#and she would force me to come down and i would sit there stonefaced

[zeussim]

I used to bar my door with a chair to prevent my mom barging in and yelling at me when I'd left dinner before I was allowed to (often because of an argument). And I was like 'this is normal. This is what parents are like.' No it's fucking not. Or at least they're not supposed to be like that.

[360iris]

do you have any wips? sorry i’m just curious, i’m in love with your writing

Luv, Hold Me Down (Sirius Black x Reader, WIP)

Warning: Mature themes? I don’t know with this one.

Word count: 2,209

A/N: You’re gonna hate my ass because I have zero intention to finish the smut on this one shdhd. Maybe when I’m less busy I’ll come back and update it (although not atm). There are typos galore too so I’m sorry in advance!

—————————————-

The infamous Bubblegum Bomb Incident of 1972. Casualties: one.

During Year Two, Sirius had resolved to get revenge on Cissy’s insufferable boyfriend ever since he tripped him in the halls to get a laugh out of his Slytherin lackeys; and what better way to do that than ruining his precious platinum locks.

It was suppose to be a quick and untraceable procedure. He’d get to personally serve Lucius his own brand of justice and the job would be completed without having to suffer detention.

If only you hadn’t been rushing through the halls that day.

Lunch had just ended, and you were haphazardly ducking and dodging through the wave of students, on your way to visit Remus. He’d been sentenced to a strict, three day period of consistent bed-rest in the infirmary after a particularly bad transformation.

You’d just wanted to bring him a slice of his favorite Hogwarts style coconut cream pie, but one wrong turn and you were suddenly bombarded with three quick pelts of homemade exploding bubblegum bullets.

Sirius had designed them to be quick and lethal with their distribution of rubbery goo so that the target's hair was sure to be ruined.

The first shot sent the small plate in your hands completely airborne. The next two hit you square in the chest, knocking you fully onto your back.

The aftermath was so extreme that it took the combined effort of Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and eventually, the guiding hand of Madam Pomfrey to free you from the sticky sludge and off of the stone pavement.

By the time they’d got to the infirmary, your entire head of hair had been deemed unsalvageable by sweet Poppy, and the only thing she could figure to do was shave it clean off by hand.

You’d spent the next two days unexpectedly alongside a tired Remus, confined in the sick bay, crying your eyes out hysterically. You’d had no idea who had done this to you or why.

That was until the third day, when Poppy finally allowed visitors in, in hopes of lifting your spirits.

Your guests included:

An empathetic Lily and Mary, both girls bringing you and Remus an abundance of flowers from the greenhouses, with explicit approval from Professor Sprout; alongside the homework you’d missed and plenty of junk foods.

An overzealous Marlene who’d spent the entirety of the three days drafting up and collecting signatures for a petition to permanently ban disruptive joke shop type inventions.

And lastly, an uncharacteristically stonefaced James and solemn Sirius who both quietly observed the crucially placed scarf on your head meant to distract from your current state of baldness.

“Go on then. Tell her, man. It’s only proper.” James said abruptly with folded arms, for the first time ever foregoing his usual impeccable home-taught manners and any form of courteous greetings altogether.

You watched confused as Sirius stood some several feet away, staring directly down at his shoes. After another coarse verbal prod from James, he stepped forward, eyes wide and brows furrowed.

“I- You have to understand, I couldn’t have known, Y/N! It happened so suddenly and before I knew it, it was too late!” He pleaded desperately and you weren’t quite understanding what he meant.

“I don’t follow, Sirius. What are you on about?” You asked, watching as he began wringing his hands.

He looked over to James again, seemingly pleading for aid that wouldn’t come. James looked positively severe, intent on standing by his decision to have the boy do this by himself.

“I- I was the one who blew the gum bullets.” Sirius finally whispered, looking positively terrified of your reaction. “But I didn’t intend on hitting you, I promise! It was for that git Malfoy! Remember when he tripped me in front of all of those sixth years last month? I’d been working on a way to get him back ever since! You’ve got to believe me, Y/N!”

But you’d stopped listening after the initial reveal. Your blood ran cold and it was hard to focus on anything in particular before suddenly all of your senses came rushing back in, and you were furious.

And even though James and Remus had been gauging your response, neither could have been quick enough to match the speed at which you pulled off both of your slippers and hurled them at the older boy’s face.

Successfully managing to clock him so hard, he reflexively reached up to clutch his sore, but still intact nose.

After that day, you had deemed Sirius public enemy number one, he managed to outrank even the silver-spoon fed Slytherins and that antagonizing blight, Peeves.

While there were tonics for quickening hair growth, you cursed Sirius Orion Black, every time you had to awkwardly apply a plethora of random oils to your scalp and walk around campus bald for an entire semester.

When he looked your way, you glared back mercilessly. If he dared to even address you, your responses were far from being deemed PG-13.

He’d spent the first six months wearily but consistently trying to apologize, however the damage had already been done, and it’d destroyed any semblance of friendship he’d crafted with you beforehand.

So after a while, he gave up. If you were going to hate him regardless of his actions, he figured he might as well stand up for himself during the bickering matches that transpired whenever the two of you were less than six feet apart.

Over the years, you’d remained bestfriends with Remus and James, though they could never hang out with the both of you at the same time.

For example, if you were eating breakfast with the two boys in The Great Hall and Sirius arrived late after sleeping in, you’d promptly roll your eyes and slide away to talk with Lily.

——

“That most definitely is not healthy, James.” You grimaced, tilting your head back laughing. The book in your lap, long since abandoned from the moment your bestfriends entered the common room.

“Muggle five second rule, Y/N! You were the one who told me about it to begin with!” He grinned from his spot sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of you.

You couldn’t help bursting into a fit of giggles, desperately trying to respond. “Rem- Remus! Please! Inform him that it doesn't apply to dropping a sandwich down an entire flight of stairs!”

“Believe me I tried, but he seemed pretty determined to eat it, hair and all after catching up to it.” Remus replied softly, a fond smile playing on his lips as you began making gagging noises of disgust.

“No! James Fleamont Potter, tell me you didn’t actually eat hair!” You laughed, extending your socked foot to shove him.

“I will suffice by just saying that, there may or may not have been a stray hair or two on it when I picked it up- Oh! Sirius, how was detention?” James trailed off to greet a certain boy and your demeanor immediately soured.

Your textbook on alchemical runes suddenly seemed like the most interesting thing in the world.

��It was worth it. Mcgonagall must be getting tired of me because she had me choose a book and read for three hours. Don’t let me interrupt the fun though. Looks like you’ve finally coaxed the Ice Queen to defrost for a bit. Shame I wasn’t here to see it.” He remarks, and you didn’t need to be looking at him to know he was wearing that infuriating smirk.

“Don’t worry, Black. I’ll never be able to truly relax knowing you’re still out running amuck. Next time you get written up, I’ll be sure to beg Mcgonagall to keep you chained outside with the rest of the wild animals.” An acute look of disgust etches across your face as you close your book, promptly shoving it into your bag.

“If you’re so desperate to see me in a collar, the person you need to be begging is right in front of you, doll.”

You could not have rolled your eyes harder at his remark. In a huff, you tug the strap of your bag around your frame and stand indignantly.

“You’re actually right for once. James? Keep your mutt on a tighter leash, before I’m forced to be the one that puts him down.” You sneer, flipping your hair over one shoulder and striding up to the girls dormitory before he can get in another word.

Remus sighed, unhappily leaning back against the couch he was currently sprawled across. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Sirius watched as your figure disappeared up the stairs before turning to the boy, a dumb smile playing on his lips.

“She doesn’t hate me nearly as much as she tries to make you believe.” Was all he offered giddily before skillfully changing the subject.

———

Much like the infamous playboy Sirius Black, you were known for how frequently you broke the hearts of anyone you hooked up with. They found that sex with you was a spiritual experience, but were usually crushed when you made it clear you weren’t interested in recurring partners.

When Gryffindor’s Quidditch team won a mid-season match against Ravenclaw, James was relentless in persuading you to come to the after party. And though you weren’t originally keen on the idea, you figured it’d be an ample opportunity to relieve some stress.

The night had gone well. You’d garnered a nice buzz from the punch James made in his dorm and had your eyes fixed on Theodore Nott who’d been snuck in by Marlene.

Sirius, who was working his way onto his third cup of punch, watched you make eyes with the Slytherin boy from across the room.

He sat silently seething as you adjusted in your spot on the couch, crossing your legs while holding that snake’s gaze. In the end, all it took was the simple curl of your index finger for Theodore to hand his drink to an unimpressed Marlene and approach you.

Sirius watched as the two of you exchanged a handful of words before you sultrily dragged the boy away by his collar.

It took a minute for him to register that the styrofoam cup in his grasp was crushed.

After grabbing a napkin, he irritatedly ran a hand through his hair and his breath was ragged.

Why did he care that you were probably seconds from fucking a random guy? He definitely wasn’t one to judge, he’d been with plenty of people over the years.

However, no matter how many times he rolled the idea around in his head, he was getting angrier by the minute.

Remus approached him to spark up a conversation, but he was already slipping past him, towards the direction he watched you disappear to earlier.

He found you in the hallway, lip-locked with Theodore who had a grip on one of your exposed thighs. Meanwhile your hands were tangled in his hair.

Sirius’ body switched into autopilot, moving at such a speed that his brain couldn’t even keep pace.

He had harshly pulled the boy off of you, slung you onto his shoulder and made his way to his dorm. Partygoers standing confused as you beat his back, yelling at him to let you go. Once he’s on the stairs away from prying eyes, he delivers a sharp slap to the exposed skin on your thigh.

“Stop screaming bloody murder, Y/L/N.” is all he says and you bite your lip at the sting.

By the time he locked his door and tossed you onto his bed you’re looking at him like he’s insane. Scurrying to get off the mattress but he quickly grabs you ankle, pulling you back to where he dropped you.

“What the fuck has gotten into you!?” You hiss, watching him run a hand through his locks.

“I’m tired of waiting for you to stop being a brat and realize you like me. Tired of watching you hop on random dicks that aren’t mine. You want to get laid tonight? Fine, fuck me then.” He growls and you’re instantly overwhelmed.

“Did a screw come loose in your head? I don’t know what the hell you’re on but I’m not fucking you all people!” You respond by grasping a pillow from his bed and chucking it at his head. He easily catches it with a roll of his eyes.

“I’ve loved you since our first year, Y/N. And I’ve observed you long enough to know if you genuinely hated me or not.” He confesses and you freeze. His eyes were crystal clear and you’re at a loss of words so he continues.

He gently grasps one of your hands, bringing it up over his heart. You can very faintly feel his heart racing and your brows furrow. He was actually being genuine.

“You want fuck me so bad you’ve officially gone stupid?” You ask but he sees the tiniest smirk on your lips. And for whatever reason, you actually let him move in to kiss you.

He jumps a bit when you bite his bottom lip and you giggle before he’s pressing you back onto the bed.

It’s a fight for dominance, neither of you wanting to be the one that relents.

[bloodycassian]

** PT 2 Azriel x reader - enemies to acquaintances PT 2. ** - reader gets a backstory, they clear another enemy camp together and bond more. Azriel apologizes. 

Slight TW for violence/domestic abuse mention. Trying to keep reader as genderless as possible but sometimes I inherently switch to using woman POVs- asks still very open ;)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

"It seems I owe you an apology." Rhys began, pacing at the end of the makeshift bed the healers had set up for you. Your stomach rolled with nerves. His tone was not genuine, and you could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. The healers buzzing nearby suddenly found different things to do.

 Azriel and Cassian stood at the edge of the canopy, the drizzle of rain making their armor shine. "Azriel informed me of your injury- I'm impressed with your bravery." He smiled, his dark eyes making him look like a snake. 

You glanced to the shadowmaster, who nodded the slightest amount. "Did you receive my message from him?" You asked, and when he had a genuine wide grin - showing almost too many teeth - it gave you chills.

"I did in fact. I wish the same to you." He said with that deadly calm. Cassian tried to hide his laugh, Azriel remained stonefaced. "Let's take this to the war tent. Whenever you are...suitable." he glanced to your wing, still stained with crusted dry blood. 

You felt your cheeks heat slightly, and nodded. He strode out from the healers canopy and into the rain without a look back. The generals followed him, Azriel glancing back to you only for a second. 

+

Once you had mustered the strength to get out of the cot, you thanked your healers. They insisted on giving you healing potions before you departed. And tried to get you to promise to come back for a check in daily. Mobility tests, stretches and strength building. You gave them loose affirmations and took the potions without putting up too much of a fight, given that the wing still ached slightly. Two days of rest had done a lot for the healing process, but it would take at least a week before it was fully healed. 

The short walk to the war tent was cold as the mist of rain poured down. Many of the soldiers were inside or drunkenly asleep in the mud. Sitting around and waiting was not an ideal situation with a thousand males ready to fight all around. 

You pushed open the tent, shaking out your jacket on the pelt rug. Earning a scowl from the high lord, seated at the head of the table again. "This one tells me you were a sight to see in the skirmish." He said, gesturing to the shadow master. 

You glanced to Azriel, his face was blank but his cheeks had gone a duskier shade of brown. "But maybe I took that the wrong way, and what he meant was that you were a disaster, considering someone managed to put a hole in to your wing." He laced his fingers together in front of him. You curled your lip at him, ready to tell him to get his ass out there and do it himself then. 

Before you could, Azriel turned to the high lord, opening his mouth to protest but he was quickly silenced by Rhysand's dagger like eyes. The shadowmaster pressed his full lips together tightly. Looked to his feet, as if in shame. It made your head thrum with adrenaline filled rage. Rhysand - the most powerful high lord in history - coudlnt get off his ass to take care of some second class Attors himself? Perfect. Just your luck. Being hired out like the hundreds of your kind before you, only it was worse because you weren’t even getting any gold from it.

"We now have a bigger force than originally planned coming directly at us." He said softly, a dark wind organizing enemy pawns on the table to show where they spread out. how they had your forces stuck against a wall of mountains.

 "Because you were brave enough to somehow miss the group of Attors flying away..." He glared those snake eyes at Azriel again, then Rhys let out a bitter laugh. He was upset, understandably so. You could admit that. But it wasn't your fault he decided not to believe you in the first place. 

You glanced to Azriel. His face was grave as his high lord tore into both of you with a tone of a disappointed parent. Like your parent. The thought of your father made your jaw clench, your teeth grind together as you fought to not begin screaming at Rhysand.

"The two of you will see to it that this is taken care of." He took a breath, gesturing to the pawns on the table. "There is a ravine to the west of here-" His dark gifts had the pawns lifting in the air. A fist of fear clenched your stomach. You had forgotten just HOW powerful he was.

"If you cut off the bridges their advancement will be paralyzed. We then may be able to regroup and massacre our way through this group here-" He pointed to the north, a smaller force lay there. Without the flanking force able to be a threat behind you it would work. Your strategist mind flushed out the plan.

 "I expect you both to fix this - as you both caused this issue. I want it done before dawn comes." The pawns he held in the air turned to dust on the table, making a neat pile before the dark lines that indicated the ravine. Hitting his point home, in a non subtle way you supposed. Arrogant cock of a high lord.

"It will work, Rhys." Cassian said softly. He glanced to Azriel. His eyes were pinned to your wing. Your stomach flipped, you glared at Rhys. Before you could call out his plans' faults - or how terribly he was treating you and your considerable 200 units in his army- you saw Cassian shaking his head slightly at you. He rested a hand on Rhys' shoulder. The gesture stood out. The cocky high lord had a sensitive side, perhaps. Your lip curled at the thought.

As if sensing your disgust with him, Rhysand's lip curled "Now get out." He said, voice low and gravely. Cassian gestured for you and Azriel to follow him out. Rhysand reminded you so much of your own father it made you want to spit. A territorial, abusive cock without enough dignity to spare your family name.

You took a deep breath of cold air, hoping to clear your mind. It did little to shake the tension in your shoulders, or the stiffness in your jaw. Making a mental checklist of the weapons you needed to bring, you noticed Azriel following you. Or seeming to.

The shadow singer stalked past your tent, going to the west where the bridges were. "What are you doing?" You asked, jogging to catch up with him. He was already fording through the tall shrubs and grasses by the time you caught up. 

"Taking care of it. I can fix it myself." He growled. You tried to keep up with him, but the jostling was upsetting your injury. 

You put a hand on his shoulder, "Wait, hey." He shrugged you off, scoffing to himself. "I should have gone alone in the first place. I dont understand why he had to send you." He muttered, stalking deeper into the forest. The rain didn't reach you here, under the darkening shadows and mist.

Rage erupted inside you at his words - and you called out the only thing you could think of that might stop him. If he wanted to fight he could damn well stop and have an actual fight with you. "I guess you are just like all the other Illyrians after all." Your blood rushed in your ears, seeming to dampen the sound of everything. The dull hiss of the rain hitting the trees above was barely audible. 

He stood rigid, wings flaring over his shoulders, growing larger with the shadows writing around them. "Do you even have a clue what real Illyrians would do to you right now if you were talking to them like this? What a normal male would do?" He was close. Too close for comfort. Too close to not be fighting or fucking. 

"Considering my father was a very real Illyrian, yes" He stuttered at that. You'd never seen him do such a thing. It would have been funny if that angry set of his features didnt come back. You were ready for more fighting, more yelling but his face went slack, and his eyes met yours finally. They were no longer the cold dark color like in the tent with Rhysand. They were a hazel that matches the warm colors of pine bark in summer. Your heart clenched at the sight of it.

"You're like the Peacemakers, then." He muttered, referencing the old tales of mighty warriors with mixed breeding. Unfortunately a lot of that breeding was not willing. It usually never was, and it had ruined two generations of Illyrian and Peregyn pairings. "Axios was always my favorite." He smiled at the memory. You bit your lip, remembering the true stories of each hero. Not the bastardized verisons peddled throughout the realm.

The offspring became ostracized and cast out of most communities. On Prythian and on the continent. The ones who survived long enough to become trainable though were given the name Peacemakers for a reason. Known for hired bloodletting, no questions asked. 

"I hope your end is not met like theirs." He seemed to shudder at the thought. All the anger boiled out of you at his concern. 

You felt the shame begin to creep up around you. You had sold your services to make ends meet at times. It always left you with a sickening feeling in your gut after. As if the Mother herself was disappointed. "You can help that not happen." You said softly, voice barely audible. If you weren't so deep into the forest you doubted even his shadows could have heard you. "I need.. I need to find my father." Your voice trembled, he approached you slowly. Like he was approaching a wild animal. 

"It might seem-" He began coaxing, holding a hand out to you. Just like he had the other night. A question, a temptation. 

"I know your pain, shadowsinger." You took his hand, letting him lead you to a fallen tree. The soft moss growing on it was a welcome seat after walking for so long following him into the woods. "He would beat my mother and would pluck her feathers." You were grateful for your mother every second she put into resisting his influence for you. For keeping him at bay until you grew enough to be sent to the Peregryn camps for training. She never revealed your cross breeding, only that you had your wings and could use them well. Only because she had taught you. 

Azriel was quiet for a long moment, his shadows moving slowly like waves around your ankles together. "I'm - sorry.. .about your mother. I didn't know." He whispered, pausing and cursing to himself. "I can help you find him. We can look, but we need to get through those enemy lines first. I need you to help me do that." He grasped your hand lightly, as if asking.

 "Lets slice some attor, I guess." You sniffed, the cold making your nose run. At least, you blamed it on that.

+

The camp was mostly asleep by the time you got there. Under the cover of nightfall you were able to silently end most of the Fae that lurked in the camp. With everything going so smoothly, your heart lurched at the sight of Azriel falling backwards, a calling horn in his hand. His siphons flared, and it shattered. But left his siphons dull. He winced as he rolled out of the winging range of a fellow Illyrian with a flail in one hand and a mace in the other.

"Traitorous bastard." Azriel grappled with the Illyrian commander, but they were evenly matched. They knew all the same moves, sparring and sword wise. You launched yourself through the scattered bodies lining the clearing, dodging over puddles of blood and forgotten weapons. The commander had Azriel in a hold that had his wings flipped outward, and the male took the opportunity. He pressed his boot against Az's back and pulled them backward, bending them father than was natural. You roared, not bothering to waste the time to draw your weapon. 

You barreled into him, Azriels hands still reaching backwards to claw at his hands. He toppled over a stack of bodies, yanking you down with him. You scrambled away from him, hands clambering for any weapon. By the time you turned back around to face him, Azriel had already put him on his knees before you. Bending the males wings back just as he had done to the shadow singer.

Your borrowed blade went through his throat, pinning him to the ground as he kneeled. He looked like a statue in the position.  

You spat on the body. "Dont touch wings, asshole." You muttered. Azriel stared at you, as if in shock. You picked up a better looking sword from the ground nearby, wiping it on the cloth inside of your armor sleeve. "What?" You asked. Azriel seemed stunned silent. He seemed shocked in place. After you were sure there were no rogues readying to flee or informants spying, You took a breath, returning to him where he still stood beside the body of the commander.

You pointed back at the winged body speared to the ground behind him. Smiling, you titled the pose. "A prayer to the mother." His eyes went somehow even wider. 

Then he broke out in laughter. You couldnt help but join him, the high of battle making you both delirious. You laughed at his laugh, the stupid face he made laughing back at you. Laughed at the half spoken words that were cut off by more breathless giggles. 

Your sides ached by the time you both sat around the enemy fire, enjoying their spoils of war from a nearby town. The roasted duck smelled particularly good. Azriel heated a pot of tea over the coals, throwing in fresh pine needles from a tree nearby. 

"You know-" He handed you your cup of tea. It was warm in your palm, but his hands were still somehow hotter than the boiling water. He blew on his cup, the steam not going much farther than what his shadows allowed. They seemed to almost play in it. "I am sorry about your mother. I understand why you regard some of us with such...distaste." He put the lid back on the pot and took it off the fire. He looked so natural doing...normal things. Not just posturing for his court and killing. 

You nodded in thanks, not needing too many words with him. "She fled the week after I was formally invited to train in the Peregryn ranks. He found her, and killed her for leaving him. My court holds no rules against such things. He hasn't suffered for it." Your voice shook at the end. "Yet, that is. This.." You gestured to the battlefield, the bodies behind you. "This is just along the way. Killing him will be my destiny. My retribution for my mother." You sipped your tea, letting the burn of it sink in. You hoped it would warm your insides.

"I miss my mother as well." He said, taking a gingerly sip of his tea. He stretched his wings, you could tell by the hesitant way he folded them back in that they pained him. You made a mental note to give him one of your healing potions when you returned to camp.

You sat in silence with him until that fire burned out, and only dull coals were left.

+

"I'm glad you both seemed to have fun. Is the camp clear?" Cassian hissed, following you to the war tent. You sipped your mead, nodding. "Yes, oh strategic one. The bridges are cut too, courtesy of yours truly." You winked at him, making him stop in his tracks. Azriel patted him on the shoulder without a word, then followed you into the tent where Rhys waited. Wrathful or not, you knew he had no rights to tell you off this time. 

Azriel's hazel eyes met your own as you entered the tent together.

[thereisnochillinsideme]

The rain, Akaashi Keiji part two

I'm sorry it's been such a long time I've just had some stuff going on but here it is, part two. I also think @bakudummy asked to be tagged, if you didn't ask me to I'm sorry please tell me I'll take it off anyway enjoy! Akaashi was currently locked in a debate between himself and himself. While one side was telling him that it would be fine if he visited [Name] and Takahashi in normal clothing while the other was telling him that they weren’t close enough and that he was required to wear a three-piece suit. The first side then argued back that they might think he’s rude if he showed up for a cup of hot chocolate in formal wear. In the end, he decided that after picking [Name] and her cake off the street and getting her to Takahashi’s apartment, what he wore probably mattered the least to either of them right now and settled on a cotton T-shirt. He made his way out of his apartment and knocked on the door to his right, which was opened by Takahashi. He hadn’t usually seen her like this. She had changed out of the pencil skirt she so usually wore to work and was currently in a sweater and leggings. She also looked surprised to see Akaashi in anything but his work wear. She let him in and went back to the stove, where the milk for the hot chocolate was bubbling on the stove. He saw [Name] spread out on an armchair, now changed out of her wet clothes. She saw him and immediately perked up, changing her position to see him better. He took a seat on the couch across from her. She gave him a smile and immediately began speaking to him.

“Stoneface-san! Feeling better?”

“Yes, much better. How about you?”

She smiled. “I’m doing great! I got my cake, I got to meet you, I got to see Yo-chan, and now she’s making me hot chocolate!”

Akaashi smiled at the childlike elation she had at the situation she was in. She was an optimist to the bone.

He was a bit jealous of her, though he didn’t realize it. He was jealous of people like her. They didn’t have a care in the world, complete confidence in themselves. And people like him or Takahashi were following them around making sure nothing happened to them because, jaded and anxious as they were, they didn’t want that optimism to fade. It gave them strength too. It reminded him of the former captain of his high school volleyball team. Bokuto-san’s confidence was a force to be reckoned with and now there he was, playing professionally on a world stage.

Takahashi walked over with two mugs of hot chocolate, setting them on the coffee table that separated him and [Name]. [Name]’s smile grew wider upon seeing the drink and she happily picked it up and immediately took a big sip.

Immediately she started coughing.

“Ah barned mah tahnge.” She said, with her tongue hanging out.

Takahashi and Akaashi started laughing in unison as [Name] also began laughing with her tongue still hanging out.

“Why are you laughing? You burned your tongue?” Akaashi asked through chuckles.

“It is funny,” [Name] said through sips of cold water to soothe her tongue.

Time was spent happily drinking hot chocolate while [Name] told them jokes and stories.

Putting down his mug, Akaashi looked at [Name].

“[Name]-san, I’ve been meaning to ask your full name, as I didn’t get it when I met you.”

[Name] smiled. “[Last Name] [Name]”

Akaashi did a double take. “I’ve been calling you by your first name this whole time? That’s incredibly disrespectful as we don’t know each other well”

“It’s fine, Stoneface-san. I’ve never liked using my surname as it puts a formality barrier between me and who I’m talking to. Please use my first name.”

Akaashi nodded in acceptance. “So [Name], what do you do for work?”

She winked. “If I told you it would be no fun. It’s your job to guess. Your hint is that I’m in the creative field.” After many consecutive wrong guesses, [Name] changed the subject and started telling them what had happened to her at the train station that morning. As they laughed, Akaashi began to realize how much fun he was having.

It had been a long time since he had done anything like this. He maintained a strictly professional relationship with his coworkers and Bokuto-san was not free most of the time with having gone professional. He would come by and have a drink with Akaashi ever so often, but Bokuto-san usually found himself leaving early to spend more time with Shoyo. Akaashi didn’t mind that he was branching out and he knew that their adult life was definitely going to impact their friendship. However, it was not after he lost them that he realized just how much he cherished the carefree days on the volleyball team, how he would chase Bokuto-san around with an umbrella to stop him from getting wet in the rain.

It was probably why he spent so many late nights at work, trying to quiet his mind by occupying it. His high school friends were all busy with their own lives, he felt he should be as well.

“Stoneface-san?” He heard

He snapped out of his daze and saw [Name] staring at him, slightly concerned.

“Are you okay? Your stare was really blank and you didn’t laugh when I told you about when I threw a squid tentacle at the guy who came to collect my taxes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I’m just feeling a bit tired. I also have some work due tomorrow, so do you mind if I take my leave?”

Takahashi looked at him, obviously concerned, but trying to hide it. “Yes of course, I’ll show you to the door.”

She walked him over to the door of the apartment and opened it, letting him go through.

“Thank you for looking after [Name] today, I’m sorry if she was a bit of an inconvenience. It was nice to have you both over, we should do it again sometime.”

Akaashi nodded, thanked her, and went inside his own apartment.

He didn’t mean to leave so abruptly, but he wasn’t lying, he did have work.

He made his way to the small desk by the window of his apartment and sat down, picking up the large, stapled sheet of paper by his window.

Today, his work was a bit more enjoyable than usual. He was editing one of his more favorite comics that was published in his magazine. Asuma no Sekai was a comic set in a demon world, with the main character being an incredibly lazy demon who preferred eating cake to doing her job. The crazy schemes she pulled to get out of doing her job were sometimes more work than doing the actual job and always made the reader laugh. Editing it was a more favorable part of Akaashi’s week and it never failed to lift his mood. The author was Sakurai Daisuke. He had never met the author in person as he usually sent someone else to pick up his manuscript, but he looked forward to meeting someone who was such a good mangaka.

After spending a couple hours reading, laughing, and editing the work, Akaashi went to bed as he had work the next morning.

[Name] had left on the first train that morning and though Akaashi was slightly mournful that he didn’t get to say goodbye, he continued on with his day like normal.

As the week went by, [Name] occupied Akaashi’s thoughts slightly more than a normal person would. He would pass by the cake shops in his area and wonder if she would enjoy the one in the display window. He was confused by why he was thinking about her so often, but chalked it up to the fact that there were a lot of cake shops in his area.

Later that week, on an afternoon while he was home, Akaashi got a call from his employee, Okomoto Chiyo. She sounded extremely distressed.

“Akaashi-san! I’m so so sorry to bother you!”

“It’s okay, what do you need?”

“My wife is sick and I’m home taking care of her. I was supposed to pick up Sakurai-san’s manuscript today, but Nanako’s been throwing up all day and I can’t afford to leave her now. Do you mind picking it up?”

Akaashi was slightly annoyed, as he had just gotten home. However, he knew that he couldn’t possibly ask his employee to leave her sick wife.

“It’s completely okay. May I have Sakurai-san’s address? At least I can finally meet him.”

“It’s xxx-xxx on the other side of the city. The train will be able to get you there really fast. Sakurai-san should have completed her manuscript by now.”

“Her?” Akaashi was confused

“Sakurai Daisuke is a pen-name. The author is female. She picked a male name to sound more ambiguous.”

“Oh, that comes as a bit of a surprise.”

“Thank you so much for doing this, Akaashi-san! I am forever grateful to you.”

“It’s no problem.”

Akaashi looked out his window and toward the train station which was a couple blocks away. It was raining.

As he turned, his eyes fell on a now-dry neon yellow umbrella. He must have forgotten to give it back to [Name].

He picked up the umbrella, put on a long brown coat, and ran out his apartment door.

He was able to make it onto the train last minute, sitting on the seat in relief. As the train moved along, he thought about what the author might be like.

Thinking about it now, it was fairly obvious that this author wasn’t like most of the male authors Akaashi’s company had published.

There was barely any fan service in the series and the author made sure to write her female characters just as realistic and flawed as her male characters. Most of the male authors drew one woman with an unrealistic body and made her show up every now and then to rip her clothes off and leave. Sakurai-san’s female characters had personalities and all different body shapes, some bigger or smaller, darker or lighter, more like the women he would see in the real world.

The train announced his stop and he walked out, looking at the paper where he jotted down the address.

He navigated his way through the twists and turns until he finally got to the apartment building.

He entered and went to the specified floor and found the correct door.

As he raised his hand to knock, Akaashi suddenly felt a bit nervous to meet this author who he borderline idolized, especially when he found out he was wrong about her gender the whole time.

Nevertheless, his hand tapped lightly on the door twice and he heard footsteps rush to open it.

What he saw behind the door was definitely not what he expected.

[Name] was peeking out, wearing a large animal onesie, holding a plate of cake with a plastic fork.

“Stoneface-san?"

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Fateful Objection

A long, long LONG time ago, there was a gifset of a supercorp au where Krypton survived and Kara interrupted a forced marriage between Lena and Mon-el of Daxam. This is my take on that AU.

----

When Kara Zor el learns she would be accompanying her parents to Daxam to observe the nuptials of the crown prince, she can think of a million other things she would rather be doing. Focusing on her grant to guild council requesting funding for an expedition to the most inhospitable planet in the quadrant. Dis- and re-assembling all the Kal-ex models in the citadel. Ask her Uncle Non for the full military history of the Daxamite war, and listen stonefaced as he flatly recounts every recorded and perceived slight inflicted by Krypton's closest neighbors. But when she disembarks her family's shuttle with her parents, cousin, and Aunt Astra at her side, Kara stares in awe at the grand pyramid that towers over their heads. Non remains on duty, thank Rao, manning the frigate still in orbit. It's beautiful, in an archaic sort of way-- imposing without a single ounce of nuance. Such is the way of Daxam. 

Queen Rhea herself greets them, and Kara's mother Alura accepts the welcome on behalf of Krypton and the House of El. Soon, the queen bequeaths their contingent to a steward, with instructions to be shown to the chambers they would be using for the duration of the festivities. The steward takes them the long way, intentionally guiding them past Daxam's grandest views and most impressive architecture. Naturally. Kara wonders which sites are favored for the Prince's infamously lewd parties, and which were genuinely spaces for reflection and prayer. Still, as their tour winds deeper into the palace, Kara finds more to admire. Art and sculpture that both bewitches and confounds her, slowing her steps and ultimately pausing them to study one more closely. She doesn't notice her family moving on until she blinks and finds the corridor empty to either side of her. Alarm sparks low in her belly, as her mother's voice echoes in her ears. "While we are on Daxam, we must abide by the highest laws of decorum and honor," she'd warned them, more than once. "We are representatives of Krypton, and must demonstrate as such." Getting lost in a palace would not reflect well on Krypton, or the House of El. Kara follows the corridor in the direction she'd been going, only to pause moments later when the hall forked. Neither hold any sign of her family. This time, she chooses a direction at random. Within moments a sinking suspicion gathers in her gut, as she encounters nothing but more empty corridor... until it terminates in a single door. She knows it can't be the chambers alotted to the House of Zor el-- too secluded, too plain, too chill-- but Kara swipes her hand over the sensor anyway. Perhaps, she thinks, another steward lurked inside, and could redirect her before anyone important discovers her absence. But when the door slides open, it's not a steward she finds inside. Instead she finds a bed, and a woman asleep upon it. Kara's breath catches in her chest, feet riveted to the ground as the sight of pale skin against a dark gown overrides any compulsion to leave before being noticed. Those same traitorous feet carry her inside. One step, two steps, three... The door slides shut with a hiss, and the sleeping woman stirs. Dark lashes flutter open, and before Kara can bolt, sharp eyes focus on her. "I apologize," Kara blurts, heart thudding rapidly. "I got lost, and... I didn't mean to--" "I can't understand you," the woman said in another language. She pushed herself up to sitting, rolling her eyes with a helpless, resigned shrug. "Whatever Rhea sent you here to do, just do it." The words are foreign, but they tickle a long buried interest in alien linguistics, and memories float to the surface. After a pause, Kara reaches instinctively for the words that lift to her memory. "You... are not from Daxam." That sharp gaze flies to Kara once more, widening in surprise. "You speak English!" English, yes. More of her old studies sharpen in her mind. English. A language commonly spoken on a planet on the far side of the galaxy. "Some."

Suddenly, her hands are held tightly in warm fingers, taken by the pale woman who now holds her in thrall with beseeching eyes. "Please, you have to help me." Kara freezes, alarm jangling every nerve. "You... are here for wedding?" "I am the wedding," comes the swift response, almost too swift for Kara to follow. "Rhea expects me to marry her son, but I want no part of it." "You are unwilling?" "Yes! Rhea abducted me from my planet, against my will. I have no interest in Daxam-- I just want to go home." Kara stares at her, and the woman stares back. Keen eyes scan her up and down. "You're not from Daxam, either." "No," Kara agrees. "I am Kara Zor el, from Krypton." "Daxam's closest neighbor," the woman supplies, almost thoughtful. "You share a sun." Kara nods. "My name is Lena Luthor, from a planet called Earth." Earth. That was it. The planet Astra once told her would grant Kryptonians god-like powers. For flight, speed, strength. "Kara Zor el, please, you must help me. None of the servants will even speak to me. Rhea has them completely under her thumb." Kara can only imagine, considering they were not servants, but slaves yoked to the crown. "Can you not leave?" Kara asks. The door hadn't been locked. If what Lena says is true, surely the door would have been locked. But Lena merely lifts the hem of her gown, revealing a dark band around her ankle. "I can't take it off. As long as I wear it, the door closes before I can reach it." The dress droops, and when Kara turns a horrified gaze back to Lena, the woman can't quite meet her gaze. "I'm a prisoner." Kara can't quite believe it. But she has no means to distrust Lena either. And the beacon-- the beacon lends the story credence. "Please, Kara Zor el. You're the first person to speak to me since we landed. Just-- get me out of this room and I'll make my own way home from there." Kara almost agrees, already forming a plan to find and destroy the sensor that watched for the beacon, and help smuggle the woman out of the palace. But her mother's words echo once again, and makes her shake her head. "I can't." She pulls away, only for Lena's hands to grab at her once more. "No, please, wait! There-- there has to be something--" "It would be an act of war," Kara states plainly. "I cannot." Lena stares at her, stricken. Then her features harden, and her fingers release Kara's wrist. Silently, Lena turns away, folding her arms around herself, as disappointment settles heavily on her shoulders. Helplessness settles on Kara as well. She stands, unwilling to leave but unable to help. Until... "Speak no." Lena turns only slightly. "What?" "Marriage on Krypton provide a time for dissenters to voice... objection, to the union. I believe Daxam does as well." Lena stares at her. "It is often formality, but if you speak no, it will give the delegation pause. It could... give us cause to act. Give you time." Silence answers her. Its a long chance. Kara hopes her family will answer Lena's cry for help, but-- she isn't certain they will. "Listen for 'if any shall protest Rao's will, let them speak.'" Kara says the words in the old language, the one Daxam and Krypton still share in ritual. "Let them speak," Lena parrots. Her tongue stumbles over the words, but the comprehension is there. "And then you say 'I speak no'." The delegation may recognize English, but Rhea would be harder pressed to smooth over the bride objecting in their language. "I speak no," Lena repeats again. These words are simpler, better suited to a mouth used to softer sounds. Before Kara can say anything more, Lena staggers suddenly, listing sharply into her. Kara steadies her, helping her to the bed. "Are you all right?" Lena inhales sharply, rubbing at her chest with a hand that trembles. "The food doesn't agree with me." Kara watches her anxiously, but Lena offers nothing else. She fidgets, unused to being so unhelpful. "Speaking no may be enough to stall the ceremony. It's not much, I'm sorry." Lena's features finally soften. "It's more than I had five minutes ago." She offers a sad smile. Thank you, Kara Zor el." When she leaves, Kara does so with a lump in her throat. It doesn't feel right. Daxam's reputation for cruelty towards their slaves was well known to Krypton, but this? This was beyond anything Kara ever believed them capable. Mind twisting, Kara almost doesn't see the figure coming around the corner. "Oh!" She stops just shy of collision, and blinks back her dismay at the sight of Queen Rhea herself. In an instant, Kara smoothed her features and dipped into a genuflection. "Your Majesty, please forgive me." Regal features curl into a humorless smile, as her eyes track to the sigil on Kara's chest. "The House of El. I hadn't heard they'd misplaced one of their number." "I was admiring a sculpture, and didn't realize I'd lagged so far behind, your highness. I thought they'd come this way, but I've seen no sign of them." "Oh? And what have you seen?" Danger lurks under the sweet and patient intonation. Kara lifts her chin, channeling every ounce of her mother's training to keep her expression neutral. "Nothing? Your majesty," she tacks on. "When I realized I had gone the wrong way, I thought I had found a servant's corridor. Please accept my deepest apologies, your majesty. I did not mean to intrude." A dark eyebrow lifts. "A humble Kryptonian. I never thought I'd see the day." Her words mock, but her suspicion softens to mirth. "Perhaps there is some hope for the future of our people's after all." The queen turns to one of the guards at her shoulder. "Escort our guest to her delegation." "Yes, my queen." Kara dips again, eyes downcast. "Thank you, your majesty. I shall do my best not to be so enraptured with your palace in the future." This time when Rhea smiles, Kara sees the fangs behind it. "You may admire as you wish-- simply mind your way." "Yes, your majesty." The queen strides past her, her remaining guard trailing close behind. Kara itches to follow, but the guard waiting to escort her pre-empts any thoughts of subterfuge. She follows him in the opposite direction, pretending she doesn't hear the hiss of a door opening and closing behind her. When the door opens to her own family's chambers, her mother and aunt immediately rise to meet. "Kara, thank Rao!" "What happened? Where you detained?" Kara shakes her head. "I'm fine but--" "Kara, you know how important our presence here is!" Her mother scolds. "You can't be wandering off like a child! I brought you because I believed you mature enough to accept the responsibility." Kara glances at Kal el, who sits in a small corner of the couch, wholly absorbed in his reading and unconcerned with where he was or why. "Yes, mother," is all she says. "I'm sorry." She keeps her discovery to herself, avoiding her mother's disbelief through dinner and evening prayer. It's not until the quiet hour that Kara seeks out her aunt, and finds her gazing out the window of their main reception area, gaze deep and thoughtful. "Aunt Astra?" Astra turns to face her, silver hair glinting in the moonlight. "Yes, little one." She smiles. "Come, keep your old aunt company a while." Kara gladly steps into her aunt's one-armed embrace, sharing the same view. "You're not old." "Mmm," her aunt hums. "My ego appreciates that, little one." They stand in silence for several minutes, until Kara finally gives voice to the concerns that plague her. "Does Daxam follow the same bonding rituals as Krypton?" "Yes, for the most part. They select their matches differently, but the ceremonies are largely the same." "So there will be an opportunity to dissent?" Astra glances at her. "Does this have anything to do with your quiet this evening?" Kara swallows. "Something happened. When we were separated." "What is it? If they put a finger on you--" "No, aunt. Nothing like that. I-- I followed a wrong corridor, and ended up in the bride's chambers." Dark eyebrows lift. "How strange. Is she as lovely as the Daxamites all whisper?" "Yes, but-- Aunt Astra, I think she's in trouble." Astra snorts. "And she's only just realizing the Daxamites are trouble?" "She isn't from Daxam. She says she's from Earth." That gets Astras attention. "Earth?" "She doesn't speak Daxamite-- only English. She was difficult to follow, but I think she said the Queen abducted her from her planet, brought her here against her will. Her name is Lena Luthor, and--" "These are serious allegations, Kara. Are you certain you heard what you think you did?" Kara swallows. "She spoke so fast. But... she asked for help. I'm certain of that. And I saw fear in her eyes." "And what did you tell her?" "I couldn't act. Not without inciting conflict between our planets. But I told her of the right to dissent, gave her the words to speak that might stop the ceremony." Astra considers her words. Finally, she nods. "That was a wise move." "What if it's not enough? What if Rhea skips the rite?" For once, Astra doesn't have answer for her. "Then we will find a way to investigate further. If this woman is indeed from Earth, we may have grounds to interfere. It is an indexed planet earmarked for potential colonization. An abduction could threaten our prospects-- it would behoove us to prevent such an outcome." It does little to soothe Kara. The lump in her throat remains long through the night and breakfast the next morning, and through her preparations for the ceremony. All the while, she tries not to think what preparations Lena may be undergoing that very moment. In the ampitheater, Kara and her family are afforded an unobstructed view. She sits between her mother and cousin, back straight and fingers clenched. The Prince enters first, from the east. His features are solemn, heavy. Completely uncharacteristc of the rumors that abound of his celebrity and immaturity. He looks how Kara feels-- that he knows what comes next is very wrong. But instead of relief, Kara's dread only worsens. He could stop this, but hasn't. By showing up, he proves he will be no ally to his betrothed. When Lena enters from the west, Kara knows in an instant something is wrong. The woman's sharp gaze had been piercing the day before, but now they're cloudy and slightly unfocused. Her skin is flushed, red and shining with sweat despite the chill in the chamber. When she stumbles on air, a guard takes her firmly by the arm, and all but drags her to where the Prince and Queen wait. As the ceremony commences, Kara's focus remains on Lena's profile, and watches as her eyes close sluggishly, and her chest hitches as though in discomfort. "If any shall protest Rao's will, let them speak." Kara waits with bated breath, in the stretch of silence that follows. Astra touches her knee in readiness, but one beat passes, then two, and Lena says nothing. Kara lookes closer, and finds Lena's eyes clenched shut,  hand pressed against her sternum as though she hasn't even heard. She hasn't heard. "Then by Rao's--" "I object!" Kara blurts, shooting to her feet. The prince's head turns sharply, but Lena's eyes remain closed, as she inhales through her nose. "Kara," Alura hisses, but the damage is done.  Rheas gaze turns on Kara, and in them she finds outrage, second to mirth. She thinks she's won. "I speak," Kara repeats. "This union cannot proceed." "It is not your place, girl. You are not speaker of your delegation." "Lena!" Kara calls, shaking free of her mother's hands. Finally, Lena's eyes blink open. "Lena!" Sluggish eyes turn towards her. "Karazorel..." The name runs together on Lena's tongue, slurred and murky. "Yes, princess, it's me. Do you accept this union?" Rhea pushes between them. In a flash, Astra stands at Kara's side, ready to defend her. "You risk a thousand years of peace, Kryptonian!" "You are the one who invited us here-- to observe the rites. We will stand witness, and by Rao if you have done anything--" "I speak no." The words come soft behind Rhea, stuttered and cottony. The queen whirls, outrage twisting her pretty face into an ugly mask of rage. "How do you know those words?" Lena blinks sluggishly. "I speak no." This time, the pronunciation is close to perfect, and the utterance carries across the entire hall. "I speak no--" Rhea's hand cracks against her cheek. The force of the blow sends Lena staggering, ultimately losing her battle against gravity to fall to her knees. Kara doesn't think. She pushes past her aunt and the guards between them, and plants her hand on Rhea's wrist, where her hand twists in Lena's hair, pulling cruelly. "You dare--" Rhea's hand lifts to strike Kara as well, but Astra is at her side in an instant, tall and imposing. "Strike her and you will only live long enough to do it once." Rhea pauses. "Let her go," Kara demands. "You have no authority here." Kara looks over her shoulder, where Lena tearfully struggles to breathe past the ragged gasps in her throat. "Lena..." She can't give Lena the words this time. All she needs to do is ask for help. The system is listening-- they would hear, and act. She just needs to speak. In English, or not. When Lena looks up at her, searching through the bleary haze in her eyes, Kara isn't certain she could even hear her. Something was wrong. "Please," Lena gasps. A hand presses to her chest, as though trying to relieve a tremendous pressure. "Please help me." The room erupts in shock and outrage. Kara releases the queen to reach for Lena, and hears Astra declare Lena safe under the protection of Krypton and the House of El until the truth of Rhea's treachery is uncovered. It fades to a dull roar, as Kara presses her hands to Lena's flushed and sweating cheeks. She's shocked to find her skin chill and clammy. "Mother!" she calls. "Mother, she is unwell!" "I-- I can't breathe--" Lena gasps, moments before she face turns ashen and her body loosens. Kara only just manages to catch her before she slumps the floor, unconscious. "MOTHER!" "Her heartrate is too fast." "I think she's been drugged," Kara supplies quickly. She turns to Rhea. "What did you give her?!" "You insult me--" "We don't have time for this," Alura cuts her off. "Astra, we need to get her back to the shuttle. We will be able to provide treatment on the frigate." The flight back to the frigate passes tensely. Lena doesn't wake up, and Kara spends the minutes with her hand tight around the human's slack fingers. As soon as Astra carries Lena into the medical bay, she activates a stasis field. "This will give us time to quarantine her condition. Sister, do you still have the files on human physiology?" Alura nods. "Yes. I've sent a Kal ex unit to retrieve them." In the meantime, the healing units hover and dart around Lena's pale frame, taking samples and running tests. When they compare the results to Alura's records, Astra's features darken. "So it's true then. Daxam drugs its people into compliance." Kara stares, horrified. "She was drugged?" Astra nods. "These results indicate she has been for some time. No doubt she proved troublesome for the Queen. But it seems she received a significantly larger dose only just recently, likely in attempt to keep her from making a scene during the ceremony." "The prolonged exposure weakened her heart," Alura supplies. "Had it been just the one dose, we might have been able to fully repair the damage, but..." "She'll die?" "We can help her recover, and Krypton's gravity differs from Earth's. It's possible it will allow her to live a relatively long life... but she will have symptoms for the rest of her days." Kara breathes deeply. "We can't let Rhea have her." "I agree, little one. But I'm afraid the decision may be out of our hands. Once she is well enough, the council will want to hear her story. If it is true Rhea captured her, Daxam will never lay a hand on her again." Alura meets her husband's gaze, and nods. "The House of El will pledge their protection. She will be safe on Kryptonian soil." The others leave, citing duties and a desire to let the healers work. But Kara stays, unable to pull herself away. Astra lingers. "I am so proud of you, Kara. You took a great risk, speaking out as you did. But you saved her life." Kara shakes her head. Her exchange in the palace repeated in her head, looping on Lena's unsteadiness and her breathlessness. 

The food doesn't agree with me. "She was ill when we met. I just, didn't realize..." "You couldn't have, Kara." "I shouldn't have left her there. I should have done more to help her that night. If I had, Rhea wouldn't have had the chance to--" "You did more than anyone else did. You were a hero today." But it wasn't enough. "I want to stay here tonight." "Very well. I will sent kal ex with some blankets." Kara stays, for days as they try to get Lena's baseline to a sustainable level. When they slowly reduce the stasis field, allowing Lena to function on her own, their patient sleeps, oblivious to the political volleys exchanged in her name. To Kara's surprise, Krypton remains adamant that Lena remain where she is, despite Daxam's demands for her return.

Kara is there when Lena opens her eyes. They lift heavily, as though burdened by great weight. Her eyes slowly focus, and then sharpen to the keen edge Kara had witnessed before. "You are safe," Kara says in English, pulling the woman's focus to her. "Safe." Lena's throat bobs in a thick swallow. "The wedding..." "You spoke no. The ceremony wasn't completed." Lena's eyes close, lips pressing tightly together. "You're on my family's ship now, in orbit over Krypton. Once the council determines the fault of Daxam, you'll be allowed to land, as a guest of the House of El." Lena nods, opening her eyes. "Thank you, Karazorel." "My friends call me Kara." Pale lips lift softly, even as her eyes start to slip shut, betraying her exhaustion. "I'm Lena."

[eternalwritingstudent]

Spiritocalypse Chap. 2 Pt 1

Alright, so since I got some good reaction (some in all caps) about me posting the rough draft of this as I go, here is the first half of chapter two. i feel like I should warn you, this is my first go at first person POV too, so sorry if the rough draft slips to third sometimes.

@pigeonbooks @pheita @wildwestiewrites @ramblingsofabourbondrinker @cog-writes @aschenink @youdontneedoxegyntoburn

If anyone else wants on my tag list for this, please let me know. 

When the helicopter touched down in Tuscon, I was tempted to kneel down and touch the ground. I resisted though, not wanting to look like a complete loser and an idiot. There were other black suited men waiting on us as we got out, some thankfully holding umbrellas. Agent Wild took one and then took my arm guiding me inside. Once there, he handed off the umbrella, but never let go of my arm. I glanced over at him, frowning. I was suddenly feeling like I was under arrest and that didn’t sit well with me. I’d never been in trouble with the law and I hadn’t done anything tonight to get myself in trouble either.

It didn’t help matters any when he led me into what looked like the interrogation room you saw on every television cop show. Could you really get anymore stereotypical? He let go of my arm and left without a word. Sighing, I sat down in a surprisingly comfy chair and kicked my feet up on the table.

“Miss Anders, please remove your feet from the table.”

I jerked at the sound of the voice, nearly falling out of the chair, but I put my feet down. Alright. I was being watched. Noted. The question was why? Did they expect me to do some kind of psychic trick like they saw on those fake television shows? Not likely. Most people who were sensitive were nothing like that. Quite often, in fact, we tried to hide it. Ignoring the fact that I was being watched, my mind went to thinking about who it might be that they were waiting on to join them.

I had a sinking feeling that I was going to be in for another ride in a chopper or plane. At least a plane I could shut the windows and not feel quite as exposed. There was a rattle at the door and I looked up as Agent Wild came in with a tray. It held two cups of coffee and an assortment of snacks. I had to admit, I was surprised.

“Why I told you to get your feet off the table, don’t want your feet where we’re going to have food.”  He picked up one of the coffees and took a sip off it, sighing like he was getting his fix for the first time today.

I sat up in the seat, reaching for my own cup. The umbrella’s had been great, but I was still wet and chilled thanks to the rain. “No problem. So how long before you haul me outta here like some sorta criminal again?”

Agent Wild pulled out a chair and sank down, frowning at me. “You’re not being treated like a criminal. More like a valuable commodity. You’ll understand soon.”

“I’d rather understand now.” Why lie to him? I wasn’t good with this cloak and dagger stuff. I preferred people to be up front with me.

My comment actually seemed to amuse the Agent as she smiled. “I’m sure you would, but we don’t always get what we want. Let’s look at it this way. You’re going to hear it all soon, from someone more qualified than me.”

Sipping my coffee, I let my gaze linger on him before I lowered it. “I don’t do well with big words Agent Wild.”

“You don’t do well with patience either do you?”

Shaking my head no, I smiled and reached for a piece of chocolate candy on the tray, popping it in my mouth and chewing. Just as I swallowed, the door opened and good old stoneface walked in. I started to say something about chocolate being able to crack that face of his, but when he stepped to the side, another person was ushered in. This man was in cuffs. I looked at Agent Wild then back to the prisoner.

Now, I was uncomfortable. No, being a prisoner didn’t make you bad person, but he just gave off a vibe that said he was dangerous. I had never been able to read aura’s, but I got vibes off people and his was pure danger. I sank back into my seat putting as much space between the man who was being sat at the table and myself as possible.

I knew I was staring. I couldn’t help it. He had long scraggly hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a month, his eyes stared straight ahead at Agent Wild, but they looked distant. Something was off there. I didn’t think he was blind because he was staring so intently. As he turned those intense eyes to me, I lifted my coffee cup to my lips and looked down, away from him.

He kept staring and I finally looked over at him. I knew now why his eyes looked odd. They were the strangest color I had ever seen. They were charcoal grey with a brilliant blue line around them. Maybe they had been tattooed like that. Something told me they weren’t. The blue line reminded me of the eyes that had stared at me through Sawyer’s screen. That made me nervous again and I looked away again.

“Hello, Callie.”

I looked up sharply as he said my name and Agent Wild looked at Stoneface who shrugged. “How do you know her name?”

The man looked at the Agent and smiled. “I’ve met her before.”

I was shaking my head. “No. No we haven’t. I’ve never seen you before.”

“That’s not very nice Callie. Sawyer introduced us. This evening in fact.” He gave me a smile that sent a shiver through me. He was not sane. Not by a long shot.

“That’s not possible. Sawyer didn’t…”

He began to laugh loudly, his eyes fully flashing that blue. I gasped, spilling my coffee in the floor. “Now do you remember.”

“That’s… no… I… how? How?”

“It’s called astral projection Callie. It’s I who told our friends here about you, Sawyer and the others. You all can stop it. With my help of course.”

“Stop what?” Agent Wild and I spoke at the same time and I glanced to him with a frown.

“The end of the world of course.” Shaking his head, he smiled and leaned back in the seat. “You can undo these cuffs, I don’t want to leave. This show is going to be too good.”

Agent Wild chuckled, "Not happening. I've seen your psych profile and your criminal record. I will chain you to the table though."

I watched, shaken as Wild moved forward and readjusted the prisoners bonds, giving him a bit more space to move. It seemed like he planned on the man being in that chair for a while. Astral projection was just a fairy tale. Even people like me, who could see the dead and other spirits were known to chuckle at such things.

How was I supposed to explain it away? He knew my name. He knew Sawyer. He knew what had happened in Sawyer's apartment. It was too many factors to be chance. He couldn't have overheard. I hadn't said Sawyer's name or my own since I was in this room. I realized I was staring at him and looked away. When the man chuckled, I blushed. He was enjoying my confusion and discomfort.

"Do I have to stay in here with him?" I already knew if that was an option, Wild wouldn't have brought him here in the first place.

"Sorry, Callie. Limited room."

The prisoner laughed. "Come now, Callie we can become good friends. Aren't you even going to ask my name?"

"No, I'm not. I don't care to know you." I looked over now, trying to be brave. "I don't associate with criminals."

My attempt at badassery resulted in the dirty, scruffy man, doubling over in laughter at my comments. My cheeks blushed redder and I couldn't look Agent Wild in the eye either. This was embarrassing. I should have just ignored him. I always did this. Got pulled in when I was trying to be the bigger person. I always ended up looking like an idiot too.

Agent Wild smacked the table, getting the man to stop laughing. "Unless you wanna make this trip in a hood and gag, you'll leave the young woman alone Katick."

I couldn't help but look up then, eyes wide. Katick? I knew that name from the news. "James Katick? The mass murderer Katick?" Blushing was no longer an issue as all the blood had drained from my body.

Agent Wild looked at me, sighing. "Yes, but he can't and won't harm you. He's got too much on the line with this. All of us do. Ain't that right Katick?"

James Katick gave him a cold smile. "You far more than I, Agent." His eyes moved to me and he inclined his head. "Nice to be known by you Callie, but… you forget. I pleaded not guilty. Innocent as the day is long." The smile he gave me was cold and I couldn't help the shiver that went down my spine. "Of that at least."

"Shut up Katick. You're not here to socialize. Don't speak unless its needed." Wild turned to me, but I was still staring at the murdered sitting just a few feet from me. "I'm going to have to step out. Just say out of his reach alright?"

I nodded without a word, eyes dropping to the chains. I shrank back in my chair, heart speeding a bit still. Katick just sat there, smiling at me, clearly enjoying my discomfort. I forced myself to look away, staring anywhere but at the man at the table. My mind began to wander to the others. Were they going through the same thing in different parts of the world? Where they all coming here then going somewhere else? Would I not see them until we got to the central location?

They had said not to bring phones, but I felt mine down in the bottom of my purse. The familiar lump gave it away, though it likely was dead, or close to it. I hadn't intentionally brought it. I'd just forgotten to leave it at home. It was sort of a relief to know that if things got insane, I might be able to call for help. At least let my mom know that I was alive and alright. I took a deep breath and was able to relax a little. I felt a little less adrift.

The silence seemed to go on and on as Agent Wild was gone. It left me with too much time to think and worry. What exactly was going on? It surprised me that if the veil was broken that the government would be involved. Didn't they spend a lot of money and time to shoot down ideas that the metaphysical and spiritual was a load of bull? I shook my head, hating to think that the conspiracy theorist were right about things. Surely this was a last minute scramble for the protective services of the world to try to put together a battle plan against an enemy that you couldn't fight and most couldn't even see.

"You're going to hurt your brain, Callie."

I glanced over with a frown at Katick. "Would you please leave me alone? I'm not comfortable talking to you."

"Ah, but without me, you'd be clueless and still sitting at home thinking you were going crazy as more and more spirits tried to warn you." He leaned forward on the table. "Or worse yet, tried to possess you."

"Bullshit, they'd have to be demons to do that." Of course I knew my lore. I wasn't some little kid who had never read or heard anything about spirits before.

Katick looked at me like I was the insane one, then began to laugh. "You are such a sweet girl. So naïve. That was before the veil was torn asunder. I was so hoping you'd be smarter than this, Callie. Hopefully your friends will make up for your ignorance."

"How am I supposed to know how spirits change when the veil is torn? It's never happened before!"

I stood up and walked over to the door, peeking out the little window. I didn't want to be in here with him. If regular spirits were now able to do what demons could do, they were all in trouble. I couldn't stand still, fidgeting constantly as I peeked out the window.

"You can't run away from it Callie. You might as well sit down and listen to me." The chair scraped over the floor, causing me to turn back to him.

"Why not save your breath for when we're all together?" I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want to think about this. Still, I asked the question that rose in my mind. "How do you know what the spirits can do with the veil torn? You can't have experienced it."

"Oh, but I can." Katick's sick smile spread over his lips again. "I've seen it. Small tears. Just one or two spirits slipping through before whatever controls the veil or the other side sealed it again. They happen all the time."

I didn't know what to say. I just leaned against the wall and slid down it, arms on my knees. "God above…"

"It's not God you have to worry about, Callie. It's the devil." Katick began to laugh uncontrollably as if a fit of insanity had taken him. Or perhaps his moment of sanity had fled him.

"The devil is just a symbol for evil." At least that was what I wanted to believe, in this moment at least. It was less terrifying. I wasn't a police officer or someone in the military. I wasn't trained to be brave in these situations. I wanted to be, but I was scared.

The laughing stopped and Katick stared at me intently enough that I tried to shrink into the wall. "No he isn't. He might not be what the bible says after all the translations have gotten screwed up, but he's very real. You're going to have to face your fears, Callie. You're going to be a soldier in this war, just like me. I might be crazy, but I'd rather be me and be crazy, than be possessed by God only knows what and out of control."

I had to admit, I agreed. I'd rather be here terrified and fighting than giving up and just become some toy for a dead person. Did that count as necrophilia of any sort? I shivered at the though and then shook my head at myself for such insane thoughts at a time like this. "You have a point. Did you have something to do with them picking us?"

"Not specifically, but I've known this was happening for a few weeks now. Me and a few others they keep under lock and key. I've been astral traveling, looking for people with the spark. Your little group showed some potential so I pointed you out. It was up to Agent Wild's bosses who they picked up." The smile he gave her wasn't as unsettling as before. "Your lucky day I guess."

"You've known for weeks? Why would the government believe you when you told them?"

"That's a story for a different time, Callie. Now, it's time to go." He looked towards the door and my eyes followed him, head tilted up as to see who was entering. I never even thought to second guess that someone was coming.

Agent Wild stepped in, looking confused for a moment. "Callie?" He turned seeing me in the floor but his frown deepened. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just on edge." I stood up, dusting myself off. "Company doesn't help much with that, but he's not too bad."

Katick gave a toothy grin and held his hands up. "I'm ready to for my first class flight, Agent."

Wild sighed and shook his head. "I'm taking Callie first."

He held his hand out to me and I took it, surprised to feel it was a bit sweaty. It hadn't occurred to me that this situation might unsettle or scare an FBI agent. I didn't say anything out loud, but I gave him a smile. "Good to know the FBI has manners, Wild."

He chuckled at me and shook his head. "Surprised you're so snarky in a situation like this."

Opening the door, he motioned me out and I grabbed my things hurrying out with him before I answered. "It's a defense mechanism. If I can deflect, I don't freak out so bad. I use it on a daily basis. I have… some issues."

Wild didn't say anything in response, keeping his eyes straight ahead, as we walked. I wished in this moment that I could read his mind. To know the thoughts that he was keeping from me. No, I'm not a mind reader, but I have learned to read people. When you've got social anxiety, which thankfully I took my meds for today, a bit shy, and introverted, you found new ways to learn about people. Reading their body language, the look in their eyes, the way their muscles bunched around their eyes, gave me a good window into a person's mind. Also, I just got these gut feelings when I looked at someone. Sawyer said I was a bit empathic, but I never thought much about it.

"Something is bothering you, Agent Wild. I know I don't know you, but… I'm glad to listen." Listening was something I could honestly say I was good at.

He finally looked at me, smiling faintly. "You're not authorized for this level of troubling thoughts. Sorry, Callie." He patted my shoulder. "Nice of you to offer though. Do you need anything before we go."

A thought hit me and I opened my purse digging inside it. No meds. I wasn't thinking about this long a trip and they said no phone, just my identification. "I have medicines I take. If I’m not going to be home tomorrow… I'll need them."

"That can be arranged. We have medical on site where we're going. Anything else? Because you won't be home tomorrow. I can't guarantee next week or next month. Your family will be contacted tomorrow, but is there anyone else that needs contacted?"

I was staring at him. My mind hadn't processed past tomorrow. He couldn't guarantee next month. I couldn't work. I couldn't pay my rent. I'd be homeless. Oh holy fuck. I began to breathe a bit harder and he looked at him. Anxiety was crawling all over me and I crossed my arms. I began to pace a bit, working this out in my head. "I can have my mom clean out my apartment. I can leave a notice at my work…"

"Woah, woah… I'll do all that. Or have someone do it. I can't let you contact anyone. This is too sensitive." He stopped and looked around, then took my arm guiding me to a desk further down the hall.

The whole sterile look of the place, the grey walls, the limited furniture, and what there was being metal, made me think military or medical facility. The desk area even reminded me of a nurses desk. Wild picked up a pad of paper. "Here, write down everyone you need to contact. Bills, rent, landlords, anything that needs to be maintained to avoid notice of you being gone. You'll quit your job of course."

"Quit? How the hell am I supposed to pay my bills if I quit?" I had taken the pad and a pen off the desk writing down my needs, but that had me stopping and looking at him like he was insane.

"We'll pay you and your upkeep. Consider it compensation for your assistance in this matter, Callie. Any pay will be put into a new federal bank account for your use once this is over. Until then, you're a ward of the government and we will furnish food, clothes, spending money as needed, and any supplies to accomplish your work, which in this case includes your rent and bills." Wild smiled at her. "I feel for all you kids jerked up out of nothing. You kind of remind me of my sister. She's a few years younger than me. Snarky and has issues dealing with people."

"I hope she's not sensitive or they might recruit her too." I had gone back to writing, but the sharp inhale of made me look up. "Oh… no. Is she?"

"I, well… I mean… I shouldn't be discussing this stuff with you. I'd be telling you the parameter's that we used to pick our groups. I'm sure she's safe." He gave me a smile, trying to soften the blow of cutting me off. "You're safe. I hope you know that. I mean, not everyone is going to be as nice to you as I am, but I've always gotten docked on my reviews for my personality flaws." Wild chuckled and shrugged. "I get the job done. That's what matters."

Hearing him open up, just that tiny bit, did make me feel safer. I felt like someone in this organization would care if something happened to those of us being picked up. "I've felt safe so far… except for when we were flying. Flying doesn't make me feel safe." I chuckled softly and wrote down the name of my landlord, his phone number, my work information, and anything else I thought might need addressed in my absence. "I wasn't expecting for this to be so involved. I figured I'd be home tomorrow after some excitement."

"That would be wonderful, but I doubt everyone will even be gathered by tomorrow, Callie." He took the list I gave him and pulled the radio off his hip. He called for another agent. When they arrived, he gave him the list. The two men spoke for a few long moments and then he rejoined me. "All handled. Ready now, Callie?

I nodded and started to walk with him, much calmer now. "I have another question."

"I can't tell you where we're going."

"No, what's your name? I know your first name isn't Agent."

"Oh…" Wild didn't answer me right away, but after a few moments of debating, his dark eyes turned to me. "Antonio, but I prefer Tone or Tony. You should stick to Agent Wild for now. If any of my superiors think I'm favoring you then it won't be good for either of us."

"Right, no. I get it. Wild is fine. I was just curious." I couldn't help but wonder how much harder he had to work to get where he was compared to the white agents I had met today. I was sure it was a lot. I had it hard, paying my bills and things, but I still knew I was privileged in the grand scheme of things. "Will my other friends from the chat room be at this place we're going?"

"Eventually. Depends on flight time and weather of course." Wild pointed to a hallway up on the left. "That way."

I knew we were going to another aircraft of some sort, but I didn't like it. I could use something to calm my anxiety or else Wild was going without his coat again. "Is it a long flight?"

"Longer than the last one." He motioned for me to go as I had stopped when I got to the hallway. "It's a plane, not a chopper. It won't be so bad."

"That's what you think," I grumbled before sighing and heading down the hall.

Wild chuckled softly as we walked. "I can't be as… friendly, on the plane. There will be more than me and my partner and they want us being professional."

"Then why have you been so nice to me so far?" I knew he wasn't acting like the stereotypical agent. At least not like what I had seen on television.

"I am a human being, Callie. I'm not stone cold. Besides, like I said, you remind me of my sister in some ways. There are very few agents who can honestly pull off the tv trope version of an agent, but they don't expect us to be 'chatty' with the people we're responsible for."

"I guess that makes sense. It makes it harder for you to be objective if you've made close friendships with the people you're protecting. Then again, I guess it could have some upsides." We had reached the door that I guessed would lead outside to the airfield or wherever for getting on the plane.

"Upsides? Like what?" Wild opened the door and motioned me out. "C'mon. You can't put it off. I don't want to cuff you and force you into the plane."

"I don't want that either." I took a deep breath and headed through the door. It was another hallway, but narrow with very sterile, but yellow tinted lighting. It was like a hallway I'd expect to see in an old World War 2 movie. It didn't make me feel any better about what was coming either.

"You didn't answer my question." Wild's voice echoed about me a bit from the way the hallway was built and stretched far ahead.

I glanced back at him. "Sorry, my mind is on the plane. Upsides, like… having people trust you, or reading people. It's always easier to read people you're friends with or connected to instead of strangers, but it is possible to read strangers."

Wild was quiet for a moment and I could just imagine him nodding behind me. "I guess you have a point. Not that my bosses will care, but just don't get angry if I can't talk to you much or answer your questions."

"No, I get it. I won't get mad. Just… I hope the others can be as patient as you are with my flying freak out." There was another door coming into view at the end of the hall and I sighed. "That one goes outside doesn't it?"

"The girls a genius." Wild stepped past me and put one hand on the bar and one on my upper back. "C'mon. Standing here dwelling won't help."

I took a deep breath and nodded, stepping outside. For some reason, I had been expecting a jet or at most a standard plane. What was sitting on the runway was a huge military plane. There were dozens of people milling about, moving boxes, reading clip boards and barking orders. I was so surprised that I managed to keep walking. I was curious now. There were military bases all over the desert. It wasn't unusual to see military planes fly over, but I'd never been close to one.

I glanced at Wild, eyes a little wide. "All of this to escort me and Katick to an unknown location?"

"No, that's only part of our mission." Wild sighed and pulled me to the side, keeping his voice low. "If what Katick has seen is true, then there's a huge disaster ahead. We're prepping for all eventualities. All levels of government and law enforcement are working together on this."

I frowned, glancing back at the plane. "Then why hasn't there been a national alert sent out? Don't they do that?"

"Because we don't know yet what to warn for. We don't know that everyday people can defend against what's coming. That’s why we've reached out to people like you. People like your friends. You may be the only defense we have."

There was a sudden weight on my shoulders. A sudden pressure of a responsibility that I hadn't dreamed could exist. Defense? How were we supposed to defend against the veil between the living and dead breaking? "But we don't know how…"

"That's why we've got to hurry. We don't have much time for you and the others to figure it out." He motioned back to the plane. "We need to go."

I felt silly now, being afraid of the plane, when there was so much on the line. "Right. Yeah. Of course."

I followed Wild up the big wide platform and into the strange looking seats with lots of straps and belts. "Well, I won't fall out."

Wild chuckled. "No, no you won't. That is true."

"Wild is this the girl? Has she had her medical?"

Wild and I both looked over at the woman who was speaking. I looked over at my eye level naturally, but found myself looking down a bit lower. The woman was looking at the tablet in her hand, scribbling down things rapidly on the screen. Her mousy brown hair was tied up with a zip tie, clearly having pulled it up in a hurry. She looked up at Wild with a frustrated gaze in her grey eyes and lifted a brow, clearly expecting an answer.

"Sorry, Franny, she's not had time. We're fast tracking this."

"I don't care if you're super-fast tracking it. This plane isn't taking off without at least a brief exam and I'm pulling up her medical files now. I'll send all medication to the facility so it should be in your quarters waiting when you arrive." Franny looked to me and then looked around, motioning to a large metal crate. "Sit."

I glanced at Wild not sure about this new person in the fragile dynamic I'd built with him to keep myself calm. He nodded and I went to sit down. I didn't know Wild, but I felt I could trust him. He'd opened up a bit as we walked and I appreciated that, but it wasn't enough to really say I could trust him. I was following my gut and I hope it didn't end me in big trouble.

"What's the exam for, Dr…." I was guessing she was a doctor, but she hadn't given me her name at all.

"Ah, manners. Wild hasn't corrupted you." She took a moment to glance at me before she laid the tablet down. "Dr. Francis Peters, Franny to those who enjoy annoying me." The doctor began to listen to my heart and give me a general look over.

"Well nice to meet you, Dr. Peters. You didn't answer my question though."

Franny looked up at her, then glanced at Wild. He shrugged. "She won't let up. It's her coping mechanism."

Shaking her head, she checked my pulse then looked at my files. "It's to make sure you're not going to drop dead under stress, Ms. Anders." Franny frowned a bit, scrolling through, then sat the tablet back down. "You have slight sugar issues, a little overweight but not much, but otherwise healthy. Good. Wild will probably run any weight off you and you'll be eating a military diet. No extra sugar or salt. Wild… she's all yours."

Before I could say anything in reply, she was walking off. I hopped off the crate and looked down at myself. "So much for my self-esteem."

"Oh, I'm not getting into that conversation. I know I'd just put my foot in my mouth."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. It was a dangerous topic. If he said I wasn't fat, then I might take it as flirting, or if he didn't say it I might get upset that he was calling me fat and ugly. I wouldn't do either, but he didn't know that. I shook my head at him and didn't say anything, picking up my purse again.

As we walked up to the front of the plane, he kept checking his phone. "No one is going to text you what you should say to me about my looks. You're all alone."

Wild chuckled then. "Oh, no. I don't need help with that. This is business. No comments required or needed." He gave me a smile and motions to the seats. "Take your pick."

"I'm not sure how to take that." I gave him a smile and picked a seat where I'd have someone on either side. It made me feel safer. "Don't worry though. I'm ok with how I look. I'm happy."

"Good to hear that. This isn't a dating service, so not sure that it will matter. These things may not take looks into account." Wild sat down next to me, showing me how to do the multiple straps.

"Aww, but I was hoping to charm them, maybe get a date. Never know… could be a husband or a wife in it for me."

Wild looked up at me from the straps, clearly not sure how to take me in the moment. "Getting more nervous aren't you?"

I gave him a sheepish grin, my long dark hair getting nervously tucked behind my ear. "That obvious huh?"

"You spitting out your sexual orientation and that you're single in the middle of a stressful situation sort of gave it away, Callie." He shook his head and smiled. "You're gonna be fine. Trust me, this flight is going to be nothing compared to what's to come."

"I know that's meant to be comforting, but it's not. Not at all."

"Sorry, it's the truth though. Wouldn't you rather I be honest?"

"I guess so… still doesn't help my nerves either way." I finished strapping in and leaned my head back with a sigh. "Go do what you need to. The chubby nervous girl is fine for now. I'm not going to run away."

Wild smiled and put his hand on my shoulder squeezing it. "Good, I'll be back soon. Got to escort Katick out." He hung a tag around my neck. I looked at my driver's license picture and groaned. "Don't complain, we didn't have time for a photoshoot and you don't want shot on sight for trespassing."

"No, though this picture makes it seem like a good alternative." Sighing, I looked up, watching him go before glancing back to the picture. I was only 18 when it was taken. It seemed a lifetime ago. I was fresh out of high school, where I had never fit in. I hadn't gone to college since I couldn't afford it, but I had taken some online classes and gotten an associate's degree in business. I wasn't totally uneducated. I'd even made the dean's list for the place, not that an online college had the same prestige of a traditional school.  

I stared for a moment longer, momentarily pondering what had made me think green frames on my glasses had been a good idea. "Ah, being a teenager." I finally dropped the picture and leaned my head back. It was getting late by now and my body said I should have fed it proper food and put it in bed by now. I didn't see myself doing either of those for a while though. My eyes weren't just tired though, they were filling gritty, so I dug in my purse and got my eye drops out.

I was glad I'd had that Lasik eye surgery because dealing with contacts or glasses in this situation would be near impossible. I would have been blind otherwise. I glanced around, seeing I was finally all alone for the first time in a while. I let out a sigh and tried to relax. My muscles were tense, which was normal enough for me and my stress levels, but alone time helped me relax. It looked like it was going to be a rare thing.

What had I gotten mixed up with? It wasn't like I'd gone looking to join a mass effort by the government to save the world from the dead, but look at me now. Wouldn't my mom be proud? God, mom was going to freak if I didn't call her in the next couple of days. I had to wonder if the government realized what a headache they were causing for everyday people by jerking us out of our lives like this. Sure, Wild seemed like a decent person, but the idea that everyone I was going to deal with would be like that was beyond insane. I was many things, but it was quickly dawning on me that insane wasn't one of them.

I wasn't sure if I was relieved by that or stressed. Was the government going to keep this situation out of the news? Would anyone know it happened? If not then everyone would still think she was the crazy girl who saw ghosts. Ghost shows were super popular on television, but that didn't stop individuals from not believing or thinking people who said they were sensitive were liars or insane.

What were the others going through? I doubted that other countries would be in such… turmoil. America seemed like the last ones to get on the 'spirits are real' bandwagon. Even though I can see them, I never imagined something like this could ever happen. What had torn the veil? Why were the dead wanting to come back? Wasn't death supposed to be peaceful? I could ask one, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know. What if they told her it was horrible and not at all what they were taught?

I felt my stomach tightening from the train of thought I was on, so I decided to change directions. I opened my eyes and looked down the plane towards the opening at the back. There were still dozens of soldiers moving around, but there were also bunches of crates now filling the back of the plane. I couldn't see the entire opening now. Though I did see a flash of orange coming up the ramp. Ah, Wild had gone and gotten Katick. Great. More play time with the murderer.

Katick looked right at me and grinned when he got close. "Hello again, Callie. Ready for play time?"

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him. "Alright… just what is your flavor of, I don't know the correct term for it, mental abnormality? Telepathic? Clairvoyant? A mixed bag? Cause you didn't pick that choice of words by chance."

"I didn't?" He chuckled, lifting his hands to let Wild strap him in. "If you say so, Callie."

I sighed, realizing he wasn't going to answer me. I stared at him intently for a moment thinking at him to stay out of my head, but he just started laughing. I wasn't sure if he was laughing at my words or my stare. Maybe both. I probably looked a little insane. I looked away with a sigh, glancing at Wild. "So how long is the flight?"

"A while. More than 4 hours. Less than 10." He gave her a nod, glancing back as more suits walked up and began to settle in. I knew he was telling me that talking would be limited now. I sighed, but was glad when he sat down next to me.

I glanced around, then whispered to him. "I should have asked Franny for something for my nerves."

"That would have been good, Miss Anders, but just try to stay calm."

"Easier said than done." I sighed and leaned my head back staring at the ceiling. At least once the ramp in the back of the military plane was up, there weren't any windows I could see out of.

Katick leaned forward as far as he could and smiled. "They aren't going to make this flight easy. They're starting to increase in numbers." Looking around at the agents, he locked eyes on Callie. "I can help with your fears of flying, Callie. Just… let me in."

"Ohhh but fuck no. I'd rather be terrified shitless than let you anywhere near my mind."

"Callie… such language from a lady." Katick laughed and sat back. He was clearly impressed with himself.

One of the new agents, a silver haired man with a frown deep set on his face, grabbed Katick and jerked him back into the seat. "Shut your mouth. We don't even know if any of nonsense is real. Even if it is, ghost can't mess with a plane. Leave the girl alone or you'll find yourself muzzled."

"Oh, kinky. Cuffs and gags. You're getting me excited, Agent." The prisoner laughed as the man rolled his eyes.

I was looking around between them, more fixated on what the agent had said. "What do you mean you don't know if it's real or not? We saw them. We heard the warnings. How can it not be real?" I looked to Wild, not understanding why they would bring sensitives in if they weren't sure or ready to believe.

"I don't believe in all this mumbo jumbo. Just because our research team's been working on it for decades don't make it real. I'll worry when I see some proof." He seemed determined and the more I watched him, I knew he was scared.

I leaned back, a thoughtful expression on my face. How could I, a 23 year old woman, be less afraid of what was coming than this well trained government agent? I looked back at him and he looked away, clearly not liking the attention. I wanted to tell him it was alright. That it was normal to be afraid of something you couldn't see or couldn't physically fight. That introverted part of me stopped the words dead in my throat. There were more people in the plane and close than I cared for. It felt like they were draining my energy, so I pulled out my note pad taking notes about the people I was meeting.

I didn't know the agents name, but he would be Silver in my note pad. I jotted down what I knew about him. He was a non-believer, scared of the paranormal, very closed minded, angry, and frustrated. I glanced to my left at Wild, who happened to be looking at me curiously. I gave him a smile and went back to writing.

Agent Wild was an easier entry. Handsome, confident, open minded, gentle in his own way, open minded, and willing to listen. Good ol' stoneface was sitting next to him and after I wrote stoneface on the paper, I just put a question mark. He'd not said or done anything, but after a moment, I marked out the question mark and put down observant. He was always watching. There was nothing wrong with that, but it could be a bit unnerving. I didn't know the other four agents sitting down the row, but I had a feeling they would be the first of many I met.

I began to write down Katick's name and he chuckled. I looked up and flipped him off. I thought at him to stay out of my head again and tried to remember how to raise a barrier like my friend had taught me. I visualized it around my mind and began to write again, hoping it would work. Katick's list was simple. He was insane and dangerous. I did note that he may be telepathic, clairvoyant, and could do astral projection.

I could write down all my friends, but if my barrier didn't work, I didn't want Katick seeing about them. Though, he already seemed to know of us if nothing else. I became curious and didn't know if I'd get yelled at, but I looked up at Katick. "Why Sawyer?"

Katick lifted a brow. "Finally, a smart question. Sawyer is an open book. He has no barriers and no protections. It's why he's so introverted and shy. People overwhelm him. You could try to teach him that trick you're doing with your mind. It's very frustrating." Katick smirked at me. "Besides, Sawyer is my nephew."

The shock must have been clear on my face. "What? No. There's no way. He lives in Argentina. Has all his life. He has no family in the states."

"My parents split when we were kids. Dad took my sister to Argentina. He's my sisters son. My family is gifted, but they refuse to use their gifts. Sawyer doesn't. He's scared, but he'll stand up when he needs too." Leaning back, Katick looked at the agents. "Surprise."

Silver was already ranting that this whole thing was an escape attempt and that they were all being played. Wild took a deep breath and looked at me. "Put your notes away, please." He then turned his attention to Silver. "Shut the hell up. The notification came from the upper levels. We were going to talk with Katick long before he reached out to us. Just relax."

I was just starting to wonder how long they had been aware

I was just starting to wonder how long they had been aware of the issue with the veil and was going to ask, but the plane chose that moment to start taking off and I gasped grabbing the arm of the seat. "Ohhh, this can't be over fast enough."

Stoneface leaned around Wild looking at me. "Once we're leveled out, Franny is in the lower deck checking over troops. I can tell her you need something."

I stared at him surprised. He could speak. I realized he was awaiting an answer and  I nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you." See, he was observant. He remembered the chopper trip and knew I was afraid. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

It didn't take long for the flight to be leveled out. The agents started unbuckling, leaving just me and Katick strapped in. I knew I could, but I didn't want too. I watched Stoneface disappear and I leaned towards Wild. "What's his name?"

"Ask him yourself, Ms. Anders." He was clearly amused, knowing I wanted it for my little note pad.

"You're no fun, Wild." Sighing, I sat back, trying to take deep breaths and relax.

Franny came up the ramp, looking through a bag. "Why didn't you tell me you were afraid of flying?" She pulled out a bottle and handed me a pill, then a bottle of water. "Take that. It will probably make you sleepy. Not so sleepy you can't be woken up if need be."

"Sorry, I didn't think about it. I figured you were busy." I took the pill and the water, glancing at Katick and back to Wild. "Thank you."

"I was busy, but taking care of you people is my job. Hurry up, so I can get back to checking out those downstairs."

I downed the pill and sighed. "All gone." I looked at Wild again. "If I fall asleep, I don't want to be alone with him."

"Not to worry. You won't be alone with him anyway Ms. Anders. Asleep or not. You can relax about that." Wild gave me a nod, that sparkle of friendliness in his eyes if not his expression.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Agent. I appreciate that." I drank more of the water before lidding it. There might not be a bathroom on this thing, better not fill up. The pill was quick working and I blinked a few times feeling my eyes get heavy as I yawned.  I closed them, not quite asleep, but not awake either.

Blue eyes filled my minds eye and I suddenly couldn't breathe. I knew who it was. I tried to push him out, but the drugs made it impossible. His voice seemed to echo inside my head.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Callie. I want to stop this, but don't trust the government. They have plans and they aren't good for any of us. I've not been in a regular jail. I've been in a government testing facility having my gifts tested to see if they could be weaponized. Stopping the rip in the veil is paramount, but they won't let you go after this. Wild might seem nice, but I can't get in his mind. I don't know if he's aware of what the end goal is here. Trust me just a bit Callie. We're all in danger."

I couldn't answer, my drugged brain not making words as sleep stole me away from his words. The drugs pulled me into that deep dreamless sleep that didn't let you solve any of your problems or work out scenarios.

[xiakha]

FFXIVWrite2021 Prompt #22 - Fluster

"No," said Y'shtola.

"Absolutely not," she added.

"Not an ice sprite's chance in any of the seven hells," she emphasized.

* * *

"Godsdammit," she said sitting on the beach clutching her knees, wrapped in a black shawl and covered by a large floppy sunhat. Xiao had lent her dark sunglasses as well to complete the look of an unapproachable misanthrope forced onto the beach against her will.

Because it was the last day of the Moonfire Faire and the Scions were going to enjoy, or suffer through, what they could.

"Come on, Y'shtola," Yda said, coming over with frosty drinks for both of them, "You can't work all the time!" She was clad in a bikini top and board shorts but kept her mask on and had developed a healthy sheen of sweat from playing ball with Thancred and the others.

Y'shtola glared at her and wished strange looking tanlines upon her face, "Apparently not, as my coworkers will see fit to drag me from my work to save the realm to the gritty and miserable dunes of Costa Del Sol." She still begrudgingly took the drink.

"But you've spent so long cooped up in the archives of the Rising Stones!"

Y'shtola flicked her tail in annoyance, "Was it not in the last fortnight that we all traversed the blooming Sylphlands to dance with said Sylphs and get lost in the brambles?" She was still picking thorns out of her tail. "Scion work takes us all across Eorzea all the time! Tea and a good book is a relaxing vacation in comparison."

Yda rolled her head in the way to indicate to Y'shtola what she was doing with her eyes behind the mask. She stuck out her tongue and giggled as Y'shtola shot back a rude gesture in response.

The Ala Mhigan strolled over to where Minfilia was basking in the sun, having lotion applied to her back by a Roegadyn lady with a black hair tied in a pony tail. Yda wasn't sure where Minfilia got all of the... attention she found, but whenever they were out of the Rising Stones there was always someone. Her eyes narrowed at the extra care that the Roegadyn seemed to apply while working Minfilia's shoulder blades, but who was she to judge? She'd probably do the same if given the chance.

Minfilia got up off her stomach and retied her bikini top as Yda approached. Somehow it felt as if her swimsuit was no more revealing than her usual attire. "How goes it, Yda?"

Yda shrugged, "I tried Y'shtola again, I don't think we'll get her to budge. I hope she's not got her frumpy sweater on underneath that shawl, she'll bake like a popoto!"

Minfilia laughed, and Yda noticed the Roegadyn bit her lip, "Well, at least you gave it an honest effort! 'Tis all we can hope for I suppose."

"Ah, but enough about that old lady, who is this? Will you introduce us?"

Minfilia looked a bit caught off guard and her cheeks flushed, "Ah, well, this is Kema. We met but a few moons ago, briefly, and it just so happens she had come down for the last day of the Faire, just as we did!" Kema gave a little wave, her hands shiny with lotion still.

Yda gave as graceful a smile as she could in return and pulled on her shorts in a mock curtsy, "A pleasure, Kema. The gods certainly smile upon your fortunate timing."

Minfilia and Kema shared a look, and Yda knew better than to continue to encroach on their time, so she buggered off as quickly as possible.

Though, quite frankly, it did put seven and seven together as to why all of the Scions were on the beach.

Yda visited Urianger next. The Elezen was certainly relaxed. He walked slowly on the line where the surf met the sand with his sandals off and a book in his hand. His robe was still on, of course, little would get him to remove that baggy canvas. He did have them hitched up with his other hand to avoid soaking them in the surf, and underneath, Yda could see he was wearing board shorts much like her own over his skinny legs.

"Did Minfilia not tell you to leave all work at the Rising Stones?" Yda chided, jokingly.

"Aye, and verily hath I done so."

Yda ducked her head to check, "The title of your book has Primal in it!"

"The Maiden Fair and Her Primal Robust is the title. I assure you, 'tis not a book I read for work." Stonefaced as ever, Uriagner did not seem to feel any embarrassment over reading such a bodice ripper in public. A book that

"Yda, my girl, come hither!" Papalymo called over from the surf. He was up to his shoulders in it, and several waves threatened to lap over his face and push his monocle off.

Yda raced over, only to find Alphinaud in more need of help than Papalymo, who could not lift the Elezen youth out of the water. She picked the face down boy up with ease.

"My thanks, Yda." He said with some remorse, color returning to his face from being so manhandled by Yda of all people, picked out of the water like an overeager puppy.

"I take it these swimming lessons are going well?"

"My nose burns horribly, I cannot see, and I believe I ate sand."

Very well indeed. Papalymo was an able swimmer, but perhaps not the best at teaching someone twice his height, especially as he had not the height to go further in the surf. Usually this was more in the purview of the Warrior of Light to do, but where was she now?

Having entrusted Alphinaud to Urianger for a less height challenged instructor (Though, did Urianger know how to swim? He seemed unwilling to venture more than shin deep in the water) Yda went in search of the Warrior of Light. She was pretty easy to find. Yda just had to follow the exploding gentleman of inquiry.

Yda happened upon Xiao gripping the inverted hips of the face down half buried gentleman. She dropped the half lifted out Hildibrand and shot her hands out in panic to declare her innocence despite the passed out Briardien and passed out for completely different reasons Nashu. Yda, similarly lost for words and not sure how to cope with the surreality of the scene around her, backed up slowly and ran off, leaving Xiao little choice but to switch to dragoon and jump on her in the surf so she could pantomime out what had actually happened.

"That is incredibly silly," Yda said, "This is all incredibly silly. Are you saying that the gentleman exudes waves of silliness and molds reality to fit his silliness?"

Xiao nodded vigorously from where she was perched on Yda's back.

"It would certainly explain why everyone is slightly out of character and it feels like this slice of life story is going no where."

Another vigorous nod, though a little bit more hesitant.

"Might as well end it here then!"

[replicarters]

hellraiser 3 funtime carnival, pt 2

PREVIOUSLY

so my dude @yvenly, unbeknownst to me, loves a hellraiser and has a fuckin shirt of the scary man that he was wearing while reading the first part. jake assures me that the scary man is not going to come and get me and nothing i own is haunted. i trust jake, so fortunately i am able to continue what i started to do the other night, which is watch a scary gory movie starring a space angel. i can confirm it is both gory and scaring me. let me remind you, me, and god that i am only 20 minutes into it, and it took exactly 6 minutes to get to the point where i was gently pissing myself. i shudder to think what the remaining hour and ten minutes hold.

i would very much enjoy if it held more of this:

and less deep crimson rivers, but i know i'm wishing for too much.

hot topic is making breakfast, terribly. this charred, molten husk, for instance, lying atop a burner, is either toast or a severed steak. i think it's toast. everything is burning and she should stop. now, just last night, hot topic was bumming smokes, recklessly flipping curtains open, sitting on the couch weird, and emptying the contents of her backpack all over the floor. but now all of a sudden it's "hey what's up let me make breakfast", so, great, now i'm invested in this blossoming love story. god, what if hot topic dies??? i don't think i could handle that. she and joey are friends now! hot topic's trying to make her food to repay her kindness! it's all fine with me as you might guess.

hot topic's name actually is... terry... or teri... or something. hmmmm. i like to imagine the mental force of will required to not constantly go "yeah?" at your own name not being used to address you. acting!

here's where it starts to cross over into the gay danger zone, when hot topic says it's her first time cooking. and the turn of phrase she uses is that she's a... kitchen... virgin...?

is that... so...?

joey offers to boil some water and says it's a specialty of hers and they laugh awkwardly like two heteros having a hetero time. joey also starts to make a suggestion to hot topic, and i thought to myself, "is she going to tell her to go watch cartoons?" and that's Exactly what she fucking did. i bet hot topic is a big fan of the snorks.

that cookbook appears to be campbell's microwave cookbook, which is wonderful on about 15 different levels. microwave cookbook being levels one through ten.

hot topic dances on the edge of the gay event horizon by sneaking a peek in joey's closet Come On Now is this for real

and joey is apparently not that great with toast either so i don't know how these girls are going to feed each other after they defeat the hellraiser and get married.

one LITTLE detail left out until the change in camera angle is that hot topic isn't wearing any pants. that seems like it was pretty important information for me to have, for the f/f hellraiser 3 fanfic i am now writing.

everything is all fine and dandy until the music starts going again and hot topic gets upset. she really loves it here. she wants the movie to flip into a lesbian romcom instead of being the mind-crushing hack-and-slash that it is. you guys what if she gets hacked and slashed?! oh god i don't want it

"uhhh a guy's head exploded in the first six minutes; we can't go back." yes, joey has to solve this mystery, which, i mean, she's braver than me; if i watched a guy get blasted all over the hospital walls after chains pulled his head apart i'd have a repressed memory that wouldn't resurface until years and years later, at which point i'd pass out in the grocery store as a grown adult with kids or something, and when i came to i'd remember the hell out of it and wouldn't stop screaming until my vocal chords snapped.

oh my good god

there's something important happening here but all i heard was "we're going shopping." forrrrrr strap-ons?

oh, they came to the hobo man's art gallery that's only open at night, and that i keep calling the pyramidhead gallery in my head. also check out those pants. yikesaroo! i can hear 1992's sears catalog calling from a landfill!

gracious me this whole ensemble! noooo.

"maybe they're closed." they're not closed, they just cannot let you in dressed like you belong in a parade on stilts. it will offend the art and we'll have more bad guys roaming around in the spooky shadows.

some man with a dog across the street says the pyramidhead gallery is closed every day, except for he apparently doesn't know it's open exclusively at 12:01 am. he says it's been there for months, closed. hot topic says that's bs; her boyfriend just bought something there last week. ew so the boyfriend that threw her out is imitation danny zuko. girl, run far away because that guy's busy communing with unholy messenger rats.

then for no reason at all, this poor pup gets dragged away by its neck, growling because dogs know stuff. does the dog also know its owner is an irresponsible sack of shit who needs to learn what a proper harness is? sheesh.

"chill," hot topic says. "there's a back door, right?" and then she pulls a lock pick out of her tits. like, not on a chain or anything, so i guess it was just resting freely in her cleavage. another important detail for my fanfiction.

there are more ugly paintings inside but joey gets right down to business and finds a file drawer that's pretty much exactly like every file drawer we have at work. just full of accordion folders with papers shoved in them.

"ughhh," joey says, "this is gonna take Forever." i literally... had that moment with my boss at work yesterday trying to find some paperwork. but it's not gonna take forever, not with the music going, it's not...!

the most illuminating revelation is that the gallery is a total scam; everything they have comes from bankruptcy sales, high school art classes, insane asylums... wait, what? uh oh.

uhhhhh ohhhhhhh.

thankfully we leave immediately and head straight back to the loser room. yeahhhh fistbump brah! fistbumps existed in 1992! imagine that. we can truly trace all tradition back to our ancestors.

danny zuko spies a hot blonde and motions to his mark sheppard-looking bartender that he wants to hit that, so the bartender pulls a rose out from the... ice bin...? "here babe take a cold-ass rose" "oh baby the frozen petals are burning me up" - is that what's supposed to happen?

so danny zuko comes over, the girl's like, "oh, it's you~" and he tells her she's beautiful she says "oh no there's lots of girls here more beautiful than me" and he pretends like he cares about how she feels blah blah blah

and then we come to sex noises so the arctic rose worked pretty well. i think i'll spare you a screenshot of the actual sex; i'd rather take a picture of a head split in half. my favorite part though is that he constantly has his hands on her tits so you don't see any nip. so we can watch the other graphic shit we've seen and yet we're not allowed to look at a boob? the fuck?

oh ps the statue is in the background, watching them.

and at the exact moment danny zuko comes (ugh) the statue's eyes open. ohhhhhhhhhhhohohoho fcukinggfkhgkldhgl

then the eyes close again.

hot topic and joey are back at her apartment. joey's broken out of a pair of scully specs so i guess things have gotten serious in here.

hot topic prepares to walk out the door and joey is like HOLD ON???? WHY LEAVE??

she's trying to get some tape and succeeds and this is extremely untoward and i am offended!!!

hot topic guesses joey got what she needed, and prepares to show herself out. joey's face immediately falls and she's like no????? and she invites hot topic to stay in her spare room.

hot topic gets very emotional and says that's great, and offers to do breakfast! oh boy!!

even at the thought of inedible trash breakfast, joey is thrilled. this is Fucking Gay

"so cool... Radical!"

the girl danny just boned stands in front of this painting which, to be honest with you? kind of looks like dukat? maybe dukat if he roided up before the reckoning.

danny's already done with this and has important things to do like getting a scuff off his ugly red cowboy boots. it all goes south pretty fast.

"but you gave me a rose."

"and tomorrow, i'll give one to somebody else." ooooooh

"you shit," the girl says, speaking the truth.

there's yelling, the girl backs up toward the statue, i'm biting my nails because something's clearly gonna happen

LAUGHS NERVOUSLY OHHHHHH NOOOOOOO

chains, chains, it's always chains, hooked chains come out of the statue and sink into her. danny zuko, for as vile as he is, didn't plan this at all as even he's like "what the ffffuuuuuuccckkkk"

hello!! furby's awake!

the statue gets one more hook right into her forehead and then? and THEN, the all-time grossest fucking thing happens, and i swear to god i'm not making this up but also you're kidding if you think i'll actually screenshot it: the hook pulls THE ENTIRETY OF THE GIRL'S SKIN OFF HER BODY IN ONE SHOT, and THEN, STILL ALIVE and screaming bloody fucking murder, the girl, looking like a page out of any muscular system biology book, is DIGESTED BY THE STATUE.

and then once properly absorbed, her face appears SO ALL THE FACES ON THIS STATUE ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SKINNED AND EATEN HKFLGRHLGKLSKB I'M SCREECHING

i guess a nutritious meal was just the thing to get ol stoneface back to normal. HE'S HERE, THIS IS HIM, THIS IS THE GUY!! jake says his name is pinhead? just going to call him pincushion, hope that's okay. honestly it's more like nailcushion, those look like a bunch of nails sticking out of him. why does he love metal so much!!!

and all danny zuko has to say is "jesus christ!" like he couldn't even pretend to barf.

and pinhead FUCKING RESPONDS: "not quite." buddy, i'll say.

he starts getting poetic and i never expected him to have an accent. who do you think you are, shakespeare? i've never heard of shakespeare writing a scene where taming of the shrew ends with a flesh barbecue.

pinhead does one fun thing which is compare himself to danny zuko, which in my mind is exactly right but danny zuko cries and whines and says "no that's fuckin evil man!!!" yeah, just. like. you!

according to pinhead, there's no good, there's no evil, only flesh. is this what he does, just eats people? i didn't expect this either.

"you will help me," he says.

no Fuckin way danny zuko says, bringing out a gun like this is going to do anything other than increase pinhead's desire for flesh cakes.

oh my god and then pinhead laughs and says "how touching, that is the gun you used to kill your parents?" LMAO WHAT????

zuko unloads the gun and pinhead spits every bullet out of his mouth. just lets em drop right out onto the floor. danny zuko then drops his gun.

looks like you're in this for the long haul, pal!

he drops to the floor and starts sobbing. puny man sobbing in his boxers dot jpg.

there is a place, pinhead says, at his right hand for this manchild. yucky.

aaaand true to form, danny zuko takes a minute to think it over and then signs right up. this is so insulting to danny zuko; maybe i ought to start calling him his real name which is JP, which also is not really a name.

meanwhile, joey is full on channeling murphy brown and lookin cute. her friendly grandpa cameraman runs up to give her a package. something for her story? mmm something for something. grandpa cameraman, ever a decent person (oh god what if HE dies?) says if there's any way he can help, just give him a call. i think the first thing he can do to help is contact a priest specializing in exorcisms, get to that statue, and end this before it starts hopping railroad tracks.

scully specs are back on, tape is in the vcr, quest to quit smoking is shot, and we are go.

the tape is of a girl in a room at what looks like that asylum that was referenced before, and she's talking about The Box.

"demons," she says. "demons live in the box." well girl, we are way past that, the demons are out of the box, in statues, in hospitals, that box barely has anything to do with anything anymore.

"it's a gateway to hell." yeaarrrrgghhhhh somebody close it, then!

this is a really nice shot, i just wanted to stop everything and have you look at it. hands!

uhhh thennn the tv switches to an image of a dude

and that dude

starts talking

to joey

NOOOOOOOOPE

"she's telling the truth, joey," this guy that sounds Suspiciously like pinhead says.

joey tries to rewind the tape to see what the hell that was, but there's nothing out of the ordinary there... nnnnggghhhhgdhflk

anyway, demons live in the box. it "opens itself", they come out, that's the sitch. fuck all this.

s-s-s-speaking of the b-b-b-box, here it is at joey's apartment, where hot topic is currently all alone. god if anything happens to her i will be devastated beyond belief. pleeeease don't eat her please don't eat her.

hot topic stares at the box the same way i stare at the box: with off-the-charts trepidation. but she notices what i also noticed, that it looks a little different, like now it has color.

"man, joey must've polished you up some, huh?" oh no please don't

i'm pretty much. gonna shit. please put it down please please please joey will be so sad if you are dead and i can't take it!

oh god and then the phone rings and she puts it down thank jesus

absoLutely not the phone call i wanted her to get.

jp wants hot topic to come over. no no, no, no no no, no, and no!

pleeeeeease just wait for joey to get home she'll protect you and you can both be safe! if you go over to jp you're literally going to be devoured by a hell beast aaaaahhhhhhhh

well thank the lord she says she just can't and slams down the phone. score one for pure love! can you win against the delicate softness of girls being nice to each other, pinhead, can you?!

uh wait, then hot topic triggers joey's messages and it sounds like cameraman telling her she got a job that she wanted across the country. ??? what happened to pure love?!

joey comes home and the place is just a sty. it's dark and hot topic's not there.

and she finds this note that says, "enjoy monterey, you liar".

welp, love is dead and the demons are coming! might as well start breaking ourselves down into bite-sized chunks!

that's all for this evening. we’ll have another fun jaunt tomorrow! now, what do you think is the best technique for cutting off your own arm? just grab a hacksaw and go to town?