#also i made this like 2 weeks ago but i kept forgetting to post it lol

[howlinghound11]

It's the boy!!!

He's just so funny to me, i love him <3 the silly little guy who's taken over everybody's heart @:)

Character belongs to the wonderful @/partycoffin ofc

[paleode-ology]

finally the tag clearing project is over!!!! yippee!!!!!!!! now I just have to go through my tagged posts in order to compile links/books/songs etc., but i'm glad to have the first part done at least bc now I can actually clear out my liked posts on a regular basis and consistently update my bookmarks and lists >:))))))))

[ashensgrotto]

Protective (Part 2 of 'Am I Feeling Love')

Characters: Azul Ashengrotto x F!Reader

Word Count: 5,328

Part 1 Part 2 (You Are Here) Part 3a Part 3b

I had someone ask if I was going to do a continuation of ‘Am I Feeling Love?’ that was orinally written on my main blog @kiy-anna after I rewrote the story to fit the tags better. I was mulling over the idea and my poor sea-rotted brain decided “Screw it, Mari! Just write the damn thing!”

It took a bit to figure out how I wanted to execute the process, but I’m honestly more curious to see what you guys think as well. Also, don’t forget, I have a poll that ends in a few days that will help me decide what sort of fanfiction I will be posting going forward, so please vote! It ends on Wednesday!

Warnings: yandere behavior, beatings, manipulative behavior, and foul language

***

The world is cruel, the world is wicked

It’s I alone whom you can trust in this whole city, I am your only friend

How can I protect you, girl, unless you always stay in here

Away in here…

***

Azul tapped the desk he sat behind impatiently. 

For the past hour, he had been cooped up in the VIP Room of the Mostro Lounge dealing with those poor unfortunate souls that sought him out - the pathetic fools making deals with the octomer as his patience thinned by the minute. All he wanted at this point was to get out of his office and watch you.

You, the magicless guest of Octavinelle, had been living in the guest rooms of the dorm for a little over two months and were working within the Mostro Lounge to pay for said room - not that you needed to, it was merely a lie so Azul could keep tabs on you. The other students of the Octavinelle dorm did not completely understand his reasoning; some thought that he was merely being a nice housewarden to a poor soul with no one else to turn to, others that knew the housewarden too well thought that he was using you as a way to lure in unsuspecting victims for his contracts. 

Whatever their thinking was, only Azul and his vice-warden, Jade, along with the problem twin, Floyd, knew the real reason as to why you were kept close by. 

Soulmates were rare and finding that ‘other half’ is like the story of the mermaid princess and her longing to be with a human. It’s a rare occurrence that only happens once in a millennium if not longer. Many times, people - humans, fae, and merfolk alike - often settle for someone they are content and happy with, someone that isn’t their other half. Azul, at the time he first learned about soulmates, wanted nothing more in the world than to find them - to have that one person who would see him for himself and not the pathetic octo-twerp he had been called during his youth; thus, he began working on himself, his powers increasing as he lured his victims in and stole away their most treasured gifts - a beautiful singing voice, powerful magic… all of it. 

But even with the changes and his new found strength, Azul had no luck in finding the other part of his soul - that was until about two months ago when you first appeared in Twisted Wonderland.

Azul had been ecstatic the first few weeks after you had taken up residence in his dorm; consistently coming to check on you, making sure you weren’t too tired, asked if you had eaten… and sometimes just watching you from the darkness of the lounge as you shifted from table to table, taking orders and bringing food and drinks to the guests. Nearly two weeks into working at the lounge, the clientele number increased slightly - making Azul at first wonder what had happened. 

Turns out, some of the students who had frequented the lounge had made mention of you in passing and how you were nicer compared to the other staff members - hence the students came to the lounge to, not just get a glimpse of you, but to also shoot a chance at getting you as their waitress. Jade and Floyd, who were consistently in the lounge and operated as Azul’s eyes and ears - especially when it came to you - informed Azul of what was going on. Hence, Azul decided to restrict your hours to only working when he, Jade, or Floyd was. When you asked if you had done something wrong, Azul merely rested a hand on your shoulder, eyes shining with a possessive kindness, as he explained there were certain students who had been watching you - and he was only doing this for your protection. After all, it wasn’t like he could monitor you twenty-four-seven - he still had his grades to keep up and you weren’t a student, technically.

It worked momentarily, but then Azul was back to the drawing board again when Jade had mentioned Riddle Roseheart’s overblot in passing.

Turns out, you had asked Azul for a day off the same day Riddle went berserk. Azul had asked what for, but you merely said you wanted to explore the school grounds, specifically the rose gardens that surrounded Heartslabyul. He knew that you had ‘made friends’ with two freshmen from the dorm - Deuce Spade and Ace Trappola, both who had been collared by Riddle because of their bad behavior. If Azul could work his will, he would have locked you up in his own room and thrown away the key to prevent anyone from looking at you or speaking to you - but he couldn’t find the strength to do so. Even so, he had agreed, allowing you to go to the unbirthday party that was randomly held on different days during the year, with the promise that you would come back as soon as it was over and not a minute later.

Turns out, the ‘unbirthday party’ had been a lie since Deuce and Ace both had challenged Riddle for his position as headwarden and you wanted to go to support them in their fight. However, Ace made a valid point about the rules that had been pressed upon the students of Heartslabyul and practically turned the whole dorm against Riddle - which caused his temper to flare up and the overblot to happen. Luckily, you didn’t get hurt during the fight between Riddle, Deuce, Ace, Trey, Cater, Crowley, and the pyromaniac demon cat-weasel, Grim - but you had been the one to smack sense back into Riddle with a slap to the face when he had gone after you next. 

And it was because of that slap and knocking some sense back into the headwarden of Heartslabyul that those who heard about what happened began to flock to the Mostro Lounge in search of you once more.

Azul pressed his face to hands and rubbed at his skin hard enough to turn it red as he thought and thought. What was he going to do? He couldn’t let anyone else get close to you! You were his! His soulmate! You should be putting your entire focus on him and him alone! Was that too much to ask?!

“What’s with the face?” the unwelcomed voice of Leona reached Azul’s ears as the octomer sat up and righted himself.

“What’s it to you? Nevermind, I’m busy at the moment, Leona. If you wish to speak with me, you have to make an appointment…”

“I already did, did you forget?” The beastman prince strolled into the room and plopped on the couch, arms dangling behind the rest and feet landing on the table before him, “I need to make a contract with you for a potion.”

Azul shifted his glasses into place before reaching into his desk and pulling out the familiar golden paper he used for his contracts, his pen twirling in his fingers as it shifted into a fishbone and began to write, “What sort of potion?”

“An enhancement potion,” Leona answered, side eyeing the Octavinelle headwarden before explaining, “With the Spelldrive Tournament coming up in a few weeks, and with all of these little mishaps that have been going around the campus lately, it would be a shame if something were to befall a particular headwarden we know too well.”

Azul did not need Leona to explain any further nor to question who he was referring to.

It was no secret that the Diasomia dorm had taken first place in the Spelldrive Tournament for the past two years straight - practically overrunning Savanaclaw who usually held that spot. The dorm’s success had been due to the new headwarden - Malleus Draconia - who had taken up the position the year before Azul arrived at Night Raven. Malleus was a dragon fae and one of the top ranking mages in Twisted Wonderland - so powerful that he alone was the reason for Diasomia’s success, making ninety percent of the scores by the dorm’s team. He probably would be the only player if Crowley had allowed it. 

Many of the other headwardens were disgusted by the losses and damage that had been dealt to their teams over the course of the past two years - even Azul had been winded by Draconia once and had no desire to be the dragon’s dinner again; due to this, the headmage had made the offer to place Draconia in the hall of fame, which would prevent him from participating in any more of the Spelldrive matches this year and next year. At first, all of the headwardens were in agreement - but Leona argued that it wasn’t a fair fight, claiming that they were acting like a bunch of cubs. Azul had twitched at that remark, but agreed that the fight wasn’t fair - as much as he hated it, he agreed that Leona did have a point about allowing Draconia to continue; he wanted to prove that Draconia wasn’t invincible nor was he immune, he wanted to prove that anyone could beat the Diasomia headwarden - even if it was just another individual.

Azul adjusted himself in his chair, thoroughly invested in the deal now, “If we’re thinking the same thing, Leona, you must be willing to offer something in agreement of equal price. How about that speciality spell you’re so fond of? You barely use it.”

“‘King’s Roar’?” Leona arched a brow in his direction, “I may not use it, but it does come in handy from time to time. How about my nephew instead?”

Azul twisted his features in disgust, “No thank you. I’m not Rumplestiltskin, nor a babysitter.”

Leona laughed, his voice shaking the settee for a moment, “I was only joking, Faleena would never allow me to hear the end of it. Well, then… perhaps a little advice on that soulmate of yours?”

Azul nearly dropped his pen, surprise appearing on his normally calm face before his pale blue eyes narrowed at Leona menacingly, “What do you know about that?”

“It’s not a surprise given your behavior as of late,” Leona curled his fingers inward as his gaze shifted toward them as if to inspect his nails, “Besides, I heard from a few of my dorm members that frequent here that you’ve been keeping a pretty close eye on our magicless guest.”

‘The sneaky lionfish,’ Azul sneered at Leona, feeling his temperature rising as his gloved hands curled inward.

“Personally, I have nothing against wanting to keep (Y/N) close,” Savanaclaw’s headwarden continued, “She’s cute and pretty, nevermind that fact that she’s a hard worker and kind - sucks big time that she’s a female. She probably would’ve done well in Night Raven if she was a boy.”

“What’s the point you’re getting at?” Azul seethed.

“Merely that everywhere she goes, she is welcomed. (Y/N) has made a few friends without your knowledge by working the floors of the Mostro Lounge. Every time she shares a smile, a laugh, or anything - someone undoubtedly falls for her charm.”

Azul leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his chin in thought. Leona had a point - (Y/N) may have been his precious pearl, his soulmate, but she was also well liked by any and all who encountered her. Deuce, Ace, and Grim were just the stepping stones, Cater, Trey, and Riddle also fell in line with her presence and kind words - and even many of the Octavinelle dorm that worked alongside her in the lounge had gotten close with the magicless guest. However, the students of the Octavinelle dorm knew that Azul had marked (Y/N) as his - those that did not understand the process, such as the humans of Heartslabyul, would always be a threat to the octomer’s happiness; they might even go as far as to ask the headmage to allow (Y/N) to stay in their dorm!

Azul clenched his hand tighter at the thought, ‘No! She’s mine! I will not allow anyone to touch nor taint her perfection or soul.’

The headwarden of Octavinelle leaned forward, fingers crossing together as his elbows rested on the desk and his chin on his folded hands, “I’m willing to make a deal with you, Kingscholar.”

Leona arched a brow as Azul continued in a dark voice, “(Y/N) is very important to me, the other half of my soul - as you know. Her recent encounter with Riddle Rosehearts’ overblot has left me worried that she might attempt to leave Octavinelle. I know that I promised I would help her return home, but I need to keep her close by in order to do so. Soulmates are rare - whether they are humans, beastmen, faes, or mers - and they need to be kept close to each other. I do not want to put (Y/N) on a leash nor lock her up, but she is far too free for my liking. I will create the spell enhancement potion for you in exchange for your help with (Y/N)’s freedom.”

“What is it you have in mind?”

“... Merely a little scare that will show her how cruel and twisted this world can be.”

***

It was a few days later when the plan was set in motion.

You had been helping with the set up for the vendors surrounding the colosseum where the Spelldrive tournament was set to take place in a few days; setting up tents and tables, covering areas with cloths and helping move heavy objects. You wiped at your brow as a bit of sweat dribbled down before a cloth was pressed to your face.

“You’re working too hard,” the familiar voice of your employer pulled your attention to him, a smile appearing on your face as Azul’s lips quirked into a grin.

He was dressed in the headwarden’s dorm uniform - a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and purple tie and the dorm’s scarf hanging loosely around his neck, a pale gray overcoat that hung on his shoulders, and a black fedora perched on his head. He was leaning against the silver tipped cane with the large octopus on the handle - the mage stone held securely between its silver tentacles. It was strange to see for someone who was working on setting things up, but Azul was in charge of overseeing everything and making sure everything was where it needed to be and making changes as needed, using maps and planograms as reference points. 

“Well, I always believed in the phrase ‘working hard or hardly working,’” you answer, taking the offered handkerchief and wiping away the sweat and grime from your features.

“Quite an interesting phrase,” Azul nodded, resting his hands on his hips, “Care to enlighten me on the meaning?”

You shrug, “I’m not really sure, honestly. People in my world use it for small talk or to point out a person’s laziness. For example, if someone wasn’t doing anything, someone might ask ‘working hard or hardly working?’”

Azul hummed in thought, “I suppose it is a good phrase to use - maybe it might actually get Floyd to do something for a change… however, as I’m sure you know, that eel will whatever whenever he wants to, regardless of what I tell him.”

I giggle, nodding in agreement, “Yes, and half the time he dumps his work on his twin - poor Jade.”

“Jade’s used to it,” Azul waved his hand dismissively, “but speaking of ‘dumping things onto others,’ I hate to ask this of you, but I do need you to do something for me.”

“Hmm? What is it, Azul?”

“I have an order waiting to be picked up at the school store. You’re familiar with Mr. S’s mystery shop, yes?”

You nod with a smile, “Yep, I’ve been there a few times.”

“Good, I need to go there and get the parcel. It has a few items that we’ll need for the Lounge and for the tournament. I would get it myself, but I have to keep things going here and Jade and Floyd are working on their own projects for the tournament. Would you be willing to go pick it up for me?”

“Why not have it delivered to the dorm?”

“It’s easier to travel to the store instead of going to the dorm and back. I had intended on getting it earlier, but it completely slipped my mind until now.”

You frowned a bit as something crawled up your back and tingled behind your head, a feeling that something didn’t sit right with the whole situation. However, Azul had slipped to your side as his arm came around your shoulders and pulled you close enough for you to smell the expensive cologne he always wore.

“Please, (Y/N), it’s very important that you do this for me. I’ll reward you, too, for your efforts - a drink of your choice from Mr. S’s shop or from the Mostro Lounge, on the house. Besides, you’ve been working so hard as of late that you need a little bit of a break. Take this as an opportunity to stretch your legs and cool down a bit.”

A refreshing beverage was starting to sound good. You had been working in the sun for a while like everyone else that was part of the setting up, never mind that your bottle of water had been drained a while ago and you had yet the opportunity to refill it. Perhaps just going to get the parcel for Azul as well as a small drink wouldn’t be so bad.

“Ok, do you mind if I finish up here?”

“Of course,” Azul pulled away before resting a hand on your head and messing your hair, “but as soon as you finish, please go and get the package. I need it as soon as possible.”

You nodded in understanding before turning back to your tasks as Azul walked away.

***

The parcel wasn’t big, thankfully, but it was awkward - an odd shape that looked spherical, but was flat with pointed edges. 

‘I wonder what’s on here?’ you shake the package gently as you walk away from Sam’s shop, heading back toward the colosseum. You discard the thought, tucking it under your arm and taking your time, enjoying the shade the trees provided and the gentle cool breeze of autumn ruffling the changing leaves of the school campus and pulling some off and away from their homes. The colors reminded you of home - how the trees in the parks would shift from greens to yellows, reds, and oranges before fading into dark browns. It was strange to see all the trees do the same thing here - it made you wonder if Twisted Wonderland celebrated holidays like your world did.

You were so busy admiring the colors and deep in thought that you didn’t see where you were going and ran into the back of a very large student.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” you smile apologetically, “I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Well, then, watch it,” the student growled.

“Hey man, look what she did to your jacket,” another student pointed at the sleeve of his uniform’s coat.

The charcoal gray coat that all of the students were required to wear was typically a heavy cotton and ridiculously hard to damage - however, low and behold, one of the pointed ends of Azul’s mystery order had put a decently sized tear in the student’s coat. The tear revealed the golden yellow of the student’s vest, traveling from his mid back to just the top of his waist. You covered your mouth in shock as the student took his jacket off and examined the tear, rage budding on his features.

“You stupid - look what you did!”

“I’m sorry! It was an accident -” you try to explain.

“Do you know how much this cost?” the student shook the coat at you, “Now I have to buy a whole new one!”

“Just make her pay for it,” another student spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest.

“P-Pay?”

“You damaged it, didn’t you? So, you’re the one who's going to buy me a new replacement.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money…” you bit your lip as you felt your heart rate jump up, clutching Azul’s package close to you, “I-If you give me a moment, I’ll go talk to my employer and see-”

“Oh, no way,” the student grabbed the front of your borrowed button down shirt, “You’re going to pay for the jacket one way or another.”

Something within you snapped, you had tried to be reasonable with these three and had apologized for the trouble; however, it seemed now that you could only run and hope that you got to Azul before these guys did something to you. Your face hardened as you gave the student holding you a kick to the groin with your knee, the student releasing you as he groaned in pain at the sudden attack. Once you were out of his clutches, you took off in the opposite direction as the three students shouted at you and chased after.

You clutched the package close to your chest as you bolted into the school and down a corridor, staying close to the windows, hoping for someone to see you as you shouted out for help. Your cries echoed off the high ceiling, alerting a few students and staff members - but it seemed everyone elected to ignore your screams for help as the three pursuers gradually came closer and closer. 

You threw yourself around a corner which led out into the courtyard to throw them off.

Unfortunately, an uneven stone caught on your shoe, causing you to stumble forward and land on the ground, Azul’s package flying from your hands and landing with a sickening crack against the side of the wishing well. You tried to stand to move, but something heavy came down on your ankle, a loud snapping sound and a cry of agony echoing across the lawn. 

“You stupid bitch! All you had to do was pay up,” the student’s voice from earlier came in your ear as a large fist grabbed a handful of your (h/c) hair, pulling your head up to look into his rage filled eyes, “but nooo, you just had to kick me then run and tried getting help.”

“I think punishment is in order - after all, what can someone without magic and a broken ankle do now?”

Something heavy collided with your face as tears welled up from the punch, the pain coming again from the opposite side. Your hair was released before you felt a heavy boot collide with your stomach as you were kicked across the lawn like a football, landing a few feet away from the wishing well. You tried to sit up with a groan, your arm coming around to clutch your side as you spat out blood. Your entire body was shaking and was sore - you were beginning to wonder if they had hit any vital organs. A large hand came forward and grabbed at your hair again, pulling you up as you cried out.

“Piece of fuckin’ shit, you don’t know when to give up, do you?”

You bit your lip, fighting to hold onto consciousness and the tears that were slowly slipping from your eyes. You were scared and were still wishing beyond a doubt that someone would find you and stop these three from beating you up more. However, the wish was short lived when you were dropped to the ground, causing you to wince as more pain came from your side. 

“Time to say good-bye,” your eyes widened as you pulled your arms up toward your face, the student rearing his foot back with his aim clear in his dangerous eyes.

“Care to explain yourselves?” a familiar voice asked, stopping the students as their eyes widened in fear.

You peered out between your fingertips as the familiar figure of Azul came forward, his dorm overcoat fluttering behind him in the breeze as his walking cane tapped against the dirt. His face looked difficult to read as he came forward, eyes sharp and filled with rage.

“H-Headwarden Azul,” the student put his foot down and backed away from you, “W-We thought you were over by the colosseum.”

“I was - I was looking for my errand runner,” Azul’s gaze shifted between you and the three students before repeating, “Care to explain yourselves?”

“I-It’s nothing, honestly,” one of the students visibly shuddered.

“Y-yeah, just a m-misunderstanding is all!” the third student smiled wobbly.

“A misunderstanding, hm?” Azul cocked a brow, eyeing the students, before lifting his walking stick and tapping the head against his gloved palm like a baseball player would, “I will only ask one last time. What. Did. You. Do.”

“S-she destroyed my jacket!” the first student tried to explain, “She wouldn’t pay up for a replacement so-”

“So you decided to attack a defenseless angelfish who is under my protection?” Azul snickered, “How very foolish and pathetic…”

He snapped his fingers as Jade and Floyd appeared before the students. Azul came over and lifted you into his arms, “I’m taking her to the infirmary to get patched up - Jade, Floyd, have some fun.”

You ducked your head close to Azul’s chest, a headache slowly forming as he carried you away. You swallowed and began to open your mouth to speak, but Azul hushed you.

“Rest, (Y/N). You’re safe - there is nothing to be said nor to say. Just relax - I won’t let anything harm you.”

***

You must have fallen asleep because when you opened your eyes, you were in your room back in Octavinelle’s dorms. Azul was there, resting in a chair beside your bed with his arms folded over his chest and eyes closed. You shifted slightly, which caused the octomer to open his eyes - blinking rapidly before they fell on you as a smile crossed his face.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, standing and coming to sit beside you.

“Sore, tired,” you answered.

“That is typical after a fight,” Azul nodded, handing you a glass of water that had been perched on your bedside table, helping you to drink the cool liquid.

You smiled as he returned the glass to its spot before your face fell, “I’m so so sorry, Azul.”

“Whatever for, (Y/N)? You did nothing wrong.”

“Your package - you entrusted me to get it, but it probably got broken after that fight…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Azul’s fingertips curled under your chin, lifting it up to force you to look at him, “I’m not going to be concerned about a package that was damaged when you - someone I’ve been tasked to keep an eye on - was hurt severely. You’re very lucky. But, I do need to ask, what in the world happened? What did you do?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I… I accidentally ran into him because I was taking my time and admiring the changing colors of autumn, not paying attention to where I was going. When I ran into him, one of the parcel’s sharp points must’ve caught onto his coat and when I pulled away, it tore it.”

“NRC’s required suits are relatively expensive, so I can see why he was upset,” Azul nodded thoughtfully, “However, why did he attack you? You could’ve come to me and explained you needed money for a replacement jacket - ”

“I tried telling him that, but he wouldn’t listen and grabbed me. I kicked him so I could get away and was intending on going straight to you, but he…” you didn’t want to say anymore, the memory of what happened only a few hours ago was still painful in your mind.

Sensing your distress, Azul cooed to you, pulling you into his arms as his head landed on top of your head, hands running up and down your spine gently. You sniffled into his suit coat, hand coming up and gripping the back of his jacket, feeling the familiar warmth and comfort that was  Azul Ashengrotto.

“Shh… it’s alright, (Y/N)... you’re safe now,” Azul murmured, his voice soft and soothing in your ear, “I know, I know… I can only imagine how afraid you were…”

You nod as you sniffle more.

“It’s alright, though… I’m right here beside you. Those monsters can never touch you again… but you have to promise me something.”

You look up at him as his eyes shine with pain and… something else.

“This world is cruel and wicked, (Y/N),” Azul reached up, resting a gloved hand against your cheek and wiping away the tears that gathered in your eyes, “It’s only I you can trust in this place - Jade and Floyd as well - your only friends. We can’t protect you if you are away from our sight, so you must stay here in Octavinelle - where we can always be within an arm’s reach.”

“B-But, what about the others? Deuce? Ace? Grim? Surely they…”

“(Y/N)... did they come to help you during your darkest hour? Who was there when you were getting beaten by those mongrels?” Azul asked, eyes narrowing slightly, “I did not see Deuce or Ace. Nor did I see Grim or Trey… the twins did not see any of them nor Riddle or Cater either. Who came for you?”

“...You did.”

“Exactly,” Azul nodded, “I will always be there for you. Jade will always be there. Floyd, as strange as it may seem, will also always be there.”

You nod slowly, tucking yourself against his chest as you realize the dark truth. They had abandoned you, left you to fend for yourself while you were getting hurt - it was Azul that came and found you and it was Jade and Floyd that put the trio in their place. The three of them were the only ones who cared about it - showing you love and support through these last two months in this strange, dark, twisted world. Tears fell faster as you sniffled under the calming strokes of Azul’s fingertips.

If you had happened to look up at that point, you would have seen the octomer grinning devilishly down at you, his eyes of pale blue filled with possessive love and adoration. 

***

Azul ventured out later after you had fallen asleep with the twins in tow. The trio met with Leona in the lounge of Savanaclaw’s dorm, the octomer pulling out a vial of strange green liquid.

“As promised,” the headwarden of Octavinelle presented the vial to Leona, “for services well rendered.”

“This is it?” Leona snatched the vial, inspecting it closely, “I thought there’d be more.”

“Too much and the power will cause the user to overblot,” Jade explained, “We don’t want a repeat incident.”

Leona hummed in agreement, looking back toward the trio, “Speaking of which, what do you intend on doing since you hurt three of my best players with that little incident?”

“If anything, it’s compensation for us after what you did to three of our best players,” Azul let out a shrug, “but remember, Leona - there’s a much bigger fish to fry in the ocean that has nothing to do with me or the twins nor anyone in Octavinelle.”

Leona grumbled, turning his head, “Ruggie!”

The hyena appeared out of nowhere, landing next to Leona with a soft thump, “You called?”

“Take this,” Leona handed the vial to him, “On the day of the Tournament, you know what to do.”

Ruggie snickered with a nod.

“Well, we’ll be going,” Azul smiled, turning away, “pleasure doing business with you, Kingscholar.”

“And I hope that you live a long life with that soulmate of yours.”

“Oh, after that little incident - I doubt she’ll be going anywhere… at least for a while.” 

***

You do not comprehend (You are my one defender)

Why invite their calumny and consternation, stay in here

Be faithful to me, grateful to me

Do as I say, obey

And stay in here…

[rach-amber]

With all the chaos going on with you, I’m sending you all my love and support ❤️ I apologize for not being around as much due to personal issues outside of social media, but I think I’m back for now!

Question: what do you think made Rachel intrigued with Chloe and observe her so much? And how long do you think she was watching Chloe before they started talking?

Aw thank you so much! Please don't apologise for that, everyone should have the freedom of choosing where they spend their time :) Sending back love & support as well, hopefully things turn out well at your end 💛

Also once again, hella great questions!!

The 1st question reminds me of this Rachel pov fic that I've been translating, it says:

"At first it was mere curiosity.

Most people put on their good side with purpose, but Chloe does just the opposite; She disguises herself with a bad side, opposing and mocking everything; She puts on a pissed-off expression, as if a smile would make her face rot, when actually she’s purer and kinder than anyone else, plus her personality is more interesting than I had imagined."

I think initially Rachel kinda believed Chloe to be what people speak of her. As principal Well's assistant, perhaps she also knew Chloe's on a scholarship, and that she's failing her subjects and on Well's list of high-risk students. She must've wondered,

"Why would someone on the prestigious Blackwell scholarship be so.. bad ? What happened to her?" (how come she's such a lone wolf now, people said she didn't use to be like this)

We also know Rachel secretly has a side that wants to pursue things that are off-limit/wild/dangerous, and Chloe being the one that stood out to her in this way, quickly became her subject of interest, so she kept and eye out for Chloe from a distance.

"Hey, I notice things! I can't help it." -- it's automatic at that point of her noticing Chloe

Later on, Rachel, by whatever means (like seeing the photo of Bongo the cat in Chloe's locker", started to realise that the notorious Chloe Price might not be who she really is at all. And so with a natural tendency to want to understand & read people, she's intrigued to find out more.

Ofc let's not forget, Chloe's hella good looking to Rachel. Lmao Rachel you stared at those legs a tad too long buddy.

While there's no telling how long exactly she's watched Chloe, there are some clues.

"Really? I see you acting like you're tough all the time in school." -- to Chloe, who claimed to not be an actor.

"That doesn't sound like Chloe Price" (park) - at that point in time (frustrated & on impulse) she's still wanting to think of Chloe as this bad girl to do rebellious/prohibited things with, even though she knows that's just on the surface (but she didn't care at that point)

Rachel's still a "newcomer" to Blackwell, despite being on the school photo. Perhaps she moved to Arcadia like a year ago or less, and had spent a school term along with Chloe already, given her established popularity & recognition from the school itself.

So I don't know, maybe she's been watching Chloe within the time range of two/three weeks to a month and a half?

And as we know, later she saw Chloe also at the Firewalk show, & realised they have similar interests & music taste!

Ah, a picture with crush! Look at how happy Rachel looks in that selfie 😸 & it's not here but notice how when Chloe first bumped into Rachel the latter was like, lemme take a good look at you Chloe Price, then stared at her face for 2 seconds.

Rachel: time to make a move to find how who she really is.

I find it cute that it's also kinda the same for Chloe, who realised that Rachel's more than the surface-level "pop girl with good grades".

So yeah, I sort of rushed through this post a lil bit in the midst of finals/crunch time, but I hope it still answers your question! Til next time, xo.

[fuck-customers]

One of these days I'm gonna snap and tell this one lead to go fuck herself and probably punch her in the face.

She is always so rude and condescending for no reason. I personally have worked here long enough to not need to ask a whole lot of questions, but I've seen how she treats the new hires when they ask questions and it's extremely disrespectful.

They'll ask a question that sure, is obvious to those who've been working here for many years, but they've only been here a week or so, so it is not obvious to them, no one is born knowing every single one of Store Procedures so managers should be nicer to new hires. Especially since THEY hired them.

For example, this rude ass bitch will listen to a new kid ask a question like "hey I'm out of receipt paper, where do I get more?" Which, in their defense, is in an unlabeled drawer that looks exactly like 3 other drawers right next to it, so...I can understand how a new person wouldn't be able to immediately figure that out. And this rude ass how will be like "UMM...you should've been shown WHERE the paper is on your first day, you've been here A WEEK, you should know this by now." Which. 1. Is unnecessarily rude and 2. I've seen how pisspoor the management and training is here, I would safely bet the new hire was never shown where the paper is kept. And 3. The hours are so fucking shitty that I guarantee that even though the new hire was hired a week ago, they've only had 1-4 shifts max and it would not be unsurprising if they were unable to remember after having so much time in between shifts, IF they were even shown in the first place. Plus even if they worked a week straight, it's only one week and they're human and humans forget things sometimes. Chill.

She'll also make passive-aggressive comments about something an employee has done that was wrong (that most likely was an honest mistake) and instead of taking that coworker aside and talking to them privately, she'll make a passive-aggressive announcement over the radio (something like "just so WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME PAGE, we're not supposed to do [XYZ specific thing that coworker accidentally did wrong, and all other employeescan easily deduct who she's talking about, since there's only 1 employee per department]") so all the employees on the floor can hear, instead of just speaking to that individual employee privately.

But her disrespectful attitude does not stop at new hires. No. I've been here much, much longer than her (multiple years longer) and she's so fucking rude to me and other established employees as well.

For example, today, I worked an extended shift, so I had to take a lunch and our store manager told me that she was going to go do something and then she'll be back in a minute to cover my lunch, since I can't just leave my department unattended. So after 10 minutes of her not returning, I ask over radio if she wanted me to clock out for lunch now or wait a few more minutes for her to come back. And instead of just fucking saying "yeah I'll cover you" or simply just not responding considering I WASN'T TALKING TO HER, the fucking lead no one likes comes over to my department and starts grilling me because I was "supposed to already be clocked out ages ago. Why are you still here?" Yeah next time I'm just gonna fucking walk away and go on lunch without confirming that I have coverage. Fuck you.

I've talked to a few coworkers and apparently she's always rude and condescending when speaking to any employee, so I'm surprised she's even managed to last as long as she has (one month) because she's already made an immediate enemy out of every employee that's had the misfortune of interacting with her.

Posted by admin Rodney.

[ellie-24]

USS Randall Ramblers Part 4

Okay so, I don't even know if anyone is still interested in this series. Anyway, here we go lol. Just let me know if you don't want to be tagged!

Also, I used the writing prompt: Why are you doing this?

Thank you to @missmaywemeetagain @be-my-ally @vintageshanny @thatbanditqueen @from-memphis-with-love @powerofelvis @peskybedtime @shakerattlescroll Talking to you guys is the best part of my day and really keeps me going.

Another special thanks to @whositmcwhatsit who not only made this thing way more enjoyable to read by fixing everything wrong with it but also encouraged me to actually post it.

Word count: 5.7 k

Warnings: tiny bit of smut at the end so 18+

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Bad Nauheim, December 21st 1958

Mary carefully inspected the delicate silver bracelet dangling from her wrist and tried to look as busy as possible while she leaned against the piano in the lounge. With one look towards the chandelier above her she was instantly reminded of her first visit a few weeks ago.

To her, it felt like an eternity ago, but also like was yesterday. Everything looked the same at Hotel Grunewald, except that it was a lot more crowded than the last time she was here. Her fingers kept tapping against the cold glass of Prosecco in her hand as she carefully observed the people around her.

As well as fretting about being completely overdressed, she also felt awfully out of place, not really knowing anyone in the room. Elvis and the rest of the 23rd Armoured Division had returned from maneuvers in Grafenwöhr, and were now back at the base in Friedberg. To celebrate, he had invited some of his friends and fans to Hotel Grunewald for a ‘small party’.

Mary raised a sceptical eyebrow after looking around, this isn't really what she'd consider a small party. She briefly wondered if Elvis might get in trouble with Herr Otto Schmidt for this, especially when she heard someone dropping a glass in the next room. She cringed at the thought of him getting into trouble, but she knew it was inevitable.

As sweet as caring as Elvis could be, she knew he could be reckless as well. She smiled as she took a small sip from her prosecco and thought back to earlier in the day when she saw her life flash before her eyes multiple times. But even then, deep down, she felt like nothing could happen to her as long as she was with him.

Elvis had called her two days ago, informing her that he'd be in Frankfurt because he wanted to buy a new car from a local dealership. He promised to pick her up himself at her family’s apartment in Frankfurt. Not only did he want to show off his purchase, but he also wanted to properly introduce himself to her father. Although they played together aboard the USS Randall and had a few phone calls, Elvis wanted to do it right, ‘handshake and all’, as he said.

When Mary greeted him at her door he wasted no time picking her up and hugging her tightly.

"Oh Mary Cherry, I've missed ya so much! Been countin' the days until I could see your sweet face again."

She giggled when he set her down again and quickly kissed his cheek before inviting him inside.

"I've missed you too."

He seemed a bit agitated as she lead him down the corridor, his eyes darting around anxiously. Before they could reach the living room where her parents and her brother were waiting, they passed an old wooden shelf displaying some family portraits. Elvis halted in his tracks and pointed to a picture from her on her 10th birthday.

"Is that itty bitty Cherry?" He smiled fondly as he picked up the portrait, his fingers trailing over the cool glass.

"Oh god. Yes." Mary cringed with a small smile, hoping he'd set the awkward photo aside and forget he's ever seen it.

His grin widened and he faced her. "Ya look so cute. Gotta get me a copy of this, I wanna have it." He said, pointing his finger at it.

"Really?"

He hummed and gently placed it back on the shelf, before throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to bury his face into her hair. She leaned into him for a moment and he took a deep breath, prompting her to squeeze his arm comfortingly before pulling him along into the living room.

Greeting her family was, thankfully, less awkward than she initially expected and Elvis quickly managed to strike up a conversation with her father. Mary and her mother watched as the two men reminisced about their time as a band abroad the USS Randall, with Elvis putting on his southern charm, polite and charming as ever, despite being visibly nervous. He even expressed interest in the tattered, used guitar her father had bought and which sat in the corner of the living room, earning him an approving nod.

Mary and her mother kept exchanging glances every now and then, glad to see the two of them getting along so well. Eventually her father agreed to let her stay with Elvis in Bad Nauheim over the weekend. On the condition that she had her own room of course. Elvis promised once again to take good care of her.

When they stepped outside, she let out a sigh of relief, before realising it was pouring rain. Elvis quickly grabbed her, the feeling of his leather gloves against her skin making her feel funny, and dragged her along with him. They almost ran towards his car, a white BMW Isetta parked on the other side of the street. He swiftly opened the car door for her and ushered her inside before getting in himself. For a few seconds they just sat there, wet and out of breath, before bursting out laughing.

The windows fogged up slightly from their damp hair and clothes, as he quickly started the engine. He raced through the streets, way faster than the speed limit allowed and running multiple red lights on his way. Mary desperately clutched her seatbelt and braced herself when he floored the gas pedal right before a very sharp corner. He just chuckled when her body slammed hard against his.

"Elvis, we're not trying to win a race!" She gasped and let out a nervous laugh while rubbing her shoulder that bumped against his.

He threw an arm around her and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Baby, I shouldn't tell ya how I had to drive to your place to shake off all these damn reporters. Also, it's a former racing car, this is fun!"

"It's certainly exciting." She agreed with raised eyebrows. "And scary."

He slightly tilted his head. "Are ya really criticizing my driving?"

She snorted. "I'm sure it gets you to where you need to be in time."

His hand found its way onto her thigh, squeezing and rubbing her soothingly. "Ya don't gotta worry. I'm in the Army, operating tanks and whatnot, baby, I know what I'm doing."

"I'm not sure they're teaching you this in the Army." She argued and pointedly gestured towards the steering wheel which he turned rapidly from left to right at the moment, making them drive a zigzag course.

He sharply turned it around one more time, her body pressing into his again. With a hum he looked at her, smirking. "That's right you're not sure. Just let me do the thinking, Cherry."

"That might get us killed." She almost shrieked when he almost drove into oncoming traffic, angry car horns blaring around them.

"These people here have no sense of humour, I'll tell ya. Making a big thing outta nothing. You know, earlier when I went to pick up the car the owner called the police because of some fans trying to get close to me."

"I think he was probably just concerned about your safety."

He squeezed her thigh. “The fans, they mean no harm. They just get real excited and all that. They're happy to see me a-and I'm happy to see them."

Mary smiled understandingly and gave his hand a little squeeze. He seemed to be lost in his own head again, thinking about the fans. The car slowed down and they settled into a comfortable silence, his hand continuing to stroke her leg. She felt a smile tugging at her lips when she noticed him staring at her, seemingly only occasionally facing the road ahead.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking at the street?"

"Honey, after being in the woods for days for maneuvers I got my eyes everywhere, believe me."

She snorted again. "Alright, but if you crash your brand new car, don't say I didn't tell you."

He chose to ignore her comment. "How do you like it?"

"The car? Oh it's very nice. I... uh, guess it has everything a car needs."

He gave her a look.

Mary laughed apologetically and held up her hands. "Sorry, I have no idea about cars. But it looks really nice."  She gave the elegant black and white interior a once over before nodding approvingly.

He chuckled and squeezed her leg again.

"So ya like the colour? The car dealer said I might have to paint it red with all the fans trying to kiss it."

"That might save you a lot of time."

Later when they arrived at the hotel, Elvis almost immediately dragged her up to his room, barely giving her time to greet the hotelier or get properly settled into her room.

After arriving at room number 10, he quickly sat down in front of the mirror next to the bed and removed the hat he'd been wearing all day. With a wink towards her through the mirror, he began combing his hair.

Mary could have watched him all day, but opted to give him some privacy and opened the door to his balcony. She stepped outside and took a deep breath, enjoying the nice view over the park across from them.

The sky had cleared up and the stars were already shining brightly as the nearly full moon cast a bluish hue over the hotel. After a while she went back inside, shivering and rubbing her arms, and she saw that he'd moved to sit on the bed. She caught him dry swallowing some pills and sat down next to him on the bed, placing her hand on his forehead.

"Are you sick?" she asked with a frown.

He chuckled and caught her hand in his own. After a quick kiss to her wrist, he shook his head.

"Nah, don't worry." He placed the pills back onto his nightstand. "They just give you more energy. Makes you think faster and better, and you can stay awake way longer. We took 'em all the time in Bavaria."

Mary's sceptic gaze went back and forth between his face and the orange pill bottle in his hand.

"So... you got these from a doctor or something?"

"A Sergeant gave me these, honey," he offered, as if this would justify just about anything.

Mary sat back a little. "But... you're not on maneuvers anymore. Why do you still take them?"

He sighed and looked at her pleadingly. "Honey, do I really have to explain myself to you now?"

Mary remembered how he'd told her about his trouble sleeping ever since his mother's death and being shipped over. How he'd lie in bed at night, pondering and worrying about a future that he felt didn't offer much to him anymore. He had told her many times already just how tired he felt. She bit her lip, feeling slightly guilty and shook her head.

Apparently he again knew what she was thinking and put a comforting arm around her neck. With a tenderness that threw her off guard each time, he pressed a few soft kisses against her cheek, his lips lingering on her skin. "Now, that's way better, baby. Just trust me with this, yeah?"

"Are you alright, Mary?" A familiar voice asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Rex! I didn't know you were here!" She laughed and put a hand over her heart.

"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you."

"Don't worry, I was just... thinking." Mary gestured around aimlessly and shrugged, a reserved smile on her face.

Rex nodded and took a swig of beer.

"How are you? Are you here... with Elisabeth?" Mary asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she ran her thumb along her glass, drawing little circles along the condensed surface. She didn't want to admit it, but the possibility of the German girl also being at the party bothered her immensely.

"Uh, no, she had some important family stuff going on. She's talked about you a lot, she really liked meeting you," Rex offered.

Mary nodded with a small smile and took another big sip from her glass. His answer didn't really calm her nerves. Did that mean Elvis originally invited her and wanted her to come as well? It's just that she had no time?

Mary quickly chided herself for thinking about it so much. She didn't want to play the role of the jealous, paranoid girlfriend. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she took this relationship way more serious than he did.

Over the past few weeks he'd reassured her over and over again that she was his best girl, though she still wasn't entirely sure what exactly that meant in Elvis' world. She desperately wanted to find a way to trust him and make this relationship work. But she wasn't entirely naive, either.

Rex noticed her being deep in thought again and moved on with a small nod and a shirt brush against her arm. This brought Mary’s thoughts back into the room and she straightened her shoulder, trying to get it together. She wasn't usually like this and it annoyed her.

Suddenly her vision went black as someone put their hands over her eyes from behind. For a moment she was startled, but she didn't have to think long to guess who it was. She let out a laugh, breathing in his familiar smell.

"Oh, who could it be?" she said jokingly and put a finger against her chin, her worries from a minute ago instantly forgotten. The effect his mere presence had on her was something she couldn't fathom.

"Why don't ya take a guess, sweet thing?" he asked in a funny, high-pitched voice that didn't even sound like his own, making her laugh.

He hung one arm around her neck while the other wrapped itself around her waist. His voice right next to her ear made her shiver.

"Mary Cherry, I haven't even told you how beautiful you look tonight. All dolled up," he whispered low and pressed his cheek against hers.

Mary bit her lip and grinned widely, unable to form any words. She instead put her hand on his arm splayed right above her chest and gently ran her thumb over it.

"You're perfect. Perfect, pretty baby... And you're wearing the bracelet that I gave you," he murmured and lifted up her wrist and carefully turned it back and forth to watch how it reflected the warm light from the chandelier above them, shining and shimmering with each soft movement.

"I wear it every day." Mary admitted with a bashful smile.

He grinned against her cheek. "Good."

When she raised her glass to her lips, Elvis quickly drew away and stood in front of her. He unceremoniously snatched the drink away from her hand, leaving her a bit dumbfounded.

"Nuh-uh that ain't nothing for you, honey."

She tried to get back her glass. "Elvis, everyone's drinking."

He held the glass above his head, out of her reach. "Not you."

Mary put her hands on her hips sighed. "Why not?"

"Because I say so, honey. Ain't good for a little girl like you to be drinking and all that."

She frowned. "It's just one glass."

"Cherryyyyy." He tilted his head, looking at her imploringly.

"But-"

He placed the glass on a nearby table and shook his head. "No, I'm not gonna discuss this now."

She huffed in frustration and he raised a challenging eyebrow at her. It almost tempted her to speak up again, but she didn't want to ruin the mood. It was his party after all.

"...Alright, Elvis."

His lip curled and he gently rubbed her arm. "Thank you, baby." He smiled and started playing with the bracelet on her wrist again.

Absentmindedly his gaze trailed over her arm until he was looking over her shoulder. His expression shifted somewhat as he stared at something behind her. When she turned around she saw Vernon talking to a young, blonde woman. With a subconscious squeeze to his hand she turned back to him. For a second his eyebrows twitched but he quickly regained himself and gave her a reassuring half smile.

"I'll be right back, Cherry." He spoke in a low voice and his thumb brushed against her chin before he walked past her.

Mary quickly looked back at Vernon and frowned a bit when she saw Elvis disappearing towards the staircase. She wondered about the woman his father was talking to and why it apparently bothered Elvis so much. It wasn't her place to speculate on those things though, so she sighed and made her way towards the dining room with raised eyebrows.

For almost half an hour Mary aimlessly wandered around and, despite a few unsuccessful attempts at mingling, her mind was pretty much preoccupied with the sudden disappearance of the party’s host.  

She eventually decided to sit down next to Elvis' dog, Cherry, who much like his owner wasn’t too concerned about rules and laid down comfortably on the green couch in front of the window, much to the disdain of Herrn Schmidt. She absentmindedly stroked his soft fur, contemplating her next move.

With a sigh, she got up again, smoothed down her skirt, and made her way through the crowd, growing more and more anxious about Elvis' absence.

After climbing two flights of familiar creaky stairs, she turned towards the first door on the right and carefully knocked against the white wooden door.

"Elvis? It's me."

After a faint ‘Come in’ from the other side of the door, she slowly stepped inside.

"Hey, you," she whispered hesitantly, not really sure what to expect.

He sighed and opened up his arms. "Come here."

With slow steps across the creaky floorboards she laid down next to him with him encircling her with his arms in an instant.

"How do you like the party, honey?" he mumbled, his lips close to her ear.

Mary looked at him, a small gleam in her eyes.

"Apart from the fact that I'm sober?" she joked, trying to cheer him up a little. It didn't quite go as she planned.

He huffed a laugh, a weird mix of mirth and frustration in response. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

He gestured towards her, as if he wasn't sure what to say. "Being like this. When everything I do is to take care of ya."

Mary leaned over to peck his lips, trying to appease him. His pout slowly turned into a bashful smile. She could tell that he was trying to fight it, trying to keep that pouty expression on his face to make her feel guilty.

"Sorry, I'm just joking, E. I am enjoying the party... even if I don't really know most of the people." She shrugged and gave him a pointed look. "Are you enjoying it? Why are you here all by yourself?"

"I'm not."

"You know what I mean." She smiled.

"I-I uh, had to get away for a bit. Uh... I just wanted to spend some time with my best girl."

She paused. "You knew I'd come?"

"Well, I-I hoped so."

Mary shook her head in a good-natured way. "You're so sweet, really."

"Ain't that just every man's dream? Being called sweet," he huffed while fiddling with the ring on his pinky finger, his face scrunched up.

She suppressed a snort and placed her hand on his cheek with a smile. "And silly as well."

"Silly?"

She hummed and reached up to brush some hair out of his face. His lips twitched for a second, a mischievous look in his eyes as he unexpectedly grabbed a pillow and smacked it right into her face.

It took Mary a second to process what happened. She looked at him in shock and disbelief and he couldn't help but snort at her funny expression. His mood swings were a mystery to her. His dark broodiness mixed with the sudden light playfulness always made her stop for a second, trying to figure out how to react. This was no doubt his way of telling her that he didn't actually want a serious talk now. A weird way to show it, but she found it charming nonetheless.

So, she picked up the same pillow and threw it right back at him. Now it was her turn to giggle at his surprised face. His open mouth quickly turned into a wide grin and he picked up the pillow again, but she managed to dodge his attack, hurriedly getting up from the bed.

"No point in running from me, Cherry," he warned as he slowly got up from the bed as well and started chasing her around the room.

After a few minutes of back and forth between them, pillows flying around and his hiccupping laughter filling the room, Mary started to get exhausted. Right when she attempted to leap over the bed to escape another attack, he managed to get a hold on her ankle and pulled her back with a force she hadn't quite expected. She let out a surprised squeal as she was dragged across the bed and turned around to face him. But he was, once again, quicker, moving his body closer to her and catching her hands in his bigger ones.

He sat on top of her, pressing her into the mattress and holding down her hands on either side of her head. It knocked the wind out of her for a second and she looked up to him to find him breathing just as heavily.

"Got ya," he whispered, his eyes dark and half lidded.

Mary's breath hitched in excitement, his weight above her both comforting and arousing at the same time. She didn't even think about moving away from him again, afraid that if she'd move but one muscle, he'd roll off her again.

Her throat felt very dry and she licked her lips as she looked up at him with wide eyes. His face hovered inches above hers, his hair falling over his forehead which was covered in a faint layer of sweat. He raised one eyebrow, making her breathing pick up once again, despite the fact that she already sounded like she just ran a marathon.

"You're not scared of me are ya, honey?"

Mary shook her head and swallowed hard. "I'm not." Her answer came out as a raspy whisper, prompting her to clear her throat.

"I'm not," she repeated, louder this time, while staring into his eyes.

He looked her up and down for a second before releasing her hands. His fingers slowly began grazing over her arms and his eyes held hers with an intensity she hadn't seen before. She felt the anticipation building in her lower belly and her legs twitched under his weight.

"Good, cause ya ain't got no reason to, okay?" he insisted, his eyebrow still raised. "You trust me?"

"I do," she whispered shakily and slipped her hands under his sweater, making him shiver when he felt her touch on his hot skin.

He briefly ducked his head with a small smile, his heated gaze drifting downward involuntarily. His weight shifted on her when he leaned forward slightly and Mary felt her chest rising and falling rapidly at the sensation. No matter how hard she tried to slow down her breathing, it only seemed to get worse when his slow touches halted, right at the buttons of her blouse.

For a few seconds neither one dared to move, a fleeting moment of clarity within the carefree playfulness, a silent question whether or not they should continue. His fingers hovered over her breasts and Mary impulsively dragged her hands from under his shirt and put them on his hips, attempting to pull him closer to her. He blinked in surprise before shifting on top of her with a small smile. There was a tension in the room that seemed almost unbearable when he circled his fingers over the buttons, puffing up his cheeks and shaking his head.

He, painfully slowly, started undoing them, brows furrowed, his eyes completely focused on the task at hand. She gently stroked his legs when she saw him fiddling with one button in particular, his fingers trembling just the slightest bit. When she looked up to him again, his cheeks were tinged with a soft pink.

She had to stifle a small giggle and her eyes widened, not quite expecting his sudden shyness. To her he always seemed so sure of himself, believing that he was right about everything and in full control. But right now it was different. Mary would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy seeing him like this, it felt so very genuine and real.

He caught her bewildered expression and leaned down to nuzzle his nose against her cheek.

"Ya don't gotta be nervous," he whispered and sat up again after a quick kiss to her neck. She felt a smile tugging at her lips at his attempt to manipulate the situation to his favour.

"I'm not nervous, E."

He nodded slowly, his eyes surveying her. "Mhm, okay, but why are you blushing like that?" He smiled and traced a finger over her burning cheek.

Mary turned her head away from his touch and giggled. "I could ask you the same thing," she whispered into his ear after wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her, unable to resist the chance to tease him a bit.

"I'm not blushing," he muttered against her shoulder.

She let out a loud laugh. "Yes, you are!"

He shook his head. "You're seeing things, sweetheart. Got a very, uh, vivid imagination," he drawled and playfully tapped his finger against her temple.

"Mhm, sure," she giggled and slowly undid the rest of the buttons as he was too busy brushing his lips against her neck.

Elvis’ hot breath tickled her sensitive skin and she sat up, the blouse making her feel constricted and too hot all of the sudden. He quickly understood and helped her move the fabric off her shoulders. His warm hands on her bare skin made her shudder, despite feeling like her body was on fire, briefly making her question her own senses. Mary watched as he hastily tossed the garment aside and returned his heated gaze to her body.

Nearly trembling with anticipation, she waited for him to touch her, but when he only stared for what seemed to be an eternity, she decided to take matters into her own hand and quickly shimmied out of her skirt as well.

He swallowed hard and whispered a small ‘Damn’  when he saw her bare thighs. Just as she went to reach behind to unclasp her bra, his hand shot out to hold onto her wrist.

"Don't," he argued. "Please, leave 'em on. Looks so pretty." His eyes wandered over her form.

Mary was momentarily transfixed by the very unexpectedly gentle and loving look in his eyes. The way his long eyelashes fluttered as he took in her body, careful and appreciative at the same time. It made her skin tingle and her hands twitch, she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers over his face and feel those soft cheek and lips. He had never been more beautiful than in this moment.

"Such a sweet girl," he said in a low voice, his eyes finding hers again.

Mary felt a lump in her throat at his words. The way he could make her feel a million things at once with only a few soft glances and that velvety voice was confusing and enticing at the same time.

Utterly unable to react any differently, she leaned forward and crushed her lips against his, gripping his sweater tightly in her fists. The wet noises from their open mouthed, hectic kisses nearly turned her into a puddle and she felt grateful for his tight grip on her, securing her and drawing her even further in.

Kissing him was addictive and Mary frantically tried to get as much as possible by pressing herself even closer against him, tongues touching and breaths mingling. In what she could only describe as a gentle chiding he very subtly shook his head and nearly halted his movements, urging her to slow down a bit.

"Easy, honey," he mumbled against her mouth.

She huffed and responded by attempting to pull off his sweater, letting him know what she thought about taking it slow. He just grinned and pinched her hips, before letting his hand roam over her butt, gently squeezing the soft flesh. His soft kisses made her crave him so much more and she still impatiently tugged at his sweater.

When he finally took mercy on her and pulled the fabric over his head, messing up his hair a bit in the process, she wasted no time and rubbed her hands over his bare skin. The urge to touch him and be as close to him as possible  was impossible to suppress and Mary enjoyed watching the little expressions on his face when she'd brush his nipple or trail dangerously low along his lower belly. He certainly felt and looked leaner since returning from maneuvers, his chest a bit more toned, his jaw a tad bit sharper. His lips however were as plush and soft as ever when she started nibbling on them again.

"Somebody's very eager, huh? Don't worry, sweetheart, don't ya worry your pretty little head. I'll take care of ya good. Mhm."

He lifted her up from his lap and guided her to lay on her back before crawling on top of her, his eyes twinkling.

As if in a trance, Mary's hand found its way to his lips, tracing and outlining them. He opened his mouth and gently bit down with a playful growl, making her chuckle. She watched him in awe when he continued sucking and nibbling on her fingers.

"I could bite these widdle fingers all day," he laughed as his hand grazed over her lower belly, sending shocks throughout her entire body.

He bit his lip as he toyed with the waistband of her panties before looking at her. Mary nodded reassuringly and he smiled before slipping his hand inside. The second he touched her, her hips involuntarily bucked up against his touch. His smile widened and he easily spread her lips apart, fingers gliding over the sensitive bundle of nerves and Mary let out a small cry of pleasure. She felt like she was floating, all rational thoughts completely abandoning her with each skilled flick of his fingers.

A poking sensation on her thigh, which she quickly realised was his body reacting to her, made her throw her head back into the pillow almost desperately. He continued nudging her, probing at her entrance, before easily slipping inside. Mary thought she was seeing stars as his long fingers quickly found a steady rhythm. He carefully watched her expression, wanting to catch every twitch, every tremble.

"You're so beautiful, Cherry," he whispered as he stroked her cheek and leaned in, kissing her deeply and slowly. He thrust his hard length up against her thigh over and over again while groaning into her mouth.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she bucked up her hips again, the throbbing in her core becoming almost too much for her. His thumb then pressed down on her clit, pushing her closer and closer until she felt the coil in her lower belly snap, the intense pleasure overwhelming her in an instant. She didn't even fully realise when his hips stuttered against her and he collapsed onto the bed.

After a while, she noticed the lack of warmth from his body above hers and turned her head slightly to look at him, his tired but content face pressed into the pillow.

For a minute they just basked in the moment, both panting and trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts. With a strength she didn't think he could muster at the moment he almost clumsily pulled her onto his chest and gently cradled her head.

"Was that good, honey? You liked it?" he whispered quietly.

Mary nodded lazily and raised her head to look at him. "Very much...  You really know how to make a girl feel good."

He just grinned and licked his swollen, red lips, looking proud. With a soft chuckle, she began to play with his now damp hair and he quickly leaned into her touch while closing his eyes. She thought it was so cute that he was so concerned with whether she enjoyed it or not and couldn't help but lean in to press another soft kiss to his lips.

"I guess we won't go back to the party?" she asked, smiling against his mouth.

His grin widened and he shook his head. "Not a chance," he whispered and settled further into the mattress with a contented sigh.

Mary quickly followed suit and buried her face into his neck, his skin still a bit clammy. It was like the world stood still for a moment, the faint voices from downstairs echoing through the corridors fading away.

She shifted hesitantly, torn between doing what was right and what she wanted to do. And there was nothing she wanted more than to lay in his arms right now. She knew it actually shouldn't matter after what they had just done.

Thankfully, Elvis quickly decided for her. He tightened his grip on her and moved to lay half on top of her, effectively pinning her down again.

"Nuh-uh, you're staying right here, Cherry. Riiiiight hereeee," he cooed, his voice muffled.

Mary looked up at the ceiling before grinning widely at his insistence that she'd stay. She wrapped her arms around him in response and closed her eyes. To her it felt so right to lay in his arms, a sense of belonging filling her entire being like never before.

"I love you," he mumbled, his face buried in her hair.

She felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. "... I love you too."

..................................................................................

Tagging: @lookingforrainbows @godlypresley @18lkpeters @richardslady121 @c-rosenn @karel-in-wonderland @kingdomforapony

[quokkareactions]

Seventeen reaction to jealous s/o:

Part 1

Well this was a handful. I spent so much time writing it and I have to post it in parts because it would be too much to handle for tumblr. Also I only proofread it once so sorry for any spelling errors. Now have fun guys❤️

Seungcheol:

- you were walking in the city

- on your way to the café where you were supposed to meet Seungcheol

- you were waiting for the light to turn green when you saw him standing in front of the café and laughing with some girl

- you've never seen her before

- something might be wrong with you but you immediately assumed the worst

- you were practically glaring at them while crossing the street

- that's when he spotted you

- when he realised that you were angry he quickly connected the dots

- too quickly, you thought (or maybe he just knows you well but whatever)

- he welcomed you with a kiss on the cheek

- "Hey, honey. I don't think you've met my second cousin, right?"

- you were sooo embarrassed and he didn't let you forget about this for weeks

Jeonghan:

- "Are you ready? We have to leave in 20 if we wanna get there in time"

- "Do I have to go?"

- he looked at you with confusion in his eyes

- "I really don't want to watch the make up artist flirt with you again" you whined

- "Wait, are you jealous?" he asked with a smirk

- "I so wanna punch you in the face right now"

- "And I so wanna kiss you and tell you that you don't have to worry about her, because you're the only one for me"

- "Then do that" you said with a smile

- "Meh, we don't have time for it. Get ready fast" and with that he left you alone pouting in your bedroom

Joshua:

- you were sitting on your bed scrolling through twitter and saying that you were annoyed would be an understatement

- every second tweet was about your boyfriend and Joy from Red Velvet

- I mean, come on, they looked at each other for a millisecond at an award show and now everyone is shipping them like crazy

- after a while you turned off your phone and threw it to the other side of the room

- and Joshua arrived just in time to see it

- he was quite surprised

- but anyways he picked up the phone then sat down on the bed handing it back to you

- you took it and threw it away again

- it's actually mind blowing how the phone lived through this without any damage

- he looked after it a loud sight leaving his lips while he turned back to you

- "What did it do to make you this furious?"

- "It wasn't the phone, it was you"

- "Then what did I do?" he asked with raised eyebrows

- "Have you been on twitter lately?"

- "Not really, why?"

- with a groan you held out your hand in front of him

- after a little thinking he took out his phone from his back pocket, unlocked it and put it in your hand

- you clicked on the twitter icon and without too much searching you found the tweet you've seen 2 minutes ago on your phone

- you shoved it in his face and waited for him to process it

- "What the...?"

- "Yeah, it's everywhere" you said with a bit calmer voice

- "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm really, really sorry."

- he hugged you extremely tight and it didn't matter how many times you said "It's okay" he kept apologising

Junhui:

- let's be honest guys, he'd have no idea what's wrong

- why are you sulking alone in your room since you got back from your parents'?

- but what were you supposed to do when he spent more time with your sister than with you

- you loved your sister but she always made you insecure

- and the fact that Jun was chatting with her all afternoon made you feel horrible

- so when he finally knocked on your door an hour after you got home, your tears started pouring uncontrollably

- "Don't cry, bubs. What happened? Did I do something?"

[unreliablesnake]

I shouldn't love you, yet here we are (Joel Miller x reader) – part 3

Summary: Joel jumps in to fix your lock, but a drunken kiss makes everything more awkward between you.

Note: This is another short one. / If you want to know when I post new stuff, follow @unreliablesnakefics and hit the get notifications button. I don't have a taglist.

part 2 / part 4

The plan was to call someone to fix the damn lock on your door, but when you called your dad for a recommendation in your half-drunk state, Joel was there and he was quick to offer his help. At first you refused to accept it, saying he should relax in the company of a beer at your parents’ place, or maybe he should spend some time with Sarah. But then he reminded you that his daughter was now too old to just hang out with him on a Saturday night, especially when she could just as well go out with her friends to some girl’s party.

“You seriously shouldn’t have come, I could have just hired someone to do it,” you told him for the third time since he had arrived half an hour ago. “I didn’t want to ruin your night.”

“Sweetheart, you give me a coffee and we’re even. I’ll always help if you need it,” he said with a smile.

You sat on the floor not far from him with a bottle of water in your hand, hydrating to avoid being hungover the next morning. You drank a lot in a very short amount of time, taking shot after shot to forget about Tommy. Because it was painful to be rejected, you also hated that your relationship was now ruled by awkward silences instead of the sweet nothings that filled your conversations before.

Being in the company of Joel only made things worse. You were reminded of his brother whenever your eyes fell on him, and it didn’t help that something had definitely changed about the way he acted around you. He was a lot warmer, nicer, and you couldn’t understand what was going on with him. But it reminded you of the way you had been with Tommy until last week, so you wished he kept his distance like he used to.

“You’re awfully quiet over there,” he noted when he turned his head to look at you.

“I’m drunk.”

But Joel only shook his head at this as he packed up his tools and closed the front door. “It’s not my first time seeing you drunk, but this is different. What’s wrong?” You remained silent, for some reason believing that he wouldn’t keep asking if you refused to answer. But you were wrong, because he said, “Still sad about Tommy?”

You watched him while you took a sip of water, thinking about what to say to him. A part of you warned you to keep your feelings to yourself, but another part wanted to tell him everything, even things you wouldn’t tell your family. After taking a deep breath, you leaned back to look at the ceiling.

“I really thought it could work out between us,” you admitted.

“Listen–”

But you immediately raised your hand to stop him. “It’s not your fault, Joel. You tried to help me, everything else was Tommy’s choice.”

“My intention was to help avoid the heartbreak, but look at you now. It is my fault, sweetheart, and I’m so sorry,” he said as he crawled over to you on his hands and knees.

Maybe alcohol gave you the ability to notice things you wouldn’t see when you’re sober, because you noticed the longing look in his eyes as he watched you. This was that strange thing you hadn’t been able to decode before. When did this happen? You tried to pinpoint the first time he looked at you like this, but you couldn’t figure out the answer.

You were drunk enough to be stupid, to act on your instincts and lean forward to be only inches away from his face. He gulped when he realized what you were doing, visibly nervous that you would do something dumb.

“Let’s get you a cup of coffee,” he told you hoarsely.

“Why? I'm fine,” you told him, your fingers slowly inching closer and closer to his face, but he grabbed your wrist before you could touch him.

“Stop,” he warned you, although you could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “You don’t wanna do something you would regret later, believe me.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at this as you pulled back your hand. “I shouldn’t use the first man I stumble upon as a rebound, right? Look, I’m sorry, I’m drunk and stupid right now.”

“So we’re being honest with each other right now?” he suddenly asked, surprising you. You nodded and waited for him to explain why he asked this. “I resisted the urge to make a move on you years ago. I know you were trying to get my attention, but I respect your father, and I didn't want to screw things up. But seeing you with Tommy lately? It was hell, sweetheart. Knowing he could have you reminded me of my old feelings for you.”

It was hard to say anything. There were just way too many things to bring up after his confession, so much that you simply couldn’t decide what to begin with. You could have been together, you might still be together if you weren’t cowards back then. But maybe it wasn’t too late to try, maybe things happened like this with Tommy for a reason.

Yes, maybe the universe was trying to tell you something.

Before you could chicken out, you moved forward to kiss him, and at first he didn’t hesitate to return it. You both got lost in the sensation with Joel grabbing a fistful of your hair to keep you close, seemingly in no rush to breathe.

But then he abruptly pulled away and cursed under his breath, all while you were trying to process what you’d just done. You haven’t even gotten over Tommy’s rejection, why on Earth did you think this would be a good idea? It did feel good, and you were already missing his touch, but–

“I should go now,” he said as he stood up.

You desperately reached after his hand, pulling him back before he could begin to pick up his things. “Joel, I–” you tried weakly, ready to apologize and explain that your thoughts were bouncing around and you didn’t know what you were doing.

“This can’t happen again, okay?”

“I’m so sorry, I’m just very, very confused now, and I was just following my instincts,” you explained quickly.

“Yeah, I know that feeling. But you’re drunk, I can’t let you do something stupid.”

You remained silent for a while after this, thinking about what to say. Then, after carefully choosing your words, you said, “And what if I want to do something stupid even when I’m sober?”

Joel let out a long sigh as he thought about what you’d just told him. You didn’t know what was going through his head, but it didn’t really matter as you weren’t sure about anything either. Did you really want to go down this rabbit hole and chase a relationship with him? Would it be a good idea?

“Listen, only last week you were all over my brother, I don’t want to be the backup plan,” he told you. It was understandable, you wouldn’t like to be the second best option either. “Maybe someday we cou–What’s this buzzing sound?”

Looking behind your back, you were quick to notice the phone on the coffee table moving around. “Shit, it’s my work phone. Just a second,” you said as you tried to jump to your feet.

It was your boss. With a long sigh, you answered the phone and listened carefully to the person on the other end of the line. You kept nodding to yourself, then went to grab a pen and paper to take some notes. You ended the call with a promise to join a conference call an hour later, then put down the device and turned back to Joel.

“I’m sorry,” you said.

“What the hell did they want at this time on a Saturday?” he asked you with furrowed brows after standing up.

“The CEO just checked a document we wrote and she wants changes ASAP,” you explained while you drank some more water. “That’s how it goes with her.”

Joel walked over to you and put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re drunk, sweetheart, maybe you shouldn’t work now. You can’t focus on one thing at the time apparently,” he added with a smile, referring to the way you’d been acting since he arrived.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to piss anyone off by slacking, and this job pays too well to lose it. At least it will avert my thoughts from–”

“Tommy?”

“You,” you corrected him before biting on your lower lip.

After drawing in a sharp breath, Joel nodded and pulled back his hand. He seemed hesitant to leave, while you were sure you didn’t want him to go. The thought of him being there with you was comforting, as if nothing bad could ever happen to you when he was around. But deep down you both knew you needed time on your own to think about what happened.

It was Joel who broke the silence by clearing his throat and saying, “I’ll go now. Sarah is spending tomorrow with her mother, so if… You know, if you want to talk, I’m available.”

You nodded and watched as he picked up his tools and left. You sat down on the couch and buried your face into your hands. How could you be such a stupid, pathetic idiot?

[frozen-coffee-chaos]

Aight. Let's talk. Since this happened: https://imgur.com/a/Hph3hm1

Key: Link via Imgur | Happened over a call w/ a witness | Happened over a call w/o a witness | Have physical proof | Someone else's story that is not my place to tell I No longer have proof of I If there's two color in a sentence, it's a mix of both

This is a repost as I lost the other account that posted this originally. Im not stupid enough to make allegations on the internet and not have some proof to back it up. Plus I've been assaulted multiple times before this, so if I lie I now discredit plenty other r@pes I've experienced. If he wants to discredit me in anyway, idc. Why? Because: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 , these back all of my own claims and allegations. Anything else that happened in a call, I have a witness/witnesses to back it up if needed. All of the accusations made in orange are not included in the links above.

You, tenaciouswonderlandluminary, are my rapist. So many times I just submitted to you so I could get it over with because I didn't wish to be sexual but you kept fucking pushing it. I did consent in the beginning, there was consent at play sometimes. You can play the victim all you want... I have evidence for my claims and we all know I don't want to share my face or my name, but yet here I am sharing it all because you think l'm making you out to be an asshole. Ironic how you actually are an asshole. The only thing I wish to gain from speaking up and out against you is to keep women safe. Besides let's talk about how myself and another girl had to convince you to block because she kept dodging the age question but, "Face says 16, tits say 26". You always called us "girls" and only once called us women, get we are younger than you but we are still over 18.... Therefore women, not girls. Let's talk about how you were never sober during any sexual interaction, so of course you don't remember more than what there's physical proof of. I also want to bring up how I tried to explain that I didn't wanna do anything sexual and you said "This is where you say 'Yes Sir'"? Plus you always did the bare minimum & wanted us to do the absolute most. Should I mention how you also only ever sent a singular nude but expected us to send them like candy? I might as well bring up how I was sitting silently watching Tiktok in a call and the other two girls were being brats and you yelled at me? I should probably mention how I have girls telling me that if you don't get your way, you get/got upset with them too… so I’m not your first victim. Might as well talk about how I stated in a call that my limit was no one under 19, yet you brought a girl that was 18 and I didn't know until after we did things... because she told us and showed us her blog. You’ve also ignored another girls hard limit as well. Let me also state how you told me you like to have other girls so that way when you talk to a new one, the new one will feel more comfortable. Or about the fact that when stabbed myself in the vagina doing knife play, you kept forgetting and myself and another girl had to keep reminding you that I couldn't do anything sexual. How about the random threats for no reason? How about when I gave you my safe word and you told me you'd keep it in mind but you preferred a "light system" then never explained it to me? Let’s also talk about when you snapped at me for no reason and after asking what I did multiple times & got no answer, you blamed your dom side??? Or my favorite time of when I kept telling you no and to just let me sleep, and you kept pushing and ignored me so had to mute the group chat just so I could go to sleep? How about the girls who were barely 18 that I heard about? & I mean, just turned 18 a week ago type shit btw. l am also convinced you know nothing about BDSM, especially when you kept asking us for ideas on what to do with a girl IRL, you also mentioned how an ex stated she was into BDSM but got pissed at you for a slap, and when you "punished" another girl with wax play. You say I've cost you numerous relationships for "no reason" all because I want to "use explosive language"... looks like I've got a reason. I could also mention how you told me via chat that you wouldn’t snap at me and yell at me again, yet told another girl that as soon as I rejoined the call you’d go right back to yelling at me. Or how about the fact that you always had a girl teaching another girl how to use the lovense app? Plus when I stated that your behavior directly influenced me to harm myself and made me suicidal & you just never acknowledged it. Or every time you only apologized because someone else called you out for it. Let’s bring up how you told another girl when she asked why you treat me this way, and your response was “She just takes it”. He also says “lots of people are saying lots of things about me” but it’s just me speaking out publicly right now & another person is messaging a few women she knows privately.

[thefirstknife]

Bro. The new Veil log. As usual, I am just losing it.

Chioma: Chioma Esi, incident log: the Vex. Osiris: Interesting. Chioma: Six weeks ago, our settlement came under attack by an intrusion of Vex forces. It was a test of our defenses for a larger incursion. Yesterday, scouts discovered temporally realigned architecture just outside the stronghold limits. The Vex had retroactively inserted themselves into Neptune's history... just like they did on Venus. But unlike Venus, something stopped them short of our habitat. They had to fight their way in. I think it's the Veil. Something about the paracausal nature of the Veil is preventing their temporal excursions. But the Vex aren't giving up. They did something to Neptune's magnetic field - wove a sim into it. A screen to isolate us. It's a double-edged sword. The Vex screen hides us from the outside world, from whatever's happened. So we're safe... ish. But we're stuck with the Vex. Thankfully, they're slow to react and it's giving us time to research countermeasures. Huh... it's almost our anniversary. I should do something for Maya. She'll forget. She's always so busy. Computer, prepare food synthesis. File: Chioma date night 6. Oh, and add a bottle of port. Nimbus: Osiris? You... all right? Osiris: Y-yes. I'm fine. I just, um... saw shadows. My choices. Saint. Dr. Sundaresh and I walked very similar paths of obsession, it seems. Nimbus: Oh. Osiris: [stutters] Nevertheless... it appears that Neomuna's history is deeply tied to the Vex. Hopefully the next decryption will shed more light on this.

So, the Veil affects the Vex and stops them. Why were they trying to replicate it then? To get by the Veil's defenses? Or for some other purpose? Still thinking about the Veil's effects on Exos as well; Exos are made from radiolaria so when the Veil removed the effects of Clarity on it, it may have something to do with the fact that their base is Vex.

Also, the thing that was shielding Neomuna from being seen (and from seeing outside) wasn't just the base magnetic field of Neptune. It was also the Vex' doing! Intriguing. I talked about the magnetic field shielding Neomuna in this post which is about reasons why Neomuna never helped the Earth after the Collapse. Them not being able to even see Earth for a while was a part of it. Interesting to know that this isn't 100% natural but also influenced by the Vex.

Absolutely shattered over Osiris identifying with Maya and how being busy kept them both away from their partners. On the other hand, I love how Osiris was immediately interested when Chioma mentioned the Vex. His original field of study! Same as him, I do also hope we'll get some more stuff about them in some of the next decrypted files.

These are so good and super detailed. I genuinely would say these files are enough content to fill at least 2 full missions. I'm loving it and I love that it's being spaced out week by week. Genuinely enjoying that this will be going on for a while, keeping the theme of the expansion throughout the year.

We'll definitely be able to say more as we get more of these, but I like the plot threads set by the first few. I was waiting to see if we'll get something on the Vex and here it is! Very likely a lot more to come. Super interesting that the Vex keep being drawn to paracausal powers, despite not being able to understand them.

[daz4i]

ok ok rather than make a bunch of annoying vent posts i'm just gonna put everything on my mind all in one post to let it out 🔥 you absolutely do not need to read this, this is honestly so ridiculously long. my brain better feel clean for like at least 2 days after this fr

i knew i was gonna crash after this week and i think this is it 🥲 i was so tense for literally a whole week (even more tbh, bc i was preemptively scared of how much i have to do too) and i think the adrenaline drop kicked in after the peak of this one (aka being in a big social event. haven't been to one of those in literal years)

also. my parents have been sick this week and i think i maybe have contracted it too? 😭 if that is indeed the case it literally kicked in in the last like hour of the event, i was perfectly fine beforehand bc i avoided being in the same closed space as them when i could (aka kept my distance or made sure windows were open around me all the time jic). bc suddenly my whole body hurts like it hasn't in a long while. tho that might be the adrenaline crash too who knows 🥲 ig i'll see how i feel when i wake up

i have not been creative in awhile and i can feel my brain drowning in gunk lol. technically i tried writing songs a couple of times lately but they came out so bad i can't finish them. or anything. and i feel like shit abt failing to create literally anything. and i keep seeing people be creative and make so much or sharing their work fearlessly and it's always so much better than mine too that i'm burning with jealousy that i can't turn off (and can't channel into my own creation bc well. it comes out shitty! so the cycle not only continues but in fact gets worse each time). every time someone tells me i'm good it feels like they're lying to make me feel better or bc they love me so they're. biased and see everything i make as good bc it's me, so i can't count that. every time *i* feel like smth i made is good there's some glaring imperfection i don't know how to iron out so i start hating the whole piece. i don't know how to become better when every time i try to practice i end up wanting to claw my own eyes out as punishment for being so talentless and dumb

(the dumb thing too is. oh my god this is gonna sound so silly but. i try to make myself feel better by solving puzzles or trivia or riddles etc bc these are things i'm usually good at. but lately i can't be proud of myself for succeeding at any of them, and i keep beating myself harder for every time i fail or don't do as well as i used to, bc it feels like i'm failing at the only thing i'm supposed to be good at. also i just generally keep doing stupid things lately esp when it comes to my time management or taking care of my body in various ways, i keep forgetting things which is smth i almost never do, i struggle to get through conversations with others bc i trip over my words or make mistakes constantly, generally i'm just being stupid in various ways)

right now i am. so anxious. about so many things. here let me just make it into a list starting with very small to. probably still small but it feels big to me

1. this is so silly but. i am literally too tired to put small earrings back in after changing them to long one for the party. and i'm scared the holes will close up in my sleep. but this is literally so much work 💔 idk if the holes haven't healed properly or if i'm using the wrong metal so i keep getting infections bc it's been A While (two years. apparently. maybe more??) and they haven't healed yet. like i said a silly thing to get stressed over but i am. very tense

2. i don't know. if the people i knew in the party actually didn't recognize me or if they ignored me on purpose. bc i stood next to some of them while my besties were talking to them too and they didn't even say hi (or like introduced themselves the way others that i didn't know have done). one of them was literally my bestie for a good few months a few years ago and even tho i grew a beard i. don't think i changed THAT much??? also i don't think it's hard to make the connection abt who i am given how tight this community is. someone i haven't talked to since like 2015 bc we had beef recognized me even. so how come they didn't. i met one in a con recently and she did recognize me so. h. did i do something wrong. did someone say smth bad about me. i don't know i don't understand social rules enough to figure it out 😭

3. this is another thing abt that tbh 🥲 while it was very fun and a super cool event, it did remind me very painfully of why my social anxiety is so bad 😭 i felt like i made 10 social errors per minute. i didn't know what to say half the time so i just smiled or laughed and i think that made me seem creepy idk. a lot of people were very nice and i think i did mostly fine with them but also maybe not. idk. i am definitely overthinking things but what if i'm right. it's not that out of the question. i am known to fail social interactions there's a reason why i do my best to avoid them

4. and this is kinda bringing me to a thing i have on my mind a lot recently. bc i'm doing the recovery thing. and a lot of people - friends family and professionals who help me there - tell me i am capable of more than i think or admit. and i get WHY they think that bc i *am* doing a lot compared to the literal nothing i've been up to for years. but i am very much pushing outside my limits, which is why i'm constantly feeling like shit lately i think (not that i was doing great before but. yeah). it probably seems mostly effortless bc i just do them without beating much around the bush but that's only when i mentally prepare myself days or even weeks ahead (for reference, i'm talking about things like. being in public. or taking a bus). or the work i do for projects that... honestly idk how i'm doing that either. i am the laziest person ever and i have no ability to concentrate yet i managed to sit down and do work and do it well and learn text by heart and research and write for hours and ??? it does not feel like myself. but it also kinda does bc i need to very forcefully push myself into it and berate myself for hours until i actually get up to do anything so. it's not smth that comes naturally to me. i don't consider myself capable of things. i'm just very good at pretending i'm unbothered (up until i start crying uncontrollably at least lol) so ppl think i am. unfortunately. bc then they expect me to do more. or they pressure me into it then get disappointed when i can't do it (ig that's the core of it for me... i don't want anyone to develop expectations about me, bc i know i won't be able to meet them, at least not long term. so i insist i can't do anything, bc sometimes - often - i really really can't. i don't wanna be judged by my best. feels false to even call it that tbh. but that's bc it's so rare, it's the best for a reason, the absolute peak i can get to, as pathetic as it is. bc the problem is, when this is already beyond my limits, i literally can't go further, but that's what they want me to do 💔)

5. god. this is also a small thing probably but the accidental lie i mentioned. for context i am giving a lecture abt p5's mythology in the next con, that's the thing i was working on lately. anyway when i signed up i gave background information about myself, and to make myself sound more fitting for the job i said that i learned the topic in [university that specializes in said topic] bc i did - just. 2 classes. that's it. i was telling the truth there, technically (most of my knowledge on the topic comes from independent research, but the classes i took did help with that too, as in i knew where to look for info and things to look out for) (also for reference i'm gonna be fr. i did not finish these classes. social anxiety got to me and i was scared to go to anything outside zoom lessons which weren't an option anymore unfortunately)

ANYWAY when they told me i got in they sent me a "revised" bio which was just what i originally sent them, so i said okay. but now the whole thingie was posted and i can see my bio there and. they said i graduated from [uni] and used language that implies i have a degree in it, probably to make me sound more credible, but it's not true!!!! 😭😭😭 the thing i said was definitely embellishment but it WAS true enough that if asked directly about it i could spin it somehow ("oh i haven't finished yet" "yeah i took a couple of classes when i could to enrich my knowledge") but this. makes it so much harder

chances are i won't be asked bc why would anyone ask abt that. but ever since i started writing the script i was so stressed about people calling me out for being wrong abt info, so i even added a disclaimer of "these are old texts that have many versions that vary according to location or were changed with time uwu if you know a different version of this story that's probably why uwu" and "due to the time constraint i'm giving a very simplified and short version of this topic uwu" bc given that i'm talking a lot abt judaism. to a mainly (or most likely, entirely) jewish audience. it's enough that there is someone who is religious or previously ultra orthodox in the audience that if i make a mistake they could point it out. and then i'll start panicking and lose my train of thought and fuck everything up while i'm already so stressed as is and-

so like i've been super stressed abt all that^ until now but that misinfo in my bio is raising the stakes for me 😭 bc now what if someone who went to this uni and majored in this topic calls me out on never seeing me there. or they can tell the info i'm giving isn't smth that's taught there or isn't the way it's taught there. this is such a specific and unlikely fear but i can't not stress about it because TECHNICALLY it's possible, it COULD happen even if that's not too likely

6. all of this is while i'm also struggling with bureaucracy around that art program i'm signing up to, idk if i'll get in yet or not bc i need some files to be approved and idk if they would, and idk what i'll do if they don't. or what if they do! i'm honestly so scared to start it, idk how i'm gonna go from nothing to waking up early and driving an hour 4 times a week to be active and around people for a few hours. tbh i don't think i can, but also if this gets approved then i have to, so the government's money doesn't get flushed down the toilet bc of me.

7. all this shit has a major impact on my physical health 🥲 not getting into details bc that's def tmi territory but. i'm fighting for my life over a certain stress-caused medical thing for weeks now. only other time i had it was when the war originally started so naturally i was extra stressed then, but like, this is to give you a reference for how majorly stressed i am now. my regular pains are flaring up more often too which makes things harder to handle as well (like, stressing abt not doing enough work, bc i'm literally in too much pain to do anything but lie down. or being scared of the plans i have for the week bc what if these pains catch me when i'm outside or with people. how am i supposed to push through them. what if they catch me when i'm in public and i have to sit down in the middle of the street. what if i'm with people and i'm holding them back from doing smth bc of that. etc etc)

8. ofc all this is happening during the war and i keep seeing things i really don't wanna see from ppl in my country and the west 🥲 and it's like, the mix of guilt over this happening at all, and the frustration over feeling like i have nothing to do about it, and fear about how things are gonna escalate in either direction, and seeing friends from other countries posting things i agree with but can't condone full heartedly bc well. this'll hurt me directly, as selfish as it sounds (tbf, when i say hurt me directly, i'm talking about me and my loved ones' lives being endangered), but also seeing said loved ones talking about things i can't agree with morally, yet can't fully refute either because life is. complicated. i have a lot more to say tbh but i'm too tired to acknowledge every single facet of every single related issue which will open me to a lot of hate so. best to leave it here. unfortunately

idk where to put this. sorry for the sudden topic change. it feels bad to be stressed over that but, there is a guy who i know likes me like a lot. i think i'm like exactly his taste and he's always so excited about seeing or talking to me. one of my besties - or maybe more. idk - really wants us to get together bc tbh it'll probably be good for both of us, and y'all know how desperate i am to be loved lol. but i can't bring myself to like him the way he likes me 💔 he's fun but i have a hard time with one on one interactions so i can't really progress things and tbh, idk if i'm currently in a mindset where i even should, given all that^. also i know for a fact i can't handle an actual relationship, and i'm scared i'll disappoint him or drive him away if i'll be my real unfiltered self, and ik i need to be obsessed with someone to get attached this quickly but i can't force it either. and to put it more directly... i'm perfect for him and his taste, but not the other way around 🥲 (tho tbf idk what my taste even is. i identify as aroace for a reason). i don't wanna string him along but i think i already kind of am 😭 i like him but not as much as he likes me, but what i probably like here even more is the feeling of being liked. and that makes me feel like a dick. i also feel guilty for not liking him the same way ig even tho ik it's stupid bc it's not like i can control it. and yet

so yeah this is. a lot of shit. all at once. both silly and not silly at all. my brain is in constant overload. i get violently suicidal every time i have a moment alone with my thoughts or when i see anything that reminds me of that. bc all this stress makes life feel so impossible - it IS impossible - that i can't handle the thought of it, but half of the things that cause me stress are supposed to be for the purpose of distracting me from how stressful everything is. so. what the fuck am i supposed to do about all that. how am i supposed to live like at all

[kin-eats]

It might be a bit before I post recipes here again just cause other things are distracting me (mainly getting my Switch again)

That being said: there is no longer a source ban for requests from fictionkintypes. I meant to make this change and share this like 2-3 years ago but I kept forgetting to actually say anything. I just don'tcare enough anymore if your kintypes from certain media since kintypes aren’t chosen.

I will no longer do any sort of reblogs or promos that aren't food related. Flat-out. I thought I made that clear but it seems not lol.

Non-food request asks are also allowed here if you so wish but try and minimize them and instead send to my main @the-lightest-shadow if you feel comfortable doing so.

Thank you all and have a good week!

[dylanobriengossip]

Dylan O'Brien's new problematic girlfriend Rachael Lange (2023) I Part 2

Part 1 I Part 3 I Part 4

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse…. more disturbing things came to light.

Taylor Swift, Harry Styles & Selena Gomez

Everyone knows Dylan is a Swiftie and also starred in Taylor's "All Too Well: The Short Film" and they have also been friends for a couple years now. Let's see what Rachael thinks of Taylor:

Interesting... because back in 2011 she claimed to be a Swiftie. 🙃 Rachael (2nd from the left) with friends at what seems to be a Taylor Swift concert. The caption of the pic that one of her friends shared (fb): "Taylor Swift! Never grow up…stay this little.."

Dylan is also a fan of Harry Styles.

And many years ago Dylan used to have a crush on Selena Gomez.

After Rachael got exposed:

She went private on Twitter and deleted over 400+ Tweets (which is already an insane number) but yet still hasn't managed to delete all problematic ones 🤦‍♀️

Blocked those who called her out on all her social media accounts

Deleted the Instagram post (she had during that time) where everyone commented and called her out

Restricted the comments on all her Instagram accounts so only the ones who follow her can comment now

She also censors the comments, only those comments that praise her and whatnot are accepted to show up in the comments

Untagged herself from all the posts she was tagged in where you can see her with Dylan at the Ami Paris Fashion Week Show

Rachael deleted this video after she got backlash for it

Deleted the TikTok video where she was called out but forgot to delete the comments on her other videos

Deactivated her TikTok account but made it public again recently

The Apology

January 23, 2023 After doing all these things to hide what she did/said in the past she posted this Apology on her Twitter (obviously it had to be shared there bc that's where it happened) but it was also good enough for her to share it in a 24h TikTok Story.

You probably ask yourself why are people still upset about it. She apologized and everything is okay now. No not really because she never shared it on her Instagram account where her most followers are and obviously people also called her out on there too and not just on Twitter and TikTok. And let's be honest after all those things she said more than just that apology should have been done. So if that doesn't speak volumes... And not to forget all those marginalized communities she offended and hurt by those words. Do you really think they will be like: "She was young and didn't know better.", "Now she apologized. Just let us brush it under the rug." Even if you're not someone from those communities just take some time to think about how you would feel if you were in their position. Doesn't feel great right? So don't expect them to just accept that apology and forget about what she said. It doesn't matter what age you are. There never was and never will be a time when it's okay to say any of those things. So many other people in that age know that this is wrong and never did. So please stop defending her. She was old enough to know saying these things is wrong but kept doing it anyway. Was that apology (if she even wrote that herself or got somebody else to do it for her) genuine or not? That's up to you to decide and if you accept that or not. Everyone thinks differently about this and has a different opinion.

But think about this. What does it tell you about a person who:

After being exposed was like: "Oh no. Wait let me quickly go private on Twitter to try to remove all of that so no one can hold that against me anymore." (Screenshots exist for a reason so that didn't make things better for you or made ppl forget that js).

Again never shared that apology on her Instagram, the place with her most followers

Waited until things cooled off and didn't post anything until like a month later and came back with a post to make promo for her brand (Seriously!?! You've got to be kidding me). 🤦‍♀️

You would think someone who said all those things would do more to prove to people that they changed especially after that big amount of disgusting things. But what is Rachael doing? She keeps ignoring the elephant in the room and went back to regularly posting as if nothing happened. And remember that part where she untagged herself from posts about her and Dylan? Well.... the more and more she felt safe and made people think she changed the more she made their relationship public on her Instagram. While (as always) keeps ignoring the fact that this is damaging her & her boyfriend's reputation/image even more thanks to all those things that came out about her. How? Read that here

And as if all of that hasn't been bad enough already. They also found these:

TikTok

Rachael posted this video on her TikTok account back in 2021.

"I’m grossly proud of my scrunchie and bag coordination #fyp"

Funny you say that Rachael because...

x, x, x, x, x, x

Source

Her old AskFM account

Ana (Logan Lerman’s girlfriend) you should keep an eye out on your new bestie Rachael. 👀

Her Family

Rachael with her parents Michael and Shirley and her brother Kyle Lange.

Her brother

"In 2014, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Kyle who was 21 at the time of Friendswood, for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Kyle and his girlfriend were fighting in the driveway of Lange's residence in the 2000 block of Pebble Lane on August 12. The girlfriend called a friend to pick her up, but when the friend arrived, Lange allegedly threatened them both with a handgun. His bond was set at $80,000 for the Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Charge, but no bond was set for the drug charges since Lange was serving two years of felony probation for Possession of Psilocybin." Source I x

Then there are these 2 Instagram Stories of him from 2023: x, x

Rachael and her mom

and then there's this more recent one of Rachael from a couple years ago.

[milaza]

nine years of drawing with a digital art tablet baeby! i have some older traditional/non-tablet digital pieces as well but i dunno what year they’re from. i’ll make a more complete yearly progress chart next year.

overall, i’m pretty okay with things considering it’s just a hobby.

it’s still a bit frustrating to see that i peaked with pretty stuff in 2018, but as i said before i’ve improved a lot more in other ways and i don’t think i’d be happy with myself if i kept just drawing pretty faces with boring compositions.

before i compiled this, my feeling was that i thought i did really well in 2020. but that was just the year my posts did well on social media (did well for ME). looking back, there wasn’t really anything complete and unique that i liked a lot. and i thought i kinda flopped in 2021 ‘cause i didn’t post all that much, but i’m really happy with my output that year TBH. i want to draw more fun scenes and pictures with deep feelings!

the time i spend on a complete piece has decreased a lot because i’m more concerned with having an interesting atmosphere over making sure the rendering and anatomy is perfect. also, i’ve just gotten quicker at drawing overall. i always try to keep it under 10 hours nowadays unless it’s got lineart... that shit makes it take so much longer orz.

2022 kinda felt like a flop again, aw man. i kinda forgot that i spent a good part of the early year drawing a whole korekiyo dojinshi? i felt really down about it at the time since i was utterly unmotivated (it’s fucking korekiyo i don’t know how i cared enough about him to draw a whole comic about him), but now i’m like... woah... people actually enjoyed that? i sold out of all 28 copies i had printed, so now i’m considering reprinting it again. who knows...

anyway i got an ipad this year and started using procreate so i sketched a good bit more. i finished dai gyakuten saiban, got motivated by my chemical romance, and completed a bunch of stuff i was pretty proud of in a single week. unfortunately completing dai gyakuten saiban also made me fall in love with barok van zieks for some reason so i basically spent the second half of the year just drawing self-ship art and van zieks pr0n. it’s not even crap worth posting.

i feel like i didn’t complete or post that much (at least on my main account) because of that. but actually, i always forget i have more finished pieces for zines that i don’t post... idk if i should admit it but i use zines as a way to motivate myself to finish stuff honestly. i think without that i’d flop even more and not get me to draw anything... but i will stop doing that from now on because i don’t feel satisfied with my artistic output drawing for zines. bleh.

last year i was obsessed with making dojinshi and this year i got into merch stuff since i was tabling at a convention for the first time, but honestly...! it’s a pain in the ass!!! i don’t want to bother with maintaining an online store and i don’t want to create products for the sake of creating products so i’m only gonna make what i personally want from now on.

so i spent 75+ hours rendering a barok van zieks dakimakura.

I WANT TO THROW UP!!! IT’S SO SICKENING TO ME THAT THE PIECE I’VE SPENT THE MOST TIME ON EVER IS A FUCKING VAN ZIEKS DAKIMAKURA!!!! HE’S NOT EVEN IN MY TOP 5 ACE ATTORNEY CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!!! preorder link in my bio btw.

that was just 2 weeks ago basically, but i felt so fucking ill about it. luckily i finished off the year with a nice complete drawing so i’m happy and i love myself again ^_^

i want to focus on 3D art next year, draw more complete scenes, get around to my drawing idea backlog... get into some new fucking media because i am sick of that white man cursing me for the past six months. yep yep!

[pooks]

so i'm on a Callum being happily adopted brainrot and the WTSE au gives such cute scenarios, so here is my hot takes aka imaginations

first off: Cecil

Cecil is the first one Callum learns to trust. first off, Cecil saved Cal when they first met. which is the disasterous intern job interview and Callum fainted because he was nearly starving to death (he had previously on, since his arrival to night vale, been living on granola bars until he ran out for a half week ago). Cecil just decided "nope, this poor boy needs help", took him home and him along with Carlos, Jon and Martin nursed Cal back to health. and then he got attached.

it also helps that Cal has purple eyes (a permanent result from the apocalypse) which Cecil instantly took as a sign that Cal was destinted to come to Night Vale (don't ask why, cause no one understands how Cecil reasons with that)

oh and let's not forget Callum have still untreated trauma from the whole Maxwell Rayner and the dark business, which made him lash out during the apocalypse. now, Cal refuses to stay in any room/place where he can't see anything, he has a crippling fear of the dark now for two reasons.

1, he was traumatized. he's genuinely scared of what hides in the dark. 2. he's scared of relapsing into a monster again.

avoiding the dark isn't an easy thing in Night Vale, but then Cecil gives him a night light (it's a really cute one, it projects space images) so Cal can sleep at nights. it also comforts him and makes him feel safe. Callum nearly cries because he can't remember the last time any adult has cared for him like this. then Cecil decided "yeah i'm adopting this lil lad".

next up: Martin

we all know that Martin has excellent skills in caretaking, so taking care of Callum wasn't a hard job for him. i mean, this funky ex-archival assistant succeeded in taking care of Jon and that says something.

Martin re-meets Callum when he's starving and sick, so naturally Martin took charge of nursing him back to health. he made extra sure that Cal wouldn't throw up because he ate too much and Martin knows well enough that you can't just give a big plate of food for a kid who's starving, that will result in diarrhea and abdominal pain. so he cooks gentle food, in small plates and works up Cal's appetite in a slow pace, but it works. he also makes sure Callum hydrates with water and takes him out for small walks, so he can get some exercise.

none of they haven't exactly forgotten about the apocalypse or night street, but Cal hates thinking about it and Martin is respectful of his boundaries. until Cal breaks down about it and reveals he never really intended to become a bully in the apocalypse.

we then get the full story from Callum. post-kidnapping and pre-apocalypse, Callum was bullied by his peers relentlessly for being scared of small spaces and the dark. he was traumatized and he got no therapy, nothing. and when the apocalypse hits, he just snaps and turned on the table of his bullies, letting them experience what he felt. it just kept going on, towards innocent kids because being an avatar and using fear powers was like a drug, it was impossible for Callum to stop, even if he wanted to.

maybe Martin don't fully understand what Cal feels because he doesn't have his experience, but he is here for Cal if he needs it.

third up: Carlos

Carlos takes on a more mentor role to Cal. he manages to capture his interest in science and he teachers Callum what to expect of Night Vale

it also turns out Callum has a hidden interest in science, so he listens eagerly when Carlos goes into science infodumps and just drinks in the information. as expected, Carlos is very excited to have a young little science buddy and encourages him to chase his interests. they also bond a little over music (especially iconic 80s music)

Carlos also made a map for Cal when he felt ready to explore Night Vale on his own, so he won't get lost and a phone so he can call them, if he needs anything.

something that Callum never agreed on, but begrudgingly accepts is Carlos has "adorable" nicknames for him. Cal is the type to pretend he don't like cute nicknames from parents, but he totally likes it. and like Martin, Carlos gives great hugs.

last one...Jon

there was too much friction between Cal and Jon. they recognized too many similarities. both are traumatized by eldritch horror powers at young age, they both reacted differently to it.

Callum is reluctant about listening to Jon at anytime, Jon feels constantly irritated over how rude Cal is. his reasons why he doesn't open up to Jon are unknown until he reveals how he knew Jon was coming to Night Street

turns out, Helen had been riding around with its yellow door and telling all avatars that the Archivist was coming to smite all. imagine you are a thirteen year old, you are a new avatar and ruling your own place in darkness. then you get told that the Archivist, practically the lord of the apocalypse and the anti-christ, is coming to your house and will possibly kill you. hence Cal being very on edge and defensive.

what Jon and Callum needed was to sit down and actually talk to each other about this. while it didn't began great, it ended with Jon embracing Cal, comforting him with unconditional love like a true parent.

afterwards from this point, Jon and Cal has a very warm parent-child relationship, even when Cal tries to be a rebellious teenager and tests the rules. Jon is the one who enforces rules and curfew for their teen son, especially when he starts to date (which he argued 14 was too early to date and Cal responded by slamming doors)

but they have soft moments, like when Jon suffers from post-partum depression. Cal sees this and while he don't have any more wikipedia to get advice (damn it Sheriff's Secret Police, he just wants to help his dad), he does little things to cheer him up. like cooking and bringing breakfast in bed,

bottom line? Callum loves all his new dads unconditionally, because they were the first adults who actually listened to him. it was a team effort, but Jon, Cecil, Carlos and Martin gave exactly what a traumatized kid needs; unconditional love, support, comfort and protection.

i care them so much... 🥰🥰

(i don't own anything. the WTSE au belongs to @sm0kebreaks @kerink and game-warden)

[arrthurpendragon]

Kingdom Come / Us Against the World Sneak Peek

Merlin kitty said to post some of my writing that I haven’t shown anyone.

Author’s Note: This story is a continuation of my story Us Against the World, which is Elle’s story in seasons 1-2.  I was just impatient and wanted to write season 4, so here we are.  While the writing there isn’t the greatest, it does give Elle’s backstory to this point.  You don’t have to read it, but just so you know--it’s there.

Sunlight poured in through the window and blanketed the small room.  Curtains rustled in the breeze of the open window.  A fan softly hummed overhead.  The room itself was littered with dirty clothes and water bottles.  On the twin-sized bed in the corner slept Elle Winchester, her dark brown hair now with honey-blonde highlights.  While the room itself was quite peaceful, the expression on Elle’s face was one of distraught.  She muttered her brother’s name in her sleep and flailed about until she finally awoke with a start.

Elle sat up breathing heavily, pulling her sun-kissed locks behind her ear.  She awoke most nights from nightmares, nightmares of seeing Dean ripped to shreds by a hellhound.  It wasn’t a sight she was likely to ever forget, but it wasn’t really something she could discuss with anyone in her current situation.  Only a few weeks after Dean’s death, Sam and Elle had gone their separate ways.  Sam had changed, drastically, and Elle couldn’t handle it.  He was hellbent on finding a way to get Dean back.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want Dean back, because truthfully, she did.  It was the fact that she had made Dean a promise.  He had made her promise that she would quit the life of a hunter and try to make for herself some resemblance of an apple-pie kind of life.  It was that promise that led her to her current situation.

She was currently in Madison, Wisconsin studying to become a nurse and she hadn’t heard from Sam since they parted ways.  His phone didn’t seem to be connected anymore either.  They hadn’t been the same since Dean died.  In the past, it had always been Dean she fought with.  Sam had always been the one to attempt to bring peace between Dean and Elle.  Even when Sam left to go to college, Elle hadn’t minded too terribly.  She understood why he did it.  But this, she couldn’t understand.  Dean had asked very little of them and Sam couldn’t respect that.  And that bothered Elle.  She and Sam owed Dean that much for everything he had done for them growing up.

“Elle, breakfast is done!” a young man’s voice called from the other room.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” Elle called back as she slowly stretched her arms above her head.  Her arms were smooth with hardly any scars, a vast contrast from two years ago when her body had been Yellow Eye’s canvass.  She couldn’t remember how her scars had been healed, but they had.  The only thing she could remember was a voice, but even that was fuzzy.  Also, that sounded crazy.  How could a voice remove scars?

“Elle!  I’m gonna eat your French toast!”

“Good lord, I said give me a minute!”

Elle rolled out of bed.  She pulled a flannel shirt on over her tank top and put slippers on her feet.  She grabbed a ponytail from the top of her dresser and threw her hair up in a messy bun before she left her bedroom.  The moment she entered the main room, the smell of French toast smacked her.  It smelled delicious.  She spotted strawberries and whipped cream on the kitchen island too.  Her hand reached out to grab a strawberry when another hand slapped hers away.

“We use spoons in this house.”

“You sound exactly like your mother,” Elle laughed as she looked at the person the hand belonged to, her half brother, Adam Milligan, who stood there holding a spoon out to her.  She snatched the spoon from him and dipped it into the strawberries.

After she had parted ways with Sam, Elle eventually made her way to Windom, Minnesota.  She had kept in regular contact with Adam since she had met him almost two years ago.  Kate and Adam welcomed her into their home with open arms and by the beginning of August, she and Adam had moved to Madison for school.  Kate was thrilled with the idea that Adam wouldn’t be by himself.  Adam was happy to get more time with his sister.  And Elle was keeping her promise to Dean.  There certainly was an adjustment period, but Elle thought she was beginning to get the hang of things now.

Elle pulled out a stool and sat down at the island.  “I’m so glad I live with someone who can cook,” she said as she stabbed a piece of French toast and put it on her plate.  She still had not mastered the art of cooking.  Although, she did make a mean Maruchan Ramen noodles, a college staple she was told.

Adam chuckled and grabbed a piece for himself. “Being raised by a single mother who worked a lot, she taught me the basics so that I wouldn’t starve.”

“Well, I never had that,” Elle said careful not to bring up Sam...or Dean.  Her father had wanted them kept a secret from Adam.  While she didn’t understand it, she kept that secret.  The only person Elle told was Bobby.  She knew she could trust him.

“When’s your first class?” Adam asked with a bite of food tucked in his cheek.

“Noon.  You?”  She then took a bite of food.  It was delicious.  While the strawberries were canned pie filling, she didn’t care.  She had been raised on canned food and there were plenty of good things that came from a can.

“Eleven.  God, I love college. I can actually sleep in without my mom yelling at me.”

“Instead you get me yelling at you.”

Adam arched an eyebrow.  “You do realize that it was me waking you up, right?”

Elle rolled her eyes and shoved another bite of food in her mouth so that she couldn’t respond.  That made Adam laugh.  The two of them got along really well.  Elle actually enjoyed being the older sibling and not the tag-along youngest one.  It wasn’t that she hated being the younger sister of Sam and Dean, but she did enjoy getting to be the older one.

Just then, something rubbed against Elle’s leg.  She froze for a moment, given the life she led, it could be anything.  But looking down, she realized it was only the kitten she and Adam had adopted.  This domesticated life still took a bit of getting used to.  Elle reached down and plucked the kitten into her arms, holding him like a baby.  The kitten’s name was Spencer.  He was white with black splotches and yellow eyes.  Elle smiled holding him.  She hadn’t been allowed a pet living on the road.  It was nice to have an animal...and a brother to come home to.

Adam grabbed the dishes and walked them to the sink. “I’ll get those!” Elle said setting Spencer down.  “You cooked, I can clean.”

He nodded his head as Elle made her way to the sink and stood beside him.  Elle looked up at him and shook her head.  He had certainly gotten taller since they had met.  Adam was nearly as tall as Dean.  The thought of Dean gave her a pang in her stomach and made her brow furrow.  She missed him.  Sometimes it felt wrong to be this happy.  But it was what he wanted for her.  Although, she wasn’t so sure he would be happy with her for keeping him in the dark about Adam.  It was for Adam’s own safety though.  Dad didn’t want him in the life.  Besides, there wasn’t anything she could do anymore about Dean not knowing.  He was in hell.  Not that that was a comforting thought.

“So, I was thinking pizza for supper,” Adam said.

Elle chuckled as she began to wash dishes. Adam was very much like Dean in that sense.  Always thinking of his stomach.  “Is it delivery or DiGiorno?” Elle teased.

“Neither,” Adam smiled before reaching into the freezer and pulling out a pizza. “Jack’s frozen pizza.  They were on sale at Woodman’s.”

“Works for me,” Elle responded with a shrug as she put a plate on the drying rack. “Although, we should probably make two.  You eat a whole one of those by yourself.”

Adam blushed a little as he shoved the pizza back in the freezer.  His mother had sat both of them down to have a discussion about the freshman fifteen. “I uh--I think I’m gonna take a shower.”

“Yeah, you probably should.  You’re pretty ripe,” Elle teased her little brother. “But don’t use all the hot water.  I need to get in there after you.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty ripe too,” Adam jabbed right back, giving his sister a playful shove.

Elle retaliated by grabbing the sprayer and aiming it at Adam.  She got him right in the face.  He spluttered before he ran toward her to wrest the sprayer away.  Elle continued to spray him until he turned it around on her.  She squealed when the water splashed against her before she slammed the water off.  The siblings were quiet for a moment, the only sound heard to be heard was water dripping to the floor. After a few seconds, both Adam and Elle broke into elated laughter as they stood in a puddle of water.

“You know, it was probably a good thing we didn’t live together growing up as kids,” Adam chuckled. “Mom would have probably killed both of us.”

“Probably.  Now, go take your shower,” Elle chuckled playfully pushing her brother away. “Not that you need one anymore.”  Elle then sniffed hard and scrunched her face. “I take that back.  You smell like wet dog and definitely still need that shower.”

Sarcastically, Adam responded, “Thanks.”

“Brutal honesty, that’s what family is for, right?”  Elle smiled at Adam.