#I’m actually shaking shoulders of like five people who will see this and screaming at their face

[foreveretherealseviltwin]

You must have been looking for me

Sendin’ smoke signals

Pelicans circling

Burnin’ trash out on the beach

[slasherbvnnie]

Until We Found You | Part IV

Welcome back! This time we have the second ghostface smut. Part V will be out later tonight, but no smut! Just some pure angst and fluff. As always, heed the tags

Modern Day College Scream AU, Obsessed AFAB!Reader, Eventual Poly!Ghostface x reader, Eventual NSFW, All characters 18+, P in V, Fingering, Oral female!receiving, Overall smut

Part I Part II Part III  Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX

 Word Count: 2673

You had a good five seconds on campus before someone finally noticed. Before you even made eye contact with her for the first time that day, Tatum let out the biggest gasp she had ever made and grabbed your shoulder. “And who did you spend your night with,” she asked as you immediately blushed, covering up your hickey with your palm. “None of your business, tate,” you said as Stu laughed and put his arm around Tatum’s waist. “Maybe Randy finally got his shot, I mean with how scared you must be about the killer, maybe he offered some protection for you,” Stu joked as Billy laughed.

 “Don’t get the dork all worked up, Stu, you might put one too many ideas in that perverted brain of his,” Billy said as Randy rolled his eyes. “I can confirm it was not me, sadly, one of us actually has a job instead of living off student loan refunds,” Randy said as the group put their attention back on you. “Well, whoever mauled you better show up at the mall after class today. I wanna see who gave you that, you know, to vet them or whatever,” Tatum said as Sidney nodded. “Yeah, and then we’ll get on their case for mauling you,” she added, making you laugh.

Your day was mostly spent around nervously tiptoeing around the girls questioning you on who you spent the night with. You had talked to other people on campus that didn’t include your little friend group but had never shown interest in them, so they questioned you on any and every one they knew to see who it was. “Okay, what about the guy who almost hit you with that football last week, Kyle? Kit? Kaleb.” Tatum recalled, “Kevin, and no,” you answered simply as Sidney took a stab at it. “Nah, it has to be Oliver,” she suggested, making you pause and show a gross look. “One of my biggest bullies in high school? No thanks,” you shrugged as Billy turned his gaze to you, Stu looking back at you through the rearview mirror. 

“Bully?” Billy questioned as you nodded. Throughout most of school you had been bullied, not really by one group in particular but there were enough to only leave you with Casey as one of your only friends until senior year. It stopped when college came around, no one cared enough to bully someone they spent one hour a day with. “Yeah, he always bullied me, ever since second grade. At first everyone thought he liked me because they thought being mean to someone was how you showed a crush but after this one time he faked asking me out in high school just to stand me up, it came kinda clear he hated me,” you explained with a little bitter laugh, going silent when you noticed the awkwardness.

 Billy’s face was stone cold, but you could tell in his eyes that he was angered. “It’s fine, I’m over it now, but yeah, definitely not someone I would let sleep with me,” you said as you looked away, not noticing the glance that Stu and Billy shared. “Is he still a dick to you?” Stu asked as you laughed, “I guess? I dunno, I find it more funny that he’s still got a grudge against me for some reason, but at least he doesn’t try to pull my hair anymore,” you said jokingly.

“How about we go in there?” Tatum suggested as you and Sidney both shared a laugh, “what? You have a mystery date and you might want a cute outfit for Billy sometime,” Tate said as you and Sidney looked to each other before looking at the boys. “How about you two run off for a bit instead of being giant pervs, we’ll meet up again at the food court,” you suggested as Billy and Stu were quick to agree. Their rapid head shakes made you all rile up with laughter, smiling and heading into the store together. 

“Sooo, what’s your mystery dates favorite color?” Tate asked as you smiled, “I don’t know actually, that’s a good question,” you hummed as you looked at the different choices of lingerie that lined the store. “I think they like any color really,” you said as you spotted a red laced set, it was a bralette styled top that had strips running down the side to connect to the underwear. Sidney noticed where your eyes lingered and laughed, “they’re kinky, huh?” She joked as you laughed and nodded, “really,” you agreed. You picked through the outfit to find your size, wondering if ghostface would like it, you guessed they probably would enjoy the blood red color of it.Later that night you were in your bathroom, glad that your parents had left to have dinner at your grandparents, which they did very hesitantly given the incident a few days ago. When you reassured that with all your friends only a few blocks away and access to cars, as well as the marvelous creation of phones to dial 911, they let you be.

You found yourself looking in the mirror as you checked yourself out for the 100th time in the lingerie you had bought. You blushed and wondered if your masked killer would enjoy the outfit, running your hand slowly across the lace fabric. You heard a noise from outside, quickly throwing on a tshirt- one you didnt care about if ruined again- and pj shorts before heading out into your bedroom.

You peeked over your window to see nothing, frowning to yourself before sighing and taking a seat on your bed. But when you were met with the back of the costumed body looking over your vanity you let out a small scream, making them turn to you. “Jesus christ you scared me!” You yelled at them before relaxing, “no window climbing this time?” You asked as they shook their head, continuing to look around the room. You noticed their little glances around the room, curious as to why they were studying it. They turned towards you once more, walking over to you and looking you over. They were less aggressive than last time, using two fingers to tilt your head up to them. Their fingers were warm, which caught you off guard, just yesterday they were cold to the touch.

“There’s two of you?” You questioned, their demeanor changing quickly as they grabbed your chin. “I-I don’t know who you are, i swear. It’s just- y-your touch…” you spoke quickly, trailing off as their grip loosened. “The last one was cold, kinda felt like a corpse,” you said jokingly, “and you’re warm…plus you keep looking around like you haven’t been here before.” You said to them, their touch going back to just gently holding your chin up. They moved away from you, going back to your vanity and grabbing a small black bag, bringing it over to you. You blinked in surprise, looking up to them before they gestured to open it. You reached into the bag, pulling out a piece of paper that was torn, giggling at the words that were printed onto it. ‘Sorry about the last guy :(‘

“See? I would have figured it was two of you anyways,” you said as they shook their head. You smiled, reaching back into the bag and looking at your two new Carrie shirts. One was in the style as your previous one, the other a different one but still in the correct size. “I didn’t think I would actually be treated to a new shirt,” you admitted, hearing a chuckle from them. You didn’t say it out loud, but your heart was filled with joy knowing these two masked killers, regardless of not knowing them, were being so kind and caring towards you. You swooned, noticing how different the two seemed. The other one scared you a little, not really knowing their true intentions, but this one seemed so much more gentle and sweet with you. “I um, I also had a little surprise for you,” you said, noticing how they perked up at your words.

A blush rose to your cheeks as you looked up to them, adjusting yourself before sitting up on your knees. “but you’ll have to take my clothes off first to see it, mr. ghostface.” you whispered out, which made them grab you by the waist and lay you down on the bed. They didn’t take out the knife, instead their hands darted to the hem of your shirt and lifted it up to reveal the red lingerie underneath. A small groan left them as they quickly worked on taking off your shorts, making you giggle at the rush in their actions. You let out a little whimper as they groped you, aware now of how unintentionally strong their grip was. They squeezed your breast that was covered in the lace, their other hand roaming up and down your side. The lack of their touch made you whine out, pouting up at them before they moved to grab the final thing from the bag. A new blindfold, one dedicated just for you. They were quick to tie it, making sure you didn’t see through it by waving in front of you.

All you heard was a little thump of the mask and them struggling to take their gloves off before you heard the rest of their clothing thump to the ground. Before you could even take in a breath you felt their hand already cupping your core, their lips attacking the part of your breasts that were left uncovered from the lingerie. They roamed around before their lips were now on your neck, creating a new hickey right above the old one. You moaned softly, a shaky hand reaching to grab their arm.You could feel their muscles contract and tighten at the touch but when you made no movement to touch elsewhere, they quickly calmed down and continued their lust filled attack on you. They teased you over the lace panties you wore, their smirk growing as you let out little huffs and moans. The bed lifted, their frame no longer causing it to dip and your hand was left holding nothing, a small pout made its way to your agitated frown as their touch left you. After a moment you gasped, feeling their hands spreading your legs apart as they placed gentle kisses onto your inner thighs.

It was the first time you felt the blade, but they didn’t trail it across your skin like the other, instead they used it to make you exposed to them. Another whine left you, “you owe me a new outfit again, this was brand new,” you whined, they responded with a nip to your inner thigh, not doing anything else before diving into you.Your back arched on impact, their tongue on your clit as they spread you open with their thumbs. “fuck,” you moaned out, your thighs closing around their head to lock them in place in pure instinct. They were skilled at this, eventually finding the perfect pace that had you shaking and squirming. Every time you tried to shimmy up and get away from the pleasure, their large hands wrapped around your thighs from behind and pulled you back down onto their face. You weren’t even aware of how many minutes had passed before your thighs were shaking, only being held up by their grip. “Wait, fuck, you’re-“ the breath was knocked out of your lungs as they entered their middle finger into you, their pace matching that of their tongue as they thrusted it in and out of you.

 A loud moan left your lips as you came, whines and whimpers erupting from your chest as their ministrations didn’t stop. “Please, please, ‘s too much,” you pleaded, clawing at your bedsheets as they just hooked their arm around your thigh and pulled you down back onto their face once more. It was practically like a scene from the Exorcist as you came again, your back arching off of the bed as you nearly let out a scream from all the pleasure. This time they slowly pulled away after you came down from your high, lapping at you one last time before pulling away and hovering over you. Your chest heaved as you did your best to catch your breath, smiling softly at the gentle kiss they placed onto you. You felt them snake their hand into yours, making you giggle as they wrapped their fingers in the spaces between your own. A smile curled onto their lips when they heard your laugh, growing even wider when you let out a moan as their free hand went back to your entrance. They still held your hand as they pulled back a little, your legs spreading more as you felt them running their tip along your slit.

 At every swipe to your clit you let out a moan, gasping when they entered you. Within a second their lips were attacking your neck again, earning whines and moans from every bite, lick, and thrust that they tortured your body with. The pleasure was dizzying, you had never really gone so many rounds with someone before, the recovery time was practically nothing with how fast your climax was building up again. They were more gentle, their free hand roaming over the bralette you still had on, teasing your nipples over the fabric as they littered your skin in love bites. You were already regretting Tatum’s and Sidney’s teases about them tomorrow but for now, you accepted your fate.

Their pace was quick but managed to hit all your sweet spots, their hand that held yours was gripping you so tightly their knuckles turned white, which only brought you closer to the edge. Their free hand found its way to your clit again, rubbing it in time with their thrusts to completely overwhelm you. Your orgasm washed over you hard, the seconds felt like they lasted a lifetime as you did your best to come down from your high, but their continued sloppy thrusts didn’t help one bit. A loud whine left you as they came, biting into your neck to cover up their moan. They pulled out slowly, letting go of your hand and kissing you once again. Unlike the other ghostface, they laid down in the bed with you, pulling you against their chest. You accepted the invitation, resting against their chest and listening to their heartbeat as you recovered from your orgasm. 

“Next time…do- uh,” you spoke softly, a bit shy to get your thoughts out into words. You felt their fingertips tracing your jaw, relaxing as their thumb ran over your lips. “Do you think the both of you could come by next time? You- uh, you don’t have to but…” you trailed off as they kissed you, feeling their head move in a nod. You smiled, heart fluttering with excitement knowing both of them would be alone with you. “And don’t forget the new lingerie set, please,” you requested with a little laugh. It was an hour later, ghostface gone and you freshly showered and dressed in your pajamas again. 

Your phone rang, seeing Sidney’s caller id and answering quickly. “Hey, have you seen any of the police cars pass by?” She asked as you looked out your window, “no, how come?” You asked as Sidney sighed. “Oliver, the neighbors said they heard screaming and shit breaking and when police got there they said he was dead,” she said as you frowned. “Do they know if it was the killer?” You asked, “yeah, neighbors said they saw him running off. They tried going after them but they couldn’t catch up.” She told you, you sighing and shaking your head. “That’s so creepy…” you said, thinking back to the conversation you all were having earlier that day. You couldn’t help but wonder if ghostface was stalking you, if they already knew you and your past. 

[notinmymovie]

SAFE AND SOUND

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x gn!reader

Word count: 1k

Summary: After a chance encounter at a bar, you and Sam’s one night stand becomes habitual. You’re content to let her keep her secrets in exchange for her company that you’ve grown fond of, but one night changes things.

Warnings: Mentions of sex (no actual smut), nightmares/ptsd, mentions of death/murder, dealing with trauma

A/N: Not requested, a bit of angsty hurt comfort to soothe the soul??

The first time you meet Sam Carpenter—it’s in a tiny hole in the wall bar in NYC. You shared a similar humor and well, she was undeniably stunning. It didn’t take long before an exchange of sharp wit turned into flirtation. And eventually you went back to your place and shared a night together (a pretty memorable one too, you might add). You didn’t expect much after the fact, oftentimes a one night stand was a one night stand, and the other didn’t seem too keen on sharing a lot of information about herself.

But, to your surprise, she calls. You don’t believe this will go anywhere, you hold no preconceived notions about any of it. And first, you’re sort of right. At first, it’s just hooking up and her leaving early the next morning. You didn’t mind it, she was good company and it wasn’t like you didn’t enjoy it. You did hold curiosity about her though, this you couldn’t deny. But you didn’t want to push or invade her privacy, she didn’t owe you anything and you figured she had her reasons for not being open.

But one night things change, one night you wake up to her tossing and turning and mumbling in her sleep. You wake up startled and half groggy, she seemed…distressed. “Sam,” you say quietly, gently trying to nudge her awake. When her reactions get more frantic, so do yours. “Hey—hey. Sam, wake up.” you reach out to touch her again, to jostle her awake, when she bolts up screaming in a panic.

You notice her terror, checking her surroundings, breaths heaving. You don’t know what else to do so you simply try to get her to focus on you, an attempt to ground her. “Sam, hey,” your voice is soft, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s me, you’re okay.” She still seems so on edge, seemingly refusing to look at you. “Can you look at me?” And when she does you can see the tears in her eyes. “You’re safe here.”

It seems like the words only induce more tears, so you simply pull her into your arms, letting her cry. “It’s okay,” you mumble. “You’re okay.”

The next morning, you don’t say anything—almost a little afraid to push it. Eventually it’s her that breaks the silence, “I’m sorry,” Sam says. “About last night. That was probably a bit weird for you.”

You shake your head, taking a sip of your coffee. “It wasn’t weird,” you say. “A little worrying maybe, that’s the word I’d use. You just seemed so—scared.”

Sam chuckles, an awkward and quiet sound. “I was…I guess sometimes you think you’re dealing with things so well and then something just—wrecks that thought to hell.”

“I’ve really tried not to like—overstep boundaries,” you start. “You don’t have to tell me anything, you really don’t. But if you wouldn’t mind, I’d maybe like to understand, I mean…” You pause, trying to collect your thoughts. “You had a panic inducing night terror in my bed last night, if you’re gonna be around this much—at least let me care a little.”

Sam looks almost a little surprised at that, “okay…I guess I owe you that much.” She sighs, clearly nervous. “Last year, I returned to my hometown for the first time in five years because my sister was attacked by a—masked psycho.”

Your eyes widen, “jesus christ, okay…”

“She survived, but there were other attacks. People who didn’t survive.” She continues. “And it…all came back to me.”

“I doubt you’re to blame for some nutcase wanting to get stab happy,” you say.

“There’s more to it…” She seems hesitant. “You’re probably never going to want to speak to me again after this,” Sam says.

“Try me,” you counter.

And it was like once she started she couldn’t stop, like she had been bottling it all up and now it was all flowing out over the top. She weaves her tale, the murders, the terror, and even her biological father. And now, the rumors that surrounded her because of it all.

If you were honest, yeah—it was a whole fucking lot to take in and part of you wondered if you were living under a goddamn rock to not know about at least some of this, but you were surprisingly calm.

“Say something please.” She says in the wake of your slightly stunned silence.

“Fucking hell,” words blurted out.

Okay, so maybe not that calm.

“Maybe say something else,” she adds, uneasy.

“That is…I would probably have nightmares too.”

“You’re not nearly as freaked out as I thought you’d be,” says Sam.

“I mean, I’m a little freaked out. But if you were going to go all Micheal Myers on me—I figure you probably would have by now.” You realize that was probably not the best response, but you were still just a bit overwhelmed. “Sorry,” you add haphazardly.

“I—it’s fine,” she says, shaking her head a little. “I didn’t do it, for the record. What everyone’s saying.”

“I don’t think murderers typically wake up in a panic after their killing sprees,” you say. “I get it.”

She sighs, “I really am sorry. I didn’t tell you or try to get too close because I didn’t want to drag you into anything.”

“I doubt anyone wants to open up to the stranger they’re hooking up with,” you say lightly. “And I can handle myself too by the way.”

“Yeah, but I do actually like you,” she says. ��And I clearly should have told you that too.”

You grin a little at that heart squeezing. “That’s a relief, I didn’t want to be the cliche of falling for your friend with benefits all on my own.”

“I can assure you, you’re not alone.” She says, a soft smile that matches your own.

“Okay…good,” you say.

“Great,” she responds. The two of you were giggling now.

And for once, she doesn’t leave and suddenly the sunlight streaming in through your kitchen window feels just a little bit brighter and warmer. It all felt—hopeful.

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

TTD - True Evil 4/4

part1 part2 part3 part 4

*

“Do you understand?”

The Not-Earbuds were taken off with shaking hands. Superhero grabbed Hero’s wrists so tight the latter let out a muffled scream of protestation.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

The man looked at their grimace of pain and slowly eased their grip, their eyes intense.

“I worry about you, Hero. You seem to think that villains are nice people if only you gave them a hug. Powers are a curse. Or you can shoulder them and become a hero, or you embrace them and you end in the wrong side. That’s all there is.”

“I-”

“I know it’s hard for you to understand, it’s different for you. You have a blessing, not powers. But you have to, or the reality will catch up to you. Like me, you’ll be responsible for a death.”

“Sir, you were not responsible for any of that.”

Hero’s wrists were released at once. It was the Superhero’s turn to recoil, a wide-eyed expression on his face:

“How – How can you say that? If I'd been a little quicker, I could have caught her. If I’d never approached the monster, she might have been safe.”

His fist clenched:

“If I’d killed them, they’d never have made victims then or after.”

Hero swallowed hard:

“Sir, I’m sorry for what happened to you. Truly.”

“Save your pity for people who deserve it. I want your efficacy. Can you promise me to do your job better than you've done until now?”

“I’ll try, sir. I’ll really try.”

Two pale red eyes followed them as they left the office. It didn’t scare Hero as much as before.

*

Villain’s room was still locked when they came back. Hero knocked, but didn’t try to enter. They let their back glide along it, landing on the floor, and slipped their hand under the door. After a while, they felt fingers encircling theirs. They looked at the ceiling, their eyes gazing at a small crack in all this white.

“When I was five-year-old”, they said, “my moms told me I could put my shoes on my own. It was really hard, you know. I had two pairs, so I had to make a choice, and it killed me. I knew that no matter what I’d do, there was going to be poor little shoes under my bed in the dark all day long. My moms found me in tears the next week. They had to buy a chest to make a shoe house, and a third pair so they could have fun with each other during the day.”

“That was very prejudiced of your child self. Like your shoes would rather work all day long than spending time on their own. Like darkness was a curse.”

“I was five-year-old, buddy. I didn’t think. That’s my point, actually.”

“I didn’t realize you had one.”

“I was devastated because of shoes. I can’t even imagine how it was for you, when you saw someone die.”

Hero heard a gasp from the other side of the door, but they grabbed the hand that tried to get away from them.

“My boss told me what happened. I don’t think you’ve killed anybody.”

“These sentences don’t go together. Do not even try to tell me he changed his mind.”

“He didn’t. He’s traumatized. But I’m the one who lives with you. Even if I didn’t know any fact, I know that the person who hugs me every morning before I’m going to work and who harassed me to call a doctor when I was sick would never kill someone on purpose. Of course it was an accident. It wasn't premeditated at all.”

“It is quite a shot in the dark for someone so terrified of it.”

“I was five. I got better.”

“How naive. Just because someone pretends to bear with you doesn’t mean they’re unable to murder anyone.”

Hero squeezed their roommate’s hand.

“But I’m right,” they whispered. “I’m sure I’m right.”

Villain struggled to get free and this time, they let go. After a few minutes, the lock clicked. Hero moved back from the door, staring as it opened. Villain looked at them back. For once, their shadow didn’t cover their head altogether, leaving two pale green eyes in sight, coldly glaring.

“I didn’t even see her run into traffic,” they simply said. “There were ants in the tree. I was too busy to fight with the little creatures eager to invade my very own personal space.”

Hero jumped on their feet:

“I knew it!”

“You seem suspiciously relieved for someone who pretended to be certain.”

“Hmm - it’s the ants. Everybody hates ants.”

“You are such a dreadful liar.”

Nevertheless, Villain grumpily accepted the hug.

*

Check the These Two Dorks Masterlist or Tag for more snippets with this Hero and Villain. This is how they met and now they’re roommates.

Or back to Hero x Villain Masterlist.

[draguta]

.a court of ash and smoke | twenty-seven.

pairing: lucien vanserra x fem!reader

summary: five years before feyre archeron ever stepped foot in prythian, another human girl found herself in the spring court. but the trials and tribulations of her time under the mountain left her with nothing but a certain red-headed high fae emissary, who had once resented her entire presence, to help and guide her.

chapter warnings: n/a

chapter word count: 2516

a/n: final chapter of the first book, oh my goodness! i can't believe the first book in the series is finished already! but don't worry, there's plenty more to come soon!

🩸 series masterlist 🩸

please remember to reblog, like, and share a comment if you enjoy this series - it is always appreciated by writers to see their hard work valued.

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Velaris

“Stay calm,” the figure said, voice soft and smooth like butter. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“W-Who are you?” You stuttered, glancing over your shoulder at the door you were pressed against. If you screamed loud enough, perhaps Lucien would come to your aid, if not him, then the sentinels guarding your door at the very least.

“My name is Azriel.” The figure stepped forward once more, now cast in a ray of moonlight. He was visible to you now – a great, muscled male who towered over you, likely at least twice your size. He wore what looked to be some kind of leather-clad fighting uniform, and various blue gems glinted from his body. But those weren’t what caught your eye – no, it was the large, membranous wings, like that of a bat, that stretched out behind him that you couldn’t stop staring at. “Rhysand sent me, to make sure you were alright.”

Rhysand had sent this male into your home? Rhysand, of all people, had somehow known that, in actuality, you were not alright at all.

“Are you alright?” Azriel asked again, taking one more hesitant step toward you.

“I-I don’t know,” you answered truthfully. You didn’t know, couldn’t know exactly what your feelings were in that moment. There was too much rattling around in your brain for you to make sense of it all. It was too much, and it was also nothing. It was chaos, and yet it was at the same time emptiness.

You felt empty. Because Tamlin had betrayed you. Because you had been kept away from Lucien. Because that power that you had been so terrified of had exploded out of you and somehow made you feel something again, only for it too to be locked away at Tamlin’s hand.

“H-How did Rhysand know?” You asked quietly, looking up to meet the figure’s hazel eyes. They were locked onto yours, but his face told you nothing, gave away no clues. A pure sight of indifference.

“He said he felt the surge of your power,” he explained. “That he could sense it, even in the Night Court. He figured Tamlin wouldn’t be too pleased.”

“And he’s there, in the Night Court, right now?” You asked slowly. Azriel nodded. “You’re going back there tonight?”

“I am,” Azriel confirmed. His eyes seemed to linger on the collar around your neck, no doubt able to sense – or scent – the faebane locked into those emeralds. “As soon as I ensure that you’re okay. But right now, I don’t think that you are okay.”

You drew in a shaking breath. You knew what you had to do – knew what your only option was. Because now that Tamlin had seen your power, you were sure there was no going back, no taking back what had been done. What you had done, and what he had done. And then there was Lucien - what if you had hurt Lucien like you had Tamlin? You would never have been able to trust yourself again. You had to learn to tame it so that, if anything, it gave you even a small chance at a future with him. That was all you wanted, after all, a future with him. Lucien. Your mate. “Take me with you.” Surprisingly, Azriel looked taken aback. “Rhysand said he could help me, right?”

“He can.”

“So, take me with you, to the Night Court.”

“Fuck!” Lucien shouted, slamming the draw shut once more and turning to lean back against the counter. Alis’ collection of keys in the kitchen had been his only hope of getting you out of that room, but it would seem that the key for your room, and your room alone, was missing. No doubt Tamlin had already taken it into his own possession. He sighed, curling down and leaning his hands on his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut, replaying the moment he had seen you, through that crack in the door.

You had looked so…defeated. He had seen you like that before, Under the Mountain. But that wasn’t how things were meant to be here. Here you were meant to be free and happy, to have a home that you could call your own, to never have to relive those dark moments again.

You both were meant to be happy. Together. That’s how he had pictured it.

“Is there something I can help you with, Master Lucien?”

He started at the sound of Alis’ voice, and almost toppled over as his grip on his knees slipped. Lucien straightened out, brushing a hand down the front of his shirt, and threw her his best attempt at a smile.

“It’s been a rather long day,” he said, willing his voice to remain calm and collected. “I was just looking for a little snack and perhaps some tea.”

Alis narrowed her eyes. “Really?” She said slowly, approaching him on feather-light feet. “So, you weren’t looking for this?”

Lucien’s eyes widened as he watched her reveal a key from the pocket of her apron – the key to your room.

“You took it?” He asked, reaching forward to take it from her. But Alis pulled away, holding the key out of reach of Lucien.

“I will give you it,” she said slowly. “Under one condition. That girl is good, and fair, and kind, and strong, and she deserves better than this, I can see that. So, if I give you this key, you have to promise me, Master Lucien, promise me, that you will take that girl and get her as far away from here as you can. Get her somewhere safe, get her help. Make sure that she is happy. Do you understand me?”

Lucien blinked slowly, swallowing hard, but nodded firmly. He knew he would do those things regardless of a promise to Alis, and Alis seemed to know that too. Alis scanned his face for any sign of mistruth, but eventually, with a deep sigh, handed the key over to him, pressing it firmly into his palm.

“Now go,” she said. “Go and help her. She needs you.”

Lucien didn’t even stop to thank her. He had never run so fast in his entire life, had never felt his heart beat at such a quick pace. He scaled the stairs, two at a time, and skidded down the hallway toward your door.

He would need to think of some excuse to get the sentinels away from your door, just long enough for him to get in there, get that barbaric collar from your neck, and winnow them somewhere safe – anywhere but here.

But as he reached the end of the hallway, as he approached your bedroom door, what he found was not what he had been expecting. The sentinels were still there, but they were no longer guarding the door, rather peering through the open crack there. The door was unlocked, and two voices drifted through into the hallway.

He pushed himself inside, coming to a stop when he found Tamlin and Silas stood at the end of your bed. Your presence was no longer here. Your scent was there – he could smell it, jasmine and lavender – but it was mixed with something else. Mist and cedar. A scent that did not belong to anyone here; did not belong in the Spring Court.

“What’s going on?” He huffed out, fearing the worst already. His golden eye whirred, scanning the room for any sign of her. “Where is Y/N?”

“She’s gone,” Tamlin said.

“What do you mean?” Lucien asked, eyes wide and frantic with panic.

“I felt someone trespass onto the grounds through the wards – didn’t take me long to work out that they were coming here,” Tamlin explained. His face was pale, and he gripped at the column of the four-poster bed with enough strength to turn his knuckles white. “By the time we got here, they had already taken her.”

“Who?” Lucien snapped, a pain wrenching its way through his chest at the thought.

“The Night Court,” Silas chimed in.

No. No, they couldn’t have taken you there. Rhysand wouldn’t dare take Tamlin’s family – a member of his court. He was powerful, but he didn’t have the guts to start an all-out war against Spring, especially when he knew that the other courts would no doubt ally with Tamlin.

And you. His sweet, beautiful female, who he loved with everything that he had. You were in the Night Court, a place he had never stepped foot in even once, a place that legend told was a court of nightmares itself. No better than Under the Mountain.

You would be destroyed in that place.

His head felt hazy and light, dizzy, and he stumbled back, leaning against the vanity in the hopes of yielding some kind of strength in his legs to hold himself upright. That was when he saw it, the little white envelope tucked neatly into the frame of the mirror. Addressed to him.

“We’ll have Silas send out a guard to patrol the borders in search for her tonight,” Tamlin was saying, but Lucien wasn’t listening. He was too busy grasping for the letter, ripping it open. “After that, if there’s no sign of her, we’ll go to the other courts for help.”

Lucien ignored them, even as their voices drifted with their departing footsteps into the hall, ready to begin their night-long search. Instead, his eyes trailed the words on that page, written with such delicacy in looped letters, each one oozing with love and adoration for him.

And he wept.

My dearest, darling Lucien,

I cannot begin to explain how much it pains me to write you this letter. How much it genuinely hurts to know that these will be my parting words to you.

I need to tell you that I have gone to the Night Court. Rhysand has promised to help me learn how to control my powers, and I believe him to be true to his word. I have gone willingly, as I know that this is something that I must do. Not only for me, but also for you.

I cannot idly sit by any longer. I cannot be trapped in that house, in that collar, for another second, knowing that it was all by my own brother’s hand. It feels too familiar, too much of a burden to carry around those memories with me each and every day, knowing that my situation at the Spring Court was no better than it was Under the Mountain. But this is not Tamlin’s fault, and it is certainly not yours.

I need you to take care of Feyre until I am able to come home. Tamlin cannot be trusted with her safety, I can see that now. And she needs a friend, more than anything else.

This decision was not something I made lightly. But I know now, from the way that Tamlin looked at me today, that I am dangerous, and I will become even more dangerous should I not be able to control this magic within me. I must learn, otherwise we can never be together. I could never put you in danger, my love. Not for a second.

Because you are everything to me. When I was lost, I found you, and you brought my back to life, and guided me home like a beacon. You, my Lucien, have my whole heart.

I know, without a doubt, that we will find our way back to one another. I do not question that for a minute. But you must give me time to learn how to not be a threat to you anymore.

Do you remember what you told me? That no matter where what happens, and no matter where either of us go, we will always be together. I believe that, and I know that you will be with me everyday until I see you again, and I will be with you too.

I adore you, my love. I love you with everything that I have.

Your Y/N.

“That was quite the show of power you put on in the Spring Court,” Rhysand said as he, to your surprise, embraced you in a tight hug. Azriel had transported you both as far as he could, before flying you up, and up, towards what he had called the House of Wind. You had barely opened your eyes once during the entire flight, terrified to look down at what might lay beneath you; to the Night Court, that Tamlin and Lucien had spoken such terrible things about. But you were safe now, on solid ground, and you knew that Rhysand wouldn’t hurt you. You trusted him.

“Well, it wasn’t entirely intentional,” you replied. “And it certainly landed me in some hot water.”

Rhysand narrowed his eyes, glancing to Azriel who still hovered behind you. Azriel motioned to the band of gold and emerald around your neck, and Rhysand, after sniffing once, widened his eyes. Immediately, his hand was against the cool metal, and after a second, the entire thing simply cracked, falling to the ground with a clatter in pieces. You stared down at it in awe.

“We don’t have faebane in my court,” Rhysand said firmly. “And we certainly don’t hide people’s powers here.”

“Thank you,” you whispered out.

Rhysand smirked. “Don’t mention it.”

“Is she here yet?” A gruff voice sounded from somewhere inside the house. You realised then that you were standing on a balcony, overlooking the Night Court, and your stomach whirled, unsure of what you would see beyond should you turn around in that second.

“Yes, she’s here,” Rhysand called back, rather monotonously. He turned back to you then. “Sorry about them. We don’t see a lot of new faces around here.”

Suddenly, a burly male, with dark hair and similar leather to Azriel’s, showcasing gems of his own in blood-red, appeared in the doorway, grinning maniacally. If Azriel was twice your size, then this male was at least three-times your size, with those large wings curled up behind his back. At the male’s side was a small, slender female, with silk blonde locks and a truly beautiful face. She beamed happily at you.

And yet, you couldn’t focus on them. Instead, something pulled you, urged you to turn around, and when you finally did, letting your feet bring you to the very edge of the balcony, your jaw dropped in awe.

It was nothing like what you had been expecting. A sprawling city lay below you, tucked between mountainous skylines. Buildings jutted up all over the place, their golden, warm lights glinting off the reflection of a river running straight through the middle, almost like starlight itself. And there, in the darkened night sky, were the real stars, more than you had ever seen before, shining blissfully down upon you.

Figures moved to stand beside you, Azriel to your left, and Rhysand to your right, the other male and female on Azriel’s far-side. You all looked out across that city, and you couldn’t help but gasp as you caught a glimpse of a couple of faerie children walking down the street, hand-in-hand, laughing happily to themselves as their mother trailed behind them.

Rhysand leaned in, smirking, but never once taking his eyes off the city below us.

“Welcome to Velaris.”

[popquizhot-shot]

Haven't I-5

a/n :this is honestly a filler, but it's full of emotions and sadness and im actually really happy with how this came out<3 im so sorry it took literally two weeks but theres a lotta shit going on rn but thank you all so much for your comments and support i love all of you<33 Part 4-

When you’d  fallen under, Joel felt a fear he’d only felt a few times in his life. And the fact that it was for you frightened him. This was why Tommy should have come.

But why over you?  Was it because you reminded him of his girasol? Or was it because despite the arguments and the petty fights and horrible singing, he’d grown to care for you? It didn’t make sense, he’d met you two days ago, and one of the first things you’d done was argue with him.

You remind him of her. He couldn’t deny that. Your hair, the way you carried yourself. Your humour. Your eyes.

You shivered against him and his heart twisted as he felt your limbs shake. He held you tighter and reassured you. Ignoring the fact that there was a small chance you might not make it. You had spent quite a while in the water because he’d been searching for a way to get you out.

He didn’t want to think about you dying, Why? His heart screamed. Why do you care?

He didn’t need another failure on his hands. That was it.

His fingers that were splayed across your back felt a ridge? Or a bump. A tattoo. His fingers traced its shape.

Was this creepy? He slowly raised his head but you shifted and he jolted backwards. Creep.

“You okay?” your hoarse voice whispers. Shit she’s awake. 

He just grunted in reply.

“Joel, you need sleep.” he can feel her lips moving over his shoulder.

“I’m not sleepy just yet, Mitch.”

“All that talk and you’ll drop off like the old man you are in five minutes.” you chuckle slowly.

“Shut up and sleep, jeez.” he hugs you tighter. Because it’s cold.

It’s freezing and he doesn’t want you to die because he doesn’t need more guilt because he’s got enough on his hands.

He thinks of Amy. Of her lovely brown hair and forest eyes that stare into the depths of his soul. He thinks of her rare smile and how she has no qualms with being ruthless. He thinks of how her voice is harsh and her glare is sharp, cutting. He thinks of Ellie. Sweet Ellie who’s become like his daughter. He huffs out a quiet laugh because Ellie is not sweet. She is thunder and rain. She is everything good and right and yet a powerful firecracker. 

He knows they’re okay. He trusts Amy to take care of both herself and Ellie. But he needs to see it, because when he’s left to his own imagination, all he sees is death.

He needs you to be okay, because if you’re okay, then you’ll be able to take him to where his family is. To the people he loves.

He’s so lost in his thought he doesn’t notice his finger has been tracing the tattoo on your back and he stops as soon as he realizes. Idiot.

In a moment of insanity, he begins to hum. It’s a happy tune and he can feel your smile. It’s no Hank Williams or Johnny Cash. It’s a cheesy song that Sarah’s favourite band released.The very one she’d play non-stop so it got ingrained in his brain.

“Feel this love, my angel?” you ask him and his eyebrows shoot up.

“You know the stupid band?”

You nod, “Someone I knew loved the band. She’d play it everyday.”

There’s silence after that, and the only sound is the crackle of fire and the wind outside.

And then your croaky, hoarse voice rings out, “You…are, my fire.”

He groans, “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

“The one…desire.. Humour me Miller.”

For a moment he contemplates covering your mouth so you shut up but he just sighs, “....Believe.” his voice cracks and you stifle a laugh, “Shush.”

He clears his throat, “..Believe when I say-”

“I want it that way.” you finish in unison.

“Now shut up and sleep, Mitch.” he says

“You go to sleep, Miller.”

The hours go by as you both snark each other and try to ignore the looming presence of possible death, you talk until you fall asleep from exhaustion.

—--------

When the sun sets and it is night, you raise your head to look at Joel’s sleeping figure. This is creepy. 

You can feel the sunflower tattoo on his upper back. He’d gotten it for you and you’d gotten a guitar tattooed for him. His eyes flutter beneath his eyelids and he’s murmuring in his sleep. It’s something he’d done ever since the outbreak started. Your eyes roam his face and take in everything that has changed, and everything that remained. His full lips are chapped and his beard is still patchy. His brown hair had greyed over the years and it suited him. His fingers still twitched when he slept and he snored softly.

You drop your head and grit your teeth. After years of people gawking at your face, you scars didn’t faze you anymore. But now, you wish the face he looked at wasn’t the disfigured abomination that scared the shit out of little children. You wish your face was what it was before, the one that Joel had fallen in love with.

Years of building a wall around yourself proved useless because now you were just the foolish, insecure girl who still had hope. At this moment, you were not Mitch. You were not the woman behind the mask that the people in Jackson looked up to. You were sweet little girasol. Sunflower. The sweet girl who trusted too easily and wasn’t capable of shutting the fuck up. Joel always brought out that side of you because that was who he had fallen in love with. You felt stupid and pathetic because all that girl longed for was to be noticed, loved. To be someone’s first choice. She wanted her family and peace. She wanted to waltz with her husband and sing along to atrocious music with her daughter. She wanted heart wrenching arguments that ended in mumbled apologies and frantic kisses. She wanted to comfort her daughter and do her makeup.

You clench your jaw. That girl was the one who would get left behind if there was a crisis. She wasn’t fast enough. That girl was the one who people took advantage of. You were that girl no longer.

“You hungry?” Joel’s voice pulls out of your thoughts and you look up to find him staring at you.

You start to shake your head but your stomach grumbles and he chuckles, “I found canned food in the kitchen.”

“I know, Miller. I put them there. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

As he rolls onto his back and sits up, you can see the tattoo. Yellow and brown etched onto his skin. It was a mutual gift for each other on your fifth wedding anniversary.

“Can you hand me my shirt?” you ask him.

“He reaches over and pats the grey fabric, “It’s still a bit damp. Here take this.” He gives you his brown coat. As you put the jacket on  and try and tame your hair, he wears his shirt and jeans and then heads to the kitchen. Leaving you alone and draped in his jacket.

`

“So, what was your life like?” you ask him, because you can’t help yourself. You shove a forkful of whatever is on the plate into your mouth.

He freezes mid-chew and you resist the urge to look away. But you keep looking at him, no mask on, practically naked. Eating dinner made by his careful hands.

With a gulp he answers, “Content. Happy, I’d say. I was a contractor.” he pauses and rubs his left hand, “I..had a family.”

You hum in reply, “Were you still as grumpy as you are now?”

It shocks you to see a small lazy grin form on his face, “Sometimes, but my lady always made me feel better.”

You raise an eyebrow, and he stutters, “N-No I mean, not like that.”

If your memory serves you right, sometimes it was like that. 

“Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe you were married.” you’re being stupid. You’re riling him up. It’s foolish and immature.

His lips quirk up. It’s unnerving, “For a long time, I couldn’t believe it myself. But she and my daughter were my whole world.”

You knew better than to ask about Sarah, so you just smiled, “They seem nice.”

You fully expect him to flinch or turn away when you smile because it looks like a grimace. Many people did. 

He does nothing, only placing his plate on the table. It doesn’t faze him.

“Most people look away.” you tell him.

His eyes bore into your own, “I’m not most people.”

The silence is calming yet deafening. He’s so close yet so far away and all you have to do is tell him your name. All you have to do is turn around and take the jacket off and he’ll know.

He breaks the silence, “We’ll leave tomorrow morning, I reckon your clothes have already dried by now. That is, if you’re okay with me calling a few shots?” 

You snort, “Sure, Miller.”

He nod, “Alright, Mitch.”

:@daddy-din @ephemerensis@charlyrmv@bellaramseysbitch@tripovertiff@im-constantly-fangirling@pussy-f41ry@corvusmorte@mrknifess @corpsebridenightamare@chesirecat000@glshmbl@jbcalway@o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi@glshmbl @starkleila @chamomileh0ney @nameisvaishali

[filsanthesplatoonnerd]

The Smallest Coffins Weigh The Heaviest

Summary: Bored of staying inside the orphanage all day, Rei takes Yu outside to catch fireflies at night. Little did they know that such a simple, innocent intention would lead to their demise.

(This takes place about a century before the present Puyo Puyo games. Keep in mind that the twins’ personalities were switched during their lifetime)

Characters: Yu and Rei, Ayashii

Warnings: Blood and Gore, Character death, Swearing, Alcohol

“Yu! Yu! Wake up, you’re gonna miss breakfast!”, Rei eagerly chirped, shaking his twin sister back and forth.

Yu woke up to the blinding rays of the sun, as usual, she didn’t have a care in the world. The little girl rubbed her eyes and dragged herself out of bed, Rei having his arm around her shoulder.

The twins arrived to the dining table, only to be greeted by the director of the orphanage giving them the stink eye.

“Now, what took you two munchkins forever?”, he asked, unamused. Yu and Rei stared at the director and then each other.

“I’m so sorry Miss director, Yu had a terrible nightmare last night, so she had some trouble sleeping.”

“Oh! In that case I’m sorry for judging you too quickly.” The middle aged woman kneeled down to comfort Yu, “Are you alright now, Yu?”

“Yeah I guess…”, she responded tugging at her sweater. “Rei, let’s eat now, I guess”

“Yay! Pancakes!”

The twins joined the other young children in eating breakfast. Soon enough, they had eaten to their fill and they were ready to go on with their day. Well, except Yu.

The poor girl never understood the value of life and always wondered why people would care about such a thing. That’s why her nightmare that previous night was so horrific; It was dream where she was forced into living eternally.

Her brother, Rei, in stark contrast, loved his live and is terrified at the thought of having to leave the world one day, or losing anybody he loved.

While all the children, including Rei, frolicked outdoors, Yu simply sat on a bench, staring aimlessly at the bundles of clouds, lost in her thoughts about the confusion of life and death.

“Wouldn’t it be better if Rei and I just… became ghosts? Then we can see our parents again, right?” She said mentally. Their parents were tragically murdered when the twins were just five years old. Their bodies were never recovered, but rumor had it that they were killed by the notoriously corrupt Book Demon, Ayashii.

Yu had heard many stories about Ayashii from the elders who often read stories to them at the orphanage, and they often scared Rei and the other children senseless. She, however, still doubted his existence.

At nighttime…

The children prepared for bed after such a long day, but Rei had different plans. He walked up to Yu and gave her a net.

“A net? But why?”

“It’s firefly season, didn’t you hear? Let’s sneak out of this musty old place and catch fireflies instead!”

“Fine, I guess.”

Yu and Rei cautiously snuck out of the building and ran into the woods. As Rei said, there were dozens and dozens of fireflies.

Yu’s eyes widened in amazement at the fireflies. It was like the lights at a festival. The twins began catching as many flies as they could, giggling and twirling around.

“She’s actually happy!”, Rei said to himself.

But at that moment, all of the fireflies suddenly dropped dead, much to Yu and Rei’s dismay.

“What the heck just happened?!”, Rei muttered.

“I don’t know…”, Yu answered.

All got worse when they heard faint footsteps from the distance. They both shivered and ducked in a nearby bush. The footsteps drew near followed by a man’s sinister chuckle.

“R-Rei, it’s…”, Yu whispered.

“It’s who?!”, Rei whispered back.

“It’s… him”, Yu replied in horror.

“The one who killed our parents?!”, Rei said, but his voice rose uncontrollably, exposing them.

The man drew even closer and destroyed the bush with his magic. Yup. It was the devil himself, Ayashii. The twins screamed at the sight of his menacing red eyes and the bloodstained cleaver in his right hand, making the demon grin sadistically.

“Awww, how adorable, you little kids thought that you could get away from me? How foolish indeed.”, he giggled with a devilish smile.

“S-stay away! Don’t you d-dare hurt us!”, Rei pleaded.

“My friend, you can’t control fate. But the irony here is that I am the one controlling your fate, and you can’t do a thing about it!”, he began to laugh maniacally as he effortlessly pinned Yu down with one foot and Rei in his left hand.

“NO! LET GO OF US!!!”, Rei yelled but Ayashii didn’t relent. He slammed the blue haired boy to the ground and chopped his leg off with one swing of the cleaver.

“AAAAAUUUUGHHH!!!”

“Rei NO!!”, Yu cried in horror. Her brother was now helplessly screaming in agony as tears were torrenting down her face like a waterfall.

“Now onto you, young lady!”, he picked up his half full bottle of wine and smashed it into Yu’s face, covering it with blood and wine as Yu went unconscious.

Ayashii sighed, “Well, I had to do something with that last half of the bottle.” He grabbed the two children by their sweaters and took them to the top of a mountain.

He dangled their tormented, tortured, ruined bodies by the edge, “Say your last words.”

“B-but, she’s unconsci-“

“SAY. YOUR. LAST. WORDS.”

“Okay fine! Y-Yu if you can h-hear me, I-I’m so sorry!! We’re both gonna die because of me!!”, Rei choked out, sobbing.

“It’s…not your fault Rei.”, Yu whispered, gaining consciousness.

“Really?!”, Rei said but before any of them could say another word…

“Adieu, twins.”

Ayashii dropped them down, ultimately killing the poor children. He licked all the blood off his cleaver and smiled to himself.

“They were no use to me alive, but perhaps their corpses could be useful as a nice decoration for my home.. heh heh~”

[elithegnome]

I posted 2,890 times in 2022

That's 2,890 more posts than 2021!

527 posts created (18%)

2,363 posts reblogged (82%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@beardedmrbean

@hetaari

@magictrio1118

@newhetaliafan

@hondakiku

I tagged 720 of my posts in 2022

#hetalia - 140 posts

#hws - 110 posts

#hetalia memes - 40 posts

#hetalia shitpost - 39 posts

#hetalia x reader - 38 posts

#unhellig 😳 - 34 posts

#hws america - 24 posts

#aph america - 24 posts

#aph prussia - 23 posts

#aph england - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#my tiny nine year old looking ass will totally earn the likings of the five billion 80’s rockstars that i’m sinfully in love with

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

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115 notes - Posted October 1, 2022

#4

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118 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

#3

Random-Ass Hetalia head canons

•Scotland has an unhealthy love for the band CHVURCHES

•Denmark can easily chug down a 159 liter barrel of pickled herring and move on with his day

•Wales has had to explain to America that he is not actually a whale

•Finland can scream-sing (I’ve always appreciated people who can do this)

•Romano was fed up with Veneziano so Romano left him in the Sicilian catacombs for three hours alone.

•Belarus is really crazy flexible (I don’t know why I headcanon this but I do)

•France chugged an entire bottle of perfume while drunk

125 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

#2

Father!Allies X Parent! Reader

PS: I will be giving the kids their names, which will be ones that are common in that country or I thought they sounded nice.

PPS: I know this request was for headcanons but it was easier for me to write short paragraphs.

America:

Child’s name: Milo 

“Ow!” Your husband shrieked, causing you to whip your head around. 

You expected someone to be seriously injured, but no, the sight in front of you was simple. Milo, your son, had hit his father on the knee with a toy mallet a bit too hard. 

“You have healthy reflexes!” The little boy giggled, his baby blue eyes gleaming, “Time for you memicine!” 

Milo carefully dumped a small amount  of green mystery liquid into a spoon. After finishing his work, the child shoved the utensil into his father’s mouth. 

“O-Oh wow Milo.” Alfred gagged, “What is that stuff?”

“Sour slime candy!” He beamed, “And now the hero’s all better! But since this is America your medical bill is $34,000.”

Your husband’s confidence suddenly took him over again, jumping up and setting Milo onto his shoulders.

“The hero will save the day!” Alfred clamored, running around the living room with your laughing little son.

Canada

Child’s name: Addison 

You were sitting on the couch, intently watching your husband and daughter bonding with one another.

“So patient, what hurts today?” Addison voiced with a fake serious tone.

“My knee, can you fix it Doctor Addy?” Mathew asked his daughter, glancing at his knee.

Your little girl grinned, “I can fix anything!” 

“Now,” She continued, “What you will need is an aspirin.”

Quickly, the little girl broke character and ran up to whisper into your ear, “Don’t worry (mommy/daddy/parent idfk what you want your kid to call you) it’s not really aspirin.”

“Okay honey, I know” You chuckled, patting Addison on the head. She smiled again, and ran back over to her father. 

Pulling a peppermint out of her pocket, she began to unravel the plastic covering the pinwheel patterned candy.  She placed the candy into Mathew’s hand and watched him chew and swallow it. 

“Oh wow I feel much better, thank you doctor!” Your husband applauded, shaking Addison’s itty bitty hand.

“You’re welcome!”

China

Children’s names (they’re twins): Jing and Feng

“Aiyah! Don’t torture your old man!” Yao shrieked, followed by the sound of your two children giggling. Worried about your husband’s well being, you speed walked into the kid’s bedroom. 

On the floor, you saw Jing, your daughter and Feng, your son pinning their dad to the ground.

“Are you kids being nice to your father?” You inquired softly, being replied with giggly nods from the small children.

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190 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I’m joining the fun!

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468 notes - Posted November 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[whump-or-whatever]

Whumptober Day 12

Prompts: What could go wrong? - “mayday, mayday” | cave in | rusty nail

Alternative prompt 6: sensory overload

Tw: self harm (explicit)

Fandom: Doctor Who (reboot)

Context: Ferrin as an OC in the Doctor Who universe.

Summary: The Doctor, along with Amy and Rory, breaks out a telepath who is wrongfully imprisoned.

• • •

Amy and Rory followed the Doctor down a long hallway lined with doors. They were on a prison ship, having just returned an escaped prisoner who had led them on a wild goose chase across 13 solar systems.

“See, no problem at all, back on our way in a shake of a lambs-” the Doctor paused mid sentence. He stopped walking so abruptly that Amy and Rory nearly bumped into the back of him.

“What is it?” Rory asked.

The Doctor put up a finger to shush him. His brow was furrowed as if concentrating very hard. After a moment, he winced, bringing his hand up to his head.

“Doctor,” Amy said, “what’s wrong?”

“Mmm, there’s someone... someone screaming. Can’t you hear it?” he responded.

“I don’t hear anything,” Rory muttered.

The Doctor took a few more steps, stopping in front of a door. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began unlocking the door.

Amy and Rory shared an incredulous look. Amy walked up behind him and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing? These are the most dangerous criminal in the universe, you can’t just let one of them out.”

“In this case,” the Doctor said as the door popped open, “the punishment is not fitting of the crime.”

The room he entered was dark, but it was loud, at least to him. He turned on his sonic screwdriver, casting an eerie green glow over the small cell. Looking around, he caught sight of the prisoner. They were humanoid, and curled up tight in the back corner of the room.

Advancing slowly, the Doctor noticed that they were rocking back and forth. The closer he stepped the more intense the noise in his head got.

By the time he was close enough to get a good look at the prisoner, he could see that their ratty clothes were covered in blood. As they rocked, their fingernails clawed at their arms, which were raw and bleeding.

Amy and Rory looked on from the doorway.

The Doctor could feel the prisoner’s pain as clearly as if it were his own, and he understood all too well their suffering. This prisoner was a telepath, and in all their infinite wisdom, the wardens had locked them up in the place with the most suffering minds imaginable. This wasn’t prison for them, this was torture of the most barbaric kind. Worst of all, the Doctor could sense, they were only here because of the potential threat their abilities posed.

The Doctor crouched down behind the prisoner and gently placed his hand on their shoulder. Despite his light touch, they flinched violently and somehow pressed themself further into the wall.

“I’m sorry for this,” the Doctor said. He placed his hands on either side of the prisoner’s head and they fell unconscious. The Doctor sighed in relief as the mental anguish dulled.

He gathered them carefully into his arms. He turned to see Amy and Rory looking at him like he had five heads.

“You can’t just break a prisoner out of jail,” Rory protested.

“I’m not,” the Doctor said darkly, “I’m freeing an innocent person from their torturers.” With that, he brushed past them and continued to the tardis. Amy and Rory followed after sharing a confused glance between them.

• • •

When Ferrin woke up, their head felt weird. Things were so quiet and yet so loud. There was no more screaming, no more anguished sounds of millions of prisoner’s thoughts. But the thoughts they could hear, there was a lot more actually going on. They could sense three people, but also a fourth presence that seemed to be all around them. As soon as they registered this they felt a reassuring hum from the room. Right, so the room was alive.

As they came more fully awake, Ferrin quickly realized how painful their whole body was. First move and they could feel torn skin pulled tight on their arms, abdomen, legs, everywhere. Their left hand ached and throbbed. As soon as they started registering the pain they felt a shift in demeanour from one of the people they sensed. He had adjusted from worry to somewhere between regret and pity.

“I know you’re awake,” came a man’s voice.

Sighing, Ferrin cracked their eyes open a sliver, giving them time to adjust. They caught sight of three people, all staring at them with worried expressions on their faces. Vaguely, Ferrin recalled a hand on their shoulder and someone apologizing.

Making eye contact with a man with dark floppy hair, pacing beside the bed, they figured that was him. ‘Did you knock me out?’ they thought to him telepathically.

The Doctor paused in his spot, ‘yes, I’m sorry’ he responded.

Ferrin chuckled slightly, but quickly began coughing. Another man, this one with shorter hair, brought them a small cup of water. They noticed he had come from beside a woman with long red hair, who leaned against the wall of the room. Ferrin nodded their thanks to the man.

‘Thank you’ they thought to the Doctor.

He furrowed his brow, somewhat confused at why they would thank him.

‘That was the most relaxed I’ve been in ages’ they explained.

He nodded and continued his pacing. The two standing against the wall shared a look that Ferrin couldn’t quite read.

After a few more minutes of pacing, the Doctor stopped beside the bed, looking at Ferrin’s face.

“I’m the doctor, this is Amy and Rory,” he gestured towards them. “And what is your name?”

‘Ferrin’ they thought. The Doctors face broke into a smile.

“Nice to meet you Ferrin!” he said gleefully. Confusion crossed both Amy and Rory’s faces. “Wait, what?” Rory asked, “they didn’t say anything.”

The Doctor spun around to face his companions. “Isn’t it obvious,” he asked. Their faces did not change. “No, apparently not. Well, they’re a telepath of course. One of the strongest I’ve met in a very long time.”

“Hold on,” Amy said, “they can read our minds?”

The Doctor tilted his head in thought. “Well, not exactly. Humans don’t have strong telepathic circuits, so they can really only read emotions from you. But the two of us can talk, sort of like a walkie talkie.”

Ferrin could tell this did little to remedy the humans’ suspicions.

The Doctor closed his hands and whirled around. “Well, we had best let you rest Ferrin.” He then ushered the other two out of the room no left them to their own devices. After a few moments Ferrin felt their eyes growing heavy, and they fell into a restless sleep.

• • •

Suffering. Endless suffering was all they felt in that room. The pain of every single creature in that jail crashed down on them like a smothering wave. It was agony. Like ants crawling under their skin, causing them to try to scratch them out.

• • •

Ferrin awoke with a start, sweat and tears stinging their eyes. Their breathing was rapid and they let out a choked sob. Eyes darting around the room, they made sure they were alone. Slowly, quietly, they slipped off the bed and walked gingerly over to the med bay cabinets. They rummaged through a few drawers and opened some cupboards before finding something that would suit their purposes. A small but sharp disposable scalpel. Utensil in hand, they returned to the bed.

They sat there with tears streaming down their face and quickly yanked up their shirt sleeve. Placing the scalpel about half way up their forearm, between bandages, they pressed down and drew it across. Droplets of blood followed the blade, soon turning into rivulets that twisted down their skin. Ferrin let out a deep and shaky breath they hadn’t realized they were holding, feeling all the pent up emotion flow out of them with the crimson liquid. They let the calm wash over them, focusing on the pain in their arm. Before they had time to think about getting cleaned up, they were fast asleep again.

• • •

Ferrin awoke to someone saying their name softly. They cracked open their sore eyes, which were glued shut from tears. Blearily, they looked up at the concerned face of the man who had carried them from their prison cell. They were confused at first by his troubled expression, before they were hit with the memory of what had happened the night before. They attempted to sit up, but the doctor put a hand on their shoulder, pushing them back down.

“I wouldn’t try to sit just yet, you lost a fair amount of blood.” he said, an odd quality to his voice.

Glancing down at their arm, Ferrin realized it had been cleaned and bandaged. “I’m sorry, I could have done that,” they said.

The Doctor shook his head, “no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone. What you went through was torture, it can only be expected that you’ll have difficulty coping.” By the time he finished speaking, a single tear slid down the Doctor’s face. He looked almost... ashamed.

“Hey,” Ferrin said sadly, “it’s not your fault. You didn’t put me in that prison, and I’ve been doing this a long time.”

The Doctor pursed his lips before turning away to pace. “No, but whoever did put you there is clearly in need of correction themselves.”

Ferrin smiled slightly, “I seriously doubt if they even realized what they were doing. Besides, I forgave them long ago.”

The Doctor stopped beside the bed and gently placed his hands on either side of Ferrin’s face. ‘Can you show me what happened?’ He thought to them. They nodded slightly and closed their eyes.

• • •

Their home, on Merikolar, peaceful and docile for thousands of years. An entire population of telepaths, all working in harmony. Then, an invasion fleet from Roxogan in the neighbouring solar system. They wanted to mine the planet for its high gold content, a mineral used in energy production on Roxogan. Fleeing, across the stars, to a small planet called Julofon, where telepathic abilities were hidden. Being found out after being recognized by an offworlder at the presidential election. Being arrested, sent to the prison ship. Then, screaming and pain and a fierce burning sensation.

• • •

By the time the Doctor allowed his hands to drop, his eyes were wide. “You’re a Merikian?” the Doctor asked in slight awe.

Ferrin nodded, “one of the last few in existence so far as I’m aware.”

The Doctor pushed his hair aside absentmindedly. “Merikolar was destroyed... well it must have been at least 300 years ago. How old were you then?”

“I was only 200 when I left my home,” Ferrin said wistfully.

The Doctor scoffed, “only? So you’re over 500 now?”

Ferrin nodded, “we produce high levels of energy to fuel our telepathic powers, and thus have an extremely long life span. I believe the oldest known Merikian was over 8 000 years old, and he died in a rock slide.”

The Doctor merely shook his head in wonder.

Ferrin caught a flash of understanding from the Doctor, and a few images of a planet that they didn’t recognize. ‘And what of you?’ They thought to him. ‘Where are you from?’

They could see a darkness cross his gaze, as if he was viewing things he’d rather forget about. He blocked the images from their mind, though. ‘I’m a time lord, from Gallifrey.’

Now it was Ferrin’s turn to look on in shock. “A time lord, eh?” They wondered out loud. “You might actually be older than me then.”

The Doctor chuckled lightly and gave them a bashful smile. “Several times older, in fact” he informed them.

They simply nodded, continuing to stare at the bed sheets thoughtfully. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the Doctor placed a hand on Ferrin’s shoulder. They flinched very slightly at the contact, but if the time lord noticed he didn’t mention it. ‘The next time you have a nightmare, or whenever you need to, call to me. I can help.” he thought to them.

They merely nodded wth an awkward smile.

• • •

Fin

[littlebirdygirly]

Day 1: “I Chose You”

Original Fiction

Warnings: Character death, stalking?, 2nd Person POV (because some people hate that).

Story:

Icy daggers of cold whipped your face. Your numb, aching fingers clung tightly to the fabric of your thin cardigan, wrapping it closer around your trembling frame. Dark, skeletal branches waved overhead as sheets upon sheets of swirling snow flew down from the heavens above, cloaking everything in sight under a sparkling white sheen. The inky darkness of midnight slunk stealthily through the trees, until everything in sight was shrouded in coats of either black or white.

All sounds were muted in the deafening whir of the storm around you, and yet, even with that knowledge, you couldn’t quite shake the feeling that, somehow, you could hear something. That there was an occasional crunch of snow behind you.

The kind only a footstep could make.

The shiver that ran down your spine was not caused by the cold, but you trudged on, eager to find a place to sleep before the effects of the frigid temperatures could take their toll.

Silently cursing yourself for your impractical choice of wardrobe, you marched on stoically. That is, until your foot slipped on an obscure patch of ice, and you dropped, rolling and tumbling, into the deep ditch of snow. An immediate slash of cold tore through your body as you fell in up to your neck. The snow which had already been caking on your eyelashes suddenly tripled, and you could just barely feel a puddle forming where your rear had landed on the ground. Shoulders shaking and skin paling, you laid your head back into the banks, a single tear escaping and freezing on its way down your cheek.

“Why? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!” Your chest heaved with the scream and your throat burned hot, tiny droplets of copper rising up into your mouth, tickling your tongue. A whine escaped your already tingling lips, and you rose, falling onto your knees, preparing yourself to stand…

When you saw him.

The guy who’d been following you.

The one leaving the footprints in the snow.

He stood over you not five feet away, looking down on your predicament with a sinister smirk on his pale face. Cold, lifeless eyes stared into your soul as you froze, heart stuttering and lungs shaking. A cruel smile painted his lips, revealing gleaming white teeth shaved down to razors in his mouth. A bright, red tongue flicked out at you questioningly, and you felt warmth crowd its way into your throat.

But he just stood there… staring at you. Waiting for you to make the first move.

Holding yourself on trembling fingers, you finally let the voice that quaked inside of you loose.

“Who-who are you? What is it that you want from me?”

“I chose you,” the figure said, a brief moment of confusion marring his brow before he took a step forward, expression clear once again. “I chose you because you are good, and strong… and exactly like me.”

The confession sent a chill up your already shuddering spine.

“And that is why… I have to kill you. Why I have already killed you. Because there can be no other like me roaming the living world. There can be no other like me.”

“But I’m not dead.” The statement left a cold, dead taste in your mouth, dread rising up from your gut to consume the rest of your body.

“Aren’t you? You can see me, after all. I think the better question would be, were you ever truly living? I mean, when your father is the grim reaper, was there actually any part of you that was ever truly alive?”

You stopped, stunned. Thinking of all the things in your life you’d experienced that nobody else could explain, the pieces fit perfectly into the puzzle. The shadowy figures, the brilliant wings; the uncanny intuitions and nightmares predicting the futures of others; all the aspects that you’d stopped bringing up after a harsh reprimand from your mother at the age of three, and then again in your early teens. Could it be? Were you really…?

“You have always been a reaper, my child. That is why your life was filled with all those brilliant things. You were a soul trekking on the wrong side of the spirit realm, but now, I’ve come to take you home.” He reached out a white, skeletal hand towards you, the remnants of a true smile on his face as he extended the invitation. “You can be free.”

A wriggling at the back of your mind made you hesitate, unease masking any logical confessions or feelings. Should you really do this? Really? But then, you pushed past the doubts plaguing your mind, took the hand, and let him help you to your feet.

“Excellent,” he hissed as a warm flow of energy rushed into your flesh, alighting your soul. You felt alive!

Until you didn’t.

Slowly, but surely, you began to feel the life melt out of your bones, exiting through your grasp into the hand of the man in front of you. He smiled wickedly as the colour returned to his face, warmth returning to his blood. His teeth straightened into presentable cusps, and you gasped, feeling a cold, unsettling emptiness dwell at the very core of your being.

“That is what it is to be a reaper, my dear. Now, please, excuse me as I once again enjoy the life of the living.”

He removed his hand from yours and disappeared into the night, leaving you standing there. Cold, empty, and alone, with razors for teeth, ash for flesh, and lifelessness dwelling in your soul.

(This is my first time doing Fictober; I hope this is an acceptable way to do it. 😬)

[imagineimpact]

Could i request Diluc angst oneshot where reader and him get into a big disagreement or argument where Diluc makes them cry and feel really bad about themself so they go and end up hanging out with Kaeya a bit much cause he offered to cheer reader up and Diluc won't apologize. until he see's his s/o hanging out with Kaeya

I actually wrote 2 different versions of the ending for this, but this is the one I decided to go with! If you want the more angsty version do let me know.

Anyway,

Harsh Words

Diluc x Reader

Screaming. Yelling that could be heard throughout the Dawn Winery residence late into the night, heard only by the maids, the night security, and perhaps a late worker or two.

And of course, by the two individuals who held the voices.

It was rather unusual for the two of you to be at odds; and, on the occasion in which you were, it wasn’t nearly to this degree.

But the two of you were outright screaming at each other. It wasn’t even about one thing anymore - it was everything. Whatever you had been arguing about had reached the point of irrelevance; It never should have reached this point and you knew that, but you were under fire and you couldn’t stop.

All you knew was that this was Diluc’s fault, and that you couldn’t take this kind of argument.

“If you just thought about your actions for once-”

You cut him off, “Oh don’t try me with that, you’re the one treating me like I’m an idiot and trying to control my-”

“If you had just listened for once and been less of a selfish bitch then I wouldn’t have to!”

His words had cut far deeper than either of you had expected, and you physically recoiled at the words, a sudden wave washing over you which forced tears from your eyes. The truth in his words was irrelevant - It felt true, even if it wasn’t.

You turn away from him. In spite of your state, he makes no move toward you. None, not even to give you the slightest feel of any comfort. You knew - he wanted the words to cut through you.

You go to the door and slip on your shoes, leaving the room as fast as you humanly could.

You can’t take this anymore.

But you don’t make it past the front door. As if by telepathy, Diluc has two of his night security waiting by the door in a stance showing you that they’re ready to make sure you don’t leave. They block your path, silent in their menace. When you turn around, only then do you notice Adelinde and Hille quietly staring at you. Diluc’s footsteps down the stairs are a slow horror, an even pace which served to only emphasize that feeling of dread; Very easily, this felt like the perfect time to be murdered.

The drawl of footsteps approach, yet cease a few meters away - he’s far too distant to do anything himself. His eyes lock on yours, quietly assessing you.

“Diluc, let me leave.” You hiss through streaming tears. You nearly choke on the tension in the air.

He doesn’t say anything for a moment. His eyes don’t show any expression, show any remorse or guilt, or even happiness. Truly, there is nothing in his eyes.

“Let me make myself clear: You are not leaving this premises in the middle of the night. Do you understand me?”

“Not even slightly.”

Silence. His eyes flicker, the way they do when he sees an abyss mage, or when Kaeya makes a comment that goes a little too far - pure anger.

“Adelinde, fix up the guest room.”

“No need. I’ll be leaving now.” You scoff.

Diluc tilts his head, peering over you and towards his security as if to say ‘don’t you fucking dare let them through’.

Then another look, and you feel yourself being pushed into the house again, the slam of the doors behind you.

A wave of anger washes over you, and you can’t help the excess of tears that fall, harder now than they had been before.

Diluc holds his ground, staring at you silently. You shake your head and look away, not sure what to do with yourself. Their staring puts you in pure disarray.

“Adelinde.”

“Yes, sorry.” She mutters, bowing and taking her leave in the direction of the guest bedroom in order to prepare it for you.

When she’s gone, you shake your head. “I’m not going to be sleeping.”

“Then stay in your room. I don’t care.” He huffs, turning away and wandering back up the stairs, his footsteps seeming less menacing now.

The argument was done.

Your eyes catch a light outside the window, seeming to exist a far distance away. Maybe it was the fire of a hilichurl camp.

What time was it? Surely the sun would be up soon anyway.

Fine. You would leave then, no matter what.

When you got to your room, you actually did manage to sleep. Not nearly enough; An hour was nothing in the long run, but it was still just slightly enough to not feel entirely exhausted.

Still, the sun was up when you arose, and you lay in the bed, uncertain as to what would happen when you left the room.

If Diluc wasn’t going to apologise, you wanted nothing to do with him.

So, after a little while of resting, it was a surprise to hear a knock at the door. You were summoned to breakfast. Nearly the entire time, you and Diluc sat across from each other - an oddity indeed considering he would always insist that he wanted you seated beside him - this time, however, you were as far from his as possible within the confines of the seated table. The usually empty seat felt hard beneath you, not softened by an everyday presence. Your usual seat to his right - where your plate had been placed before you had taken it to where you were now - was empty.

Neither of you could look into each other’s eyes. The silence, broken only by the light clinks of cutlery, felt burdenous.

You expected him to say something, anything really. You could barely eat the food on your breakfast plate, and without any words, you didn’t feel all too comfortable anyway. You let out a quiet sigh and stood up, tucking in your chair and lifting your plate to take it back to the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Diluc’s voice was quiet but the harshness in it was unmistakable.

“I’m not hungry.” You looked down at the plate in your hands. “I’m going to Mondstadt.”

Diluc stood up suddenly, pushing back his chair and stepping close to you. The sudden movement caused you to shutter slightly, and he pulled back a bit. Still, he tore the plate from your hands and placed it on the table. “When you return, be ready to have a serious conversation.”

Oh.

You opened your mouth to speak, but then huffed and turned away. “Right. I’ll look forward to getting yelled at again.”

Diluc scoffed, “Stop acting like a petulant child.”

“I’m not doing this right now, Diluc.” Your feet are moving before you can even think about it. This time, as you approached the door, no one was there to stop you. You left with no present company to watch over you, and you knew that today was going to be a long, long day.

——

Mondstadt thrives with life, as per usual. Because of how bright and pleasant the place is, any spec of gloom is extremely obvious on a day like this.

You took to the adventurers guild to take some commissions. Maybe killing some hilichurls or slimes would take your mind off of it all, or maybe just delivering some needed materials to someone.

The entire time you had been speaking to Katheryn, you felt eyes watching you, but you didn’t want to make it obvious you knew. Alas, it was only moments later that you startled at the feeling of a hand on your shoulder.

“No need to be so surprised.” The familiar voice chuckles beside you.

“Good morning, Kaeya.” You let out a soft sigh, the exhaustion of the day before wearing into you. You thanked Katheryn and turned your attention to Kaeya. His eyebrows twitched and his expression shifted as he studied you.

“What happened?” He asks rather blatantly, eyes clouding over. “Was it Diluc?”

You took a deep breath. “Wanna join me for commissions?”

Kaeya scans your eyes. “As long as you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Come on.” You nod, wandering out of Mondstadt with him.

The slowly falling night brought you back to Mondstadt. You agreed to go to the tavern with Kaeya, a subtle kind of thank you for spending time with you today. It wasn’t like you were doing anything else anyway.

The tavern was already busy before you got there, people crowding around for a nights drink. You subconsciously step towards Kaeya as if shading yourself away from the crowded atmosphere and he is wary of your proximity. He draws you to his side, a friendly notion, and steps inside before you.

Charles waves at you both from behind the counter. Kaeya quickly orders a round of drinks and takes you to a table away from the bar.

“Hey, look who’s been dragged in.” Rosaria wanders over, quietly making soft chatter with you. It wasn’t unusual for the two of you to spend some time together.

Kaeya eventually wanders away, grabbing your drinks and bringing them back over.

Time seemed to dwindle away, the mindless chatter with your friends giving you more than ample distraction from anything else that might have been happening.

“Master Diluc! Didn’t expect to see you here today.” Charles’ voice rings out.

Of course, that wasn’t going to last long.

You lift your head slightly, tensing up. Diluc is scanning the room, twisting his wrist lightly as he speaks quietly to Charles; The words miss you. You freeze as your eyes lock. For just a moment you’re caught in that discerning gaze before he nods at you and turns back to talk to Charles. Kaeya draws your attention back away, and you slip back into your conversation, not wanting to deal with anything else.

“I’ll get another round.” Rosaria gets up and makes her way through the tavern, leaning over the bar and making another order for the table.

“How many are we on?” You ask, already flushed from the… how many glasses had you even had?

“Five.” Kaeya laughs, leaning on your shoulder. “But now that the killjoy’s here, he’ll stop us from having our well-earned fun.”

“I heard that.” Diluc scoffed, passing by you.

“Good.” Kaeya wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer to him, more out of a delicate affection than anything else. Diluc’s eyes narrow at his brother, who just laughs in response.

“Get your hands off of-“

“Oh don’t worry, brother. I would never keep them somewhere they don’t want to be.” Kaeya mocks. “You, on the other hand, can’t say the same.” Even with his words, he loosens his hold on you and leans back a bit.

Rosaria returns with your round, greeting Diluc casually as she slips back into her seat. Your pissed off boyfriend wanders away back to his work.

It clicks in your hazy mind that the only reason he’s here is likely because you are. You laugh at the thought, then clink your tankard to the group and drink.

—

As the evening wears down, many people in the bar until it’s pretty much only your group and a few others left there. Diluc lets out a soft sigh as he watches you, trying to soften that jealous pounding of his heart. He takes a sip of his own drink - apple cider, of course. He could never slam back drinks the way that your group currently were. Where had the hours gone?

Oh, no. How many drinks had you had? Whatever was next, he swore to himself that he would make sure that it was watered down. At this rate, you were pretty much welcoming alcohol poisoning with open arms.

Kaeya, wobbly as ever, decides to be the one to approach the bar this time (mostly because Rosaria was leaning against the table, head folded into her arms as she groaned). Diluc shook his head. “No, no. The three of you will drink this whole tavern dry if I don’t stop you.”

“Oh, I’m not here to get any more.” He leans on the countertop. “I just want to know what the hell you did.” Kaeya motions over to you. You’re just giggling at Rosaria’s complaining, leaning over and patting her on the head.

“I’m not talking to you about this.” Diluc leans back, crossing his arms stubbornly.

“Suit yourself.” He straights up. “I should probably get her out of here before you say something stupid.”

“I’m not going to be saying anything stupid.” Diluc shakes his head, looking over the list of all the drinks you’ve had this evening. “You’re all wasted.”

“And yet, you haven’t said last call.”

Seemingly to spite him, DIluc immediately does. He signals over to Charles to round up the remaining people. He knew to leave you last.

Kaeya’s laugh is enough to haunt him. “You make this right, Diluc.” He runs his finger over the counter. “Otherwise I will.”

“Get out of my sight.”

The cavalry captain laughs again, then wanders over to your table. He practically drags Rosaria back up, but she pushes away from him and made her own way to the counter - always a good spirit, she paid for her own portion of drinks and left. Being a nun, she probably didn’t need to use the money elsewhere.

Kaeya was two steps away from just carrying you out the door, but through his drunk mind he finds the clarity to understand just how absolutely inappropriate that would be to do, especially in front of Diluc. Alas, you lean on his shoulder as he assists your steps.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Diluc’s voice calls out, as if to stop you both.

“Usual billing.” Kaeya calls back.

“No, no.” You both look back at him. He shifts on his feet, eyes locking with yours. “I’ll be damned if you go home with him.”

“Then damned you are.” You roll your eyes, turning away.

He calls your name softly. “Step away from him. Come here.”

You take a deep breath. “I am so glad I don’t have to remember any of this.”

Diluc places a glass of water in front of you. “Drink this. You wreak of alcohol.”

“And you wreak of your hatred.” You sit down in front of him, knowing that it wasn’t about to get better.

Diluc’s eyes flicker up to Kaeya. “Get out.”

“Not happening.”

“Kaeya, this doesn’t concern you.”

“Their safety is more than enough concern.”

“It’s alright, Kaeya, just wait outside.” You pipe in, not wanting even more stress.

Kaeya agrees, quietly slipping out the door. Charles is told to escort him away, an act which may have varying success.

Either way, you sat in front of Diluc, not sure what exactly to say to him.

“I’m tired, Diluc. I’m tired of this. I can’t put up with-“

“I’m sorry.” He blurts out, interrupting you. “Please, hear me out.”

“I’m not going to remember-“

“Then I’ll tell you again when you will.” He leans over the counter, not wanting to be apart from you. He calls your name again, as if to hold your attention, “Can we talk about this?”

“I think we talked about this already.” You groan. “Yesterday, plenty of yelling. The Maids and guards can confirm.”

Diluc takes a long breath out. You lift the glass of water and take an even longer sip.

Maybe the barrier of the counter between you made you feel better. But, as tears sprung to your eyes, you felt so, so much worse.

“Do you hate me?” You ask, your voice squeaking. “Do you want to break up with me.”

“No, Y/N.” He reaches for your hands, but you had pushed your stool too far away from him beforehand that he couldn’t. He circles around the bar and gently grabs both of your hands, soft enough in his hold for you to be able to pull away. “Don’t ever say that. I love you.”

“Then, why?” You sob, turning your face away from him, hands still in his. “Why did you yell at me? Why wouldn’t you talk to me this morning?”

“I…“ Diluc stops himself, taking a deep breath. “I was angry. We were both angry.” He shifts, pulling out a stool and sitting in front of you. “I wasn’t acting rationally.”

“When you said you wanted to talk this morning, what were you going to say?”

Diluc hesitates, gripping your hands just a little bit harder. “I was going to ask… I was going to ask if you were happy.” He admitted, quietly. “But I can’t do that. I can’t put you through that.”

You tug him toward you, pulling his hands close to your face. “Why would you say that? I love you.” You sob into his soft skin.

He takes his hands away from your gently, slipping them around your waist and pulling you close to him, into his lap. He tightens his grip. “I’m sorry.” He repeats. “I’m so sorry. I never want you to cry.” He feels his heartbeat heavily in his chest, a distraught washing over him. “Don’t ever destroy yourself like this again.” He runs a hand over your back.

You don’t say anything. You’re way too drunk for many more coherent thoughts to pass your lips. You lift your head and plant a soft kiss on his cheek, and he softly kisses your forehead, pulling you back to his chest so that you don’t try to kiss him anymore - He wasn’t about to let that happen, you were far too drunk.

Diluc was ashamed of his thoughts. His guilt, rising only when he saw you in the present company of his brother, showing affection and finding comfort anywhere except for him. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, nor to you, but as you cried into his shoulder, he couldn’t help the wave of disappointment in himself that washed over. Why could he never be there for the people who needed him most?

“Come on, finish your water, let’s get you home.” He insists, though he holds you tightly still until you stir.

You take the water, sipping it with a slight indignance. He would have to apologize to you again in the morning, but he would do anything to get you to trust him again.

(Part 2 here)

[personasintro]

bruhhhhh what about a drabble in which y/n is a little TOO drunk and jimin and tae cant handle her after they brought her back to her apartment so jk the mf king comes to beat her ass 🥊🥊🥊 ( and he is like able to shush her and shes intimidated by him ) 😏✨🤭

A part of Mutual Help series!

pairing: mh!jungkook x reader

warnings: explicit language

word count: 1.9k+

a/n: I hope you’re enjoying these!! please let me know what you think about it and if I should write more of them x

##

You’re not the one to usually get fucked up.

With friends like Taehyung and Jimin, you’re usually the one looking after them and calling them a cab so they get home safely. They’re the wild ones that love to party, talk to other women and spend the night making out with them, if not inviting them to their apartments for a casual hook-up.

So, when the time comes and you tell yourself to “fuck it” because you’ve to loosen up and release all the tension from your new job and the responsibility that comes with it, you’re the one that needs to be taken care of.

However, even though you’ve planned to drink a little more tonight than you usually do, you haven’t planned to get fucked up at one of those nights where Taehyung insisted on going to a club. Again.

To be honest, you’re not sure what he likes about clubbing that much. You don’t like it but you go, because it’s always fun with your friends. But there are other factors that make you literally go “nooo” when someone proposes to go clubbing. Like all the people, sweaty people, that don’t know anything about personal space. Some of them probably carry perfumes, most of them being women because you could always smell the mix of different perfumes whenever you’d enter the restroom. It’s not a nice smell though. It makes you vomit and especially when you’ve had enough.

Not mentioning all the intrusive guys who are drunk and just looking for a vagina they could fuck.

It sounds as if you’re going clubbing often, but you’re not. If it weren’t for your friends, you’d barely go clubbing because you’re not the type to want that on your own. It’s not usually your idea to go, if ever. But everything seems fun with your friends and honestly, you feel comfortable enough to go with them.

Friends, who probably find you very difficult and annoying at the moment as they’re trying to make you sit on the small bench in your corridor.

“I hate clubbing,” you mutter drunkenly at them, laughing when Taehyung gets on his knees in front of you and tries to grab your ankles to take off your heels.

“We know, you tell us that every time you get wasted.” Taehyung mutters, ignoring the way your mouth falls open in disbelief.

“Taehyungie,” Jimin scolds him, getting on his knees as well to help Taehyung who seems to have trouble with taking off your heels.

Giggling through the entire time, you’re suddenly reminded of something when you look at the two men in front of you, seeing nothing but the top of their heads. “I got two men on their knees.”

Taehyung looks up, cocking his brow at you and finding you extremely annoying as you’re laughing to the point your shoulders shake. Jimin chuckles, nudging Taehyung with his shoulder as he breaks out a grin before they finally get your heels off.

“Kook, we’re taking her to the bedroom!” Jimin calls out to Jungkook who must be somewhere in your apartment. You can’t remember where he went.

“Oooh, sounds… exciting boys!” you joke, your voice resounding in your apartment.

Jungkook chuckles at that, currently in your kitchen preparing you a glass of water and pulling out painkillers from one of the cabinets. You’ll need it for sure. There’s a lot of commotion coming out of your room, something about taking off your make-up which makes Taehyung groan loudly. Jungkook doesn’t fight off the amused grin, only because now Taehyung finally understands how annoying he’s being when he’s drunk. Or at least he hopes he understands.

Jungkook pulls a coke out of your fridge and pours some for himself and for the guys, knowing they’ll have to wait until you fall asleep so they can go. Honestly, Jungkook wonders if one of them should spend the night just in case you get sick. Which you probably will because he hasn’t seen you this drunk in a while. You mentioned something about work when you first entered the club and had your first drink. However, Jungkook wonders if the problem lies somewhere else and that is Heaven. Or whatever his name is.

You’ve been dating for a while and it’s been only over two weeks since you mentioned the relationship isn’t what it used to be. He can smell a break-up in the air and he wonders if you got drunk because it either already happened or you know it will. Maybe he’s just overthinking this. Maybe you just wanted to have fun and get fucked up like Taehyung and Jimin do on a daily basis.

“Jungkook!” Taehyung suddenly yells, the door being opened before they’re loudly shut, Jimin’s soft but loud voice heard for a second.

Jungkook straightens up, ready to make a way over there but before he can move, Taehyung already storms into the kitchen. Face read and annoyed as he looks out of breath, as if he was fighting off a—

“Demon,” Taehyung breathes out, “Y/N is a freaking demon when she’s drunk.”

Jungkook laughs, “She’s just drunk, Tae.”

“Yeah, and she just slapped me for apparently pressing her eyes too harshly when I tried to take off her make-up because she can’t go to sleep without taking it off. God, that woman is a nightmare when she’s drunk!”

“It’s not like you’re a dream when you’re drunk,” Jungkook murmurs, earning a huge glare from Taehyung who keeps his mouth shut because deep down, he knows he’s just as bad.

“Go there! She’s your responsibility right now!” Taehyung exclaims loudly as Jungkook rolls his eyes and puts his body to a move as he brushes past Taehyung.

He barely gets to hold the doorknob before the door is being pushed open again and exhausted Jimin makes eye contact with him. “Great, you’re here!”

Jimin is out of the room and quickly joins Taehyung in the kitchen. Bastards…

Jungkook warily makes it into your room, looking around and barely noticing the flying pillow aimed at him. He catches it at the last minute, frowning at you as you’re standing at the corner of your room next to your closet, still wearing the dress that you wore to the club.

“What was that for?” Jungkook exclaims, watching you drunkenly and messily walk towards your bed before you take another pillow. Before Jungkook knows it, it’s thrown in his direction all over again and he catches it effortlessly and stomps his way over to you.

You’re screaming as if he’s about to kill you, trying to get away from him by jumping onto your bed and getting off the other side.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jungkook asks, trying to get you from the other side but for a drunk person, you’re quick and make it out of your bed while standing in the middle of the room.

Jungkook stands there, watching you with narrow eyes for a moment. You do the same thing, stumbling a little. Jungkook uses the moment of surprise and he rushes over to you, not giving you any time to react and even when you try to, he gets a hold of you.

“What the fuck,” Jungkook groans when you trash in his arms, “Calm down, you need to get to bed. You’re going to hurt yourself, you damn woman.”

“No!” you whine, gasping when Jungkook lifts you up while his arms are wrapped around your waist, tossing you to the bed.

“Stop it,” he scolds you in a warning, pointing his finger at you which makes you slouch your shoulders in defeat. “What’s the matter?”

“I wanna go clubbing!” you pout, slapping your hands beside your sides like a bratty kid which makes Jungkook roll his eyes at your behavior.

He hears Jimin and Taehyung peeking out behind the door, watching the scene in front of them with curious and amused eyes. Jungkook glares at them but they just grin at them, silently telling him “See?”.

“You’re acting like a brat, Y/N,” Jungkook comments, sitting on the edge of your bed as you dramatically gasp. “And you’re drunk. You wanted to go home just a few minutes ago.”

“Yeah?” you ask, holding your head high as you’re fighting off the pout again. “Well, I wanna go back. I changed my mind.”

“You can’t just change your mind,” Jungkook shakes his head, “You’re already home.”

“You’re no fun,” you comment, tossing yourself on the back as you stare at the ceiling. “I don’t wanna be alone here.” you almost whisper, not really sure why you just admitted that all of a sudden.

Just a minute ago you were having fun and wanted nothing but be alone.

“We could stay here…” Jungkook reminds you softly. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Can you? I think I’m gonna throw up once I fall asleep.” you admit, causing Jungkook to laugh a little. You sound so innocent and child-like. If you weren’t wearing that tight dress, he would actually believe you’re a kid for a moment.

“How about you change your clothes and put some pajamas on? We’re gonna set the couch and stay the night.”

“You’re not gonna fit there!” you whine, “Can you stay here with me?”

It wouldn’t be the first time you guys share a bed, but ever since you started dating Haechan there weren’t many opportunities to do that, nor were you looking for those opportunities. You’re not sure how he’d like that and just out of respect, you and Jungkook mutually understood you should tone it down even though nothing ever happens. You’re friends.

“You sure?” he asks, raising his brow. You might be wasted but you can still think logically, which couldn’t be said five minutes ago.

“Yeah,” you nod eagerly, “Can you rub my back though?”

Jungkook laughs, Jimin and Taehyung join too who are still watching the two of you and how easily Jungkook has handled you. “Deal, but be in bed in your pajamas once I come back. Or no back rubbing.”

“Yes, daddy.”

“Y/N!” Jungkook screeches, standing up as he looks at you in annoyance. You’re such a brat, you know he hates being called that and you’re still teasing and annoying him even in your current state.

Taehyung cackles and Jimin joins too, not being able to hold it any longer as Jungkook rushes them out of the door to give you the privacy. Once Jungkook makes it to your room to check on you, you’re patiently waiting for him and his back rubs patting the spot next to you. God, he thought you’d fall asleep.

But he joins you, rubbing your back just like he promised until you fall asleep so he can take a shower. Jimin and Taehyung are already sprawled on your couch, talking a bit before they fall asleep too. And when you wake up in the middle of the night, Jungkook holds the bucket for you until you fall asleep again, silently apologizing.

The next morning, Taehyung doesn’t forget to remind you what a pain in the ass you were which causes Jimin to scold him while Jungkook glares at his older friend. But you easily tell him to fuck off, reminding him all of the times he was the one being annoying and a pain in the ass.

Jungkook doesn’t fight off the grin he gives you. You can take care of yourself, maybe not entirely when you’re wasted but you can easily handle Kim Taehyung.

[itsallyscorner]

“Move the plans”

Pairing: Florence Pugh x actress!reader (platonic)

Summary: Florence tells you to cancel your plans when she ends up in New York.

Warnings: Nothing really bad. Mentions lactose intolerance? Idk if that’s sensitive to people. Probably some spelling errors.

A/n: Hello darlings! I’m back from my unannounced break. I decided to write a platonic Florence fic because she’s a sweetheart and I loved her as Yelena! Also for those who follow me, don’t worry, I will be working on a sequel to my Tom Holland “Sour” fic!! But for now, please enjoy this fic!😚💕

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(Loml)

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

You stood backstage in front of a mirror, looking at your appearance and making sure there were no wrinkles on the dress you wore. Your hairstylist was behind you, fluffing your hair and managing the stray baby hairs on your head. You were currently at NBC Studios in New York City, about to do an interview with the infamous, Jimmy Fallon. Tingles buzzed through your skin as you heard the cheers and music from the stage. Jimmy’s voice can be heard faintly backstage, only adding to your growing excitement.

The sound of heels clicking approached you, it took less than a second for you to feel the warm presence of Florence behind you. The both of you were starring in the upcoming Black Widow movie alongside Scarlett Johansson; after months of working together and spending days hanging out, you and Florence had become very close friends. She was, without a doubt, your favorite person in the world. Since the moment you met her, she had always been the most sweetest and caring person you’ve ever met—and you were proud to say you had her in your corner.

You met Flo’s eyes in the mirror and bright smiles were instantly on your faces. Turning around, you open your arms wide, and wrap them around her. Bear hugs were a must in your friendship with Flo, you both just loved receiving hugs from each other.

“Ahhh! I told you that dress would be perfect for tonight, you look stunning!” She squealed, tightening her arms around you. A day before Jimmy Fallon, you and Flo had been at your place with your stylist, picking out which dress you should wear for the interview. The dress was casual, but the color was so ever vibrant that it made the dress pop.

You pulled out the hug and looked at what she was wearing. Her gorgeous blonde hair was curled into loose locks and her dress was just as vibrant as yours. The pink of her dress and the orange (yellowish?) of yours complimented each other. Which coincidentally enough, was a parallel of your lovely friendship with Florence.

“Me? Flo, you look gorgeous! I’m so obsessed with this look!” You help her twirl, hyping her up as she showed off her outfit. After sneaking in a little mirror selfie and posting it onto Instagram, the two of you were given a five minute warning from one of the crew members. You and Flo were moved to stand behind the curtain, waiting for your cues to walk onto the stage.

While the two of you were getting mic’d up, Florence leaned closer to you.

“Can I be completely honest with you?” She mumbled, her stare remaining on the curtain before her. Your brow raises in curiosity as your head slightly turns to look at her.

“Of course, hun. What’s up?” You ask, your attention on her. She sighs and leans even closer so only you can hear her.

“I feel like I’m about to shit my pants.” She admits, swallowing nervously. Your mouth gapes, “Did you have iced coffee too?”

Flo’s face scrunches up in confusion, “N-no! That was me telling you I was nervous! Did you have iced coffee?” She fully turns to look at you and judging by the look of guilt plastered across your face, you did in fact have iced coffee.

“Maybe?” You answer, though it came out more like a question. Florence rolls her eyes at you.

“(Y/n), how many times do you have to be reminded that you’re lactose intolerant?” She scolded you.

You scoff, holding a hand up at her, “Trust me, I’m reminded every time I sit on a toilet.” You shake your head, trying to refocus the conversation.

“This isn’t about my poor digestive system—why are you nervous?”

She sighs, “I don’t know why I’m so nervous, I’m used to doing interviews and stuff. But I haven’t been on Jimmy Fallon, and there’s an audience out there and I don’t want to mess up or accidentally spoil the movie.”

You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “You may be British, but you’re not Tom Holland. You won’t spoil anything.” You start. She quickly shoots you a look that screams, “you’re not helping”. You make a gesture physically telling her that you’re getting to the point.

“You’re going to be fine! I mean you did Jimmy Kimmel right? This shouldn’t be that different, it’s the same thing—just different studios, in different states, and different Jimmy’s.” You point out. She nods along as you continue, “Plus, I’m gonna be up there with you. You won’t be alone.”

With the help of your reassurance and witty little comments, Florence felt her anxiousness simmer down. They weren’t completely gone but the fact that you were gonna be up there together made her relax more. Being part of Marvel had its pros and cons. Sure, the movies are spectacular and the actors are outstanding. Though when it comes to doing promo for said movies, it can be quite stressful. It’s a known fact that Marvel and it’s executives can be quite strict when it comes to interviews with anyone involved in the making of their films—their strictness made sense, although for first time MCU members, it took some getting used to.

Florence smiles at you, “Thank you.”

You playfully nudge her shoulder with yours, “Don’t worry about it.” You say with a kind smile.

The wholesome moment was interrupted by one of the stagehands telling you and Florence that the two of you were on in 15 seconds.

“Our guests tonight are making their big MCU debut in the new Black Widow film, please welcome (Y/n) (L/n) and Florence Pugh!”

⚘

“So in the movie, there’s three of you guys—where’s the other one?” Jimmy asked, motioning his hand to the small space between you and Flo.

“She’s at home I believe.” Florence answered, glancing at you. “She’s busy doing stuff, you know—adult things.” She added.

You took the opportunity to make a joke and said, “Yet here we are promoting her movie.” You roll your eyes playfully. The crowd bursts out laughing, along with Jimmy, who smacked his desk.

“You know, we deserve a raise for this.” Flo considers, going along with your joke. She slightly snorts and nudges your arm with her elbow. “We could take Scarlett’s check and just split it in half for ourselves.”

“Problem solved.” You shrugged, high fiving her.

Another round of laughs fill the room as Jimmy says, “So you’re both taking Scarlett’s money?”

Jokingly, you nod in approval, “By the end of this interview? Definitely.”

Dropping the bit, you shake your head with a grin on your face. “I’m kidding! I’m only joking, I wouldn’t do that to her, even if I were forced to.”

Jimmy moves on as a picture of you, Florence, and Scarlett pops up on the screen. The picture had been posted on your Instagram and was taken while the three of you were filming in between takes. You were taking the selfie while Scarlett and Florence were poking their heads out from behind you making funny faces.

“I can’t imagine how exciting it is to be on a Marvel set, and to even work with one of the first ever heroes in the MCU—that must be insane!” Jimmy exclaims, motioning to another picture of the three of you.

“It’s unbelievable. To work alongside Scarlett and to follow this kind of path that she’s paved in the MCU is an honor. She really was like our older sister behind the scenes, because she was always guiding us and taking care of everyone. She’s the best.” Florence responded while you nodded in agreement.

“I watched the movie last night and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the dynamic the three of you had. You guys were like actual siblings.” Jimmy mentioned, motioning between you and Flo.

Florence giggled before squeezing you into a tight hug, “Yeah, she’s my big sister.” You smiled beamingly, patting her cheek before she let go.

“No, really! She’s like my actual younger sister.” You tell the audience, who “awed” at the hug you both shared. “We spent months on this movie and we spent every single day with each other. By the middle of production, we were basically roommates.”

“Roommates?” Jimmy questioned, leaning his elbows on his desk.

“Because I was always at her house.” Florence answered in a ‘duh’ tone. “I’ve actually grown an attachment to (Y/n), she’s like my comfort blanket. So I need to have her with me at all times. If she’s not with me, I just won’t leave the house.”

“Speaking of your attachment to (Y/n), there’s this video of you that you apparently sent her?” Jimmy gestured at you, “And you posted it on your Instagram and now the whole internet is obsessed with it.”

“Yup, that’s the one.” You confirmed.

“I know there’s probably some people who haven’t seen it, so here’s the video.” The video of Florence popped up on the screen and began to play.

(This fic was based on this TikTok😭)

Jimmy looked at you and Florence in amusement, “Can we get some context?”

Florence waved her hand at the screen and said, “As you can all see, I’m very persistent.”

“This wasn’t your first time sending her these kinds of videos?” Jimmy asked. You shook your head, a feign look of annoyance on your face.

“No, she does this all the time.”

“In my defense, I was unexpectedly flying out to New York for a project. I knew I was gonna be in the city for a few days, so I decided to call (Y/n) and make the most of my trip.” Flo defended herself, slightly pouting.

You leaned your head on her shoulder, “To be fair, it was also our first time seeing each other since we wrapped Black Widow, and we really missed each other.”

“(Y/n), did you have to move any plans?” Jimmy turns to you. Florence does the same.

“You know what, you never told me if you had plans or not.” She squints her eyes at you. Your arms crossed while your body slowly sunk into the couch.

You pretend to fix your lipstick, quickly muttering, “I might’ve moved some plans around.”

Florence’s mouth gapes in shock, her entire body freezing. She grips onto your shoulder, “Wait, you actually moved plans for me?”

“I might’ve rescheduled a lunch with someone, but that doesn’t really matter.” You replied, trying to move on from the topic. Jimmy pointed at you, a giant grin on his face, “You actually moved plans for Florence!”

Florence’s mouth was still wide in shock, “I can’t believe you actually moved plans for me—(Y/n)!” She whined.

“I missed seeing you, so of course I had to move them.” You bashfully explained, the corners of your lips turning upwards. Florence pulled you into a hug.

“Gosh, you really do love me!” She exclaimed.

“I really do!” You said, your arms wrapping around her as well.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷 Tags:

*if there’s a line through your url, Tumblr won’t let me tag you :(*

Marvel cast/Avengers x reader tags ↴

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[f1nalboys]

Okay, okay! So I love your poly!Ghostface dark/angst, but I wanna see you do some poly!Ghostface dark/fluff too(if that's a thing?)! Still unhealthy/toxic relationship, but one where their feelings are at least actually true and genuine. Trio vs the World shit. Best Friends to Lovers blah blah blah cause you know Im a slut for that lmao. NSFW too if you're willing 👀

AHH so glad I finally got to this request I'm sorry it took me so long :(( HOWEVER i had fun writing it!! i really hope you enjoy (ps, no smut unfortunately i tried to add it and it was coming out wrong ahhh) flashbacks are italicized! 

WORD COUNT: 2352

WARNINGS: toxic relationship, kinda cute moments between the three of you, cursing, little bit of stalking, threats of violence, no nsfw because i was a little lazy sorry :,(

Had someone told you five years ago that you'd be dating not only Billy Loomis but Stu Macher as well, you’d have laughed straight in their face. And yet here you were, curled up on the couch between the two, your legs thrown over Billys and your head resting on Stu’s shoulder, watching a horror movie. You smile softly as you feel Billy’s hand grip your thigh slightly. He never seemed to realize he was doing it which made it even cuter.

“Remember the day I met you guys?” You question, head moving off of Stu’s shoulder when he turns to look at you. He gives you a goofy grin and nods, kissing the tip of your nose. “Sure, baby. Why?”

“Did you think we would have gotten together? Like, back then?”

“Definitely,” Billy says, poking his finger into your side. You raise an eyebrow at him, catching his hand and holding it in your lap. He sighs, grinning slightly. “Alright, maybe not the day we met, but I knew pretty soon. Why? What’s got you thinking about it?”

You shrug, not really sure yourself. Something about the situation you three were in at the moment made your mind drift to those few awful god damn weeks. “You two really sucked then, you know? Honestly, I’m surprised I didn't kill you both.”

Stu gasps, throwing himself back with a hand on his heart. You roll your eyes; ever the dramatic. “You would have hurt us? I can’t believe this… the betrayal!” You elbow him and he sits back up, laughing, and wraps his arms around you, planting a few sloppy kisses onto your neck.

“We weren’t even that bad, babe.” Billy says, eyes widening as you glare at him.

“Not that bad? Do I need to remind you of the first thing you said to me when we met?” You shoot back, sitting up closer to Stu. You had already forgiven the two for how they acted then, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a hard time.

The first day you met Billy and Stu, it had started out good. You still didn’t have many friends but that was perfectly okay with you. You were sat in the grass outside one of the buildings where your next class was held, waiting. Thirty more minutes and you got to go to math; yay. You were leaned up against a tree, headphones in, trying to relax, when two men stood in front of you. They were pretty cute. One was tall, wearing a thin sweater and a goofy grin, while the other was shorter with dark hair and a smirk. The tall one's mouth moves and you pull your earbuds out, about to apologize for not hearing him, when the shorter one speaks.

“Pretty stupid to wait for someone to talk to you before taking your headphones out.” His smile was still there but it was clearly masking his annoyance. Your eyebrows raise in surprise at the gall of this dude. You don’t even know him and he thinks he’s owed a conversation?

“Excuse me?”

“What? You’re deaf and a bitch?” The taller one slaps the back of his head immediately and he grumbles, rubbing the soreness. You scoff, shaking your head, fuming. Was it just this dude or were most people here dicks? You didn't want to find out.

You stand, grabbing your bag and pushing past the two, heading towards the building. Your eyes instantly roll into the back of your head when you hear the sound of footsteps behind you. “Hey, I’m sorry about him, really. That’s how he jokes and sometimes it comes across as mean. I’m Stu and he’s Billy.”

Stopping in your tracks you turn to face Stu, the taller one, and take a second to think of a response. Glancing over at Billy, who had finally caught up with you, you can see what resembles regret on his features. “Well, he didn’t come across as mean, he came across as an asshole.”

Stu laughs, nodding. Billy shrugs, giving you that same weak smile he had shown when he approached. You shrug your backpack up higher onto your shoulder, the weight of it starting to get to you, when Billy grabs ahold of it and yanks it off of you. “What the hell? Give me my shit back!”

“Least I can do is to carry it for you. You going to class?” He asks. It’s like he wasn’t taking no for an answer. You give a large sigh and nod, silently thankful for the weight off your shoulders. “Which building?”

“Sycamore.” He nods and begins to walk there, you and Stu trailing behind him. “Is he always so...?” You ask Stu under your breath, trailing off, unsure of a word that could describe the man. He grins and nods. “Annoying? Mean? Stubborn? Yes, yes, and yes.”

Billy groans at the memory, annoyed. He hated when you brought that up. “I told you I was just having an off day! Come on, you’re acting like Stu didn’t offend you too! Do you not remember when you got food with us, like, that night?” Stu punches Billy in the shoulder hard, pissed that he had brought it up.

“Oh yeah! I kinda forgot about how much of a dickhead Stu was,” You say, leaning back against the couch. It really was a shock your relationship with the boys got to where it was now.

Billy and Stu followed you around all day. It seemed they were trying to apologize for Billy’s attitude earlier but, if you were being honest, it was kind of unnerving. After your math class, where they had walked you inside the building and only left when the professor came in, you saw them waiting outside under the tree you had been at.

“Can you guys stop following me?” You had told them the third time you noticed them, this time at the small diner you stopped by after your last class. Stu’s face turned red and he looked behind him as if there was someone else you could be talking about. “Yeah, you two.”

“We wanted to apologize for earlier,” Billy said, motioning for you to join them at their table. You had to choose which one to sit next too and, after your not-so-pleasant meeting with Billy that morning, you sat next to Stu. He sticks his tongue out at Billy who rolls his eyes.

“You already apologized. It’s getting kind of creepy.” You say, placing your elbow on the table. Before the boys could respond, the waitress walks over, placing down their drinks. She flashes you a smile and takes your order, walking off with a sway in her hips, much to the boy's enjoyment.

Stu throws an arm over your shoulder and you shrug him off, ignoring the pained look he gives you. “We just wanted to make sure you really knew we were sorry! Billy here never acts right around a hottie,”

“Stu you fucking idiot.” Billy spits, throwing something at him. Stu laughs, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Billy looks at you and gives you what looks like a real, genuine smile. “Sorry about him; he can’t seem to think with his upstairs brain.”

“Don’t need to when my downstairs one leads me to be sitting next to a smoke show,” Stu says, holding his hand out to you for a high five. Your face flushes and you ignore him, scooting away from him slightly. He was cute, sure, but way too forward. “What? Can’t compliment people anymore?”

“Not when your compliments are preceded by stalking.” You mutter, a part of you hoping he doesn’t hear it. Unfortunately, he does. You see his face change in your peripheral vision and your eyes flick over to Billy. He grins at you, sitting back in the booth, and taking a sip from his drink. He was enjoying this.

“Stalking? You’re fucking with me, right?” His rant is cut short by the return of the waitress who hands you your drink and places the food the boys had ordered onto the table, completely oblivious to your discomfort. She leaves and Stu grabs a fry from his plate, chewing loudly. “We’re not fucking stalking you - trust me, there are better ways to spend our time.”

Billy throws his balled up straw wrapper at Stu, catching his attention, and you let out a soft sigh of relief when Stu’s demeanor changes. He was back to smiling and laughing as if he hadn’t just been attempting to tear you to shreds. “Sorry about that… I’m pretty tired, that’s all.” Stu says, playing with his fingers.

“S’okay, I guess.”

“Why don’t you let us take you on a date? You know, as an apology?” Billy chimes in and Stu grins, nodding. A large part of yourself was screaming no. There was something off about these boys, something dark just under the surface, but you were intrigued. And so you smile.

“Yeah, I guess you two can do that.”

Billy had his arms wrapped around you, laughing at the excuses Stu was stammering out. He was obviously getting frustrated at the memory and you opened your arms to let him join in on the cuddling.

“You know, I really am glad we stuck together. I don’t know what I’d do if it were for our nightly cuddle sessions,” You say, your words muffled by Stu’s sweater. He pulls back and gives you a kiss, Billy swooping in to take one from him as well.

“Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without our fuck sessions,” Stu hums and you groan, punching him in the shoulder. What a way to ruin the moment. “Wait, let’s not act like you were a saint in all of this! I remember you being pretty awful at one point.”

“What?! No way!”

Billy nods, tickling your sides for a second. “Sure were, babe.”

Two months into the relationship was your breaking point. You really did like, if not love, the boys and yet you were still an outsider. Walking into the shared apartment just for their whispered conversations to stop. Late nights spent in the living room with hushed voices while you tried to sleep. You felt as though you only knew a portion of the two people you had come to like; no, love.

You admit it was petty. It wasn’t the right thing to do in any circumstance, but you did it because you knew it would get a reaction. You had packed a bag and sat in the living room. You wanted them to see you leave. Wanted them to see how much their secrecy had taken. You had been together only a short while and yet you felt so at home with them that the idea of actually leaving, of breaking it off, nearly tore you apart.

The door opens and in enters Billy and Stu, wrapped up in their own conversation. Stu waves at you, carrying on before realizing what he had just seen. “Babe? What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving.” Your voice was confident, not a waver in sight, and you knew it was because you weren’t planning on leaving. Some would call it manipulation, sure, but you were backed into a corner. Stu’s mouth drops open and Billy stares at you, his eyes narrowed.

“What? What do you mean you’re leaving? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Stu rushes to sit down next to you on the couch, not wanting to accept the idea that you were leaving them on your own volition. His arms wrap around yours and you shove him off. “Babe?”

You shake your head, standing from your spot on the couch, grabbing ahold of the bag. Billy was still standing near the door, his arms crossed, watching you. “Don’t call me that. The two of you… It’s like I’m not even in this relationship. I’m an outsider with the two people I love and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”

“Where the hell is this coming from?” Billy questions, grabbing ahold of your arm when you try to walk past him. His voice is thick and you could see the vein in his forehead throbbing. He was angry and you hate to admit it but that’s exactly what you were hoping for.

For the next two hours the three of you talk about your relationship and the future of it. Stu cried, you cried, Billy sniffled a few times, and then you came to an agreement. No more secrets. They told you things that they hadn't told anyone before that they hid behind a vague threat of ‘once you hear this you’re stuck with us,’ and you told them things you had planned on taking to your grave. To say you weren’t shocked at what they told you would be a lie.

Murder wasn’t what you thought they were capable of and especially not murder so gruesome. But, oddly, you felt better about being with them. They trusted you, loved you, enough to let you know their biggest and darkest secret. And you loved it.

Knowing they wouldn’t hesitate to kill for you was a major turn on, which they soon found out.

“Wow, I really was kind of horrible, wasn’t I.” You mutter as Billy recounts the memory with a few interruptions by Stu. You didn’t remember it that way but the more they talked the more you could tell they were being honest. “Well, good thing we stuck together, hm? Would have been pretty bad if we hadn’t.”

“Yeah because we would have killed you,” Billy whispers into your ear and you shiver. He’s telling the truth and that’s what makes the relationship the way it is; they choose to be with you, to keep you around, to love you. “Yeah, we would have given you a call a while ago,” Stu says, his finger making a slicing motion across your neck.

You roll your eyes not because you don’t believe them but because you do. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[harlowsbby]

Team Jack vs Team Y/N

You had rented out a bowling alley for Jack’s 24th birthday party in Kentucky. It was a birthday bash for him and Urban as well. Once everyone cut the cake you guys decided to was now time to start a round of bowling. It was going to be your team against Jack’s team and boy were you excited.

“Okay guys listen Y/N is going to pick 4 people for her team and I’m going to pick 4 people for my team okay ?” Jack spoke out to everyone as the both of you stood in front of everybody picking who you want for your teams.

“I’ll take Urban obviously and Clay and Bryson and Nemo” Jack said as all the boys high-fived clearly excited to be on Jack’s team.

“I’ll take Neelam, Taylor, Katrina and Aneesa” you said as the girls made their way towards you both.

“What’s your guys team names gonna be ?” Clay said you shrugged your shoulders turning towards Neelam and the girls”

“What about the mighty 5 ? Kinda cheesy and lame but it’s all I can think of” Neelam said.

“Or what about the laboratories” Aneesa said and you guys all immediately nodded loving that name.

“We’re gonna be called the Laboratories what about you losers ?” You told Jack he rolled his eyes and put his hand over his heart.

“Wow rude much I think so but we’re going to be called private garden” Jack said happily it was now your turn to roll your eyes.

“Wow so original never heard that one before” you spoke as Neelam and the girls laughed.

“Yeah whatever ladies are we making a bet here or no ?” Bryson spoke.

“Yeah if I win Y/N here is giving me birthday sex all day tomorrow morning as many times as I want” Jack said cockily with the biggest grin on his face.

“And if I win which I know I will all you 5 losers are going to be twerking for a tik tok to a city girls song sound like a deal ?” You spoke as you stuck your hand out for Jack to shake. He smirked grabbing your hand looking you dead in the eyes.

“Sounds like a plan mamas I hope you’re ready for tomorrow mamas” Jack said as everyone ooo’d you rolled your eyes truly knowing this man sucked at bowling and was not going to win.

The score was 22 to 20 your team was in the lead while Jack’s team was two points behind you guys.

“If I make this into a strike looks like the laboratories win baby boy” you told Jack in a teasing tone as he rolled his eyes arms folded across his chest you bent your knees slightly one eye open and the other closed as you focused on the neatly stacked pins down the alley way you pulled your arm back then rolled the ball.

Everyone watched as if felt like decades for the bowling ball to hit the pins and when it did you sure enough made a strike. You screamed happily jumping around and running back over towards the girls who cheered as long as the other girls in the bowling alley.

“Looks like you 5 are gonna become tik tok famous in the next 24 hours” Aneesa said sticking her tongue out at Urban who rolled his eyes and tried to smack her tongue away.

“Come on now we can think of something else right ? What do I look like twerking in a dress?” Bryson expressed trying to reason with you guys.

“Uh you look like a loser who’s going to be twerking in a dress what do you not understand?” Katrina spoke making you all laugh but the boys.

You made your way over to Jack who was pouting awfully hard that he lost the bet.

“You okay birthday boy ? It was just a game Jack no need for the hard feelings” you told him as you sat down on his lap he rested his hands on your hips supporting you so you wouldn’t fall.

“I know mamas I’m all good actually I kinda always wanted to see what I would look like in a dress pretty sure I could rock it” Jack said you couldn’t help but love this man he truly was something else.

“I’m sure you will Jack. Happy birthday my love I hope 24 brings lots of memories to you and lots of success” you spoke as you kissed his lips you felt Jack smile into the kiss once he pulled away he rested his forehead against yours smiling.

“Thank you ma but as long as I have you by my side this year will be filled with many memories”

[chloegong]

that semi-AU romajuliette + benmars fic

i need a permanent place to store this after dumping a random google doc on twitter so here it is, the author writing fic for her own book because people gave me headcanons and they were too good not to make use of

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the one where juliette and marshall go out for a night out on the town and roma and ben have to go along to supervise because one time they accidentally committed arson —headcanon from twitter user @leonidasvaldz

a semi AU where Benedikt and Marshall were hanging out with Roma and Juliette in those happy months R&J had together in 1922 before everything went wrong (aka you can take this as canon because it will fit the timeline but the characters won’t have memory of this in the actual published books)

Disclaimer: i wrote this in one go inside a starbucks please expect ao3 user chloegong and not Author Chloe Gong who does multiple rounds of edits on her books

Second Disclaimer: nobody go putting this on goodreads before someone on my publishing team kicks my ass (rightfully so, i’m on deadline rn and i’m writing fanfic instead of my real contracted manuscript)

Mandatory reminder that Our Violent Ends is available for preorder with all links here :)

__

It wasn’t supposed to happen again. And yet, somehow, Benedikt was watching fire curl around the side of the building, the roof beams giving a loud groan before shuddering and caving in on itself.

He turned a look onto Roma. “Your girlfriend is a maniac.”

~

Five hours earlier...

Juliette climbed in through the window of Roma’s bedroom, careful to hug the burlap bag close to her chest as she landed on his carpet. The howling wind outside drowned out some of the clinking, but the glass bottles were still making a racket no matter how carefully she hugged the bag. She had gone full throttle for tonight; when no one was watching and her relatives were downstairs crowing over a game of cards, she had snuck around and robbed the liquor cabinets at the Scarlet mansion quite generously. Now she dropped the bag onto Roma’s floor with a huff, brushing a curl of hair out of her eyes.

“Where’s Marshall?”

Roma looked up from where he was reading, putting his book down and rising from the bed smoothly.

“Well, hello.” He strode toward her, stopping before her with his arms crossed. “Lovely to see you too. You do know it is my bedroom you just snuck into, right?”

Juliette pretended to jump in surprise, looking around wildly. “Do you jest? Oh, bother. Let me climb back out and go find my real lover. Marshall! Where are—”

With a huff that seemed to double as a laugh, Roma grabbed her wrist before she could turn around and leave through the window again.

“You’re hilarious,” he said dryly.

“I know.” Juliette reached up with her free hand, clasping her cold fingers right onto his neck. Though her palm was freezing from the bitter temperatures outside, Roma hardly flinched, he only shrugged his shoulder up to keep her hand there. He couldn’t fight back the grin. For several seconds, the two of them only stood there, looking like a pair of idiots smiling at each other.

Then his door opened.

“Are we interrupting something?”

Marshall bounded into the room, throwing the door wide open. With a horrified expression, Benedikt hurried in after him and closed the door quickly, listening for movement on the other side.

“Yes, leave the door wide open,” Benedikt said. “While any White Flower strolling the corridor can peer in and see the Scarlet heir standing there in a silly coat.”

Juliette stepped away from Roma, peering down at herself as if she had forgotten what she put on. “I didn’t think it was that silly. It’s my disguise.”

“You do look a little like a housewife,” Marshall said, considering the coat.

“A fifteen-year-old housewife?”

“I suppose that is exactly why you look a little silly.”

Juliette pulled a face, but refrained from arguing further. She was here tonight because Marshall wanted to see the new Scarlet club that opened along Thibet Road, and she had promised she could sneak him in. Unfortunately, Marshall was bad at keeping secrets, and the worst at keeping secrets from Benedikt. The moment that Benedikt heard Marshall was planning on entering Scarlet territory, he had decided that he would come in accompaniment.

Juliette supposed it was only fair. Benedikt didn’t entirely trust her, but he was nice enough. He tolerated her presence and always kept an eye over his shoulder to make sure she wasn’t spotted on their territory if she poked her head in to see Roma. While Juliette didn’t know much about Marshall either, he was far warmer than his best friend, and for the first time last week, they had even enjoyed an outing with just the two of them. Juliette Cai and Marshall Seo—out and about in the border territories on a quaint evening.

That outing had ended with accidental arson though, so it was rather possible that exacerbated Benedikt’s desire to play chaperone. And of course, if Benedikt was coming along, Roma wanted to tag along too.

The arson was hardly their fault, Juliette and Marshall had maintained when the Montagovs asked questions. What kind of person left a stack of hay out beside a bar? And what kind of hay was that easily flammable just from accidentally whacking one of the lanterns on the awning onto the stack?

“All right.” Juliette hauled the bag up again. “Are we ready to sneak onto Scarlet territory?”

“Absolutely not,” Benedikt muttered, strolling past her for Roma’s window. “But is that going to stop either of you?”

Before anyone could answer him, Benedikt had already hopped the small gap between windows, climbing into their neighboring building for their route out unspotted.

“Great!” Juliette said. She passed the bag to Roma so he could do the carrying. What was the point of converting a rival gang enemy into a lover if not to lug around her heavy things? “Glad we’re all so enthusiastic.”

Roma sighed, clambering onto his sill and making the climb too. “The things I do for you, dorogaya.”

Marshall hurried after him. “I would argue you’re actually doing this for me, dearest Roma!”

With a snort, Juliette climbed out last, and pulled the window after her.

~

The Scarlet club had been a bust. Of course, Benedikt had figured that would be the case from the get-go, especially if they were sneaking in at such a late hour to avoid being seen by anyone important in the Scarlet Gang. At least Juliette had provided good alcohol, and now he squinted at the label of the wine bottle under the street lamps while they walked, taking the smaller main roads along the periphery of the city.

Up ahead, Roma and Juliette were whispering to each other, though they didn’t sound like they were talking in full sentences. Those two always communicated in looks and gestures, swapping languages whenever they felt like it and ending up with some incoherent tangle of words that no one else could comprehend.

“Is there anything left in that?”

Benedikt glanced to his side, shaking the bottle to show Marshall. “One last swig. All yours.”

Marshall took the bottle. He put it to his lips and swung up, his head tipped to the sky and the line of his throat bared to the night. Benedikt shivered suddenly, a line of goosebumps rising at the back of his neck. The season had turned cold and the wind that blew onto his face was biting. He wrote off his shudder to the chill, to the temperature dropping with the longer they spent outside at such an hour.

Suddenly, Marshall was squinting into the distance. “Hey.” His call summoned Roma and Juliette’s attention from ahead, who both turned around to see what the matter was.

Marshall pointed to the dark shape off the end of the road. “Isn’t that the abandoned factory we lost to the Scarlets?”

“Is it?” Juliette asked, a sudden glee in her face.

“Why would you say that?” Roma bemoaned. He didn’t bother trying to stop her as Juliette hurried ahead, eager to explore the factory. “Look what you’ve done.”

But Marshall was wearing a similar expression, his eyes scanning the factory as they approached closer and closer. Wordlessly, he handed the bottle back to Benedikt, and though Benedikt’s head was spinning from the drink, he still recognized the exact face that Marshall made before he was going to get himself into trouble.

“Mars—”

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he insisted, tipping his chin forward. Juliette had disappeared into the factory. “You two be look-out. We wouldn’t want someone finding us here, right?”

Benedikt scarcely had a second to argue back. Marshall was already hurrying off.

~

Inside the factory, Juliette trailed her hands along the dark walls, her eyes wide. The machines looked strange in the moonlight, but stranger while sitting so idle. She was used to seeing rows and rows of workers in the daytime, trailing after her father as he ran inspections on the work of their trade partners. It might have been the wine in her system, but everything seemed to sway: sitting so inactive in movement that her eyes were imagining movement.

“Pst.”

Juliette almost jumped out of her skin.

“Christ,” she muttered, whirling around with a hand on her heart. Marshall slunk out from the shadows, both his hands in his pockets. “You gave me a fright.”

“Me? Frightening?” Marshall picked up a strange object on the table, inspected it for several seconds, then set it back down. “I am the least frightening person on the planet.”

“Yes, well, when it’s so dark, even a cuddly teddy bear would be terrifying.” Juliette felt around her dress. She thought she had tucked her lighter in here somewhere. There were little pockets sewn around the sleeves and armholes that she kept all her weapons, though if anyone asked, she would say she had the ability to materialize them out of thin air.

“Do you scream often at teddy bears?”

“Only when they sneak up on me.”

“I don’t see you screaming at Roma.”

“He gets a special pass. He’s only a teddy bear on the inside.”

Marshall snorted. He leaned down, trying to read the paper taped down to the table. At last, Juliette found her lighter—it was actually in her sock—and she brought it close, thumbing down the sparkwheel for a flame.

“Do not touch—for demolishing,” Marshall read under the new light. “Are the Scarlets going to build something new here?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Juliette replied. “My father doesn’t include me in his business meetings yet.”

“Hmm.” The shadows of the factory danced. Juliette thought she saw someone darting in her periphery, and she whirled around, but it was only Marshall’s shadow. Unfortunately, she had scared Marshall with her movement, and he bumped into her, asking, “What? What is it?”

The lighter flew out of her hands, landing on the paper.

“Nothing, nothing!” Juliette assured. “I was seeing things.”

But Marshall wasn’t convinced. He swiveled around. Peered hard into a corner. “Was it ghosts? I know this city has ghosts. All that death creates so many ghosts.”

Juliette tried to look where he was looking. She couldn’t see anything except the dark.

“There is no such thing as ghosts.”

“Just last week, I felt something walk by me and then there was no one when I looked. I swear to you, if it wasn’t ghosts then I—” Marshall stopped suddenly, turning around to look at the table. “Uh… is that supposed to happen?”

Juliette whirled around too. The whole table was on fire. “Oh, God.”

With a sudden pop, the fire sprung up and licked up to the walls. There had to be something sprayed inside the factory already to prepare for demolition, or else the flames would not be traveling with such intensive speed.

“Marshall,” Juliette said simply.

“Yes?”

She looked at him. “When the Montagovs ask, we blame the factory and say we have no idea what happened. Run!”

~

Benedikt and Roma kept watch in relative silence. Benedikt’s head was spinning, and his cousin looked like his head was doing the same if his swaying was any indication. Roma was humming softly under his breath, toeing the grass that grew around the abandoned factory.

Then, there was a sudden sound from inside, and the first tendrils of flames blew out from the topmost windows.

“Roma,” Benedikt said plainly. “I’m willing to bet my life savings that Juliette Cai just committed arson.”

Roma tilted his head up, his jaw dropping agape. At first, he could only stare at the growing fire, eating up the roof beams. Then, he said: “To be fair, it could have been Marshall.”

Benedikt threw his arms into the air. “Who looks more like the arson type, Juliette or Marshall?”

“Is that a trick question?”

“The answer was Juliette!”

Benedikt pinched the bridge of his nose. He was rapidly growing concerned, but before he could suggest they go in to search for the two, Juliette and Marshall ran out from the factory—laughing. The factory was burning down, and they were laughing, grasping at each other and spinning in circles right in front of the factory. They looked a sight: seconds away from collapsing atop of each other in utter delirium.

Benedikt turned to Roma. “Your girlfriend is a maniac.”

Roma was struggling to hold back his laugh watching her with Marshall. “I think she’s magnificent.”

Marshall stumbled, and Juliette squealed, reaching out to grab his arm before he could trip and land flat on his face. Benedikt almost—almost—let a smile slip. Before Roma could sight it and tease him for enjoying himself after all, he cleared his throat.

“What happened?” he bellowed.

“Faulty factory!” Marshall called back.

Benedikt shook his head, turning on his heel. They needed to get out of here before someone reported the fire.

“Come on!” he called back to the three. “Let’s go before the Municipal Police arrive.”

Upon Benedikt’s summons, Marshall left Juliette’s side and hurried to catch up. He slowed to a stroll once he was beside Benedikt, but Benedikt could feel Marshall watching him.

“What?” Benedikt asked. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure his cousin was following too. Thankfully he was, though it was mostly Juliette hauling him along, their hands clasped together and swinging while Roma kept looking at the fire.

“I think you enjoyed yourself,” Marshall replied smugly. “After all that complaining about sneaking into Scarlet territory.”

Benedikt reached out and rapped his knuckles on Marshall’s skull. With a shriek, Marshall darted ahead.

“You want me to enjoy myself?” Benedikt shouted after him, breaking into a run too. “Come back then! Let me throttle you!”

FIN.