#Smoky Mountain stays

[karmanikrafts]

Basking in the Serenity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smokies: A Haven of Tranquility and AdventureNestled on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a realm of mist-covered peaks, dense forests, and a rich tapestry of history. For families seeking a mix of relaxation and adventure, this national park offers an ambiance that is both rejuvenating and exhilarating. Journeying to the Heart of the…

[hedgewitchgarden]

By: Lauren Diaz

The Appalachian mountains share their story with us in many forms, beginning from their wise and weathered peaks, through their towering forests, and down to the rushing roar of their rocky streams and rivers. Many of these clear, mountain rivers are inhabited by the cryptic and awe-inspiring Eastern Hellbender. Truly a living fossil, the hellbender has existed for millennia and yet sadly it has been quickly disappearing over the last century. The Hellbender is a lonely species; it is the only giant salamander in the western hemisphere, as its cousins live in China and Japan. An ancient creature that is hardy enough to withstand thousands of years of flooding and drought, Hellbenders were once abundant even in the mainstem of the Ohio river. Unfortunately, they are now being lost at an unprecedented rate, and for many reasons we don’t understand.

Although many factors implicated in the Eastern Hellbender’s rapid decline are large scale — urbanization, removal of riparian tree cover, siltation, and pollution — there is one simple issue that every one of us that recreates in the Appalachians has control over: the moving of rocks in these streams to create dams, chutes, and rock statues (also known as cairns). The rivers where we still have healthy hellbender populations, such as those within the Pisgah National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, are the same rivers that are receiving an extraordinary rise in human use. While the hellbenders are holding on for now, the very real possibility of loving these rivers to death is just around the corner.

The Hellbender relies on the spaces under river rocks for their homes and to find their favorite food: crayfish. They share these spaces with the stoneflies and caddisflies that feed the iconic rainbow trout, as well as a variety of other small fish, mussels, and salamanders. Most importantly, they require cavities under large boulders to breed. Hellbenders lay their eggs under these large boulders in early fall, and then the male Hellbender will stay in that cavity protecting the eggs and larvae until they emerge in late spring. Moving rocks around in streams disturbs the delicate homes and breeding grounds of these enigmatic mountain species.

Cairns are a recent phenomenon, and their ubiquitous presence in national park and forest rivers is undoubtedly tied with the rise of social media. You have surely seen a picture of one, probably accompanied with a quote about balance. You may think, “there’s no harm in making small ones if they only use boulders!”, but in fact small rocks are important habitat for larval and juvenile Hellbenders. Plus, just seeing one cairn in a river (even with tiny rocks) encourages others to make them too, despite nearby signs asking visitors not to move the rocks. Dams and tube chutes not only make large boulders unavailable to Hellbenders, but they also slow down water flow and essentially make pools of dead habitat. This slow, silty water can no longer support the needs of the unique species that require swift, cool, well-oxygenated water. Silt accumulates in the pools above and below rock dams, and that silt fills in the spaces that hellbenders need to live and reproduce. Moving boulders for any of these uses has the potential to crush any animals living underneath them, including hellbenders.

The motivations behind moving rocks are innocent. But the consequences for the rare species that rely on a very specific kind of stream substrate are damaging and permanent. Some hellbenders will spend their entire lives (up to 30 years!) living under one rock. We ask that when recreating in hellbender habitat, please keep in mind that you are a guest in their home. Respect the forces of nature that put each stone in its perfect place and the millions of years of evolution shaping these stream systems so that every insect, fish, and salamander can live in perfect harmony.

For more information on hellbenders, check out these resources on the article page.

[songforeddiemunson]

Haunting in Blackwood Hollow

An Eddie Munson x F!Reader Miniseries

Series Summary: It’s the year 1991. Eddie and reader check into a rented house in the Appalachian woods, joined by Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Robin. Unfortunately for our gang, things in Blackwood Hollow are never as they appear.

Tropes: established relationship, Jonathan x Nancy, no mention of the events from ST, smut, comedy, fluff, scares, bit of whump (but nothing too crazy)

Series Warnings: Swearing, drinking and weed use, sexual and scary situations, minors please DNI.

Chapter One: Steve's Big Mistake

Chapter warnings: naughty language, mentions of drinking, weed use. This is largely setting the scene babes. Author's Note: Submission for @stcreators Event 5: Dynamics Submission for @somnambulic-thing, @allthingsjoeq, and @bettyfrommars event: strangerprompts (#14) {Okay so I took a bit of liberty with the prompt, but that's just how my brain wanted to do it! You know how that goes. ;) }

Word Count: ~2K

You swore under your breath as the taxi pulled away, leaving you staring at the monstrosity you were meant to be staying in for the weekend.

“This is the last time I leave that jackass in charge of anything,” you muttered, prompting a snort from Eddie, who stood beside you.

You liked Steve. Loved him even, in the way that friends that have known each other for years did, who’d seen each other at their worst, thick as thieves, none of that ‘will they or won’t they’ shit, especially after you started seeing Eddie. But in that moment, you could strangle him.

Most of your group of friends had scattered to the four corners of the country, so when you all received your invitations to Joyce Byers’ and Jim Hopper’s wedding in the Smoky Mountains, you decided to rent a whole house instead of getting hotel rooms. Correction: Steve came up with the idea to rent a house, and admittedly it was a good plan. It would likely be cheaper to pool your resources, and you could all hang out in the common areas and catch up.

And then you saw the house.

It was a stereotype in peeling paint and dilapidated wood. The porch was creaky and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Gnarled old vines and weeds encroached from every direction; you thought maybe it had been landscaped last sometime in the 1960s. A broken old fountain sat on the front lawn, with a scummy green puddle of rainwater gathered at the bottom, and there was a broken gate that hung loose on its hinges near the drive.

Eddie tilted his head in a manner reminiscent of a terrier as he surveyed the old structure. “I think it looks kinda cool, like that house in IT. The house on Neibolt Street, remember?”

You blinked at your paramour. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend the weekend in a house like that. It’s one thing to read about it in a spooky story, it’s another thing to actually sleep there.” He had the good grace to laugh at that sentiment.

“Fair enough,” he conceded.

Of all the houses in Asheville, Tennessee, THIS is the one he chooses? You thought bitterly as you made your way up the walkway toward the porch, stepping carefully on the worn wood and looking for nails that could be lying in wait to impale your foot.

You had no idea if anyone else had already arrived, and whether you were supposed to knock or just walk in. You had decided to try the former, but your knuckles hadn’t had a chance to make contact with the wood before the door was whipped open, revealing a clearly exasperated Robin.

“Omigosh you’re here!” she cried joyfully as she threw her arms around you. You let your weekend bag drop to the porch as you reciprocated the hug.

“Robin! I’m so glad to see you!” you cooed as you gave her a good squeeze then released her. “But what the hell is this house?”

“Right?! I feel like it’s right out of a Scoobie Doo episode or something. Talk about creepy. Eddie! Hi!”

“I’ve seen worse,” a deeper voice intoned from out of eyesight, shortly before Steve stepped into the foyer.

“Steve! It’s lovely to see you, but what the fuck?” you scolded.

Steve’s expression was so sheepish that you couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I know, I know,” he moaned, before putting his face in his hands.

“Come here and hug me, loser. I haven’t seen you in almost two years and you’re gonna make me sleep in the house from Amityville Horror?”

“Hey now,” Robin countered, “The Amityville Horror house was waaay nicer than this.”

“True. Eddie said it looked like the house from IT.”

“Oooh yes! That fits,” Robin said.

“What’s that? It?” Steve asked, never one to embrace pop culture.

You hugged Steve despite wanting to hurt him a little bit. “Nevermind. So what were you thinking with this house?”

“Okay so in my defense the pictures were much nicer in the Want Ad, and in black and white. I didn’t realize it was going to be so…”

“Shabby?” you offered while Robin said “terrifying” at the same time.

“Yeah,” Steve said with a shrug.

Eddie chuckled as he hugged his friends by way of greeting.  “Alright well, as long as the bed is clean, I don't really care,” he said. “This one is scared of spiders,” he said, gesturing toward you. 

“I am not, you are!” you yelled.

“I am NOT afraid of spiders,” Eddie replied defensively. “It’s those fucking centipede things with all the legs. I hate those things.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m sure there are plenty of things in this house to trigger all our phobias.”

The interior was a little less gloomy than its exterior, but that wasn’t saying much. The common room in which you were standing was decorated in 50 year-old wallpaper that was peeling and yellowing. The floors were hard wood but hadn’t been refinished since the wallpaper was installed, and the dusty old upholstery was flat and worn around the edges. 

“Where are we sleeping, anyway?”

“There’s three bedrooms, one with a queen and two with a pair of singles. I figured we could draw straws or someth–”

“Dibs on the queen!” Eddie shouted.

“Eddie, we have to–” you began.

“Nah babe. We’re a couple, and we got here first. You snooze, you lose.”

“I think that’s fair,” Robin said with a shrug.

“Nancy and Jonathan won’t love that,” Steve said. “But you can fight it out amongst yourselves. I’m staying out of it. Looks like you’re bunking with me, Robin.”

“I don’t care, as long as you don’t snore.”

Nancy and Jonathan arrived about an hour later, and while they weren’t thrilled to be relegated to a pair of twin beds, they conceded that Eddie did in fact call dibs.

“I feel like we’re eighteen again,” Nancy laughed as she explored the kitchen for a clean glass for water. “Calling dibs and bunking up together. Feels like old times.”

“It does,” you agreed from where you were leaning against the counter. “I don’t know if I would use any of the dishes in this house though.”

“I might just make a store run, get some solo cups and paper plates,” she said as she put one grimy glass back in the cupboard with a look of distaste. “Any requests?”

“Oooh, cheez-its, snapple peach tea, pizza pretzel combos…”

“PBR,” Eddie contributed as he sidled up next to you and bent to give you a quick peck on the lips.

“Well of course,” Nancy said with a smile. “Can’t forget the beer.”

Robin poked her head into the room. “Grab a couple of pizzas! I’ll give you cash.”

You all pitched in for the snacks and sent Nancy on her way as the sun began its descent behind the trees. The rest of you gathered in the living room to figure out what to do for the night.

“Care for a toke?” Eddie asked, as he held up a joint he pulled from his jacket and set it alight.

“Yessss,” Jonathan replied with enthusiasm, leaning forward to pinch the little joint between his fingers.

“That didn’t take long,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes.

“Lighten up, Harrington,” Jonathan said in a fragrant plume of exhalation, stifling a cough. “You could probably use this more than the rest of us. You’re too wound up.” 

“It’s true Steve, why are you always so stressed out?” you asked, taking a pull from the joint.

“I don’t know, I just feel like I’m the responsible one–” he began, but was cut off by a chorus of jeers and naysaying.

“You think you’re the responsible one, but everyone knows it’s Nancy,” Robin said, laughing.

“Yeah man, like…the King Steve days are over, you can stop trying so hard,” Eddie added with a grin.

“Okay, okay, I get it…” Steve said, accepting his ribbing with a modicum of grace. His voice trailed off, however, as his attention was pulled in another direction. “Hey what’s that?”

“What?” you and Jonathan asked at the same time, following his gaze. 

“It’s on top of that bookshelf…” he began, already getting up and walking toward it. He had to stand on the tips of his toes to reach it, and pulled it down, unleashing a cloud of dust and grime.

“What is it?” Eddie asked.

Steve brushed the dust off the cover before looking up at you with wide eyes. 

“It’s a ouija board,” he said.

“Oh shit,” Eddie said, laughing. "You can't be serious."

“What! No, no thank you!” Robin yelled.

“I dunno man, you might want to put that back and pretend you never saw it,” Jonathan added with a smirk.

“What, nah, that stuff isn’t real,” you said.

“No, it’s not,” Steve agreed. “It’s just a silly game.”

“If it’s just a silly game,” Eddie taunted, "why don’t we take it for a spin?”

“Oh man, no, don’t give him any ideas,” Robin piped in with her trademarked ‘mile-a-minute’ cadence. “Did you see the movie Witchboard? Well I did, and I didn’t sleep for a week afterward. Too scary for me. And it’s kinda weird that that thing just shows up in the spookiest house I’ve ever seen, and we’re in the middle of nowhere and…”

“What’s Witchboard?” Steve asked.

“Dude, watch a movie…” Eddie moaned while Jonathan doubled-over laughing.

Steve laid the box down on the coffee table. “Well, just because there was a movie about these things doesn’t make them real. The Princess Bride isn’t exactly real either.”

Eddie gasped with mock incredulity. “It’s NOT?”

“Have fun NOT storming the castle I guess,” Jonathan tried to say without laughing, which came out as a choked squeal.

“Inconceivable!” you yelled, making the entire room erupt in hearty laughter and dispelling some of the unease that had grown since the discovery of the ouija board.

“Jesus guys, are you that stoned already?” Steve asked with a smile.

“Eddie only buys the good stuff,” you said.

“Zero to zooted within three hits, or your money back,” Eddie said before taking another pull from the joint.

“Good to know,” Steve said sarcastically. “So are you guys gonna play with this thing or not?”

“Fine fine,” you said. “Eddie, let’s do this.”

He agreed, and you sat on the floor on either side of the coffee table. You opened the box, took out its contents, and each placed the index finger of your right hand gently on the planchette. You sat silent for a moment, not doing or saying anything, unsure of where to begin.

“Uhhhh,” Eddie said before dissolving into giggles.

“Ask it something!” Robin whispered, leaning forward in her excitement.

“Okay, uh…” you began, pausing to think. “Is there anybody here with us right now?”

It seemed like the entire room held its breath with anticipation.

“Is there anyone here in this house?” you repeated.

The silence ticked onward.

“Well this is thrilling,” Jonathan said with a snort.

“Give it a minute,” Steve said.

“Thought you didn’t believe in this stuff, Stevarino,” Eddie teased.

“I don’t, but–”

You thought you felt the planchette move ever so slightly. 

“Wait!” you gasped. “Did you feel that?”

“No, wait. Maybe?” Eddie whispered.

You sat motionless for a beat, but nothing happened. You began to think that it was your imagination when…

….suddenly the front door banged open with a loud smash, and every single person in the room screamed like a banshee.

“Jesus, guys!” Nancy said as she struggled to hold several brown paper grocery bags. “A little help here?”

“Oh fuck, sorry babe,” Jonathan said, and the rest of you sheepishly got up to help, leaving the ouija board on the table. You bustled into the kitchen to put things away and pop open cans of beer, laughing about the silly jump scare you’d all just shared.

What none of you saw, however, was the planchette on the ouija board slide over to ‘hello.’

To Be Continued...

Sorry this one is short, but I needed to get it out. More is coming! As always, comments and reblogs are the lifeblood of every fic writer!

PART TWO MASTERLIST

[mac-and-thefox]

👁️

OKAY WELL

Swiss and Dew pampering Mountain. Body massage, hair massage. The whole shebang. Cockwarming as well mhm.

HOLY SHIT OKAY CHI HERE YOU GO

(This turned into some big giant thing idk what happened I'm sorrryyyyy)

This is like my second fic ever so I hope its okay 👉🏽👈🏽

Lay Down Your Burdens

A soft, chill breeze blows through the window opened just a crack and tickles Mountain's cheek. He stirs, sighs and stretches as he turns towards the window and opens his eyes. It's not quite light yet, with summer over and fall underway it is staying darker for longer before the sun rises and kisses the stone walls of the abbey, washing everything in a warm golden glow.

Mountain rolls over slowly and takes in the sleeping ghoul that was tucked into his back, purring in his sleep. Dew's golden hair spreads over the pillow and his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks as he chirps softly and nuzzles his face into Mountain's chest now facing him. He takes in his mate's peaceful face and feels his heart swell with love for his small firelily. Mountain gives him a kiss on his forehead and slowly gets out of bed, trying not to disturb him.

It's hard to ignore the soreness in his shoulders and lower back as he gets dressed, laces up his boots, and quietly walks over to his cabinet of herbs and tinctures. Unfortunately the jar with his anti-inflammatory blend of Turmeric and Ginger sits empty on the shelf. Mountain groans quietly, remembering how he had given the last of his personal supply to a mated pair of abbey ghouls whose kit had taken a nasty spill down the garden steps the day before.

"Okay, that's fine," Mountain whispers to himself, trying not to wake Dew sleeping in their bed, "Just one more thing to take care of today."

He rolls his shoulders, wincing at the pops that come from his joints, and quietly leaves the room.

As soon as the door clicks shut Dew opens his eyes and rolls over towards the door, concern for his mate on his mind as he checks the time and sees how early in the morning it is.

He knows that Mountain's love and devotion to caring for him and the pack runs as deep as the roots of the trees. He knows that Mountain takes so much pride and love in making sure that each and every one of them is protected and healthy. He never complains about the work. Ever.

But Dew has been watching.

He sees Mountain's seemingly endless selflessness and energy waning as the warmth of the season dissipates and the chill of oncoming winter starts rearing its head, the earth's hibernation quickly approaching. He notices when Mountain slips quietly into their room those late nights when he thinks Dew is already asleep. Dew stays still, pretending to sleep and peeks his eye at his mate as he stiffly removes his clothes and groans as he gets into bed and pulls his firebug closer to him to relieve his aches and pains.

Dew sees Mountain working himself to the bone in the gardens, fields and orchards, the last harvest and preparations for winter in full swing. And he notices that Mountain only allows himself to visibly feel and show the fatigue and the toll of the work when he thinks that nobody is watching.

***

Later that morning, Dew walks into the kitchen in the ghouls' den for coffee and breakfast and sees Swiss is sitting at the kitchen table, blinking sleep from his eyes as he sips from the mug in front of him.

"Mmm..morning firefly.." Swiss mumbles as he gives Dew a peck on the head when Dew walks by to retrieve his mug from the cupboard.

Dew hums a response, fills his mug with coffee and arguably too much sugar for 8am, and sits down next to Swiss, leaning his head onto the Multi ghoul's shoulder, twining his tail around Swiss' calf. He stares down into his mug, looking for answers in the liquid as he stews on his concern for his mate, a smoky smell invading his normally warm cinnamon scent.

"What's on your mind, Dewbug?"

"I'm....worried. About Mount."

Swiss nods and hums in reply. He hadnt wanted to admit it, but he too had been noticing how rundown Mountain looked when he thought there was nobody around. As a Multi he too could feel the sluggishness of his earth element with the cold of the season approaching. He couldn't even imagine what Mountain must be feeling as a full earth ghoul.

"We need to help him, we need to do something before he burns himself out." Dew swirls the coffee around in his mug as he considers how to word his thoughts.

"He does so much for every one and never really rests, I'm worried he's going to hurt himself trying to be everything for everyone all the time."

"We need to give him a chance to get away from the abbey and reconnect with his element. With no expectations of having to do anything for anyone." Swiss muses, his tail coming up to his folded hands as he rests his chin on the spade.

Dew contemplates Swiss's words. "I think I have an idea."

***

"Mount! Mountain!"

Mountain looks up from the squash patch he is tending to in the garden and sees Swiss approaching down the stone path. He wipes his hands on his canvas work pants and stands, trying to hide the stiffness in his knees and back as he straightens.

As Swiss nears the earth ghoul he can smell just the faintest hint of mildew and decay hiding underneath Mountain's normal scent of pine, sage and freshly tilled earth. He shoves the hint of concern off of his face in favor of that broad grin.

"Mounty! Hey buddy I hope this isn't a bad time, but I need your help with something."

Swiss almost misses the imperceptible twitch in Mountain's eye and the momentary tensing in his tail as he looks around the garden at the other earth ghouls and siblings working, and then looks back down at the Multi ghoul.

"Of course, what can I help you with?"

Swiss grabs his hand and starts pulling the earth giant along the stone path. "C'mon, I'll show you."

Swiss tows Mountain away from the gardens, away from the abbey, towards the edge of the forest.

As they step into the trees, Swiss can sense Mountain's scent getting subtly more dank as they move further away the abbey, further away from Mountain's never ending responsibilities and list of tasks to be completed.

"Swiss, why are we out here? What's going on?"

Swiss squeezes Mountain's fingers reassuringly. "Almost there, big guy, just a bit further."

As the trees close in around and Swiss knows that there is no chance of being disturbed by any siblings or clergy members, he takes deep breath and drops the rest of his glamour.

"Mounty, there's nobody around. Let yourself just....be, for a minute."

Mountain looks at Swiss quizzically and hesitates before taking a similar breath and dropping his own glamour. His antlers touch the lowest branches as he grows out to his unglamoured height, patches of moss appearing on his shoulders and along his hairline as he shakes out his chestnut brown waves.

Swiss can't help but notice the tiny acrid mushrooms behind Mountain's ears and at the base of his antlers. He notices however, when the earth giant releases another deep breath, that the subtle dank scent of tiredness and stress starts to seep the tiniest bit away and he suppresses a smile.

"Just right up here, Mount."

They come into small clearing and as the earth ghoul takes in his surroundings, still wondering what in the hell Swiss could possibly need help with all the way out in the forest, he notices a small hot spring feeding a collection of pools. And in one of those steaming pools is Dewdrop.

Mountain rushes over to Dew and looks him over, looking for signs of distress or injury.

"Fire Lilly, what are you doing all the way out here? Baby, are you alright? What is going on?"

Dew reaches up and puts his hands on either side of Mountain's face. "Mounty, I'm okay. There's nothing wrong. Everything is fine."

"Then what in the world are we doing all the way out here?"

Swiss steps in and puts his hand on Mountain's shoulder.

"We're out here for you, big guy. We want to give you a chance sit, relax, and just exist for awhile."

Mountain looks back and forth between Swiss and Dew and sighs, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Look..I appreciate what this is and what you're trying to do, but if there's nothing here that you need help with, I really need to be getting back to work. I'm fine, really."

Dew steps out of the hot spring and grasps Mountain's hands, rubbing his thumb over the rough, beat up knuckles.

"Love, we see you going out day after day. You work so hard to take care of us and you never ask for anything in return. We talked to everyone and they agreed that you deserve to take this time for yourself."

Dew reaches back up and gently brings Mountain's face level with his own. He presses a series of soft kisses to Mountain's face and cheeks before kissing him softly on the lips.

"Let us take care of you, Wood Sprite," he whispers as he presses his horns gently to Mountain's antlers.

Mountain looks from Dew, to the warm steaming pool, to Swiss who is rubbing soft circles into the small of his back. He has a lot to do, but the idea of soaking with his mate and his multi ghoul sounds so nice. And he is so tired.....

"...Okay." Mountain whispers brokenly as his shoulders begin to shake and light tears fill his eyes and stream down his cheeks.

Dew smiles, kisses his tears away and leads Mountain to the pool where he and Swiss slowly start removing his dirty work clothes and help ease him into the warm pool. Swiss sits against the edge of the pool and draws Mountain back to lean against his chest while Dew straddles Mountain's lap and faces his mate. Dew takes Mountain's hands and softly rubs the palms, letting the soothing water help ease the soreness and hurt.

Swiss brings his hands up and starts rubbing along Mountain's shoulders and chest. Massaging the muscles and working out the knots as they come up. Mountain groans, puts his head back against Swiss's shoulder and sinks into it, feeling the soreness and stress begin to melt away with the feel of Swiss's hands and the gentle hint of quintessence radiating from his palms.

Dew runs his hands down Mountain's chest, tracing the patterns and markings on his skin. His hands travel lower along his stomach and grasp Mountain's cock, running his fingers softly up and down his mate's length.

Mountain brings his head up to look at his firefly, feeling himself stir in his mate's fingers, Dew's hands moving more firmly until Mountain is fully hard. Dew leans in and presses another soft kiss to Mountain's lips.

"Let me warm you," he whispers as he brings a slight hand up to caress Mountain's cheek and move a wavy lock of hair out of his face.

Mountain hums and kisses Dew back, his eyes half closed and his mind cloudy from the steaming water from the spring and Swiss's quintessence working into his tired muscles. Swiss hums on response and lowers his head to Mountain's neck, pressing kisses to the juncture between Mountain's neck and shoulder.

Mountain brings his hands and places them on Dew's tiny waist, lifting his mate and lining him up before Dew sinks slowly onto his cock. Mountain let's out a soft moan at the feel of the heat surrounding him from his mate's body; the tightness of Dew compounded with the feeling of two sets of hands roaming his arms, shoulders and chest.

As Dew adjusts to the feeling of Mountain inside him, he brings his hands from Mountain's chest to his face, cupping his cheek while he moves a lock of chestnut hair out of his face. Mountain purrs and turns his head to press a kiss into Dew's palm. Dew moves his hands into his mate's hair and begins massaging his scalp.

"We're gonna rinse out your hair now, make it all nice and clean, okay, Wood Sprite?"

Mountain purrs again and closes his eyes, so far gone past words at this point.

Dew gently tilts his earth giant's head back, cups the steaming water in his hands and softly pours the warm spring water over Mountain's head. He works the water through Mountain's chestnut waves, plucking the acrid mushrooms from behind his ears and the base of his antlers and discarding them on the edge of the pool. Dew repeats the rising of warm water until Mountain's hair is cleansed of dirt and sweat. Swiss continues working Mountain's muscles until the gentle giant is boneless between his ghouls. His scent becomes fresh and green, the dankness and stress chased away by the love of his mate and his multi ghoul.

Dew and Swiss work most in silence, with the occasional purr or chirp and the occasional offering of praise for their earth ghoul.

"So good for us, my love,"

"We love you so much, big guy,"

"The most beautiful creature of the forest. You do so much for us, you deserve all of life's happiness and more,"

"Our protector, our guardian, our Mountain."

[blingblong55]

Autumn Leaves- Simon 'Ghost' Riley

GN!Reader, angst, character death, platonic!relationship

Another day another life Passes by just like mine It's not complicated

It hasn't been the best year for the task force. Losing someone they knew for years, losing themselves in the process. Missing someone they wish they shared one last word with. Questions cloud their minds, heart aches make this autumn worse than the last. Maybe if their friend stayed longer, maybe if their comrade was not a soldier, maybe, just maybe. Not being there, seeing them become the husbands and fathers they all joked about, the last words they gave the other when they thought they'd die back in those missions, what fools were they to believe their friend would be the first one out.

Who would be there to see their kids grow? Who would be the one to keep them in shape if not their friend. Why must this person leave so soon? The tea wasn't even out yet. Stay a little longer, for the sake of our hearts.

The last mission, what a dick move was it to leave their battle buddy out there alone. If all had gone better, the one person who saw them drink and dance would see them do it once more. The designated driver, the one who looked after them, why couldn't they stay?

"You think I'll make it past 40?"

"Not a chance."

You and him laugh and he nods. "It'd be nice if we both did," you add. He nods and looks back at the smoky night sky, his cigarette being the only reason you can see the scar from his childhood. Your gaze is now on the stars. You always looked at the little detail of the others in the team. The scar Gaz got from a shit driving by the mountains, Soap and the scar on his eyebrow, are the only reason why you took him so seriously. Price and the scar on his shoulder, the one he got when he saved you from the gunfight.

But when you turn back to look at him, you only see him walk away. "Leaving so soon, sir?" you ask and he nods, "Best if I get some beauty sleep." You chuckle, "Better sleep for a century then."

"Oi, I'm not so bad lookin' kid," he smirks, loving the banter between you two.

"Look in a mirror, sir." you chuckle and he flips you off.

Another mind Another soul Another body to grow old It's not complicated

Maybe if one fought for the other that night, the one who is now gone would have at least left leaving some memories for the new recruits. A lie that still keeps four people awake at night. Would the dead come back like the movies say? Would their beloved friend be back if some potion or if Victor Frankenstein were to be real, could their friend be back? Sew them limb for limb, do the most to just hear them say a proper goodbye. Why must this world be cruel to those who try to keep every civilian safe by sacrificing their own sanity? Why must their comrade be gone so soon?

Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you? Float down Like autumn leaves Hush now

"When I was a kid, me and my brother Tommy had those glow-in-the-dark stars up on the ceiling. Before my father would barge in the room to scare me, me and him actually bonded." He says as he sits next to you on the cold field. "You think maybe he is somewhere out there?" You look back to the sky. "Yeah, I'm sure he is, always told me he'd be around to bother me." from his lips a chuckle escaped.

If I had stayed, maybe we'd still have these conversations and not me talking to your graves.

"Soap, you snipe, Gaz get those communications going, Ghost, you and R/N get on that field and show them what we are known for." Price orders and then prepares himself for the old field.

Is it that it's over or do birds still sing for you? Float down Like autumn leaves Hush now

----

"Today, we are gathered to celebrate and mourn the life of a friend, comrade and the best goddamn soldier I had the privilege to work with." Price wipes his tears as he looks at the room full of people who know mourn with him.

"To me, Simon Riley was not just another soldier, he was a brother, or as I called him, my son. I met him days after the tragedy of his family and that day I swore I would protect this kid from the shit of the world and I stand here today saying I failed at the one promise I made as his then sergeant." His lips quiver. Soap and Gaz have an arm around you, keeping you or at least trying their best to calm you down.

The day you lost him, is still a blur. But what he said to you, will forever live with you. "R/N, I'm not a strong soldier, I fear so much and right now I fear I'm dying alone." his voice was weak as you heard over the radio. The run to him, the mud and cuts you had to just get to him, also live with you.

"Somewhere, in some place in Manchester, the soul of the greatest man I will ever know now roams the streets," Price pauses to gain composure. His voice breaks every now and then, "Somewhere he is teaching his nephew how to play football, his mother makes tea, to..." he stops again and wipes more tears away, "his mother makes tea, to celebrate the welcome his son. His brother sits on the green grass, watching his older brother bond with his nephew. And somewhere between the lines, he knows peace."

You get up and walk away, needing fresh air. "Simon was known as Ghost, and it pains me to say, that Ghost he will remain. But one thing changed, today, he doesn't reunite with his father, no but today I lost my...my son." Price looks at the coffin. "The men and women he worked with, they know he left a piece of him in each one of us. After 32 years of life, he can finally rest because he is the only one who truly deserves rest." His voice cracks again. "So, as we end this celebration of the man he was, I ask of you to think of him for who Simon was not for who Ghost is."

Ooh how I miss you My symphony played the song that carried you out Ooh how I miss you And I, I miss you and I wish you'd stay

You walked alongside the broken-down pavement, going hysterical. You swear you hear him call for you when the wind blows but all you have now is the dog tags of the man you called family. Hours before you had to pretend you were fine, you screamed and sobbed. "My fault, my fucking fault." you cried on your knees. The home he once brought you and the team to is now empty and haunting you with his smell. The walls with little to no decorations, the coffee stain on the counter, the empty office chair. The home he was Simon in, was now occupied by dust and old memories.

They say life is cruel to those who are nice and today, that saying became a fact in your life. Soap no longer had a battle buddy, Gaz had no mentor, Price had no older son, and R/N had no lifelong friend to turn to when shit hit the fan. And as you watched his coffin get lowered, you once more swore he called for you. One more fear was added when you watched Soap and Gaz hug each other. That fear is now losing them too. Price walked away from that moment, and you feared you would lose him too. No one can fear losing you because with Ghost now gone, you are now lost.

Touch down Like a seven four seven Or stay out and we'll live forever now

Tags: @liyanahelena @warenai @ghostslittlegf (tagged bc I know you live and cry for angst<3

[gnpwdrnwhiskey]

biscuits & blowjobs

Pairing- Jack Daniels x ofc!SunDrop

Word Count- 750ish

Warnings- I apologize for the misleading title, there are no actual blowjobs. Only referenced and/or implied ones. But there are biscuits. And two idiots in love as per usual...

Author's Note- this is part of a longer story that I'll probably never finish (because I don't really want to) but I saw that cabin pic and it was pretty much perfection so yeah, here we are....for anyone following along, this is way way back at the beginning of things for these two.

He's seen behind the facade now, he knows there's more to you than the pencil skirts and the sky high pumps. But he'd never seen you looking as lost as you did standing there at his front door with your suitcases in hand, telling him you officially had a week before you had to report back to headquarters and you probably shouldn't, but you wanted to spend as much of it with him as you could.

So he'd done something impulsive and swept you out of the city and taken you to his favorite place- a simple little log cabin nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains.

"You didn't bring me here to kill me and hide my body did you?"

"It would've been easier to do that in the city, honey," Jack laughs.

You still haven't moved from the entryway while you take in your surroundings. Small kitchen with eat in dining, a decent sized living area taken up by a massive leather sofa facing a stone fireplace, stairs leading to a second floor loft area that you assume is the bedroom.

"So this is just- what? Your secluded little love nest? You bring all your conquests here?"

"No, this is just my retreat from the world, SunDrop. My safe space to be away from everything and unwind. Just peace and quiet. Besides family dropping by occasionally, you're my first guest. Ever."

"Jack....then why...."

"Because,” he sighs, coming back to where you still haven't moved and pulling you into his arms. “You’ve told me damn near a million times how much you hate the city and because you said this thing between us has an expiration date, right? So if we've only got a week, I don't want any distractions."

You don't even make it upstairs that first night.

You wake the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon and peel yourself off the leather sofa to pad over to the kitchen where you're greeted with one of your new favorite sights- Jack in warm cotton and soft flannel cooking breakfast. The man makes the fluffiest biscuits and the best sausage gravy you've ever had in your life.

"You ready to share your biscuit recipe yet?" You ask, walking up behind him at the stove and wrapping your arms around his waist, going up on tiptoes for a second to kiss the back of his neck before stealing a piece of bacon and moving off to pour yourself a cup of coffee.

"Not even close, sunshine." Jack laughs. "Eggs and bacon will be up in a few minutes."

Coffee poured, you hop up on one of the stools at the island and spin around to take in the view from the kitchen windows and munch on your bacon. Extra crispy, just the way you liked it. Can't say the man hasn't been paying attention.

"So where are we?"

"Tennessee. Not too awful far from Gatlinburg."

"And what are we doing here?" You ask, spinning back to the island and watching him plate breakfast.

"Anything you want? The place is stocked up, we can stay in all week if you want."

"Hmm....tempting as that idea is, what are my other options?"

"Well, we could do the tourist thing- go wander around Gatlinburg or over to Dollywood."

"Pass," you say, wrinkling your nose in distaste. "Something more low-key maybe."

"Okay, it's the weekend so the farmers market is open, there's a flea market near by if bootleg DVDs and knockoff designer handbags are your thing. Couple antique mall junkhole places," Jack shrugs.

He'll take you to any and all of them, just to spend time with you. Time for playing it cool is over, every second counts and he wants to make the most of them.

"My sisters like all the little boutiques and shit downtown. And the drive-in should be playing something tonight."

"I've never been to a drive-in."

"What? None of the boys you dated back in highschool ever took you to the drive-in?" Jack asks, mock-offended. "What kinda red-blooded all American boy didn't take his best girl to the drive-in hoping to get lucky?"

"There was only one boy," you shrug. "And I guess he preferred his blowjobs in the back of an air conditioned movie theater."

Jack chokes on his coffee and you wink at him as you hop off the barstool and drop your dishes in the sink before heading over to grab your suitcase.

"You alright there, cowboy? I'm assuming the shower's upstairs? You're welcome to join me...."

[eros-ghoulette]

Fascinating creatures

Swiss walks around the ministry garden, when he stumbles upon a certain airghoul.

Characters: Swiss, Zephyr, a few others are mentioned

Word count: 658

It was a dark morning, the sky still blue, a few clouds covering the still visible stars. The air smelled like rain, a heavy smell his pack mate would love. Swiss was strolling through the ministry garden. He was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a shirt he stole from Aether some weeks ago. Smokie; Swiss had heard a few songs before, but Aether was the only one to listen to their songs frequently and to own a shirt of that band; that belonged to Swiss for now.

In the distance he heard a raven calling for its mate, at least it sounded like it. He stopped and listened. It was not the first time he heard the raven calling, but he never thought much about it until now. His tail was thumping softly against his left leg as he stood there and just listened. It reminded him of the late night talks he sometimes had with Omega, the former bandghoul had the same problem with sleep as he and would wander through the dark corridors at times everyone else would already be in the lands of dreams. They were not close, but Omega had a fascination for this kind of thing. He once said that ravens kept their partners for a lifetime, that they got each others backs no matter what.

Swiss heard steps coming from behind and spun around. He thought it would be Rain or maybe Mountain, but the ghoul he was faced with was a bit more unusual, at least that was Swiss` opinion on that matter. Zephyr was someone he talked to a few times, but no deep conversations. Cumulus and Cirrus were talking to them more often, their shared element and also shared instruments gave them a bonding.

The older ghoul noticed Swiss and gave him a polite nod. They were leaning on a cane. A present of their pack a few years ago.

“Morning”, he greeted the airghoul back.

“Couldn‘t sleep?” The question came back and this time Swiss nodded.

The raven's call seemed near this time, and the multighoul spun around. There they were; two ravens, black as the darkest night, flying together over treetops. The sky was not as blue as before, its colour now a bit of lighter, framing the world in a tone, that reminded Swiss of ocean water.

“Omega told you about them?” He heard Zephyrs voice beside him now and turned his head to look at the other ghoul. They were playing with a few leaves, letting them fly through the air.

“Yeah”, he answered.

“Fascinating creatures”, Zephyr stated.

“Yeah.” It should have been awkward, the whole encounter felt awkward, but Swiss found himself liking the presence of the other one. They were quiet and while Swiss loved chaos, he needed to be quiet from time to time. And it amazed him how easily Zephyr controlled the air, his eyes drawn to the leaves as they slipped around. While being a multighoul, air was never his strongest element. Cirrus ones said it was because he was too quirky, and she was right.

“Try not to think about it”, Zephyr suddenly said, and Swiss gave them a confused look, which lead them to snicker. “I can practically hear your thoughts.”

Swiss blushed a bit and tried to bring himself to not watch the leaves in childlike amazement. He wanted to reach out his hand and try it too, but he did not want to embarrass himself, so he did not. Instead, he stayed quiet.

“How about you accompany the girls next time they visit me for tips?”, Zephyr offered then and turned around to leave. “They told me you want to control the air.”

“They are right”, Swiss said and watched them walking back, he now knew why the ghoulettes loved to go to Zephyr. They were calm, a constant. Something Swiss missed most of the time.

“I‘ll see you then.” The smile in their voice was obvious.

[thatbanditqueen]

George's Garage

An Elvis Presley one-shot response to the prompt: How are we going to solve this problem?

Summary: Elvis and the Memphis Mafia are driving back to Hollywood from Memphis to shoot Kissin' Cousins, when the car breaks down on Route 66. Luckily they are not too far from George's garage and her skilled, lady mechanic fingers.

Warnings: 18+ DNI, E to L (ish), fellatio, swearing, implied drug use. Also some minor historical inaccuracies. ALL THE TYPOS. Written in haste under pressure. Sort of.

Word Count: Yeah, this one got away from me.... 7.5 K

Saturday, October 5, 1963

They were an hour away from Needles, and the crisp, hot midday air blew over Billy’s face as as he steadied his arm on the white convertible. He turned his eyes to the burnt desert, taking in the cacti and shrubbery below a clear, powder blue sky. The Yucca trees stood tall, like hunched warriors in the distance, bent over and ready to descend on Elvis’ caravan racing along the highway. The radio fizzled and Billy turned to watch Elvis roll the dial knob between his fingers until he got reception and began singing along to Bobby Vinton’s latest hit, “Blue Velvet,” in an offkey high voice, laughing at himself. Billy forced a smile and twisted awkwardly in his seat, the blue leather creaked under him, and he wished he was back in Memphis eating dinner with Jo.  He’d been riding shotgun the last four days ago. His butt ached and he was struggling to stay on the same mental frequency as his cousin, who had started the trip with the same high enthusiasm he usually had for the road. However, the closer they got to Hollywood, the more erratic Elvis’ mood had become. He had ranged from being introspective and engaging, talking softly and seriously about plans to expand Graceland, to despondent rants about how nice it was to be with the guys away from women. Billy assumed this specifically referred to one woman in particular and her persistent requests to come to Los Angeles with them. Then there had been the violent tantrums about "that embarrassin,' sorry-ass excuse for a” movie they were driving to LA to shoot, every time Joe brought up the fact that they were supposed to be in LA already. Elvis began halting their progress even more after the fight with Joe. There were now impromptu football games on the side of the road several times a day, meals had become long, leisurely affairs and each stop along the way involved intense pranks. Billy had rings of black shoe shine around his eyes for the better part of yesterday after looking though a pair of Elvis’ binoculars. Though he'd had been glad to see Elvis smile, even if it was at his expense.

The Buick drove on, and Billy watched Elvis adjust the black yachting hat on his head.

“Man oh man, Joe says we’re ‘posed to film all the Great Smoky scenes in Big Bear. Big Bear! Can ya believe it? Ain’t no one gonna believe those scraggly ass sorry California ant hills are the Blue Ridge mountains. I can tell you that, man. I can tell you that.”

Billy tightened his smile and contemplated the right thing to say.

“I said, can ya believe that?” Elvis jabbed Billy expectantly. “With me, ME, of all people, goddammit. Those Hollywood jackasses ain’t ever even been to Tennessee and they want me to go round chasin’ after my cousin’s coochie like some inbred hillbilly pretendin’ Big Bear is goddamn Cades Cove.”

“You know ain’t no one looking at the background EP, specially not with you bein’ all handsome, uh, up der on the screen. Singing the way you do. With all those beautiful girls. Shouldn't worry so much, everything is gonna be good.”

Elvis looked ahead, grunting, while Billy turned his head around to look back and nod at Alan driving the motor home behind them, seemingly laughing and smoking a cigar with Red, Sonny and Joe. Alan tipped his head with a wink, and Billy rolled his eyes, jarred from his backwards view by the slap of Elvis’ hand.

“Hey, man, hey, hand me my toiletries, huh Billum?”

Billy nodded with a “Sure,” and reached his hand back along the floor of the back seat. Not finding it through touch, Billy flipped around and  began to panic, because Billy was an observant man. He knew what Elvis’ black travel case full of pills looked like. And as he stared down at the blue carpeted floor beneath him he did not see it there. He also knew that when he reported this to Elvis he was going to regret coming on this trip more than he already did. So he squirmed, letting the expensice, custom blue leather squeak under him as he shifted from side-to-side, hesitating to meet Elvis’ eyes in the rear view mirror. Ten minutes later, Billy was leaning against the side of the RV smoking in Sonny’s shadow and staring silently at Joe and Red while Elvis stomped up and down the motor home screeching at Alan.

“Whatcha mean you ain’t seen it? Ya hog-eared fat, useless sonabitch. I - I -I.” They heard the sound of trampling feet stop. “Goddamit, I ‘member vividly handin’ it to you, and telling you ta put in the back seat of the car.”

They could hear Alan’s pitiful words stammer out through the walls. “I musta -  musta put it down in the bathroom at that rest stop.”

“I musta put it down in the bathroom in that rest stop!” Elvis high vibrato mimicking Alan reverberated through the metal, and Billy saw Red shoot Sonny a knowing look as they listened. “Well you’re the one whose gonna ‘splain ta Billy why he and I are turnin’ around and going back.”

The mood in the car was decidedly different three hours later as the Buick sped over the same stretch of pavement flying through the Yucca Valley and past Needles. Billy was still in the convertible, trying to think of any reasonable excuse why he needed to be in the RV with the others. Now he sat quietly, nodding occasionally as Elvis muttered angrily to himself, his black toiletry case neatly tucked next to Billy’s feet in the car cabin. Billy started planning out how he would explain why Joe should be driving with Elvis to go over the upcoming filming schedule, and he planned to suggest this when they eventually caught up to the others. He wondered if the guys were already at the motel in Barstow,  but did not have long to contemplate his escape from these close quarters with Elvis before a milky white cloud of smoke exploded out of the engine in front of them and he found himself clutching the seat for dear life as Elvis guided the sputtering Buick to the side of the road.

Billy was once again leaning against a car smoking. He was not exactly sure where they were, somewhere between  between Needles and Barstow, he figured. However, the desire to know precisely where they were was secondary to his innate desire to not be there at all. Where ever here actually was. Billy watched a lizard crawl over the warm road, then scamper off at the sound of Elvis shrill high pitched screams. Billy had never wished more fervently that he was a lizard, or anything else at all, actually, then in that moment as he looked at the reptile slither off the road away from the sound of Elvis kicking the front tire, his voice ringing out through the stillness of the Mojave desert at sunset.

“GODDDAMMIT! God fucking  dammit. GOD. DAMN. IT.”

Billy wiped the sweat off his forehead and squinting at what looked like a cluster of buildings further along on the horizon.

************************************************************************

The office counter fan pushed cool air on George and blew her dark brown curls into her face. She tucked them back behind her ear as she stared down at her crossword puzzle and bobbed a pencil against her lip in contemplation, sucking it momentarily.

“Five letter word for neckwear. Hmmm.”

Frustrated, she moved on to the next across word clue, pausing as her eyes roamed over the stack of paperwork she was supposed to be working on.

“Ugh, c’mon, just knock out these orders and then you can close up. It’s almost 6.”

Nodding to the sound of her own voice, George had just resolved to set aside the crossword puzzle when the front door bell startled her and she looked up to see two men stagger into the office, panting and laughing.

The one in front had on a black yachting hat, and his head was down as he tucked his shirt in. There across his neck was a jaunty, white decorative scarf held by a golden cravat.

“Ascot!” Georgie exclaimed, grabbing her pencil and excitedly filling in 5 Across. But her smile quickly faded as she looked up to see the quizzical face of Elvis Presley looking back.

“Huh, yeah, uh huh.” He pushed his gold cravat up his very short, very shiny, very expensive white silk ascot tie.

 Elvis’ face went from confused to confident as he steadied himself, placing his thumbs in his belt loops, and sauntering up to the counter to lay his hand down. He moved it over George’s hand in an instantly familiar and somewhat intensely intimate manner.  George was not prepared for the sweaty, pit stained lanky mass of charisma now rubbing his thumb along side the pinky of her left hand.

“Like that, huh, darlin?” Elvis winked, and tugged at the edge of the ascot as he purred. “Listen, is your boss around?”

George looked down at her hand, Elvis’ forwardness had shocked her and she recoiled into herself for a moment before pulling her hand away. She glanced at the short, skinny guy behind him who was avoiding her gaze and suddenly taking an intense interest in the photos hanging on the office wall.

It had been almost ten years since he first began performing, yet, watching women's awestruck expressions still gave Elvis a warm rush and made him feel special. Elvis winked at George, and decided to try and make her feel comfortable.

He smiled shyly and looked down, grasping her hand back up between his.

“Shhh, s’ok , honey, it's ok, now."

He sucked in a deep breath, chuckling.

"I, uh, I really would rather ya treated me like a normal person. No need to get flustered.”

He turned his blue eyes back up to her and waggled his eyebrows.

“So, uh, now, c’mon honey, can you grab ya boss, hmmm? We’re in need of help somethin' awful.”

“Well, honey,” George collected her self, and pulled her hand back. Again. She looked Elvis in the eyes, glancing back at his ascot for a moment. What a pointless, ridiculous, pompous accessory. “I assure you I am not flustered.”

“Well, uh, good, then. I reckon that ya can hop to it, woman, go get ya boss.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, tilting his head to the side door that led to the garage. “We need ta get back on tha - “

Billy squinted and looked closer at one of the photos, and turned to interrupt his cousin.

“Hey, EP, I th-th-th —”

“Shhh, Billy, just a second.”

George pursed her lips and then smiled tightly.

“Why don’t you tell me what brings you guys in tonight?”

Elvis grinned at her, the length of his chin extended as the right side of his mouth crooked up in another smile and exposed his teeth. He patted the top of her hand. Again. George flinched back. Again.

“Hmm, I’d love to spend all night talking cars with ya sugar.”

Elvis looked back at Billy, who immediately chuckled nervously.

“But,uh, well, we got an urgent situation. Now,  be a good girl and go run an get the mechanic.”

Billy stepped closer to try whisper in Elvis’ ear, but he shushed him as George narrowed her eyes, straightening her body so she sat taller above the counter, almost even with Elvis’ gaze.  This did not seem to deter Elvis’ from leaning closer into her personal space, his face now just inches above hers.

Lips quirking into a tight, polite exaggerated smile, George shook her head as she reclaimed her hand. Again. How did he do it? She hadn’t even noticed it was on her.

“I’m sorry boys.” She put on an exaggerated pout. “The boss decided not take anymore jobs today. We close in five minutes anyway —”

“Now, now, now, wait just a goddamn minute. What do you expect us to do?”

Elvis’s nostrils flared out, and he clenched his fists, his voice rising into a growl. All that charm was now replaced by disbelief as he stepped back and crossed his arms.

 “Nah, uh uh, we ain’t leavin’ til you take your sweet little behind and go find who ever, ever, who ever runs this place.” He slammed his fist on the counter to show that he meant business.

For the twentieth time today, Billy looked down into the ground and wished he was in Memphis.

Nonplussed, George pulled her mouth into an even wider smile.

“Listen, Barstow’s an hour away, by car. Not sure how long it would take you to walk.”

She strolled around toward the swinging door that led to the garage.

“We open at 8 a.m. tomorrow.”

She turned to go back to the workshop, pausing at the whine in Elvis’ voice.

“Now, now, uh uh. We ain’t leavin’ til we talk to your boss.”

Georgie raised her eyebrow and tilted her head.

“Suit yourself.”

She went into the shop and began pulling down the service bay doors that opened up to parking lot.

After the door swung shut, Billy pulled on Elvis’ shirt.

“Did you get a load of that chick, huh, Bill? Who pissed in her coffee this morinin’, that’s what I wanna know. Was it me, now, or did she go from gobsmacked fan to cool bitch in under two minutes. Weren’t asking for any special treatment. You heard me, I asked to be treated like, like, like any regular, normal customer. Right?”

Elvis threw his yachting cap on the counter in a huff, and stomped his foot. Billy watched as Elvis adjusted his little gold cravat and leaned back on the raised heel of his Italian black leather boots. Yup, just a regular guy...

“She wouldn’t even go get her boss —”

Billy coughed.  “Oh, I think she got the boss alright.”

Elvis raised his eyebrows, and Billy pointed to the photos on the wall of a female in dirty coveralls working on cars, in some she was standing next to an older women who was also in coveralls.

“Huh, well I’ll be. A lady grease monkey. So that’s why she’s got her panties in a twist.”

Billy grinned. “Well, I reckon if anyone can untwist a girl’s panties, it’s you.”

Elvis shoved his cousin’s shoulder and winked as he walked backwards through the swinging door into the auto shop. George turned from rolling down the last bay door and crossed her arms, glaring, as Elvis walked toward her. His hat was gone and his arms hung back under his chest, the sleeves of his blue, silk shirt were rolled up and his left hand was notched at his waist. The way his long fingers stretched out over his hip gave his stance an air of purpose. She met his blue eyes and they twinkled with amusement.

“Here now, I - I- I think we got off on the wrong foot out there, bossman.”

Georgie wiped her hands on her jeans, realizing just how much taller he was as he strode toward her. “Hmmm, there’s no need for that, George is fine.”

“George?”

“Georgina if you wanna be more formal, George, Georgie, G, I answer to ‘em all.”

“Alright Georgie George. Can we start again?”

Georgie crossed her arms and pursed her lips, but nodded, moving Elvis’ hand from her waist as she jutted her chin up to look at him. He instantly moved his left hand to her shoulder, once again his thumb was immediate and intimate as it rubbed her collar bone.

“Look, pretty girl like you? How were we sposed to know —”

George lifted his hand from her shoulder, smoothing out her blouse.

“You can lay off the charm. Trust me, you are not the first schmuck to walk in here thinking I’m the secretary.”

Elvis lifted his hands up in defeat.

“OK, ok, now, no charm, I got it. Just brass tacks, jack. George, I mean.”

He winked. Again. A stifled laugh rippled under his cheeks, and George found his smug manner both infuriating and magnetic. She also felt an inexplicable desire to slap his face.

“So, my car’s broke down back on the highway. How are we going to solve this problem, huh?”

George looked at the clock on the wall above her work bench. 6:15. Maude would just be finishing up supper over at the motel, and her stomach had started to growl in anticipation. She looked at Elvis then back at the floor.

“Technically, WE are done working for the day.”

She sighed, somehow his hand was back at her waist and George felt her resolve fading.

“BUT, I hate to think of what I’m guessing is a very fancy, expensive car out there on the highway over night.”

Elvis smirked and adjusted his silk ascot. “Now, wait a minute here, what makes you think I’d own a fancy car?”

“Oh, let’s just call it female intuition. Handier than you’d think in this line of work.”

George removed Elvis hand from her waist, and looked towards the corner of her shop, as she found it increasingly difficult to maintain her brusk, professional demeanor when staring directly into his face.

“Look, I am due for supper, but after, I can drive out with my tow truck and bring your vehicle back here to look over in the morning. How bout that?”

“Sss - sounds good, sounds real good. We can definitely go after we eat, cuz I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”

************************************************************************

It was dark when they returned to the garage and George led the way around the back to her tow truck. Billy’s small, short body sat on the passenger side of the cab, and George’s small, short figure sat in the driver’s seat. In between them sat the large, wide, body of Elvis Presley, his arms extended over the back of the seat in both directions, mirrored by the wide berth of his spread legs as he made himself comfortable. He stroked his chin as he looked at himself in the rearview mirror, running his hand through his hair, then pulling out a comb to fix it. George rolled her eyes.

“Trust me, no one is gonna see you out here. In the desert. At 8 o’clock at night.” She motioned to the murky, black expanse of the highway ahead of them.

“Just feel more comfortable to have it all neat and tidy and in the right place. You know how it is, Georgie George, with ya do-hickey here holding this mess a curls back.”

Elvis tugged on George’s pony tail, and she swatted his hand away with an annoyed sigh, then decided to push her knee back against him and reclaim some of her leg room. George’s smile at her triumph was short lived, for, while Elvis held his knees closer together, now his hand slid down along her thigh to envelope her knee cap, squeezing absentmindedly while Billy talked at length about nothing at all. George pushed his hand off her knee, only to find it around her shoulders a moment later, and she gave up, actually pressing into him harder when she saw the white car and turned her steering wheel to parallel park the back of the tow truck at the trunk of the Buick.

Elvis started to reach up for the hook and George hit his hand away from her equipment.

“Stop. I need to line them up a little better. If you want to be helpful, stand there.” She pointed to the edge of the car’s trunk. “And guide me back so the tires are straight from each other, can you handle that?”

“Yes bossman, you just go right ahead, me an Billum are standing by for your orders.” He smirked as he gave George a salute. Billy smiled apologetically

George ignored them, jumping out again when she was content that the tires were lined up and quietly asked if someone would put the car in neutral. Elvis threw Billy the keys, and stood watching as George bent down with her flashlight and pushed herself over the dirt so she was under the back of the Buick. Elvis whistled.

“Hmm, really get down in there, don’t ya?”

“Hmmpf. I’m not afraid of dirt, Mr. Presley.”

George called up to him, as she pulled the lift bar out under the Buick, hitching it to the car, then pulling her up and grabbing a wrench to jack the back of the car until the two back tires were now held completely off the ground. Elvis’ bottom lip hung down as he watched George jump up on the back of the tow truck, and swing down with the hook hangingcoff the boom to secure it to the Buick. When she was satisfied it would hold, George called to Billy to turn the Buick’s lights on, and jumped on the ground, moving towards the driver’s seat as she wiped her hands.

“Hold on, now.”

Elvis whispered, holding George by her shoulders and licking his thumb.

“Not afraid of grease, neither, huh?”

He rolled his wet thumb slowly over the long black streak on her cheek, back and forth until it was gone. His eyes roamed over her face, taking in the way the bottom of her front teeth appeared just slightly under her top lip as she looked up at him and trembled ever so slightly from his touch. He chuckled when she grimaced and pushed his hand away, replacing it with a bandana that she furnished from her coveralls to wipe her face herself .

Elvis brushed dirt off her chest, and moved her around, ignoring the way her hands tried to push him off, as he wiped the dirt off her back and bottom.

“Hush now, I know ya ain’t scared of dirt, doesn’t mean ya wanna be covered in it.”

He brushed his hands off and held her at her waist.

“Moon’s out tonight. Kinda pretty out here in the quiet of the desert.”

Neither of them looked at the moon. Or the desert. They didn't move until the sound of Billy’s footsteps in the gravel broke the spell and they remembered where they were and what was happening. George jolted back, smoothing her hair, as she nodded and walked over to get in the car.

George was silent on the drive back, turning the radio up to let the voices of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tell her, Billy and Elvis how to walk like a man. Billy droned on about how he never got used to looking out at the desert, and wondered what tumbleweeds really were and where they came from. She was glad for all the noise, it helped her focus her mind on the road ahead and the tasks she needed to do to when they got back, and led her attention away from the strong, warm thigh pressing against her own. George softened into making requests instead of barking commands back at the shop, though she avoided looking directly at Elvis as she said goodnight. Instead, she nodded into Billy’s eyes as she told them to come back in the morning.

************************************************************************

Morning was approximately 11:17 a.m. At least it was for the occupants of room 217. It was 11:45 when they rambled into the motel office and Elvis sweet talked George’s older sister, Maude, into making breakfast, showing her how to burn her bacon the way he liked it as she laughed and answered his random questions about their family and life on Route 66. It was well past noon when Elvis finished the last of his black coffee, and made Maude blush when he crept up behind her at the kitchen sink to kiss her cheek  with a “Thanks for breakfast, honey.” Then he gave Billy very detailed instructions to keep calling the house back in LA, find out where the RV was, and get Joe up to speed on what had happened. 

“He needs to get out here and bring money, cause I don’t know how long this whole thing is gonna take.”

Billy looked over at his cousin. “Gonna have him drive you back tonight?”

“Hell no, I ain’t leaving my car here. Where’d ya get that idea?”

“Joe ain’t gonna be happy with me, EP, tomorrow is Monday, aintcha ‘sposed to go in to record them songs for Kissin——”

“You can tell ol Diamond Joe, from me, that he’s just gonna have to put ‘em off. This car is a custom, one-of-a-kind Buick Skylark with leather seats, a gold plated dash board and a car phone. If he thinks I’m leaving without overseeing its repair, he’s off his goddamn rocker.” 

Billy gulped with an uneasy smile. He loved his cousin, but couldn’t help wishing it was a year ago and they were setting off to Hawaii to do exterior shots for Girls, Girls, Girls, when the mood was lighter and Marty and Lamar were still around.

Ignoring Billy’s puppy dog eyes, Elvis set off across the highway to George’s garage. He smiled at the sight of her legs sticking out from under his car, and he stood for a while admiring them before he whistled flirtatiously and watched her grease streaked face emerge rolling out.

“Never thought I’d like the look of canvas coveralls so much.” Elvis’ cheeks hollowed out as he grinned in boyish glee at George’s disdainful look, then willfully ignored it, walking closer to her and leaning on his car. “What’s the word, bossman?”

“Hmmm. Well, all it needs is an oil change.”

“Oh? That all? ”

“Oh yeah, that’s all. Just make it a month ago. That pan is bone dry, and you’ve blown the head gasket, which explains the white smoke you described. And your engine is starting to warp.”

Elvis smiled as he watched her talk.

“Mr. Presley, I hardly think this is something to smile about, this car - well, normally I’d recommend—"

“Elvis.” He stepped closer.

George looked at him confused, realizing her head was at eye level with the front pocket of his dark blue polka dotted satin shirt.

“What?”

“Elvis, baby, how many times I gotta tell ya to call me Elvis?”

He rubbed her waist. And George lifted his hand off her body, ignoring the tingling feeling she felt as she patted his chest deliberately to push him back.

“Um, huh.”

She breathed.

“Right, ok, Mr. Presley. I mean Elvis. As I was saying, um, usually, in these circumstances I recommend getting a new car, because the cost of a new engine is about the same as a new Buick. But you have a lot of.”

She paused to lift his hand from her shoulder, unsure how it got there, but instinctively stepping back when she saw Elvis take a step closer to her, his hand rolling over the white metal of the Skylark’s rim.

“Um - uh. A lot of expensive-looking modifications that make this vehicle, erm, um, valuable.”

George tripped over her sliding roller and Elvis caught her in his arms, grinning as she looked up into his eyes.

“Hmmm, yeah, I know all ‘bout those modifications, Georgie Girl. Oversaw the custi-a-mi-zation of this baby myself, ev’ry inch.”

He smirked at way George trembled and then pushed him off, steadying herself as she stumbled back.

“Hmm, well, for someone so involved you seem to have little regard for your car’s well being.”

Elvis frowned, and shook his head.

“What now?”

“I said, for someone who throws so much money into cars, you don’t seem to care much or know much about them. That car needed an oil change weeks ago, and now I’ll be lucky if I can salvage it. It’s gonna take me days to undo the damage you’ve caused driving it across the country on sludge.”

Elvis rolled back onto the heels of his expensive, Italian boots. He suddenly wished he’d worn an ascot today, it would have been nice to have something there to pull on for comfort. Instead, he braced himself at his hips, his stomach jutting up as he looked at George and frowned. She was pretty, smart, and the her utter obliviousness to how good looking she was, along with the way she seemed to try very hard to resist his advances, aroused him even more. But now she was criticizing how he took care of his cars and seemed to be questioning his very understanding of how motor vehicles. Which, to be fair to George, was an entirely accurate estimation of Elvis. His main question getting into one of his cars was: “Where is the key?” Though, in his defense, this was the only question usually necessary,  because Lamar had been taking care of everything, until the ungrateful bastard had run off to work in Nashville and left the car maintenance to the other guys. Who had promptly forgot about it.

“Now, wait just a goddamn minute, honey, I don’t much appreciate the way y-y- y.”

Elvis clenched his fist and breathed deeply.

“If you are insinuating I don’t know how to take care of my cars, well, you must be outta your goddamn mind. Do you know how many cars I own? What my work schedule is like? I’ll have you know that I have so many cars, I just go out and jump into one, and usually everything is fine, cuz my guys keep em all lubed up real good. It’s just that, well, my car guy just quit, and this one musta fallen by the wayside before he left.”

“Hmmm.” George crossed her arms. “I can’t imagine why someone would want to leave your employment.”

“What’s that ‘sposed to mean?”

“It means that you are difficult and you are spoiled. And full of your self. Think you can go where ever you want, do whatever you please. Got my sister as your short order cook now too. You know, it is just the two of us running the motel and garage out here. She was supposed to be overseeing check out this morning, but no, she’s cooking for you, and so the maids were running to me for direction while she serves you breakfast.”

Elvis stepped forward, hovering over George’s face.

“Jealous, baby? Sounds a lot like you wished it were you a - puttin’ somethin’ in my mouth.”

George slapped him, her eyes on fire.

“Get out of my garage. You’re lucky I’m still willing to - to - work on your - your - stupid, absurdly customized, ridiculous car.”

Elvis rubbed his smarting cheek, with a smirk, then shook his head.

“Ok, ok. I’m leaving. I just came over to see what the diagnosis was, crazy woman.”

George turned around and went to grab a wrench.

“It’s going to be two more days, at the soonest. And I charge double for today, on account that it’s Sunday. Looking at that gold plated dashboard, I figure you can afford my hourly rate.”

“Mhmmm. Uh huh. Don’t you worry, honey, I’m used to paying women double for their hourly rate. Long as I get what I pay for.”

“Get. Out. Before I change my mind.”

George stared ahead at the tools hanging in front her, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to dissipate before she turned around and screamed into the counter below her. She hated Elvis Presley, she hated the ostentatious way he had poured money into superficial aspects of a car that do not make a difference to its performance, and she hated the way his smug face smirked down at her when he talked. But most of all, she hated, hated, hated the way he seemed to always be touching her, it wasn’t even necessarily sexual, just a reflex, like breathing.

“Like his stupid, heavy opened mouth breathing. Ugh. The sooner you get this car fixed, the sooner you an get him out of your hair and back on the road.”

George threw herself into fixing the Buick like a woman possessed.

************************************************************************

George did not join them for dinner, and Elvis politely asked Maude for a second helping of her chili con carne while Billy regaled her with tales from previous road trips. The sanitized versions, of course, with a promise that they would never pull any of the pranks he described at her motel.

“I reckon we ain’t never stayed here no how, cuz it’s so close to LA, usually try to get to Winslow the first night out to Memphis. Same on the way back, lessen we cut over to Sin City.”

He looked at Elvis, whose eyes were gazing at the lit window above the garage, his mind lost in thought remembering the fiery look in George’s hazel eyes, and the shapely contour of her bottom underneath his hands as he’d wiped the dirt off her the night before.

“Right, EP?” Billy repeated himself, and Elvis looked up in a daze, and stood.

“Hmmm, sorry y’all. This is very good chili, ma’am, very good. I like that you don’t put onions in yours, no, no, it’s just right. Just how I like it.”

He brought his bowl to the sink, and looked at Billy’s quizzical face, as he excused himself.

“I, uh, I. Well, I think I need to go apologize to your sister. I have a bad temper, I know it, boy do I know it. Mighty Mouth ova there knows it.”

Billy nodded, slowly, waiting to see where this was going.

”I ,uh, well, I reckon I need to go straighten things out with George, so she ain’t liable to pour sugar in my gas tank or nothin.”

George was on her third beer when she opened the door of her apartment to find Elvis’ dark front hair flop dangling down toward her. She sipped from the bottle as she started to ask him what he wanted, only to watch him push through her outstretched arm, the she was using to block his entry to her flat, and proceed to pace around the living room.

“Look, I came over because, uh, well.”

He ran his right hand through his hair, his left hand hitched at his belt. The sound of Patsy Cline singing wafted through the room as he turned.

“Well, I didn’t like how we left things earlier.”

“Mhmmm.”

George grunted, taking another swig of beer and holding the door open with the back of her bare foot. The strap of her her brown, A-line dress fell over her shoulder and she pulled it back up, fixing the loose bust that covered her small, modest bosom.

“Ok, apology accepted, you can go.”

Elvis raised his eyebrow and strode toward her.

“See, now that, that right there, is the problem. I come over to patch things up and you get all nasty. Like I was tha only one, uh, the only one spoutin’ vinegar earlier.”

His hands found their way to her hips, and rolled over them. George shivered at the warm murmur of his voice.

“Why is it so hard for you to just be nice to me? To just be a nice girl?”

George felt the cool of her beer bottle as it hung heavy in her right hand, her eyes flittered up to Elvis’ where he hovered over her, pushing her against the open, apartment door she had been so hasty to send him out of thirty seconds ago.

“But I’m not a nice girl, Mr. Presley.”

She lowered her yes, turning to the right.

“Why even pretend.” She whispered.

Elvis leaned forward.

“Hmmm."

His thumbs rolled up and down the sides of her belly like slow, small window wipers clearing away the doubt and hesitancy that tightened her stomach.  His lips wavered over hers as he muttered into her cheek.

“How many times I gotta tell you to call me Elvis?”

He leaned in closer, lips just above her skin as she closed her eyes and a moan escaped her mouth. Elvis tightened his grip at her waist.

“Mr. Presley is my daddy.”

He laid his lips softly over her, as he smooshed into them awkwardly, tenderly, taking several clumsy tackles until they settled over hers and then gently crushed into her. All George could hear were the sloppy clicks of air echoing between their lips as she closed her eyes and felt his mouth press onto hers. His hands traced further down her sides and his tongue gently teased the entrance of her mouth.

George pulled back, panting, and pushed Elvis into the apartment, setting her beer on top of the bookcase by the door. He wiped his mouth, an apologetic expression forming as he started to talk.

“Oh man, I’m sorry, I , uh, I didn’—”

George put her finger to his mouth and pulled himto her.  Elvis’ eyes lit up as he opened his lips over it and George pushed her finger inside his mouth, tingling with electricity as it grazed against Elvis’ teeth. She saddled closer, tilting her chest into his, lifting her self closer to his face. He inhaled with a shudder, hands stroking her waist, eyes closed, his lips more forceful now and she groaned as she met his tongue with hers. Elvis caught George as she tripped backwards and cupped her bottom cheeks, carrying her to the couch. Her arms wound around his neck and she peppered his face with sweet, light kisses.

He plopped down laughing as she straddled over his lap, exploring his neck with her mouth while her fingers grasped at the back of his head, hair, shoulders. Elvis hands roamed over the top of George’s brown cotton dress, slowly pulling it up as his thumbs trailed over the white panties he found there, roving over her thighs and around to caresses her buttucks. The way she looked down and blushed made Elvis’ cock twitch and she bit her lip when she felt it. Looking into his eye’s with devilish intent, George arched her eyebrow and slide down to the carpet to nestle herself between Elvis’ legs. His reached down to stop her eager hands, eyes narrowing as he shook his head.

“Uh uhhhhhh,  you’re a nice girl, nice girls don, uh, well, nice girls don do that. Ain’t gonna let ya do something you gonna regret tomorrow morning.”

Elvis took her hand up, and kissed the bottom of her palm as George surged up taller on her haunches to kiss him back, her fingers caressed his neck as she moaned a whiny please into his mouth.

“Pleasseeee. This. This is my favorite thing.”

She kissed him, freeing her right hand from his grasp, and then dipping down to nuzzle against his hardened length.

“C’mon….uh…goddammit honey… fuck.”

He breathed in, opening his eyes to still her with a grip to her chin.

 “You really wanna… wanna see ‘im, huh?”

George nodded, and bit her lip. A crooked grin spread over Elvis’ face as he shook his head again, and undid his belt,  lifting up as he unzipped and pulled his pants down, his smile widening as George smiled coyly, waggling her eye brows and then leaning in to lightly kiss his foreskin. Elvis tilted his head back at the sensation, and thrust his hips closer to George’s face as she pressed her lips over the head, slowly gliding down as Elvis’ tip emerged from his foreskin.

He groaned out, and she giggled into the pink head of his penis. He opened his eyes and looked down, hand moving down to run his fingers through the side of her hair.

“What’s so funny, huh, lil girl?”

George savored the way his quizzical expression changed from amused to almost terrified pleasure as her lips popped off.

“You. The noises you make. I find them—” she dove back down, plunging farther as she finished her sentence with a mouth full of Elvis. “He-war-ee-ousss.”

Her response didn’t really register with him, as he sunk back into the couch cushions at the charged, blissful surge of George’s mouth up his cock, his fingers threading through the left side of her hair. Elvis bucked into her mouth as her lips met his base, and he hit the back of her throat. She smiled inward because she could tell he was trying to hold his hips still so as not to press to far in and gag her. His fingers were soft, and his mouth ushered forth a mantra of sweet “oh gawds,” as George sucked back and forth, her tongue darting to swirl around the edge, then she pulled off to catch her breath, looking up into Elvis’ sweet, grateful dopey smile. George beamed back, maintaining eye contact as she plunged down again with a fervent thirst, her cheeks hollowing with determination as she flattened her tongue beneath his cock, swallowing it in long, slow strokes, sinking down over him and relishing the needy, almost shocked look in his eyes as she throbbed up and down, his hand lightly following in her hair. His moans became louder, and George quickened her pace, thrusting her chest forward to delve further, harder, softer with each successive delicious movement downward. Elvis gripped her hair, looking down.

“Hey baby, heyyy, Immaa - Immma ‘bout to explode, hmmmm? ahhhhh”

George nodded, and groaned as her mouth worked its way down faster, sucking in with heightened, electric anticipation until she heard him cry out and felt the spasm of Elvis’ pulsating into her mouth. She swallowing, sloppily, as she rotated up and down, holding him at his waist for balance until he stilled, his hand caressing her cheek up and down. She settled back and leaned into his thigh, looking up at a goofy, crooked smile under eyes half lidded in contentment.

************************************************************************

It was 11 a.m. when Elvis awoke to Billy’s hand on his shoulder, bewildered and uncertain where he was. He made eye contact with his cousin, taking in how the furnishings of George’s bedroom looked in the morning (technically it was still morning).

Elvis blinked, unlike Billy, he didn't know what time it was, or why his cousin was there, or where the occupant of the apartment was.

“Heh, uh, hey there, Bill, what’s - uh - what’s the idea?”

Billy gulped, this was not the most embarrassing situation he had ever been in. Not by far. So he smiled, and looked around, beginning to gather up Elvis pants, socks and shoes, which were carefully folded and stacked on the cedar chest at the end of the bed.

“Uh, hey, man, uh Joe’s here. Sonny and Alan too. We’re, uh, all paid up, ready to head out? I brought ya some coffee.”

Elvis sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“Uh, wait, what, uh, what about the car?”

Billy looked back out to the living room as Elvis stood and put his pants on.

“Um, its ready, actually.”

Elvis looked up from where he was rolling his sock over his foot.

“What?”

“Uh, yeah, Maude, um, Miss Morgenstern, that is, well, um, she said her sister must have gotten up and been working on it from four or five this morning ‘fore she lit out for Carson City.”

Elvis started buttoning up his shirt.

“Carson City?”

Billy coughed and straightened his own shirt.

“Uh, yeah, Miss George, um. Well, guess she had to go pick up some auto supplies or sumpthin’ like that. Gosh, huh, girl mechanic, can’t believe it, right? Maybe those little hands give ‘em an advantage?”

He gulped again as he met Elvis’ disappointed stare.

“Yeah, erm, um. Anyhow, she’s not fixing to be back til late tonight.”

They were twenty minutes outside of Los Angeles when Joe and Sonny watched the white Buick Skylark pull over in front of them. Jumping out of the black, Lincoln Contintential they were driving behind Billy and Elvis,  Sonny walked up the passenger side of the car and leaned over the rail.

“Sup boss?”

Elvis gripped the steering wheel, then lifted his right hand to fix his yachting hat.

“Goddamit, what do ya think Son, Billy left my goddamn toiletry bag back at that goddamn motel in the middle of goddamn nowhere. Gonna have to go back.”

Billy started to interject, saying, “I double, triple checked and we didn—” but was met with a swift elbow to the ribs.

Sonny clenched his fists as he walked back to Joe, asked for all the money in Joe’s wallet, and handed it over to Elvis, before watching the Skylark make a three point turn and head back along the road into the powder blue sky behind them.

************************************************************

Many thanks to my fellow players @missmaywemeetagain @be-my-ally @vintageshanny @ellie-24 @from-memphis-with-love @whositmcwhatsit

[madangel19]

10 with dewaether pls <3

10. …desperately. Ohhhh, this is gonna be an angsty one ya'll

Word Count: 749

Content: Just some kissing and angst before Dewdrop leaves for the Re Imperatour with the band

Dewdrop’s heart was racing and his head was pounding as he stood in the busy ghoul den. His pack mates were busy preparing for the tour and talking amongst themselves as they packed their bags. He had already packed, but he was missing something. That something was his favorite ghoul who wouldn’t be coming along on the tour. 

“It’s just a few months, Dewy. He’ll still be here when we get back,” Mountain reassured him as he guided him upstairs.

The church was bustling with activity but Dewdrop ignored everything. He seemed to move in slow motion toward the exit. A gentle push from Swiss made him go a bit faster. 

He had to go, but he didn’t want to leave his mate behind. Aether had his reasons to stay behind, but it crushed Dewdrop when he broke the news to him. He wanted to fight Sister for making such a stupid decision, but laying so much as a finger on her would have him sent right back to the Pit. 

Dewdrop heard crying from behind him and he turned to see the ghoulettes hugging Sunshine who was glowing despite the tears running down her cheeks.

“I’ll call you guys everyday! Go and make us proud!” She cried, pecking Aurora on the cheek and then pulling Cumulus and Cirrus into a tighter hug. 

Dewdrop noticed a familiar ghoul walking up to him and he felt his heart flutter at the sight of him. There was a sad look in Aether’s eyes despite the smile on his lips when he noticed Dewdrop. 

“Let’s go, you guys! The plane leaves in three hours!” Copia announced.

The ghouls began picking up their bags and made their way out to the buses, but Dewdrop couldn’t go. Not yet.

He dropped his bags and rushed over to Aether who held out his arms to him. Dewdrop ran into his arms, nearly knocking the bigger ghoul over with a grunt. Aether got his footing and held Dewdrop in a tight hug. 

“This is gonna fucking suck. I should stay,” Dewdrop murmured, nuzzling his chest. 

“The band needs you, Firefly. I’ll be okay here with Sunshine. I’ll call you every night and we can even video chat. You’ll be okay,” Aether replied, petting his hair. That was always nice, but it simply wasn’t enough. He needed to smell and feel him, which was why he packed some of Aether’s shirts in his bags. 

“Dewdrop! We gotta go. Sbrigati per favore!” Copia called from outside. He was starting to sound frantic.

Dewdrop gave Aether another hug, feeling all the more reluctant to let him go.

“It’s okay, Firefly,” Aether whispered.

Dewdrop looked up at him with pure love in his eyes before he placed both hands on either side of his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Tears ran down his cheeks as he took in his wonderfully sweet and smoky taste. He wanted to remember this moment. Sure, he was going to be gone for just a few months and they would be back in no time, but being away from him for so long was going to be hell.

Aether sighed into the kiss, deepening it and filling his lungs with his sweet breath. He held him tight, wrapping his tail around his middle and giving him a loving squeeze. Dewdrop could feel his quintessence putting him at ease as he slowly pulled away from the kiss to breathe. He wanted to kiss him again, but there was simply no more time.

“I love you, Dew. Go before Copia gets pissed off,” Aether said, taking his hand and giving it a kiss before letting him go.

Dewdrop nodded, holding his hand close to his chest and feeling Aether’s warmth deep in his lungs. 

“See you soon, Aeth. I love you too,” he murmured as he turned to pick up his bags. He didn’t want to leave, but his feet pushed him toward the exit. 

He looked back at Aether, eyes filled with tears. Sunshine stood next to Aether, wiping at her eyes as she held his hand. How he was going to survive these next few months without him was going to be a challenge, but they each had their loving pack members with them to love and support them. 

Dewdrop waved back at them, feeling his heart swell with love as they waved back. He sniffled and turned back to the bus where the rest of the band was waiting for him.

[ramblingoak]

Best Folk Album

I was thinking about what would’ve happened if Copia and the ghouls had attended the Grammy’s and I came up with this cracky little story.  I hope it makes you smile or laugh (or both)!

1,100 words, Gen, Fluff and (maybe) humor.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Most of the time when things went wrong in his life Copia could blame tequila.  Or Dewdrop.

This time he could blame both.

The fire ghoul sat on a couch in Copia’s hotel room.  Swiss and Aether flanked him, not because they were also in trouble (although Copia wasn’t ruling out Swiss’s involvement) but they were helping keep the little gremlin in place.  He’d already made a break for it twice.

Copia sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He hadn’t been this hungover in years.  All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and wallow for the rest of the day.  Maybe drink a few bloody mary’s and watch a House Hunters marathon.

Instead he has to somehow find a way to return the Grammy for “Best Folk Album” to its rightful owner.

“Look I really don’t see what the big deal is here.” Dew crossed his arms over his chest and glared at anyone that would meet his eyes.  Rain, Mountain and Cumulus were sitting on another couch opposite a coffee table.  Cirrus and Sunshine were scrunched together in a nearby chair.

Copia glared at the ghoul and jabbed his finger towards him.  “The big deal is that you stole someone’s award!  I told you, I told all of you to stay out of trouble.  That was the deal when I said you could attend the party.  Stay out of trouble and actually there was one more rule, who wants to tell me what it was?”

Rain raised his hand and then barely dodged the remote Dew flung at his head.

“We were supposed to keep an eye on Dewdrop.”

“Yes.  Thank you Rain, keep an eye on Dewdrop.  Well that clearly didn’t happen!  And now he’s committed a felony!”  Copia spread his arms wide and spun around to look at all of his ghouls.  He heard a voice mumble something and he turned to look at the culprit.  “I’m sorry Swiss, something you wanted to share?”

The multi ghoul shifted nervously and then said something under his breath again.  Copia cleared his throat and glared at him.

“I said,” Swiss rubbed his hands together and then shrugged. “I said we did keep an eye on Dewdrop.  You didn’t specify that we needed to stop him from doing anything.”

Copia groaned and stared up at the ceiling.  It would be too much work to banish them all back to Hell.  He needed some ibuprofen and then he could maybe think of a plan.  A soft whistling noise interrupted his thoughts and he glanced over at Cumulus.  She wiggled her eyebrows and ran her eyes up and down his body.  Copia looked down and then jumped, quickly tying his bathrobe back up.

Clothes had not been on his agenda for today.

“Ok, here’s what we’re going to do.  I’m going to make some phone calls and see about finding where this person is staying.  And then you guys will figure out a way to return it without being caught.  Any questions?”

“I just wanted to help.” Dewdrop’s voice was quiet and when Copia looked at him the ghoul was slouched down and staring at the floor.

“Dewdrop your brand of helping tends to be different from everyone else’s.  So maybe next time run your ideas by Aether at least.” The quintessence ghoul could usually keep a level head.  Most of the time.

“But I did!” Dewdrop straightened up and threw an arm over Aether’s shoulder.  “I went up to Aether when I saw the thing just sitting there at an empty table.  I told him we should grab it so that you could have your own and stop crying.”

Copia barely resisted reaching over to strange him.  “I was NOT crying!  It was very smoky in there and my eyes were burning.”

“You were weeping and everyone saw it.  So I said to Aether ‘let’s take that gold piece of shit and give it to Papa’ because you deserve one more than anyone else at that fucking show!”

Copia sighed and gazed at his fire ghoul.  “Dewdrop I appreciate that you were trying to make me feel better.  But this was not the right way to do it.” He looked around at all of his ghouls and smiled softly.  “And we all deserved that Grammy.”

Sunshine sniffled from her seat and Mountain handed her a tissue from the box on the table.  Copia chose to ignore it.  He was about to speak again when Aether stood up and interrupted him.  

“Look ok yeah, I didn’t stop Dewdrop.  I might’ve even said ‘that’s a great fucking idea little buddy’”.  Aether reached over and bumped his knuckles against Dew’s outstretched fist.

Mountain stood up then and looked over at Copia.  “Boss, was your crying making everyone uncomfortable?  Yes.  Were our hearts in the right place?  Yes.  Did we have too much tequila?  Also yes.  But we, I mean those two just did what they thought was right.”

Sunshine was sniffling harder now and Rain shoved the whole box at her.  Cirrus stood up and placed her hands on her hips. “Papa I have a confession.”

Copia closed his eyes and waved his hand to get her to continue.

“I used your credit card and sent champagne to Lizzo’s table.”

“Merda.  Ok thank you for telling me Cirrus, anyone else have something they need to confess?  Should I put my paint and vestments on?”  Everyone but Cumulus shook their heads.  “Yes Cumulus?  Something to share with the class?”

“I also used your card and sent four bottles to where Harry Styles was sitting.”

Copia pressed his fists into his eyes and took a few steadying breaths.  “Ok.  Alright that’s fine.  Let’s just move on!  I’ve decided that I will be going back to bed and you all will handle fixing this.” He pointed at everyone as they watched him.  “I expect this award to be gone and back with its rightful owner by tomorrow morning.  Am I clear?”

His ghouls all nodded their heads so Copia turned on his heel and went back to the bedroom.  He let his robe fall to the floor and slid back under the covers.  Maybe a nap would be best at the moment.  Copia closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable.  A nap and then House Hunters.  

And lots of bloody mary’s.  

Back in the main room the ghouls were silent as they stared at the stolen trophy sitting on the coffee table.  After a moment Dewdrop leaned forward and reached under the couch, coming up with another trophy in his hand.  

“I’m keeping this one though.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

my masterlist

my ao3

[milkymarble]

land of honey

here is an ode to all those south of the mason-dixon line, on either side of the grand mississippi

i like the taste of wild honeysuckle, smell of maturing magnolias. there's warm spring days, with rolling thunderstorms at night, sidewalks still wet the next morning

there's ladies with big hair, bigger weddings, inviting hald the town to watch you say "i love you i do I'll always love you"

neighbors gossip, hushed whispers and giggles, i like small talk with people in line at the grocery store, asking if they like that brand of bug spray

a cacophany of cicadas at night, whippoorwills and chick-a-dee-dee-dees, lullabies of croaking bullfrogs

i like faded churches on the side of single lane roads, you know they used to be just one big dusty room and i guess they always will be

i like red crosses and soup kitchens, storm shelters and booster drives

thanks for the casserole when my aunt died

i like peach cobbler, chess pie, country fried steak, loads of butter and eggs and flour and sugar

tea so sweet your mouth puckers, boiled peanuts sold from the side of the road, only $1.50 and you get free directions to the waterfall

i even like the people who hunt, i do. especially the ones who use all of the animal, who thank the deer for passing quickly and for gifting them a glorious dinner

the people who give antlers to their dogs

i like old women with hair so white its blue, with a smoker's rasp, with metallic lipstick and starched blouses, patent leather shoes and big red pocketbooks

i like driving through marshes and fields, cow pastures and blue ridge mountains, creeks falling to forests growing to gardens

i like square dancing, and slow dancing even more, and the little dark raves tucked in corners of empty downtowns filled with everyone like you

i like bluegrass and blues, jazz on corners in the french quarter, zydeco in acadiana, yes even country, i like singing country on the porch

i like slow guitar and crooning melodies of heartbreak and first love, of missing mom and hating dad

i like old faded trucks, the ones low to the ground without big engines, i like train tracks overrun with weeds

i like mardi gras, flashing beads thrown in smoky air, feathered up floats, stereos turned loud

i like the hundreds of peachtree streets and dozens of martin luther king jr. boulevards

there's buford highway, where you can eat food from every corner of the globe and still be right at home

pass by billboards in korean, spanish, english, all in three square miles

i like drag queens in sunday best, the same florals my grandmother likes

i like straw hats and creased-up boots, i like paper fans exchanged from hand to hand

i like hearing "yall stay safe now" i like how everyone is honey and baby and sweetheart, even if you've never met

i love you trailer park beauties

stay true, hillbilly rednecks

[orchiectomyprincess]

you will NOT visit the great smoky mountains. you will NOT stay in asheville & clog up the roads. you will STAY in florida & watch as it SINKS into the ocean

[bobaandasiandramas]

The Truth Untold

I hope you all like it. I'm sorry it took so long to get out.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Pairings: Lee Rang x F. OC

Rating: M+

Trigger Warning: character injuries, character death (not a big thing but I will mention it), hints of abuse (tiny bit).

Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Fire. 

The heat licked at Eun-ji's skin while the smokey air whipped up at her face. She raised her arms to protect herself and took a step back to escape the burning building. She was even more shocked to realize that she wasn't in the building where Lee Rang lived. 

Instead, the fire stretched for miles over an open meadow. Where was she? She was pretty sure she just walked into the condo. Was this a dream? No, it felt too real. Her skin began to sting from the growing heat of the fire and her eyes watered from the smoke.

The wolf let out a cough as she breathed in the smoky air, her lungs burning immediately in regret. Anxiety gripped her chest as she looked around for another being but she was alone with the exception of some forest creatures running past her looking for safety. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience. Everything felt real but none of it was making sense to her.

The fire was sweeping quickly toward her. Her legs were shaking as she tried to will them to do something, anything. It wasn't until hot ash hit her face that she reacted as it burned her cheek. Her feet moved quickly, running away from the fire, unsure of where to go.

A loud wailing noise reached her ears and she stopped in her tracks to look all around her. It sounded like a human crying, a child to be exact. Her heart lurched at the idea of a small kid being stuck in this tremendous fire. "Hello!" She cried out, hoping she would be heard. She received no response but she followed the sound and after a moment she stumbled upon a younger boy who was cradling a small black puppy to his chest.

"Blacky, wake up." The boy coughed a sob into the pup's chest before letting out a string of coughs. He was covered in dirt and ash, signs of being out here for a while.

Eun-ji raced over to him and grabbed onto his arms, trying to pull him up from the ground. "We can not stay here, we have to go."

The boy cried out and weakly pushed her away. "Hyung!!"

The wolf stilled for a second. The boy wasn't alone, she looked around but didn't see or hear anyone else. No cries for help, no one searching for the small boy.

Before she could turn back to the child he went into a coughing fit and slumped over the black canine. "Boy!" She tried to rouse him by shaking his shoulders. It did nothing. She could feel the tears start to roll down her face as she tried to lift him up. "Someone help!" She felt lost and confused.

There was no escape, the fire made a ring around them. She tried to find a way out but she was growing weakened, coughing from carrying the boy and dog.

'Please, please, please.' Her mind was chanting her pleas as she melted to the ground. She cradled the boy and dog to her chest, leaning over them. In a way to try and protect their bodies. She wasn't even sure if the boy was alive anymore, but she didn't have much hope. "Someone, anyone - please help."

A vortex of fiery wind whipped up in front of her and though she knew she should curl up into a ball, she looked at the swirling, burning embers in front of her. A man appeared in front of her. His form was translucent but she could tell he wasn't a figment of her imagination.

The man was dressed in traditional Royal robes, wolf ears perched on his head and gave her a most unpleasant look with his blue eyes.

"Who are you? Please help."

He scoffed. "You forget who I am and then ask for help after leaving my protection." He tsked at her. "Why should I help when you ran to the Mountain God?"

Eun-ji felt like she didn't know what he was talking about, but her body seemed to know everything. The words spilled from her mouth before she could think. "D-Doung?" She gasped. "I had to leave. The pack died under your care. It wasn't safe. I wasn't safe with you."

He looked furious. "They chose to make that sacrifice. Now look at you! You're in the same boat. Where is your Mountain God now? Not here for you."

She let out a whimper of pain as more hot ash hit her skin directly. "Please, please help." She pleaded. "He doesn't deserve this." Her attention turned to the boy in her arms.

The wolf considered her for a moment. "Even after you left, you're still mine. I can gift you your powers early. In return when you turn of age, you will forget everything and in return everyone will forget you. You will be alone, but I will care for you. Do you accept it?"

"Will it save them?"

"You can save the land, but because you're so young it puts a limit on your potential, so you may choose to save one of them."

Eun-ji's heart twisted at the words. The boy meant so much to her and she knew the pup meant so much to the boy. She, however, already knew what her decision was, if she could save both she would. She'd give up her life for him to be happy.

She paused in her thoughts, while none of this made sense logically to her, it all felt right. She looked up at the Duong above her. "I accept it."

He looked at her as if she was disappointed in her decision, his eyes going from anger to disgust. "Fine." He replied and snapped his fingers with a spark.

At first nothing happened but then she felt it trickling in, flowing through her veins. The combination of fire and ice ran through her body, it was intense having her gasping for air as it overpowered and consumed her very being. It was too much at once and she felt the need to push it from her bones. She pictured the power shooting out of her and with a small amount of effort it did.

A blue shockwave flew out from all around her. It ran across the ground, diminishing the fire in its wake.

Her eyes widened in surprise, not really expecting it to work. She turned her attention to the boy in her arms. She could feel his name leave her lips, she knew him but she couldn't hear the words that left her mouth.

She pressed her lips to his forehead and felt them tingle with power. "Come back to me, okay?" The wolf felt the wind get knocked out of her and as her eyes started to droop in exhaustion the boy's eyes started to open.

He looked at her, his eyes widened as he called her name.

****

Lee Rang was tired. His leg hurt terribly and the ghost just kept coming no matter how many times they took them down. It seemed like nightfall was already upon them. He stumbled slightly, grabbing Yeon’s as he had gotten a few steps ahead of him. The older fox stalked over to him and grabbed his arm to assist him but instead Rang shoved him off. “Let go.”

Yeon stared at him for a moment. “You’re in no condition to be proud.”

Rang looked at him. “I’m just a corpse without my pride.”

Yeon scoffed. “You look like a corpse already.”

Rang took in a deep breath and tried to push himself off the ground, he could feel his arms tremble with the effort. His attempt was in vain as he flopped down and hissed in pain.

“What is it?”

“I can’t go any further. The poison spread everywhere. I can barely see. I’m sick of walking with this leg.” He looked down at it in disgust.

Yeon couldn’t believe it. “So? You’ll sit here and become food for evil spirits?”

Rang sighed. “Go to your woman. It’s too late for me anyway.” He closed his head and tilted his head back, trying to relax his body so he wouldn’t feel the pain so much.

“You haven’t changed.” Yeon stated, causing the younger fox to open his eyes and look at him. “You’re just like when we first met. You still give up easily and you still whine. Why are life and death so simple for you?”

“Because I don’t have anything I cherish. I don’t have a first love to protect with my life as you do, and I don’t have a family that I’m waiting desperately for as she does.”

“So that’s how you feel about her?” Yeon asked with a tinge of anger in his voice.

“Who?” Rang asked, but he knew. He knew that Yeon knew. He just wanted to hear Yeon say it. Needed to hear him say her name.

“Mae Eun-ji. I’ve smelt her on you previously.”

“I had a feeling you knew.”

“I didn’t until recently. For both of you to be covered in each other’s scent and for it to mean nothing to you is ridiculous and hard to believe.”

“She’ll be fine without me.”

“Unbelievable.” Yeon scoffed. “She’s something that can be good for you, and obviously you mean something to her. I’ve seen how she has changed after her ex. I thought she could save you too. I bet she would if you let her, or are you playing with her for your own twisted game?"

"No, I wouldn't do that to her."

"Then why do you talk as if she's nothing?"

Rang remained silent as thoughts of the wolf floated into his head. He did care about her but she deserved so much better than him. If he said how much she meant to him then it was a way she could be used against him. He promised to keep her safe.

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment, each feeling a different emotion. The younger masking his sorrow with a blank face while the older swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to push down his anger.

“I shouldn’t have come. Neither then nor now. I wasted my time. I’m leaving.” He couldn’t look at his brother before stepping away.

“When I die,” Rang started talking, causing Yeon to stop in his tracks. “Bury me in the woods of Baekdudaegan where we used to live.”

“Am I your will?” Yeon continued to walk away from him, angry and disappointed.

Rang thought back to when they were younger. “I wish we could go back to those days. There were azaleas everywhere. It’s strange. I can’t remember how the azaleas tasted back then.”

Yeon couldn’t help it anymore, his rage grew to the boiling point. He turned around and started marching back to his brother. “If you don’t remember how azalea tasted, get out alive and eat some, you idiot!” He was back in front of Rang, looking down at him. “At least try to survive, will you?”

“Be honest. Why did you come here.”

“To save both Ji-Ah and you.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t care!”

“I almost died by your knife.”

Yeon sighed. “You massacred an entire town. You deserved it.”

“Exactly. Why are you saving someone you tried to kill?”

Yeon looked up at the sky in disbelief. Taking a deep breath he turned his attention back down to Rang. “Listen carefully.” He squatted down to be eye level with the younger fox. “My sword never missed, not even once. I have never missed the target. Think hard with that stupid brain of yours why you survived my sword. I’m leaving and never coming back.”

Rang sat on the forest floor and watched his brother walk away. All the things he thought about Yeon were wrong. He hated his brother for so long but the older fox intentionally didn’t kill him. Rang thought about Eun-ji and how Yeon was right about that as well. He wanted to build something with her, maybe a family of just them and Yuri. He wanted to eat azaleas again. He found himself pushing off the ground and stumbling toward Yeon, who slowed his steps.

Yeon threw an arm under Rang’s shoulder and helped him carry his weight so they could advance and get out of the forest.

***

“Eun-ji, please -” The voice called out to her.

The wolf opened her eyes and found herself at the peak of a small mountain side looking over the scorched land below. She turned attention and glared at the man that stood across from her. She could feel her body shaking with a mixture of rage and sadness. How could he stand there looking so confused at her behavior? The picture of perfection, not a scratch on him while she was still trying to heal her burn scars. “Where were you?”

He stared back at her, his emotions hidden behind the calm facade he wore daily. “Pup-”

“Don’t!” She choked a sob. “Yeon, just don’t.” He took a step toward her but she threw her arms up to tell him to stay back. “I trusted you. I know you’re heartbroken over Lady A Eum. I’m sorry about that - I really am. But you had a responsibility, Yeon. You let everyone down. You abandoned him! You abandoned us!” More tears began to flow down her face.

The fox before her frowned at her words and stepped closer slowly until he was right in front of her, taking in all the words she cried at him. He carefully telegraphed his moves trying not to upset her more than she already was.

“You told me I’d be safe here. You asked me to protect the land when I was powerful enough, when I was older - but you neglected everything you swore to protect and I couldn’t let it all die.”

Yeon grabbed her arms swiftly and hugged her close to him, her face pressed to his chest as she tried to push him away. The fox didn’t let the wolf go and it took less than a minute for her to just collapse into his arms. He allowed their bodies to sink down with the weight of her sadness. “It’s okay pup. You did well.”

Eun-ji shook her head. “No, it’s not okay.” She pulled back to look into his eyes. “I protected your land like I promised I would. I saved him. Me! I did that. It didn’t come for free. I had to make a deal with the Wolf Spirit and now I’ll lose it all one day because of you. I trusted you, Yeon. Where the hell were you?”

His eyes widened at her mention of the wolf spirit. “Eun-ji…”

Her heart was breaking, more cracks appearing by the second. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to feel this way. She was furious and devastated. “I hate you. I hate you so much.” She sobbed and tightened her grip on him, afraid he would disappear from what she said. She was thankful he seemed to understand that the words weren’t true and he tucked her closer to him, pressing his nose to the top of her head and running his fingers through her hair. She breathed in his mountain scent and allowed herself to fall part.

“I’m scared, Yeon. I don’t want to lose anything, I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose my memories. I don’t want to lose him. I can’t lose him.”

“I know pup. I know.”

Eun-ji wasn’t sure how long they stayed that way but his fingers soothed her until her sobs turned into gentle studders of air that would pass her lips. She curled into him as he was warm, like all foxes were, her nose pressed to the side of his neck as she twisted the fabric of his shirt between her fingers.

He sat there and picked up the tiny shards of her heart and put them all back into the right place, but it didn’t matter, once something was broken it was weaker and surely would break easier next time. Her body relaxed and she felt herself getting tired from all her emotions running haywire for the past few weeks. “Yeon?” She mumbled into his neck.

“Yes, pup?” His voice was soft, just above a whisper.

“Please don’t leave us again.”

“You know I can’t stay.”

She whimpered and tightened her hold for a moment. “I know. Please stay for the night at least.” She smiled as she felt him nod his head. “I love you Oppa.” She whispered as she let her eyes close as she drifted off into a slumber, the gentle whisper of ‘Love you too pup’ reached her ears before fading away.

***

The two foxes kept running through the forest. It was still nightfall but was now foggy. It was hard to see much further in front of them, in fact a few times they almost ran into a tree here and there.

They finally came to an area where the trees started to thin out, the end of the forest perhaps. They came to a stop at the edge of a cliff, peering out into the dark nothingness.

“The path ends here. Just keep going.” Yeon turned to his brother.

Rang shook his head. “Not on this leg.”

“A path will appear when you overcome your fear.”

Rang looked at him, chest heaving as he looked over to the nothingness. He couldn’t see anything and it made his muscles tighten. “I don’t see any door.”

“Don’t be a wuss!” Yeon yelled at him. He took in his brother’s nervous expression. “Stay strong and think of what you fear the most.”

“What…. What I fear the most?” He couldn’t look his brother in the eye. “Being abandoned. Mom abandoned me…” He turned his attention to Yeon, who was listening closely. “And so did you.”

Yeon sighed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The older fox grabbed the younger’s jacket and tugged him closer. “I… never abandoned you.”

There in his heart Rang felt a small spark of warmth, he could tell Yeon meant what he said and he felt his lip quiver. However, before he could get too emotional Yeon grabbed onto his shoulder and faced him to the gorge. Rang closed his eyes tight and tried to imagine the door, willing his fear down. When he opened his eyes, through the fog he started to see it, a small white door appeared in the woods across from them. “I see it.” He whispered.

The brothers looked at each other and nodded, knowing what needed to be done. “Let’s go.”

Unfortunately the ghost spirits could be heard gaining on them again. They took a few steps back before running forward and while Rang leapt across the gorge, Yeon stayed behind and watched him grab onto the cliff wall. He watched Rang look back at him and nodded his head. “Make sure you stay alive.” He then turned back to fight the ghost that came upon him.

Yeon used his sword, slicing into them but he was quickly overrun, a bite to his shoulder and they were on him, pushing him toward the cliff side. He looked back to see Rang still holding on the cliffside in the same spot. “Keep climbing!” He yelled toward him and he tried to keep his balance.

Rang struggled, reaching up and grabbing a small notch in the wall to pull himself up, he tried to ignore the painful cries of his brother as surely he was being bitten over and over again. He could hear a ghost yell behind him get a little closer before a heavy weight grabbed onto him and caused him to slide down the side a little more.

“Don’t look!” Yeon yelled out to him, grabbing Rang’s attention. “She’s not your mom! Don’t look!”

Rang couldn’t help it, his eyes snapped down like a magnet and he looked at the ghost figure that resembled his mother. Flashes of her being alive danced in his memories. “Mom? Darn it.” He looked at the creature below him, snapping its disgusting teeth while making growling noises. He struggled to try and shake her off but it was of no use.

The younger fox noticed his brother had made the leap across and grabbed onto the ghost. He twisted and turned making the creature loose grip and unfortunately Yeon went down with it. “No!” Rang cried out as he reached his arm out, hoping and wishing he was able to grab his brother but he was too far gone. He lost sight of them in the fog. He just had to keep moving, he knew the door would be right at the top.

***

Eun-ji's eyes cracked open and dread filled her very soul. The old wooden door in front of her was slightly familiar and it wasn’t a good familiar feeling. She took a step back and collided with someone behind her. With her heart hammering in her chest, she looked back and found the wolf male behind her.

"Ah pup, don't try to get out of this now." He was unamused as he put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her closer to the door. "Ji-ho is a good man, we will have a very long agreement about you. He will take care of you and in return I'll take care of him and when he passes you’ll be taken care of by his children and grandchildren. You worry for nothing."

Eun-ji could feel her face was tear stained, like she had cried not long ago. She stared at Duong and felt her bottom lip start to wobble as she tried to stop it.

He frowned at her. "I don't know why you stayed with him for so long. You knew what our agreement was. Did you think I would just let it go?"

She shook her head. "No, it just hurts." Her heart had shattered again, she was whisked away before she could say goodbye to him.

"Ah, my sweet dear, it won't hurt for much longer. For him either.” Duong knocked on the door.

An elderly man opened the door and greeted Duong like an old friend, smiling and hugging the wolf spirit. “Good to see you, very good to see you again.” The man laughed.

“Likewise Ji-ho.” His blue eyes snapped over to the female. “This is Eun-ji, she is the one I have spoken to you about.”

The man looked over at her and gave her a gentle smile. “It’s nice to meet you dear.”

Eun-ji surveyed him, he seemed nice and carried a calming scent around him. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad here. She tried to be positive about her situation.

Ji-ho turned back to the wolf spirit. “I was thinking about our deal. I know you said the price was set, but I was thinking I’ll have another mouth to feed since I’ll be taking her-”

“The price it set.” Duong snapped at the man. “Plus, you won’t be feeding her. She will be out of sight but never out of mind. Do you understand?”

Eun-ji looked over to Duong, confusion written on her face. She wasn’t sure she understood what he meant ‘out of sight but never out of mind.’

“Yes sir.” Ji-ho nodded his head.

“Good. Now Eun-ji, it is time.” Duong pulled out a small box that had chains around it from his robes and her eyes widened. He noticed her nervous face. “We had a deal pup.”

“You didn’t say anything about a box.”

He ignored her for a moment and turned his attention to the man. “Ji-ho, you will watch her with this. This is part of the deal she and I made a long time ago, is it not?” His eyes pierced her.

She stared at the box in his hands, flight or fight was racing through her head. She knew he said she would forget, that they all would but she didn’t think it would have anything to do with an obliviation box.

“IS IT NOT?!” Duong growled at her.

“Y-yes.” She whimpered and looked down.

“Good. The time has come. Let it go, pup.”

Eun-ji gasped as a sharp pain shot through her head. It felt like a hand grabbed her brain and began picking through it, combing all the nooks and crannies, plucking everything precious to her. The mountain, her pack, the open fields she loved to run in, Lee Yeon, cooling her feet in the river - all were grabbed from her head. She felt her own mind try to fight it, wrapping a security blanket over the most important thing to her - him, but that too was ripped from her. She found herself on her knees, gasping for air feeling highly confused. There was only a little bit she could remember as she watched a lilac orb float into the box.

“That part is done, the box will take care of the rest once you’re inside.” Duong held his hand out and with a flick of his wrist he wrapped her up in a mist.

A moment later all she saw was darkness as she drifted to sleep.

***

Shin-Joo ran as fast as his feet could carry him, shoes slapping the pavement, chest heaving with each burning breath he took. He didn’t care that people were watching him run down the hospital walkway. He needed to get there in time.

‘You must not be late. If you’re late, they’ll never be able to leave that world.’ The words echoed in his head. He needed to run faster, there was no time to lose.

As he entered the hospital emergency wing he found Ji-Ah right away. He noted that her vitals were going haywire on the monitor screen as warning alarms sounded out. Stress filled his very being as he started unhooking her from the machine. The fox hoped everything was going okay but his hope was very thin.

"It's okay Lady A Eum, I will help you." As he started to swoop Ji-Ah into his arms, his eyes slid to the bed next to her and froze. He placed Ji-Ah right back down and ran to the other bed. “Eun-ji!” He called her name in shock.

The wolf looked much like the PD, laying on the hospital cot, hooked to a monitor. Her vitals however were stable. The fox felt his anxiety grow more and more. For some reason he knew that Eun-ji was under the same spell as the PD. “I’ll be right back for you. I promise.”

He moved his attention back to Ji-Ah. Quickly, he swooped up the PD in his arms again and made his way to his car. The whole time he was letting too many thoughts in his head. What if it was too late? What if Eun-ji was also stuck? How could he save her? He didn’t have time to make another deal, even if he did, what could he possibly trade this time?

He made sure Ji-Ah securely fastened with a seat belt before heading back into the hospital. He was lucky to see that so far no one has noticed that the PD was missing, but he knew that wouldn’t last for long. He needed to grab Eun-ji quickly and get back to the car. With a last minute decision he grabbed her paper chart from the front of the bed. Hopefully this was a freak accident and she wasn’t a victim as well. He noticed, just as he was slipping from the emergency room he could hear the commotion of doctors and visitors rushing in, probably to check on the now empty beds and blaring monitors.

He placed Eun-ji in his car and made sure she was safely fastened as well before getting into the driver's seat. He looked in the rear view mirror at both females every few seconds as he drove carefully but quickly to The Snail Bride. The restaurant was closed due to what was going on. The owner was watching over Yeon, who was in the back room laying down waiting for Ji-Ah.

Once Shin-Joo arrived, he parked in the back of the building and moved quickly removing Ji-Ah from the car.

Bok Hye-Ja, the owner, came out to help him. She immediately noticed the second female in the car and gasped. "Is that?"

"The wolf? Yes, that's her. I think Eoduk Sini got to her too. I need to get Yeon and Lady A Eum set and then I'll worry about her." Shin-Joo stated as he situated Ji-Ah better for carrying into the building.

Bok Hye-Ja decided to stay next to the car with the wolf until Shin-Joo returned to the vehicle. She looked at the wolf and frowned, she knew of many wolves before and felt a mixture of sadness and joy to be in the presence of one. From what she remembered Shin-Joo telling her was that this particular wolf didn’t have any memories of her true self. ‘Poor dear must be so lost in there.’ Hye-ja thought to herself.

Not two minutes later Shin-Joo returned for Eun-ji. He carried her to the back room but placed her in her own spot away from Yeon and Ji-Ah. He made sure the wolf was comfortable, or at least looked comfortable, before he turned his attention back to the couple. He was nervous, what if this didn’t work? He shook his head and pulled the braided yellow and red cord from his pocket.

He placed them on Yeon’s and Lady A Eum’s connecting wrists and followed all the instructions that Taluipa had given him. “This is all I can do. I hope you both return.” He frowned and turned his attention to Eun-ji, he wasn’t sure what to do with her.

He crossed the room and took a seat next to her. “Eun-ji, please come back to us. Please.”

***

Eun-ji felt tired even before she opened her eyes. Her head felt like a thousand pounds and she felt like she had been asleep for years. The sound of voices reached her ears but she just curled up into a ball more before cracking her eyes open slowly. She was resting on a bed of a sort, it was raised off the ground and nothing like her nest. She allowed herself to wake up more before moving to place her feet on the ground.

She was confused, unsure of where she was exactly. Nothing seemed familiar to her, in fact she couldn’t think of anything familiar at all. It made her head throb and she felt herself get anxious. This couldn’t be a good thing if she couldn’t remember things.

She stood up feeling a little weak, pins and needles filled her feet but she knew the sensation would go away faster if she just started moving. So she headed out the doorway of the room and was met with a long hallway. She could still hear the whisper of voices and so she decided to head in that direction.

As she reached the end of the hallway, she reached a larger, more open room where two men were talking in hushed voices. One was older than the other, he was wearing traditional clothing and there was an air of familiarity around him. The second male was younger, probably around her age and was quite good looking.

As they continued to whisper the older man seemed to have sensed her gaze because his eyes slid over to hers and held her stare. It was intense and she felt her body freeze up and she slammed her eyes shut, pushing herself into the wall. She stayed that way for a few seconds before she peeked at them again, happy to see that the older man had once again returned his attention to the male across from him.

“You will continue to be paid, but since the seal is broken then I will grant you a little more since care will be a little more now. You keep that box safe, should anything happen to it there will be consequences. I’m not sure how long it will hold on its own but I’m figuring it will last for at least your lifetime.”

She was confused as to what the man was talking about but she was also intrigued. She shifted around which caused the both males to turn their gazes at her. Under the two sets of eyes, she froze, realizing she didn’t know what to think. “Um, who are you?”

“Take care of it.” The older man spoke gruffly before he left the room.

The younger man approached her slowly. He offered a gentle smile that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside but her head was screaming alarms. “Hey there. I’m Park Kyong, do you know your name?”

The female thought for a moment willing the bad feeling to go away while she talked to the man. She knew the answer to his question but she tried to calm her emotions that were going haywire. She felt out of body. “It’s Mae Eun-ji.”

He was still smiling gently. “Hello Eun-ji. I’m going to help you out. Do you know where you live?”

“I don’t.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Don’t get upset. We will figure this out together. It’s the least I can do since I found you. I’ll take care of you.”

She stared at him knowing his words should bring her comfort, and she felt her body relax at them but there were warning bells firing off in her head again - this time they warned more urgently. “Okay.” She was confused, that was not what she wanted to come out of her mouth. “Who were you talking to before?”

Kyong paused, a flash of panic crossed his face but was easily replaced. “That was Duong. He’s…. He’s my cousin. That’s right, my cousin.”

She didn’t believe him for one moment but her body didn’t care what she thought. “Oh, well hopefully you can introduce me sometime.”

“Sure.” He motioned to the couch. “Would you like to sit? We can talk and try to figure things out. I can order some food, are you hungry?”

She looked around the room, it wasn’t decorated much so she couldn’t get a feel on him. She sank into the couch while he was still talking about food.

“ - not a bad place, it can get crowded though. We could go somewhere more quiet if you feel like that would be better. It’s up to you if you want to go out or stay in - either way I have no food right now so we will have to order.”

She wasn’t sure why she decided that going out was a good idea. “Let’s go out, maybe some fresh air will do me some good,”

“Sure, let’s talk first. Maybe tell me about some of the things you can remember.

“I can’t remember anything. Just my name.”

“Okay, maybe we can start with small stuff and it might trigger some memories.”

Eun-ji shrugged her shoulders. “I guess we can try.”

Kyong asked questions like ‘What’s your favorite food? Favorite color? Favorite weather?’ and for the most part she didn’t know her answers but she explained what she might like and why. After about fifteen minutes of talking he decided it was enough for now. “Let’s get you something to eat, I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Her stomach rumbled at his words and she blushed in slight embarrassment. He walked her through the house, it wasn’t very big but it was cozy. He offered her a coat from the closet that he helped her put on. “Thank you.” She smiled at him even though she didn’t want to. This all seemed right but wrong, like things were moving fast. In her mind she knew the conversation lasted longer - Kyong had explained so much more, earned her trust and coaxed her out to dinner. But now she just followed him to the front door with no questions asked. This was wrong. Her body didn’t care, as she stepped into the hallway, she turned back to watch him lock up but he wasn’t behind her.

The door was the familiar old wooden door but slowly morphed into one that was more modern and it took her by surprise. The door made her anxious, she felt fear settle into her skin and she was no longer hungry but queasy instead.

The door that seemed warm and cozy quickly faded into darkness. She could sense a coldness from behind the door and she took a step back, not waiting to be anywhere near it.

“It’s not going to open by it’s fucking self.” The voice that just sounded so gentle a few moments ago, now sounded so harsh. “Open the door, dipshit.” Kyong grumbled from behind her as she refused to move. “Fucking really?” He stomped up to her and grabbed her arm roughly.

She pulled out from his grasp. Flashes of him hitting and kicking her came to mind, echoes of his yelling and screaming swirled in her brain. She took a step back and another, as he advanced toward her. She began to run down the hallway to the elevator. She pressed the call button and the doors opened immediately. Dashing inside quickly she then pressed the close doors button over and over again.

Kyong was getting closer and closer, steam pouring off of his angry body. “Get back here you dumb bitch.” He yelled.

Just as he was about to reach the elevator, the door snapped shut and she sighed in relief leaning against the elevator wall. She took a moment to catch her breath, eyes shut as she willed herself to relax. A moment later her eyes slid open and she looked over to the control panel but instead of floor numbers there was only one button to press.

Ah Gwi Forest

She stared at the button for a moment before pressing it. The elevator shifted as it started to descend. It took just a moment before the doors opened and surely enough there was a forest that was laid out before her. With no other options she stepped off the platform.

There was pull in her chest, she felt it leading her through the forest. She thought for a moment that she should be feeling uneasy but this was the most sure thing she felt in a while. Her body and mind finally agreed with each other. She could hear some commotion going on ahead but with all the fog she could barely see her hand in front of her. She paused in her steps. Maybe she shouldn’t be going toward the sounds of an angry mob, but as she pondered this she immediately threw caution to the wind and allowed her feet to keep moving.

The loud ‘No!’ sounded out from the darkness and she was running toward the noise. The wolf came upon a cliff and halted in her steps. From below she could hear the sound of someone panting and struggling, like they were trying to climb up the side of the cliff.

Eun-ji got on her hands and knees as she could see the person getting closer. “Here, take my hand.” She cried out but they didn’t seem to hear her other their own struggles. She waited until they were closer and her heart filled with relief. She found him. She reached down as he was reaching up and grabbed onto his hand, his eyes snapped up to hers. “I got you.”

******

Rang’s eyes snapped open, and he felt his whole body shaking, his heart was pounding in his chest.

“Lee Rang!” A voice cried to him but he looked around and took in his settings. He was in his room and his eyes landed on his wardrobe. “I need to go.” He struggled to push himself up.

“Go where?” The voice that he now recognized as Yuri asked. The vixen fretted about him as he moved into a sitting position “Where do you need to go?” She came around to the other side of the bed, trying to block him from moving more. She grabbed onto his arm to steady him.

“To Yeon and her.” He gritted his teeth in pain. His whole body was shaking in protest as he held his arm out, willing for the wardrobe to come closer to him. “To Yeon. I must go to Yeon and her.”

“Where are you trying to go? Who is this ‘her’?” Yuri asked in a panic. She was so confused. Rang wasn’t making any sense. It was bad enough she had to watch cuts and bruises appear on his body out of nowhere. She heard every whimper and gasp of pain as he lay incapacitated on the bed.

Rang stood from the bed. “I need to go to Yeon. I need to find her.” The moment the words left his mouth, he dropped to the floor.

“Lee Rang!” Yuri cried out as she grabbed onto him. She didn’t know what to do anymore. With much effort she got him back onto the bed and pulled her phone out, dialing the number she needed to. The phone rang three times before he answered. “Shin-Joo…”

***

Shin-Joo’s phone started to ring, it took him a moment to get it from his pocket. The ringer ID stated that it was Yuri and he answered the call immediately. “Yuri?” He pulled the phone away from his ear a little as he was met with sobs of his name. “Yuri what’s wrong?”

He listened to her concerns about her friend, whom he knew was Lee Rang, and with every word that left her mouth, he knew Rang was stuck there too. Yuri talked about wounds that happened to appear all over his body and that he was running a fever.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I have to get some supplies but I’ll do my best to be quick.” He ended that call and looked over to Yeon and Ji-Ah, nothing had happened for them and he felt the pit in his stomach grow more. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the wolf and was beyond shocked to see her eyes opening slowly. “Eun-ji?” He whispered, worried that if he talked any louder something would happen and that the wolf would be dragged back in.

Eun-ji slowly blinked at the ceiling of the room, her head felt fuzzy - but not in a warm comforting way. It was heavy and made her vision blurry. A muffled noise car to her ear and she tried to locate the source. She blinked again as she turned her attention to a blurry blob next to her. The sound reached her ears again and she felt her brows furrowed in confusion. “What?” She blinked again, the image becoming more clear to her.

Shin-Joo was already assessing her vitals and everything seemed to be checking out normally. She had a few scrapes and bruises, alone with something that looked like a burn mark on her cheek that he didn’t really get to examine earlier. He cradled her face and tried to have her focus on him, he wanted to make sure that she still remembered him, herself and Yeon. “Do, do you remember me?”

Eun-ji blinked again and was so completely confused. “What?”

Shin-joo felt his heart sink, his hands fell from her face and he looked down. There was no hope. He failed her, he failed them all.

“Shin-Joo, what are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I know you?”

The fox perked up immediately. “You remember me?”

“Yes?” She responded. “What’s going on?”

“I can explain it all in the car but I need to help Yuri out.”

***

When they arrived at the home of Lee Rang, immediately Eun-ji sensed something was very wrong. She was being impatient as Shin-Joo grabs a few things that he had packed up in the back of the car. She was rocking on her heels, she thought about leaving him behind and making her way up herself but something told her to wait for him.

The two of them walked quickly to the residence and Shin-Joo was in front of Eun-ji, knocking on the door. The wolf realized at that moment that the fox didn’t know that she lived there. She reached past him and used her key to open the door. As she opened the door, Yuri was getting ready to open it. Eun-ji ignored Shin-Joo’s shocked face and embraced her friend tightly. “Yuri, what’s going on?”

The vixen hugged the wolf back as she saw Shin-Joo over her shoulder. “It’s Lee Rang, he’s hurt.”

The wolf felt a whine get caught in her throat as she pulled back from the hug. “How did he get hurt?”

Yuri didn’t mean to ignore the question but she looked at her friend and noticed the wolf had injuries of her own. She grabbed the wolf’s hands in concern. “Eun-ji what happened to you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” She brushed past the fox, letting her hands fall from her hold. Eun-ji didn’t have any more patience and made a beeline to Lee Rang’s room. She found him on the bed, pale as could be with blood stains on his shirt. “Rang!” She cried out and rushed over to him. Her hands danced across his burning skin carefully, noting each and every cut to his skin.

Behind her, she could hear Yuri and Shin-Joo enter the room but she didn’t listen to what they were saying, her thoughts were going a mile a minute and all the thoughts were about the male in front of her. “Rang,” she tried to rouse him gently, “please wake up.”

Shin-Joo walks into the room, Yuri talking softly about Rang and how he woke up briefly before collapsing again. His eyes traveled to Eun-ji, he watched her whispering to the fox on the bed. All the pieces clicked in and he felt foolish for not realizing earlier the relationship. The familiar scent on Eun-ji was Rang. He thought it was strange as to Yuri and the wolf being friends as well. He thought about how happy Eun-ji seemed since leaving Kyong and couldn’t believe that it was all Rang’s doing.

His attention turned to the fox and immediately he noted that Rang didn’t look at all. Chances of survival could be low - he didn’t know how he would tell Yuri let alone Eun-ji. He took a deep breath and started examining the man on the bed.

Suddenly, Lee Rang coughed, blood spitting out from his mouth. Shin-Joo was quick and grabbed a nearby cloth, handing it to Eun-ji. The wolf wiped Rang’s mouth, making sure all the blood was gone. “Hang in there for me, please.” She whispered into his ear.

Shin-Joo looked over to Yuri and frowned at her worried expression. “It’s the poison of Eoduk Sini.” He sighed.

“Do something.” Yuri started to cry.

Shin-Joo bit his lip, there wasn’t much he could do - if anything. He needed to get back to Yeon and Lady A Eum. He looked away from her. “Mr. Lee Yeon isn’t back yet.”He could see swift movement from the bed, he knew Eun-ji was staring at him as well.

Yuri moved quickly, going to the doorway, blocking it with her body. “No, you can’t go. I’ll die if he dies.” Tears were pouring down her face as she looked into Shin-Joo’s eyes. “I’ll repay you for this somehow. I’m begging you.” When he didn’t respond she tried again. “I’m begging you. Help him.”

Eun-ji removed herself from the bed by now and wrapped her arms around her friend. “Shh, Yuri. We will figure it out.”

Yuri looked at him over the wolf’s shoulder. “I’m begging you.”

The fox nodded his head after staring at the two females. He bent down and unraveled some supplies that he had wrapped up. “This will take a little while.”

The wolf took her friend’s hand. “Yuri, why don’t you make some tea for Shin-Joo while he helps Rang. I’ll be here to help him too.”

The vixen, reluctantly, nodded her head and stepped out of the room slowly, ready to find things to occupy her mind so Shin-Joo could do his work.

Eun-ji knelt down next to her boss, ready for any instructions like they were in surgery for a dog instead of a human. “Let me know what I can do to help.” She stated. “Also, thank you Shin-Joo.”

He nodded his head. “So this is him?” He questioned like he didn’t know. “He is the one that saved you from Kyung. He’s the one that makes you happy?”

The wolf nodded her head. “He is. He saved me at my lowest and helped me climb to my highest point so far. Lee Rang is his name. My savior, Lee Rang.”

Hours passed, the room grew dark and Eun-ji had to turn the lights on for Shin-Joo to see. The veterinarian had treated all minor wounds but more importantly he tended to the giant wound on Rang’s leg. The sight of it made the wolf next to him anxious, he could feel her emotions rolling off her body tenfold. Once he did all he could, the wolf crawled up the bed, carefully cradling her body around Lee Rang’s form. She closed her tired eyes as she grabbed Rang’s wrist, putting her fingers over his pulse point, feeling his heartbeat gently.

Yuri entered the room, she had been watching from the hallway - too nervous to leave the area in case anything terrible happened. “How is Mr. Lee?”

“It will take a few days for the poison to leave his body, but he will be fine in no time.”

“Why aren’t you asking me anything? You see why I approached you the first time.” She questioned and the male looked away from her. “You already knew?”

“I happened to see you two together one day. I was taken to a junkyard and beaten up thanks to that.”

“By Mr. Lee?”

“Yes.”

Eun-ji’s eyes opened and she looked over to the two of her friends. ‘Rang did that to him?’ Her eyes looked at the face close to hers. There was no way Rang did that, right? She felt her stomach flop. She did know that Rang was a dangerous man to others, but she figured it wouldn’t be something so close to her as her boss.

"My brother, he isn't the kindest person."

Yeon's words echoed in her head. Rang was Yeon's brother? Did that mean he was a fox as well? Her head was swirling but she didn't have long to think as the body next to her started to shift. "Rang?" She whispered but it was loud enough for the other two in the room to hear.

He looks at her. "Hello, wolf." His voice was soft as he grabbed her hand gently. He made himself sit up and he looked at the other two foxes in the room. "Shin-Joo?" He was confused for a moment.

"How's Yeon? Is he back?" Rang asked.

Shin-Joo frowned and looked down, shaking his head. He couldn't look the other fox in the eye.

Rang felt his eyes tear up. "Why are you here then? Shouldn't you be with him?" His voice wasn't malicious as it normally would be when talking to the veterinarian.

Eun-ji pressed her head to his shoulder. Rang confirmed it without knowing it, they were brothers. She didn't know what to feel about that but she was glad that Rang was awake. "He came to help you."

"Me? Why me?"

"I was asked. If you're okay now, I need to get back to Yeon." Shin-Joo gathered his things and headed out the doorway, Yuri followed him with a promise to be right back.

Rang looked at Eun-ji as she lifted her head from his shoulder. "So happy to see you wolf. Thank you for saving me."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're welcome." There was a long pause. " When you're feeling better and up to it - I have some things to discuss with you about myself and you. Nothing bad."

"Sure wolf."

She looked at him closely to gauge his reaction to what she was going to say next. "Thank you, fox."

[xxxsweetdreamzxxx]

Good Morning

Jotaro Kujo x Reader

warnings/tags: dom!Jotaro sub!reader, fanfic, smut, cursing, implied sex, slight degradation, voyeurism, fingering, groping, denied orgasm - I'm so sorry this is such filth ≥^≤

summary: breakfast must come to a halt when Jotaro sees you in nothing but one of his oversized shirts

word count: 1.4k

You opened your eyes, waking from a pleasant dream. Under the bedsheets to your left lay a peacefully sleeping Jotaro, his chest rising and falling as he softly snored. Past him you gazed out the window of your bedroom - seeing the town beneath you light up with the soft glow of dawn on the horizon. You were currently in the mountains of India, and Mr. Joestar had rented a small house for the six of you to stay the night in. 

Slipping out from under the covers, you shivered as the room's cool air hit your naked form. You padded over to the pile of fabric on the floor that was your combined clothes. The two of you had been too busy last night to bother putting them away - your cheeks heated up at the memory.

Being as silent as you could, you shifted through the pile, slipping on your panties and one of his large lavender shirts, which fit you like a short dress. Tiptoeing to the door, you opened it and exited the room. Turning back around to close the door, you glanced one last time at your boyfriend with a loving smile - he hadn't moved an inch.

As you made your way down the hall to the kitchen, stomach grumbling, you listened for any sounds signaling that your other companions were awake. But the house was dead silent - you were apparently the first one up. 

Humming a quiet tune, you made your way into the kitchen. Deciding to surprise the crusaders with breakfast, you looked through the cabinets and fridge for the necessary pots and ingredients. Trying to be as quiet as possible, you cracked some eggs and began frying some bacon on the stove, caught up in your own little world. You lost track of time, going through the motions of your task like you were entranced.

You jumped in surprise as you felt two heavy arms snake around your waist from behind. Immediately, you relaxed when you smelled a familiar smokiness wafting off the man behind you. You sank into his embrace, tilting your head up to peck his cheek as he rested his head on your shoulder.

"Morning, JoJo." You greeted, reaching up to ruffle his already messy dark hair.

He grunted in response, closing his eyes and hugging you tighter as he inhaled your scent. 

"You're so fucking hot." He complimented, his voice still deep and raspy from sleep. Whenever you wore his clothes, he could've sworn you got sexier each time. 

 His hands began to travel lower, fingers playing with the edge of your shirt. You felt your heartbeat speeding up, suddenly very aware of how close he was, his broad chest pressed to your back. Feeling very flustered, you began to lose your grip on the metal spatula in your right hand. You could feel the tension in the air.

"Jotaro…" You warned.

He let out a low chuckle, his chest vibrating against you. "Don't act like you didn't wear my shirt on purpose. You wanted the others to see you this way didn't you - for them to see who you belong to?"

You felt your knees buckle at his words.

"Oh? So that's how it is?" 

What would've been a frantic denial was silenced when he began to leave a flurry of hot kisses down your neck. He knew exactly where to place them, how to drive you mad. Soon, he had you nearly forgetting your surroundings and the fact you were very much not in private. He pulled your hips closer, your ass brushing up against the tent already forming in his sweatpants.

"Oh my God, Jotaro!" Your high pitched voice raised above a whisper, surprised and embarrassed by his boldness.

"What?" He asked, hot breath fanning over your neck, with a tone feigning innocence. "If you want them to know so badly, then why don't I just take you here where they could walk in at any moment?" 

You scoffed, turning bright red. "You can't be serious."

He spun you around in his arms so you were now facing him, staring up into his turquoise eyes. Smirking darkly at how flustered you were - you'd secretly fantasized about this very scenario many times - you could see he was dead serious. Your mouth opened in shock, feeling yourself clench around nothing at the thought of living it.

Jotaro leaned down, taking the opportunity to lock your lips with his in a heated kiss. Your mouth fell open further as you shut your eyes, letting him slip his tongue past your teeth to intertwine with yours. He pushed you up against the stove, burner knobs digging into your back. Reaching behind you, you fumbled with them, trying desperately to turn them off. Breakfast would have to wait.

You blindly threw the spatula on the counter right before his large hands gripped your ass, lifting you up into his arms. He turned around, setting you roughly atop the kitchen island that sat across from the stove. Spreading your thighs, you wrapped your legs around his hips, bringing him closer and feeling his erection against your clothed core. 

"JoJo…" You moaned softly into his mouth, rolling your hips in an attempt to pleasure yourself on his covered cock. 

He laughed another low, rumbling laugh. "You're such a little whore, shamelessly wanting to be stuffed with my cock at seven in the morning."

You mewled at his words, digging your nails into the muscles of his arms in response. Continuing to ravage your lips with open mouthed kisses, he began lifting your shirt, exposing your bare breasts. With one hand he squeezed one, running the pad of his thumb in circles over the nipple. His other hand traveled to your lacy black panties, which he pulled to the side with ease. 

You thrusted your hips forward harshly when you felt him press a finger to your clit, rubbing quick circles around your dripping entrance. Squirming at the overwhelming pleasure, you felt yourself beginning to shake slightly as the dangerous combination brought you to orgasm. He could tell you were close as you began to go limp in his touch. Just before your release washed over you, Jotaro pulled back his hands and rested them on your hips again.

Whining loudly in frustration, you wanted to scold him for denying you this. But he wasn't having it, instead relentlessly attacking your lips and barely even giving you a chance to breathe. 

It took you a moment to fathom what happened next, only realizing the sound you'd heard behind you had been footsteps when you heard their owner's shocked exclamation.

"Oh wow." 

The accent was unmistakable. You broke away from Jotaro's kisses, whipping your head around to see the wide eyes of your white-haired friend standing in the entrance of the hallway.

"Polnareff!" You spluttered, scrambling to escape Jotaro's grasp. But he held you firmly in place, only smirking at your desperation.

A second later, your situation got much worse as Mr. Joestar walked in behind the Frenchman. Your boyfriend's smirk immediately faded. It took Joseph a moment to process the scene in front of him, eyes eventually drifting to Jotaro's hands on your hips and your legs around his waist. 

Joseph's hand shot up to cover his mouth as he screamed. "OH MY GOD!"

At that, a third member of your group appeared, still rubbing his violet eyes sleepily. "What is going on in here…" Kakyoin started to ask before glancing up. "Oh." 

A little too late, Joseph attempted to block the red head's view with his mechanical hand. But the poor boy had already seen and understood everything.

Jotaro cooly slipped you off the counter, letting your shirt fall back down to conceal your underwear. Spinning you around once again, he continued to hold you tight from behind as if to say: 'you got your wish.' He stood protectively behind you, staring daggers at the other crusaders.

You cleared your throat quietly before smiling awkwardly at your companions. "Um… good morning everyone."  

Amused, Polnareff chuckled. "Yeah, seems like it."

Flushing pink, you quickly busied yourself with handing out what you'd managed to make for breakfast, eventually sitting down to eat with Jotaro over at a small dining table. You happened to glance up at Kakyoin as he moved to sit down at the island with a full plate of food. Hesitating a moment, he promptly backed away and moved to sit on a cushion in the living area, muttering:

"On second thought…"

[coinandcandle]

Fenrir Deity Guide

Who is Fenrir?

Also called Fenrisúlfr, Fenrir is a giant wolf of Norse mythology. (Arguably THE giant wolf of Norse mythology). This name means “He Who Dwells in the Marshes” and as it turns out, the name “Fenrir” is not actually his name, no one is sure what this Marsh Dweller’s name really is.

His power was threatening to the Aesir who raised Fenrir in hopes to control his strength but he grow at an alarming rate and the Aesir decided to imprison him. They had the dwarves create chains from unusual or difficult items to attain, such as the sound of a cat’s footsteps, the beard of a woman, the breath of fish, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, and the spittle of a bird

It was foretold that Fenrir would trigger Ragnarök by breaking free of the bondage placed upon him by the Aesir; Fenrir would fight Odin during Ragnarök eventually killing the god.

Parents and Siblings

Loki (father)

Angerboda (mother)

Hel (sister)

Jörmungand (brother)

Sleipnir (brother)

Lovers or Partners

N/A

Children

Hati (son)

Sköll (son)

Epithets

Hróðrsvitnir (”Famous Wolf”)

The Ravener

The Fenris Wolf (or just Fenris-Wolf)

Beast of Slaughter

”Foe of Odin”

Vánagandr (”Monster of the river Ván”, also seen to mean “creature of expectation”)

Notes

Skoll and Hati’s names mean “one who mocks”/”mockery” and “one who hates”/”hatred” respectively.

It is unclear as to who the mother of Skoll and Hati is though there is mention of a wolf-woman who bore giant wolves in the forest of Jarnvidur.

Some also believe that Skoll and Hati are actually derivatives or aspects of Fenrir if not the wolf himself.

Fenrir’s most popular story is the “Binding of Fenrir” in which the Aesir capture and imprison the giant wolf in hopes that it would keep Ragnarök at bay. Throughout his upbringing, only Tyr was brave enough to approach Fenrir to feed him. This created a friendship between the two.

The gods tricked Fenrir by telling him that the various chains presented were testaments of his strength, and they congratulated him with cheers when he broke through them. Eventually, they presented the impossible chains made by the dwarves to the Great Wolf. Suspecting trickery, Fenrir demanded that, as a sign of good faith, one of the gods place their hand in his mouth as the chains were placed on him. Tyr stepped up to this task. As soon as Fenrir’s suspicions were verified and he realized he couldn’t break free, he chomped off Tyr’s arm and swallowed it. Fenrir was then transported to an isolated place where he would stay until Ragnarök.

It was said that the gods laughed at the trapped wolf, except for Tyr, and a great sword was placed in his mouth to keep his jaws open and the drool that came from his jaws created a foamy river called “Expectation” (Old Norse Ván).

His story shows why he sided with the forces of chaos against the Aesir who treated him less than unkindly. In this way, it is likely meant to show that he is not a “villain” but the antagonist of the Aesir’s story. It’s important to note that it isn’t until after he is bound and betrayed that Fenrir actually causes any harm, before this, he lives peacefully amongst the Aesir as a pet of sorts.

Modern Deity Work

As Fenrir is not a “typical” deity, there is no evidence of Fenrir being worshipped in the way that other Nordic deities were; however, he was a popular figure in art due to his involvement in Ragnarök.

All of these correspondences are going to be based on mythology and modern devotees and followers of the Famous Wolf.

Correspondences

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Smoky Quartz

Petrified wood

Carnelian

Bloodstone

Onyx

Howlite

Herbs/Plants

Wolfsbane

Mugwort

Willow

Birch

Yarrow

Yew

Animals

Wolves

Offerings

Meat, raw may be best

Animal bones

River water

Art or items of wolves

Some have said dog toys

Acts of Devotion

Donate or volunteer at wolf sanctuaries and rehabilitation shelters.

Talk to him, have conversations

Work on releasing or channeling your negative emotions into something more productive.

I’ve seen a lot of references to intense feelings, physical and emotional. Don’t overdo this and hurt yourself.

References and Further Reading

Fenrir - Norse-Mythology.org

The Binding of Fenrir - Norse-Mythology.org

Kennings of Fenrir and siblings

Fenrir - Britannica

Fenrir - Wikipedia

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[we-were-beautiful]

The Fox and The Hounds pt. 2

A/N: Well after a month of fighting to get this chapter to work with me we finally have it. I am so happy with the response that the first part got and I am excited to see where this goes. Also I’m proud of myself; I figured out how to add Gifs. As I mentioned in the last one No beta we die like men

Eris Vanserra x Reader

Summary: Its autumn court tradition to give your mate a fox kit before your ceremony. after years of knowing the Vanserra’s a mating bond snaps between the Autumn Heir and a well known smoke hound breeder

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1960

     “Mate.” The words ring out through her head startling when a hand settles on her shoulder. It jolts the younger Fae out of her stupor turning to look at the lady of autumn who had placed her hand on her shoulders. Y/N risks a glance over to her father and the high lord each wearing a large smile. A mating bond was a absolute way to bring the families together 

     “Well that settles one of the things we came here to discuss Thorne.” Beorn claps a hand on Thorne’s shoulder. Both Eris and Y/N’s eyes widened; so the Vanserras weren’t here to just look at purchasing a puppy their fathers were getting together to finish a marriage contract. Y/N turns her eyes back towards Eris as he looks between the highlord and her father, apparently he had no idea about this meeting either. The natural instinct to bolt starts to well up in the young fae, but the gentle smoky brush against her mental shield stops her. She naturally lowers her mental walls to her mothers prodding. 

     “Don’t bolt. I know you want to run but don’t. It will be ok.” Her mothers soothing voice comforts her. Demanti are rare but it was a gift that Y/N shared with her mother a way for them to communicate without those around them hearing. 

     “I don’t know what to do Mother.” she responds to her through the link

     “It will be ok love.”  she crooned.

     “Well then It seems I have things I need to acquire. Father, Lord L/N I hope you don’t mind if I miss breakfast, I should be back in time to join you on your hunt.” Eris voice pulls Y/N back to the situation at hand not realizing that Eris had moved closer towards her 

     “Do what you must, Eris.” Beorn nodded at his son, your father simply nodding along 

     “Well then” Eris turns towards me, taking a hold of one of her hands to place a kiss on the back of her hand “ I will see you later, my Mate.”

     He lets go of her hand and turns towards the other two males.

     “Father, Lord L/N.” with a stiff nod to the older Fae he takes a step away from her and winnows away 

     “I think breakfast should be ready,shall we move to the dining room?” her mother turned and addressed the group; breaking the uncomfortable silence that had grown after the lordling had winnowed away.

     “That sounds lovely, Charis. Thorne shall we; we have much to discuss.” Beorn gestures towards the door. Thorne gives a nod before leading the way out of the kennels. 

     Y/N follows out after the group exits making a quick stop at one of the kennels. She typically cycled which of her hounds stayed with her for the night. Each of her beloved hounds had their own personalities Ramiel was no exception. Named after the sacred mountain of her mothers home court, Ramiel was her first hound and from most everyone's perspective the most spoiled. Y/N opens the kennel and quickly leashes the hound leading her out of her  assigned kennel. 

     “I know you were upset about having to come back here last night.” She kneels down next to the hound giving the hound gentle scratches behind the ear. “So you get to have your day today ok; so I need you to stop growling at everyone. The High Lord and his family are here; I need you to be on your best behavior. Ok”

     Y/N stands and leads Ramiel towards the door and towards the house. It wasn't uncommon in the nobles to have smoke hounds running around the home. They were a sign of wealth and the more you have the better. So Y/N bringing Ramiel into the hound wouldn’t get her in trouble and it would keep the spoiled pup happy. When she sneaks into the dinning room everyone else has apparently just been seated, no one bats an eye as she unclips the lead and lets Ramiel off to wander the room where she settles on one of the several dog beds lining the room. Y/N takes the open seat next to her mother across from the Lady of Autumn.

     It is almost like she is underwater as the food is served. She can hear her parents talking with Beorn and his wife but can’t really make out what they are saying. Going off of the wide smile on her fathers face and the one on Beorns, they are probably discussing the impending mating ceremony between her and Eris. It's hard for Y/N to bring herself to eat the wonderful breakfast that has been placed in front of her. It is like her head is in a fog; the mating bond had sent a shockwave through her system. It also didn’t help that she was working on zero sleep; Maybe if she was rested it wouldn’t feel like her whole world had been flipped on its head. 

     Yes she knew Eris but it was only on a surface level. So far the only thing that she knew they had in common was their love of their smoke hounds. However the mating bond did explain several things for her. It explained her violent emotions when Eris had been engaged to Morrigan; and it explained Eris behavior towards other males whenever they attend the same balls. He always had a habit of running suitors off including his own brothers, it could have been the mating bond acting out before it snapped.

      Still Y/N nodded along to the conversations still not fully aware of what was being discussed, but soon the plates were taken and tea was set in front of them. It becomes obvious to her that at least the males are waiting for Eris to return so that they can start their hunt. Time seems to drag but in reality only two hours have passed. At one point Ramiel stood from her dog bed and made her way over to Y/N sitting beside her chair, laying her slender head in Y/N's lap. The familiar weight is a comfort to the young Fae. Y/N absentmindedly pets her furry companion while gazing down at her cup.

     “Y/N.” Thorne’s voice pulls Y/N back to the present 

     “Yes. Sorry.” Y/N stumbles for a bit missing whatever had been discussed “Sorry the lack of sleep is starting to mess with me.” 

     “That is okay I know you have been up for a full day. We were wondering which hounds we should bring with us today?” Her father ever the patient man explains to her 

     “Well Bellatrix, Khalid and Ramiel are out, but the rest of mine are good as are all of your hounds father. That gives you nine which should be sufficient, but if you are looking for more I would take Anteros’ hounds since none of his are in heat and that would bring you up to twelve.” Y/N rattles off.  Twelve hounds should be efficient enough for one hunt. Beorn nods to Thorne in approval. 

     “I can only imagine that after the mating ceremony you and Eris will be tripping over all the hounds that the two of you have. What will it be, nineteen hounds?”  The Lady addresses Y/N. 

     “Um Twenty my Lady, I am going to be keeping one of Bellatrix’s pups.” That fact had only been known to her father and her.

     “I am looking forward to seeing what you can do with the Vanserra Kennels Y/N.” Beorn addresses Y/N and it feels like a small weight has been lifted from her shoulders. At least she will be able to continue doing the thing she loves. 

     “It would be an honor and a pleasure My Lord.” Even just between her and Eris she would have a variety to work with, but add in the rest of the Vanserra’s kennel the possibilities were endless. 

     A knock draws everyone's attention to the door. One of the servants pokes their head in. 

     “Lord Eris.” He introduces before opening the door. 

     Eris strides into the room with a level of confidence that Y/N had not seen from him in a while. In his arms is a basket; a plaid cloth draped over the top. His cinnamon eyes scan the room before landing on his mate.

      “Sorry I missed Breakfast.” He gives Thorne and his father a nod before turning and walking towards Y/N.

     “Sorry for my absence My Mate, but I figured it would be best to do things the traditional way.And since we were all already here this would probably be the best time.” He walks over to Y/N and  gently places the basket on the table. He pulls her chair out far enough that he can turn it to face him, disrupting Ramiel who growls lightly at the heir to the Autumn court. He pays no mind to the growling hound before he goes down to one knee in front of her; a quick glance to his father shows the look of approval on Beorn’s face. 

     “Y/N L/N, My Mate, will you do me the greatest honor of marrying me?” He produces a gorgeous emerald ring from his pocket, presenting it to the girl. Y/N nods her head yes not trusting her voice at the moment. It was an arranged marriage so saying no would reflect poorly on her family and there was no love between the two of them but at the very minimum Eris was trying to hold on to the traditions. Eris takes the ring and gently slides it onto her finger, a perfect fit that felt like led on her finger. He stands and gently places the basket on her lap. 

     Y/N slowly pulls back the plaid fabric, setting it on the table before glancing into the basket. In the basket is a sleeping fox kit. At this Y/N does softly gasp. At the gasp Ramiel suddenly takes interest in the basket standing up and sniffing around before looking into the basket nudging the sleeping kit with her snout causing the fox to wiggle and snuffle about the basket Ramiel quickly lifts her head before giving the small creature a wholly unimpressed look glancing up at Y/N. Y/N lifts the fox kit from the basket with the utmost care bringing the creature to her chest. She twist slightly in the seat to show the others in the room what was in the basket. There is a quick squeal of excitement from the Lady of Autumn as well as coo from her mother over the small fox. A small clinking noise draws  Y/N eyes down to the collar around the foxes neck. Holding the now wiggly fox with one hand Y/N grabs ahold of the tag with the other. The Vanserra Family crest is stamped into the metal flipping it around revels two lines with simple lettering

                                    Belongs to: Y/N Vanserra

     Seeing that solidified how real this situation was. Y/N was going to be married to Eris, soon if their parents had anything to say about it.

     “What are you going to name it Darling?” Charis asks her daughter, momentarily breaking Y/N away from a downward spiral.  

     “Paprika.” Y/n tells the room with no hesitation. She had alway told her family while she was growing up that if she found her mate and they gave her a fox she was going to name it Paprika to match with the spice theme that her mother had set . and so Paprika is what this fox shall be.

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