can You Stay 23:41 VINCENT INGALA - Let's Go Back 23:37 RICK HABANA - Loungin' (feat. Jackiem Joyner) 23:32 CHRIS GODBER - Upward and Onward 23:29 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Ridin' High 23:25 TIM BOWMAN - New Day 23:21 MARION MEADOWS - Consequences 23:17 STEVE OLIVER - Up Front 23:12 KIM WATERS - Let's Do This 23:08 DAVE KOZ - Love Is On The Way (feat. Chris Botti) 23:04 AL DEGREGORIS - Sunnyside 23:00 EUGE GROOVE - Lay It Down 23:00 KITARO - Dance Of Sarasvati 22:56 HOUSE MASSIVE - Children (Lounge Mix, Cover R. Miles) 22:52 ROMAN MESSER, ROBIN VANE - Someday (Paul Echo Chillout Remix) 22:47 SMOOTH STAB, AELYN - These Words Between Us (Incognet Chill Out Version) 22:44 COASTLINE - Alone With You (feat. Madelin Zero) (Chillout Remix) 22:40 COASTLINE, MADELIN ZERO - Alone With You (Chillout Mix) 22:36 INNA - On & On (Chillout Remix) 22:33 REN, TREVOR GUTHRIE - This Is What It Feels Like (John Ewbank Classical Remix) 22:28 DINKA - Magnolia (Original Mix) 22:24 SARAH BRIGHTMAN - Beautiful 22:20 JAMES BUTLER - Coastline 22:17 SAGI REI - Rhythm is A Dancer (Verano Chill Out Mix) 22:14 0VAN BUUREN VS. SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR - Not Giving Up On Love (Acoustic Version) 22:10 DUBDIVER - Desert Land (Eternal Calling Mix) 22:04 LAZY HAMMOCK - Pleasures All Mine (Chill Beat Mix) 21:57 TRIANGLE SUN - Buddha 21:50 TWENTYEIGHT - Monday Night 21:44 MENZI - Aufbruch 21:38 JOSEPHINE SINCLAR - My Private Island 21:34 NTANA - Wonderful Life (Cafe Buddha Del Mar Bar Mix As Made Famous By Hurts) 21:29 VIVIAN LACOSTE - Clair Del Mar 21:24 MARIE THERESE - Gin And Tonic (Pier-o Bossa Chill Mix) 21:19 LOUNGE GROOVE AVENUE - By My Side 21:15 MO'JARDO - Sonador 21:11 JES - Imagination (Richard Robson Remix) 21:06 ADELE - Lovesong 21:01 THE SHAPESHIFTERS - Lola's Theme (Lola's Loungin' Mix) 20:58 CUE - Hello 20:53 DA KENT DJ AT WORK, SELECTA - Take My Heart (Da Kent Dream Of You Mix) 20:49 BLISS - Evening Sun 20:46 JOEL HIRSCH, ROXANNE EMERY - Neon Dreams (Cinematic Version) 20:42 THE PROJECT PARADISE - We Love You Moscow (D.A.W. Remix) 20:36 3RD. FORSE - City Of Desire 20:32 30 SECONDS TO MARS - Bad Romance (Lady Gaga's Cover) 20:27 ANA CRIADO - Can't Hold Back The Rain (Dark Matters Original) 20:23 LP - Lost On You (Elk Road Remix) 20:18 THOMAS LEMMER - Is It Too Late (feat. Lena Belgart) (Stoned By Klangstein) 20:14 LIULA - Sweet Dreams 20:08 LOUNGE DELUXE - Beautiful Man feat Jeela (Sunset Session Edit) 20:04 MAKIS ABLIANITIS - Love Secret 20:00 AMYCANBE - Rose Is A Rose 19:55 ORKIDEA - Beautiful (Ambient Mix) 19:51 HONEY - A Girl Called You (Feat. Jean Honeymoon) 19:47 THE SURA QUINTET - Onda De Bossa 19:43 DASH BERLIN, JONATHAN MENDELSOHN - Better Half Of Me (Acoustic Mix) 19:37 ARROJAS - Textpectations 19:33 ESSONITA, IRINA MAKOSH - Lift Me Up (Bryan Milton Chillout Remix) 19:28 PELARI, COLLIN WEX, DOMINIQUE FRICOT - Oasis (CollinWex Chill Mix) 19:24 ALEXANDER POPOV - The Last He Said (Original Mix) 19:20 JULIAN VINCENT, CATHY BURTON - Certainty (Andy Prinz Chillout Mix) 19:15 JOSH GABRIEL, WINTER KILLS - Forward Facing (Zetandel Chill Out Mix) 19:12 MASHTI, JEAN VON BADEN - Waiting 19:07 DAN BALAN - Chica Bomb (DJ Dan Karim Chill Mix) 19:03 ANN GRACE - Moon In Love 18:59 ERNESTO - Reelin' 18:54 JAN VAYNE - Fruits & Passion (Armin van Buuren's Downtempo Mix) 18:49 LUIGI LUSINI - I'll Be Home (Original Mix) 18:44 JEROME ISMA-AE - Underwater Love 18:37 THE RHYTHM DIVINE - Moments In Love 18:33 ABOVE & BEYOND - No One On Earth 18:29 LUSTRAL - I Wonder Where You Are (Original Mix) 18:26 MISS B.T. - Right Now (Sweet Lovin' Edit) 18:22 MOONY - Dove (I'll Be Loving You) (Sisco Lounge Mix) 18:18 351 LAKE SHORE DRIVE - Rising Stars 18:15 JAY SEAN - Maybe (The Xtreme Chillout Remix) 18:08 MOUSSA CLARKE, TERRAFUNKA - She Wants Him (Dynamic Illusion Chill Mix) 18:03 DAVID GUETTA - The World Is Mine (Paul Mira Chillout Remix) 17:59 THOMAS ANDERS - You're My Heart, You're My Soul (Acoustic Version) 17:51 DAVE ROSS - Break The Silence (Original Mix) 17:45 LAID BACK - People (Banzai Republic vs. Trentemoeller Mix) 17:41 KRAAK & SMAAK - Stumble (feat. Parcels) 17:37 LOWLAND - Seven Cities 17:34 KYLIE MINOGUE - Wonderful Life (Acoustic Version) 17:30 ANURAG NANDVANSHI - Soul Of India (Chill Out) 17:26 NASH & PEPPER, ROGUE RAVEN - Am I Wrong (Acoustic Mix) 17:22 ORJAN NILSEN - Drink To Forget (Original Chill Out Mix) 17:18 JEAN HONEYMOON - Bang Bang (Lazy Hammock Chillout Remix) 17:14 KRONO, VANJESS - Redlight (Original Mix) 17:10 LEONA LEWIS - Dip Down (ReUnited Chill Out Mix) 17:04 GUENTER HAAS - Alone But Never Lonely 17:00 SUPER8 & TAB, JAN BURTON - Free Love 16:57 KIM SCOTT - Emerge (Feat. Jonathan Fritzen) 16:53 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Life And Times 16:48 AMANDUS - Floating Cloud 16:42 MAURIZIO GRONDONA GROUP - Looking At The Sea 16:38 JEFF KASHIWA - Hyde Park (The 'Ah, Oooh' Song) 16:34 JACKIEM JOYNER - Trinity 16:30 MICHAEL BROENING - Summer In Blue 16:26 MARCUS ANDERSON - 2 Cream, 3 Sugars 16:21 GREGG KARUKAS - Tomorrow We Sail 16:18 PETER WHITE - Hit The Road Jack 16:14 NORMAN BROWN - Don't Make Me Wait 16:09 RICHARD ELLIOT - Corner Pocket 16:04 KEN NAVARRO - A Part Of It All 16:00 NILS - East Bay 15:56 PAUL BROWN - Bridges Of Paris 15:52 NICK COLIONNE - Still Connected 15:48 NICHOLAS COLE - Summer Groove 15:45 VINCENT INGALA - If You Were Here Tonight 15:41 RICK HABANA - Cocktails 15:37 MICHAEL LINGTON - Still Thinking Of You 15:33 DONN BYNUM - Because I'm Feeling You 15:30 CHRIS GODBER - At Last 15:26 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Always There 15:22 TIM BOWMAN - Tan Hermosa (So Beautiful) 15:18 MARION MEADOWS - Last Ticket To Somewhere 15:12 STEVE OLIVER - Hidden Sun 15:08 KIM WATERS - Pocket Science 15:04 DAVE KOZ - I'll Be There 15:00 AL DEGREGORIS - Cookie Jar 14:57 EUGE GROOVE - Play Date 14:52 KIM SCOTT - Seabreeze 14:48 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Windfall 14:43 GORDON JAMES - Cafe Soul 14:39 PATRICK YANDALL - Stay Tonite 14:33 JEFF KASHIWA - Meet You There 14:29 JACKIEM JOYNER - Road to Soul 14:26 MARCUS ANDERSON - Hero 14:21 ROBERT HARRIS - Midnight Rendezvous 14:16 GREGG KARUKAS - Barracude Bob 14:12 PETER WHITE - Reveillez 14:08 CHRIS STANDRING - Through the Looking Glass 14:04 NORMAN BROWN - Talk It Out 14:00 RICHARD ELLIOT - Deep Touch 13:58 KEN NAVARRO - Stoned Soul Picnic 13:54 NILS - Above the Clouds 13:50 PAUL BROWN - Deep Into It 13:46 NICK COLIONNE - Just Let it Be 13:42 NICHOLAS COLE - Beyond the Stars (feat. Lynne Fiddmont) 13:38 VINCENT INGALA - Lost In You 13:34 RICK HABANA - Journey 13:30 ADRIAN CRUTCHFIELD - Can't Let You Go 13:26 PAUL JACKSON JR. - City of Refuge (feat. Jeff Lorber) 13:21 CHRIS GODBER - Butterfly 13:17 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Beautiful 13:13 TIM BOWMAN - Smile 13:09 MARION MEADOWS - Life In The Clouds 13:05 STEVE OLIVER - Oh Yeah 13:00 KIM WATERS - Wonderama 12:59 DAVE KOZ - Love Changes Everything (feat. Brian McKnight) 12:55 AL DEGREGORIS - JD's Groove 12:50 EUGE GROOVE - The Journey Ahead 12:45 KIM SCOTT - Off The Top 12:40 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Cadiwampus 12:36 GORDON JAMES - Smooth Sunshine 12:32 PATRICK YANDALL - Down at the Shell 12:27 JEFF KASHIWA - The Name Game 12:22 JACKIEM JOYNER - In Love Again 12:18 MARCUS ANDERSON - Just Like Me 12:14 GREGG KARUKAS - Catalina Wind 12:10 PETER WHITE - Coast Road Drive 12:04 CHRIS STANDRING - Ain't Mad Atcha 12:00 NORMAN BROWN - Let's Wait Awhile 11:59 KEITH MASON - A Little Talk 11:55 RICHARD ELLIOT - Desire 11:51 KEN NAVARRO - A Place To Start 11:46 NILS - Shake It 11:43 PAUL BROWN - Foreign Exchange 11:38 NICK COLIONNE - Only 2CU Smile 11:33 NICHOLAS COLE - Dreams 11:29 VINCENT INGALA - Wish I Was There 11:26 RICK HABANA - Downtown City Lights 11:21 BLUE SIX - Aquarian Angel 11:17 CHRIS GODBER - Rolling 11:12 PAUL HARDCASTLE - Slomotion 11:09 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Pocket Love 11:04 TIM BOWMAN - Columbus,Ga 11:00 MARION MEADOWS - Dark Beauty 10:58 STEVE OLIVER - Chips And Salsa 10:54 KIM WATERS - The Touch Of Love 10:51 DAVE KOZ - It's All Love 10:46 AL DEGREGORIS - All in Good Time 10:41 EUGE GROOVE - Just Feels Right 10:37 JOYCE COOLING - Take Me There 10:32 KIM SCOTT - Glorious 10:28 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Fifth Ward 10:24 GORDON JAMES - Empress Rule 10:20 PATRICK YANDALL - Good Love 10:16 JEFF KASHIWA - It's Up To You 10:12 JACKIEM JOYNER - Generation Next 10:08 MARCUS ANDERSON - Just A Taste 10:04 GREGG KARUKAS - Uptown Rendevous 10:00 PETER WHITE - Mr. Caribbean 10:00 CHRIS STANDRING - Love and Paragraphs 09:56 NORMAN BROWN - L.A. Chill 09:52 JIM ADKINS - Answered Prayers 09:47 RICHARD ELLIOT - Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) 09:43 KEN NAVARRO - That Time Of Evening 09:39 NILS - Goldfinger 09:35 PAUL BROWN - Ain't No Sunshine 09:32 NICK COLIONNE - Right Around The Corner 09:27 NICHOLAS COLE - Between Us (feat. Michael Stever) 09:23 VINCENT INGALA - Just Imagine 09:20 RICK HABANA - RH Lounge 09:16 CHRIS GODBER - Momentum 09:12 BONEY JAMES - Batucada (The Beat) 09:09 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Lullaby 09:05 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Yah Mo B There 09:00 TIM BOWMAN - Happiness Is 08:58 PEET PROJECT - Trafiq Jam 08:54 MARION MEADOWS - Pandora 08:50 STEVE OLIVER - Full Tilt 08:46 KIM WATERS - Midnight Magic 08:42 DAVE KOZ - Honey 08:38 AL DEGREGORIS - Odyssey 08:32 EUGE GROOVE - Take You Higher 08:28 JOYCE COOLING - Expression 08:22 KIM SCOTT - Bright Eyes 08:18 ERIC DARIUS - Love Not War 08:13 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Sunset Rock 08:09 GORDON JAMES - Free Flow 08:04 PATRICK YANDALL - I See You 08:00 JEFF KASHIWA - Because of You 07:58 TONY SAUNDERS - Melody in My Heart 07:54 JACKIEM JOYNER - Kineen 07:49 MARCUS ANDERSON - For Your Glory 07:45 GREGG KARUKAS - My Favorite Season 07:41 PETER WHITE - Crazy Feeling 07:37 CHRIS STANDRING - Whatever She Wants 07:33 NORMAN BROWN - I Still Believe 07:28 JIM ADKINS - Thinking out Loud 07:24 RICHARD ELLIOT - Sweet Memories 07:20 KEN NAVARRO - Wake Up Call 07:16 NILS - Mind Games 07:12 PAUL BROWN - I Say a Little Prayer 07:08 NICK COLIONNE - Born Again 07:04 NICHOLAS COLE - Yokohama 07:00 VINCENT INGALA - Not Meant To Be 06:58 RICK HABANA - 5th Ave 06:54 CHRIS GODBER - Downtown Shuffle 06:50 BONEY JAMES - Fresh Air 06:46 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Shades of Gray 06:41 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Feel Like Making Love 06:36 TIM BOWMAN - Flyin Away 06:33 DARREN RAHN - Our Love 06:29 PEET PROJECT - ark Corner 06:25 MARION MEADOWS - Andalusian Sunset 06:21 STEVE OLIVER - You Rescued Me 06:17 DAVE KOZ - All I See Is You 06:12 KIM WATERS - Feels Like Friday Night 06:09 AL DEGREGORIS - South Shore 06:05 ROB TARDIK - Walk It Like You Talk It (feat. Sandra Bouza) 06:00 EUGE GROOVE - Cabolicious 05:56 JOYCE COOLING - Another Time 05:52 KIM SCOTT - Block Party 05:48 ERIC DARIUS - Rollin' out 05:43 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Room W Vu 05:40 GORDON JAMES - Rainy Afternoon 05:36 PATRICK YANDALL - That Deep 05:31 JEFF KASHIWA - Thanks To You 05:26 ZOLBERT - Back Home 05:22 TONY SAUNDERS - Sleepless Nights 05:17 JACKIEM JOYNER - Beautiful Seduction 05:13 MARCUS ANDERSON - Unity 05:08 GREGG KARUKAS - Love Is In Your Own Backyard 05:04 PETER WHITE - Danny Bianco 05:00 CHRIS STANDRING - Qwertyuiop 04:58 NORMAN BROWN - Let's Get Away 04:53 JIM ADKINS - The Journey 04:49 RICHARD ELLIOT - Walk With Me 04:45 KEN NAVARRO - When We Dance (from the album Into The Light) 04:41 NILS - In The Moment 04:37 PAUL BROWN - Flight Of The Conchords 04:33 NICK COLIONNE - Nite Train 04:30 NICHOLAS COLE - Date Night (feat. Sreve Cole) 04:25 ANDREW NEU - Take It Home 04:21 VINCENT INGALA - My Kind Of Day 04:17 RANDY SCOTT - Serenity 04:12 RICK HABANA - Paradis (feat. Nils) 04:09 CHRIS GODBER - Summer Solstice 04:04 BONEY JAMES - Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 04:00 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Look to the Sky 2020 03:57 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Swagger 03:53 TIM BOWMAN - Watchout 03:49 DARREN RAHN - Rock with You 03:45 PEET PROJECT - Veggie Love 03:40 MARION MEADOWS - Mother Earth 03:37 STEVE OLIVER - In the Shade of Cool 03:32 DAVE KOZ - The Bright Side 03:28 KIM WATERS - Boo'd Up 03:24 AL DEGREGORIS - The Point 03:20 ROB TARDIK - Synergy (feat. Vincent Ingala) 03:16 EUGE GROOVE - XXL 03:11 JOYCE COOLING - Whenever the Rain Falls 03:08 KIM SCOTT - Golden 03:03 JEFF KASHIWA - Around The World 03:00 ZOLBERT - Everyday 02:55 TONY SAUNDERS - Bigger Than Outside 02:51 JACKIEM JOYNER - Lost Without You 02:47 MARCUS ANDERSON - 2.0 02:42 GREGG KARUKAS - Do Watcha Love 02:38 PETER WHITE - Sunny 02:34 CHRIS STANDRING - CS In The Sunshine 02:29 JIM ADKINS - Take Me There 02:25 NORMAN BROWN - Missin' You 02:21 RICHARD ELLIOT - Secrets 02:17 THE SAX PACK - Wanna Get Closer 02:13 KEN NAVARRO - Into The Light 02:08 NILS - Call Me 02:04 PAUL BROWN - Let Me Love You 02:00 NICK COLIONNE - Here's to You 01:58 NICHOLAS COLE - Pillow Talk 01:54 VINCENT INGALA - In Deep 01:50 RANDY SCOTT - Potion 01:46 RICK HABANA - I'll Be There (feat. Will Donato) 01:43 ADAM HAWLEY - Dance With Me (Feat. Gerald Albright) 01:38 CHRIS GODBER - Energy 01:33 BONEY JAMES - Washington Bridge 01:29 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - LA Nights 01:25 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Come Morning 01:21 LOUIE FITZGERALD - Jukin' and Jivin' 01:16 JULIAN VAUGHN - Hotel Lover 01:12 TIM BOWMAN - Seaside Drive 01:07 DARREN RAHN - Flashback 01:04 PEET PROJECT - Wanna Have a Party 01:00 MARION MEADOWS - Soul Traveler 00:59 STEVE OLIVER - Magic World 00:55 DAVE KOZ - You Are Me, I Am You (feat. Marc Antoine) 00:51 AL DEGREGORIS - Absolute 00:47 KIM WATERS - Yearning For You 00:43 ROB TARDIK - Givin' Back (feat. Vincent Ingala) 00:38 EUGE GROOVE - Tango in Rio 00:34 JOYCE COOLING - Imagine That 00:30 PATRICK YANDALL - Basic Reply 00:25 KIM SCOTT - Take It To The Rink 00:21 JEFF KASHIWA - Baby, Come Over 00:16 ZOLBERT - Budapest 00:12 TONY SAUNDERS - Always Thinking About You 00:08 WAYMAN TISDALE - I Hope You Feel It To 00:04 JACKIEM JOYNER - Step With Me 00:00 MARCUS ANDERSON - On The Right Track

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

Venom Let There Be Carnage Alternate Ending

"What would Venom do?" Eddie asked himself as he tapped on the desk, scrolling through his computer for something to help him. "We're fucked." The reporter banged his head against the desk when there was a knock on the apartment door. Despite their fight, as Eddie got up he hoped that maybe it was Venom coming back.

"Yeah, what's u-" Eddie trailed off when he saw the woman at the door. Frances Barrison had a large grin on her face.

"Hey there Eddie." She stepped in the apartment as the man backed away. "You're invited to mine and Cletus' wedding."

"Do I get a choice in this?" Eddie asked as he scrambled for something to defend himself with.

"Nope." She opened her mouth and began to shriek.

~~

"C'mon Eddie. Pick up, pick up..." Anne sat in her fiance's minivan, trying the man's number again but still got nothing.

'He's not picking up. Typical.'

"Well you're right there." Anne said as she tried to dial again, Venom manifesting over her shoulder to look at the phone screen.

"I'm sorry but how are you so can about this? There's literally an alien inside you right now. You kissed Mrs. Chen so he could go inside you. Don't your think that's weird?" Dan said as he looked at both his fiance and the alien incredulously.

"We know it's weird, at this point we're just used to it."

"How do you get used to that?" Dan asked as he pulled the car into park in front of Eddie's apartment building. The trio getting out and moving inside. Dan reaching for the elevator button but one of Venom's tendrils extended out and slapped his hand away.

'No time need stairs.'

"Venom said we don't have time for the elevator."

"Well tell him that I have tender calves and am taking the stairs." Dan pressed the button again when more tendrils shot out and grabbed the doctor. "What the hell-?" The doctor didn't get to finish as he was thrown up the flights of stairs followed closely by Anne and Venom. "Hey! What the hell was that? ...ow..."

'Tell him I think him and his tender calves are full of shit.'

"Venom said this was easier."

'Liar.' Anne rolled her eyes at the symbiote and instead focused on finding Eddie's apartment. Wasn't hard considering the door was blown almost completely off.

"That can't be good." Dr. Dan commented as they stepped over the door.

'Thank you for the commentary Dr. Dan.'

"Hey he's doing his best." Anne defended her fiance. Facing the room she was greeted by a mess. Not unusual save the large claw marks along the wall and all the busted out windows. "Don't suppose you had anything to do with this?"

'No. Not that we can remember.' Venom peeked of the woman and called out. "Eddie, we're here and willing to take an apology for your stupidity-wait where's Sonny and Cher?"

"Sonny and Cher?" Dan asked as he looked around the small apartment.

"Our chickens."

"Why do you have chickens?" Anne asked as she took a deep breath. "Uh gross. What's that smell?"

"The answer to both of those questions are, you don't want to know."

"Hey!" Dan came towards them holding a card in his hand. "Found this...I don't think it's good." Venom had one of his tendrils lash out, grabbing the card from Dan's hand and holding it in front of his and Anne's face.

"It's...."

"...a wedding invitation."

~~

"Oh what a happy day! Aren't you excited Eddie? Me and Frances finally getting out promised wedding." Cletus danced in the chapel's aisle excitedly. His suit covered by a ridiculous fur coat as he hummed before taking a seat in the pews next to Eddie. Eddie glared at Cletus as he wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders. "Or you at a loss for words too?"

"I'm gagged you asshole." Came out a muffled grunt as he tried to pull away from the man. Looking across the aisle he saw Detective Mulligan still slumped over unconscious. Eddie had been in a lot of not good situations before. But trapped with a serial killer that had alien symbiote in his body and they both wanted to kill him? Probably near the top of the list.

"All we have to do is wait for our guest of honor to arrive and we'll have a full on family reunion! Carnage sure was excited when I mentioned both his daddies were gon be here."

Daddies? Eddie narrowed his eyes. He was barely able to take care of himself, the idea he had a part in making a baby was somehow more terrifying than the situation at hand.

"Don't worry about him baby." The woman who brought him here laughed as she pulled Cletus away and dipping him for a kiss. "All that matters right now is you and me."

"Don't think I don't know that darlin'." The serial killer returned the kiss and very openly shoved his tongue down her throat. Eddie watched in horror as he tried but to vomit in his mouth. Instead focusing on his hands that were bound in front of him and trying to save at them on a broken off chunk of wood from the pew.

He didn't get very far when the doors to the church slammed open. Both he and the psychotic couple took pause and turned to see Anne standing in there doorway, a very angry look on her face.

"Anne!" Eddie tried to call out excitedly. Cletus pulled away from his to be wife, eyebrow raised.

"And who exactly are you?" Cletus asked. In response Venom appeared, taking over the woman's body and snarling.

"You took our Eddie."

"Oh! Well I guess the show has begun!" Cletus backed away and allowed his body to fade as a large red body took over. He looked like Venom only taller and if Eddie was being frank, much, much more terrifying. It seemed Venom agreed. The symbiote backing away with a loud ,"Shit!"

"Hey there daddy." The symbiote spoke. Extending his arm and grabbing Eddie. Yanking the man in front of them. The other arm turning into a large blade against Eddie's throat. "Don't think we've got the chance to meet. I'm your son. And it's time to pay up."

~~

'Shit, shit, shit!'

Venom cursed as he retreated back into Anne's body. The woman stood there, trying to make the symbiote come back out.

"Venom, what the hell?"

'That's a red one!'

"I can see! What's so scary about that?"

'That means it combined with the blood of another species.'

"And....?"

'And it's a lot stronger than normal ones!'

"So you're saying we're in trouble."

'An understatement but yes. Very much so.'

"Can you come back out now?" Anne yelled as she scrambled back when the symbiote began to approach them. Eddie in his grip, looked almost as terrified as they were.

.

'No way, we'd definitely die.'

"We're definitely going to die of you don't come out!" Anne screamed as she dodged out of the way of a tendril. It narrowly missed her head as she began to crawl under the pews away from the creature.

'No you're definitely going to die. We'd probably be fine.'

Another tendril wrapped around Anne's ankle, starting to drag her back to the creature.

"Yeah but Eddie won't be!"

'Hmmmm....'

"If you come out I'll let you eat people!" Anne was now full out panicking as she clung to the leg of a church bench for dear life.

'Really?'

"Yes! Everyone! Just help me out!"

'Okay!' The bench finally gave way but Venom took over the woman's body. As they were pulled up to the creature, Venom jumped up and punched the creature with a hard uppercut. This surprised them enough to drop Eddie. The reporter quickly crawling out of the way as the red symbiote retaliated. Bringing the makeshift blade down on Venom as they just further their own shield. The two trading blows when the church bells started to ring loudly. Both the symbiote screeched in pain. Retreating into their hosts bodies.

This left Anne and Cletus staring at each other. Anne getting ready to run when she was grabbed from behind by the strong arms of a woman.

"Hey there blondie." The other woman giggled as Cletus approached them.

"Ah Frances darling, got me another wedding gift? You shouldn't have." The bells continued to toll when the man grabbed a stray plastic bag from the dirty floor and wrapping it around the woman's face. Anne choked and gasped while the couple just stared at her with glee. Darkness starting to creep into the woman's vision when there was a loud shout.

"Hey! Get the fuck away from my fiance!" The grip on Anne loosened allowing her to fall to the ground. She immediately took the bag off to see Dan holding an aerosol can in one hand and a lighter in the other. "Say hello to my little friends!"

By now the bell had stopped and everyone was clearly able to hear this terrible quip.

'He did not just say that.' Venom spoke in Anne's head.

"No...he did."

'I still don't get why you left us for him.'

Venom couldn't complain too much as he took over Anne's body again. Dan lit his makeshift flame thrower and backed the couple away. The red symbiote taking over Cletus' body again and growling.

"This isn't over." The creature hissed out, grabbing the woman and swinging out of the chapel she cackled, them disappearing into the night. But that wasn't what was important. Instead they rushed over to Eddie who was sprawled out on the floor.

"Eddie!" Venom rushed over to the man. Leaning down they ripped the gag out as he opened his eyes.

"Mmm...Venom? You actually came?" He sounded surprised. The symbiote sliced through the ropes and brought the man up in a hug. "Whoa there buddy....you must've really missed me."

"We're still angry at you."

"Yeah. I kind of figured."

"Is there anything you want to say?"

"I'm an idiot?"

"And?"

"You're not a parasite?"

"And...?"

"And....I'm sorry. I was a huge asshole and I could probably be a better host."

"Isn't there anything else you want to say to them?" They turned to see Dan who had been intently watching them from a distance.

"Anything else?" Eddie asked confused.

"Like I love you?" Venom asked and Eddie made a face before leaning in.

"Yeah. I guess. I love you sounds about right." Venom leaned down, lips locking with Eddie's as they left Anne's body and took over his.

"Aww..... that's sweet. I think." Dan spoke as Anne stepped back. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. Honestly I'm glad they're finally working through their issues."

"Yeah....here's hoping they don't have anymore kids though." Dan laughed as he said this. "I mean, what are the odds?"

[myfearless-love]

89 for deckerstar please

I am so ASHAMED for taking this long with this one. Also, warning: this is a long one. I hope you like it! :)

89. "Mmm...you're warm."

.

Cold.

Freezing, fingers turning blue cold.

That's the first thing she becomes aware of after gaining consciousness. Her head is throbbing, and she feels dizzy and on the side of her temple, there's something warm trickling down...up?

What the hell is going on?

She tries lifting her hand to wipe at her face, but sharp pain shots through her shoulder at the movement, and she lets out a small whimper. The seat belt is digging into her sides and she still can't open her eyes in fear of emptying the contents of her stomach.

She tries desperately to recollect her memories, but her mind is all kinds of fuzzy and the only thing she can remember is that she's probably somewhere near Lake Arrowhead and is supposed to drop by the local sheriff's station for a joint case.

After a minute or so, she's also able to recall the heavy snowing hitting her halfway through her journey and the radio warning her to seek shelter.

And that damned deer jumping in front of her car.

And after that, darkness.

She needs to get out of this wreck. Fast. Or she's going to die of hypothermia in the next hour.

The only problem with this particular plan is that she can't really get her body to cooperate, and her legs are already starting to feel numb from the cold. Oh, and she's also upside down, and she must have bruised her shoulder pretty bad, making it almost impossible to free herself from her seatbelt.

She tries not to panic, tries not to think of what happens if she can't find a way out and somewhere warm. She can't think about how they are going to find her cold and injured dead body, about how Dan or Trixie would feel, about how…

About Lucifer.

The thought of him sends a wave of guilt down her spine. The last time they had any interaction was more than four months ago when she flat out declared she doesn't want to work with him anymore.

Through a text.

Not in so many words, but her "I need time and space. Away from you" was probably just as clear as a bottle of vodka.

After that, she ignored his many calls and voicemails, even going as far as hiding in the evidence closet room when he attempted to catch her at the precinct. Because really, how do you deal with finding out your partner is actually the Devil, Lord of Hell? They don't make textbooks for this.

A part of her is still in shock at the revelation, but if she's honest with herself, another, bigger part of her that had some time to process all the biblical nonsense that is apparently true, had already come to terms with this knowledge. She just needed a little time away from him and to rant her mouth dry, preferably to someone with a psychology degree.

It was both uplifting and infuriating to learn that Linda is also part of the In The Know club. Chloe was angry at first because clearly, Lucifer trusted the doctor more than his partner slash almost girlfriend. But Linda helped her a lot in realizing why he actually held this particular information from her.

Why he only voiced the truth but deliberately showed her no evidence.

She basically proved all his fears right.

She has long since regretted her behavior following the weeks after the showdown with Pierce.

But before she could fall deeper into the great abyss that is her guilt, her survival instincts take over at her body temperature dropping rapidly and having little to no strength to drag herself free from the car. Her shoulder is still throbbing like crazy, her head is spinning and she sees double when she attempts to open her eyes. True panic is rising high in her throat and when her adrenaline level finally reaches its threshold, she finally manages to free herself from the seatbelt and tries to soften her fall with her good arm.

She still lands with a thud on the roof of her car and tries to hold back a cry with little to no success. She waits for the pain to pass, or at least until it becomes bearable, before reaching for the door handle. She pushes at it, but it doesn't even budge. She tries it again and again, and with a frustrated sigh, she realizes it's stuck.

Change of tactics.

She tries to bring her leg up to the window, gives it a forceful kick at the glass with her boots, and soon understands that either she's too weak to cause even a slight crack or she's literally buried under the snow and it's not just a thin veil of white powder coating the glass.

Which would explain why the temperature is dropping so rapidly and why she can barely feel her fingers anymore.

She looks around for something sharp, anything to at least make a tiny crack on the glass, and then maybe she can shatter all the way and crawl out and away.

To survive.

She looks and searches but there's nothing within her reach, her gun flew off somewhere in the vehicle and her badge is at the other side of the car, but she's unable to move more than a few inches in her cramped state.

And that's when she lets the tears fall and the realization hits her.

She's going to die.

She feels the incredible tiredness taking over her, first her limbs, then her eyes and mind. And then she starts to pray.

She prays to Dan to not be angry at her for going alone for this case, to take care of Trixie, and not let her grief consume her.

She prays to Trixie to be well and have a happy, long life without her.

She prays to her mother to be strong, to keep it together for herself and her granddaughter.

And finally, she prays to Lucifer. To forgive her for shutting him out, for not accepting him. To carry on with his life and not grieve her passing.

And before her brain shuts off completely, she could swear she hears a rustling noise and metal squeaking, but she's also almost certain it's just her withering mind playing tricks on her. Or it's the first step towards Heaven or Hell. Probably Hell.

And then the darkness finally takes her.

˘. . . ° . . . ˘

When she opens her eyes, all she can see is white, white, white, and she's almost convinced she just touched down in Heaven. She doesn't know how much time has passed, or if there is a time at all. But one thing she knows is that she's not supposed to feel any pain in her eternal rest and her shoulder is still killing her, the slight slash at her temple is still throbbing with every heartbeat.

You are supposed to feel happy and whole in Heaven, right? Isn't that the whole point?

Which means she's probably in Hell.

That would explain why she is jostling around like she's in some kind of weird rollercoaster, why she still feels awful and achy, and about to empty her stomach. And then cold, bitter wind and snowflakes hit her face, making her shiver and tremble during her hellish rollercoaster ride.

"Oh God," she lets out as another wave of nausea shots through her battered body and something tightens around her back and legs.

"Not yet, Detective. Not for a long time if I have anything to do with it," says an accented voice above her that is dreadfully similar to Lucifer's. She chances a glance up, just enough that she doesn't have to lift her head since she's already in a weird position, and catches sight of a familiar stubbled jaw and cheek. Those oh-so-captivating dark brown eyes lock with hers for a millisecond before he quickly averts his gaze.

She doesn't know what he means, but there's a slight grimace contorting his graceful features. She would very much like to chase it away and give him his usual teasing smile back. But just him being near her is something she never thought she would have again and maybe, if he stays, being dead isn't so bad after all.

And then a realization hits her. Lucifer is here. He is the Devil. And he is carrying...flying her? She almost lets out a loud gasp as she notices that the whooshing sounds are his giant white wings, and the roller coaster feeling is from being carried in the air.

She really is going to Hell. And Lucifer is taking her there. Most probably, because she has no other explanation for what she's experiencing.

But why is it so goddamn cold?

"Am I in…? Are you…?" she has to ask, though she cannot seem to utter those words.

She doesn't really need to, his immediate sharp intake of breath indicates he understood her train of thought just fine.

"No," he bites out sharply, like the whole idea is preposterous, a blasphemy in itself, and the frown on his forehead deepens even more and, again, the urge to smoothen those lines with her fingers and soft words of apologies hits her with double force.

It seems she just can't stop hurting him. Directly or indirectly, her actions are causing him pain when the truth is, she didn't mean her question to be a jab, she really doesn't know what's going on. She could either be in Hell or be alive, the latter seems very unlikely given her previous very dire situation and injuries.

"You are not in Hell, Detective," he confirms it almost as though reading her mind and something like hope and happiness spreads through her body, nearly forgetting the stinging of her cuts and bruises. "You will never know that wretched place, not if I can help it."

He says this with such conviction that she can feel her eyes fill up to the brim with tears, almost spilling over. Even after months of ignoring him, hurting him, he still wants to protect her.

He still saved her miserable life.

She lets out a soft "thank you" because she doesn't really know what to say, it seems so little in light of what he just did for her. He really saved her life from certain death (and God knows what after that). He doesn't respond, though, only gives her a low-spirited smile and faint nod before turning his attention back to flying her to...somewhere.

But before she could think about their possible destination in the middle of nowhere, the cold wind suddenly picks up and Lucifer falters slightly in the air. He tightens his grip on her, and she can feel the warmth of his fingers through her not at all winter-friendly jeans and stuffed jacket as he clutches her closer to his chest while trying to maneuver his way through the sudden turbulence.

The wind doesn't ease up as they continue on, and the snow starts falling even heavier. Chloe has to close her eyes at the incoming snowflakes. Lucifer tries to keep them steady, but the blizzard hits cruelly in this area of California, and even his divine abilities are appearing to be failing him. She finds herself holding onto him just as firmly and buries her face in the crook of his neck, her nostrils fill with the mix of musk and violet of his cologne.

Christian Dior, he once told her. Her favorite on him.

But she doesn't have time to get lost in the familiarity because his strangled "hold on, Detective" is all the warning she has before they are descending.

She does take on his advice and holds onto him for dear life, her fingers are turning white from clutching his neck and shoulders, no doubt leaving bruises on him in the process. She closes her eyes from their impending collision with Mama Earth because she doesn't really know what his aim is. Not only that, but she still can't see anything but white in the storm, and she doubts there is anything in a 50-mile radius that could shelter them for a couple of hours... or days.

But he clearly sees or senses something nearby, so she is choosing to just trust him.

She feels him zigzagging in the air, not sure if it's the wind throwing them around, or it's deliberate movement on his part. But then she hears cracking sounds around them, just like when she and Trixie take a hike and there are twigs snapping under their feet. She chances a look around just as Lucifer lets out a loud hiss, and she realizes that her guesses were right, they are somehow at the height of trees and their unforgiving sharp branches.

Soon they land in a heap of confusion and limbs tightly gripping one another. Lucifer is half-kneeling in the freshly fallen snow, but he's still holding her in his arms. Her eyelids slowly crack open when she's sure they are on firm ground and looks around.

Sure enough, her eyes land on a small wooden cabin not twenty feet in front of them, its steps leading to the front door and railings on the small patio are covered with snow. It doesn't look like anyone is occupying at the moment, it looks slightly neglected.

"Not my most graceful landing, but it could have been worse," his tone is light but Chloe notices the slight edge of worry and frustration too. She's absolutely certain he would have dusted off the snow and leaves from his jacket if it weren't for holding her, a movement he does every time he is annoyed or nervous.

He looks her over with searching and tense eyes, no doubt making sure she didn't acquire new injuries during their journey.

She wants to do the same because she remembers his sharp intake of breath when they reached tree level, but his wings are not attached to his back anymore. She doesn't have time to dwell on the physics of Angel Anatomy because he starts walking with purposeful steps towards the house.

Still in his arms, he takes the steps of the cabin two at a time and she hears a click when they reach the front door, then it opens with a creaking sound. When it closes behind them, she can finally let out a sigh of relief at not seeing white and feeling the bitter cold air on her cheeks.

It's not exactly warmer inside, but the temperature is finally higher by a few degrees.

Lucifer gently deposits her on the worn, dark green couch and she finally has a chance to properly look around their temporary shelter.

The house isn't exactly big, only a one-bedroom shed. They stepped into a large living room with a large fireplace as its centerpiece. There's also an open kitchen area and a door leading to - what Chloe thinks - a moderate bathroom.

The walls are decorated with animal trophies (she hopes they're not real) and other decorations, a few pictures of nature. The thin and short curtains on the few windows seem quite unwashed, the once white materials obtained a grayish shade.

If she had to guess, it must belong to a hunter, the cabin is clearly not designed for people to live in it for a longer period of time. Its owner must use it only during hunting season. It would certainly explain the thin cover of dust on every surface and musty scent filling the place.

She hears the front door open and close and watches as Lucifer carries a few logs of wood, shaking the snow from his head as he puts them in the fireplace. She doesn't know how (probably her mind is still going blank from time to time) but the next moment there's an intense fire dancing in front of her, the burning wood is slowly emanating some heat, and she wants, she desperately wants to get close, to finally give her body the warmth it was deprived for a long time, but her limbs just refuse to cooperate.

He must sense her struggle (because of course, he does) and walks over to her to pull her to her feet and gently guide her and help her sit on the shabby rug in front of the fireplace. She lets out the biggest sigh of relief of her life and is able to lift her popsicle-like fingers towards the fire, feeling the heat and life finally returning to them slowly.

She thanks every deity that is possibly real as well that her clothes somehow remained dry and she doesn't have to take them off (she doesn't even remember which of her underwear she chose to wear today, but she's pretty sure she opted for comfort rather than seductiveness). She's mortified enough as it is, being a damsel in distress and having the person help her who she actively and openly pushed away for the last four months.

Yeah, she doesn't need one more thing added to the list.

She faintly hears him walk away and open a door, and she's so focused on getting her body temperature to rise to a reasonable level that she doesn't notice when he appears at her side again, crouching down next to her, holding a box in his hands. She slightly jumps as her brain catches up with her, and she immediately regrets it because his face quickly takes on a crestfallen and hurt expression.

She rushes to reassure him of his absolutely wrong assumption, but he beats her to it.

"I...I apologize, Detective. I didn't mean to startle you," he hastily deposits the box on the floor that she recognizes as a first-aid kit and takes a few steps back, holding up his hands.

She wants to kick herself.

"No, no, Lucifer...I...Would you help me with this?" she asks hopefully.

He is blinking at her furiously now, opening his lips to say something, but for a few moments, nothing comes out. Then he seems to have gathered his thoughts. "Are you sure?"

She nods with a smile.

"Very well," he sighs, but the corner of his lip twitches as he gets closer to her again, picking up and opening the first-aid kit.

He grabs a few cotton balls and dabs one into the disinfectant before lifting it to her temple. She nods at his silent question when their eyes lock and he touches the cotton lightly against her wound. Even though she expected it, the quick and sharp sting of the alcohol makes her hiss and squeezes her eyes shut until the pain passes. When she opens them again, they fall on Lucifer's apologetic smile and concerned eyes before continuing to clean her wound.

"There...All better," he informs her when he finishes off by placing a band-aid on her temple. "The cut is superficial, nothing but a bad memory will remain in its place."

"Thank you," her voice comes out hoarse and she has to clear her throat from the ball lodged in there because damn it, he is so gentle with her and she doesn't deserve his kindness.

"May I see your shoulder, Detective? I noticed you favoring your left one," he asks, voice uncertain, like he's half prepared for her to say no to his offer.

She nods vehemently, because it's still throbbing and yeah, she just wants him to touch her, so sue her.

He helps her get rid of her jacket and t-shirt, the process tortuously slow, as she can't seem to lift her right shoulder without pain shooting through her arm. When she sits before him in her black bra, he does a show of looking anywhere but her chest, his jaw set. He motions for her to turn around, and when she obeys his request, she bites into her lip, her cheeks getting pink.

She feels the tips of his fingers brush over the skin of her shoulder, barely touching her, but before she could ask what he is doing exactly, an involuntary shiver runs down her body. He gets the wrong idea (again) and quickly snatches back his hand.

She hears him clear his throat. "Nothing is broken or fractured, only a slight bruise is visible. But since you seem to have a decrease in range of motion and pain, I'm guessing it's sprained," his voice is emotionless, clinical. "I'm quite familiar with the human body," he adds, attempting at a joke when her head turns to the side, eyebrows raised in question.

She wants to ask if there's anything that can be done to cure it or whatever, but he's already on his feet again, answering her unspoken inquiry.

"Right," he clasps his hands together. "Icing it would be the best route of action until you can get proper medical care. But let's leave that to when your body is thoroughly warmed up, shall we?" he smiles down at her when she turns back towards the fireplace.

He disappears again from he line of sight again and then she suddenly feels something weigh on her shoulders (not metaphorically this time) and glances up to see Lucifer place a thick, patchwork blanket over her. She tucks it around herself gratefully.

"The square pattern has been out of fashion since the eighties, but I believe we can overlook such transgression this time," he gives her a smile and she can finally put a name to his unusual his manner now that her physical and mental state is approaching normal again.

Hesitancy.

She hates seeing him like this, so unsure of what to do around her, she can literally see in his eyes the emotional wall he erected - the fear that she would bolt in any second (no matter how absurd and unlikely that scenario would be given her current state and the weather outside).

(But even without those circumstances, she wouldn't do that)

This is her fault. She made him put his guard back on, she made him think that his presence is not welcome, that it's frightful to her.

So she makes up her mind.

She pats the floor next to her in an inviting gesture and at first, all he does is tilt his head just to the side and barely visibly narrow his eyes, looks her up and down, as he always does when she says something he just can't comprehend at the moment.

She lets her lips pull into a soft smile and taps the empty place next to her again, and this time he starts moving, shedding his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves before descending to the floor, sitting cross-legged next to her.

Well...next to her is a bit of a stretch, because there's at least three feet distance between them and he looks straight into the flames, his posture rigid. He reminds her of a freaking statue.

She watches him for a few seconds, he doesn't move, he doesn't even blink and she's sure he stopped breathing altogether too. If she wants to guess, he tries to appear as nonthreatening to her as possible. Which is totally ridiculous because one, she's not afraid of him (she never was if she's honest with herself) and two, he just carried her in his arms a few minutes before, with wings and all, and also played nurse with her.

She hates this. She hates how cautious he is with her, how his usually nonexistent verbal filter is somehow...existent now. She never thought she would say this, but she hates how he didn't say even one sexual pun or innuendo, not even during him playing doctor.

She hates the distance between them, both physical and metaphorical.

She even misses his complete inability to stay out of her personal space.

So to rectify that, in a sudden determination, she scoots closer to him and nestles herself at his side. His cologne immediately fills her nostrils, but before she could get lost in the familiarity of it, he lets out a surprised yelp and lifts his arms, leaning away from her but stays seated.

"Det...Detective?" he asks, eyes wide, and she doesn't know if she should feel hurt by his reaction or just sad.

She should've expected such a reaction from him. She ghosted him for months, after all, complete radio silence, and now she's all but rubbing up against his body.

She must be giving him whiplash with her ambivalent behavior.

"Lucifer, I…" she starts, but she doesn't know what she's supposed to say. How can she explain that she just wants things to go back to normal (or forward) without him believing it's just her half-delirious state speaking?

"Detective, I think you should get some rest now. The storm won't let out for another few hours, and sadly there's nothing any of us can do about that. As soon as it's safe to travel again, you have my word that I'll get you home safely." he smiles at her reassuringly, but it still doesn't reach his eyes.

He makes a motion to stand up, and she acts instinctively, grabbing his arm and tugs him back down. This time he doesn't recoil from her proximity and doesn't try to free his arm either. There's a question in his eyes, though, but he doesn't say anything.

The ball's in her court now.

"I'm sorry," she manages, but she has no idea how she should continue. She had a whole plan and speech, but now that they are here, face to face, all thoughts are flying out of her brain.

"Whatever for?" he asks, his expression completely baffled.

"For...shutting you out, for not answering? I realize it was selfish of me to just...disappear-"

"No, no, Detective. It's completely understandable, I-"

"It isn't. It wasn't fair how I handled this whole...thing," she sees him opening his mouth to disagree with her again, probably, but she holds up a finger and he lets her continue. "I should've come to you, I should've asked...about all of this. Yes, I needed time to deal with everything, but I didn't have to completely push you away in the process."

He hums, contemplating her words and for a few moments, silence stretches over them.

"And...have you dealt...with everything?" he speaks up after what feels like an eternity, his voice uncertain and he's not looking at her.

She wants to hug him.

Instead, she says; "Yes, I think I have," she catches him raising an eyebrow at her, his expression showing skepticism. "I mean, this is still crazy and there are so many things I still don't understand, but maybe you can...explain? Sometime?"

For the first time in months, a genuine smile graces his lips. "I shall be happy to answer any and all of your questions, Detective."

"Good. Because I have a lot," she fails to stifle a yawn, but she doesn't let her tiredness derail her. She still has one thing she needs to clear. "But not now. On Monday? In the precinct? I have an unsolved case that I could use my partner's wonderful insights anyway."

She smiles up at him, raising her eyebrow in question, and hopes he gets her and says yes.

He opens his mouth and closes it, once, twice, seemingly doesn't know how to respond. Then he gathers his thoughts and suddenly his expression is joyous, his eyes glisten. She has never seen anything more beautiful.

"I...I would very much like that, Detective."

She feels his arms go around her shoulder, tentative, and she snuggles closer to him, nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck. After a moment he rests his head on top of hers, she feels him inhale and hum in content.

"Rest, darling. As soon as this blasted storm ceases, we can leave this sorry excuse of a house," she feels him shudder slightly under her cheek and she holds back a chuckle.

She missed his snobbishness.

"Mmm...you are warm," she murmurs into his collarbone after a while of comfortable silence.

"One of the few perks of living in a fiery pit for most of my existence, I believe," he breathes into her hair.

"Hm, yes, Hell…" she sighs, closing her eyes, letting the tiredness slowly took over her.

She's amazed at how easily she can joke about it now. Maybe it's her still mushy and half-hibernated brain, but she no longer feels the urge to run away or shut out the Heaven-and-Hell topic like she actively did a few months ago.

They still have a lot to talk about and stuff to figure out, but the most important thing is that their partnership is back again.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 3, Chp. 9″

"Black Butterfly, sail across the waters Tell your sons and daughters what the struggle brings Black Butterfly, set the skies on fire Rise up even higher So the ageless winds of time can catch your wings"

Deniece Williams – "Black Butterfly"

Disa spotted Pamela in the middle of the floor.

The moment the beat hit her ears, Pamela threw her head back and tossed her ass in a circle letting Disa know it was good to go.

The beginning was always the difficult part of her sets when she was trying to create a montage of feelings through sound. There were peaks and valleys she had to hit in order to hold the audience hostage. She almost lost it halfway through Zana High Life when the host shouted out DJ Geechee Dan standing on the side of the stage. Disa had been trying to find him up in the VIP section and he was right there, less than twenty feet from her watching her cut up a live mix.

It was Erik that saved her from bumbling her set as she focused on him moving instead of Geechie Dan being so near her. He came out of nowhere and she had no idea he could dance so well. The boy showed out and Pamela tried to keep up. It brought a smile to her lips to see him grab her homegirl and dance Pamela around. No one had ever been able to hang with her, and Erik pushed the woman to go all out.

Disa reeled everyone back in when she let Erik's voice quote "Beloved" over the music. He matched the tone of the syncopated beats. It sounded romantic. Dreamy. She took a respite and let the mix play as she watched him dance. So fluid. Like water. She knew he practiced capoeira and decided to go off script and freestyle her set. Dragging down some berimabau sounds, she cued up a Brazilian jam and dropped it on top of her own drumming in time to the stringed instrument. It struck like a thunderbolt on Erik and it shocked her to see him backflip and hold his body in a handstand as his legs moved in slow motion before he crouched on the floor low and swayed to the ancient sounds.

The boy was bad.

Loose hips and expressive arm movement fooled everyone into thinking he was just jamming instead of showing off a martial art. Disa was in awe and almost missed her next transition cue because she was so mesmerized by him. How could that brainy, standoffish, and arrogant man-child turn into a snake-hipped God of the dance?

Pamela jumped back on him and Disa played with them both by skipping her planned closing and taking the two of them to the Black Queer spaces she roamed with Pamela and friends. Punching up the voice of the icon Selvin Mizrahi, aka MC Debra, Disa brought in ballroom beats.

"That shouldn't have been the question," echoed about the space and Pamela stopped dancing with Erik and pointed a finger at Disa.

"Don't play with me, bitch!" Pamela shouted before she dropped to the floor and duck walked like the diva she was. This attracted their other homegirl Tatum who dipped several times making Yamilet stand aside with weak knees. Pamela played with Tatum in a simulated ballroom battle over Erik's attention until Tatum pushed Pamela aside and twirled around the youngster capturing his attention. The audience roared when Erik dropped into his own duck walk challenging Tatum. Erik's friends howled and the entire venue lost it when he dipped three times in front of Tatum making her storm off in a pretend huff as he duck walked after her before spinning on his back and shoulders. He grabbed Tatum's hand and ground on her ass with the closing notes of Disa's set. Loud whistles and claps erupted, and she waved to the crowd before the lights switched over to the next DJ who looked frightened at the prospect of following up after her.

Tatum rushed over to her swiping back long strands of crimped and twisty hair.

"Girl, your lil man was out here giving what he was supposed to give! Is he…?"

"Erik? No, I don't believe so."

"He was putting that thang on me like he wanted a piece of the good, Sis. He grab on me again like that and I'll let him get a taste."

Tatum's dark brown eyes were glossy from drinking and she followed Disa as she carried her crate of vinyl to the green room.

"He's not the type to turn mean if he knows….y'now…" Tatum said.

"He's very open. I don't think he'd trip to know you're Trans."

"Good. Cuz he could get it from any of these women out here. Did you see him move? I know Pamela is butt hurt that she was not the center of the dance universe tonight."

Tatum watched her tuck her crate under a covered table and push them far back with her jacket on top of it with her computer bag.

"I liked how you closed out your set."

"People liked it, yeah?"

"Yeah, but I worry cuz you know how these niggas be wildin' if you bring in the Fam in hetero spaces. Everybody turns into homophobe and kills the vibe for everybody."

Disa's cell buzzed. She pulled it from her back pocket.

"Yamilet and them. She's out by the car now."

Disa dragged her crate back out and Tatum carried her computer bag for her. They headed outside to the parking lot. Yamilet was there with Pamela, and Essie. She opened her trunk and Disa dumped her stuff. The women gave her joyous hugs and high fives before they traipsed back in to catch the other DJs.

Erik ran up to her breathless.

"Hey! I thought you were leaving!"

Disa patted his arm.

"No, just putting my gear away. Erik, these are my friends…"

She introduced everyone, and Erik shook their hands. Tatum and Pamela gave him big hugs and Yamilet snapped her fingers at him.

"Geechie… Hey! Geechie Dan, hold up!" Erik shouted.

Disa's heart dropped in her belly. Erik shook her idol's hand and brought him over to Disa.

"This is Disa Abdullah-Woods, your biggest fan," Erik said.

"My dear, sweet, woman, you are a master class of gifts. That set was-"

Geechie Dan kissed his fingers to end his praise.

Disa held out a trembling hand to him.

"No, that's not gonna do, Buttafly. Bring it in," he said opening his arms wide.

Disa burst into tears.

"Hey, I'm nobody to cry over," he whispered.

Geechie Dan gave Disa a big hug, and she stood there like a blubbering baby. The years that she spent practicing what she would say to the man if she ever met him in person went straight out the window. She used to laugh at people who became overly emotional meeting celebrities, but now she totally understood the overwhelming feeling that surged through her.

She wiped her eyes and Erik rubbed her back with gentle circles.

"I've been a fan since I was a little kid," she stammered out.

"Erik here told me. I told him how much I enjoyed his dancing and he just went in about you."

A crowd surrounded Geechie Dan, but he ignored them, his twinkling eyes on her.

"It has been a long time since I've seen a DJ create a set with so much intention behind it. You have something special in you, young lady. Never lose that gift."

Disa's mouth seemed to lose all ability to work. All the things she wanted to say stalled in her throat. He was there in the flesh. Standing in front of her.

"Disa has a radio show you should go on," Erik suggested.

"Oh yeah? Give me your number. I'll call you up and we can chop it up."

Geechie Dan pulled out his cell and Disa gave him her number, her voice a soft shell of its usual assertive tone.

"When I get some free time, I'll hit you up. Excuse me, they want me back up on stage. Amazing set, Disa. Keep spinning!"

The man shook her hand with both of his and his entourage and promoters swept him away.

"She's still in shock," Yamilet said waving her hand in Disa's face.

Erik's bright smile attracted her attention. Had he not spoken to the man, Disa may very well have missed her opportunity to meet him, let alone remember to ask the man for a radio interview. Her mind floated with the surreal nature of the experience. Her cell buzzed.

Here's my number. I'll be in New York in a few weeks, would be open to an in-person radio interview.

Geechee Dan's personal cell number. She had it. In her palm.

Disa reached out and grabbed Erik's shoulders. She planted a big fat kiss on his lips.

"Damn, what was that for?" he said.

"Being here," she said.

He wiped his lips and smiled.

"Erik…"

Chloe slinked up and slipped her arm in Erik's, tugging him towards the dance floor. Disa watched him enter the thick crowd of swaying bodies to dance once more.

###

Her night was a dreamy success.

Disa stayed in a popular hotel with her friends, and they hung out in the bar. Erik strolled into the lobby with his friends. In a tipsy stupor, Disa walked over to him with a fresh drink in her hand. "Didn't know you were staying here too," she said.

He took the drink from her and sipped it down.

"Hey… you can't drink this here out in the open, you're underage!"

She snatched it away from his lips.

"Nah, it's after midnight… I'm twenty-one now," he said.

"Oh, shit. It's your birthday? Today?"

"Yep."

"Happy Birthday, Erik!"

She hugged him tight and gave him the glass of liquor.

"Enjoy," she said.

"What room are we in?" Jace asked.

Erik's dorm companion looked sleepy along with two other guys.

"301," Erik said handing Jace a key card.

Disa's friends called for her to return to the bar counter.

"Come celebrate with us," she said pointing to her group.

"I'm beat, to be honest. Thanks for asking me though."

"If you change your mind, we'll be down here."

"Good to know."

"Thanks for everything, Erik. Tonight was really special and meant a lot to me. Especially with you hooking me up with Geechie Dan."

"Glad to make your dream come true."

His eyes penetrated hers.

"Okay grown-ass man, go to bed," she said pushing on his arm playfully.

"You're drunk," he teased.

"A happy one at that," she said stumbling off to join her girls.

Three more drinks later, after a heated discussion with a group of men who hovered around them trying to interject their unwanted opinions about dating, Disa leaned over the bar counter and asked for a special birthday cocktail for Erik. She went to the lobby restroom, collected the drink afterward, and excused herself from her friends. She took the elevator to the third floor and found Erik's room. The fruity exotic drink had a lot of strong liquor in it. Knocking on the door, she waited for someone to answer. She could hear a tv on and talking going on inside.

Kelvin, a cute nerdy string bean answered the door.

"Is Erik up?" she asked.

Kelvin's eyes nearly popped out looking at her.

"You were so good," he yelped.

"Thank you… um… Erik?"

"He's not here."

"Not here? Did he go out?"

"No, he's in that room," Kelvin said pointing across the hall to room 302.

"Thanks," she said.

Kelvin closed the door and Disa did a one-eighty and rapped her knuckles on the new door. She toyed with the blue umbrella and pineapple garnish on his drink. Erik answered. Shirtless and wearing tight gray boxers.

"Hey," she said.

"Um… Hi. 'sup?"

"Birthday drink. A proper one."

She thrust it out to him and tried to brush past him, but he held an arm up in the door jamb blocking her. Her brain failed to register that he didn't want her inside, and she bumped against him, her breasts touching his chest.

"I can't come in?"

"I have someone here," he said.

Her eyes cut behind him. Chloe was draped in nothing but a sheet, the tops of her breasts threatening to spill over her arm that clutched the covers.

"Oh, snap. I'm sorry. I thought you were staying with the guys over there. Didn't realize you had your own room. Here, enjoy the drink," she said.

Erik took the bulbous glass, and his expression was full of embarrassment. He stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. Disa stepped back from him and fumbled with her hands.

"Handle your business. It's time for me to get to bed myself… get some sleep. Have fun!"

She tried to sound jovial, but something in the back of her throat made her voice accusatory. As if she caught him doing something behind her back. For months she thought of Erik as her little pet. He was her loyal puppy, and she had to admit she enjoyed all the fawning he did over her. But he was also a young man with needs. She tried not to look at the package that was hanging in his underwear. The outline of it was showing off. God forbid if he was a grower too.

"Me and Chloe kinda got this thing going on now…"

"New girlfriend and good birthday sex is a blessing. Night Erik."

She turned to leave and pivoted back to him.

"Can I put on a birthday dinner for you and your family? I know you're planning on eating at Toulouse, but I would love to host your birthday party at my place."

"That's too much Disa. I have a lot of people coming in from all over."

"How many?"

"Fifteen—"

"Pfft, boy, you've been to my dinner parties, you know how I get down. Fifteen is nothing for me."

"The cost alone will be crazy—"

"Let me handle that. You deserve a special day. You made my night amazing, let me show my appreciation. What would you like to eat?"

Erik's eyes grew thoughtful, they dropped to look at his drink.

"I love your Confit de Canard,"

"Aw, I see. I finally got you to give in to duck meat."

"It's gonna be hella expensive."

"Don't worry about it. Let's say six sharp on Saturday, three courses and Turkish coffee with a birthday cake."

His eyes lit up.

"I'll let my people know."

"Tell them to dress up. I'll plan a splendid evening with games afterward."

Erik grabbed her hand and pulled her in close.

"Thank you," he said.

"Better get back to Chloe. Don't want her chewing my head off for keeping all of this out of the bed."

She smirked at him and wandered down the hall.

###

Chloe had a frown n her face when Erik walked back into the hotel room.

"What did she want?"

"Birthday gift," he said holding up the fancy drink.

He sipped it, and the liquor was too strong for his tastes. It would knock him out before he had a chance to smash Chloe. He put the glass on the nightstand and pulled off his boxers. His dick was already at half-mast.

"Why is your dick like that already?"

Chloe sat up, and the frown on her face deepened.

"Looking at you gets me excited," he countered.

Hopping into the bed, he pulled back the sheets and swiped her nipples with his tongue.

"You're attracted to her."

"Disa? That's my homegirl—"

"Everyone knows you have a crush on her. You turn into a puddle whenever she's around."

Chloe folded her arms over her breasts blocking his access.

"If your dick is getting hard for her, maybe you should get some birthday sex from her instead!"

"Chloe. Stop trippin'. I'm giving this dick to you."

He rubbed the hardening length against her thigh. She slapped it.

"Wanna play rough?" he said.

"Was your dick hard for that Trans chick too?"

"What?"

"Disa's friend. The one with the long fluffy hair. You didn't know?"

"No. She fine as fuck though."

"You'd fuck a Trans woman?"

There was disgust on her face.

Erik sat up. He'd been around Trans women and Trans men all his life, especially in Brazil. He had a Trans play uncle in Sao Paulo who used to babysit him and his play cousin Marisol.

"A woman is a woman. She got titties I can play with and a hole I can fuck, I don't see a problem—"

"Ohmigod! You really would fuck her."

"That ass was amazing."

"I can't believe you're serious!"

"Are you a queerphobe? Cuz if you are, that's not gonna work for me."

"No… I just… I can't picture you being like that."

"Like what?"

"Accepting. You're like a man's man—"

"A Transphobe? I wasn't raised like that. My mother would never let me treat people like shit who didn't deserve it."

Chloe stared down at her hands.

"I'm glad to hear that, actually."

"Yeah? Why?"

Her eyes welled up.

"My sister… she's transitioning… he's becoming my brother and I worry about him going up against guys like you."

"Guys like me?"

"Y'know overly masculine. He's coming to visit me in a few weeks and I wanted you to meet him since he's interested in capoeira."

Her eyes met his.

"I didn't mean to be accusatory about Disa's friend. She's beautiful. Prettier than me."

"You're the prettiest woman in this room right now."

She slapped his hand and smiled.

"But you do like Disa. Right?"

"She's my friend. I had a big crush on her when I first arrived on campus, but now… she's like a mentor… a big sister. We're close and she teaches all kinds of cool stuff. I probably do act all goofy when I'm around her—"

"It's cute… really. I just… let's forget about it."

He kissed her. With guilt. Disa meant more to him than just a big sister or a mentor. She was the ultimate woman. But she would never see him as a man.

Chloe wrapped her lips around his dick and rolled a condom on his shaft after she plumped him up to complete hardness. She presented her backside to him and he sank into her walls and pumped, enjoying her soft sighs and cries of passion. He took off the condom much later as she allowed him to fuck her raw in the ass and dump a hot load in her anal walls. She kept his mind off of Disa and those lush breasts that truly made his dick thicken and visibly tell Chloe the truth. Disa was his dream girl. Everyone could see it.

###

The large package arrived at Disa's house the day before Erik's birthday party. She called him on his phone to tell them that a big box with a D.C. return address and B. Dunduza written in black block letters was sitting in her living room.

He drove over to her house, and Disa watched him tear it open. There was a note on top of the bubble wrap.

"Kept these in storage for you. We wanted to wait until you turned twenty-one to have them. Cherish them as we cherish you."

Uncle Bakari and Auntie Shavonne both signed it.

Erik removed the layer of bubble wrap and his heart nearly stopped.

He fingered the old dark brown leather, and a breath shuddered out of him.

"Erik? You alright?" Disa asked.

She put a hand on his shoulder as he lifted the leather-bound journal from the box.

"These are my father's journals," he whispered.

Opening the first journal, he recognized the careful Wakandan script written by his father's powerful hand. They taped a small piece of bubble wrap on the page. Erik unraveled it and gasped before falling on his backside.

"What is it?" Disa asked, rising concern coloring her voice

Opening his fingers, Erik stared at the wondrous gift.

His Baba's ring. Attached to the chain his mother bought for him as an anniversary gift. The chain his father wore the night he was killed by King T'Chaka.

His family birthright.

Now his.

Chapter 10 HERE

###

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Here

Danny Torrance x Reader (Gender Neutral) 

Requested by: @illyrian-fire-cracker

Request: Hello!! I really like your writings!! You’re so talented! Can I please request a fluffy Danny Torrance piece if you don’t mind. It can be about Danny sharing his past with the reader and the reader comforting him and assuring him she wouldn’t leave him. Th am you so much!!!

Words: Almost 2k

Warnings: Hurt/ comfort things, so hold something

It didn’t take a psychic to know Dan Torrance has gone through some messed up shit. The second he came into town you could tell that he was not okay, and Billy having been there before helping him out. Of course Billy dragged you into helping the stranger, reminding you that at one point you were just as lost as him. He had opened up to Billy about his drinking problem fairly quickly, and started going to AA meetings with him. From there he was able to find a job and slowly started fitting into the small town life. 

It took awhile for him to start really trusting you the same way he did with Billy. You didn’t mind it, knowing that in due time he’d slow open up. You yourself hadn’t opened up about your past too much either, so you understood where he was coming from. 

It wasn’t until one night he had another nightmare, a bad one where he would need Billy to help ground him. He went down the stairs to knock on the door and was surprised to see you open up. You look up with sleepy eyes, but judging by the background you weren't asleep yet. 

“Sorry, was looking for Billy.” He mumbled. 

He looked bad. You could see the multiple levels of tiredness just in the way he stands there. There's a desperate, but sad look in his eyes that shows just how lonely he feels. You know that look too well, it's one you’ve sported on more than one occasion. It’s the look someone gets when they feel helplessly low, and they don’t have anywhere to go. 

“Billy's out of town for the night, I’m watching his place for him.” You explain. 

Dan nods, “Ok, sorry to bother you.” He starts to turn away before you stop him.

“Wait,” you sigh and he turns back to look at you. You step to the side and open the door wider as a silent invitation to come in. His lips twitch up in a pitiful smile for a second before he decides to walk in. You shut the door behind him before walking to your kitchen for 2 glasses of water.

You walk back to see him sitting on your sofa and set the glasses on the coffee table in front of it. You take a seat silently next to him, curling your legs up on the sofa facing him. 

“A penny for your thoughts?” You question, not wanting to push him to share anything he doesn't want. He looks at you brows furrowed and head tilted, confused at your question. “You just look like you have a lot on your mind.”

“You could say that.” He halfheartedly jokes.

You give him a sympathetic smile, “Wanna talk about it?”

You can see the internal debate he is having about opening up to you, especially since you both don’t know each other that well yet.

“You don’t have to, it's just I know what it's like when there's a lot on your mind and no one to ground you. Just whenever you want or feel ready, I’ll be here to listen.”  You smile, hoping that it eases him.

He looks up at you as you speak, and watches him visibly relax a little more. He thanks you for your offer and a small smile appears on his handsome, scruffy face. 

“How about we just watch some tv? To get your mind to settle?” 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” He said softly. 

Not long after turning the tv on Dan had fallen asleep on the sofa. You smiled, happy you were able to put him at ease, at least enough for him to fall asleep. You get up to grab a blanket and drape it over him gently so he won’t wake up. After making sure he was covered you moved to head to sleep yourself. 

That night had made Dan realize you knew what you were doing when someone was in a crisis. Whether it be your own or other peoples crisis you dealt with, he felt like he could go to you again easily. You had managed to calm and ground him after a restless night of haunted memories, which was hard for him. Usually he’d spiral down, drink until it was not on his mind as much. Of course that was before he met Billy, and got help.

He found that when he had bad nights, he’d go to you now. He’d always apologize, even if he had nothing to be sorry for, and tell you how well you had calmed him down that first night. You smiled at that, a light blush coming up to your cheeks. 

It was about a month later, a bad storm had been raging outside your little apartment. You were curled up on your sofa enjoying a calming cup of chamomile tea, listening to the wind and thunder. Soft fairy lights that lined your walls were turned on giving your small apartment a cozy feel that always relaxed you. That was until a soft knock came from your door, and you jumped not quite expecting it.

You set your mug down and padded over to the door, taking a quick look through the peephole at who it was. The second you recognized Dan’s figure you scrambled to unlock the door, and rip it open. Once it was you look at Dan with wide worried eyes. His nose was red from the cold, and he was soaked to the bone from the rain. You could see dark circles around his eyes, and they were red as if he were crying. 

“Danny!” You grab his sweater sleeve pulling him inside into the warm air that surrounded you. After you secured the door back you told him to wait there as you ran to grab some towels for him to dry off. When you come back you wrap him up with about 3 different towels, and rub his arms to try and bring some warmth back. 

“Hang on, I have some clothes that might actually fit you.” You stumble out. You rushed back to your room grabbing your favorite large sweatshirt and some too big of sweatpants that you owned. You set them on the bathroom counter for him before running to go grab him. 

When you get back your heart aches a bit at how cold and defeated he looks. You slowly approach him and grab one of his hands starting to lead him. He quickly toes off his shoes, not wanting to track even more water into your home, and follows you like a small child.

“Get changed, I’ll make you a cup of tea. Okay?” You say softly. 

He nods and gives a broken “okay” in response. You lightly shut the bathroom door before moving to your kitchen to make him some tea. When he comes out you motion for him to sit on your couch, you following behind him with a steaming mug. You place it in front of him on the small coffee table you have and sit down next to him. You don’t say anything knowing he’d say something when he is ready.

“I-” He breaths, his voice rough, “I’ve just been having a bad night, and it won’t stop.” 

“Okay, what can I do?” You ask softly. 

“I think I’m ready.” He has tears lining his eyes again. “I’m ready to talk about what happened. I need help.”

His choked words make your chest ache, and you reach a hand out to gently place it on his arm. You move your hand to rub up and down soothingly hoping to comfort him.

“Danny you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but if you do I’m here.” You reassure.

“I am.” He nods, slight determination in his eyes.

He starts telling you about his past. How he has always seen things, and how his father tried to kill him and his mother. He talks about how he still sees things that followed him from the Overlook, and how he has this thing called “the shining”. Every word out of his mouth weighs heavy in the air. You knew he had a troubled past but this was a lot. Your hand on his arm stopped moving, you’re thumb now rubbing gently. 

When he stops talking you whisper his name, not knowing quite what to do or say. You regain your composer and scooch closer. Your hand reaches up to his face to get him to make eye contact with you, even though he wants to avoid it. 

“Hey,” You get his attention, thumb now wiping stray tears away, “What do you need right now? What can I do?” 

He shakes his head, “I don’t know” He breaks.

You quickly wrap him up in your arms pulling him into you. His arms automatically wrap around your waist, hands tightly scrunching around the back of your shirt. His head is in between your chest and your neck, wet tears starting to soak your shirt. Your hands run through his hair and down his back trying to sooth and ground him. You whisper sweet nothings as you nuzzle your head into his all while trying to wrap your body around his. You hoped that your weight and tight grip on him would help him calm down, even if it took forever you refused to let up. 

It took a minute for him to fully calm down, breathing back to taking slow deep breaths. His hands are now loosely resting on your back, still holding you to him only not as tight. You keep messing with his soft, thick hair as he comes back down. You press a light kiss to his forehead before pulling back a little bit.

“Do you wanna stay tonight?” You whisper, placing yet another soft kiss into his hair.

“Please” He begs in a soft whisper.

“Of course.” You whisper. 

You start to get up off of the sofa and stand in front of him with your hand out. He looks up his hand hesitantly reaching for yours. Once his hand falls into yours you give him a soft smile. 

“Come on.” You nod your head, starting to lightly pull him up off the couch. 

For the second time that night you lead him through your apartment, but this time reaching your bedroom. You tell him to go lay down while you turn the fairy lights in the other room off. He looks anxious for a moment, but relaxes as he watches you walk back into your room. You then walk to your closet to grab a bulky blanket. You plop the blanket onto the bed and that's when he realizes it's a weighted blanket. 

“Helps comfort me.” You smile while adjusting it over him.

His heart melts at how thoughtful you really are as you crawl in next to him. You lay down facing him one of your hands coming up to the top of his head to play with his hair again. Your other hand then slides up to hold one of his that rests on his stomach. He sighs at the feeling, slowly melting into your touch. His breathing slows and evens out as he finally falls asleep peacefully for the first time in years.

[weasleydream]

i’ll never fall - Ginny x reader

I’m so so sorry that it’s so late! I wrote this for @pregnant-piggy​ ‘s writing challenge but I got a bit too inspired, I haven’t written that much in so long! Once again, congrats for 2k love <3 

My prompts were: “Who do you see when you look at me?” ; “I will never forgive myself for the things I’ve done.” ; and “And you are sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re in love with them?” 

Also, once again I think I messed with timeline 

As usual, feel free to like, comment, reblog and enjoy!

Masterlist 

If we were being picky, we could say that all of this began the day Tom Riddle was born. However, this specific point in the history of the wizarding world was the beginning of so many stories that no one could count them all, and mine was complicated enough without mixing them: that’s why we’re going to say that it all began the day I realized I had been manipulated. 

_ _ _ 

It was as if nature itself knew what was coming. If the first of September was usually a bright day, the sun we had been hoping for was a long lost memory erased by the incessant rain. Somehow, even the traditional babblings on platform 9¾ were missing, replaced by parents’ doubts and students’ fears. Was really going to Hogwarts in this year of 1997 a good idea? Dumbledore’s death had been a strong hit to everyone, and now that we knew Snape would be at the head of the school, no one was reassured. Not even Molly Weasley who was usually so valiant. On the platform, with one hand on Ginny’s back and one hand on mine, she seemed as nervous as everyone else, and the fact that she couldn’t look away from Arthur for more than three seconds was the proof we didn’t need. 

I remembered perfectly each first of September since I had received my Hogwarts letter. It was five years ago, and I was sure the view of the red train had never provoked such a wave of panic in me before. I glanced at Ginny; she was looking at me, her face closed in an attempt to hide what she was feeling and what she was fearing. A discreet nod confirmed what I already knew: she was as afraid as I was. Somewhere on our left, a voice said both our names, and we turned around to greet Neville. He hadn’t even needed to use a strong voice. He was pushing his cart on which his bags were stacked. On the top of the pile was sitting proudly a little plant. 

“Mimbulus mimbletonia?” I asked, and he nodded quietly. 

The locomotive whistled and we headed to the nearest door, after having looked away from Ginny and her parents exchanging a quick hug. Most of the compartments were empty, which seemed strange as we had never seen such a small amount of students in the train. Neville led us to the very last compartment where Luna was waiting for us. She said hello, but even her bright personality seemed altered. I really didn’t like this, and it was only the beginning. 

Half an hour after the beginning of the journey, I left the compartment to find my other group of friends. Friends was maybe a big word: in fact the only one I got along pretty well with was Zillah. She was a Hufflepuff and I knew her since we were five or six. Our fathers had worked together for a while in a muggle factory when they were younger, hers because he was a muggle and mine because he and my mother had left the wizarding world when He-who-must-not-be-named had risen the first time. Zillah greeted me with a small smile, and one or two other heads looked up to me. I identified a Slytherin guy in the corner opposite to mine but that didn’t surprise me, Zillah was the kind of person that didn’t let such things as houses determine who she loved. 

“You didn’t give me a lot of news,” she said when I sat next to her, which forced another girl to shift to the left. 

“I know, I just… I was busy.” I looked around quickly, checking that no one was listening to us. The four other persons that were here seemed to be chatting, and only now did I realize that the atmosphere was less heavy than with Ginny, Neville and Luna. Anyways, I decided it was safe enough for me to speak. “You know, with that stuff about my parents…” I added in a lower tone. 

Zillah moved closer to me. 

“And? Did you find anything?” 

“Nothing conclusive. I guess that’s a good sign.” 

Zillah nodded and recovered her previous position. She knew what I was talking about: since a few weeks before the beginning of the summer, my main preoccupation was to find out if my parents - and the rest of my family - were or had been death eaters. A lot of old rumours had resurfaced, and my parents, along with one of my aunts and her half-brother, were suspected to belong to the dark side. I had spent the summer looking for proof, investigating, and I now thought that at least my mother wasn’t guilty of what she was accused of. I still had a doubt about my aunt’s half-brother, but we weren’t blood related, so I had decided it wasn’t my problem, and something was off with my father. 

“I guess you’re relieved,” suddenly commented Zillah. “Now you’ll stop hiding it from your friends.” Indeed, Luna, Neville and even Ginny didn’t know anything about it, and it had been especially hard to hide during the last two weeks that I had spent at the burrow. Ginny obviously knew there was something off with me and had asked me about it several times, but I didn’t want her to know that, not when Neville had made some comments that had persuaded me I was suspected too. “You don’t seem relieved, though.” she added with a suspicious look. “Are you sure you didn’t find anything conclusive?”

“There’s maybe something about my father,” I mumbled, “but I don’t know what to think about it. Something he did a year or so before You-know-who’s fall that makes me think… Well, it makes me think maybe there’s a possibility that he’s killed a muggle family.”

“What?” Zillah’s voice was louder than expected, and the conversations in the compartment stopped briefly. “Why would he have done something like this?” she asked more quietly when chatters filled the compartment again. “I thought he was clean?”

“I told you I don’t know what to think about it… Something’s strange, but I don’t know what.”

Zillah nodded but stayed silent. She didn’t seem that surprised anymore, as if it was something she had been suspecting for a while. It created a big contrast between us because I was still deeply shaken by the news. Learning that your father might be the assassin of an innocent family wasn’t something you could accept easily. The conversations in the compartment stopped briefly, and I wondered why until I noticed a prefect’s head that had appeared through the glass. It was a girl from Ravenclaw, and she glanced briefly at us before walking away. 

“Do you think she’s looking for You-know-who?” guffawed the Slytherin guy. 

Everyone in the compartment chuckled, Zillah included. However, it wasn’t the kind of subject that made me laugh, and I suddenly felt really out of place among these people. I hastily saluted Zillah and left the compartment. I took a few steps just to be out of their sight, and then I stopped, asking myself if I really wanted to go back to Ginny, Neville and Luna. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, Ginny was the person I was the closest to in the school, but she was really friends with Luna and Neville, and she shared way more with them than with me. If Luna was kind to everyone and me included, Neville had often shown restraint with me, without mentioning the few times I had caught him becoming suddenly very silent as soon as I had stepped in the same room as him. Finally, I decided going back to their compartment was better than spending the rest of the journey standing between two glass doors. 

“- sorry he was ever born. Harry said it was him who killed Dumbledore, he’s not going to get away with it that easily, trust me.”

It was Ginny who was talking, and she didn’t stop when I opened the door. She just shifted to the left to make some room for me, and I sat after having made sure that the door was well closed. Making that kind of comment in a train crowded with people whose intentions weren’t all clear could be very dangerous. 

“And how do you want to proceed?” Asked Luna. “Don’t you think he’ll think some people are thinking like this?”

“We don’t care,” said Neville. “He’ll pay for what he has done.”

“If any of you has an idea, feel free to suggest it. That goes for you too, Y/N, okay?”

I nodded, but a feeling of uneasiness had invaded me. Ginny looked at me with a raised eyebrow, asking me silently what was in my mind. 

“If Snape is at the head of Hogwarts… don’t you think he’ll ask other death eaters to come with him?” A silence greeted my question. “Of course it doesn’t mean I won’t help you!” I added precipitously, “Just that we should be really careful. I’m not sure we know exactly what’s coming, that’s all.” 

“You’re right,” said Neville. “But death eaters or not, everyone who throws a spanner in our work is going to have to face us.”

_ _ _ 

No matter how hard I had tried to convince myself that Hogwarts would be extremely different from before, the sight of the castle took a severe toll on me. The atmosphere reminded me a bit of the one that had enveloped us when Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban: full of fear and Dementors in the sky and around the park. It didn’t look like the safest place on earth anymore, that was for sure. 

It was in silence that all the students that were in the train joined the castle. I was next to Ginny; Neville and Luna were just behind and I could see Zillah’s head a few meters in front of us. It didn’t take a long time to realize that the fears I had expressed before were founded: at each side of the entrance door were three people, all dressed in black, with a severe expression and a very straight posture. A whisper ran through the crowd of students; were they death eaters? The answer came to us in the form of a shout from a massive man. 

“Shut up and move!”

From the corner of the eye, I saw Ginny stiffening and glaring at the guy who had just yelled. She had never looked as dangerous as right now, and I knew better than to think that it was an appearance. 

“Ginny!” I hissed as quietly as possible. “Stop this!”

“But he’s-”

“I know!” Of course I had recognized Amycus Carrow, who had tried his best to torture Ginny only a few months ago. If he had failed, it was just because Ginny had drunk some Felix Felicis before the battle of the Astronomy tower. “But if you don’t want them to show what they are capable of, you’ll have to keep it cool until we’re in the dorm.”

She sighed loudly and nodded. If this time I had adopted the voice of reason, it didn’t mean that I wanted to stay here longer than necessitated, so I picked up the pace to walk past the death eaters. The sigh of relief I wanted to breathe when they would be out of sight stayed blocked in my throat, though: people all dressed in black were standing at regular intervals and this, on each side of the corridor. The silence was heavier in the inside of the castle; it was as if, without being clearly told, everyone had understood that staying quiet was for the best. Only the sound of our feet on the stones could be heard, and it was in this tense atmosphere that we arrived in the Great Hall. 

The four main tables were still here and still the same. It was naturally that I followed Ginny to the Gryffindor table and took place next to her; and only when Neville was sitting in front of us while Luna was joining her place did I realize that the professors’ table was way smaller than before. A few more death eaters were standing in a corner, but Snape’s presence at the exact place Dumbledore used to stand at was the reason everyone was looking in this direction without a word. 

“Look at him…” murmured Neville, which caused him to deal with some terrified looks. 

Snape hadn’t even pronounced anything yet that he had already terrorized half of the school. Then his voice thundered and repercuted between the naked walls and the once magical roof that was now devoid of stars and colorful banners. 

“Things have changed, and they will keep changing.” He paused and his eyes wandered amongst the students. I could have sworn his gaze had stopped on us, and according to the shiver that shook the girl next to me, it wasn’t just an impression. “From now on, the school is mine, and the rules you will follow are mine. Each breach of the rules will cost you a price much higher than a few house points. Any attempt to rebel will be severely punished. I also suggest you to remain in the ranks, or else the consequences could be unfortunate.”

As soon as the echo of his voice disappeared, Snape turned heels and sat in the central seat of the table. He lifted his hand and the doors opened; a seemingly exhausted professor McGonagall was walking in front of a bunch of terrified first years, and to the sound of their steps added weak sobs. When she walked past us, McGonagall glanced quickly in our direction, and from the corner of the eye I saw Ginny nodding imperceptibly. When she finally reached the single wooden stool that had gone unnoticed until then, it was with a firm voice that she shouted the name of the first student. It was as if she was trying her best to ignore the fact that Hogwarts had become the most dangerous place for us all, or maybe to show us that we weren’t alone in this. 

The dinner - because it was hard to call this a feast - was conducted expeditiously and the first students to leave the great hall didn’t stay more than twenty minutes.  Almost an hour and a half after our arrival, Snape’s watch dogs forced the remaining students to leave the great hall and to join the common rooms. A frightening silence was reigning everywhere in the castle, and the cosy common room of the Gryffindor house wasn’t exception. A very few people were occupying the sofas around the chimney, there wasn’t any first year left, and most of the students following us directly took the direction of the stairs leading to the dorms. Neville saluted us quite darkly and disappeared too. 

“I didn’t think it would be so… the way it is.” I whispered as Ginny and I were sitting around a table in the corner of the room. “I remember the day we first entered the great hall… All these terrified kids, it’s awful. They’ll have to pay.”

“I agree. It’s a good thing that a few members of Dumbledore's army are still here, we’ll need as much help as we can get. We’ll have to-”

Ginny suddenly stopped and jumped on her feet, glaring at some point behind my back. I got up too, on the verge of asking what was happening, but the noise that echoed gave me the answer. Amycus Carrow and a woman that looked just like him had barged in, and they were now barking on the third years that were on the sofas. When one of them muttered that they had no right to come here, the woman drew her wand and pointed it between the guy’s eyes. Completely terrified, the latter followed his friend without another word. Understanding that it was useless and dangerous to provoke them at the moment, I went around the table and grabbed Ginny’s wrist. We took the direction of the stairs and we had almost disappeared behind the stone when we both saw it. Amycus Carrow had just nodded at me with a polite smile on the lips. Ginny’s arm moved quickly and a second later, she was shutting the door between us. 

_ _ _ 

“The Weasley girl still doesn't want to talk to you?” asked Zillah with her mouth half full of bread as I was sitting next to her. 

This had become the usual greeting she gave me each morning since I had camped in front of the Hufflepuff common room’s door, just after this thing with Amycus two weeks ago. Ginny had refused to talk to me since then, not even giving me a chance to explain, and of course the next morning Neville’s glares had added to hers. Even Luna didn’t look at me with her natural kindness anymore. Zillah had seemed very surprised when she had seen me the next morning; because I had spent the night on the hard floor of the corridor or because no one had caught me, I wasn’t sure. Still, she was now the friend I seemed to have in this castle.

“No, still not.”

“I think she needs time. I mean, she thinks you’re getting friendly with a death eater. You told me it’s the one who tried to torture her last year, right?”

I hummed and Zillah shrugged. 

“Then I understand why she’s upset.” she paused to pat my shoulder. “Maybe she’ll even come to you first, who knows?”

“I hope so…”

Then a silence took place. My eyes were fixed on Ginny who was talking with Neville and Luna. The three of them were isolated from the rest of the Gryffindor that were in the great hall for breakfast, which wasn’t a lot. It was clear that their attitude was hiding something fishy with them. 

“Are they preparing something?” suddenly asked Zillah. She was looking in the same direction as me and had a reprobatory look on her face. 

“Probably, yes. They want to defend the castle,” I said before shaking my head. “I hope they’ll be prudent, it would kill Molly if something happened to her.” 

“Yes, it looks like Ginny and her mother are really close to each other.”

I glanced at Zillah, surprised that she knew so much about Molly. As far as I knew, she had never talked to a Weasley. But my interrogations were cut short when an altercation burst on the other side of the great hall. Neville was standing up to one of Snape’s friends, and he was hiding a young girl behind him, probably a first year. Luna slipped underneath the table and grabbed the girl’s hand, leading her outside while Ginny was trying to calm Neville down. Finally, the silence came back when he agreed to follow her, and they disappeared behind the huge door. 

“I still don’t understand why you don’t scream in their ears until they listen to you.” Zillah paused the time to let Snape walk to the professors’ table before getting closer to me. “I mean, your side of the street is clean, right? It’s not your fault if Amycus is weird.” I shrugged, trying to find the good words to explain why I had been waiting for two weeks instead of grasping the nettles. “Unless you think you have a reason to blame yourself, of course…” She finished with an interrogative look. 

“Well… One of her brothers has been badly hurt by Fenrir Greyback, and his wedding has been ruined by death eaters. Another of his brothers was poisoned last year because of Malfoy. She has more reasons to hate the death eaters than anyone else and… I still don’t know what happened with my father, and I have even more doubts since this thing with Carrow... I just feel like it’s not right to stay by her side if I’m not sure that my father’s innocent, you know?”

Zillah nodded. 

“I think you’re right, you can’t risk her hating you for nothing,” she conceded. “But how will you find the answers you’re looking for?” 

“I don’t know.” I grumbled, before slamming my fist on the table. “It’s so unfair! What the hell is happening? Why does it have to be happening to me?”

“Relax Y/N, I’m not sure you want to make a scene in the middle of the great hall.” Zillah wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “You know you’re not alone, right? Whatever happens with Ginny and the others, I’m still with you.”

_ _ _ 

It was so unexpected that it took a few seconds for me to process what I had just heard. I was walking in the corridors somewhere near the library when three voices stopped me dead in my tracks. The voices were coming from behind the door that was just in front of me, belonging to three men I had never heard before even though they were obviously part of Snape’s watch dogs. At first, the voices were too low and all I could hear was a blur of unidentified sounds. But as soon as my ears were used to the muffled words, I realized they were talking about a particularly severe punishment and I had the feeling that I knew who was the target. 

“ - couldn’t get them yet. Seems like the director is nervous about this and we all know how he can be when he’s not satisfied. He says it may be for today.”

“Maybe, but the fuckers are well organized, and we can’t just take them like this. The seniors won’t let us and we can’t afford to have the Order in our way.”

“The third year we’ve interrogated earlier said they were preparing their things in a special room in the castle, the room of requirements I think he said. Seventh floor. We can take a shot.”

“Never heard of this before, you sure he didn’t lie to you?”

“Trust me, he knew better than that.”

The first who had talked said something else, but I didn’t hear it. I had taken a few steps back and my brain was almost burning: how could I avoid Ginny and the others getting caught? I knew what was going to happen if evidences were found, I myself had paid full price for defending a bunch of terrified second years in front of Alecto Carrow and the sanction reserved for Ginny, Neville and Luna oughted to be even worse. 

The wooden door suddenly opened, leaving me defenseless in front of three death eaters that drew their wands as in one. I was so terrified that my brain, which was so fast only a few seconds ago, seemed to be freezing along with the blood in my veins. 

“I suggest that you find a good excuse for listening to us, or I can promise you you’ll regret it.” threatened a tall and thin man, whose face seemed to be the copy of a rat’s. 

“I know what they’re going to do and where I can tell you if you want.” I blurted out before holding my breath, praying that they would be convinced. 

The three guys exchanged looks, and the one on the left seemed dangerously sceptical. Finally, the rat-faced guy nodded and lifted an eyebrow. 

“It’s for soon, in the potions classroom.” I started, trying my best to keep control of my breath. “I believe they want to make it explode, I’ve seen them gathering all sorts of forbidden products. I think they’re already there, but-”

“You better be telling the truth.” 

With that, the three men left precipitously and as soon as their bodies had disappeared from my sight, I turned tails and ran in the other direction. I needed to get to Ginny as soon as possible to warn her not to do whatever she had in mind. By the time I had gotten to the seventh floor, my legs were burning and my lungs felt like they were on the verge of exploding. Without losing a second, I began pacing to make the door appear but someone’s arrival interrupted me. 

“You here? Get out of here, you traitor!” 

It was Seamus, and he rolled up his sleeve as if to address his words. 

“Seamus!” I exclaimed, which definitely surprised him. “I need you to tell Ginny to stop whatever she’s preparing. She’s in danger, you hear me? In danger! Someone denounced her to Snape and he knows she’s here with Neville, Luna and whoever helps them. I led the death eaters off the scent but it won’t be enough, tell them, okay?”

And with that, I left as quickly as I had come, afraid that the wrong person could see me here and guess what had happened. I glanced in my back one last time - Seamus was still looking at me, seemingly very confused, but he nodded silently before being hidden by the wall. I only managed to join the fifth floor when a voice shouted loudly. 

“You! Stop!”

I had been caught. 

The rat-faced guy grabbed my arm, his fingers tightening me so tightly that it felt like he was touching my bones. He was almost growling, the sound coming from the depth of his throat and terrifying me as much as a snarling wolf would have. The man, Marcus as it seemed since one of his friends called him when he joined us, abruptly pulled my arm to make me walk behind him. His pace was quick and determined, and his jaw tightly clenched. As far as I could see, he was furious, and the little hope I had left vanished. I didn’t even know if I would make it out alive. 

The three men brought me to an empty classroom that I was positive I had never been in before. The tables were all covered in a thick layer of dust, some of them were broken and so were the chairs. There was no window, only one door and the latter closed quietly behind us. I had the intuition that it wouldn’t open that easily, and definitely not soon. 

It was dark in there, but not enough to be blind. That made me realize that the walls had a certain number of cracks, and for a second I thought of screaming with all the breath in my lungs. Marcus probably had the same idea at the same time; before I could do anything, he cast a silencing spell on me. 

“This way, we’re sure we won’t be bothered.” he whispered with a twisted smile. 

My heart began to beat at a terrible pace, and the fact that I was trying to scream so loud without even producing a whimper made me feel so defenseless that I never tried to protect myself. I just waited for the punishment, knees getting numb on the stone floor, expecting the pain without receiving it. It looked like it wasn’t what Marcus wanted; he tried to get me to react, maybe even attack him in what we both knew would be a desperate and useless attempt to escape; he pushed me before putting me back on my knees, insulted me, described me all he would do to me, all he wanted to do to Ginny, but I didn’t want to give him satisfaction. I wanted to focus on something else than the torture I was about to suffer, and all I found was to imagine Ginny swooping in to save me and telling me she wasn’t mad anymore. 

However, it wasn’t Ginny’s voice that I heard when the first Cruciatus spell hit me, and it wasn’t hers either that I heard during the unending time that the punishment lasted. 

_ _ _ 

“Y/N? Y/N?” 

The voice seemed to come from a dream, muffled as if I had cotton in the ears, distant and soothing. 

“Y/N!”

It suddenly became louder, more defined, and with the proximity I heard something else in this voice. Something that wasn’t soothing, it was the contrary; it was anxious and stressful, not very steady but not shaking either. More importantly, it was Ginny’s voice. 

I opened my eyes, and it took a moment to remember where I was. The classroom. I could see the tables that had been moved around me, and I could even see the walls which was impossible before. A tall silhouette was getting close to me, someone that I couldn’t identify because the door was open behind them and there was too much light. The person that was now next to me kneeled and Ginny’s features appeared. She seemed disturbed, sad too. 

“She’s awake!” she shouted above her shoulder, which made me screech. My head was on the verge of exploding. “Come on,” she added more softly as her eyes were on me again. “We’ll bring you somewhere safe.” 

I nodded and let her and Neville, who had gotten in too, lift me to put me back on my feet. My legs had never felt so heavy and devoid of strength, I was nothing more than a dead weight as the two carried me out of this hell. As we got closer to the door, I identified three more persons; Zillah was standing next to Luna, and Seamus had taken a step forward to help Ginny. The latter shook her head and I felt her grip on my waist tightening. 

The way to the room of requirements - I had heard Neville mentioning it, so I had supposed it was our destination - was essentially composed of stairs, and no matter how hard I tried to help Neville and Ginny, there wasn’t an ounce of energy left in my body. Every single cell was terribly painful, I had never suffered so much in my life before. 

We finally reached a corridor of the seventh floor, the same in which I had stumbled upon Seamus earlier - how long I didn’t know though, it was another question I would have to ask. A huge door appeared and Ginny half carried me inside. She helped me reach a makeshift bed on the floor, and as soon as my head touched the fabric, my eyes closed. 

And they stayed closed for a while, or so I supposed when I woke up. The room was no longer almost empty, it was more looking like an anthill now that all the beds and hammocks were occupied. But it wasn’t exactly time for sleeping; all the conversations were forming a soft buzzing somehow reassuring. Despite my sore body, I sat up and took a better look around me. The room wasn’t huge, maybe a bit bigger than a large classroom, not much more. The beds were in fact makeshift mattresses with colorful blankets, and the hammocks that were as colorful were suspended to the walls. There were also two banners hanging from the wall in front of the door; one for Gryffindor and one for Ravenclaw. 

“It’s because we only have Gryffindors and Ravenclaws here,” said Ginny as she arrived from behind me with a water bottle. She handed it to me and I glanced to thank her before drinking avidly. “Though we probably will have to add another, your friend Zillah is here too. Very curious, maybe even too much.” she frowned before shaking her head. “But it’s not important. Are you feeling better?”

Ginny waited patiently as I was finishing the water. The sips I took were now longer and I was slower for a very good reason: I didn’t know what to say. Ginny wasn’t stupid though, and she gestured toward two Ravenclaw girls that I didn’t know. They nodded and left, leaving the two of us alone in this corner of the room. 

“Y/N, I need you to tell me how you’re feeling.”

I could have answered a lot of things, like hungry, cold, afraid, sore… It was all true. Yet now Ginny was next to me, caring for me, and there was only one answer that seemed correct. 

“Safe,” I murmured. 

“You are now.” she whispered back. “We’ll make them pay, you can trust me.” 

I nodded. The thought was somewhat soothing, but I couldn’t focus on that. It seemed strange that after such a long time spent seemingly hating me, at least avoiding me, Ginny was now sitting next to me, bringing me water and promising she would seek vengeance for me. 

“Ginny, who do you see when you look at me?”

She looked up to me, seemingly surprised. 

“I see one of my best friends that has been tortured to protect me. I know, Seamus told me,” she added before I could say anything. “I don’t see a traitor or an enemy, if that’s what you were asking. I’ve never seen a traitor or an enemy. Just… Someone I didn’t trust enough, I guess.”

I looked away, slightly hurt. I would have trusted her with my life, even before all of this. Knowing that it wasn’t mutual was something I would have a hard time to accept. 

“Y/N, trust me, I’ll never forgive myself for the things I’ve done to you. I shouldn’t have been so mefiant, I should have given you a chance to explain.” 

“Yes, you should have.” 

Ginny looked away, something that looked a lot like regret painted all over her face. It was rare to see her displaying her deepest emotions, it caught me by surprise and it was without thinking that I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. 

“Don’t worry, you trust me now, right? That’s all that matters.” 

Ginny nodded and stared at me with an interrogative look. 

“Can I ask you something?” She didn’t wait for my answer and continued. “Why didn’t you try to explain? Actually, what happened that day? Why was Carrow so… nice with you?”

“I don’t know why,” I mumbled. “I found it as strange as you. As for why I didn’t explain, it’s… it’s complicated, Ginny.”

“I think I can understand.” 

There was no way I could avoid this discussion, that was clear. So I sighed and told her everything about all the research I had gone through, why I suspected my father to be a murderer, why I had felt like I didn’t have the right to be her friend. Ginny stayed silent for a while, and I didn’t have any idea on what her reaction would be. Her face was closed, she was looking at some point in the opposite corner of the room, where Zillah was talking with Luna and another Ravenclaw girl. 

“And what was Zillah’s reaction when you told her you didn’t feel like you could be my friend?”

I hesitated before answering. The question was weird, it was not really what I was expecting but Ginny seemed to be deep in her thoughts. 

“She said that I was right, I shouldn’t talk to you before being sure my father was innocent. Why?”

“You don’t find it strange that she didn’t advise you the contrary? To come to me and try to explain?”

“I… don’t know.” I hesitated again. “Ginny, what are you thinking about?”

“You noticed that Zillah was there when we found you in the classroom, earlier?” I nodded. Yes, I had seen her, even though I wasn’t expecting her when it was Ginny, Neville, Luna and Seamus that she was accompanying. “No one told her what you had done, and she wasn’t with you before. She’s the one who led us to you. How did she know?”

“Ginny… I know where this is going, but you’re wrong. Zillah’s my friend, and she didn’t even know what I was going to do! I was alone when I heard their conversation and I didn’t see her afterward.” 

“I’m not talking about this.” Ginny’s voice was calm, and it was firmly that she grabbed my wrist to address her words. “Y/N, I’m not saying she denounced you to the death eaters. I’m saying she denounced us to them, and you just happened to hear them.”

“But how would she-”

I suddenly stopped because the question was useless. I knew how she had learnt about what Ginny, Neville and the others were preparing. Something as burning as acid slowly crept in my veins; it was guilt, because I was the one who had told her. 

“I’m sorry Y/N, but it looks like you gave your trust to the wrong person.” 

“Ginny, I’m- I’m sorry, if I had been-”

“It’s not your fault. I promise she too will pay for hurting you.”

Ginny was now infuriated; if her face was stoic, her eyes said it all for her. 

_ _ _ 

“Zillah?” repeated Luna. “I knew I shouldn’t have warned her about the Wrackspurts. She deserves to have her brain go fuzzy.”

“Brain fuzzy or not, at least we know who the traitor is.” added Ginny. “Now, we have to confront her.”

“But we have no proof,” interjected Neville. “We’re not sure that she’s really the one who ratted us out, maybe she found us just because she was looking for Y/N. As for the ‘you shouldn’t talk to Ginny thing’, it’s not a secret that she doesn’t like us, maybe she just wanted to keep Y/N for herself.”

“It can’t be a coincidence,” said Ginny. “And I refuse to let her get out of this just because we’re not sure.”

“You’re making it personal.”

“Of course I’m making it personal!” exploded Ginny. “You saw Y/N too, didn’t you? You helped me carry her because she had been tortured so much that she couldn’t even walk! How can I make it anything else than personal?”

Seeing them talking about me as if I wasn’t here was getting annoying, so I just interrupted them. It caused me to deal with a murderous look that disappeared as soon as Ginny realized it was me. 

“Neville’s right, we can’t do anything as long as we’re not sure. And it’s not by sitting here that you’ll find the proof you’re looking for,” I added before Ginny could interrupt me. “Maybe we should stop talking and begin searching.”

“You’re right,” she conceded. “Neville, Luna, you should start asking people about Zillah, but only people we trust, okay?”

Neville rolled his eyes, either because of the obvious recommendation or because Ginny had taken her time to admit he was right, but he still got up and followed Luna. As for me, I ignored Ginny’s piercing eyes when she asked me to follow her out of the room of requirements. We both stayed silent for a while: everytime one of us wanted to say something, someone stepped in the corridor we were in and silence was never broken. 

“I know what you’re doing.” Finally said Ginny as we were heading to the library. She brushed aside my innocent face and continued. “I think you’re still hoping that she’s innocent.”  It was useless to deny it; of course I didn’t want Ginny to be right, so instead of trying to find excuses, I shrugged. “I get it that it’s hard for you Y/N, placing your trust in the wrong person is… Well, it’s not very pleasant. But you have people you can trust around you, you have real friends. You have me.” 

“Thank you Ginny. I- I needed to hear that.”

She nodded and accelerated a bit to open the library’s door in front of me. 

“You didn’t tell me what we’re doing here,” I murmured as I was following her through the shelves until we stumbled upon Madam Pince. 

“Can we go to the restricted section? It’s important.”

Madam Pince simply nodded and Ginny gestured to me to follow her. 

“Since when can we go to the restricted section without any authorization?” I asked, flabbergasted. 

“We have one, Madam Pince just allowed us, didn’t she?” Ginny glanced at me with an amused look. “It’s not the first time I’m searching in this section for information, that’s all.”

“I’ve been several times too and I always needed a note from a professor,” I grumbled as Ginny opened the door of the section. Once sure we were alone in it, Ginny turned to me and finally explained why we were here. 

“We’re going to do some research about this muggle family you think your father has killed.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s something strange, and with Zillah’s reaction, I wonder if her family isn’t involved.” 

“Impossible,” I objected. “They are muggles.”

“That’s what she told you.” I was beginning to find this far-fetched when she asked me something else that made me doubt. “Tell me, does Zillah seem scared by the whole muggle born thing to you?”

I opened and closed my mouth several times. Now that I thought about it, she didn’t seem even concerned by the several attacks and controls that the muggle borns were suffering. I hadn’t heard her talking about it once, and if we added the behaviour I had found inappropriate in the train, then it was natural to think that maybe she had something to hide. As Ginny was still monologuing, I found a table in a corner between two shelves and pulled a chair; I hadn’t said anything about it, but all the cells of my body were still burning, making every movement really painful. 

“Does it still hurt?” asked Ginny from behind me. Her hand suddenly appeared in front of me, holding a vial filled with potion. “It’s for the pain.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled before drinking it straight. “So, where do we begin?”

The next hour and half was spent pouring over genealogy books and articles mentioning murders and death eaters. The potion Ginny had given me had made me sleepy, my eyes were closing despite my will to stay awake to find information, and Ginny eventually decided it was enough for this day. 

“I’m going to bring you back to the room of requirements, and then I’ll help Neville and Luna, okay?”

I nodded and let her put back in their shelves all the books we had been reading. Then we left the library and joined our little safe place. Ginny only left after having made sure I was in my bed and too asleep to move away from it. 

_ _ _ 

“I gotta admit you were right,” mumbled Neville, the eyes still fixed on the picture he was holding. 

“I knew it, there was something strange from the beginning! Zillah is a liar and she had us all.” 

Ginny had finally found the proof she had been looking for for days now: my father wasn’t a murderer. He had probably never known the muggle family that had been killed, I would have to ask him if the opportunity arose. The picture was a good enough evidence in itself: it had been taken by a muggle that lived in a street close to where the murder had occured, only a few minutes after the presumed moment of the facts. It showed a man leaving an alley with what looked awfully like blood all over his clothes. He was a wizard, which couldn’t be denied as he was holding a wand, and more importantly, his face wasn’t my fathers but the same as Zillah. I had first objected that it could be a coincidence; that was great because I was now sure my father wasn’t responsible, but maybe it wasn’t a member of Zillah’s family? Ginny had then handed me a copy of a muggle newspaper that mentioned a guy with Zillah’s family name, saying that he had been missing for a week. He had disappeared two days before the murder. 

“But-” I had tried to object before Neville interrupted me.

“Listen Y/N, I think that these are unquestionable evidence. I understand that you refuse to believe that your friend lied to you, but it seems pretty obvious to me that she isn’t the person she says she is.”

“Even if it’s his father, it doesn’t mean that she knew!” I exclaimed. Neville and Ginny exchanged a glance that I didn’t like at all, and Ginny sighed. 

“There’s something we haven’t told you,” she began. “We didn’t want to break it to you unless we were sure, but with all the things we’ve found, there’s no doubt left. You know this Slytherin guy she’s always with?” I nodded, apprehending what was next. “He and all his family have sworn allegiance to You-know-who. She meets regularly with him and a few other people in the dungeons. Most of them have well known death eaters in their family.”

Neville and Ginny were both looking at me and looking sorry. The latter patted my shoulder before wrapping her arm around my shoulders. 

“We can’t let her know we’ve figured everything out,” she murmured. “I think it would be too dangerous.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

Neville shook his head, an irritating sympathetic look on his face, and he left without another word. Ginny was still just next to me; with everything that had happened, I was probably in for several months with her following me like my own shadow. That thought didn’t bother me at all. 

“You know, Neville doesn’t really understand why you didn’t ask your family about all of this,” said Ginny after a few minutes spent in silence. “After all, with the rumours it’s legitimate. Is it because of this?”

“I wasn’t sure I could trust my mother to tell me the truth, and I didn’t ask my father for obvious reasons. As for the rest of my family, they are all suspected too.”

“I see,” she murmured. “I’m sorry Y/N, I didn’t find anything about them, just the proof that your father’s innocent. At least now, you’ll be able to ask your parents.”

I noded silently. After another few minutes, Ginny decided I had to change my mind and offered to follow her in the greenhouses. I first refused; couldn’t she let me get depressed on my own? But she insisted and I eventually gave up, secretly grateful that she hadn’t just left me alone. 

I thought that with time, I had gotten used to the new Hogwarts, to the now omnipresent silence and darkness that crept in every corridor. It had been a while since the first of September, a time long enough to forget how joyful the place used to be. However, when we got to the main floor, where usually there were always several groups of students and even teachers no matter what time it was, it hit me harder than ever that the school was now like dead. As if it had been killed by all the evil that had invited itself. 

“It’s scary, isn’t it?” I glanced at Ginny, wondering if she was thinking about the same thing as I was. “How everything seems physically darker than before,” she added. “In all honesty, I don’t know anymore what could save the castle… I thought that Dumbledore's Army was the solution, but let’s face it… We’re not changing anything here.”

“You’re wrong, many students are safe in the room of requirements thanks to Dumbledore’s Army. And think about the day Harry, Ron and Hermione will come back, think about how things will change!”

Ginny nodded with a smile and quietly thanked me. If it hadn’t sounded so cliché, I would have answered that she had done way more for me, and that all I wanted was her to be confident because I would have done anything for her. But it did sound very cliché, so I just shrugged it off. 

“Funny how you just thought of my brother and his friend,” Ginny suddenly said with a malicious smile. “You are sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you’re in love with him?”

“What?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Me? In love with Ron? Certainly not!” 

“Then why are you always so excited to come with us for the holidays?” 

Ginny seemed to be really amused by the situation, but I really wasn’t. She was right when she said that I was always overjoyed to spend some time at the Burrow but it wasn’t for Ron, I barely spoke with him! I wasn’t sure about the reason behind this excitement but it was definitely not her brother. 

“I don’t know, but trust me, it’s not because of any of your brothers.” 

“That’s too bad.” she stated, even though it didn’t really look like she was disappointed. “I still hope one day, you’ll be officially part of the family.” I laughed, and agreed with her. “You know what they say, as long as there’s life, there’s hope!”

“Yeah, well it looks like we won’t stay hopeful for long, then,” I mumbled as I was watching the empty corridor. 

“You shouldn’t be so pessimistic, Y/N.” Ginny wasn’t smiling anymore, but she wasn’t looking defeated either. She was just determined. “We’re together, there’s inevitably hope. You and I, we’re two against the storm, and we have our friends and family. I’m not too afraid, and I don’t want you to be.”

“I’m not,” I smiled. “Not anymore. Ginny, I just wanted you to know that… As long as you need me, I won’t fall.”

She grabbed my hand and smiled. 

“I’ll always need you.”

“Then I’ll never fall.”

[bluebeetle]

what IS the worst character assassination youve ever seen? i can think of some guesses but its a long list

its a VERY long list....

1) the time cassandra was evil and could also suddenly speak perfectly when she was previously struggling. it makes no sense. so much of her character was built on doing the right thing and not wanting to kill. it was so fucking stupid and im glad its long forgotten

2) whatever the fuck jason was doing in battle for the cowl and batman and robin 2009. some of it was ok in the latter but the former... he just went full evil villain without any of the nuance he had before. also red head jason my detested

3) wanda wanda wanda wanda. she gets this so many times. her in trial of magneto where shes calling erik daddy and stuff despite not knowing that man was her dad until she was a married adult woman.

avengers disassembled where she went ~~~crazy~~~ and killed a bunch of people.

house of m with the no more mutants thing. just yikes yikes yikes. they tried to fix it later by saying she was influence by dark magic and stuff and doctor doom played a role but then that got ignored.

she's still blamed for house of m by the xmen and other mutants even NOW where they all hate her still despite it that story literally being 15 years old

4) any time bruce is abusive and hits his kids. what the fuck. bonus points to all star batman and robin for being so bad at that, its acgtually kinda funny. he made dick eat RATS in a CAVE the DAY HIS PARENTS DIED IN FRONT OF HIM after calling him the r slur

5) damian almost being turned evil after teen titans 2016 and stuff; it got fixed thank god but hes been written like he has to redeem himself for it and that racist writing ugh

6) speaking of: talia going from a loving, caring person who hadnt even killed until she met bruce and did it in self defense, who sacrified her own happiness to make sure her child was safe and away from her father, who had morals and loved bruce to a scornful woman assassin who kills people indiscriminately, abuses her child, rapes the man she claims to love, and continues to meddle with his "real" love because shes jealous, and then clones her own son and gets that clone to murder her 11 year old, also has sex with bruce's 18 yr old son who she was taking care of.

yikes

7) trickster in countdown. why is he suddenly homophobic. he and pied piper have known each other for years, theyre both old silver age flash villains. pied piper was not quiet about being gay even back in the 90s. he interacted with trickster multiple times during that flash run prior to countdown. why does trickster suddenly make homophobic jokes. answer me dan didio. ANSWER ME

8) catch all for any bad live action versions. like. everything about mcu hawkeye is a crime agaisnt hawkeye. i mean other mcu characters suck but i feel bad for him bc he usually doesnt get that treatment. jason in titans. the mcu maximoffs. stripping loki of being nonbinary and bi.

9) why did wally become a mass murdered in heroes in crisis and then try to cover it up. i know it wasnt murdering on purpose ig but also it was just a bad storyline ugh.

10) akihiro being stripped of all personality to be the slutty bi guy in x-factor. die.

anyways notice how half of these are characters of colour? yeah tip of the iceberg lol. anyways....