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mntozakii · 11 months

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sugar — lee haechan

pairing: haechan x female reader

tags: stepcest, age gap (6 years), unprotected sex, haechan is a little bit insane but it's fine ☹️

note: been having haechan brainrot so plz enjoy this

minors do not interact and all characters are in legal age

[unedited]

before your first encounter with the boy, his father has warned you that his son can be very mischievous. it turned out to be wrong because the haechan that you met was silent, you didn't have to know that he was actually angry. he believed that a pretty girl like you shouldn't be around men like his father, he knew that his workaholics father will neglect you in the future.

much to your delight, haechan warmed up and became closer to you since his father is always on a business trip. haechan just absolutely adore the way his father's young trophy wife showed up to his soccer games, coding competition, and took care of him like a good mommy. in return, he gave you a lot of affection and love. your sweet boy haechan who never disrespect you, listened to you more than his father, and indulged into your silly little hobbies. he didn't mind to follow around the store like a kicked puppy as you spend his father's black card.

haechan who can't be mean with you. at first, he wanted to make your life miserable but you were so kind and lovely to him. you think of him so fondly that it never crossed on your mind that he's taking advantage of you.

haechan who whines about his sore back so you will massage him and he finds it amusing that you laugh whenever he moans, if only you knew that haechan creamed his pants.

haechan who loves to share his food and feels his pupils dilate whenever your mouth opens nicely as he feeds you.

haechan who offers to do the laundry so he can steal your panties, he secretly touches himself with the flimsy silk.

to be honest, you weren't bothered with haechan's behaviour since you've seen how the boy acted around his relatives and friends. you assumed that it was only natural for him to be so attached with you, after all you're his new mother.

haechan has to thank his parents for making baby as his nickname because now he gets to hear you call him baby everyday.

"baby, don't forget to eat your breakfast"

"haechan baby, can you help me with the grocery?"

"good job baby, you're so smart"

four years went by and your sweet sunshine is no longer a pretty boy, he stood taller than you and looked intimidating than ever. however, he was still the same cheeky boy you've know. haechan attended law school, following his father's path. to be frank, it wasn't his first option but you had beg so prettily for him to listen to his father.

even though haechan was hundred miles away from you, he will still occasionally visit you. besides, he texted you everyday and updated you with everything. you knew the names of the professors that he hated, his pretentious classmates, and his roomate jeno.

"i want to see your face" haechan sent a selfie of him on bed with his messy brown hair.

"i'm on a date" you sent a selfie with his father which he replied with an eye roll emoji. you probably laugh at his choice of emoji but he genuinely felt pissed off. all he wanted was to see your face and he got a picture of the old man kissing your cheek.

"i miss having meals with you" haechan sent a picture of his pathetic dinner that consisted of ramen, few packs of sandwiches, and milk.

"my baby, please eat a proper meal" you sighed as you looked at his simple dinner, you'll remind your husband to pay extra attention to his allowance.

when haechan had few days off from school, he decided to suprise you by taking a flight home. upon his arrival, he was flustered to hear choked cries coming from your room. he knows that his father was home so he opted to peek from behind the door, his face turned into a soft frown when he saw your naked body on his father's lap.

"honey, please, i want to have a child with you" his heart burned with jealousy watching you hold his father's face as you cried, he never get to see your vulnerability before.

"i feel alone, the house seems so empty without haechan. it is a perfect timing for us to raise a child together, right?" his heart broke seeing your attempt to convince his father, haechan felt your frustration by the strong grip on the older man's shirt. he never know that you felt alone while he was away, he felt even worse when the accompany that you now wanted was in a form of a child.

"my sweetheart, i understand how you feel but can you wait for a few more months? once everything is settled at the firm, we will talk about this again" haechan had to physically control himself from letting a scoff, he knew that his father's promise meant nothing. the younger man headed to his room while he waited for his father to return to his office.

as soon as he heard the car left, he went outside to find you. his lips turned into a smirk when he saw you eating a pint of ice-cream, he was quick to attack you with a tight hug. you let out a shriek before hitting his chest when you realised it was haechan.

"haechan, you didn't tell me that you were coming home!" you reciprocated his hug and chuckled when the brunet pecked you on the cheek.

"i wanted to surprise you" he mumbled as he wiped the cream at the corner of your lips, he pulled you to the couch and kept you close to him. he wrapped his hand around your shoulder as he listened to you while the movie play mindlessly in the background.

"baby, have some" haechan smiled when you fed him the ice-cream. he found it very cute when you call him baby because he liked to take advantage of it, it almost felt like you will always forgive him for his mistakes.

haechan loved whenever you wear polo shirt especially if it was paired with a mini skirt. today, you were wearing his favourite white shirt paired with a midi skirt. you looked so beautiful, he can't help but to stare at your thighs through the slit of the skirt.

"why are you so pretty today? i want to play with you" his hand slid inside the skirt before he softly rubbed your inner thigh while maintaining eye contact with you. it wasn't unusual for haechan to be clingy but he should never touch you in that way.

"haechan, what are you doing?" your heart pounded heavily when his hand dangerously headed north.

"baby, your hand—" you tried to push it away but it was no use, his grip only tighten on your body. haechan leaned closer to leave wet kisses on your neck, he missed you so much.

"no— haechan, we cannot do this" your second attempt to shove him away failed since he was so much stronger than you, he didn't even budge at all.

"hmm, why can't we do this?" his mellifluous voice whined before he pulled you to his lap, his hands rested on your side as he eyefucked you.

"my father doesn't want to put a baby into you and i want to do the opposite of that, isn't that good?" his voice made the question sounded so innocent meanwhile in reality, he was talking about making you pregnant with his child. he must've overheard your talk with your husband, you wanted to believe that haechan was just confused with his feelings towards you.

"haechan, your father will get very mad at you" you mumbled as you reached for his hands, holding them tightly so he won't touch you again. haechan admired your effort to put him in his place, it was an adorable attempt. he easily pulled his hands away from you before carrying you to his room, he made sure to lock the door before cornering you to his bed.

"baby, baby, baby" he mocked the way your small voice always call for his name, he took off his shirt and sat on the bed. you can't help but to notice how different he looked now, his body was becoming lean and his features has developed into a handsome man. haechan held your hand as you stood still with guilt written all over your face.

was it your fault for spoiling haechan rotten until he thinks that he can get whatever he wants?

was it your fault for not creating a clear boundaries with your step son?

was it your fault for getting a little aroused with his little antics today?

"mommy, give me a chance to please you" haechan begged with the prettiest doe eyes ever, you are aware that you can say no, leave his room, and pretend that nothing happened but something inside you was thrilled to see more of him.

haechan grew impatient waiting for your reply, he decided to have you on his lap again before a brilliant idea popped out.

"you can tell me to stop and i will" haechan promised before he unbuttoned your shirt, he tried to read your expression but failed to do so. haechan chuckled seeing purple bruises all over your chest, you must had a steamy night yesterday.

"my father is a greedy bastard, isn't he?" he muttered before doing the exact thing that his father did to you last night, except haechan was aiming for your neck.

"baby, not on the neck, he will notice it" you pulled on his hair to take a look at his face, he seemed to be disappointed when he failed to mark you.

his hands gently groped on your tits and nipples, he alternated in between sucking, biting, and pulling on your hard buds. haechan felt his ego skyrocketed when you started to whimper and begged for more.

haechan positioned you to lay down comfortably on his bed before he took off your panties, he kept the skirt on because it looked lovely on you. haechan couldn't believe that he was finally staring at your naked body, he had been fantasizing this for years.

"such a pretty pussy" haechan praised you and chuckled when he noticed your hole clenched at nothing, he didn't know that you were already leaking wet.

"hmm, it's so tight, does he not fuck you at all?" haechan queried as he stuffed your hole with his middle finger, he moaned seeing you tighten around his digit. since he was eager to satisfy you, he added another finger and played with your clit using his other hand.

instead of making you reach your high, haechan kept on edging until you became so frustrated. he will rub your clit in the most delicious circles and stopped whenever you're almost close. the moment when he noticed your legs started to twitch, he will take his hand off your pussy and let you cry for more.

"haechan, don't be mean to me" you had to hold back a sob because you've been denied for so many times and it felt so painful. you tried to touch yourself but he gently smacked your clit as a warning, he wanted to see you come on his cock instead of his fingers. he got on top of you and let your legs rest on his shoulders, he gave a few kisses on your calf before pulling out his dick.

"i prepped you so well, you should be able to take it like a good girl, right?" he rubbed the tip on your entrance and slightly pushed the tip to elicit another moan from you.

one thing that haechan had always dreamt off was kissing you, he had various imagination to kept him on edge whenever he jerked off. he used to imagine fucking you on the mattress that you share with his father, he also fantasized about fucking you in the kitchen too. today, he will do everything that he wanted for so many years.

haechan bit his lip as he slowly pushed himself inside your warm cunt, it felt so fucking good that he wanted to cry. haechan leaned closer to kiss your lips and giggled when he tasted the lip gloss, you had put it on him for fun before but it tasted so much sweeter on your lips.

"baby, what's so funny?" you asked then laughed when he shrugged it off and hid his face on your chest as his hips kept on thrusting into your poor hole.

"this is better than everything i used to dream off" haechan admitted before pulling you into another kiss, you realised that the brown haired boy liked to be messy when kissing. he was so desperate and wanted to swallow you whole if he could, he slowly trailed down to your neck and started to suck and bite on it.

"baby, be gentle with it" you reminded him as you caressed his hair, you admitted that he was doing so well and it scared you. the younger boy decorated your neck with fresh red marks before he intertwined your hands together.

"i'm going to fill you up with my seed, get you pregnant with my child, that'll make you a real mommy" haechan whispered before he continued to fuck you real hard, every each of his thrust hits your cervix and drove you to madness.

"baby, no— haechan, you have to pull out" your hands weakly push him away but it only fueled him to pound your hole mercilessly, he knew that you were close and he wanted to come together. a few more penetration and haechan felt your walls contracted tightly around his veiny cock, he shot ropes of warm semen inside your pussy.

you can't help but to whine at the warm feelings inside you, haechan panted softly as pulled you into a tight hug. he caressed your messy hair and adored the marks he left on your body.

"did i do a good job, mommy?"

#nct 127 #nct 127 smut #nct dream #nct dream smut #nct #nct imagines #nct smut #nct x reader #haechan #haechan imagines #haechan smut #haechan x reader

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themorphine · 4 months

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eloise is my bitch and here is why

never thought i would do this- but here is a very lengthy post on why eloise is actually an AMAZING CHARACTER (notice how i said character, not person !!)

ok i understand the criticisms that come with eloise, i get it. she's naive, a bit self-centered, and tends to not be open to opinions that contradict her own. she was not the best of friends to penelope, pushing her own ideals unto her, and admonishing her for having dreams that

were not her own. she is not a girls girl, as she does not see activities/hobbies that are traditionally more "feminine" as valid interests but as a symbol of oppression. she judges too harshly on people who don't think like her, immediately thinking that they don't possess the

same level of intellect as her. BUT honestly, i think her character is more nuanced than this, and is not as flat as people make her out to be. eloise is the perfect example of a girl sick of the oppression women face IN THIS TIME PERIOD. you see that? in THIS TIME PERIOD.

for a 17 rich girl, its not surprising that she thinks this way, especially living IN HER TIME PERIOD. in this time period "feminine" hobbies are forced upon women, not a choice. while a craft like embroidery is certainly commendable and amazing, we must understand that at least

for eloise, these activities have been forced on her, ones that will help her find a husband. eloise does not view this activity as something that liberates her, but giving into it oppresses her even further. to be honest, in this time period, why else would the women engage in

these activities if not for being a more suitable marriage candidate? for eloise, participating in this activity or any "womanly" activities is perceived in her eyes as giving into societal pressures. so i don't think eloise is necessarily putting down more seemingly "feminine"

activities/hobbies, but is rather befuddled as to how someone could enjoy it, as it is only seen as something to help women in the marriage market. how could someone enjoy an activity that women have been *told* to like, when that is the essence of what eloise fights against?

to be honest, i feel like the comments against eloise are spoken in a modern context, in a context where we know now that embroidery and fiber arts are commendable professions. and if this context is taken of course eloise's actions are seen as unjust.

and to be honest, her reaction IS annoying. as a fiber artist, its always annoying to have my passion dumbed down, to something that does not demonstrate the true power of it. but still, would we really expect eloise, a 17 year old rich white girl who has never read books beyond

her home, to be able to have the opinion that we have? of course not. in her time period her opinions make sense, and i feel like its unfair to judge her character in the context of modern thinking. eloise doesn't know better, and while it is not an excuse, i argue that it makes

her an even better character, one that has so much more room to grow, so much more room to change. i feel like we must remember that she is only 17, a girl is still figuring the world, especially in a time period when women only hold worth in the heirs they produce. of course her

opinion is shallow and lacks depth, SHE'S 17!!!! why wouldn't she be insufferable? i feel like in tv today we always want characters to have no faults, or at least not faults that may make them look like a bad person. this takes away the journey the character may encounter,

that gives more depth to a character and shows us why they think that way, why are like this. nobody likes a women who voices her opinion without regard to what others might think, and to be honest i think that that's one of the biggest reasons people don't like eloise. now i'm

not saying that i support eloise's actions, or that i think she is a "good" person. but i do think she is a phenomenal character and very accurately depicts what a girl with her background may end up being. she has so much room for growth, and is, if you couldn't tell, my fav <3

so stop hating on her because she's not a "girl's girl," because honestly why would she be based on her upbringing and the TIME PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she's a 17 year old girl guys calm tf down

#bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #character study #she is conceited little shit but i love her!#bridgerton season 3 #bridgerton spoilers

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the-autistic-cat-queen · 8 days

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My thoughts and feelings. 17/09/2024

As an autistic person I sometimes find it difficult to know where my friends begin and where I end. What I mean by this is, sometimes I struggle to know what hobbies I like or if these hobbies are just what my friends like.

Take for example my best friend, she likes to collect blythe dolls. I see how she does their hair and dresses them up and I think to myself, oh wow they look amazing. And that's not wrong, because they really do. They are so adorable, and to be honest I really would like to own one.

Now here is where the problem is, let's say I save up and purchase one for myself, then what? Sure it will look adorable, but will I really spend time with it like my friend does? Or will it just sit there collecting dust?

The idea of it just sitting there collecting dust honestly makes me sad. You see, when I see my friend taking care of hers and taking hers out on trips and spending her time on dressing it up, I can see the excitement in her eyes and on her face, I can see how much joy having the doll brings to her, I can see the comfort to she gets.

Now I know the doll is not alive like in the movie "Toy Story", but I do believe that the things we own, the things that become sentimental to us do carry a little bit of our souls.

To be clear I'm not saying the doll is alive in any way shape or form or that they even truly have souls in the way that we perceive that people do. But there's just something about owning a plush toy or doll or any comfort item for that matter that we can become attached to, it just kind of seems to take on a little bit of our personality. In the same way we associate things with people we know. its the way we can relate to them as a form of comfort.

Take myself for example, I'm almost 45 yet I wear cat ears when ever I leave the house, they have become a comfort item of mine, when wearing them I just feel safer, I feel I'm better equipped to interact with the rest of the world.

If I didn't have them on of course I could still do all these things, however I would just feel more anxious and less likely to want to engage with others. Having comfort items for myself has allowed me to come out my shell a little when ever I'm in public. That and cat ears just look so darn cute.

Another example for you is, my partner wears 50s style dresses, and because she looks so beautiful in them, I myself have started buying 50s style dresses. I also look amazing in them (a little bit of self love for you there.) My point is, I don't really know what i truly like. I tend to just be a mixture of all my friends. So who really am I? What do I truly like? I'm currently in the process of saving up for a sewing machine, I'm doing this because I saw someone online making outfits for Sylvanian Families. (that was all it took). Now apparently I plan to sew.

Which by the way, on that topic, I have already collected over 50 different families. I plan to display them at some point, but we need to buy cabinets first. Otherwise my cats will just start testing gravity on them. (And I don't want to see them all over the livingroom floor).

My point is, will I even enjoy sewing? I honestly have no idea, as I honestly don't even know what I like, or even if I'll enjoy sewing. You see, I just tend to do things on autopilot without over thinking them.

Either way, these are just the thoughts I'm having at the moment, and to be honest I don't know how I feel about it all. I look at my best friend and she amazes me, she has so many different hobbies. Then I look at my partner and I think how wonderful she is and how she manages to play so many different video games. I on the other hand just seem to play the same video game for many years upon years. I currently have over 500 different games on my steam to choose from, (most of which I got on 75% off sales). The thing is, when I tend to buy games, I think to myself they look amazing I think that game would be lots of fun, but then I buy them and never play them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I just wish I had more direction in my life, and maybe more understanding of who I am, and what I like.

Does anyone else who is autistic ever feel this way?

#blythe doll #plush toy #cat ears #thoughts and feelings #feeling lost #journal #actually autistic #cat queen

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bellascarousel · 2 months

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OC Interview

Thanks for the tag, @katenewmanwrites

Eli from Sangue Collina will be answering these.

Do you have any hobbies? If so, what ones?

I paint. Mostly portraits. Though, perhaps painting portraits of people whose deaths I feel responsible for can hardly be called a hobby. My housekeeper is always getting on me to paint something that isn't designed to cause me pain. But, at least the portraits are a way to keep my loved ones with me.

I also have an extensive library, collected over the centuries. I love reading, both for fun and doing research on various things. My pet project is collecting books on Necromancy to try to find a way to save Ana from herself. Though, some would call that a fool's errand.

Be honest. Who could you trust most with a secret?

Beverly. She's been with me for a very long time, and knows all of my secrets. She's the one who makes the arrangements when we need to move to a knew city. And on more than one occasion she's shoved me into a box and mailed me to one of my friends. I've been trusting her with my life for over two hundred years, longer than even Benedict has been alive.

Do you dream often? What do you dream about?

It's rare for a vampire to dream. we usually sleep like the dead. Though, I sometimes have nightmares about the night my family died. I don't know if I've ever told anyone about that. Though it wouldn't surprise me if Beverly knows.

Have you ever been in love?

Twice. Once upon a time, back when I was human, I wanted to marry Josephine Leighton. But then we both died and put an end to that. Now, I'm in love with Catie. I'm really hoping for a happy ending, this time. I want to be standing with her in my arms when the world ends.

What is your least favorite thing in the world? What is your pet peeve?

My least favorite thing in the world? How would you even quantify that? As for a pet peeve, I'm going to go with people talking in movie theaters. You've paid for the privilege of watching this movie. So, watch it. Why pay money to watch a movie and then talk though it so that you don't actually know what is going on? But, even worse, you've now made it so that nobody else knows what's going on in this movie that they paid to see. If you want to talk through a movie, wait until it comes out on DVD or comes to Netflix or Amazon Prime. Don't waste, not only your money, but the money of everybody around you going to a theater and ruining the experience for everyone.

Would you team up with your worst enemy if it was your only option?

Absolutely. I'd probably have to keep her on a tight leash. But, I would absolutely team up with Ana if it was to do something good that would help people.

Tagging @elizmanderson @dyrewrites @stesierra and anyone else that wants to do it.

#bella talks writing #sangue collina #tag games #writeblr

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verybadatcardgames · 1 year

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Let's go Pegasus and Yuugi-boy for 002!

Yuugi

How I feel about this character: This card game nerd deserves all the good things to happen to him. He needs a break. Seriously.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I ship him with the Dark Magician and I 1000% blame @yearslateforyugiohshippings for this. I also think Yuugi/Jounouchi is cute and I sometimes I read Rivalship fics.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Anzu, to be honest. I personally don’t like the idea of Yuugi being the “fallback” plan for her, and I just see them more as friends as adults rather than romantic partners.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t think I have any unpopular thoughts? Because I don’t think about Yuugi enough to have unpopular thoughts I’m sorry 😔

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish we could have seen more of him in GX. What with him being the canonical King of Games and all, he should have had more involvement in the Dueling Academy. Then again, that could be because he was busy designing games by this point, or Seto was just super salty and never invited him. Probably the latter.

my OTP: Alliumshipping. Again, I blame @kampfkewob.

my cross over ship: He would totally have a crush on Zatanna. You know it’s true

a headcanon fact: He never returned that naughty VHS Jounouchi lent him in high school, and it was lying somewhere on a shelf, forgotten, in a closet, until his mother found it when he was a grown adult with a career abroad. Cue embarrassment when his mother sends him a care package with various belongings, VHS tape included. Yuugi sends the VHS tape back to Jounouchi as a birthday present. Jounouchi opens the birthday present in front of Mai and Shizuka. Mai laughs at the label. Shizuka secretly steals the VHS tape after the party. There is immense disappointment upon realizing everything in the video is censored.

---

Pegasus

How I feel about this character: He is a lanky pompous pasty elitist jerkface pretty boy with Peter-Pan syndrome who has never had to do a day’s honest work in his life, and instead of accepting the fact that life can be cruel and unfair, he broke down and retreated into occultism, cartoons, and alcoholism. 10/10 absolute favorite disasterpiece of a man I love him

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Romantically? Cyndia, Isis, and I wager Siegfried has a huge parasocial crush on him

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I do like Toonshipping as a non-romantic ship. I can see Pegasus feeling legitimately bad about everything he’s done to the Kaibas and trying to make up for it over the course of several years in little favors and grandiose gestures. While Seto had his own villain arc and can empathize on some level about motivations, I cannot imagine him ever forgiving Pegasus for what he did or having romantic feelings for him, nor do I think Seto should forgive him at all (because, as much as I do like Pegasus, I don’t think he deserves forgiveness from Seto and he isn’t owed forgiveness just because he expresses remorse). Going to bed out of anger and resentment is totally on the table tho

My unpopular opinion about this character: More headcanon than opinion, but I don't think Pegasus really knew Cyndia that well as a person. I don't doubt he loved her. What I doubt is his own memory in regards to Cyndia's own wants and needs.

He takes the time to write in his journal about his dreams and aspirations, yet despite her being the love of his life, he doesn’t write a single sentence about Cyndia’s? We don’t get anything about her hobbies, her dreams, her aspirations, her life, or even her own dialogue?

The Doylist reasoning can come down to: Takahashi and the series writers didn’t make up a backstory for Cyndia beyond her being a motivation tool for Pegasus. However, I propose the Watsonian reasoning in that Pegasus was self-centered and oblivious to what Cyndia wanted to do because he was more invested in the vision of her being his wife, instead of being invested in listening to her and paying attention to her needs as an individual.

That said, I’m still a Roseshipper and I do love this tragic ship. :’D

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: It did happen in canon, I’m just mad we didn’t get a whole episode dedicated to it: His duel with Doma-era Mai. I would have totally loved to see her talk smack and absolutely rip him a new one during their duel right before she took his soul. Listen, I love Pegasus, but after all the fuckery in Duelist Kingdom, he had it coming.

my OTP: Pegasus/Mister Crocketts.

What? Oh. Oh, I see. Just because Isis is my all time fave and I've written fanfic and drawn fanart and have several WIP folders of headcanons and theories about Sightshipping, y'all think it's my OTP.

But let’s all be real with each other: Mister Crocketts was serving Pegasus tea in bed long before he met Isis in a hotel room in Egypt. I’m just saying

my cross over ship: Not a ship, but a crossover: I feel like Pete White from The Venture Bros is a distant cousin and Pegasus calls him whenever he needs a deejay for a party.

The family resemblance is uncanny

a headcanon fact: His mother is a fiery Cajun woman who is the premiere wedding planner in all of Las Vegas, and he went to Catholic school.

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blimbosworlddd · 11 months

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Nirvana: A Rock Lee Tale (Chapter 2)

Summary: Your dating life is terrible. Your friends’ marriage is fantastic. Your career as a medic is doing great, though. But you aren’t happy. However, after one quick trip to the Mighty Rock Dojo, you stumble upon the most magnificent man you’ve ever met- the taijutsu master- Rock Lee.

Notes: slow burn fic, afab/fem/black reader.

Warnings: Mentions of sex, (light) descriptions of blood and violence, usage of the N word. The reader and Lee are in their 20s but virtually any age group that is 18 and up can enjoy this story. Again 18+, minors do not interact… pls.

Word count: 3.9k

Masterlist

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

You want someone to crave you, to need you. Not in a toxic codependent way, but rather in a way that makes you feel special. That’s why you escaped to the world of shoujo and action/fantasy films when you were a child, it was the closest you got to that feeling of truly falling for someone and being fallen for. Or at least it was the closest you got to being ignorant of how unlovable you felt. And when you grew into your late teens, you drowned your mind in fictional men.

You dream of someone who’d treat you like the queen you are deep down inside. You thought Sai could be that- hell- you thought every guy you dated could be that. But deep down you knew it was impossible, because you didn’t view them as special either. Not anymore, at least.. You are not afraid to live your life the way you want, and all the “love interests” in your past would never determine your future. You’d make sure of it.

To be honest, you’re thinking nothing of that at this very moment. How could you after talking to that hottie you met a week ago? You didn’t reach out to Lee until now due to long hours nursing at your local hospital; keeping track of a dozen medical plans, on top of a new patient assignment makes you feel like your phone burning up at 10%. Plus you love your job (despite how cruel the healthcare system can be), which makes working a bit easier.

You thank the universe for your fast work ethic; tirelessly taking care of people in the early mornings, and finally managing to have a solid break for once. As soon as you get to sit at your favorite cafe in peace, your mind wanders to that dojo you went to. Which struck your memory of getting Lee’s contact info. You usually only text people you’ve just met to test the chemistry, but something about his welcoming aura urges you to risk your pride. You call him, nibbling on your lip while waiting.

Ring…

Ri-

“This is the Mighty Rock Dojo.”

The deep bass thrumming in his tone is hushed and calm. It sets your goosebumps aflame, making you sit up so you can speak at your clearest.

“Heyyyy, it’s y/n! I treated your friend last week.” You shut your eyes, not intending for your pitch to raise that high.

A smile slowly adorns his face at how cute you sound, and that you actually bothered to follow up with him.

“I remember exactly who you are, y/n! I’m glad to hear from you.”

Your eyes flicker to the wooden table you rest your arms on, gulping at his poise. Lee pads his way to his personal office, not wanting to disturb his students’ meditation break.

“Same here. I just wanted to…”

You pause to consider if your already full schedule could take a new hobby.

“…to know the entire schedule of your dojo so I can see what times are right for me.”

The taijutsu master leans on his front desk, free hand gripping its smooth edge.

“Yes of course! I’ll text you all the information after this call. There’s a flier here waiting for your return.”

“Heh, didn't mean to leave so soon last time.” Yes, you did. “Thanks, sensei.”

“Don’t sweat it. How's your week so far?”

A part of you considers going with the standard ‘it’s been okay’, but you’re at a point in your life where you hate lying to yourself- no matter how easy it is to do so.

“It’s been strenuous… I’m now on my first proper break in weeks.”

You like how Lee hisses through his teeth in genuine concern. You wonder what other scenarios would cause him to make that sound.

“It’s no pressure if this may not be the best time for you-”

“No it’s fine- I mean I don’t wanna wipe someone’s ass and endure shitty behavior for the rest of my career. I want to heal people the way they’ve healed me.”

Lee chuckles briefly at your determination. You like how that sounds too. Everything about him you like so far and you've only talked twice, you could feel your skin crawling.

“And you will. How about you stop by after work? We close kind of late anyways.”

Your chest blooms at his support, body starting to feel lighter for some reason. You clear your throat.

“Today?”

“Today.” He confirms.

Lee twiddles with the hem of his Gi absentmindedly, waiting patiently for your response.

“Yeah, okay… s-see you after seven?”

“See you after seven.”

A few hours pass after thoroughly enjoying your burrito and latte with some Netflix. You’re now on your final shift, completing your hand-off for your colleague Brandon. He’s been overseeing you since you transferred to this hospital. It’s bigger and more advanced than you’re used to, so Brandon was the first to show you the ropes. It’s 6:54 as you email your finalized report to him, hearing the shrieking metal of wheels rolling closer to the office you reside in.

KNOCK KNOCK

“Come in.”

Spinning your chair to face the door, you find Brandon entering with an old lady sitting prim and proper on her wheelchair. Her small, veiny hands fold over her tummy, loose white locks framing the moles that scatter her wrinkly face. It’s like she was made to wear that throw blanket for a shawl.

“Oh? Who’s the lovely guest, Brandon?” You chirp as you rise from your seat, cringing inside at how your voice’s raspiness may’ve given away your exhaustion.

Your supervisor brings the senior closer to you for a better acquaintance.

“This lovely guest, until further notice, is your new patient: Ms. Fink.”

You sit on your haunches to meet her at eye level. You would offer your hand for a shake, but this is your first meet and you’re not 100% familiar with her medical conditions.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Fink. I’m y/n, and I can’t wait to help you on your road to recovery.”

Ms. Fink’s beady eyes scan your welcoming figure, enjoying the sight of you kneeling for her. She nods slowly with a subtle smile, which you take as a step in the right direction.

“Her family had just dropped her off here, so you’ll be overseeing her first thing next week. Did you send me the hand-off?”

You place your hands on your knees to stand up.

“Just emailed it before you came in.”

“Good, now go get some rest. And I’ll be taking you,” he looks down at Ms. Fink, “to your room. Say goodbye to your new nurse?”

The lady unfolds her hands to give you a wave before she’s turned around and escorted out.

“See ya later!” You wave back.

…you snatch your jacket, purse, and bounce.

It takes a few train stops and a bus ride to get to the dojo, which isn't bad. You’re just wondering how long it’d take to get back home. Opening the door, that familiar bell jingles at your entrance. You stand behind the front desk, face lighting up at the sight before you:

A group of toddlers are in basic horse stances, their fists positioned at their hips. Lee strolls languidly around his students, hands folded behind his back as he watches them like a hawk. He takes a deep breath.

“You want to unlock the first gate?” The way he asks is eerily calm.

“Yes, sensei!!” The kids shout.

“Then use your core. STRIKE!” He roars.

“HA!” The kids adorably return the enthusiasm, all simultaneously throwing a firm punch.

“STRIKE!”

“HA!!”

Your shoulders stiffen at how fierce Lee is, even with kids. ‘He really said it’s free eats’, you laugh to yourself.

“Everyone in a circle.” His hands echo a clap and the children scatter like critters to form a ring. He scans the kids, silently noting the ones who have yet to spar. He glances at a particularly frail child, who stares down at the belt she’s squeezing.

“Orchid, come.” He orders, tone stern but not harsh enough to scare her.

Orchid flinches anyway, her face falling at the fact that she’s been chosen. Hesitantly, she trots her way to the center where Lee is. The master side eyes another kid, noticing her rocking back and forth with a tight smile on her face. As if she’s trying to suppress her eagerness.

“Amanda, come.”

The child lights up, practically sprinting to her spot in front of Orchid. Lee kneels between the two, one hand on each shoulder.

“Trust what you have learned, and your body will do the rest.”

“Yes, Sensei Lee!”

“Yes, sensei…”

Their master gives them a warm smile, before rising to take a step back. He raises his arm beside his head.

“Bow.”

The children lower their heads to pay respects, and take a few steps back to position into their preferred fighting stances: Amanda’s stance is more open, taking an offensive approach. Orchid’s is more defensive, balled fists guarding her face without blocking her eyesight. Everyone’s watching, even your own stare is glued to the students. Lee casts down his hand.

“BEGIN!”

Amanda charges at Orchid, aiming a hit right for her chin. Orchid uses her forearms to block the punch- hissing at the force- while trying not to get backed into the boundary, for if you touch anyone in the circle you lose. Amanda throws a barrage of kicks and jabs her way, yelling and grunting with every strike to intimidate. Her opponent continues to block her advances. As terrified as Orchid looks right now, she is deflecting her attacks pretty well, for each blow that comes her way she redirects with firm open palms. You aren’t too surprised, Lee’s a genius.

Amanda is cooking her shit though, the sharp sound of her punches giving away the damage she inflicts, and the other kids start to cheer her on as she steadily dominates Orchid. You divert your attention to Lee, and he’s watching the unfolding event with a stoic face. Some distance forms between the two fighters, and Amanda uses that to her advantage by vertical jumping in the air and raising her leg in an axe kick.

Orchid’s eyes widen in horror but successfully dodges the kick that would’ve ended the fight. While Amanda’s feet are still bound to the ground, Orchid lowers her body and twirls her leg; planting a round-house kick straight to her opponent’s jaw. Amanda’s back hits the matted floor at the force. She groans petulantly, stunned at how easily she fell for that move.

“The winner,” Sensei Lee casts a hand in Orchid’s direction, “is Orchid!”

A loud silence envelopes the room for a moment before everyone applauds Orchid’s bravery and skill, you even add in a little “woop woop” to boost morale. She was going to offer a hand to help Amanda get up, but she yelps at a dense pain coursing through her left ankle- the one she leaned on to perform that roundhouse kick. Orchid drops to the floor, holding her calf to make sure no unnecessary pressure adds to it. Lee rushes to her side.

“Orchid, what’s wrong?” Caution and worry furrow his bushy eyebrows as he descends beside her to scan for problems.

“It..it hurts,” she whimpers.

Andddd that’s your cue. You hurriedly kick off your sneakers, politely excusing yourself when walking through the wall of kids. Lee’s head snaps up at your figure and beams with a quiet sigh of relief.

“My name’s miss y/n, I’m the dojo’s new nurse. Can you tell me what hurts, sweetheart?” You coo, placing a safe hand on her small back. She physically relaxes at the gesture.

“M-My ankle. It hurts.” Your eyes never left hers, nodding your head to show that you’re listening to every word.

“Hmm, I think you might’ve sprained it, Orchid.” You raise your head to look at Lee.

“Sensei, do you have strong bandages and some Icy Hot?”

“Uhhh- mhm!” Lee gulps, blushing at you calling him sensei. Even though that’s what he told you he preferred, he is a bit stupefied at your effortless professionalism and charm. You look back down at Orchid.

“Can I carry you to my office?” Your office, huh? “Don’t wanna worsen your sprain, now do we?”

Orchid slowly nods her head, eyes widening at how validating you are. You carefully hook one arm under her knees, and hook the other under her back, inwardly swooning at her visibly melting in your hold. Making your way to your office, you find Lee with a roll of elastic bandages in one hand and a plastic jar of Icy Hot in the other.

“Makin’ sure I’m prepared, sensei?” You tease, and Lee chuckles at your implication.

“It’d be unacceptable if you weren’t.”

You gently place Orchid on the thin mattress, watching her feet dangle off the bed. You turn to face Lee, who's already staring at you.

“Thank you. I’m sure there are a bunch of toddlers waiting for you out there.”

“O-Oh… right!” Lee places the requested materials on a small table next to you. Lee kneels down in front of Orchid, meeting her at eye level.

“I’m gonna call your mother so you can get home safely, okay Orchid?”

“Y-Yes, sensei.”

Lee now locks his eyes on yours.

“And if you need anything else, there’s more equipment in the cabinets for you.”

Despite him looking up at you, his gaze makes you feel small- leaves you wanting to do everything he tells you to.

“Yes, sensei!”

Lee nods his head and stands up, heading to the front desk’s telephone by the dojo. He orders the kids to sit and meditate in silence while he punches in Orchid’s mom’s number. Lee sighs, wondering if this is how Might Guy felt when he was training kids here: happy that he can care for them and make them stronger, but also somber, knowing that they won’t be cute little rascals forever.

You put on disposable nitrile gloves and open the plastic jar of Icy Hot. Orchid stares at the blue concoction.

“S’that? It smells minty.” She asks meekly.

“This, my dear, is Icy Hot,” you dip your fingers in the product. “It helps with muscle and joint pain. The strong smell comes from menthol.”

Orchid winces when you lather the cream on her ankle.

“It’s cold!” She squeaks. You giggle at her cuteness.

“I know, but it’ll get warmer in a few minutes.”

You steadily wrap the bandage securely around her aching limb, telling her to warn you if it’s too tight.

“You did really well out there, Orchid.” You prompt as a matter—of—factly while disposing of your nitrile gloves.

“…you think so?”

“Know so!” You sit beside her and smile at her pouty face. “You kept fighting, even when the odds of you winning looked slim.”

She hugs your arm, the most comfortable way of showing her gratitude, and confirms that you’ve done your job well. You caress her hair as she holds you, and tell her not to move until her mom arrives.

A couple more hours pass, and luckily no more students have to visit your office. You spend the rest of your time there watching Lee and other fighters train rigorously, and others slack off, as you would expect. The dojo finally concludes its classes for the day. It’s half past 10, and you are itching to get home. Well- not until you’ve concluded your day with Lee, of course. You walk up on the sensei rolling up his mats and carrying them to their respective areas.

“You were so badass today,” you quip. “As per usual.”

You kinda felt like a loser for dick riding, but you mean it and he deserves to know.

“Thanks! I could say the same for you myself, miss y/n.” You grip the back of your neck at his teasing as he approaches you with a smirk.

“Thank you. Anddddd especially that stance you taught your students! How long does it usually take to master? Does it hurt? How do they get so still?”

You rambling on about your interest in the martial art blooms Lee’s chest open. It’s like you’re unlocking a new level of fondness that he harbors just for you.

“Would you like me to show you?”

Your voice dies in your throat.

Huh?

“I-I mean you can try,” you laugh sheepishly. “I’m a beginner’s beginner. Sooo-“

“Okay!” He chirps, taking one step closer to you. “Can I guide your movements?”

“Mhm!” you chirp, thinking nothing of it. Lee raises a brow at you, expecting a proper response.

“… I mean yes! Yes, Sensei Lee.” The master hums in satisfaction. You think of crawling into a hole.

“Turn your hands into fists.”

You ball your fingers, thumbs caging your encased knuckles.

“Good. Now place your left fist by your hip… uhuh. Extend your right arm in front of you, like a punch, and keep your fist.”

You raise your arm up, feeling like you have a good idea of how to enact this stance when he nods his head in encouragement.

“Now, spread your feet.”

You look down at your legs and create space between them.

“Wider.” He commands. You spread them a little more.

“Wider… good, remember that they must be 3 feet apart.”

You’d be lying if you say you don’t feel the burn, it's been a long time since you've physically pushed yourself like this. But you trust the process.

“Now bend your knees… lower.” His face is unreadable, the way he speaks is cold and direct- but never with disdain. Your body freezes in horror at how hot it is to you.

Lee walks around you, like a vulture circling its prey, and you don’t dare move until he says so. You can’t see what he’s doing until you jolt at the way he gently clutches your hips. His touch shocks every nerve in your body, making you tense up and soften all at once. His bandaged fingers are long and slender; you know they’re deadly weapons and yet his grip on you coaxes your muscles to mold at his will. He leans in until his chin hovers over your shoulder, catching a whiff of your coils up close; shea butter and vanilla. It’s dizzying how sweet and inviting you smell.

“Lower, miss y/n.” His deep tone rasping right beside your ear has you shivering, and the way he slowly pushes you down with his hands until you are at the ideal altitude strikes lightning in your tummy. He releases you and takes a step back, admiring his current direction.

“There. You’re now in a semi-decent horse stance!” He quips, arms folding in triumph.

You scoff at his sarcasm. Is this nigga serious? You think.

Am I even serious? Maybe he was doing it purely out of instruction as he asked. I consented. I liked it- no- I was delighted. And yet… Why do I feel… such crippling fear? This silent voice in my head is telling me to detest this. To detest him.

…To detest me…

Lee’s bubbly grin sinks as he watches your face contort into a small scowl, a thousand-yard stare giving away your brief dissociation. You don’t move from the position he taught you. His arms unfold as he pads closer to face you.

“Y/n?” Despite his low tone, the way he says your name is light as a feather. He feels that if he speaks any louder for some reason, you’ll react like a wine glass at the mercy of a soprano’s highest frequency. Your eyes widen in focus at his gentle call. You see the space between his brows crinkling at how disturbed you looked, the sight deepens your frown.

Lee balls his fists and lowers his head; he absolutely hates doing things that come at the expense of others’ safety. He himself is painfully familiar with how easily traumatic mundane activities can become.

“I’m sorry- I should've been more attentive,” he whispers almost desperately. “I tend to get really invested in the craft, y’know?” You shot up from your stance before you knew it.

“No, no, don’t be sorry!” You croak. Lee tilts his eyes up a little to peek at the look on your face- which now mirrors his.

“I just… just wasn't used to it, that's all.” The somber sultriness of your voice soothes his worries swimming within. “You did everything right, I felt- feel- like you're someone I could trust. So thank you, sensei… for helping me perform a semi-decent horse stance.” You don’t trust him completely, but he was checking every box in your list so far.

Lee’s chest quakes with a chuckle at your wit, deciding that he’s gonna earn your trust one way or another. He rests his hands on his hips to celebrate the eroding tension. Your teeth tug at your bottom lip to celebrate that smile you love returning to his handsome face.

“I’m always here to help!” He practically sings. “Adult novice classes are $45 a month.”

You roll your eyes at his not-so-slick marketing tactic, retreating to your shoes and other belongings. Lee snorts at your sass, following after you.

“Oh! Here’s your flyer by the way.”

You turn your heel while sliding your arms through the sleeves of your jacket, and find Lee handing you a paper handout containing the weekly schedule and any other important dojo intel.

“Ah, thanks,” you flip through the small pamphlet before shoving it in your pocket. Lee looks at his phone to check the time..

“You go home on your own, I assume?” Lee quips while raising a brow.

You hook the handle of your purse over your shoulder.

“Yeah,” you sigh tiredly. “Can't afford a car right now so public transit is my go-to.”

Lee sways his body from side to side, feigning deep thought as he shifts his weight on each foot.

“It's almost 11, and I have a car. How ‘bout I drive you home?”

…

…Welp, you have a taser in your bag if things go south.

“I would… I'd like that… Thanks.”

Lee nods gleefully, feeling like you’re giving him another shot. “Gimme twenty minutes, ‘kay?”

You give him a thumbs up, “I’ll text you my address.”

In around fifteen minutes, Lee locks up the dojo and walks you to his car. Your eyes light up; acutely impressed at the sleek coat of silver, tinted windows, and wide headlights.

“Didn’t take you for a BMW typa guy.”

Lee smirks as he opens the door for you to get in. After you thank him and sit comfortably in the passenger seat, he lowers his body to level with yours, one hand resting on his knee while the other holds his car door open. His bold stare is somehow intensified by the nonchalant raise of his brows.

“I'd love to know what else you don’t take me for.”

Amusement laces his lowered tone, making you ignore the small wet patch in your panties that's been growing since his… his little lesson. He doesn't wait for your response, rising back up with a deep inhale. After shutting the door, he strides to his side of the car.

Oh, fuck me.

This work belongs solely to ©️ blimbosworlddd. Do not plagiarize, steal, copy or repost. I worked very hard on this; reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated.

#Lee is definitely hyper aware of how he comes off and treats others #Rock Lee make me go brr #Rock Lee #black reader #black fem reader #Naruto #rock lee x black reader #naruto x black reader #rock lee x y/n #naruto x y/n #slow burn romance

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plasmasimagination · 10 months

Note

Hi there! I recently stumbled upon your account and I must say that this is what I was looking for for quite some time. I am interested by your matching up event and was wondering if you're still up for it?

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail (and/or) Genshin Impact

Preference: women

Characters I would NOT like to be paired up with: men

(I am pretty much gay)

I am a cisgender woman, she/her pronouns. ENTJ, Virgo sun, Libra moon, Scorpio rising.

I am androgynous-looking, can easily be mistaken for a dude. My voice is deep and had a slight rasp to it. When it comes to clothes I present soft masc. I am 6', very athletic (as it is a big part of my life to stay active). I have brown eyes and wavy hair that is styled in a short wolfcut with a middle part and curtain bangs. No tattoos, but when I have the money I will get covered in designs.

I perceive myself as a calm and collected person who is more on the quiet and observing side. Which, close ones always tell me, makes me appear intimidating and judging (Scorpio rising). I like to keep my social circle small and trustworthy because I have trust issues. But around my friends I am friendly and always there to help out with the teenage dramas. I would say my top traits are sarcasm, assertiveness, loyalty, and adaptiveness. (Being an ENTJ and Virgo sun say enough about me, but I am softened up by my Libra moon.)

I am a very artsy person, but also very sporty. I am passionate about a lot of things (playing the guitar, drawing, writing, reading, acting, playing soccer, volleyball, training calisthenics, martial arts...) but in this short lifetime I had to choose one, and it is drawing - more specifically, becoming an Architect.

I've never been even close to catching feelings for someone. I've had barely any crushes, none of them real, none of them celebrities, just successful/badass/dangerous/mean women from fiction. I guess that puts me somewhere on the Asexuality spectrum, most likely Demisexual. I want to use my teenage years to work towards building a secure career for myself so that I could eventually spoil and take care of someone who deserves it.

I don't have much preference for looks, despite the fact that I am attracted to femininity, not necessarily someone stereotypically girly, but fem. For me, I need someone who will be able to match my energy and challenge me with playful banter and deep, meaningful talks. Someone who has a strong and unapologetic personality, (I am a sucker for mean fems), but knows when to stop and take a step back.

[Thank you, even if this doesn't get attention, which I completely understand. I will love to see your future works and posts!]

HEYYY DARLING ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ IM SO FLATTERED HIHI (*ˊᗜˋ*)

Anyways as for your matchup....hmhmhm...

Your match is....

KAFKA

OKAY OKAY let's be honest this was to be expected!

Scary looking girlfriend X equally as scary looking girlfriend (both can beat your ass)

I like the power couple dynamic here.

Plus I think she fits your type pretty well hmhm...

Kafka would be quite interested in your hobbies, she isn't very vocal about it but sometimes she just sits in the same room when you're doing something (drawing/playing guitar/writing etc...) and she'll just discreetly pay attention to it.

She also will kind of tease you about it, telling silverwolf and blade how good you are at your hobbies, and she'll intentionally do it in front of you

Chaining it to the one above-She likes showing you off, not only your hobbies...just you in general

She will also vibe with your attitude and find it amusing and definitely match it just as strong.

Also I think that kafka would also have equally trouble to completely warm up to you, yeah shes confident and flirty with people but I dont think she trusts people as easily,but when you guys spend more time together she would actually become quite fond of you

YAE MIKO

Honestly this is a pretty good pair, love it Picasso

I don't think miko is as outgoing and challenging as kafka, but she's there

It's just that miko is a bit more how do I put this ..dominant? Controlive? I know it sounds bad to put her up against kafka but I have a feeling miko is more on the serious dominant side while kafka is more playful, especially with their darling

Though yae miko is quite the person to talk to in moments of need, she's a good listener and gives good advice, she could simply talk&listen with you for hours on end

She, similar to kafka, would definitely match your vibe, just a bit more reserved type of sarcasm for example.

She's sly with it, just how fox's are eh?

Miko would take it slow to become closer to you, as she can guess you're having trouble fully trusting her, and she would definitely be less teasing at the beginning when you guys first met than when you're in an established relationship

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crystallizedshowers · 2 months

Text

Heteroclite

~Sally Face OC Story~

"Hey Kat?" Ash's voice rang from across the lunch table. Upon the bell ringing for lunch Sal pretty much dragged me to the lunch room to sit with him and his friends. I insisted I was fine sitting alone outside, but soon enough Larry joined in and told me they didn't want to leave me outside alone in case Travis decided to bother me again. Resulting in me sitting at a lunch table and introducing myself to two other friends of the group: Maple and Chug. "Hmm?" I responded not looking up from eating my pb&j sandwich that I had brought from home. "Do you not like us or something?" I choked on the bite in my mouth at the sudden and rather direct question.

Clearing my throat I looked up at Ashley and responded, "I don't hate anyone. I'm just not use to really conversating with a ton of folks I guess." "Did you not have a lot of friends back at your last school?" She pondered. I shook my head, "I was friends with a girl during middle school and I was friends with a guy named Fletcher when I started high school." I paused adverting my gaze to somewhere off in the distance of the lunchroom. "I'm not trying to come off as standoffish I'm just not really an interesting person to chat with I guess." I shrugged. "You're fine Kat. We're just trying to make sure we're not pushing you into something you don't want to be into." Sal piped in. "And you're not coming off as standoffish, you just seem shy." Larry joined in as well. "Well maybe a little bit standoffish." Todd spoke earning a look from the other people at the table. I didn't take offense to his direct answer, in fact I appreciated him being honest rather than beating around the bush.

"You guys aren't bothering me. I'm just not used to all the attention." I reassured. "Well feel free to tell us about yourself. We don't know much about you other than your mom working as nurse." Ash stated. "What you want me to tell about my zodiac sign and shit?" I snorted taking a sip from my water bottle. A few people at the table laughed and Todd offered me his apple that he wasn't going to eat. I shook my head, "Ah I can't eat that." "What you don't like apples?" Larry asked. I shook my head before smiling big and revealing the metal brackets that adorned my teeth. "Aww you have braces!" Ashley squealed out. "Is that why you don't eat the lunch here?" Sal asked. "No I don't eat the food here cause it looks like shit." I muttered turning and looking at the lunch lady, Kim. The table laughed and Todd spoke up, "Fair point. These lunches are becoming more questionable as the days go by."

"As far as about me there's not much to say, I live in a trailer with my mom and her husband." "Oh so you have a stepdad?" Ash asked. I shrugged my shoulders, "By law I guess. I don't ever refer to him as that though. I mainly just call him David or avoid him at all costs." "You don't like him?" Maple asked next. "Nope. Dude's a major ass, and every time we talk to one another it always ends in some form of argument." I responded finishing my sandwich and wiping my hands on my napkin. "Where's your biological dad?" Chug asked next, taking a bite out of his food. Should've figured that question would come up. Unfortunately it wasn't a pleasant story to tell, my father had died in a car wreck when I was six. My eyebrows furrowed and I muttered out, "He's dead."

Silence overcame the table and to lighten the mood I continued on with some more answers to the 'about me' spill we were doing. "Anywho David's a truck driver so I don't see him much. My birthdays August 20, which makes me a Leo." I said placing my chin on my propped up hand. "Hey that's a couple of days after mine! Nice dude!" Larry grinned excitedly. I smiled back at him before continuing, "As far as my hobbies go I'm pretty boring. I mainly just sit around playing video games or drawing. I like to read books and I'll watch just about anything on the television, but I'm mainly interested in horror movies." "Oh great here we go." Ash mumbled rubbing her temple.

"You like ghost stories?" Larry, Sal, and Todd yelled in unison, startling me and causing Kim to shush our table. I nodded my head not understanding their sudden interests in my words, "Are you guy obsessed with ghosts or something?" The three boys nodded their heads while Ashley shook her head. I turned and looked at Maple and Chug and the latter began profusely shaking his head, "I do not like ghosts! They're too scary, so I try to avoid them at all cost!" "Wait have y'all been in contact with ghosts before?" Earning a quick amounts of affirmations across the table even from Chug. "I've never seen it before so I don't know what they're talking about." Ash stated waving her hand back and forth. A laugh escaped my mouth and I quickly clamped my hand over my mouth muffling the laughs. "Seriously? Is this some sort of prank on the new girl or something? Ghosts aren't real!" "No seriously dude! I didn't believe it until I saw it myself!" Larry spoke up.

A few more laughs escaped my throat at his words, but were cut short due to the feeling of a cold liquid being dumped on my head. Water flooding down my hair and onto my jacket, plummeting to the ground beneath me. A sequence of gasps escaped from the members of the table and I followed their gaze to the source behind me. Fucking Travis had just dumped his water on my head. "Oops sorry scaredy Kat! I guess my water dumped off my tray!" Travis sneered, grinning at me. I stared at the guy for a while before abruptly turning around and directing my attention back to the table. I grabbed a couple of nearby napkins on the table and began wiping my face dry. "So as I was saying." I spoke gathering everyone else's attention back to myself. "Um hello?" Travis spoke up behind me tapping my shoulder. I brushed off the feeling and simply went back to talking about various horror movies I had watched and which ones I really enjoyed. This seemed to piss Travis off even more cause I heard him mumble some incoherent words before walking out the door.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked rushing around the table. I swung my legs off the bench and stood up, and unzipped my jacket and proceeded with taking it off. "It's just water this time so I'll be alright." I used my jacket as a towel and dried my hair off the best I could. Thankfully my hair and jacket had absorbed most of the water and what amount that did land on my jeans couldn't be seen due to them being black. I flipped my hair back out of my face, "Look good?" I asked Ash. She eyed me up and down before nodding her head and I turned to grab the remaining napkins on the table to wipe the floor off. "Oh nice you listen to them too?" Larry asked looking at my shirt. I looked down at the band T-shirt I decided to wear this morning, forgetting exactly which on I had thrown on. "Oh yeah. Mom got me this for my birthday last year as well as their latest CD." My bangs fell into their usual space with a strand resting slightly over my left eye. "Oh I've got something to help with that!" Ash said fumbling around in her pockets before pulling out a bobby pin. "It's fine you don't have to-" I waved but she ignored my words and preceded with securing the pin in my bangs pushing them out of my eyes. "There now we can see your pretty face!" Ash turned me around to show the guys and Maple at the table, "How does she look boys?"

I felt my cheeks burn at idea of everyone staring at me and tried my best not to make eye contact. Todd gave me a thumbs up while Larry commented on nice it was actually seeing my full face for once. "You look great! I mean it looks great! I mean it's great! It uh.. it suits you!" Sal rambled out causing some chuckles from the rest of us. "Thanks Sal." I smiled back him causing him to shift his gaze elsewhere. Guess he was as awkward as I was. The bell rang indicating lunch was over and to make our way to our next class. I followed the group to our lockers to grab our designated books for the upcoming class.

I fumbled with picking my lock silently cursing under my breath at my inability to unlock my locker with such ease as the others did. "Here Kat, lemme show you how to do it again." Larry muttered bending down next to me and removing the paper clip from my hand and demonstrating yet again how to use it. "No matter many times you show me I'm not going to get it." I shook my head giving Larry a face. Ash let out a chuckle from behind Larry and I realized she was laughing at the face I was making. "Fix your face Kitty" my mother's voice rang in my head, and I quickly changed my facial expression to a more relaxed one. The locker door popped open and Larry handed me my paper clip back and I slipped in into my jeans pocket before reaching for my designated book.

"You still haven't decorated your locker yet?" Ash asked tilting her head in confusion. "Yeah dude, you need to spice up your locker so it matches your personality at least." Larry mentioned before standing back up. "Well my locker is as boring as my personality is, so I think it's fine the way it is." I responded standing up and kicking the door close before headed in the direction of class, Todd following. "Bye guys!" I waved over my shoulder. "Hey wait for me!" Larry yelled to me, waving to his friends, and running down the hallway to catch up with me and Todd. "You seriously not gonna decorate your locker?" Larry asked finally catching up to us. I shrugged my shoulders, "I dunno. I'll have to look to see what I have at home." Personally I didn't understand the importance of decorating my locker, but if it made the group happy I'd decorate it for them. We parted ways with Todd and headed into our class, english literature.

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Thankfully school was over but now a new problem arose, I was taking the bus home. I waited with the other fellow bus riders outside on the sidewalk wishing the buses would hurry up and arrive. I felt a heavy weight press down on the top of my head and glanced back to see Larry resting his forearm on top of my head, "What are you doing waiting on the bus? I thought your mom picked you up." I glanced past him to see Todd and Sal standing behind him, both giving me puzzling looks as well. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances I have to take the bus to and from school. And you, I'm not an armrest so get your arm off of me." I stated while pushing Larry's arm off from the top of my head. He snickered, "Sorry you're just so short I can't help it." I gritted my teeth and cocked my eye up at him, which earned a slight chuckle from Sal. "You make some pretty funny faces you know that right?" My cheeks lit up in embarrassment and I tore my gaze from the boys, "Oh trust me I know. My mom makes sure to correct me anytime she sees it."

"So what are these 'unforeseen circumstances'?" Todd asked. I sighed stretching my arms above my head and letting a yawn escape my mouth, "Mom got a new shift at the hospital so she can't take me." "Which bus are you?" I pulled out the piece of paper I received from my mom this morning which had the bus number written on it and handed it to Todd. Larry and Sal peered over Todd's shoulder to get a look at the paper before Larry spoke up, "Well would you look at that? You take the same bus as us!" I felt a sense of relief at knowing I'd at least know a few people on the bus. It was a feeling I'd yet to experience since moving in this godforsaken town, and it worried me that I was actually becoming comfortable around people.

Soon enough the buses pulled around and everyone loaded onto their designated bus. Upon entering the bus I handed the driver my note with my address and explained this was my first time riding the bus. He looked over the piece of paper before handing in back muttering, "You'll get off at the Addison apartments kid." "Wait but that's like a 10 minute walk from my house." I stared at him dumbfounded. "Look kid nobody else lives down that road and I'm not making a special stop just for you. Now get moving you're holding up the line!" The insensitivity of the driver pissed me off and I proceeded walking down the aisle of the bus, mentally giving him the finger. Fucking prick. A couple of steps down the aisle I tripped over something and I fell forward. Thankfully Larry had turned around at my small altercation with driver and saw me stumbling and caught me, me smashing rather ungracefully into his chest. "Travis can you give the poor girl a break already?" Sal's voice echoed from the back of the bus. What a surprise I would end up on the same bus as that guy? I swear I was the embodiment of bad luck.

Larry waited for me to regain my balance before scooting by me, and grabbing Travis up by his fuchsia colored collar. "Listen here prick, there's going to be a lot of problems if you don't leave her the fuck alone." He spoke through gritted teeth. "Hey what's the hold up back there? Get your butts in a seat!" The driver called back to us. I grabbed Larry's hand and practically had to rip Travis's shirt from his grasp and ushered him to the back of the bus so we could get to our seats muttering, "Just leave it. He's not worth it." It was a sweet gesture, but he didn't need to get wrapped up in anything that involved the guy. I figured if I ignored the guy long enough, he'd lose interest and move on to his next victim. Upon reaching the back of the bus, Todd scooted over and patted the seat indicating for me to sit with him while Larry slid in beside Sal, a seat behind us. I plopped down on the very uncomfortable seat and propped my knees up on the back of the seat in front of us, mentally thanking the fact there wasn't someone directly in front of us.

"Listen if you ever want me to do something about that guy just lemme know." Larry stated behind me still glaring at the blonde that was sitting towards the front of the bus. I laughed at the threat, pulling out my gear boy from satchel bag. It had become my newest distraction to bring to school since my previous ones were destroyed at the hands of Travis. "He'll get bored of me eventually. Trust me I've had bullies like him before and they always get bored in the long run." "But still Kat you can't just ignore things like that. Especially if it's causing harm to you." Larry spoke again leaning over the seat to watch me play. I leaned my head back glancing up at the guy, "I'm fine Larry." He blinked his eyes a bit before smiling at me. "What?" I didn't understand why he was suddenly grinning at me with that stupid expression on his face. "I'm a little bit surprised you actually know my name. I don't think I've ever heard you say any of our names before." He replied.

"Why would I not remember the names of the people who have been consistently bugging me for the last week?" I muttered before turning my attention back to my device. I glanced to my left to see Todd with his nose in a book. By the look on his face he seemed to be enthralled in the words written inside. "Whatcha reading?" I asked returning my eyes to my lap. "It's about physics. The world is truly an interesting place." Todd responded not looking up from the pages. Oh he's a mega nerd. "I take that as a compliment." He muttered. A horrified expression crossed my face as I realized I had just said that out loud. "Shit Todd I promise I didn't mean it in a bad way! I wished my brain worked well enough to comprehend that stuff." I apologized profusely hearing laughing above me. I glared up at Larry's lopsided grin before turning back to Todd and apologizing again. "Don't worry about Kat. Trust me I don't take offense to that in the slightest."

The bus creaked to a stop at Phelps Ministry and Travis got out of his seat and exited the bus, making the long walk up the hill to the church. "Oh so he's a church boy?" I muttered under my breath. "Ironic isn't it?" Larry chuckled behind me. "His father is the minister of that church. He always gets dropped off there." Sal piped in. Thankfully we were the next stop. We all made our ways down the narrow aisle and exited off the bus, backpacks and bags in tow. The apartments gave me the creeps if I was being 100% honest and I got a bad feeling about the place just looking at it and we were still on the sidewalk. I didn't even want to imagine how I'd feel by walking into the building. I muttered a quick goodbye before turning to walk down the side walk to my house only to be grabbed by the strap on my satchel bag. Quickly regaining my balance I turned around giving a very confused look to Larry. "What? Am I not allowed to go home or something." "No that's not it. It's just you really shouldn't be walking home by yourself." Larry responded. I snorted, "What are you guys gonna walk me home or something?" Larry simply nodded before walking down in the direction of my house with Todd and Sal trotting behind. I shouldn't have asked.

I jogged up to catch up with them stopping in front of Larry. "Look this is a nice gesture and all, but I assure you I'm fine walking by myself. Seriously it's only a 10 minute walk." "There's been a lot of kids going missing lately, so it's better to be safe than sorry." Todd spoke continuing past me. "Look we'll even walk down to your house to pick you up in the morning." Sal smiled at me. That was the exact opposite of what I wanted, but I knew there was no point in arguing with them any further. I sighed loudly before putting some pep in my step to lead the group to my house.

10 minutes later we finally turned down my street and I could see the blue trailer sitting in all its glory with a chain length fence wrapped around it. "Okay my house is literally right there so y'all can head back down." I waved behind me to shoo the three boys away. Larry wrapped his arm around my shoulder and grinned, "Ahh come on Kat! We walked you all the way home so the least you could do is show us around your place!" "You're really pushy you know that right?" I pouted sticking my lips out. Larry chuckled and soon you could see the mailbox with 'GORDON & WILLIAMSON ' in big black letter written on the box indicating exactly which house was mine. Although mom was Williamson instead of Gordon, she wanted me to fill included when decorating the mailbox. Larry practically began dragging me in excitement to explore what lied await in my house. "Alright! You guys can come in but you're only staying for like 15 minutes top and then you gotta go." I pointed at them unlatching the fence behind me before walking through.

Our front yard was lightly decorated with various lawn decorations and the garden bed that lied around the house was filled with hydrangeas and other various flower beds. A gravel driveway sat to the left of the house with a car port resting on top of it. I stepped up the stairs and pulled the screen door open, fumbling with my bag to find my keys in the process. "Is there anyone else here?" Sal asked staring at the empty driveway. I shook my head no before finding the key and unlocking the door, walking in. I threw my bag on the couch and set my keys on the counter heading to the fridge to grab a water.

Our house wasn't very special, a simple floor plan of three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Walking into the house there was a living-room to the right and kitchen on the left with a countertop bar that separated the two. A hall past the living-room led you down to the rooms. My room being at the end of the hall on the right with a bathroom adjacent and my mom's room being at the other end with a master bath attached to the room. The third bedroom laid directly in the middle of the hall, but mom used it as her office. The living-room consisted of two couches one on each wall, and a big screen TV sat against the wall in between them. A stereo system sat to the right of the tv with a variety of cds, vinyls, and cassette sitting in the cabinet below. Various pictures adorned the wall and side tables: mainly of me and my mom but a couple of David and her at their wedding.

The boys quietly roamed the living-room taking in their surroundings as I drank from my bottle. "If you guys are hungry there's snacks and stuff in the pantry." I pointed at door just past the fridge before sitting down at the dining room table, which lied against the same wall that separated the rooms from the hallway. Larry was the first to make his way to the pantry, eyeing which snack to pick while Sal joined me at the table. Todd muttered a quick refusal before turning his attention the various game systems that rested in front of the tv. "There's some pudding and apple sauce cups in the pantry as well." I said to Sal. He titled his head at me confused by the very specific food choices. I tapped my face, "Something easy to eat with your prosthetic on." "Oh. I'm good Kat! Thanks for being considerate!" He said shaking his head. Larry came and joined us at the table after securing whatever snack he decided on. The house was quiet other than the crunching that came when Larry took a bite out of his chips.

"Kat are you typically home by yourself like this?" Todd asked from the living-room. "Yeah. Mom typically was home for about a hour or two before leaving for work after I got home from school, but with her new schedule she's gone before I even get here." "Dude. That's not good to be here all alone for hours like that." Larry spoke eating another chip. "What do you want me to do about it? Cry and beg my mom to change her shift?" I muttered pulling my knees to my chest. "You could always come and hang out with us at the apartments for a while after school." Sal mentioned earning a nod of approval from Larry who finished his last chip and was dusting his hands off on his pants.

"Yo, where's your bathroom at?" Larry asked, getting up from his seat and throwing his trash away. "Down the hall on the left." I replied, pointing down the hallway. He peered his head down the hallway, "What's the room on the far end?" "My bedroom." I answered. He grinned at me before strolling down the hallway with his hands in his pockets giving away his intention. I jumped out of my chair, tripping over my legs before landing haphazardly on the floor. I cussed scrambling to my feet and running to my bedroom yelling Larry's name. Much to my dismay, Larry was already in my room looking at the various posters that hung on my wall. I grabbed Larry's shirt and began trying to pull him out of my room, but the guy was planted firm on the ground and wasn't budging. "Larry!" Sal spoke up from the doorway. "What? It's just a bedroom! I just was curious if your bedroom was as boring as your locker." Larry chuckled glancing at me. My cheeks burned in embarrassment and uneasiness at people looking in my room.

My room consisted of a twin size bed lying adjacent to the door. Across from the door was my desk which was littered with various sketchbooks, books, and art supplies. To the left of the desk was my 6 drawer dresser that had nail polish, hair ties, hair brush, deodorant and body spray resting on top. Two sets of windows laid on the wall with the dresser completely covering one. A box tv sat in the corner of my room, diagonal of my bed with a stereo system sitting to the left and various cds laying in front of it. A blue beanbag sat in front of the tv with a game system in between. Multiple posters were plastered on each wall, some being from movies, bands, and others being cool photos I pulled from magazines. I also had a bulletin board left of my desk which was littered with doodles from class and various pictures with family.

"You've got a pretty kick ass room Kat." Larry flashed me a lopsided grin before turning his attention to the various sketches on my desk. "Damn and you're good at drawing." Todd joined Larry at my desk eyeing my various collections of books critiquing on the ones he's already read. The house phone began to ring from the living room and I begrudgingly left the 3 boys to explore my room while I answered it. "Johnson and Gordon residence, this is Kat speaking." I said into the phone. My mother's warm voice rang out from the other end, "Hi Kitty! I was just calling to check on you! Make sure you got home alright!" "Yeah I got home about 10 minutes ago." I answered. I heard chattering still coming from bedroom and figured the boys had found something that caught their interest for the time being. "You just gonna work on homework and stuff?" Mom asked. "Oh yeah I'll work on that, and then probably go hang out at the park or something for a little bit." The park was two blocks away from my house, and I found refuge there a lot of the times since moving here. It wasn't terrible busy after school and I enjoyed sitting on the swings or the roundabout while enjoying the weather. "Okay Kitty, but please be careful and don't talk to anyone you don't know!" I nodded my head, "Yes mom I know!" The chattering from the bedroom got louder before a quick shush silenced them again. Guess they realized they were being loud. "Call me when you get home! You'll probably get sent to the front desk, but just ask for me and I'll come right away!" "Okay okay mom! I'll see you later." That was a lie since she'd be asleep by time I got up in the morning, but she knew what I meant. "I love you." She spoke and I felt my heart clench. I really hated not seeing her after I got home from school. "I love you too." I muttered before setting the phone back on the hook.

I walked back to my room and found the three boys huddled around my desk entranced by something they found. None of them noticed my presence and I crept up behind them peering over Sal's shoulder to find out what they were staring out. Lying flat across the desk was my sketchbook that consisted of the various people from my dreams and it was turned to the page of the little girl with purple hair. By this point Sal had felt me leaning over his shoulder and jumped slightly at our close proximity. He snatched the book from my desk and faced the drawing to me, "Do you know who this is?" I stared at him confused and the other two boys beside him stared at me with their mouths agape. I pondered my mind for a long time trying to remember her name before I heard the mother's voice ring out in my head. "Megan" Sal and I said in unison. My blood ran cold at hearing the girls name escape from between his lips. There was no name on the sketchbook. How could he know of the girl? She's been dead for a long time at this point.

"How do you know Megan?" Todd asked eyes piercing into mine. How could I even answer that? Oh yeah I have these dreams where I'm inhabiting the body of a dead person and I occasionally draw their loved ones. They were going to think I'm crazy. I cleared my throat adverting my gaze and scratched the back of my head. "I'd love to answer that but you guys will think I'm crazy." I muttered. "I assure you we won't Kat." Sal answered back. I sighed and took a seat on my bed, springs squeaking under my weight. I began to explain the dreams I experienced almost every night and how every person I inhabit dies. By the end of my explanation the three boys stared at me, mouths agape taking in my words. "See I told you." I stated motioning at their shocked faces. "No Kat it's not that we think you're crazy. We believe you, but it's shocking that you're experiencing that." Larry stated running his hand through his hair. "Do you know how she dies?" Sal asked pointing at my drawing. I shrugged, "I dunno. Haven't had the pleasure of experiencing it yet." Sal walked to me and grabbed my hand, pulling slightly. "Come on we need to get you to the apartments." I choked on my spit before yanking my arm away, "You want me to what now?" "You need to come see for yourself." Larry spoke up before grabbing me by my wrist again. "Those ghosts reside at Addison apartments." Todd's voice rang up over mine and Larry's arguing.

"What?" I squeaked. There was no way in hell that this was true. Larry wrapped his arm around my waist and hoisted me off the ground carrying me into the living-room. "Hey wait a second!" I yelled thrashing out. "Sorry Kat but we really need you to see this." Sal stated sympathetically. "Okay I'll go! Put me down Larry!" I yelled out causing the room to go silent. Larry let go of his grip around my waist and I step out of his reach. "I swear if I go to those apartments and don't see anything I'm not talking to you guys again!" I pointed at them. They all nodded their heads in agreement.

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We had arrived at the apartments and walked along the cement sidewalk leading us to the building. My stomach was doing back flips at the idea of going into the apartments, but I did my best to push the feeling down and steady my breathing. There was something off about this place and I couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was the fact the building had been around for years and its exterior was in rough shape? Maybe it was the fact I saw the figure of Rose sitting in the window a few days prior? I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew a bad place when I saw one. We entered through the front door and the boys went their separate ways to put away their backpacks and grab their 'equipment'. I had followed Larry down to the basement and mentally cursed myself for allowing these boys to drag me here like this. Larry went into his apartment to throw his bag down while I waited in the hall by the vending machine.

Larry exited his apartment a few minutes later and we made our way back to the dreaded elevator. I gripped the handle bar tightly, knuckles turning white as a result. Larry chuckled at me, "Not a fan of elevators." I shook my head profusely, "absolutely not" We reached floor 5 and the elevator doors slid open. The hallway was littered with broken boards and signs plastered on the sides of the elevator doors that read 'NOTICE: This floor is currently being renovated. For your safety please make your way to the nearest exit'. The wallpaper in the hallway was torn in multiple spots as well as decaying drywall which also littered the walls. "This entire floor is giving me the creeps." I whispered following Larry down the hall. "Trust me you haven't seen anything yet." He muttered and turned the handle to Room 504 and pushed the door open. A rancid smell hit my nose, and I inwardly gagged trying my best to not vomit.

Todd and Sal sat inside the room, Sal holding a decked out gear boy in his hand. "What is that?" I pointed at the device in his hands. "The super gear boy. Originally was a gear boy that I made slight alterations to make it easier to detect supernatural hotspots." Todd spoke up. I simply nodded my head in response. Todd was a pretty cool guy and very smart. He'd sometimes bring various gadgets and tinker with them during lunch and tell us all about it. "So where's this ghost at anyhow?" I asked crossing my arms. Sal simply walked to the bathroom door and motioned for me to follow him. "Ew the bathroom? You want all four of us to cram into that tiny room?" I muttered staring back at him. Larry pushed me forward to the bathroom, heels dragging across the worn down carpet. "Will you stop pushing me?" I yelled turning around and slapping his arms lightly. "Stop being a chicken and go." Larry chuckled.

I huffed loudly before stepping into the dingy bathroom muttering under my breath. No surprise the bathroom was filthy considering the floor had been abandoned for a couple of years at this point. Larry had mentioned the owner of the building couldn't afford the renovations the floor needed, so the rooms sat untouched. The other two boys shuffled in behind me and soon enough Sal pressed some buttons on the super gear boy speaking out into the room, "Megan are you there? I want to introduce you to someone." Silence fell across the room in anticipation for the ghost to show. We waited for several minutes before I spoke up shaking my head "See I knew it. Bunch of liars." I turned to open the door and Larry slammed his hand on the door shutting it back. I opened my mouth to object to his actions, but was interrupted by a screech. I turned back to the tub to see the figure of a little girl form: starting with bones, then muscle and finally skin. It was Megan.

My breath was caught in my throat and I muttered, "What the f-" before clamping my hand over my mouth. My shaking hand found its way grasping on to the nearest thing which happened to be Larry's shirt. "Hi Sally face! How are you today?" Megan spoke, her voice high pitched and eerie. Sal chuckled before answering her, "I'm good Megan! I called you because I wanted to introduce you to someone." He motioned his hand, indicating for me to come forward. Larry gave me a gentle nudge pushing me forward to the spirit in front of us. The girl turned her attention to me, head slightly tilted and transparent eyes piercing through my soul sending shivers down my spin. "Um hi, I'm Katherine, but most people call me Kat. Nice to meet you Megan." I practically whispered. "Hi Kitty." She said, her lips curling into a loose grin. "Is this your first time meeting a ghost?" She spoke tilting her head. I nodded and chuckled, "Yes I haven't had the pleasure of meeting a ghost yet. This is a little surprising to me." "Are you scared of me?" She asked next. I hesitated with my answer trying my best to not hurt her feelings with my next choice of words. I awkwardly laughed before shaking my head, "I was a little taken aback at first, but after hearing you talk to Sal I relaxed a bit! I hope I didn't upset you." She shook her head and began talking with Sal again.

There was a gold necklace hanging from the towel rack, the cross dangling ever so slightly in the air. Realization hit me that this was in fact the girl from my dreams and the events that took place were actually true. My breath was caught in my throat and I was desperately trying to stay calm and not freak out. Any normal person would be losing it at this point so I figured I was doing a good job at remaining calm. "My mother gave me that necklace before I died." Megan's soft voice rang out. "A good luck charm." I whispered not taking my eyes of cross. The necklace was practically begging for me to touch it and I suppressed my urges to do so for as long as I could. My hand reached forward and I grasped the charm in between my fingers, enjoying the cold sensation from the metal. A piercing feeling shot through my head and spread throughout my entire body and I winced withdrawing my hand from the charm. I gripped my head in between my heads hearing the piercing scream of Megan to my left as she disappeared in the abyss. My vision became blurry and had the sensation of falling backwards before I blacked out entirely.

#sally face #sal fisher #larry johnson #ashley campbell #todd morrison #oc story #oc #fanfic #fandom

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twilightarcade · 3 months

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Hey! I'm the anon from earlier! Can I be your 🐳 anon? I love whales! I love playing videogames, I really love this game I played recently, it's called stray and you play as a cat! 10/10 concept and execution I loved playing as a little cat. I love reading books too, I just read this series called the renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer and I enjoyed it very much! I love sandwiches and instant ramen they're my favourite foods I think they fuck so hard man!

Also my pronouns are she/her! (and hehe i saw you mentioned this earlier but I'm terrible at discord too like what is even going on there? I've tried joining servers but like what do you do once you've joined a server dude there's like fifty people and a hundred chat like things? and I think I just get shy or something and never talk and eventually leave.) anyways enough about me! Tell me about you (if you'd like to!)

- 🐳 anon

YES YOU CAN BE 🐳 ANON !!

I've heard a bit about stray!! It looks fun from what I remember of it, I like the robot guy. I haven't heard of the renegades (I have not heard of ANYTHING EVER) and not to judge a book by its cover but oh man is the cover art super cool. To be entirely honest I largely read. Completely random books that I pick up. Like there's a handful of AP (trademark) books I've read just for . so college board doesn't hunt me for sport. But otherwise..? Huge fan of libraries but we're inconsistent with actually reading books (can read them in like. A day or two. But that's if we Read Them) so I mooostly buy books or lend them from a friend. That said (as previously mentioned Maybe ?) I love the library's book shop because they're like. 50-25 cents depending on the book, then there's a free shelf of books that have had a Lot of wear (therefore mostly really old books !)

Paragraph break because that paragraph was getting WAY too long free shelf books are uuuusually hit or miss but I like picking them up because like. Never know what you're gonna get. I do feel REALLY bad picking up too many from the free shelf because. What If Someone Else Wanted Those. It's ok though because I usually donate anyway. They don't even know what a devious trickster I am...

umm food I LOVE sandwiches they are actually like. Top ten. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life ever it would probably be the vague idea of a sandwich both because of their flexibly and because. Sandwich 🥪. Also!! (Asian guy voice) I LOVE rice like a lot and I'm sure I've made some post about it somewhere but like.. actually top ten foods in terms of flexibility. You can eat that guy with anything IMCLUDIBG! eggs which are also a top ten food. Super secret is that I don't really like runny yolks just because they're. Runny. Deep stuff right there. I am also number one water fan. Water for life baby.

okok let's see here what else do I do ,, I'm a huge fan of the arts in general! top ten curses placed on me is that I had 2 decide between pursuing The Arts or pursuing The Sciences which I think was. Hugely messed up of them. But anyway now I'm in The Sciences (because The Arts as a career path was NOT !! smiled upon) and The Arts is just that hobby I'm weirdly obsessed with. Which particular Arts though ? All of them if I'm going to be honest. Gives me something 2 do with my hands;; I mooostly draw Pretty Pictures but I've been fighting for my life to get into like. Writing and music composition aswell. I love game dev baby. We also!! Crochet & needle felt & somethingesle probably on and off.. fun times

#wordstag #askstag #yyou're gonna get a tag too but I can't promise we'll keep up w/ it;;#🐳 anon #that's like awfully uninspired actually should I like aethetic blog format it #~×☆♡*《{ 🐳 }》*♡☆×~#yes. I can say with absolute certainty that tag will be maintained. (lying)#ohman what else do we do... tried to get into scrapbooking a few times and have like. Piles of Stuff.#never really get a chance to sit down and throw it all in a book #also like !! bio med n stuff. Had considered going into healthcare as a nurse or something but . Man. Healthcare.#I reeeeeally want a doctorate just because I fuck with the title of 'doctor.' Also it would be Funny to not be an MD but still insist #that people refer to me as Doctor. I also hate my current options for prefixes.#my second option was becoming a judge so I could be 'your honor' but we all know that is NOT happening #also your honor is just a bit too grand. Not many honors out there.#school is too expensive though...... what is their problem man .#dream job is being retired and doing my own thing to be real . I would do so many jobs if I wasn't chained to one #I would be like that one guy from mlp I think. I forget. There's always at least One guy who has like 50 jobs I want to be That Guy #except not in a grindset way in a I'm having fun way youknow..... unfortunately this economy was not built for Having Fun #ok I think that's enough from me 🐅🐅 sorry for only replying to your asks when you're sleeping (?) I loveou #youknow back in the dayi was a signed anon. Old blog is a mystery to this day. No One Will Know.

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eliaskahtri · 1 year

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On the Trail to Opening Up || Elias & Gael

TIMING: LOCATION: TBA PARTIES: Elias and Gael SUMMARY: Two nerds go out hunting for cryptids and instead expose some lore about each other instead CONTENT WARNINGS: None

Gael was a patient person, even if right now he not only came fresh off the heels of helping Elias move his stuff across town into his house, not to mention whatever happened over the weekend. His body was exceedingly sore, a feeling he couldn’t seem to shake but Elias had mentioned over their coffee that he was into cryptids and Gael wanted to show his support. He had to be honest, though his body hurt, he was kind of excited. Not at the prospect of seeing a cryptid, as both of them knew those didn’t exist but rather, Gael just appreciated having someone to go out and do things reliably with. He was already doing well at working on his network of friends, or so he hoped and he probably wouldn’t forget that meeting the engineer-turned-bartender was like looking into a mirror, meeting an imperfect copy of himself which WAS perfect when he thought about it. So, today, he was in some outdoorsy gear which included a ball cap, a black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the shoulders and a pair of comfortable jeans. He wore an older pair of combat boots he’d acquired from a surplus store, which made sense since they had been trekking through the woods for a while now. They took a break at Gael’s request - he made an uncharacteristic comment about his back hurting and currently he rested on a tree stump, leaning back with a hand on his spine, resting right over the gnarled scar that mottled his skin. “Sorry,” He apologized with a grunt. “It’s been a while since I’ve gone just… solid hiking.” He partially lied but Elias was fortunately very flexible. “Want some peanuts while you wait on an old man?” He asked jokingly, holding up the bag.

Elias had been excited when Gael had shown interest in his hobby of cryptid searching, which in reality was just an excuse to go hiking for extended periods of time without a real goal in mind. If he saw something, awesome! But it really wasn’t the main goal. He saved that for the hardcore enthusiasts, like the Bigfoot club he was a part of back home.

Today he had dressed himself in jeans, an olive green shirt and a pair of hiking boots. He always came prepared when he went hiking in the woods; a can of bear repellent, a pocket knife, some water bottles, trail mix, a first aid kit, and a flashlight. He didn’t intend to stay out that late, especially with an inexperienced hiker, but he always liked to be prepared. To say that Elias was an experienced hiker was an understatement. In his twenties, he had taken it upon himself to hike the Pacific Crest trail with a friend. When his friend got hurt halfway through, he then finished it for the both of them. He’d roughed it in the woods and wilds before, so this was nothing to him.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. When Gael had stopped, he frowned and stopped walking, a hand on his pack. “You need a painkiller? I’ve got a first-aid kit in my bag.” Elias spoke as he took off his backpack, quickly beginning to go through his bag to dig for the first-aid kit. “Don’t feel bad for needing a break, everyone goes at their own pace. I’m just a bit more experienced than most hikers,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve done some crazy trails in my time,” he then admitted with a sheepish smile. He couldn’t help but laugh as Gael held up the bag of peanuts, shaking his head. “No, I’m alright for now. I packed some trail mix.” He finally pulled out the first aid kit and popped it open, digging around for the packet of pain killers. “Here,” he spoke, handing the packet over to the man. “Better than nothing if you’re hurting that much.” He then frowned. “You sure you don’t want to head back? I get it if you’re in too much pain.”

Gael’s dark eyes followed Elias as the latter seemed to have much more energy than him. Normally, it wasn’t the case but after… He still didn’t have a name for his sleepwalking tendencies. He was determined not to let it ruin Elias’ trip though and he couldn’t help but feel the other man’s excitement still. That being said, he was fortunately that Elias was much more prepared than he was, himself equipped with little more than a little knapsack of stuff, none of it particularly useful. He took the packet while putting away the peanuts, pulling the canteen that was over his shoulder up. “No, it’s fine,” Gael insisted, downing the pain meds in a fluid motion. In fact, in order to keep himself going, he grunted and got back to his feet. “No, I’m fine. Sorry, had an… exciting weekend,” He furrowed his brow slightly as he tried to recall what it was he did. Not that he’d be able to explain it to his new roommate. For what it was worth, the forest was quite lovely. He always appreciated nature, moreso when he was there by choice and not driven into it by some… primal need.

“Okay I’m good,” He nodded, popping his back as he stood up. “You should tell me about some of your adventures sometime.” He smiled, recovering from the grimace that crossed his features.

Elias’s usually chipper demeanor had faded, replaced with one of patience and worry. “If you’re sure,” he responded as he carefully closed up his first aid kit and tucked it back into his backpack. “We won’t go too crazy then if you had a wild time this weekend. Gotta say, you didn’t strike me as the party hard type.” He shot the man a playful wink before putting his backpack back on.

“I did some serious hiking when I graduated college,” he began to explain as he waited for the other to give the okay to keep going. “Hiked the pacific crest trail, really tested my abilities and truly became one with nature.” He thought back to all the living in the wilderness, staking a small tent and having to filter his water from streams, never being clean until he finally made it to Canada. That had been the best shower of his life. And that bed? There was nothing that could beat the raw pleasure of a soft mattress after sleeping on the hard ground for three months. “Took me three months, hiked about 30 miles a day every day.” He smiled, it was a crowning achievement for him. He’d spent countless months preparing meals for it and prepping himself for the hitchhiking and meal drops.

“Needless to say, don’t feel bad if I seem like I could go hiking in my sleep. I probably could. But it’s my hobby.” Put in the wilderness, Elias was calmer, more of a relaxed and easygoing guy than he existed on the internet. Sure, he had his moments of goofy antics, but hiking and looking for cryptids? It’s what calmed him at the end of the day. “Let me know when you’re good to continue. We can rest here for a second if you’d like.” He offered, gesturing to a fallen log for Gael to sit down on. “If you weren’t feeling up to it, you should have said so.”

He was silently insistent that they keep going; the more they walked, the more into the rhythm he got and he felt the residual tension coiled up inside him being released. His back still hurt and his extremities were still sore but he was enjoying himself, enjoying the woods and time with Elias, who… seemed much more at ease out here. Gael must’ve been in his element, which felt more obvious as he regaled the professor with his story about his three-months-long hike where he hiked a very impressive 30 miles a day. “Damn, you got me beat by a literal several miles,” He laughed as the duo continued, albeit at a gentler pace. It was interesting seeing this other side of Elias, who he hadn’t known for long but already reminded him of a retriever, excitable and eager. The two were similar in that regard but Gael found fascination in how they were different. He also appreciated that Elias seemed in-tune with his needs even though he was trying his hardest not to seem inconvenient. “I’m more of a martial artist - I leave all the, uh… more durable activities to my sister.” He recalled Sol, his sport-loving sibling who wanted to play soccer as a profession. “I had no idea you were such a hiker,” Gael admitted. “I love learning that nerds have physical activities; it’s like a secret weapon.” He paused both verbally and physically, glancing over at the fallen log and exhaling as he contemplated whether or not to take advantage of the opportunity. He absently turned to look at their surroundings again and he felt the need to try to explain himself. “And I’m– I’m not the party type anymore,” He exhaled, adjusting the knapsack as he collected the canteen of water again. “I was when I was younger but… I had an–” He faltered on the sentence and he recovered by taking a swig of his water. It had been long enough, Gael really should’ve come up with a decent story by now. “And now on occasion I have… this condition.” He didn’t get closer to the log; he felt guilty that he made them stop at all. “It’s not that I’m not up to it and I hope you don’t feel like I was… I dunno, lying to you.” He exhaled. “So! I’m good to keep going, unless… you want me to want to take a break.” ‘I don’t want to disappoint you or make it seem like I can’t keep up’ is what he was trying to say but the confidence to say it didn’t come.

Elias chuckled to himself, realizing he had more surprises up his sleeve than he had realized, from hiking to being a runner. “Well, I don’t get my body by just sitting out the couch playing video games all day,” he admitted sheepishly. “I do long distance running too, I used to be in track and field back in high school, did it in college for a scholarship as well.” So if you realize I’m not at the house at five in the morning? I’m probably running.” He held onto the straps of his backpack as they walked, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. As much as he loved playing his games, nature was something he felt a deep connection to, made him feel rejuvenated the longer he stayed there.

He frowned as Gael cut himself off, tilting his head to the side when he drank his water. He realized there was something there that the man didn’t want to talk about, and he could respect that. “Well whatever it was, I’m glad you’re still here.” He spoke with a soft smile, placing a hand on his back, hoping he wasn’t overstepping a boundary. “If it comes as any shock to you, I’ve never been to a party, much less been invited.” He snickered, dropping his hand from the man’s back. “Too nerdy for the cool kids, not nerdy enough for the band geeks.” He sighed, shaking his head. “The humanity of it all, I tell you.”

His brows then furrowed, hand reaching for his shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it! You didn’t expect to hurt this much. If you insist on continuing, then I’ll oblige.” Elias patted his shoulder twice, then began the trek onward down the trail, thankful for the flat terrain for Gael’s sake. “I’m gonna be honest, I don’t think you could lie if you wanted to. Seem too nice for that.” He looked back at him, giving a shit-eating grin before turning his attention forward again. “I won’t make you hike thirty miles like I used to, how about that?” He joked, smiling as a breeze hit his face, energizing him a little more.

Hiking AND running? The man realized that he and Elias were more physically different than he initially surmised - where Elias was about endurance, running, and hiking, Gael specialized in martial arts and fist-fighting. Opposites attract, as they say and maybe more physical activities would improve his health and… other things. And hand on his back was nice; Gael always seemed to forget how positively he received physical affection, even when it wasn’t affection. He was just… ridiculously touchy-feely, he supposed and rather than pull away, he seemed to subconsciously lean into it. “You’ve never been invited to a party?” He asked incredulously, glancing up at his hiking partner. That concept seemed foreign to him; he was a nerd but perhaps he hid it well… and drowned his insecurities in substances. “Well, I’ll be sure to rectify that.” He raised his eyebrow. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he wouldn’t get Elias into a party somehow.

“Well, you could make up any number about how many miles you can hike and I’d probably take your word for it,” Gael laughed, his breathing more even now that they were on flatter ground and he appreciated the air on his face. However, his smile faltered ever-so-slightly as he thought about what Elias said, about him not lying. …Was he lying? Was obstruction of the truth, even if it wasn’t a truth he accepted, lying? He slowed down slightly as he ruminated in the thought that he was unintentionally lying to Elias, to anyone, about what happened some nights. He thought and thought but… the answer that he laughed at before seemed completely implausible now; a piece that wouldn’t sit right in the puzzle.

Elias listened to the sounds of nature around them, the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves in the trees and shrubs. “It’s a really nice day out,” he decided aloud, listening to the crunching of their footsteps beneath their shoes. “You may be sore today, old man. But I’m going to make a hiker out of you yet. I’ll have to take you to the cheese caves!” He declared, holding a finger up in the air as he spoke. He then let out a hearty laugh at the idea of being taken to a party. “I hope you know you’d have to drag me there kicking and screaming. I might be good at talking to people on the internet, but you take me to a crowded place full of people that are drinking and dancing? I clam up.” He admitted, shrugging his shoulders as he took the time to fall in line with the man. “You’d have to hold my hand like I’m a toddler lost at the mall.” He warned him with raised brows.

While he watched the other, he saw the smile falter off of his lips for a brief moment. “You alright?” He asked, his steps faltering to put his hand back on the man’s shoulder. “Seems like you went somewhere else there for a second.” He tilted his head to the side, a genuine worry evident on his face. “You know, if you’re going through anything, you can absolutely talk to me about it. Won’t leave the two of us.” He nodded his head, hand not leaving the other, his gaze deep and genuine. He leaned a bit forward to the man, maybe a bit too close for comfort. Realizing this, he took a step back, keeping his hands to himself, an awkward little smile fleeting across his features.

Elias’ hand on Gael’s shoulder shook the latter out of his thoughts and he cast a sideways look up at the other man, temporarily forgetting where he was. His eyes found Elias’ and without realizing it one of his hands placed itself over the one on his shoulder. The bartender had this expression in his gaze, something that he knew was there but he wasn’t sure if he deserved. Had he accidentally worn his thoughts on his face again? “Sorry, what?” He asked stupidly before gulping. “Oh, you were–” He scoffed with a half-smile and he patted Elias’ hand with an unsteady exhale. “Sorry, I was… yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded. “I don’t… It’s hard to explain,” Gael finally sighed after a pause that was too long for him. “I appreciate the worry, but I’m more upset about how you’ve never been invited to a party. It’s tearing me up inside,” He joked, his tone taking its familiar lightness to it. “Which I’m gonna do, by the way. We can wear a buddy rope or I can put a harness on you.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “But…” He glanced down. “Once I think I can explain it sufficiently, I’ll tell you.” He looked back up at his roommate, the one person he probably needed to be the MOST honest with if he wanted their relationship to be long-lasting. And he needed those.

Elias tilted his head to the side a little as he watched Gael’s gaze go somewhere else. What was happening— he found himself staring back at the shorter man, unsure what to do. If he moved, he’d surely trip over himself. If he’d say something it’d probably come out as a squeak. So instead of doing anything at all, he simply froze, staring back at Gael until he finally spoke. “Yeah,” Elias uttered out in response, feeling his face heating up. “Sorry if I shouldn’t have uh,” he held his hand out, awkwardly patting the man’s shoulder. “That.” He spoke, then quickly turned around to keep walking, glad that the other man couldn’t see his face as his eyes went wide and mouthed to himself “What the fuck was that, Eli?”

He then rolled his rolled eyes and turned around to look at Gael as he talked about him not being to a party. “Tell you what. Bring me to a party or a nightclub, call it a date.” He half-joked. Part of Elias wasn’t, however. “I may work at a bar, but I’m not really… well versed in night-life.” He admitted with a shrug of his shoulder. “Maybe it can be homework,” he then suggested, wiggling his brows at the idea.

When Gael grew serious again, Elias let his expression turn back to one of sincerity. So he didn’t know what was going on, he could understand that. “Well when you do figure it out, you know I’m here for you. Even if you don’t have it figured it out, we live under the same roof. But don’t feel you need to run away from whatever it is, making yourself all sore.” He raised a brow, as if challenging the other. “And if it’s too much to explain, I understand that too.” He decided with a soft smile, gesturing to the path in front of them. “Good to keep going, old man?” He then joked, giving Gael a shit-eating grin.

The two exchanged a glance and Gael could… somehow he heard Elias’ heart rate increase. At Elias’ movement and awkward apology, the chemist moved his hand himself and he gritted his teeth slightly - he probably did or said the wrong thing in that… however long he was lost in thought. His hand, still feeling the warmth of Elias’, lowered casually enough and he placed it in his pocket, the other still lazily hanging onto the strap of his canteen, one of his usual and comfortable positions. Sure enough, after a brief pause Elias had moved on, back to the topic on the party but while it was still on Gael’s mind, he kicking himself internally for whatever happened to warrant the pat on the shoulder and the abrupt turn. Maybe… it wasn’t him, maybe Elias was just uncomfortable with physical contact. He’d have to keep that in mind. For now though, Gael’s smile jumped back onto his face. “A date?” He mused. “Usually you go to bars and nightclubs to GET a date,” He scoffed; there was no way Elias wasn’t being chased by at least, what, ten people? The professor didn’t doubt that he was single but… c’mon. That height? The facial hair? The HAIR hair? Quirky personality? Still though, he couldn’t help but joke back - after all, that’s what he figured it was. “But sure! I’ll take you out for a night on the town like a proper lady.” ‘We live under the same roof’. ‘I’m here for you’. Gael had said the comment so easily but he didn’t think he was expecting Elias to respond the way he did and though his smile didn’t falter this time, his gaze did waver as more of the thoughts flickered through his mind though he returned as quickly as he’d paused, returning Elias’ raised brow with one of his own. “Too much to explain?” He said, his tone growing vivacious. “Old man??” He laughed this time, using Elias’ words as a stepping stool to pull himself back up. “You’re only five years older than me, string bean.” With that, he took an ambitious step or two forward, catching up to the taller man in a little trot. “I ain’t gonna stop ‘til my legs give out,” He insisted, squaring up and narrowing his eyes at the taller man. “30 miles or not.” Whatever happened would go into another bottle in his mind. Put it on the shelf for later, alongside telling Elias about his… condition.

Elias looked toward the tops of the trees as he cleared his head, no sense dwelling on it, if he read to hard into it he’d never escape his own head. Then, he was drawn back to reality as he heard Gael speak to him. “Listen, I’m going to be one hundred percent honest with you,” he started as he turned around, an awkward look on his face, that same blush creeping back onto his cheeks. “I’ve never been on a date? Like I did back in college but I kinda fumbled the bag.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a big grin, eyes closed as if he were physically pained. “So maybe I don’t know what I’m doing. Or ever do.” He frowned, opening his eyes with a serious look. “I’m only good at comic books and talking about random physics facts that nobody wishes to hear. I’m what the men and women call a catch.” He rolled his eyes, unclipping his waterbottle from his bag and taking a swig from before clipping it back on. He felt the need to keep talking to fill the silence, as if the idea of being quiet was suffocating to him. “And if I’m going to be a lady in this situation, I demand to be wined and dined,” he joked, flipping non-existent hair behind his shoulder. There was a little glint in his eyes, like he was a little hurt, but as soon as he blinked, the look was gone.

“Yeah, too much to explain. Like when your head gets all jumbled and the right words don’t come out.” Elias raised his hands to his head, waving them a bit as he spoke. “And you called yourself an old man first!” He defended himself, a cheeky grin rising to his face, once again allowing the previous interaction to slide off his back. “String bean?!” He then exclaimed, feigning hurt. “I’ll have you know that I am the embodiment of physical fitness, thank you very much.” He declared, patting his abdomen, as if he had abs. “String bean…” he muttered again, shaking his head as if he were offended. “I’ll make you rue the day you called me that.”

“If your legs give out, I’m not carrying you back. Had to do that with my friend when he got injured, hobbled for miles to the nearest road to get him help. It was awful, we didn’t have a lot of cell service where we were.” He couldn’t help but reminisce on his old hiking days, he had really enjoyed it. “If we’re going to get you into hiking shape, we’ll start with the easy trails. Like this one!” He hadn’t picked a trail that had any rough terrain, he figured it would be too much for the other. “Honestly, Bigfoot is kind of my excuse to go camping.” He began to explain, hands back on his backpack straps. “I love it out here. The birds, the breeze? And the potential to uncover a species that might exist that is so elusive that scientists haven’t captured it yet? Oh yeah, I’m a big fan.”

The professor wondered if he struck some sort of nerve with his jokes - understandably, he didn’t know that Elias hadn’t ever been on a date but then again, maybe it was obvious and Gael just didn’t think about it. Either way, he kept that in mind too… revisit it when there was a lull in the conversation, maybe. Not that he minded this version of Elias; indeed, it seemed almost as if Gael were being made privy to some secret creature of his own, the man behind a mask that the chemist could recognize most of the time. “Well– yeah, I can call MYSELF an old man but that’s just because I was trying to come up with excuses,” He tilted his head with a playful sharpness. “And you ARE a string bean; you might be able to hike faster and further but I bet I could school you in an arm-wrestling competition, amigo,” he fell into his normal pace after the brief burst of energy as the two continued walking. Internally though, and Gael would be sure to mention this later, he was thankful that he was out there, he was thankful for Elias offering to bring him along and the soreness thumping through his body aside, he was thankful that he managed to find a nerd who was physically active. Maybe he could… NO, absolutely not. Don’t even think the rest of that thought. He shook his head to himself. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you had to carry me,” He said. “Though I mean if you DID find a species that was super elusive, I’d hope maybe it could magically cure injuries.” He joked. “That’s why my sister went into marine biology - there’s still so many interesting, undiscovered things on the ocean floor, she’d LOVE to be the one to discover something.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Elias grumped, waving a hand. He wasn’t a string bean, was he? He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. He decided to respectfully disagree with Gael’s very wrong opinion of him. He then thought long and hard about if he would stand a chance against the other in an arm wrestling competition. He may have height on his side, but that wouldn’t help him in a battle of arm strength. He flexed his arm a bit, looking around for a stable surface the could do this on. He wasn’t about to leave here without taking the challenge. “I’ll lose, but I still have to know for sure.” He decided, looking around. “Over here!” He walked over to a fallen tree, then turned to Gael, wiggling his brows. “Them’s fightin’ words, Gael. Let’s do this.” He bounced his weight back and forth on his feet, giving a ‘come hither’ motion with his hands.

As he waited for Gael to join him, Elias thought about what he’d do if he discovered something. As fun as it sounded, he’d feel bad taking the opportunity away from a scientist that actually looked for species for a living. Then again, he doubted there would be a substantial discovery to be made all the way in Maine. Then again, the town was certainly weird enough to have something strange lurking in the woods somewhere. “If I find a magical creature that can heal wounds, I’ll make sure to call you first before I call the press.” He promised the man with a chuckle, face breaking into an amused smile.

“You’re gonna need it to lick your wounds for you after I school you in arm wrestling, compañero,” Gael replied with a grunt of confidence and a smile of his own, sizing up the taller man as the latter hopped around lightly. He followed Elias to the tree, popping his neck as he clenched and unclenched his fists, the muscles rippling beneath the skin on his arms. The chemistry professor carefully sat down opposite the bio-engineer, the knuckles in his fingers cracking as he flexed them. “Okay then, let’s see what you’re made of, nerd.” He teased. “You wanna take any bets that you’re prepared to adhere to?” He asked, quirking his brow as he set his elbow on the log.

Elias couldn’t help but stare as the professor showed off, feeling his mouth go dry. He cleared his throat, shaking the thoughts away as before getting hopelessly distracted by Gael’s muscles. “You gotta be kidding me,” he grumbled to himself. Smart and attractive? Now that hardly seemed fair. He shook his head,letting the thoughts fall to the wayside as he leant over the fallen tree. “You’re not supposed to have it all,” he accused in a playful tone. He then thought what he could bet, looking upward as he considered his options. “If I win,” he began, trailing off as he continued to think of options. Suddenly, his face lit up. He had his idea.

“If I win, the date’s real. No treating me like a real lady.” He raised his brows in challenge to the other. “If you win… I’ll let you get a kitten.” He clapped his hands together, tilting his head to the side. “Thoughts?” He sing-songed, grinning idiotically. Grabbing Gael’s hand, Elias’s grin turned to one of playful wickedness. “Go on three?” He asked, raising a brow. Now he was excited. This could turn out of two ways. Getting what he wants, or sneezing eternally.

He heard that. He wouldn’t respond to it though, instead giving Elias a teasing wink. Rather, Gael kept his keen eyes on the other man, anticipating something obtuse like ‘if I win, tell me what you do on the weekends’ or ‘you have to carry ME the rest of the way’. So when he was presented with either taking Elias on a date or getting a cat, he couldn’t hide the look of surprise that crossed his features. Was it that he didn’t think Gael would actually take him on a date if he asked normally? Or was it that this was his only way TO ask because of some insecurity he had? ‘Elias, I can just take you on a date’ was what he wanted to say, followed by ‘and I’m not going to punish you like that’ in regards to the cat. Gael didn’t seem to have much time to say anything though before he caught Elias’ expression, his grin wide and wild and the chemist gulped, licking his lower lip before furrowing his brow, narrowing his eyes letting a half-grin creep onto his face. “You got yourself a deal. We’ll go on three,” He affirmed, his fingers tapping as they readied on Elias’ hand. “One, two–” And on three, they began. For a split second, Gael considered throwing and he was sure Elias could feel the lack of tension in his arm but the consideration was promptly abandoned - Gael was going to come out on top regardless. So, after a few moments of struggle, he exhaled sharply, a burst of adrenaline pulsing down his arm and just like that, his arm pinned Elias’ on the log. He popped his neck again, holding the other man’s arm down with an open-mouthed smirk, his tongue licking his teeth. “Good college try,” He said rather casually before pulling Elias’ arm back up and giving it a thorough shake. “It’s kitten time!”

Elias stared at his downed arm with a defeated look, though there was amusement dancing around in his eyes. Instead of being upset about losing, he brought his arm back to his side, rubbing it a little. “You weren’t kidding about being strong!” He exclaimed, disappointment turning to a grin. “I saw that coming,” he confessed with a shrug of his shoulders and a smirk. “Still, can’t blame a guy for trying.” He got up from his stance at the log, stretching his arm out as he walked around a little bit to get his legs moving again. Once he stopped, he found that his age caught up with him and his legs got angry if they were squatted for too long. Made his knees crack and cry for mercy.

He then thought of what he could only describe as kitten time; pure misery and sneezing. Lots and lots of sneezing. But he loved cats, they seemed so cuddly and fun. Plus, they didn’t need to be taken outside multiple times a day to shit, they did it in a box instead! How great was that? “Kitten time means medicine for Elias.” He spoke, shooting Gael an amused look. “I mean, I’m not opposed to the idea of a cat. I just need to make sure I get an allergist.” He decided, making a mental note to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as he could. If it made the chemistry professor happy, then he would be happy to suffer a little for a cat. After all, cats. Look at them. “I’ll get you next time!” He declared, punching the air with a serious expression. “I’ll train like the Karate Kid.” He vowed, looking back over to the Gael with a wicked grin.

“Certainly can’t blame a guy for trying.” Gael repeated, stretching his own arm out though the cracking in Elias’ knees as the latter moved about didn’t go by him unnoticed. Mm-hmm, and HE was the old man. “Now we’re even - you run, I punch,” He laughed. Then he sat there for a moment, letting Elias ruminate on what ‘kitten time’ meant even though Gael had it all figured out in his head from the moment they started. He got to his feet himself and he couldn’t keep a quiet grunt from escaping as he placed a hand on his back for a moment. He couldn’t keep himself from smiling though as Elias’ energy seemed to make a comeback. The chemist exhaled, placing one of his hands on his hips and approached Elias. “Okay, okay, Karate Kid,” He said slowly, reaching up to put a hand on the taller man’s shoulder. “I have a better idea. “Since I win, I’d like to change the conditions of the bet,” He said. “After all, I never said what I wanted if I won.” Gael glanced up at Elias, his expression softening and with a gentle smile on his face. “You can still see an allergist if you’d like but in the meantime, I want to take you out on a date.” He said. “No treating you like a real lady.” He decided to go for it - he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Elias got lastingly sick because of a cat; the idea was shut down in his brain the second Elias suggested it. That wasn’t gonna happen regardless, not if he had any say in it.

“If I ever need someone to beat someone up for their lunch money, I promise you’ll be the first person I call.” Elias said to him with mock sincerity. He stopped for a moment to listen to the breeze again, allowing himself to feel a sense of calm that he only achieved by being out with nature, the biggest reason he liked to hike so much. As a hand was placed on his back, he found himself grounded back to reality, looking over to Gael with a raised brow, curious.

He tilted his head to the side as he talked about changing the conditions of their bet, curious to see what he would want instead. He blinked once, twice. Did he really just ask him on a date for real? For a moment, Elias wasn’t sure what to think. He could tell it wasn’t a joke, but still he found that it took him by surprise. “You serious?” he asked, brows raised in slight shock. “I mean, I would love to say yes, but only if you…” he realized that Gael’s hand was still on his back, and he realized that maybe he was serious. It was a weird feeling, being vulnerable with another person, it was something he really didn’t allow himself to do. It was easier to put on the happy persona and go about his day. But he found that he didn’t need to do that around Gael, which was different for him. “Then I accept.” He said, nodding once.

He thought for a moment, grinning. “I can still see about an allergist though. I mean, if you want to win the cat too.” He chuckled softly, unsure what to do with the bundle of nerves he suddenly felt. He wanted to keep walking, but he didn’t want to abruptly stop whatever was happening in that moment, either. “So uh.” He spoke awkwardly, gesturing toward the path. “You wanna head back then?”

The professor didn’t realize that he was holding his breath, waiting for Elias to answer - would he say no? Gael didn’t think he would mind as much as if the other man thought he was joking or setting him up for a fall. He didn’t respond immediately, didn’t say ‘of course I’m serious’, he just kept his eyes on Elias and the same expression on his face. Waiting, waiting… he accepted and it was Gael’s turn to do a little hop. “Excellent!” He said enthusiastically.

“... I REALLY want that kitten,” Gael said after a pause, letting his fluttering heart calm down a little bit though he had a new spring in his step. “But I would rather do that date - there are other ways I can see cats.” He said, taking a step or two forward and turning to regard Elias. “We’ll keep going and see what happens down the line. How’s that sound?” He asked, looking expectant and the soreness in his body was all but gone; as far as he was concerned, this wasn’t something Elias did with just anyone and he felt honored that maybe he was continuing to get this glance into the man under a mask. He could be wrong though but… this was definitely a different layer of Elias than the one he met at the cafe.

Elias threw his arm around Gael, patting his head. “Don’t you worry, we’ll get you that kitten someday.” He promised with a laugh. It was interesting, this feeling he didn’t know that he could feel. It felt lighter and happy, something he spent a lot of the time faking for others instead of truly feeling for himself. He had spent years at this point, feeling like he had to do things for the sake of doing them. Moving to Wicked’s Rest has been his big attempt at changing his life around to something he wanted. Maybe there weren’t enough Bigfoots or Jersey Devils around for his liking, but he’d met someone special in Gael, and that was more than he could have asked for. “Come on, before the sun starts to set.” Elias spoke, dropping his hand from around Gael to walk towards the path. “Do know that I’m going to turn you into a seasoned hiker yet.” He warned, pointing a finger towards Gael with a grin on his face before turning forward, and walking the way they had come, this time with more of a bounce in his step. A date. Yeah, he liked the sound of that.

#On the Trail to Opening Up #threads #t;lithium argon wo l f #lithium argon wo l f

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austenpoppy · 10 months

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Nightfall: at dusk - Prologue: Night monsters

Ao3 link: Nightfall : at dusk - Chapter 1 - Austenpoppy - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

Fanfiction.net link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14301937/1/Nightfall-At-Dusk

Summary:

2001. Ron and Harry are working hard at the Auror Academy to become full-fledged Aurors, while Hermione is trying to find her place in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and Ginny is training with the Holyhead Harpies. Everybody is trying to overcome what happened in the war to focus on building a better future, and life seems easier than it has ever been. However, darkness is looming on the horizon as Muggleborn and Half-Blood wizards and witches disappear before being found out weeks later, their dead bodies having been experimented upon. Meanwhile, Ron has more and more trouble dealing with the aftermath of what happened with the locket...

I can't believe I'm actually starting to post this. This is going to be the first fanfiction I publish, but it is a gigantic project that I have started years ago, when I was barely out of high school - and it's very close to my heart. It all began in a rather boring geography class in 2017 (I'm sorry, Mr. D, I can't say I care about mussel culture in Thailand) where I had let my imagination wander, doing one of my favourite hobbies: inventing stories with one of my favourite characters of all time (in case that was not clear, I'm talking about Ron). I was thinking about one scene from one of my favourite childhood movies (the fantastic "Azur and Asmar" by Michel Ocelot) and I was replacing the characters from the animation film with Harry and Ron, imagining how they could have ended up in that situation and what could happen after.

The entire universe of Nightfall was born from this one scene alone.

If you start this journey with me, my fellow Internet friend, this is going to be a long, very long ride. The story is so huge I divided it into three parts, each of which have their own "arcs" so to speak. The good thing is that I know exactly where I'm going, and I can assure you that considering there are already six years of work put into this project I am not likely to ever abandon it. You should rather feel sorry for my dear friend and beta Vivithefolle who not only had to hear me talk about this project for years, but also had to read some chapters in complete disorder, with some notes from me to explain the context or background information. Thank you so much, Vivi, you motivated me to write at a time you were my only reader and I had this crazy idea I would write all the chapters before publishing them (no this did not work out, but no one can accuse me of being impatient... six freaking years of work...).

However I want to be clear and honest to my potential readers: this is not going to be a happy-go-lucky story by any stretch of the imagination. I am going to write about mature and sometimes very dark subjects, even though if you know me, you may have guessed I rather like humour and am not really fond of cynical and hopeless works. I, however, am a sadist, as you will have the displeasure to discover once you see how I treat Ron (I'm joking, I'm joking...or am I ?). I don't want to say too much, but let's just say people who came here for a feel-good story without any angst will be thoroughly disappointed.

As a side note, I consider this work to be canon-compliant, given that I only consider the seven original books as canon and take what J. K. Rowling wrote on Pottermore with a grain of salt; but "Nightfall" is not my headcanon of what happened after the war either. Consider it more like an evil twin of my actual headcanon.

Now let me introduce you to the world of "Nightfall", or the story that has been living rent free in my head nearly everyday for the past few years. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it, and I'm proud and extremely touched to present you with my first published fanfiction (I also feel very self-conscious, but I guess that was to be expected).

Disclaimer: All characters and events depicted in the original book series belong to J.K. Rowling. Most unfortunately.

Trigger warnings for this chapter: graphic depictions of violence, disturbing imagery

(See the end of the work for more notes).

Prologue : Night monsters

Sunday 7th January, 2001 - 2 am.

It was a very cold night. Thaddeus gripped the pants of his cloak tighter against himself, trying to warm himself up as best as he could. As he exhaled loudly, his breath came out in a silvery steam before disappearing. His lips were chapped, and he could feel the cracks on them that would probably end up bleeding.

He found himself thinking wistfully of the warm bed in which his wife was waiting for him at home. Images of himself with his head going deep into his soft pillow, pulling back his fluffy blankets over his body, and kissing Magdalene goodnight before going to sleep with a contented smile on his face flooded his mind. He fidgeted, feeling irritation slowly rising inside him. How long would he have to wait?

Magdalene was certainly trying to fight off sleep until he came back, though she was most likely too groggy to last long – Calder, who had turned three in November, was in his oppositional phase and was exhausting them both. Thaddeus had been in the Auror Task Force for more than twenty years, and Magdalene had been his wife for well over fifteen years now, but she still worried almost as much as she did back when they started dating.

She worried even more those days considering what had been happening lately. Eight wizards and witches had vanished in the last month and a half in mysterious circumstances; two of them had ended up dead, their corpses dropped in random places all over the United Kingdom. And to top it off, all of the missing people had either been Muggleborn or Half-Blood, something that the media had been quick to point out.

Of course, worried whispers had emerged ever since Fidvi Khokhar, the second victim, had disappeared, and those whispers had grown louder and louder every time another person had gone missing. A collective shiver had taken over the wizarding community, that was paralyzed with fear at the idea that somehow, You-Know-Who had managed to come back from the dead yet again.

About two weeks earlier, when Conri Hartnett's body had been found five hundred miles away from the place he had last been seen, stupor had seized Aurors and civils alike. Of course, everyone had felt very sorry for his family, though nobody had ever doubted that the former Unspeakable had been killed - there was even a strange relief that had gone hand in hand with the discovery of the corpse, since victims of Death Eater who had disappeared were very rarely found.

Yet, despite this small relief, horror and fright had quickly made their way into everybody's hearts at the knowledge that Hartnett's body had been experimented upon. Thaddeus had not seen the body himself, and photographs of the corpse had been forbidden despite outcries from scoops-hungry journalists, but he had heard other Aurors shiver while recounting the tale in the common room.

The picture those Aurors had painted was the kind that you only saw in the most terrible nightmares. Hartnett's fingers, hands, arms, legs and foot had apparently disappeared, replaced instead with translucid tentacles reminiscent of a jellyfish. Meanwhile, his head had taken up a more cubic-shaped form, while his hair had completely fallen off. Furthermore, the rest of his body had been covered with a bad rash. The Aurors who were at the crime scene had said you could barely make out the place the human body ended and the jellyfish started, as if the two were one and the same.

Really Thaddeus couldn't imagine much more terrible fate. The Auror department had not even allowed Hartnett's family to see the body, let alone get it back for a proper funeral. As of now the scientific team was still trying to figure out what had happened to Hartnett exactly. So far the only things they were sure about were that the kind of jellyfish Hartnett had been merged with was a species of the family Oceaniidae, and that dark magic had been involved in the twisted process of Transfiguration.

Two days after Hartnett, another body had been found in Cardiff. This one, too, had been awfully disfigured. After a bit of investigation, it had turned out to be Donovan Kovalenko, a British Ukrainian citizen who had worked as a secretary in the Ukrainian embassy until his disappearance, and the last person to have disappeared.

Unlike Bartnett, he had not been blended with a jellyfish, but with a bowhead whale. His face had been completely unrecognizable, and it was only because of a very specific birthmark that the scientific team had been able to identify the body.

Just like with Bartnett, Kovalenko's transfigured corpse had been found very far away from the place he had last been seen, since the Ukrainian embassy was based in London. What was more, he had also been found in a completely different region than Bartnett, whose body had been discovered in a little town in Scotland, Tobermory.

All in all, Thaddeus thought with a shudder, there was something really dark going on, but no one could tell whether this was the work of a serial killer, of Pureblood fanatics, of a human trafficking ring, or something else entirely.

Thaddeus didn't think Magdalene had any reason to fret today, though. If the situation he'd been required to deal with had been dangerous, he wouldn't be hanging around waiting for the Hit wizard on duty to come and let him know what was going on. It was probably some kind of drunk wizard who'd destroyed public property thinking Trolls were attacking him. Two months ago he'd arrested a man who had been bothering a neighbourhood in London, believing himself to be Celestina Warbeck. The fella had sung all night with a croaky falsetto voice that seemed immune to the most powerful Silencios.

Merlin, he hated being the reserve Auror at night, but he needed the extra money.

Just as his mind was going to go down a rather dark route he was nonetheless accustomed to, he noticed a familiar figure coming right toward him, looking grim. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Harvey?" he asked as they showed each other their Auror badges and checked each other's identity. "What're you doing here?"

"Nasty business, Thaddeus", Harvey replied sombrely, shaking his head, while Thaddeus followed him. "A young witch who was on her way home after a party stumbled upon the body of Lucinda Backstreet. Lynn's team is already on the crime scene."

Immediately, Thaddeus felt his shoulders slump, and his heart constricted. It was going to be a long night. Magdalene's eyes would give up the fight against sleep well before he would be able to go home, and the first thing he would do when he did go back to his house wouldn't be to kiss his children or wife but take a huge glass of Firewhisky.

Lucinda Backstreet was one of the eight people who had disappeared in the last weeks. A young girl from Bristol, enthusiastic and passionate about the protection of magical animals. One day she had left her home to go to the weekly meeting of her club dedicated to the defense of the rights of magical creatures, and then nobody had ever seen her again. Her disappearance had really caused a stir nationwide. Not only was she the youngest victim, but her father, Cyneric Backstreet, was a well-known businessman who had made a fortune selling transportable strongboxes that were charmed to repel most common spells.

Walking toward her corpse reminded Thaddeus as to why some days he thought that he should find another job.

Neither Harvey nor he were speaking, and the only sounds that could be heard were that of their boots on gravel. After a few minutes spent in silence, they finally approached the crime scene. Thaddeus noticed that a few members of the scientific team were already there, looking for evidence and preparing the body for transport, including the Team Leader of the scientific team herself, Auror Lynn Oliver. Thaddeus gave a nod in her direction, which she answered grimly.

Thaddeus looked around for familiar faces, and he saw Monica and Griffiths acknowledge his presence with a small wave, though they quickly got back to what they were doing, both of their faces incredibly serious.

When Thaddeus finally laid eyes on Lucinda's body, he felt himself repress a gag and he had to quickly avert his eyes. The young girl was spread out on the pavement, her face turned toward the starry night. Her expression would give Thaddeus nightmares for months. Her mouth was contorted in pain, her cheeks were tear-stained, and her glassy eyes were wide open in terror, telling a story of terrible suffering.

Though her face and chest had remained human, her stretched-out arms had been turned into something else, just like the previous victims. This time, as far as Thaddeus could tell, the monsters responsible for the murders had tried to turn Lucinda into some sort of part-Phoenix creature. While the shape of her arms was visible, they had been saddled with very big wings, covered in those unmistakable red feathers typical of Phoenixes. Some of them had seemingly burnt, as they had turned black and were emitting a dark smoke that Thaddeus instinctively backed away from.

Lucinda's hands were still present, but her fingers had elongated, and were contracted, as if she had had a seizure. Her legs, too, had been partially Transfigured. Thaddeus could see feathers coming out from under her pants, that had clearly been buttoned up hastily, and her feet had been turned into sharp talons, onto which no shoe could be put, though her shoes had still been put beside her body.

"I can't believe I'll have to be the one who'll tell Cyneric Backstreet that his daughter is dead, and that her death was clearly not a quick, painless one", sighed Harvey next to Thaddeus.

"Is that why you arrived at the crime scene before me?" Thaddeus asked, his voice laced with sympathy as he looked up at Harvey. "The emergency code for the missing persons' case?"

"Yeah, I was the one from my squad on duty tonight", Harvey replied, his breath turning into vapor as he exhaled. "The witness fortunately remembered it, and I received the signal thirty minutes ago. Right now Gallaway is taking her deposition."

Harvey jutted his chin toward a young woman, who couldn't be older than twenty-five and was in a clear state of great agitation. She was standing a few feet away from the crime scene, and was talking to a black-haired Auror in uniform that Thaddeus had only met a few times.

Thaddeus crouched down to look at Lucinda. He could not imagine the horrors she must have been through, and he shuddered as he thought of her father, who had openly wept in the Aurors' Office when he had been told there were few chances that Lucinda was alive after the first two bodies had been found.

As a father himself, Thaddeus could barely bear to think about that happening to his own children. Lucinda's face was so youthful that it was just plain wrong to imagine her doing anything other than laughing with her friends, complaining that she had too much homework, or giving animated speeches about endangered species.

Feeling dejected, Thaddeus turned his face toward Harvey and declared quietly: "Poor girl. She wasn't even seventeen."

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

He was stuck on a chair in the tent and felt dirty. He looked down at his hands. He had been so sure he had cleaned them several times before, yet they looked filthy, dusty - all those adjectives finishing with a - y that applied to him because he was such a terrible person.

"Nothing will ever wipe your hands off your betrayal. It's too late. But has there been a time when you were at their level? Has there ever been a time when you were worth their brightness? No, and you know it. You're a dark creature, Ron Weasley, with even darker and hideous thoughts. I have seen your heart, and it is black. You have tried to keep your jealousy and your mediocrity hidden, you have tried to ignore the calls of your inner nature, but hear me out - you have failed."

"Do you see them? They are outside, in the sun, in the light. They shine very brightly, don't they, Ron? Their skins glow, their eyes sparkle, their smiles warm up everything around them. Do you see how much happier the world seems to be with them in it? Birds sing again, flowers are blooming, and Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are the stars the sky was waiting for."

“You are in the dark, and you will remain in the dark. You are seated in dust because you are nothing more than dust yourself. Actually, to be perfectly honest, your surroundings were welcoming and comfortable until you showed up and sat down in this chair. Crazy how you spoil everything around you. See, here, the tissue the tent is made of is quickly falling into pieces. Your mere presence is enough to destroy what is around you... Unless the objects you are surrounded by somehow feel how evil you are, and they'd rather turn to dust than stay with you any longer. Choose which hypothesis you prefer."

"Aaaah, they're coming your way. I will never understand why they decided to keep you with them, despite your darkness. But I will never understand real kindness either, so I will drop the subject. It was your redemption, Ronald. They were your redemption. You could have atoned for your sins. You could have let them crush you so they would climb higher and finally reach the sky where they belong. You could have done something useful for a change. Yet you spoiled your only opportunity. You spoiled everything, as usual."

"Now you're not even worthy enough to be a footboard for them to climb. You are just dust on their shoes. Dust, dust, dust. They will be so happy to wipe this dirt off their shoes. Even coming near you dampens their spirits. Their smiles are less warm, their eyes are less bright, their skins a lot paler. So are you going to spoil them, Ronald, like you did with the tent, or will they finally beat you and turn you into dust? Given how furious they look, I bet it's the latter."

He felt cold. Harry and Hermione were looking at him with a freezing glare and a scornful snarl at their lips. He shivered. And swallowed. He knew he had fucked everything up. He knew he deserved their anger and more. He just didn't want them to be upset over this, over him and his stupidity. And if he was honest with himself, it was also terrifying to be on the receiving end of their hatred.

"Listen", he choked, "I-I can't say how sorry I am, because no word will ever be enough. I am also...I am also so happy that you accepted to take me back to help you. I promise I won't be a bother. Don't mind me. I'll just do what you need me to do and disappear from your lives forever after if-if that's what you want. Please don't throw me out !"

But Harry and Hermione were not listening to him. Their freezing glare had turned into a flaming and scalding hot look and they were burning him. He was very hot. He was sweating. He felt drops falling on his face. The locket was weighing on his chest. It was so heavy. It hurt. He felt like he was melting.

He looked down at his hands again. He was actually melting. The skin of his fingers was going brown and was softening; small drops began to fall on the floor of the tent. Ploc, Ploc. They were forming a puddle and it looked like mud. In fact, he was sure it was mud. He wanted to yell, but he couldn't. His face was already melting, joining the puddle on the floor.

Ron woke up with a start and sat up, gasping for air. It had been a nightmare. Just a fucking nightmare. He ran a hand across his face, shivering from head to toe, and felt wetness on his cheeks. Fuck it, he had once again been crying in his sleep. It was the fourth time in seven days. Even as a child Ron hadn't been that much of a wuss, even though George liked to remind him that he'd kept taking refuge into one of his brothers' beds (or Ginny's) whenever he was scared, and that until he was eight.

It wouldn't matter as much if he had been crying for anything else. Not that he preferred the other nightmares, mind you, but he just felt pathetic for turning into a sobbing mess all because he'd been too weak to resist an effing necklace. Harry was particularly affected by Dementors. Nothing less than Bellatrix Lestrange could make Hermione truly terrified. Ginny, who had been possessed by a diary, didn't flinch at the mere presence of a book.

But him ? Ron could already imagine George making grand gestures wherever he went: "Alas, my dear Sirs, gentlemen, thou shall make place for the delicate Ronniekins in his worn-out PJs, for he fainted when the dreaded locket came into his dainty view. Please bring the smelling salts while we're fanning his pasty white and freckled face and he's letting out little whines of distress. He's the king of wimps, thou see, and he can't bear the sight of lockets, less he be crying like a famished baby !"

Yeah. George'd be the kind of asshole who'd offer him a pacifier if he knew what kind of nightmares was making Ron cry in his sleep.

Ron looked down at his hands, the real ones this time. Goddammit, they were still shaking. Bloody frickity freakering fuck, he thought as he closed his eyes in frustration, why did he have no control over his own body? Why did he have to act like he was a ninety-something-old buffer who needed help to take a piss?

Why did he have to ask himself stupid questions that nobody would answer?

Even though the bedroom was completely silent at this hour of the night, Ron could still hear his heart thumping madly in his ears, and despite himself he couldn't help but feel like the locket was still whistling behind him, making his skin crawl. Sweat was running down his back and had already soaked his armpits, and yet for some reason he was cold, goosebumps erupting all over his flesh.

And he still had this impression of someone hissing near him, and the room was closing on him, and his pyjama top was glued to his skin, and he didn't like the way the sheets were trapping his legs, preventing him from moving... Unable to bear the situation any longer and feeling like he was suffocating, Ron yanked the sheets off his part of the bed and got up quickly, before pulling his sticky pyjama top over his head and throwing it on the ground.

He took his wand and started walking toward the door, though he couldn't help himself and stopped to throw a glance at Hermione once he was in the doorframe. She was sleeping peacefully, her wild brown curls framing her head like some kind of fairy tale princess. The moonlight was lighting up her beautiful face, and she had a contented smile that almost made him want to go back to bed to kiss it.

Leaving the bedroom, Ron crossed the corridor and went into the small kitchen of the flat, and immediately put water into the kettle to make himself tea. He cast a heating charm on the kettle, took his favourite mug, and put a teabag in it. Waiting for the water to boil, he put his outstretched arms on the counter and sighed, his head lowered toward the sink.

It was the third time in a week that he'd had a nightmare about the locket. It wasn't surprising per say, because it was January and it was always around this time of the year that Ron had the most vivid nightmares in regard to the locket, but it still sucked. Especially because it'd been three years already, and some part of Ron had - foolishly - hoped that the nightmares and his locket-related terror would have subsided by now.

But nope, he mused as he stared at the happy light brown dog on the mug running around and chasing a butterfly. He still had dreams in which he could feel the heavy weight of the locket on his chest, preventing him from breathing. In which he was trapped in an endless stream of dark thoughts echoed by the locket's whispers, reminding him of all the times he had felt worthless. In which he kept leaving the tent as Harry's scornful stares and Hermione's cries followed him even after he woke up.

At the same time, he knew the nightmares were the last thing he deserved for ever having walked out on Harry and Hermione. He'd never been good enough for them in the first place, but deserting them when they needed him most was irredeemable, something that the locket, whether it be through his nightmares or flashes, kept reminding him of.

At this moment a whistling sound made Ron's heart do a somersault before he realized that it was only the kettle boiling. He poured the hot water into his mug, added two and a half sugar cubes to his drink, steeped the teabags in the water, and as he adopted the same waiting position as before his thoughts went back to the place he had among his two best friends.

He was thankful Harry and Hermione still wanted him in their lives, and somehow he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, when they'd wake up and realize he'd been nothing but a cock-up all this time. Truth be told, part of Ron had to pinch himself every morning when he was reminded that Hermione wanted to be with him, of all people, and that he got to be an Auror Trainee with Harry, who still thought Ron had his back.

So he'd keep trying to enjoy every moment while it lasted. It was not always easy, because every little thing seemed to remind him of a memory in which he'd fucked up or that showed how insignificant he was. Yet Ron had learned to cast the memories aside in order to focus on more important things, like his family, Harry, Hermione, his other friends, or his studies. The hardest part in all this was to not let his useless feelings get in the way of things.

Ron could say with some pride that he'd grown way better at dismissing his gross feelings of jealousy and insecurity compared to when he was a teenager. Sure, sometimes he slipped up because he was still a moron, he pondered as he turned a spoon inside his mug. But all in all, so far he had managed to keep his selfish desires in check - mostly.

He kept making efforts to show others, and more particularly Harry and Hermione, that he had changed. For that he needed to make sure they didn't notice he still had the same old feelings, or at least he needed to let them know that those feelings would never be a burden to them again. Of course sometimes they couldn't help but notice a few things, like this time Ron had casually let slip that he thought Hermione often favoured Harry over him and it had ended up in a huge row with Hermione as she yelled he was just being a possessive jealous sod trying to stifle her. Or this time he had jokingly told Harry he was Mum's favourite and Harry, disturbed, had replied that however important Mrs. Weasley was in his life, she was not his mother. Harry had been weird for days after that, all because of Ron, his stupid mouth and his stupid brain.

That was the reason why he made sure no one knew the extent of the mess he had in his head. While he had never been a great liar, he tried not to be too specific if someone asked him what was wrong, he tried to take their attention away from whatever face he was making, he tried to dismiss his reactions whenever they were related to this pathetic sticky, stinky magma of insecurity inside him.

And it was somewhat working, but for how long would it last?

Right as his mood was turning as bitter as the tea he had brewed, considering he had let the teabag steep for more than ten minutes, he heard footsteps coming in his direction. He didn't bother to take his wand or even turn around. Ron would recognize Hermione's light but determined steps anywhere.

She entered the kitchen and stopped in the hallway for a few seconds, before walking toward him and enveloping him from behind. Even though she had wrapped a warm nightgown around her, her hands were still cold on his chest. Yet he didn't mind. The contact of her skin on his, the touch of her curls and cheek on his back made everything better, and despite himself he closed his eyes for a brief instant, savouring the moment.

"A nightmare again ?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yeah..." Ron admitted with a sigh. "I didn't want to wake you up, but I needed to get up."

"It's okay", Hermione replied in a reassuring tone. "But I'm starting to get worried. You've had many nightmares in the last three weeks and haven't been able to sleep properly even though you have exams coming up. Perhaps you should see a healer to get a Sleeping potion ?" she added anxiously.

"Not until I really have to", he retorted firmly. "We've already had far too many problems with Sleeping potions, I don't want to risk it. Besides, I'd have to tell the Auror Academy's specialist Healer about it and I'd like to avoid it if I can."

"I know", Hermione sighed. "I'm just worried about you. You always seem to get so stressed out before your exams at the Auror Academy, even worse than I've ever been at Hogwarts. I wished you would stop doubting yourself so much."

Ron did not reply, but he squeezed Hermione's hands that were still clasped on his chest, right next to his heart. It was strange how the people around him seemed to know him so well while at the same time not knowing anything about the exact reasons that were making him upset.

"What can I say ?" He finally acknowledged after a few moments of silence, though he hoped his tone appeared casual. "You can't change old habits with a wave of your wand. I guess it's hard for me to think I won't fuck up somewhere. But you shouldn't worry about me", he added gently. Go back to sleep."

"I woke up because you were not beside me in the bed, I'm not going back in there without you", she retorted assertively.

"I'm gonna lose the debate if I try to argue, won't I ?" Ron snorted.

"Of course you would lose, I'm more stubborn than you", she said confidently, and Ron could feel that she was sporting a small smile.

"Even if that were true, which remains to be seen, that's nothing to boast about, Miss Granger", he tutted in a fake formal voice. "I've been told that I'm more stubborn than a brooding mule having been raised by Harry, so imagine what could be worse than that... Apart from Harry himself, of course."

Ron felt Hermione shake behind him as she laughed heartily. He could not help but feel a surge of pride at having made her laugh after having made her worry for no good reason. Being able to make Hermione laugh as much as possible was one of his goals in life, and the sound of her laughter was one of the things he cherished most.

"I love you", she said fondly, as if it was the only logical answer to his antics.

At that, Ron turned around, and it was his turn to envelop Hermione in his arms, her smaller body fitting perfectly with his own. He kissed the top of her head, her brown curls tickling his face, before putting his chin on top of the mass of her unruly hair.

"I love you too", he whispered, and he hoped she could not detect how emotional he was.

He was glad that she could not see his face in the dark kitchen that was only lit up by the moonbeams that went through the main window. If she had, she would have seen in his eyes, of which Hermione always said they could never lie, the one thing that kept playing on a loop in his head but that was stuck in his throat.

I don't deserve you.

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Notes:

I suppose I should add a bit of information concerning my own vision of the Wizarding World that may seem surprising in future chapters:

1. I rather like to think the wizarding community is not small. I consider that there are hundreds of thousands, or even millions of wizards and witches in the United Kingdom, scattered in many different cities and villages.

2. For the same reason, I do not think Hogwarts is the sole magical school of the entire United Kingdom. It is the most reputed one, but I imagine there are thousands of smaller schools everywhere, allowing for people who do not want their children to go to a boarding school to learn magic and to learn how to control their powers nonetheless.

3. Only old wizards and witches actually dress in robes the way one would picture a typical wizard robe. I have my own ideas of what wizarding fashion is.

#hp #hp fanfiction #ron weasley #hermione granger #angst #mystery #psychological trauma #look this is my first published fanfiction #i feel like a young child showing their bizarre drawing to adults

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