#as soon as someone opens my door i am cleaning not only my door handle but the other ones as well

[flowersandbigteeth]

Your vampire husband Pt. 5

General Plot: Your vampire husband turns you

Word Count: 3.5K

Vampire (Levi) x single mother reader

A/N: I've gotten lots of general requests for another part for Levi

💕 SFW MASTERPOST 💕

TW: blood drinking, kidnapping, vampire bites, slightly spicy banter , sfw vampire fluff

“What about this?” you asked Meryl as you strolled through the fancy grocery store you were at. 

You picked up a few glass pots of baby food, holding them up to Meryl. 

“Peach or pear?” 

She looked at them, then looked at you. Smiling, she stuffed a hand into her mouth and drooled. 

You giggled. 

“Okay, both. Daddy can afford it.” 

Since you’d been with Levi, you didn’t normally go out on your own, but you’d been feeling a little stifled at the big house. You were wrapped up in vampire business. Levi had meetings with other vampires, with his subordinates, with his family…There was lots of intrigue to follow, but you felt like you’d lost the real world. Hence, when Levi was out that afternoon, you convinced the vampire guard who usually accompanied you on any trips to let you go grocery shopping. 

She’d wanted to follow you inside, but you were tired of someone looming over your shoulder. You convinced her nothing could possibly go wrong in a grocery store so she could wait in the car. 

It felt like forever since you’d been carefully searching for coupons and rummaging through the bargain bin to feed Meryl, but in reality, it had only been a few months. Meryl was getting bigger, but she was still a baby. 

As you moved to the next aisle, a foul smell floated up from your daughter and you sighed as it was time for another diaper change. Stashing your half-full cart outside, you toted her and her baby bag into the bathroom to get her cleaned up. 

When you came back out, you looked around for your cart to find it further down the hallway than you’d left it, next to the staff entrance. You figured someone had moved it out of the way, so without a second thought, you walked further away from the bright lights and bustling store to fetch it. 

When your fingers closed around the plastic handle, you felt the air brush against your cheek, and your vision went dark. You tried to scream for help, but a cold hand clamped over your lips, and someone wrenched Meryl out of your hands. 

Your motherly instincts told you to fight to the death for your daughter, but the moment you balled your fists, everything went silent, and you saw only oblivion. 

“Meryl!” you shouted when you jerked awake. 

Your eyes popped open, flying around the room you were in frantically. Since you’d last been kidnapped, you forced your focus to your wrists, which were free and unharmed. Looking up again, you noticed a bassinet just beyond the couch you’d been splayed over. 

Hopping up, you found Meryl inside, safe and sound fast asleep. 

You had no idea where you could be. The living room you were in was opulently decorated in an antiquated style and lit by a crackling fire, but did not belong to your husband.

A heavy door swung open, and a tall figure appeared, silhouetted by the light in the hallway. 

“Ivan,” you muttered, recognizing Levi’s cousin, his bright blue eyes glowing like aquamarine jewels.

He took a few steps into the room, grinning. 

“Hello, my dear. I mentioned we would meet again soon.” 

You frowned, stepping between him and Meryl. 

“What am I doing here?” 

His gaze followed your protective gesture, and he smirked. 

“Don’t fret for her safety. Your daughter will not be harmed. She’s actually quite cute up close.” 

Casually walking over to a leather couch, he sat down and patted the seat next to him. 

Your eyes narrowed, but you followed his lead, sitting on the opposite side of the couch, as far from him as possible. He may have been smiling at you, but you knew he was dangerous. Behind baby blue eyes, you could see the hunger of a big cat, tail flicking behind him as he closed in on his prey. 

“What do you want?” you asked. “Levi isn’t going to be happy when I don’t make it home.”

He snorted. 

“Of course. I’m sure he’ll tear his coven apart, murder whoever happens to be in his path… Levi’s weakness is his pithy emotions.”

He examined you closely, leaning his head on his fist. 

“Though, I’m starting to see the vision.” 

“Why are you doing this? Do you want to see him suffer? I thought you were friends. He’s your cousin.” 

Smirking, he moved closer to you. 

“Vampire lords can never truly be friends. Allies…maybe. If it’s convenient.” 

“So you’re declaring war? That’s what will happen if you don’t return me.” 

His face oddly changed, the dark interest in his gaze held melted into puppy dog eyes. 

“Why does he get to have special things and I don’t?” 

“Special things?” you murmured, glancing over at Meryl, who was still sleeping cozily. 

“We aren’t things. We are people.” 

His eyes glinted. 

“Not if I change that. Did Levi tell you everything about what happens when a vampire turns you?” 

“I assume so, what else is there to know?” 

Ivan chuckled, brushing your cheek as he spoke. 

“I doubt it. I’m sure if he had, you’d be quite a bit more frightened right now.” 

He paused for a moment, savoring your innocent face before he terrified you. 

“When a vampire like Levi or I, a full-blooded vampire, changes a human…they become linked to him. Usually, vampires use this quirk to amass an army of slaves…but sometimes they fall in love and use their power to turn that lover. Once Levi changes you (Y/N) you are his forever. You won’t be able to harm him, kill him, or deny his will over you. You’ll be his devoted servant.” 

He sighed. 

“Some vampires, the very, very old ones, believe no vampire can ever really truly love a human, because inevitably they will want to change them so they won’t have to watch them age and die…but how can you be truly a romantic partner when you have no choice to walk away? Perhaps we vampires are cursed to watch the one we truly love slip away from us no matter what we choose.” 

A bolt of ice-cold fear shot down your spine. It wasn’t that you didn’t love Levi,  but the idea of being anyone’s slave for centuries in itself was a terrifying prospect. 

“What…do you…want…from me?” you whispered on a breath. 

His lips parted to a smile that revealed his fangs, sparkling in the firelight. 

“I don’t think Levi’s done enough to deserve you. You were rather easy to capture, so I can only assume he’s not that serious.” 

You tried to slide away from him but only hit the arm of the couch. Your heart thudded in your chest, and instinctively, you looked over your shoulder at Meryl. 

Ivan tipped your head to the side with a cold hand, drawing you back to him. 

“Don’t be scared. Levi has bitten you before…you’ll like it.” 

“I don’t want to be yours if that’s what you’re implying.” 

“You speak as if what you want matters. Levi has indulged you. I can see why…but what do you humans say? Spare the rod, spoil the child.” 

“Levi will kill you,” you warned. 

He just chuckled. 

“He might try.” 

“You don’t really want us. You don’t know us. You’re the spoiled one.” 

He pouted. 

“Why wouldn’t I want you? Levi seems so happy. Too happy. I want to be happy.” 

“Then find your own wife.” 

“Why go to all the trouble when he’s done the work for me?” 

His dark smile dropped suddenly, his ears pricking. 

“Hmm,” he hummed, standing. “Stay here.” 

Ivan held a different level of arrogance, expecting you to hang around for him to bite and enslave you. The minute he shut the door, you tried the windows. They were locked, but assuming Ivan was occupied, you decided to take a risk. You picked up the first end table you could lift and threw it through the glass. 

You winced at the loud crash but didn’t have any interest in sticking around to see if anyone heard you. 

In her crib, Meryl stirred and you cooed at her, hoping to keep her quiet. Scooping her and securing her to your back with a blanket, you threw one leg out of the window, relieved to find you were only on the second floor. 

Gunshots from somewhere nearby, startled you, making you almost lose your footing. Gripping the cold stone window ledge, you carefully lowered yourself to the next one, then easily hopped to the ground. 

Near the entrance of the mansion, you could now see you’d been in, flashing lights accompanied the gunshots. Wondering if Levi had come to save you, you peeked around the corner of the building trying to make out the figures. To your dismay, they didn’t look at all like vampires. It was hard to tell, but you were pretty sure they were Orcs. They looked rather tall and thick in the darkness. 

Running to them might be worse than Ivan, so you turned in the opposite direction, creeping quietly into the night so as not to jostle Meryl and make her cry. 

You stopped when you could see a road just beyond the trees, panting with exertion. Hope bloomed in your chest. A road meant people, and people meant a way home. 

Only you never made it to the next few steps. Someone tugged Meryl from your back and shoved you into a tree. At first, you were sure it was Ivan, but a familiar scent filled your lungs. 

“Levi?” 

In the darkness, you could hardly make out his face, but his red eyes flashed danger. 

“Naughty. Naughty wife,” he growled. 

His voice was low and cruel, the same tone he used when he was about to tear someone apart. Your heart turned to ice, but your thoughts were always on Meryl. 

“Please, Levi, don’t hurt her.” 

His eyes widened and narrowed, the rich red color becoming almost painful to look at. 

“You think I’d hurt my own daughter?” 

Your mouth opened and closed, words caught in your throat. 

“You disobeyed me. You went out without a guard. Were you trying to get stolen? Do I mean so little to you? Perhaps Ivan was right, perhaps I’ve been coddling you.” 

At that, your brow drew. 

“You heard that?” 

He didn’t answer, but your anger grew to match his. 

“You sat outside while Ivan terrorized me…to what? Make a point?” 

“Ivan is stupid and arrogant. You are lucky it was him who caught you and not someone smarter. I gave you a guard to protect you, and you signed her death warrant.” 

You gasped. 

“You killed her?” 

“Ivan’s spawn did. She was caught off guard.” 

He huffed, holding Meryl to his chest. His eyes went dark for a moment as he pressed a kiss into her fluff of hair. 

“I’ve told you a thousand times. My world is dangerous! What do you think it would do to me if someone stole you away? My lessers must obey my orders to the T. She defied me. …at your request. I should have killed her myself. You need to take responsibility.” 

Anger still boiled just below your skin, but so did guilt, and sadness. 

“Fine…” you muttered. “I will take responsibility.” 

You looked up at him, still glowing hot in the pitch-black forest. 

“Change me.” 

He blinked at you and you could make out his mouth opening. 

“What?” 

“I want you to change me. I’m tired of being weak. I’m tired of walking on eggshells and hiding. I want to be able to protect myself and Meryl. If you change me…I’ll…I’ll be strong.” 

He took a heavy step forward, his hand hitting the tree behind you as he searched your eyes. 

“You know what it truly is now…and you still…want that…?” 

Your face blanched, but you lifted your chin defiantly. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Because…I was afraid you would say no if you knew the truth…that you might try to run. I planned to tell you...when the time was right. When I knew you’d agree.” 

You sucked in a deep breath. 

“The time is now, Levi. Meryl’s mostly on solid food and…” 

Swallowing heavily, you reached up and pulled Levi’s hand down to you, pressing it against your cheek. 

“I don’t want to be Ivan’s. I don’t want to be anyone’s but yours. Any vampire could steal me away and make me their spawn in seconds.” 

“(Y/N), If you do this for the wrong reasons…you might come to hate me.” 

“I might…but I might not. I love you…and that’s a better foundation than…” 

You didn’t even want to say his name. You didn’t want any part of this conversation to be about him. 

“Your cousin.” 

He blinked at you, pulling you into his arms. 

“You’ve never said that so easily before. I wondered if you really felt the same way that I felt about you.” 

“I…took you and your world for granted. I’m sorry for that. We need to be a united front. We aren’t just married, we’re parents. I trust you…and I love you…so it’s time.” 

He glanced around, picking you up and flopping you over the shoulder that wasn’t occupied with Meryl. 

“We’re not doing it here.” 

You could hardly think straight as he loaded you into an SUV that had been parked on the side of the road. It was hard to formulate a vision of what you would be as a vampire. You squeezed Levi’s hand so hard it would have hurt him had he been human. 

“What happened back there?” you asked, trying to distract yourself from what was to come. 

“I told you, Ivan is stupid. He was already a target for the Orcs for killing one of their leaders during a poker game. I told them where he was hiding out. His idiocy knows no bounds. Stealing from the one person who knows where you are hiding…there aren’t words.” 

He patted your head. 

“I had planned on confronting him while his minions were distracted, but my clever little wife rescued herself.” 

You relaxed at his praise, but he stiffened and shot you a grimace. 

“Don’t do that again.” 

You blinked at him. 

“Will I be able to…after?” 

His face softened, and he looked away.

“If I don’t force my will on you, then yes…but I admit that will be very difficult.” 

“You can’t promise that you won’t?” 

He looked at you for a long time, and you saw the lie cross his mind, but he straightened himself and decided to tell the truth. 

“No, I can’t, and you should understand that before you agree. If you put yourself in danger (Y/N)...I can’t promise.” 

You sucked in a deep breath considering that. 

“Can you promise me one thing, then?” 

The silence stretched on for a minute. 

“If we’re ever in a situation where you must choose me or Meryl. Choose her. That’s what I would want if I could choose myself.” 

A pained look crossed his face, but he nodded, pulling your hand to his lips and kissing it. 

When you reach the mansion, he daintily tucked Meryl in her crib and took you to one of the guest rooms. His face held an expression of complete focus. Levi had changed many humans, but it was not without its risks. If you failed to swallow his blood at the moment of your death, you could be lost forever. 

He considered not doing it at all. Was this selfish? Risking your life so that you might never leave him. 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked as he laid you down on the bed.

“Yes.” 

His chest rose and fell with a deep breath. Your fingers trembled, and he folded his hand around yours. 

“Don’t be frightened. Remember when I bit you before? Instead of pulling out of that oblivion…embrace it. You will wake up again.” 

You would have felt more confident if he had not been looking at you like it was the last time. He tilted your head to the side, running a finger over the column of your neck. Your breaths came in halting pants, wondering what being the living dead felt like. 

His head dipped, and you felt his breath tickle your skin. 

“Wait!” you gasped. 

Levi’s head jerked up, and he looked…disturbed. 

“H-have you changed your mind? This cannot be undone, (Y/N).” 

“I-It’s not that…It’s…” 

Your eyes met his; the frightening, glaring shade dimmed to a more sensual scarlet. 

“Will you still love me when I’m cold?” 

He blinked at you before he chuckled. Slapping his chest, you pouted. 

“I’m serious, Levi. What if you don’t like me as a vampire?” 

He wrinkled his nose. 

“Impossible. If anything it will be a relief. Do you know how much I worry? When you balance on a stool to reach a shelf…I wonder if you’ll slip and break your neck. When you are fiddling with your hairdryer, I wonder if some stray drop of water will have you electrocuted.”

He cupped your cheek. 

“You and Meryl are maddeningly delicate.”  

Taking your hand again, he gazed up at you from behind your fingers. 

“We both need this.” 

Swallowing a cold lump in your throat, you relaxed against the pillow under your head. 

This time, Levi’s hand slipped up your stomach, slowly tracing the curves of your body until he reached your throat. Pushing your head to the side, he pressed a soft kiss at the crook of your neck. He gave you no warning, the slight pinch making you jump. A tight mewl slipped past your lips and your instincts told you to pull away, but Levi’s strong fingers held you in place until your fear was replaced with a warm euphoria. It bloomed like a night flower, starting as one tight bud in the pit of your stomach; it blossomed into soft petals capturing all of your senses. 

It was easy to do as he asked: accept oblivion. It called to you in alluring tones. As your vision of the coffered ceiling above your head faded, it was replaced with a golden glow—perhaps a blurry view of the afterlife. On its own, your hand reached towards the warmth, your fingertips grazing an ethereal surface that almost tickled. 

A smile grew on your lips for just a moment, until it seemed to be getting further and further away. The pure sensation of peace and comfort drifted just out of your reach. Something else pulled you closer, willing you to turn your head from paradise and look into the darkness. 

There was a figure there, sanguine eyes bleeding to bitter memories. Horrors that couldn’t be described properly in words, but shook you to your core. It was frightening but familiar. You realized this was Levi. Emotions and images without context flashed in front of you. Cold, pain, emptiness. You watched him grow from a small child to a man. Sadness and regret pressed on your chest, pushing the breath from you until it broke. 

You weren’t sure, but you thought you saw a little flicker of light. It was so tiny at first; you thought maybe you were imaging it, but then you saw yourself. The first time Levi had seen you. The first time he’d seen Meryl. Your smile, eyes, and sadness choking you ebbed like the tide, leaving tenderness behind. 

A dark tendril took your hand, drawing you into his consciousness. What was you bled into what was him, linking the two of you for eternity. The wave of pain that had been drawn away returned as unconditional, undeniable love. You could see how it colored every action, every gesture, every kiss. 

At first, you assumed you were entering him, but it was clear you were already there. Only your independent consciousness had just arrived. 

There were other quiet voices, his other spawn…creatures he’d created. You tasted their thoughts and feelings, but he pulled you into a space separate from them—a space reserved for you. 

This place was insulated, warm, and quiet. He cradled you there and the odd copper taste of blood coated your tongue. You were supposed to be doing something, but you couldn’t remember what. Another warm tendril lifted your chin and you found apple red-eyes looking at you. 

“It’s done.” 

Suddenly, the world was real. You were in a bed– you could feel the fibers of the sheets underneath your fingers. You smelled Levi and Meryl, pleasant scents, and also the odd mish-mash of the other vampires in the house. Your gums ached and you lifted your fingers to glide them over the pointy fangs that had grown from your canines. 

“I feel…different.” 

Levi smiled, eyes slipping over your face. 

“I know.” 

He knew everything. He was in your head, answering your thoughts before you could even express them. 

“I’m not like the others.” 

He’d closed your mind to his vampire minions. It was hard to comprehend the sensation with what lingered of your human thoughts, but you felt nestled someplace close and secret.

“You have access to my thoughts. It’s only fair that if I can see all of you, you can see all of me. You will never be my servant.” 

A hand slid under your shoulders and he sat you up. 

“Will Meryl still recognize me?” 

Before you even finished the thought, he nodded. His vision of you flashed in your mind, still looking like your old self, but a bit more.  You could feel his affection for you in real-time, peace, happiness, relief, and arousal. He wanted to touch you, but he was holding back. Even with access to your innermost feelings, he was unsure how to approach you. 

“Come here.” 

You scooted over on the bed and tugged him next to you. The desire he felt bled into every nerve ending lighting them up. Gazing at him through your lashes, instinct told you to bear your fangs. The pure, sensual hunger you reflected back at him turned his eyes glossy and his cheeks red. 

“I’m hungry.” 

He pulled you onto his lap to straddle him and pushed his hair to one side. He had plenty of blood to share with you. You listened to it occur to him you might want to feed on someone else some day. You felt him extract the little inklking from your consciousness, isolating it, then crushing it. 

You wanted to only feed from him. It might have been alarming that mere minutes after becoming his, he’d used his power over you to change your mind, but you were too hungry to focus on that fact. Levi happily steered your thoughts to his smooth skin and scent, enticing you to bite. 

As you latched on to his neck, his eyes rolled back, the pleasure of your little teeth and the smug satisfaction that you were forever his a heady drug.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Unmanageable 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Pete Brenner

Summary: your manager sets his eye on your (plus!reader)

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

The ding of a bell jolts you. You sit back, pushing your glasses up to rub your eyes as you wait. You don’t hear anything. You sigh. 

You drop your glasses back to the bridge of your nose and get up. Your neck and shoulders hurt from slouching at your screen. You cross the office and swing your door open. You swiftly turn and thump on the door next to yours. 

“Customers,” you call through, irritated not only by your co-workers' current neglect by the chaotic morning. 

You march back to your office and send a glance towards the counter. You find a man and woman watching you from the other side. You vaguely recognise them but you cant never keep the names straight. Maybe that’s why you never could sort out the tangled threads of the town gossip. 

You huff and settle back in to the eye crossing work. You really don’t get it. They have no shame. Caught and they’re still messing around. The walls aren’t thick enough to block out the giggles or Pete’s low tones. 

You yawn and lift your thermos. You peer into the empty metal cylinder and clunk it back down. Damn it. You can’t even make a fresh pot. 

You yawn at the clock in the corner of the screen and carry on. The day will be over soon and you can go home and zone out with some Balder’s Gate. You’ve been waiting to try that one. 

A knock at the door disturbs your internal monologue. You sit up and look over the monitor. Before you can get up or answer, the door opens. The person on the other side doesn’t surprise you, especially as he lets himself in. 

Pete gives a crooked grin as he stands just inside the door, “you busy?” He doesn’t wait. He steps further inside and turns slightly, clinging to the door handle, “you want this shut?” 

Before you can tell him yes, close it from the outside, he snaps it shut and faces you. He tucks his hands in his pocket and approaches your desk. He stops just on the other side. 

“So, uh, I just wanted to have a chat,” he begins, “about the bell. You know, next time someone rings it, you can just help them.” 

You blink and take off your glasses, cleaning the lenses with the cloth your keep in the case, “I’m not a teller.” 

“Yeah, sure, but you can ask them what they need,” he suggests, “you know, before you bother me and Marska.” 

“Mm, that’s not in my job description,” you put your glasses back on and zero in on the screen. 

“Right, but it takes two seconds,” he counters. 

You look at him again, your hand on the mouse. You stare dully over the top of the monitor. It’s not your responsibility to cover them while they fuel the rumour mill. You flick your eyes back down and click. 

“I am the manager,” he says. 

You nod and type rapidly, clacking loudly. He clears his throat and shifts. He moves a little closer as you ignore him for the binary on your screen. 

“So you need to listen to me,” he puts his hand on the top of the monitor, stumbling as the arm that holds it up dips with his weight. He quickly rights himself and retracts his hand. You fix the screen on the floating mount and bite the inside of your lip. 

“I heard you,” you mutter. 

“Alright, so next time you hear the bell, you can just zip up to the front,” he claps his hands. 

“No,” you say. 

“But you said--” 

“I’m not a teller,” you repeat. “That’s Marska’s job.” 

“Okay, but when she’s busy--” 

“She should be working,” you insist as you go back to typing. 

“Huh,” he sucks his teeth, “I see.” 

You narrow your eyes in an effort to keep them from rolling. You sniff and don’t stop. He wastes enough of your time with his bad behaviour. 

“I get it, you’re jealous.” 

You snort, “jealous?” 

You stop and raise your eyes once more. 

“Yeah, sure, makes sense. You sit in this office all day. Alone. And you hear us having a bit of fun and you want some of that,” he smirks and tilts his head, his floppy hair falling forward. “sweetheart, if you want in on it, you just have to say so.” 

“Ew.” 

He hesitates, “ew?” 

“Not interested,” your fingers flit over the keyboard effortlessly as the front sears into your vision. 

“Hey, look, if I knew earlier you were feeling like that--” 

“I just said I’m not interested,” you snip without tearing your eyes from the screen. “And I am definitely not--” 

He grabs the monitor again, this time pulling it away from you. You cringe in frustration and sit back, crossing your arms. You grit your teeth, ready to say something very unprofessional. 

“It was you, wasn’t it?” He asks. 

“What? It was me, what?” You squint. 

“You told her.” 

“Who?” 

“You fucking snitched on me to my wife,” his grin disappears, “I’ve been trying to figure it out all day but I shoulda known--” 

“What? I don’t even know your wife,” you scowl. “And I don’t give a crap about whatever you’re doing or whoever you’re doing it with.” 

“Bullshit,” he sneers, “it makes sense. You can’t have me so you go and tattle,” he accuses, “that’s sad. Real sad. But what’s a girl like you gonna do?” 

“I didn’t tell your wife,” you insist and reach for the monitor.  

As you grab the side of the screen, he latches onto your wrist. You try to rip your arm away but he squeezes tights. He keeps a solid grip on you as you wrench your hand helplessly. 

“You did it. I know it.” 

“I didn’t--” 

“You’re going to regret that, sweetie,” he snarls as he yanks you so hard you roll forward and your ribs hit the desk. “Don’t forget, I’m in charge here.” 

“Let me go--” 

As you pull again, he releases you and the chair tilts dangerous but the wheels save you from a topple. You rub your wrist as you grimace at him. He plants his hand on your desk and bends forward. 

“You want it so bad, baby, well, I’m gonna give it to you,” he winks.  

[ahhhwomen]

Not A Toy?

Trigger Happy AU

Part 3

Pairing: Dark!Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

A/N: Ik ik, everything has been written in very excruciating detail so far, this one being no exception, but I promise I'm going to up the speed and intensity very soon. Also, I am sorry if this one is a bit rushed, I just wanted to get it out there. Def not my favorite chapter...

Disclaimer: English is not my first language; all mistakes are my own.

AU Warnings: Kidnapping, murder, Mommy kink, smut, pet play, death (not main characters), framed murder, violence, drugging, angst, obsession, dub-con/rape-con | Minors DNI 18+

Warnings Part 3: Mommy kink, stalker Wanda, kidnapping (?), slightly stupid reader

Summary: Maybe you are more to Wanda than just a Toy.

Word Count: 1157

Your apartment had never been the best. When you moved in, months prior, that much became apparent. It was filthy, small, and there were large gaps between some of the floorboards. However, money was tight after you were cut off from your family, and the neighborhood wasn’t the worst. So, you took what you could.

You had lived there for all of 2 weeks before you got a roommate. In those 2 weeks, you tried to make it more pleasant and feel more like home. You got a carpet to hide the large gaps, you moved the furniture to make it feel like more space, and you deep cleaned.

As you came to learn, Jessica didn’t care much for that sort of stuff. Between college, working a part-time job, having a boyfriend, and loving parties, Jessica was barely even there. She had never bothered to do much around the apartment, she never cleaned, and never took any interest in changing things around.

It's therefore safe to say you are a bit confused as you take in the scene in front of you.

Why is your coach upside down?

You have no clue how you didn’t see it until now. It wasn’t like you, you had always praised yourself on your observation skills.

That damn policewoman was doing a number on you.

You are just about to pull your phone out when you hear a creak, another issue with the floorboards. The sound came from Jessica's room.

Your apartment has felt off ever since you came home, but now it feels like you are somewhere else entirely. Suddenly everything was colder, and your skin prickles with chills.

Your feet slowly inch closer to Jessica's door, trying to stay silent, and your hands push gently on the handle. Sweat runs down your back and you hold your breath, the tension is heavy in the air. With the handle down, you being to put a slight weight into the door. The door creaks open to reveal….

Nothing.

Your eyes scan the room, everything the same as when you left this morning. You let out a shaky breath, relieved, you close the door again.  

You remind yourself to send a quick text to your roommate about the furniture rearrangement before you walk back to the bathroom.

///////

Wanda bites back a groan as the door presses lightly against her. She can hear your hands shaking against the handle.

She had meant to get out before you came home, but you turn out to be a fast walker.

After her work was done for the day Wanda had spent a substantial amount of time tracking this roommate of yours. She was a busy girl. She worked at a local diner most of the week but had Mondays and Wednesdays off. She hung out with her boyfriend, that lived 2 blocks away, almost every day. She took a liking to people, always having to be around someone. She seemed to be your complete opposite.

By what intel Wanda gathered, you were a quiet girl, who liked to keep to yourself. You were sweet and always willing to help, but large groups of people made you uncomfortable.

You were perfect. Well-mannered, sweet, lonely. A good girl.

Hers.

Wanda is good at hiding her less savory side. Obsessive behavior never looked good on paper. She had only ever allowed herself to indulge in smaller doses. However, Wanda couldn’t just fuck this urge out with a random pretty girl she picked up like she was used to.

No.

Wanda needed you.

She needs to have you, nurse you, fuck you. She needs to hold you, have you wrapped around her like the little kitten you are. Hers, and only hers.

She just needed to push you a little.

So, she did what anyone would do, and began staging her crime scene.

Your apartment wasn’t exactly big, so how would a big fight play out in such a small space? Wanda was testing your living room when she heard your keys jingle in the hallway.

“I’m home!”

Wanda smiled a little.

You must have been so sleepy. There was a little crack in the door Wanda could look at you through, and you walked right passed the flipped coach and started getting your dinner ready. Wanda had to hold back a disapproving sigh as you picked up a microwavable dinner.

You were a growing girl who requires proper sustenance. Not, whatever was in those plastic tubs.

As the timer on the microwave counted down, you looked lost in thought. Wanda wondered what you were thinking about as your teeth sank into your lip, your scrunched-up nose indicating you were worried. Wanda's hands griped the door, if something was bothering her girl, it bothered Wanda.

Luckily you snapped out of it rather fast and got to eating.

You occur to be quite the messy eater. It was adorable the way you would huff in annoyance as the table became smothered in your mess.

Wanda made a mental note to always feed you on a mat. She didn’t want her floors to be stained like your table was.

You stood up.

Wanda couldn’t get a proper view of the bathroom from where she stood. She had intended on moving just a little bit to the left when her foot hit a loose tile.

Shit!

Wanda could hear you try to sneak over to the door, and she saw the handle slowly move downwards. If she made even the tiniest of noises Wanda knew the gig would be over. She pressed herself into the wall and held her breath.

You paused for a second when the door was almost all the way open. Wanda could hear you sigh. Then close the door again.

You make your way back to the bathroom.

Wanda stands there baffled for a second before sneaking out when she picks up the water running.

Who doesn’t open the door all the way when they think an intruder is in the house?

You just have to be happy it was only Wanda.

///////

“SOMEONE PLEASE!” The filth sobs as her voice echoes back to her.

Wanda smirks.

Don’t worry, it will all be over very soon.

[fuck-customers]

Fuck being a manager. It sucks. Is it worth the pay raise? Unsure.

Side note I'm the kind of manager who is also like fuck management, fuck corporate, the employees deserve more recognition bc they're doing the work, that kind of thing.

But customers will find out you're a manager and instantly complain about whatever bullshit they pick that day.

Some dumb shit I've heard:

1. Cashier was too fast

2. Cashier was too slow

3. Cashier wasn't fluent in Spanish (we are in Connecticut) the cashier in question knew enough to get by.

4. The fish was too expensive and I specifically should mark it down bc its "just fish"?

5. The ground beef was too bloody (???)

6. Not enough parking spaces close to the doors cuz I def have control over that

7. Someone who does not have a handicap sticker parked in the handicap spot (pls don't do that but also wtf am I supposed to do)

8. A baby is being too loud and I need to kick them out (no way. At this point the baby was singing the ABCs and not screaming so it was cute actually stfu)

9. There's dust on this shelf so everything here must me expired (the bottom shelf gets dusty bc sweeping.)

10. The card reader is too loud

11. The construction outside is too loud

12. We don't sell (insert product here) and I must have control over orders (i dont)

13. A customer smells like weed and I should kick them out (no)

14. Its too hot. Or too cold. Or too dry. Or too whatever.

15. The cream cheese was too high on the shelf

16. The red light in the intersection outside takes too long

17. A customer smells like they haven't showered in months and I need to kick them out (no)

18. We don't sell loose lemons only in the bag of 5. Cuz I have control over our merch.

19. The carts are too loud and squeaky

20. They don't like seeing employees cleaning anything how dare they sweep during open hours.

So many more but I hit 20.

Like what is it that makes a customer want to bitch about anything at all to a manager? Why can't you tell me that the cashier was nice so that I can leave a note for my boss? These things don't fucking matter at all usually. I'll handle a co plaint if its valid. If its bs like this I'm gonna just ignore it. Maybe write it down to send it to this blog.

Fuck. I'm over it. Tell me what we're doing right for once okay?

Also sorry if some shit didn't make sense I currently have a fever and nothing is coming out right

I hope you feel better soon.

-Rodney

[deathbecomesthem]

Author's Note: This is a second person POV story based on a very real experience in my own life. At 19, in 2001, I got pregnant and had an abortion. I have zero regrets about that decision. This is the first time I've sat down and written about this experience from start to finish. Originally, I thought I would turn this into a fanfic, but it didn't feel right.

TW: Unwanted pregnancy, vomiting, abortion, fear, pain, uncertainty, and loneliness. Am I forgetting something? I hope not. This is not an easy read, but please read it. We need more real stories about abortion in the world.

*Do not send me hugs. Do not tell me you're sorry. | ~5K words

---

“You ok, Chicken?” Your mom’s voice echoes in the narrow bathroom, barely muffled by the hollow laminate door. “I can get you some water or Pepto.”

“I’m ok. I’ll be out in a minute.” Bile slicks up your tongue while you squeeze the words out of your mouth. You swallow it back. And then again. You’re suddenly very grateful to be in your mother’s bathroom where it still smells of bleach from frequent cleaning rather than the mouse infested apartment you’ve been staying in for the last year. Just a short stopover in your childhood home that happens to coincide with this personal hell you’re living in.

The vomiting is not what clued you in. It’s not the reason you made that trip to the pharmacy, despite never keeping track of your cycle like a “normal” woman. You just knew. Your body began to feel alien at some point, you felt held captive by something. Everything smelled. The water pouring from the tap in your kitchen, acorns scattered on the back patio, his skin sweat slicked and heated. You could smell everything so much more, as if that small cluster holding court in your gut was reaching through your senses already.

Yesterday morning while you hurled up the coffee flavored stomach acid into your mother’s toilet, a daily habit you’d happily break if you could, you heard her in her bedroom talking on the phone. Your aunt Deanna called, and your mother’s whispered gossip could easily be heard by your overly sensitive ears. “Poor little thing, she’s been so sick lately. I think she might need to see a doctor…. What? No. No, absolutely not that.”

Sorry, mom, but it can be that. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the thing that your aunt had suggested over the phone line. The woman living 500 miles away could see the thing so plainly, and yet you and your mother refused to acknowledge it. But that was the thing that pushed you to the pharmacy. The idea that it would be found out, and very soon, if you didn’t get a handle on it.

Two pink lines. Dark pink. Unmistakably two of them. You shoved the plastic test back into its wrapper. You opened the drawer of your dresser and shoved the test behind the dust rose colored Bible. You threw a bra on top of it. You looked down into the drawer and examined it closely. Nothing intriguing that might make someone, your mother, look twice and fiddle around. You’ll take the evil thing to work with you tomorrow and throw it into the giant metal dumpster where only the neighborhood racoons might stumble upon it.

As if it matters. That thing only tells you the truth of the situation, and throwing it away won’t change it. You rest your hand on your stomach and close your eyes. You try to make yourself feel something. You try to conjure images of bottles and stretchmarks. You think about him and wonder. None of it reaches you in any meaningful way, and your mind is suddenly resolute. You’re going to get an abortion as soon as possible, even if it means you max out the only credit card you have to your name.

Brrrrnnngg

You jump at the sound of the phone on your bedside table ringing. The digital clock reads 1:24, and you already know who will be on the end of the line before you pick it up. You’ve been putting him off for over a week. You plan to continue to put him off until the thing is done. You want him away from it, you don’t want him to see any of it. It’s not for him.

“Hello.” 

“Hello. How are we feeling today?” His voice has an immediate effect on you. It does every time. It’s too perfect to be contained in a memory, so when you hear it, it’s always a shock to your system. It zings through you.

“Oh, feeling like a dried husk. Not great. I’m sorry. Maybe next weekend I’ll be up for something.” 

“Mmm. You said that last weekend. I already told you, I don’t mind just hanging out at your place. We can watch movies, and I can pretend to not notice when you go puke your guts out or whatever.” His words come out in a whine. It’s a technique that often works with you, and he knows it.

“I don’t think that’s a great idea. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next week, I expect to feel better by the weekend.” These things are both true and a lie. Not quite all of either. And you know that an appointment on Thursday morning will mean that by Friday evening you’ll likely feel like shit - but it will be over. And that’s the only thing that matters.

He lets out a dramatic sigh, but it’s not meant as anything more than a silly thing. He misses you, and that’s sweet. He’s sweet. You want to keep him that way.

—

“You know, women my age fought for your right to do that. I support you completely,” your boss looks up at you from the chair in her tiny office carved into the center of the coffee house between the dining room and the kitchen. “Just this one time, though. Don't let this happen again.” Her hand finds yours and she squeezes it. 

“I won’t, Nancy. Thank you. I should be able to work by Monday.” You back away, letting her hand drop. “I don’t want anyone to know.” 

She waves her hand and assures you, “I know. I will never say anything about it again. Like it never happened.”

Like it never happened. You think about that while you make your way to the front of the coffee house, slipping on the wet tile as you pass the espresso machine. You see them sitting at a table in the center of the dining room and make your way towards them. You’re wishing for more privacy, and hope that, for once, the people in this place will focus on the conversations happening at their own tables. Keep their minds on the books held up to their noses. You sit in the uncomfortable vinyl covered chair and smile weakly at the two women in front of you. Barely friends, but the only ones you know will help you.

“Tomorrow morning. It’s supposed to be at 11, but they want me there at 9. We should leave by 8.” You’re just rattling off information while Bri, the person that’s taking you to your appointment the following morning nods along while her pen glides across the small notebook in front of her. “It should really only be a couple of days before I’m pretty much back to normal.”

“I need you to understand that this is a serious medical procedure,” these are the first words that Tesa has spoken since you sat down. She’s older than most of the people in this circle of friends, and a med student. “You’re going to need some care.”

You look down at the wooden table and nod slowly, considering. You’re going to need some care. That’s true, you’re sure, but also not something you can worry about. 

“Yeah, I know. I’ve got the weekend off. I’ll do everything they tell me I need to do, don’t worry.” You keep doing this. You keep finding yourself reassuring people around you while barely holding yourself upright. You want to shrivel up. You want someone to cradle you and brush your hair. Instead, you reassure - yes, I know what I’m doing. Yes, I’ll be careful. Yes, I’ll take care of myself. Don’t worry. Don’t worry. Don’t worry.

“I really think you should tell him what’s happening. He should be the one to take you tomorrow, and take care of you. You don’t want this to be a secret you have to keep from him.” Tesa continues in a worried tone. You open your mouth to respond, to explain again that you’re not going to do that, when Bri breaks in.

With a hand on your knee and a small scowl on her face aimed at her girlfriend sitting beside you, she says, “I support your decision completely. You don’t have to tell him anything if you don’t want to. It’s your choice, and I’ll take care of you.”

—

Bri picks you up in her small, black Ford Escort promptly at 8 in the morning. You nod at each other and say nothing. It’s quiet, and the highways are empty. Bri doesn’t turn the radio on, she just allows the quiet to stretch and expand. You let it swallow you up. You let your ears focus on the sound of the car bumping along the ridges in the road. You let your ears focus on the hum of the engine. It’s already getting hot on this early September morning, but neither you nor your driver reach for the window cranks. 

You’re halfway to your destination when you first wonder how Bri knows the way. It’s not a common destination, a clinic in one of the larger outskirt cities that circle the big one on the lake. She must have studied a map, you assume. It should feel strange to be in this situation with her, someone you’ve only known from behind a counter or at your sister’s monthly board game night, but it doesn’t. She is a force of steady calm, and your heart aches with it.

After exiting the highway, it’s only 3 short turns until the car is facing the very ordinary looking office building. No signs out front to announce the purpose of the place, just a building next to dozens of other buildings that look nearly identical. Except for the man standing alone with a cardboard sign hanging out of his hand. He has a lazy stance, and you close your eyes. You hope against hope that he doesn’t clock the fact that a car is pulling into the parking lot beside him. You’re going to have to walk back across his spot on the sidewalk to get to the front door of the building.

Bri pulls her car into a spot as far from the sidewalk as possible and turns to say, “I want you to walk on the inside, ok? It’s going to be fine.” Her voice never wavers, and you believe her. It will be fine. You barely even hear his voice when he finally realizes he’s missing his opportunity. Baby killer and whore are weakly lobbed in your direction, ineffectual to a mind already numb from the thing set out in front of it.

You walk, side by side, up two flights of stairs and find the door you’re meant to go through. It’s shocking to see the waiting room already half full. This is the only clinic in the greater metro area in a state that’s less than friendly to the needs of women. You sign in while Bri takes a seat opposite a very pregnant woman with, you’re assuming, her husband. You don’t let yourself think about what that means. And then you wait, both you and your chaperone with paperbacks to pretend to read.

“I told him,” you can’t help but listen to the woman sitting in the corner seats. She’s older than you by at least 5 years, and sitting cross-legged in the plastic chair, “I ain’t payin’ this time. I can’t afford it. He can either pay for me to come down here, or he can pay for another baby.” Her friend is nodding in agreement.

The thought of having to make multiple trips to this place makes your stomach lurch. You look up to see the very pregnant woman looking at the one speaking in the corner. There’s no expression on her face, she’s just looking for something to focus on outside of the hand she has rested on her swollen belly. 

The very pregnant woman is the first to get called back. You hold your book up to hide your face, despite the fact that no one’s looking at it. The minutes pass like hours, and the hours like days. Time becomes meaningless, and the woman in the corner never deviates from the conversation that she keeps with her friend. Time becomes meaningless, so when your name is finally called 5 hours later, you’ve nearly forgotten why you’re sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chair in this too cold waiting room. Bri offers you a smile and a nod, and returns to her paperback while you’re led back through a door.

The first stop is the counter just inside the waiting room door. A young woman with a pixie cut has you read papers and sign them. Injury, sterilization, death… just things that may or may not happen at the end of your day. You sign without a second thought. You get out your credit card, and don’t think about the $500 you don’t have to pay for this today. You just swipe it, and sign again.

The lady that escorted you from the waiting room leads you down to the end of the hallway. “First things first, we get a picture, ok?” You say ok without understanding what you’re agreeing to. You’ll agree to anything to get to the end of this thing.

You sit in a chair that closely resembles the one you sit in at your dentist’s office. A small woman comes through an open door next to the chair, she has a radiant smile on her face. “Hello, how are you?” Her heavy accented voice is sweet and calm. Everyone here is calm. “Sit tight for a minute, ok? This won’t take long.”

She moves your shirt up in a quick move, tucking it under your bra, and pushes down your sweatpants a little. “A little cold,” she says as she squirts a bit of gel on your low abdomen. It’s something you should have noticed, the fact that there’s a machine against the wall next to the big chair. You’re too focused on existing moment to moment, you can’t be worried about things that other people will worry about for you.

The woman runs a wand attached to a cord that leads back to the machine at your back. “Oh, look at that. Almost nothing there at all,” the woman pulls the machine up so you can see the monitor. A black and white image is in front of you, “we have to do an ultrasound, that’s the law. But you’re maybe not even 6 weeks. Nothing there, not really.” She’s right, you can’t even see the thing that she’s talking about, and she doesn’t bother to point it out. She just puts the wand away and wipes your belly. 

The other woman, the one that led you back to this place, is suddenly at your side again and ready to take you through another door. This one is an office. No one tells you where you’re going, and that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. Each place is another step closer to the end of this thing. 

“Take a seat, this will only be a few minutes.” A new woman sits behind a desk and points to a chair in front of her. You sit obediently. “So, why are you getting an abortion today?” 

Your face must have given something away, some sort of concern or frustration because she’s quick to add, “a counseling session is legally required before you can get an abortion in this state. I promise, I’m not here to judge you in any way.”

You nod your head in understanding and decide that this is someone you can tell the whole truth to. She doesn’t care, and this is the work she does. So you tell her, “I don’t want a baby. I can’t afford it, and I don’t want it.”

“You know the risks involved in the procedure? You read the waivers?” The woman asks while looking down at a piece of paper in front of her. It’s some kind of checklist that needs to be completed before you can move to the next room.

“Yes. I know the risks, and I understand them.”

“Does the father know you’re here?” The woman asks, and it’s the first time someone’s managed to break through the wall you built up around yourself since you entered this building.

“No. I’m not telling him.” 

“Well, we really recommend you tell the father. It’s not something you should go through alone unless there’s a really good reason.” She looks up at you, sees your face, and looks back down to her paper. She makes a couple of notes and says, “as you know, abortion access is at risk, now more than ever. We ask that you consider volunteering your time in some way to help the cause if you can.” She stands and hands you a brochure before heading to the door to let the first woman, your guide, back into the room. “Good luck, you’ll be fine.”

Your guide leads you back down the hallway, past the door to the waiting room, past the chair with the ultrasound, and into a room with lockers. “You can put on a gown. Everything comes off, but you can keep on your socks” she points to a stack of hospital gowns on a shelf on the far wall, “and leave your things in locker 12. Once you've changed, head through that door, “she points to a door opposite the one you’re standing in, “and the nurse and doctor will be in for your procedure shortly.”

She leaves and you head over to the stack of gowns. Small, medium, and large. You grab the size you think is right, and realize you’re still holding onto the pamphlet that the last lady, the hippy, handed you. You look at it for a second and wonder what to do with it before remembering locker 12. It’s fast after that. You walk over to your locker and set the paper down before stripping off your clothing and donning an all-too-familiar paper gown. Your feet are immediately cold when they hit the tile floor with only a thin piece of fabric protecting the bottom of your feet. You move quickly through the door to the dark room and instinctively move to take your spot on the exam table. 

You don’t notice the instruments. You don’t notice the machine. You just sit and wait. Those are things that you don’t need to worry about, and you’re thankful for that. A woman comes in, a new woman, with a surgical mask over her face and pale pink scrubs. She says something and you nod. You don’t know what she says, and it doesn’t really matter. She encourages you to lay back on the table and begins to move things around on the table at your side.

And then he comes through the door. A tall man in green scrubs, a surgical mask over his face. He introduces himself, but you won’t remember the name he gives you. He’s just the doctor, and that’s fine. You’re surprised to find how quickly things go when he enters the room, but his time is probably at a premium in a place like this. 

The doctor is positioned at your feet when he says, “this will pinch a bit. Only a little, and it will be quick, ok?” 

What does he know about it? Nothing, you realize, as he works inside of you. It’s loud, the machine at your side, and it doesn’t pinch. It hurts. It’s painful, and you’re no stranger to pain. Pain has taken up residence in your body many times over the years, but this is a new one. This is a cousin to the pain that you’ve come to know, something stranger than you’re used to. A deep ache inside of you in a place that you don’t know well at all.

“It hurts,” you say. You don’t mean to say it, but you do anyway. It’s as if you need him to know that he’s wrong, and that it does hurt. It’s not a pinch, it’s a pull. The nurse finds your hand, and holds it tightly.

“Oh, nah. It doesn’t hurt. You’re fine.” The man in the scrubs says back to you, oblivious to the tears that are rolling down your cheeks. He’s too busy probing and scraping and sucking with that thing in his hand. “It’s almost over.”

You don’t bother telling him again that it hurts. You close your eyes and sob. You let tears roll down your face, and wail. You release the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, along with that cluster of cells that would have - if left alone - changed your life completely. You will leave these things in this room, and find that you don’t miss them.

10 minutes. That’s how long you sit on the exam table with a doctor between your legs. 10 minutes and you’re led to yet one more room. Three other women sit in big recliners, packs of ice sitting in their laps. You’re handed your own when you gingerly rest yourself on your own chair. 

A young woman hands you a paper cup full of water and 2 pills. “For your pain,” she says, “You can take 2 more Advil in 6 hours. You should do that for the next couple of days to stay ahead of it.”

The time in the recovery room moves faster than the time in the waiting room. You don’t think about Bri sitting alone with her paperback in her hand. You’ll never really know how long you sat there before they finally let you get up and move back to the changing room. You’d forgotten about the pamphlet hiding under your bra, but you take it. You don’t even consider putting it in the wastebasket on your way out, or simply leaving it in the locker for the next woman to find.

Leaving the clinic is quick compared to entering. No hurdles. No credit card machines, ultrasounds, or counselors. Just stairs and a door. The pain is worse than you thought it would be, and you think about the way that Tesa had looked at you in the coffee shop yesterday. She tried to prepare you for a thing that can’t be prepared for. You don’t notice the small group of people that have joined the lone man with the cardboard sign, too tired and sore to hear their poisonous words.

Back in the car, you speak the first words to Bri that you’ve spoken today. “Can we stop at a gas station? I’m out of smokes.”

“Sure, Honey. You wait in the car and rest.”

—

“Hey, how are you feeling?” He’s asking the question before he’s even fully entered your room and closed the door. 

You’re laying in your bed, waves of pain traveling through your gut and pelvis. He was so easy to convince, you didn’t even have to lie well. Seeing a smile sit sweetly on his face fills your eyes with tears.

“I’m ok. Just hurts.” You tell him. He climbs into the bed with you, and wraps you up in his arms. It’s a mistake, letting him come over so soon afterwards. Hormones compound the pain and trauma. He reminds you that your loneliness is a self imposed thing. He reminds you that you didn’t even let him try to do the right thing. 

So, while he has you wrapped tight in his arms you tell him. You feel his arms go slack while he takes in your words. He says nothing. He listens with loose arms that hold you lightly. He doesn’t say a thing for the rest of his time with you. You stay in his arms, and the silence ricochets off the walls of your childhood bedroom.

[rblackdeco]

evan or barty comforting the reader after they hear someone talking about them??

Catharsis

— pairing: barty crouch jr x reader

— a/n: hii, thank you for the request!! you didn't specify if you wanted that platonic or romantic, so it can be read either way! also i chose barty because this is a little self indulging and i took it in a bit of an other direction, hope it's okay anyway

— warnings: inciting violence (because it's barty), reader (literally) breaks a tv (don't try this at home please), not proof read

When the bedroom door unlocks with a soft click, you don't know who you'd expect to enter, but definitely, it was not Barty. He walks over to you, eyes falling to your watery ones as he gives you a smile, only a bit softer than usual. "So, who do I need to beat?" He asks, sitting on the floor by your side without a care in the world.

"Nobody." You sniff, chuckling softly. "Good to know you're up for it though."

"Yeah, hell I am." You can tell his a bit stiffer too, he's not used to the whole thing, you think. Comforting people, being gentle with them, it was never Barty's strength. "Wanna talk about it? Or smash a tv?" You frown, his offer is tempting, but strange.

"Whose tv?" You ask, laughing softly. The sound is almost a huff, the only hint of humor in the soft curls of your lips.

"Don't worry about it." He smirks, propping himself up on his feet and holding out a hand for you, his eyes exhibiting a dangerous glint to them. "So, you wanna smash a tv? We can find the fucker's house too if you feel like breaking a window."

And yeah, maybe you do.

For Barty's credit, he did tell you you could break a tv. Still, you're a bit surprised as he walks you to his backyard and a full television stands on two bricks, looking brand new except from a few scratches on the led screen. Barty smirks at your reaction. "It's like a rage room, but I don't have a room to worry about cleaning up after." He explains, picking a bat from the floor and swirling it lazily, pretending to hit an invisible ball.

"Did you steal this?" You can't help but ask. Following after him, you can't help but notice the glass shards and wood splinters littering the floor, as well as a few bottle necks here and there.

"Of course not!" He feigns offense like the worst actor in the world. "It was on Evan's flat when he moved, but it's broken. Also, it reeks of beer, he thinks the bastard that owned it dumped a few cans on it and it broke down. He said it's not worth fixing, thus this baby sitting on my yard."

You only nod. Breaking a tv with Barty was not how you imagined your day would end, but you were not one to complain. At least you weren't crying yourself to sleep in your room.

"So, what's it gonna be, princess?" You open your mouth to ask what he's talking about, only to see him holding out the baseball bat and another brick on his hands. "Choose your weapon." You pick the baseball bat, and he handles you a pair of safety googles, to which you raise a brown. "What? I'm not an animal." As soon as you've secured the googles on your eyes, Barty lowers his own. "To who do we own the honor?"

You know what he's asking, the name has been stuck in your throat since he first asked, aching to get out like an ich you can't reach. You don't mean to feel as frustrated as you do with them, but you can't help yourself. You shout their names loudly, raising your bat in the air.

"And their little fucking shit talking friends!" Barty completes loudly, because of course he cracked it the moment he saw your state, raising a crow bar in the air, red painting chipped at both ends, you're not sure why or how he came do possess one of those, but you don't question either.

Instead, you swing your bat in the air, smashing the tv screen with a loud noise, glass shattering at your feet. Barty smiles by your side, and for a moment, you forget why you were so upset in the first place.

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Oh i have a modern sihtric idea! Animal carer Sihtric where he's not the biggest fan of animals but all animals enjoy his company. He can handle grumpy cats and bratty birds while Finan only gets along with happy cheerful excited dogs. Uhtred gets hissed at all the time😂

Warnings: mention of an evil parrot.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

Summary: see request and: You work in an animal shelter and, against your will, you're suddenly working with three new men.

Word count: 3,1k

Note: the ending is rather open. I felt this story would either have a rushed ending if I tried to wrap it up or it would become waaaay too long. And I guess I also left the option open to possibly return to this if anyone seems to enjoy it. This was just a little fun thing to write!

taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylas-the-grim @heimtathurs @bubbles-for-all-of-us

'The parrot is right.'

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

'You want me to deal with that bunch?' you grimaced at the sight of two strange men on the other side of the room, 'why me?'

'You've been here the longest, apart from me, but I don't have the time to teach them. Nor the patience,' your boss, Thyra, admitted.

'Oh, and I have?'

'I hope so.'

'Who are they and why are they even here?'

You watched Thyra flip some papers on her clipboard.

'That guy on the left, his name is Uhtred. What a strange name. Anyway, the Irish man is called Finan and… there should be another guy named Sihtric, but he hasn't shown up yet. Big surprise,' she sighed, 'but they'll be here only a few days… for community service.'

'What?!' 

'I know, I know! I didn't want them at first either, but it's nothing bad. I mean, nothing to be scared of.'

'What on earth did they do?'

'Apparently,' Thyra giggled, 'they stole a holy relic from a church and they got caught.'

'You're kidding?' you started to laugh.

'I knew you'd be amused at that,' she grinned.

'But how did they end up here? This is an animal shelter, shouldn't they volunteer at that church?'

'That was the plan, but the church doesn't want them. And since we need the help, I accepted the request. So,' Thyra patted you on the back, 'good luck!'

'Well, thanks,' you scoffed.

'Oh,' Thyra stopped at the door, 'they always show you a picture of the people who come to work, so they can't send someone else in their place, and,' she paused to give you a smile, 'I hope that other guy shows up. I think he's your type,' she winked, 'he has tattoos.'

'What? What is that supposed to mean?!' you called after her, but she only gave you another wink and left.

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

'Okay, so, now that you know who I am and what we do here, are you two ready?' you smiled.

Finan nodded and Uhtred gave you a hesitant smile.

'Okay, let's go. Uhtred, you can clean the enclosures. Finan, I think you'll do good helping my colleague, feeding the animals.'

You sent both men on their way and quickly noticed that Finan was good with overly excited dogs, and you chuckled when you figured that Finan actually had the same energy. As for Uhtred… well, let's just say Uhtred tried. Uhtred did his job well, it was just that the animals didn't seem to like him. You told Uhtred that animals can sense fear, to which Uhtred quickly said he wasn't scared. But you saw the terror in his eyes when he faced that one vile parrot that had been in the shelter for years already, and you expected Uhtred to gain a few more scars the next couple of days.

You let them do their job and went back to your own duty, walking a few dogs. But before you could leave, you were stopped as a handsome man entered the shelter, looking sleepy and a little lost. You saw his face had a couple of scars and soon your eyes spotted a tattoo in his neck, and you figured this was probably the guy Thyra told you about.

'H-hi,' you stammered when he looked at you, 'can I… can I help you?'

'Eh,' the man smiled and a rosy colour appeared on his cheeks, 'I- I'm here for my community service.'

'Oh!' you blushed too, 'yeah, I was told we, eh, were missing one guy.'

You held out your hand and introduced yourself, albeit with a lot of tripping over your words, and the blushing man seemed to have the same issue.

'Nice to - to meet y-you. I- I'm Sihtric, lady.'

'Sihtric,' you smiled, still holding his hand, which he didn't seem to realise either, and your eyes darted over his toned arms, 'you're like an animal, I mean, I mean… you, d-do you like animals?'

'I actually do not, lady, not really,' he chuckled lightly, still holding your hand, 'I apologise.'

'Well… maybe, maybe you'll learn to l-like them… or something,' you felt yourself get lost in his eyes once you noticed they were two different colours. You only snapped out of your trance when you heard Finan mimic the bark of a very happy golden retriever, and you finally let go of Sihtric's hand. You both looked away and cleared your throat while looking red in the face.

'S-so I was about to walk the dogs. M-maybe you could help with that? We have a-a great Dane, a lovely dog, but huge and doesn't really listen. He dragged me over the street once already, so maybe you,' you looked at Sihtric's muscular arms again and sighed when you thought about how he would have to flex those while walking the dog, 'y-you could…maybe, flex- I mean help! H-help with that dog.'

'I, eh, I suppose,' Sihtric chuckled.

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

When you just started your walk with the dogs, the great Dane was overly excited and Sihtric really had to showcase his strength to not let the dog escape, but he did it with grace. And it made you weak to your knees. Luckily, soon all dogs seemed to calm down, especially the great Dane, and the dog didn't seem to stray far from Sihtric, and if he did, Sihtric would whistle and the dog obeyed immediately. You didn't even know the dog could do that.

'I can't believe he's actually calm,' you smiled in disbelief, 'who are you, the dog whisperer? He really seems to like you.'

Sihtric chuckled and patted the great Dane on his head, 'I don't know,' he smiled, 'maybe it's because we're both Danes,' he joked.

'You're a Dane?'

'I am, lady. Maybe the dog knows,' he winked, 'and… I guess I might be a little fond of him as well.'

'Really?' you raised an eyebrow, 'and a few hours ago you told me you didn't like animals.'

Sihtric shrugged with a sly smile and continued to pet the dog. You looked at them and thought how Sihtric would be the perfect person to adopt this dog. They say dogs tend to resemble their owners, and that's exactly what you saw. The dog's fur was smooth and dark, he was well built, friendly but clumsy, shy at first but curious and simply won over your heart in no time. And Sihtric, with his dark, long hair tied together, his muscular body and his dazzling smile gave you the same energy.

'What's his name?' Sihtric asked, crouched down next to the dog.

'Oh, sorry, I never told you. It's Thor.'

'It is?' Sihtric's eyes grew big and looked up at you. Then he looked back at the dog and reached into his shirt. He pulled out his necklace and clutched it in his hand. You weren't sure why, it was only moments later when Sihtric got back up that you saw his pendant. Thor's hammer. And you couldn't help but smile.

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

When you and Sihtric got back to the shelter it was almost time for the men to leave already. You placed the dogs back in their enclosures and took out one of the recently brought in kittens. You had grown fond of the little thing and simply couldn't leave her alone. You held the cat in your arms while you thanked the men for doing their jobs today and looked forward to seeing them tomorrow, and unless they wished to stay longer today, they could go home now. Finan, with his thick accent, told you how he had loved the dogs and was excited to come back again. Uhtred, who was hissed and scratched at, gave you a polite but fake smile and mumbled that he'd see you again tomorrow. The two men left while Sihtric seemed to linger around a little longer before he awkwardly walked over to you.

'I, eh, I- I was wondering if, if maybe I could, eh,' he stammered, 'I- I just wonder how it would work if I were to, you know, want to look into … adopting a pet.'

'Really?' you smiled widely, 'eh, it requires some paperwork and rules, but, I-I can tell you some stuff about it tomorrow, if you like?

'Yeah, yeah,' Sihtric blushed, 'I-I'd like that.'

'Me too,' you felt your own cheeks reddened too, and you both quickly focused your attention on the kitten in your arms, 'would you like to hold her?' you blurted out.

'I-I don't think I'm good with animals,' Sihtric said.

'Are you sure?' you chuckled, 'you seemed great today. Here,' you said and handed him the young cat, 'try.'

Sihtric tensed up and awkwardly took the cat in his arms. The cat, however, seemed completely at ease rather fast and nestled against his chest as he held her. You almost squealed at the sight of Sihtric, the muscular "thief", with Freya, the white fluffy kitten, all cuddled up in his arms. And you saw Sihtric slowly relax and his face softened into a shy smile when he chuckled.

'I think animals just love you,' you said as you stepped closer to pet Freya.

'It seems,' Sihtric smiled, watching Freya while you petted her. As you petted the kitten, you accidentally brushed your fingers against Sihtric's arm.

'Oh, sorry,' you blushed and looked up at him, to find he was already looking at you, and you both stopped breathing for a moment when you locked eyes. You could just kiss him right there, and you felt he thought the same when you saw his eyes trail down to your lips. But then Thyra walked in and you both took a step back quickly.

'H-hey,' you greeted her and cleared your throat, pretending to look for something that wasn't there while you tried to hide your red cheeks. But you were lucky that Freya drew all the attention to her right away, so you didn't have to feel awkward much longer. 

Eventually Sihtric brought Freya to her enclosure, and you saw how he stopped by Thor, the great Dane, to pet him before walking back over to you.

'I was actually thinking,' Sihtric mumbled slightly, 'maybe… maybe you could, if-if you want, m-maybe explain the adopting procedure to me, eh, while y-you maybe get a-a, a drink with me?'

Sihtric quickly looked down at his feet and sighed, feeling he completely fucked that up.

'Oh,' you said softly and felt flustered again, 'I-I would actually… like that, but… I-I have to work here until later tonight.'

'Oh,' Sihtric said and shook his head, 'no, it's okay. I-I understand.'

'But,' you quickly said, 'maybe… I mean, if the offer is still standing tomorrow, then I-I'd like to, to get a drink with… you, yes.'

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

The next morning you were anxious to see Sihtric again. You had agreed to get a drink together after work, but you still felt he might cancel it. There was no way he could be interested in you, you thought. And as you arrived at the shelter, usually being the first to do so, you found Sihtric, smoking a cigarette, while waiting for you near the entrance.

'My type,' you muttered in your car as you studied his side profile, 'you're not wrong, Thyra, I just wish he didn't smoke,' you chuckled to yourself before you got out.

'Sihtric?' you smiled, 'you're early. And also you can't smoke here,' you grinned.

'Oh,' he chuckled, 'sorry, lady.' And he threw the cigarette away before he turned to face you.

'Oh, god!' you said when you saw his hair, 'what happened to you?' you snorted, 'I mean, oh, sorry, I don't mean it badly! I-I just… I didn't… expect this to…,' you coughed slightly.

'It's fine,' Sihtric chuckled and rolled his eyes, 'I actually only wanted to shave the sides, but I messed up. I either had to go completely bald or,' he shrugged, 'make the most of this.'

'Oh, god,' you snorted again and took a step closer, inspecting his half shaved head. You saw he had a small braid with beads in it, and on the other side of that braid he still had his longer curls, 'Actually,' you smiled with a blush, 'it's kinda cool.'

'You don't have to lie, lady,' Sihtric laughed.

'I would never,' you said and couldn't help but look away and bite down on your lip. Goddamnit, you thought, he looks really good.

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

After Finan and Uhtred arrived later, and had finally stopped laughing at Sihtric's haircut, you put them all to work again. Today Finan was to walk the dogs with a colleague, and because Uhtred had taunted Sihtric the most, you told Uhtred he was to feed the evil parrot again, much to his disgrace. 

You nudged Sihtric and told him to watch. You both stood at safe distance while Uhtred closed in on the parrot's cage.

'You're a good bird,' Uhtred kept saying, to which you and Sihtric already giggled. You watched Uhtred cautiously open the enclosure, and just as you expected, the parrot started screaming curse words to Uhtred.

'Did he just call me arseling?' Uhtred yelled back to you.

'The parrot is right,' Sihtric whispered to you, and you both couldn't stop laughing while Uhtred kept being cursed at by the hostile bird. After a few minutes you thought it was enough and told Sihtric you'd help Uhtred, but Sihtric was quick to offer his help too.

'Are you sure? The bird is pure evil,' you laughed, 'I'm serious.'

'I'm sure,' Sihtric smiled, and you beckoned him to follow you.

'Okay, try to get him out then. We need to clean the cage,' you told Sihtric.

Uhtred quickly stepped away and you told him he should go and feed the rest of the animals, you'd take care of the bird.

And to your surprise, and Sihtric's, the parrot grew rather quiet when he approached. Sihtric held his hand out, a little nervously, but you gave him an encouraging smile, and before you knew it the parrot calmly stepped onto Sihtric's hand.

'There is just no way,' you whispered, seeing the event unfold in front of you, 'that bird hates everyone. No one can get him out.'

Sihtric looked at you with a smirk and shrugged lightly.

'You're like… like Ace Ventura or something,' you laughed, and Sihtric definitely appreciated the joke and chuckled.

The rest of the day went by fast. Finan, once again, was completely in love with all the overly excited dogs, while Uhtred needed a few plasters after a cat named Brida had scratched him. Sihtric was given the task to clean the enclosures and every time you checked on him, you found him petting a different animal. And just like every animal at the shelter, you were also absolutely smitten by that man.

You wished the men a good evening again and like the day before, Uhtred and Finan left while Sihtric waited around, but this time he was waiting to take you out for a drink. You quickly got changed in some comfortable clothes and met up with him outside the shelter.

He took you to a quiet, local bar where you came to realise that Sihtric was just all kinds of interesting. And attractive. You explained him how the adoption process goes, and if he was really serious about it, you could help him get approved. Sihtric said he'd love that, and soon after that you both chatted about all kinds of other things.

'So,' you said after a while, 'I have to ask this.'

'Ask what?' Sihtric raised his eyebrow with a half smile.

'Your community service,' you tried to hide your smile as Sihtric looked at you while he took a sip of his drink, 'a holy relic? Why?'

'Yeah,' Sihtric sighed and chuckled, 'in my defence, it wasn't my idea. It was Uhtred's. But,' Sihtric sighed and clicked his tongue, 'look,' he said curtly and locked eyes with you, 'I am not a real thief or anything, I am not a criminal. We were drunk, we passed the church as we walked home and we just thought it was a good idea,' he shrugged.

'But what did you steal? Or, well, try to steal?'

'A comb.'

'What?'

'An ivory comb.'

'Sihtric,' you snorted, 'you got arrested for stealing a comb?'

'St Cuthbert's ivory comb, yes.'

'Still a comb.'

'Uhtred said it's worth a lot of money.'

'Is it?'

'I don't know, lady,' Sihtric hissed playfully, 'we never got to sell it.'

'Oh my god!' you laughed, 'this is the most outrageous thing I have ever heard. I love it. But what were you going to do with the money? I mean, if it really was worth a lot?'

'I don't even know, I was drunk, okay,' Sihtric laughed.

'Who even is St Cuthbert?' you frowned.

'I have no idea, lady,' Sihtric snickered, 'I am a pagan.'

'You don't even know who you stole from? Jesus. Well, I hope it was worth it,' you smiled and shook your head.

'Yeah,' Sihtric smiled and looked at you, 'it was worth it.' 

You blushed and looked away when you understood he was flirting, and you didn't know what to do.

'Hey,' you finally said, 'I know you keep saying you don't like animals. But they clearly like you. Have you considered continuing working at the shelter after the community service? I mean, we could really use your help.'

'You know,' he sighed, 'I wouldn't mind. But, I need a paid job to live.'

'We have those too,' you said quickly, 'I get paid for example. It just depends on how many hours you can work. If you can work full time, you'll get a contract and a payment. But a lot of people only come in for one day a week, and those are the ones who volunteer.'

'Really?' 

'Yeah.'

'Hm, I might consider that,' he nodded, 'but would you want me to work there?'

'Maybe,' you blushed, 'you're the only one who has been accepted by the evil parrot.'

'Oh,' Sihtric laughed, 'is that all I'm good for?'

'Well, that and… y-you're good on the eye,' you blurted out, 'I mean good on the…the,' you sighed and buried your face in your hands, 'I can't talk myself out of that one, can I?'

'Nope,' Sihtric smiled and sat back, watching you in amusement as you tried to regain your confidence.

'But if it helps,' Sihtric smiled as he leaned in, 'I think you're good on the eye too.'

[star-girl69]

Ultraviolence

Natalie Scatorccio x Fem!Reader

—-

a/n: i hope you all enjoy!!

warnings: animal death, blood, knives, mentions of sex, death, murder, dead bodies, mentions of drugs, tell me if i missed anything!!

Chapter Nineteen - The Horses are Coming

Chapter Nineteen - The Horses are Coming

—-

2021-

While Natalie is off getting her big idea, Shauna stares at Adam’s dead body. That’s what his name is, you’ve now learned. Adam Martin, a struggling artist shacking up with a married woman.

Blood stains through the sheet you had placed over him, a little red blooming flower in the midst of his cold, neutral apartment.

Someone knocks on the door- but it’s more like banging, so Taissa takes the hand she was biting from her mouth and opens the door.

She scoffs and turns around.

Misty walks in carrying a bag of what you can only assume be cleaning supplies.

“Well, aren’t we a bunch of Gloomy Gusses. Who died?” she laughs, placing her bag on the counter. “No, but, seriously. Who is this guy?”

She leans down and pulls back the sheet, revealing a pale Adam Martin, his eyes still open.

“Misty. Really?” Shauna asks, looking at Natalie, unimpressed. “This is your big brainstorm?”

You sigh. “Tell me who else is gonna get us out of this?”

“Yeah,” Nat sneers. “Do you have a better idea?”

“I think what you mean to say is, ‘Hi, Misty. It’s so great to see you after all this time. Thanks for swinging by and helping us cover up a murder.’”

“Hi, Misty,” you say, wanting to stay on her good side. Adam Martin is not worth trouble with the law. She smiles.

“Why does everyone keep using that word?��� Shauna asks. “It’s not like I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Hmm. What am I gonna do today? Oh, I know, I’m find out my boyfriend is a creepy stalker and stab him to death.’” Taissa shoots her a look, silently saying to calm down. “I’m going to prison. I’m going to prison for the rest of my life.”

“No, you’re not. None of us are. As long as you listen to me and do exactly what I say. Okay? So, if you haven’t already turned off your phones-” she grabs her own from her pocket, hitting a few buttons- “I suggest you do that now. Where’s his?”

“I-I took it home, and I put it in my safe.”

“Okay, as soon as we’re done here, you’re gonna go home. You’re going to wipe it and destroy the SIM card. All right? And do the same thing to yours,” Misty nods to herself, studying the body. “I didn’t see any security cameras. Did anybody- neighbors- see you come in here?”

The few gathered around Adam’s body shake their heads.

“I-I don’t think so,” Shauna says after a moment.

“Okay, great! Then we’re just destroying evidence. Shauna, you’re the best with a knife, clearly,” she laughs, adjusting her glasses. “So you’ll handle the body.”

Silence around the circle.

“I mean cut it up.”

“Oh, God, are you okay to do that?” Tai asks.

“Yeah,” Shauna says after a moment.

“I’ll help you,” Nat says, sending Shauna a look you can’t help but frown at.

“So, then, it’s just us three on clean-up duty,” Misty smiles. You can’t help but cringe at the dead body. “Whew. Boy, he sure was a gusher, huh?”

—-

“Woah, I just got the craziest case of déjà-uv,” Misty chuckles, wringing out a bloody cloth in the sink.

“And here I thought the worst thing that was gonna happen to me this week was losing the election,” Taissa sighs.

“Really?” you ask, scrubbing hard a small bit of particularly stubborn dried blood. “I mean, you were always the smartest out of us. I thought you would win.”

“Yeah. And I voted for you,” Misty says. “And I only registered so I could get jury duty.”

Tai stands up and chuckles.

“When do they call the results?” you ask, standing up as well.

“Tomorrow,” she shifts on her feet, and the bathroom door creaks open. Shauna walks out, carrying a bright red bag at arms length. “Oh, God, is that the…?”

“The rest is, um, draining in the tub.”

“Okay, perfect. So, when that’s done, put it in his suitcase and bury it out at Hacklebarney Park. I’ve got a shovel in my trunk which you can borrow. I do want it back, and I also took the liberty of packing up seine of his clothes, some books and toiletries and stuff. And I’ll take this with me and get rid of if. That way, if anyone comes looking for him, it just looks like he went on a trip.”

“Then after that? What if an animal digs him up? What if a hiker’s dog sniffs him out?” Taissa says.

“Well, it won’t matter. I mean, torso’s are useless. Duh,” she chuckles. “That’s the whole point! You only have to worry about the head and the hands.”

“So, what’s the plan with those?” Nat asks, who you hadn’t seen walk in. She’s always been haunting you.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

“Misty,” you sigh, watching as she wipes her hands. “If we both weren’t covered in blood, I would hug you, you crazy bitch.”

She only smiles, proud.

—-

1996-

You and Natalie eventually made your way back to the cabin in the early hours of the morning, catch another hour of sleep in a more proper bed- a pile of blankets on the floor, rather than the cold ground.

Metal clatters near the fire as the two of you, Jackie, Coach Ben, Tai, Van, and Misty waited for the girls who had participated in the hunt to wake up and come back.

You watch Misty as she stares harshly at Ben, more so just glaring at him- not even trying to hide it. Your place your hand over Natalie’s on the porch and move closer to her, and she looks over.

“Hm?” she hums, letting her fingers press against yours against the hard wood of the porch you sit on.

“Misty’s insane,” you mutter, and she follows your gaze. She lets out a small snort, and you look back at her with a smile.

Why even have a heart if it’s not meant to get broken? Why even have a heart if it’s not meant to stay with you through the ups and downs? Why even have a heart if it’s not going to love her?

Slowly, the girls come through the woods and into the clearing around the cabin, covered in dirt and smeared makeup, their dresses torn and dirty. Lottie leads them, abandoning the weird crown she had been wearing last night.

“Hey, I, uh, I boiled some drinking water,” Coach Ben says. “If you guys are as hung over as I am.”

“Has anyone seen Jackie?” Shauna asks.

The porch creaks behind you. Everyone turns to find Jackie standing in the doorway.

You’re still not exactly sure what happened to her last night, but she looks scared- even still.

She crosses her arms as soon as she realizes who it is.

The two of them stare at each other, Shauna’s ruined makeup giving her a ghost-like look.

“I have nothing to say to you,” Jackie says after a moment, her face curling up into disgust. “To any of you. I mean, what the fuck?” she laughs.

“Yeah, like you’re so innocent,” Mari mutters.

“Hey! I’m not the one who went completely fucking insane last night.”

“Right, no. You were too busy screwing Travis,” Van says, sarcastically, and you notice that there’s no bandages or anything on her face.

“You had sex with Travis?” you ask, looking up at her and frowning. The entire night, it hadn’t been a secret that Jackie had wanted Travis, but you didn’t think that anything was going on between them was reciprocated.

Jackie rolls her eyes and scoffs. “Why is it any of your business?! He chose to have sex with me, okay?”

“Well,” Natalie starts, “You’re fucking announcing to everyone, Jackie, so I think that makes it everyone’s business.”

Jackie looks between the two of you and rolls her eyes.

“So, what? The two of you start fucking and decide you’re better than everyone else? Because you’re not. Travis was a lame fuck, Y/N is a two-faced bitch, and you, Natalie, are a slut-”

You look over a Natalie, who seems more pissed off than anything, but you’ve spent so much time with her in the wilderness- you can see the sadness in her eyes.

And as much as you tell yourself that it’s just Jackie taking out her hunger and embarrassment on everyone else-

“Hey!” Coach shouts. “I’m sure all of us did stuff last night that we regret, on account of the shrooms, but there’s no need for any of this. I think that the best thing for us to do is-”

“Wait, wait,” Shauna says, and you notice the confused looks on everyone’s faces. They must not know. And you didn’t know either, not until Natalie told you. “Shrooms?”

“Okay, yeah,” Van sighs, and you can’t help but look at Misty out of the corner of your eye. “That makes sense.”

Natalie places her arm around your shoulder, casually, and you find that it’s the easiest thing about this day. Touching her. Being with her.

“Oh, shit. The broth,” Tai sighs.

“You drugged us?” Akilah whispers to Misty.

“No. I didn’t.”

She stands up and takes a step forward.

“Okay, yeah, it was an accident. T-they were meant for Ben.”

“Oh, my God. Do you have any idea how crazy you are?” Mari asks.

“They were my mushrooms. And you stole them to put in your stupid soup. Besides, you know, none of this would have even happened if he wouldn’t have tricked me into falling in love with him!” she’s breathing heavily by the end of her speech.

“Oh, Misty, would you-” Coach Ben says, cringing.

“Wait. Stop!” Lottie shouts, and then you all hear it.

Something moves in the brush of the forest, rustles the trees ever so slightly- and if ever bring else wasn’t still, you would have thought it a gust of wind.

“Do you hear that?”

Everyone turns, and you and Natalie stand, listening to the rustling become louder, get closer-

“Holy fuck!” you screech, watching the bear emerge out of the forest, watching Natalie’s eyes light up in terror and blood lust.

The girls all start running to the porch, back into the cabin, and Natalie turns to run inside.

“Travis has the gun.”

Natalie looks over at Taissa, her eyes wide.

“What the fuck do you mean he has the gun? Where is he?!”

“We saw him,” Akilah says, and you look at Natalie, and she looks at you- and you get a suddenly flash of the night before.

And I-I wanna die with you, Natalie. I wanna die with you.

“Shauna,” Lottie whispers, standing in front of the bear in her white dress. “The knife.”

Shauna hands her the knife after she looks between the blade and the bear.

Lottie takes a step forward.

The group erupts into a small chorus of her name, a prayer, over and over again, telling her don’t.

But she doesn’t listen, and you watch Lottie, for some reason something nagging in your head, like the beginnings of a headache.

“We won’t be hungry,” you whisper, feeling like you should have said it ages ago.

Natalie grabs your hand and squeezes, hard, once then twice.

“Shh,” Lottie says, and the bear lets out a low snark as she steps forward, bordering on a roar.

Lottie and the best walk towards each other, until they meet. Until she’s close enough.

The bear lays down before her, onto the ground like a puppy dog. How could something so vicious and wild remind you of something like that is beyond you.

Lottie stares at the beast for a little longer, before raising the knife high, and bringing it down on the bear’s head.

It screams, as much as a bear can, and the pain in its voice that you know isn’t pain like you know makes tears well in your eyes.

Blood drips down the bear’s head like antlers.

Lottie steps back while the beast lets out a few more labored breaths, before it all stops, and the forest is silent again.

Your mouth waters.

—-

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[formula-fun]

Hi!!!!!!

So happy that you have found time to write again!

By now I have reread the story too many times so I have been trying to “force” your two amazing stories on my best friend in hopes of finding someone to scream together (I have successfully dragged her across most of the fandoms I have dabbled in) and she was very excited when I explained the plot and showed her my too-long asks on your tumblr to her 🤣

Of course she would love them as much as I do, and she would be running out of excuses for wips (hahahaha) when it looks like the final chapters might be happening!

Very very excited! Thank you so much for taking the time to write! 😘

Hey hey!!!

Aww thanks so much!! I know its not for everyone and wips sometimes arent everyones cup of tea either but i hope she likes it if she gives it a try!! ive had the wildest month in the world so im only now starting to clean them up, but really hoping to have them up soon before school gets crazy again <3

leaving a snippet here for you since i love it so so much but am unfortunately about to cut it!

In Brazil Max doesn’t even bother pretending he wants to use his own hotel room. Charles has only been settled for fifteen minutes when a polite knock rings through the room, and when he opens the door it’s to the sight of Max standing in front of it, tapping away on his phone, his backpack slung precariously over the handle of the suitcase resting beside him.

“Is the WiFi working for you?” he asks in lieu of a greeting, wandering past Charles when Charles steps aside.

“I don’t know,” Charles says, amused. “I just got here.”

“Oh. Same.” He flops backward onto the bed, his knees hanging over the edge, not looking up when his suitcase finally overbalances and falls to the floor with a clatter. He drops his phone somewhere over his head, stretching his arms until they shake. He looks lazy and content, easy with the way he’s made a place for himself in Charles’ space, like he knows he’s always welcome. Charles wants to get on the bed and crawl toward him, one palm on his sternum, and see what his mouth feels like against Charles’ upside down.

He swallows hard.

“Do you want to order room service?” Max asks him.

They have places to be. Charles is pretty sure they do, anyway. They always do. He and Max have been apart for barely ten hours. It’s not long enough to miss someone; not at all.

He lets Max pick up the menu and narrate it aloud to him, halfheartedly debating each item while Charles systematically empties his suitcase across the entirety of the room. Max finally toes his shoes off and slides backward to sit against the headboard, picking up the phone and fiddling with the cord as he orders them a ninety dollar pizza and a seventy dollar fruit tray and a fifteen dollar bottle of sparkling water, and then mumbles something about putting it on his room’s tab instead of Charles’, even though their teams foot the bills anyway. As soon as the phone thunks down into the cradle Charles drops the shirt he was pretending to fold and turns to crawl onto the bed and curl into Max’s side.  

Max’s hand settles on his waist, heavy and warm. “They said fifteen minutes,” Max tells him. His eyes are wide and soft.

Charles shakes his head. “That’s fine,” he answers. His chest feels too big—too full. Max is looking at him with a gentle kind of happiness, and when Charles thinks about him seeking Charles out and living in his space he feels too much. He doesn’t know what to do with it all.

He cups his face and kisses him in greeting, finally—means to keep it short and sweet, but Max pulls him closer immediately. It’s stupid; it shouldn’t feel the way it does, when they’ve barely been apart a day. It doesn’t matter.

He relaxes into Max’s hold a little too much, half-sprawled across his lap and unbalanced because of it. Max just rolls them until they’re laying sideways, their heads at the foot of the bed, kissing lazily all the while. Time turns soft and elastic, everything else drifting away, Charles caught somewhere in all the things they’re pressing against each other’s lips: hello’s and how are you’s and I missed you’s and I love you’s.

When a woman comes with the room service cart Charles has to get up and let her in with wobbly legs, his lips tingling. He winces behind her back when he registers her alpha scent as she passes him, a stark contrast to the happy tangle of Charles and Max’s scents that’s taken all of half an hour to permeate the room. There’s no way she doesn’t notice it, but she doesn’t say a word. Max gives her a bashful red-lipped smile and a tip that’s double the cost of their food, and Charles resists the urge to put his face in his hands.

[bundrops-n-fluffytops]

Welcome Home Agere Fic - Sleepover

Characters: Barnaby B. Beagle, Wally Darling, Home, slight mention of Sally Starlet

Setting: Home (kitchen, living room, bedroom, hallway, bathroom)

Premise: Wally is confident that he can handle things on his own, but one bad night makes it clear that he isn’t all that self-reliant. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, however, as his best friend Barnaby has all the help in the world.

Authors Note: My second fic!! Again treat it nicely, I’m new to this

Also thank you for enjoying the last one!! I’m super proud of both of them, so I’m glad you like it too 💕💕

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

As friendly and amiable as Wally Darling was, he sure was stubborn.

Wally wasn’t someone to ask for help much, despite his efforts to help others. It seemed comically hypocritical if anything, with the irony behind it.

For example, if Sally were to ask him to lead in a play she wanted to play, he would make sure he carried the show with his own hands. However, if someone were to offer a hand in something, he would simply wave his hand and say, “No no, I can take care of it! Don’t fret over such small things.”

His best friend - Barnaby B. Beagle - took notice of that quite well, when he and Wally decided to have a sleepover.

The two had done just about everything together that day; prank calls on the other neighbors, baking a new recipe - caramel apples - and even future telling, albeit with paper crafts and silly myths. Of course, in the end, they both had lots of fun, vowing that they must do this more.

It was later that night that issues had began to rise. The two nighttime buddies had began to clean up and get ready to snooze, and were in the washroom brushing their teeth(?).

“Wally, kid, are you sure you can sleep on your own? I know you’ve done it before, but most of the time you either stay up the whole night or wake up-“ Barnaby questioned Wally. Yes, it was a silly, silly question, but he wasn’t unfamiliar with Wally’s ungodly night schedule. And with how frequent this was, neither were the other residents of Welcome Home.

“Barnaby, I admire your concern greatly, but I do think that is quite silly. I can sleep just fine,” Wally assured, waving his hand up and down.

“One or two bad nights won’t do anything, I can handle it!” He chuckled. Wally was well aware of the terrible night terrors he had, but he of course wasn’t ready to admit that. He just leaves with his same pleasant grin.

“I dunno kid, you usually say that then turn up at Julie’s doorstep wrapped in your blanket sniffling like it’s winter again,” Barnaby quipped back, laughing at his own joke. Wally fell silent for a moment, thinking for a short second, before cleaning his mouth of the toothpaste on his cheeks. He then turned to his blue buddy, and pat him on the arm reassuringly.

“I know you’re upset, but I assure you I’m fine. When anything happens, I know that I can always rely on you, so don’t you worry your pretty little head,” he reassures, his ever-so present grin almost glowing on his face, and in his eyes. He always had such a sunny, polite disposition.

“Ahh, if you say so little buddy,” Barnaby sighed and shook his head, though with a playful smirk on his face. He pat his much tinier friend and walked away towards the guest room, peaking out quickly to say his goodnights with Wally. Afterwards, he closed the door behind him and laid down on top of the bed…right after he pulled the sheets and pillows around to make it comfortable. Dog instincts never fail.

Home fell into a peaceful slumber shortly after, and the only sound one could hear was the crickets outside and Wally’s silly “I’m sleeping I’m sleeping I’m sleeping” sleeptalking.

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

Barnaby wasn’t sure what woke him up, but his tired eyes soon fluttered open. He groaned, irritated, and rubbed his eyes to better clear up his vision.

The clock read 3:41 AM, which sent Barnaby in a sleepy tizzy. What in the world woke me up this early? He yawned and stretched his body, shaking his head awake afterwards.

“A glass of water might help clear my head,” he guessed, “my throat is drier than an old queen!” He chuckled to himself afterwards. He might use that in his routine. But before that, he needed to quench his thirst.

It didn’t take two steps out of his room when he heard something… odd. His ears raised a tad at the sound, turning his head behind him. Was that… a baby crying?

There was no way he heard a baby. But it was so clear and the pitch was the same, he was thrown for a loop. And what in the world was a baby doing in Home? He didn’t remember there being one… unless it isn’t one. Barnaby wracked his brain for another idea of what the source of the crying could be…until he remembered.

“Wally has nightmares!” He realized. At that moment, he rushed towards the true source of the sound - Wally’s bedroom. It wasn’t far from his guest room, as it was set at the tail end of the long hallway, capped with a red wood and a sign that said “Wally.”

Barnaby didn’t think to knock, which he somewhat regrets, before he quickly pushed the door open.

There sat the culprit of the mysterious crying - Wally, wrapped around his blanket, sobbing and hiccuping in bed. He jumped a bit at the sound of Barnaby barging in, falling silent in surprise. However, it didn’t take long until he went back to crying, only this time he held out his arms towards the tall blue dog.

Barnaby was no stranger to this behavior. He has seen Wally in this sort of situation, where his brain seemed to work much differently. It was called… regression, where his brain and his age didn’t seem to match up for a period of time. In times like this, Wally would have a habit of babbling and slurring his words, as well as taking part of childish behaviors such as playing with smaller toys and looking up to others as his caretakers. It wasn’t a problem though, no sir, as they would be more than welcome to help take care of him in such a state, Barnaby included.

With that, Barnaby quickly climbed into the bed with Wally, scooped him up and held him against his torso, patting and rubbing his back. Wally quickly wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into the taller friend’s shoulder, still crying.

“Deep breaths, kid,” Barnaby whispered, “there you go, that’s it.” He would act as the big brother towards Wally when he regressed, carrying him and playing with him to help him through such a time. Because of this, he knew what actions to take in this.

Soon, Wally’s crying and snuffling soon quieted to an occasional hiccup and wipe of a sleeve. He laid there, cradled against Barbaby’s chest, shaking but breathing slowly. He was the first to speak.

“I…I’m sowey…” he wavered, “I’m sowy I like tis.” He tried wiping away any stray tears while flapping his free hand, calming himself down.

“I din’ wan yous to worry fo’ me, bu’ I keep makin’ yous worry..” He was having a hard time keeping his voice steady, and he ended up going back to crying, albeit softer. His taller friend immediately rose a hand to wipe his newly fallen tears, propping his head to face him.

“No Wally, don’t ever feel bad for wanting help,” the blue dog reassured, “even if it makes you feel weird. I know that asking is hard and that you don’t want to look weak or anything, but there is nothing wrong with needing a helping hand. You got that, kiddo?” The tiny puppet nuzzled against Barnaby’s paw, hiccuping a tad.

“Wh-what if is sometin’ you can’t do?” Wally asked. The comedian chuckled a bit, rubbing the puppet’s back.

“Well then I’ll tell ya! I’m not gonna be silent if you’re giving me something hard to handle, and even then I tell ya you’re not hard to deal with at all! Just ring me up and I’ll be there quicker than a toupee in a hurricane.” He moved his hand to ruffle his hair a bit, letting out a small giggle in Wally.

“You’re silly! Silly silly puppyyy, hehe!” Wally reached his hands up to pet the top of Barnaby’s head, back and forth. The comedian responded by grabbing Wally by the sides and lifting him to the air, the puppet squealing with delight and surprise.

“There ya go, now the dog’s got you on a leash, hahaha!” This only made Wally screech and laugh even more, waving his arms and legs aimlessly beside himself. This teasing unfortunately didn’t last long, if the loud creaking from Home said anything. Despite Wally pouting in response, Barnaby lowered the small puppet down onto bed once more.

“Let’s get ya back to bed buddy, ok?” Wally frowned at this, seeming upset again that the fun was over. “Is something wrong?”

“Nono, jus… can you stay wit’ me? I don’ wan to be awone…” Wally pleaded, holding the puppy’s paw tightly. Barnaby hummed and nodded, understanding his disarray.

“Of course, buddy! Lemme get comfortable for ya, one sec,” Barnaby answered, yawning afterwards. It was still quite late, so he was getting quite sleepy as well. He turned and trotted along the bed, pushing around and covers to get comfy before finally lying down. Wally followed suit, encasing himself in his favorite blanket - orange with white flowers - and lying against Barnaby’s body.

“Nini, baba… I luv oo,” Wally mumbled, before sticking his thumb between his lips and falling silent. Barnaby smiled warmly after that, before lying his head down to rest too.

“Gnight kiddo, love you too.”

[speedychildnight]

FOREVER MINE// CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5

He left your cheeks and started walking again. Soon tears made their way to fall. You hang your head while crying silently and walking behind him.

Jungkook also got shocked and that's the only thing which was roaming inside his head that's why he failed to notice.

After some minutes you both reached in front of your houses. By that time you already wiped your tears.

Jungkook: Ummm...Yn... actually I... wanna go home today. As you know I didn't go there for 5 days. I think dust covered everything. I just wanna clean the house a little bit.

He said to you and it hit your heart like an arrow but you didn't lift your head and just nodded then went to your house without saying goodbye.

At your house...

Yn: I knew it...he...he will break everything. But I also can't handle it anymore. I am also a human.

You cried out loud while Jungkook's brain was also in a mess.

Time skips....

You cried a lot...

Yn: All those times I was just being fooled. I know I am not his type. That's why he didn't answer. I get it as we are bff so he doesn't wanna break my heart and tell me that.

You're thinking about it only while sitting on the bed. Your eyes became sore, red and puffy. Soon you drifted into sleep being tired while crying this much.

At Jungkook's house...

Jungkook: Did I just overreact? She told me beforehand, right? Shit... Ahhh I am in a huge mess now.... Oh no I have to sleep.

After 10 minutes...

Jungkook: I don't think I can sleep like that. Oh shit, I have to go to my dear plushie.

He got out of his house and came to your house. Your mom already told him the password. But when he tried that he couldn't able to open it.

Actually, you changed it. Cause you thought Jungkook would never come. That's why.

Jungkook: Aish! This girl. Did she just change the password? OK, I have to work on plan B. Ok, Jungkook be ready.

He climbed the pipe and reached the balcony. He opened the window.

Jungkook: Look at this clumsy girl. She locked the door but left the window what if someone who will enter other than me? Anyway, let me sleep. I can't even able to sleep without her.

He came near you but was shocked when he saw a dry tear stain on your cheeks and your puffy eyes.

Jungkook (in thought): She cried?! But why? Is it because of me? Don't tell me that....oh no. I am sorry Yn.

He climbed to the bed hugged you tightly from behind and drifted into sleep.

Next morning...

Jungkook woke up and saw you were sleeping beside him while hugging him so tightly.

He stared at your face for some time then brought his hand to your hair and started caressing it.

You woke up feeling some touch. As soon as you opened your eyes you saw Jungkook and a tear slipped from your eyes.

He wiped the tear with his hand.

Jungkook: Why my chatterbox is crying?

Yn: J-jungkook y-you c-came?

Your voice was shaking from crying.

He wiped your tears and again asked...

Jungkook: Ynaah what happened??

Yn: J-Jungkook I am very very sorry for yesterday. Please don't break our friendship. Please, please.

You were pleading him more like begging.

Jungkook: Are you crazy? Why would I break our friendship? You're too precious to me Yn. And why the hell are you crying?

You decided to avoid this topic as you got your answer that he is not going to end this friendship.

Yn: Nothing. I am just silly. I just want our friendship to never break.

You said and hugged him very tightly. He also hugged you back.

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

Finally, the day came for which both of you were waiting. The exam day...

You both wished the best of luck to each other and went to the exam hall.

As soon as the exam ended Jungkook came outside while running to tell you that he did his best. But you were nowhere to be found.

He thought maybe you were inside so he waited for you until the last people went from there.

He called you several times but all the calls went to voicemail. He started to worry about you.

Without thinking he rushed to your house and there he saw you curled up.

He ran to you and hugged you tightly. After some time he pulled out from the hug and started scolding you.

Jungkook: Are you crazy or what huh? Don't you know how worried I got about you? Tell me how many times I called you huh?

He was scolding you nonstop until he noticed that you were giving no reaction.

Jungkook: Ynaaah what happened? Tell me.

You opened your mouth to tell something but again stopped.

He got that you're not comfortable to tell right now. So he didn't force you and escort you towards the dining table to feed you.

Time skips...

It's been one week since you're trying to avoid Jungkook. It's so hard to avoid him when you're living under the same roof even in the same room.

But Jungkook caught you. So he decided to talk with you right now. Cause he can't take your silent treatment anymore.

You both were eating lunch. But suddenly Jungkook spoke

Jungkook: Ynaaah you know there is a Tteok-bokki shop in front of Seoul National University. Very first we will go there after our admission okk?

It's that moment when your heart is clenched. So, you kept silent.

Jungkook: yn I am asking you something.

Yn: I can't go to the college.

And that's when finally your tears made their way down to your face.

Yn: I am sorry Jungkook I can't keep my promise.

His chopsticks fell from his hand.

Jungkook: What happened Yn?

Yn: P-pa-papa i-is a-alive......

[xoxolaw]

frostbite, 002

- - - - "Y/N! FIGHT ME!!!"

Childe said and looked at her with anticipation, while Y/N just ignored his words and kept moving forward. The snow was already hard to walk on, and Childe was jumping around trying to talk to her. "You were given the eighth position by the Tsaritsa herself... you must have something really special. I don't think I have ever seen you in the fatui as well. So today is actually your first day, right? And you are already a harbinger. Must be great!!" 

"You talk too much" She stated and proceeded to clear the path that the hilichurls were blocking in just one blow. "I want to test my skills against you!" 

"I don't think I should be informing you about this because you might already know it, but harbingers are ranked based on their influence. It's not just strength, you know." 

"Yeah, I know that, but please!" 

"Let's go and collect the debt first, I'll fight you once we have the money. OK?" 

"OKAY!!" He exclaimed and picked up the speed with her, walking at her pace. 

Soon they were at the house where they were supposed to collect the debt, and Y/N was quite surprised by the huge mansion that stood in front of her. The mansion looked like it was worth in millions. The guards first stopped the two but retreated after recognizing Childe. "Let's get this done quickly" he mumbled and opened the main door and stepped aside for Y/N to enter first. He expected some kind of response from her for his kind gesture, but she kept walking forward. 

A person walks up to them and Childe smiles at him, gripping his shoulder and smiling at him. "Now then... when are you paying the debt?" 

The person sweats and gulps while trying to step back, but Childe's grip was too strong for him to escape from. "I- I... just need a little more time... I'll pay you back." He stuttered, which led to Childe sighing and letting him go. "You know Pantalone, right? In matters of money... he never lets anything slide. If he were to come himself, then you know the consequences."

The man got down on his knees and begged, "Please, just give me a little more time. I'll pay back, I promise." 

His words were getting on Y/N's nerves. She didn't have the whole day to deal with scum. She opened her palm and her sword appeared as she walked past Childe "Wait for me outside" she said, and he followed her orders without complaining. The man stepped back every time she walked a step closer to him. 

The door shut and pointed her sword at his neck, "What's your name?" she asked.

"wh-what?"

"Your fucking name"

"A-Azriel"

---

After waiting for a while, Childe suddenly heard a loud scream which took him off guard, and he turned around only to see Y/N walking out while cleaning her bloody hands with a handkerchief. "Did you kill him?" he asked, and she moved her head sideways, "Nope. Killing someone who owes you money is a dumb thing to do. He'll give the money by evening." 

"So now you will fight me, right?!" 

"We still don't have the money in our hands." She stated, which made him pout, and he followed behind her with a sad face. 

The two decided to head towards the fatui headquarters and come back later to get the money, but on their way, they came across the House of Hearth and saw Arlecchino having a tense argument with someone. The scene piqued Y/N's interest and Childe was quick at noticing it, "I would suggest that you don't get involved. Let's just ignore it, Arlecchino will handle it alone." 

But his words weren't going to stop her. She wanted to see the whole picture and know the context of the argument. "You can go back to the headquarters. I am staying." She mentioned. 

"Well, I can't stop you from doing what you want to do. I don't plan on getting involved in stuff that's not related to me. If you are staying here, then get the money later. I'll be waiting for you." He said and walked away. 

She waved him a goodbye and walked towards the gate only to be stopped by two of the guards "No one is allowed to enter at the moment" they say, but a few of the fatui agents who were inside recognized Y/N and quickly came running towards her. "She's the new harbinger. Don't stop her!!" They yell, and the guards open the iron gate for her. The agents give her a small bow and stood at the sides waiting for her to say something, while she looked around the beautiful garden and plucked a flower, "What's going on?" she asked while observing the item in her hand. 

"The House of Hearth is sold... Lady Arlecchino is no longer the owner." 

Y/N dropped the flower and looked at Arlecchino who was busy fighting verbally with the person in front of her. "Then why is she arguing?"

"The thing is... Lady Arlecchino had no idea about it."

"How's that possible?" 

"This is all we know" 

"Oh, alright. Thanks for the information." She said, and the two agents looked at each other. Hearing a thanks from a harbinger was rare, and they just couldn't contain the happiness. "Anytime for you, my lady!!" 

Y/N then walked towards Arlecchino, and she was quick at noticing her presence. "What are you doing here?!" Arlecchino grunted.

"I was just passing by and saw you in trouble..."

"It's none of your business. Don't get yourself involved in my matters!" 

"Well... I know what's going on, and I believe I can help you." She mentioned, and Arlecchino raised an eyebrow at her, "And how do you think you can do it?" 

"Do you know 'Hope'?" Y/N asked. "I own it" 

Arlecchino was a bit taken aback by the new information. Hope was Teyvat's biggest real estate company, which had its headquarters in all the seven nations of teyvat with its main headquarters being in Fontaine. They buy, sell, develop and rent out real estate along with handling all the legal matters on their own with the help of the lawyers that work with them in Fontaine. 

So, it was given that Arlecchino was shocked. Most of the properties in Snezhnaya were handled by Hope, including the fatui headquarters. It was starting to make sense why Y/N was given the eighth position directly. It was her influence and the things she could do. After all... she was a major part of all the nations.

Hope you enjoyed it <3 003 -> <- 001

[juminsmysticmc]

RFA + Minor Trio x Mc with an unrequired love - Happy End

Request: Hiiiii can I make a request for a happy ending version for the Mc has an unrequited love for the RFA + Minor trio please? I love your writing but I have never make a request before

Hiii! So, thank you so much for this request! Please give the first riding - link - some love too even through I inserted the beginning in the happy end version too.

Hope you like the adding of the Minor Trio! Tell me your opinion!

Jumin

Everyone knew that you were in love with him and that he loved you.

But somehow neither you nor him wanted to confess.

It was only natural that Chairman Han would give his son the command to get married as soon as possible.

The day of the wedding was your nightmare.

Jumin looked unhappy and you were dying on the inside.

You began to cry at the ceremony.

Everyone thought that you were happy for Jumin, but only the RFA knew that you were breaking down and that you were dying in the most painful way.

Your love was marrying someone else.

At the end of the ceremony, you hid in Seven‘s car.

You just had to let out the sobs and hiccups.

You couldn’t bear it.

It was just too painful.

Jumin’s marriage kept becoming more and more painful for you to bear and so, a few months later you confessed to the members that you would like to take a break.

The break you totally needed, ended seven weeks after Jaehee reached out for you, telling you, begging you, to please visit Jumin as he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Upon hearing of his pain, you rushed to him. The penthouse, which was always so clean and smelled of him, was destroyed and you could feel the cold and brokenness.

,,Jumin…I’m here…’’ you whispered when you approached him after Jaehee opened the door.

,,Mc…’’ he whispered. He had dark eye bags.

,,I…am I dreaming?’’ he laughed as if he couldn’t trust his eyes.

But it was you and he noticed that you were real in the moment you hugged him.

,,I love you. I regretted not telling you, but I love you! I love you!’’ you said and you couldn’t hold back the kiss you used to give him, which he gladly responded.

You found out later that his wife was also unhappy because Jumin never loved her, looked at her, or touched her.

And when he lastly said your name in his dream, she understood that the marriage should never have happened in the first place.

However, Jumin, thinking he had lost you forever, fell into despair.

He only got better thanks to you, who came back into his life, coloring his world.

Zen

You never knew that Zen actually loved you.

You thought he flirted with every girl, but little did you know.

Zen wanted to wait, he wanted the acceptance of his family, but his director couldn’t wait.

Zen had to get a girlfriend. It wasn’t important if he loved the person or not. He needed fame.

And so was it that on the day of his performance, the day you wanted to confess to him, he first showed you his girlfriend, a beautiful actor.

Zen wanted to tell you what happened, but you ignored him.

You just smiled.

,,I‘m happy for you! Take good care of her!‘‘ you laughed.

,,Thank you...‘‘ Zen responded.

He was disappointed, but couldn’t show it to you.

He just didn’t know that as soon as you went home, you cried like you never did before.

Your chest ached, your hands trembled, your sight was fuzzy, and you knew you would die.

It was too much for you to handle….

You didn’t remember what happened afterwards. You just knew that Yoosung was panicking when you tried to open your eyes, which felt so heavy.

,,Yoosung…My heart hurts…I loved him so much…why couldn’t he chose me…why?’’ you asked the blond man before you collapsed again.

You didn’t know that Zen actually decided to follow you a few minutes after you rushed out the door and you didn’t know that Yoosung wasn’t actually the one panicking, but Zen, who entered your place as the door wasn’t fully locked, saw you on the floor.

But he heard your words, and knowing that you were in pain because of his lie, made him suffer even more.

The next morning, your eyes felt heavy and swollen, but they still could see that Zen was the one who was sleeping right next to you, making you almost die of a heart attack because of it.

,,Morning, Princess,’’ he mumbled, feeling you waking up.

,,That fake girlfriend you saw yesterday was just a method the director used to rush the fame of stars…we’re not dating. I only love you and actually, I know that you do too,’’ he smiled.

Tears came down again after his confession. This time, they were tears of happiness.

The fake girlfriend was forgotten even before the news could reach the media and instead, Zen tried to get famous by his own power…

Yoosung  - a happy end is a happy end

You always felt guilty because of his eye.

That’s why you stopped chatting with him privately.

Yoosung didn‘t know what to do. At first he was hurt, but then…..

,,Rika?“ he whispered.

A beautiful woman with blonde hair smiled at him.

He met her at a LOLOL convention.

She was as beautiful as Rika and it was love at first sight.

A few months later, he invited the RFA for dinner with the excuse that he wanted to confess something.

You were sure that he wanted to ask you out, that's why you tried your best to look good.

Little did you know that your heart would fall apart that night.

The sight of his happy face made you feel light headed.

You felt sick.

Jaehee noticed right away and went out with you.

,,Mc…“

,,Jaehee...! Jaehee…, I was so sure…so sure that he would ask me out…! In the end, I could never replace her….never…what should I do now…? I can’t!“ you sobbed while she tried to comfort you.

It took you a while and it took you strength, but you were able to work it out and you managed to get better.

You actually didn’t leave the house for the first few days after Yoosung confessed that he now had a girlfriend, but with Luciel and Jaehee by your side, and Zen who tried to cover your swollen eyes, you could get out of yourself more and more.

Jumin actually gave you a lot of books about self love and how to handle - to your surprise - broken hearts.

It took you some time, but you even got to meet someone. It was a nice man, who showered you with love and attention, who loved you, and a person who didn’t make you feel bad for anything happening which wasn’t in your power.

You learned that the love you felt for Yoosung was toxic and you also learned that the new love you found made you much happier than the love you felt towards Yoosung.

The two of you could finally get back to the happiness and friendship you had before he found his replacement for Rika and before you had the feeling that someone crushed your heart in a lot of pieces.

Both of you finally found peace and love…

Surprisingly, it was you the one who caught the bouquet at his wedding and the next to marry, giving you both a happy end, even though it was a happy end apart from each other.

Jaehee

Both of you had the coffee shop together and for you, what at first seemed like a confession in your eyes, slowly developed into nothing more than a business partnership.

Jaehee made it seem to you that she had no love interest, neither towards you nor anyone else.

And so you lived for a lot of time with your one sided love.

At first you thought you could watch her from afar.

You thought that nothing more would matter and that this was all you needed.

But the more the both of you worked together, the more you realized that it wasn’t like that.

You needed her and you felt the tension you slowly brought with you.

You were sure you could confess it to her one evening, but you actually saw her watching Zen realized that in her heart, you had no space.

You thought there was no seat left for you, nothing more than a partner and broken heartedly you turned around to get into your room.

,,Mc?’’ Jaehee called you when she heard your door and got up to check on you.

Finding you on your bed, crying and being desperate, wasn’t the best sight for her and hurt her feelings.

,,Why?! Why can’t I be one of them too?! Why is it always me who gets left out?’’ you asked her, tears in your eyes as you realized that you practically confessed to her.

,,You…you love me?’’ she asked you.

And as bold as you were, you told her the truth because you knew.

,,Who says there’s no space?’’ she asked you, approaching you…

Saeyoung

Saeyoung loved you.

You loved him.  

You even confessed to him, but he just rejected you.

Why? He thought you would be in danger.

After everything you went through, he was still afraid.

But one day he invited you.

You were happy, you were ready for a future with him, but…

,,I met her through the agency.  I want you to be our testimony.“

He told you. He didn’t even look at you.

Your heart began to ache.

Tears began to flow.

You couldn’t hold your hiccups.

,,You know that I like you.“ you sobbed and looked at the girl.

He was really in love with her?

Saeran looked down. He wanted to help you guys, but Saeyoung was so stubborn.

,,But I don’t like you.“

Your heart fell apart. It was the end.

,,Fuck you, asshole.“ you snapped and took your things.

,,Marry her and be happy, but I won’t approve. I won’t be happy for you.“ you told him your real feelings before you rushed out.

,,Follow her, SAEYOUNG, FOLLOW HER!“ Saeran shouted.

And so he did only to see you die…

,,No, MC!“ he cried out as a car hit you.

Maybe it was destiny, destiny that he would always put you in danger and that you would always hurt him with your love….

Beeping sounds in the background were disturbing your slumber and weird pains all over your body were making you slowly wake up.

The room was all white, but your eyes couldn’t seem to get adjusted to the surroundings.

You tried to remember what happened, remember why you were in a strange room…in a strange smelling room.

You turned around and managed to see someone’s head laying on the bed, someone’s hand was entangled in yours, someone who was next to you.

Someone with red hair…

,,Who are you?’’ you groaned as you tried to get your hand back, actually meaning to ask if the person next to you was Saeran or Saeyoung.

However, in Saeyoung’s ears, the question sounded much worse.

,,Doc, she’s forgotten me! What now?! Will she ever remember me? I am your…you…we…I am the one who loves you, but put you in this state,’’ Saeyoung sobbed.

,,Saeyoung Choi, shut the hell up. My head is throbbing,’’ you groaned, actually amused because of the confession.

,,Doc, please check my tears, they’re magical!’’ he gasped, half joking, half relieved that you didn’t lose your memories.

However, both of you knew that after all the chaos, you had to actually talk about the whole issue and his lie…

Saeran

After the two of you actually entered his childhood home, you thought that together you could get over the pain.

You thought that you could work this out, have a future together, and manage to get through everything.

Apparently however, this all was your own illusion.

One day he kissed you and the next day he confessed that he didn’t know if he loved you or if he could do it.

For you, it was okay to wait for him.

You accepted him and his words and stopped being clingy, still missing his warmth and love.

What you didn’t know was that Saeran wanted you to stay away so that he wouldn’t put you in any danger and so that you wouldn’t end up like Saeyoung.

But slowly, the waiting and the longing turned into impatience, pain, and anger.

Saeran began to want to work harder for his brother, to get the work done, and you wanted to have him around you again.

The pain you felt slowly faded away, and after Saeran made you wait for three painful years of one sided love, or at least for what you thought, you were ready for someone else.

It just happened that your unhappy one sided love ended and another chapter began.

A chapter with laughter, smiles, warmth, love. But not with Saeran.

He let you wait too long, didn’t focus on the things that were in front of him, and managed to still lose both you and Saeyoung, despite him wanting to prevent that from happening.

for me Mc’s happy end is the most important  

Jihyun

No kisses, no hugs, no touches.

Neither during those eleven days the both of you got to meet each other. On the other hand, he instead went out and went back to Rika.

And after he was finally free, he went to search for Saeran.

For two years. Without a letter, a call, or anything.

For you, this was the definition of a one sided love.

But you were still positive that you would manage to make him fall in love with you.

That he would some day love you, hug, and kiss you just the way you longed for.

But even after one more year since his arrival, Jihyun didn’t show you any signs of liking you back, despite you trying your best to get to know him better.

You gave your best, for him.

You tried to support him, listened to him, went on dates, but he only liked you as a friend, never the way you liked him.

Five years had passed ever since you joined the RFA for the first time, and nothing changed in your life.

You were slowly getting inpatient and you were slowly getting tired of waiting, of not being first.

And when you realized that you would never become his first, you decided to change.

,,In my eyes, my friend, I will always support you and help you, but you lost her. You should go and take her back. Fight for her,’’ Jumin said, swirling the wine in his glass as his eyes were glued on the redness.

Jihyun was listening to his friend and was slowly trying to understand if he was right, if Jumin was right upon hearing of you leaving the RFA.

It took him one more week after you leaving the RFA, before Jihyun could gather his guts and approach you and finally confess to you, giving you your well deserved happy end.

Vanderwood

,,We can’t be together,’’ was the only thing he told you when you confessed.

But you didn’t mind.

,,I told you I love you. I asked you if you love me back, Vanderwood. I didn’t ask if the agency would give us their blessings or if we are compatible, I just confessed my feelings!’’ you told him in front of his door.

He didn’t even let you enter his place.

,,And I told you my answer,’’ he said and with that, he closed the door.

And despite him treating you badly and in the most rude manner, you still loved him, missed him, and enjoyed his chat, even though he gave you a lot of pain.

You should hate him, but you loved him.

You should hate his selfies, but you loved them, how handsome he looked and how he made your heart skip a beat.

He felt the same, despite telling you the opposite.

The reason was an easy one: the agency used you to keep Vanderwood and either he had to leave you, or they would kill you.

However, there was someone who wasn’t willing to accept you being lovesick: 

Your hero, 707.

He planned everything, from Vanderwood’s death, up to his new identity, even your honey buddha themed wedding.

,,Anything for your happiness,’’ he told you after Vanderwood was free and could finally enjoy his time with you.

ᗰᗩᔕTEᖇᒪIᔕT

22.10.2022 // 00:00 MEST

[honeybeedewdrops]

Coffee Spills | B.Floyd

Summary: You were running a bit late and as you were walking out of your local coffee shop. Someone ran into.

Warnings: Slight cursing

__________________________________________

You thank the barista as you grab your coffee and make your way out the door, and as you went to grab the handle the door opened and you ran into someone making your hot coffee go all over you.

"oww! Shit that's hot" you say "oh my gosh I am so sorry" "it's quite ok" you say looking up. "Here let me help" he says grabbing some napkins and walks back to you "uhhh...here" he says handing you them. "Thanks" you say giving him a small smile. "I promise i'll buy you another. I also can pay for the dry cleaning " "no it's ok i didn't really need it" you say as you throw away the napkins. You see the time 7:30 you are supposed to be at work at 7:45. "No,no,no oh gosh i'm going to be so late. Pay it forward buy someone else a cup." You say running out the door. Gosh how could I be so stupid late on the first day. You think.

You thanked the lords as you had extra clothes in your car. You speed down the rode and get to the base. You rush to the bathroom getting changed and fixed your hair before going to Admiral Simpson's office. You knock on the door and hear a faint come in, as you walk in Admiral Simpon scowls "Lt. Y/LN. Late and on your first day" he says "I know, I know. I'm sorry this morning someone spilled there coffee on me and I had to change as soon as I got here and--" he stops you right there "I don't need any excuses. Now you'll be training with Cap. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and a few others" he says telling you where you could find Maverick.

You walk down the hall and see many familiar faces from the academy and many other places you've been stationed. You walk into the room and see only a man this must be Maverick. You clear your throat and the man looks up "are you Captain Mitchell" he nods "I am you must be Y/CS" you nod "i sure am" "great I just told the others to get out into the tarmac so I suggest you get into your flight suit and meet us out there" "yes sir" and you leave.

You walked around a corner and for the second time this morning you ran into someone this time you landed on your ass. "Oh i'm so sorry." You huff standing up and there stood the same man you ran into at the coffee shop.

"wow two times in one day" "I'm sorry I don't know why i've been so clumsy lately and this morning I hope I didn't run your uniform. I'm Bob" you chuckle "it's ok Bob it's not my day either. I'm Y/N callsign Y/CS. I got your name so what's your callsign" he smiles at you sheepishly "Bob" you nod "hmmm interesting" You say "so maybe i'll see you round?" you ask.

"yeah and I was really serious about the dry cleaning" "Bob it's ok. Besides you can make it up to me by buying me a drink" He nods "yeah I can do that" You nod "ok great now I better change i'm already in enough trouble" you say and walk into the locker room to put your flight suit on.

____________________________________________________________

A/N: Ok i'm going on vacation so i kinda just whipped this up so if it's bad i'm sorry but when I get back from vacation I will have more. I will also be answering my requests and will be writing more than just Bob, Rooster, and Hnagman. So more to come thanks.

-Honey Bee

[the-laws-of-physics-were-harmed]

(@littlebookworm69, you asked for this with the squirrel shoe)

[interesting and cool title here]

(content warning: non-graphic description of pain)

Seren was not surprised when they arrived. She had known she would be caught, eventually. (That did not stop her from breaking the rules. Quite the opposite, in fact. She knew she was probably too rebellious for her own good, but she did not care.)

Seren was not surprised when they arrived. She was busy cleaning her flute, ensuring that every millimetre of it was clean. (The sheet music was scattered on the floor; she had it mostly memorised by now. And, though she didn't yet know it, it would not be there for long.)

Seren was not surprised when they arrived. She met the eyes of their leader with defiance in her gaze. (She would come to regret it, soon enough.)

The man with the golden eyes smiled at her, and she smiled back. Both of them were lying, blood boiling beneath his facade of kindness and hers of trust. But they could not show it; these halls were a place of peace, whether they liked it or not. The legends said that an injury brought deliberately upon someone here would return a thousandfold. Most stories of that sort were mere fairytales, but a few were true, and it was best to avoid the risk.

The others fell away as they left the grounds, returning to whatever duties they held. The man with the golden eyes stayed, his expression dead and apathetic. Looking at him was like gazing into a shark's eyes.

There was something ominous in the calm he showed, like he was the centre of a storm. Perhaps her rage was unjustified, perhaps her breaking of the rules was foolish. But no. She would not allow herself to be convinced that she had to stay there simply on account of the star-magic that had settled inside her as a child and refused to leave. She had hidden it on a mix of instinct and her parents' instructions, though she knew from the start that to be Starborn meant power, in terms of both magic and influence. That was not what she wanted. She wanted to entertain people, to play music to them and tell them stories. It was all she had ever wanted.

And now she was forbidden even that.

The path she reluctantly followed was familiar to her. The building it led to was where the Starborn would practice their magic, learning the shift of the skies and the pull of distant nebulae.

So. This is happening.

It was, by now, too late to escape, barring a miracle. (Miracles were what she did, but not in times of stress, not when her world was collapsing around her.) She would have to wait. Hope her punishment would amount only to a caution.

She was the only Starborn to have broken a serious rule in so long that she barely knew what to expect. Maybe she really would just escape with a warning.

The room was set up comfortably yet formally, the star maps rolled up and kept in their cases on the shelves. She didn't remember any furniture from the last time she had been there, but now she saw two chairs, soft-looking, sanguine in colour. The golden-eyed man nodded at her.

"Sit down."

His voice was curiously soft, like that of a much younger man, yet the break it caused in the silence was jarring. She sat.

"Why am I here?" she asked. Best to at least try to appear confused. They might let her get off lightly.

The man sighed. "You know why. But it isn't my job to –" he broke off, looked confused. "I am not the one who is to be holding this conversation."

"What do you –"

But somewhere in the intervening seconds, he had left.

Seren rose slowly to her feet, glancing around. Maybe I can just… leave?

She barely noticed the grasp of her hand around the door handle as she twisted it. Knowing my luck, it's probably locked, she thought, immediately before it opened.

"What are you doing?" hissed a voice from behind her.

Seren turned around.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know –"

The woman had clearly entered the room through some secret door. In her hands, she held a pair of silver bracelets inlaid with sapphire.

"You are Seren, correct?"

"Yes, I–"

"These are for you."

Is this a trick? Seren looked at the woman's face; she seemed genuine. Carefully, she took the bracelets and put them on.

Burning.

Agony.

She had never felt this much pain before. It grew and shifted until she could imagine nothing else.

Then it simply stopped.

As her vision steadied, the woman smiled at her. A predator's smile, empty of joy and full of teeth.

Seren tried to speak, tried to ask what was going on. Her mouth opened and closed, forming the shapes of the words but not the sounds.

The woman's smile grew wider.

[umbralsound-xiv]

Collapse.

It was a... Comfort to go to, when Sayuri was out. To go to the kitchen and... Cook something. A simple curry, with rice. ...I did not think it would be so difficult. I remembered everything, something i must have done hundreds of times now, only... The rice was... Something was... It... It reminded me of... ...There.

Eir Fellfrost tends the stove, the scent of aromatic spices permiating the kitchen. One pot held a lofty amount of rice, the other simmered a thick, orange sauce. Turning to the counter, Eir slowly takes the knife in hand, beginning to prepare vegetables, lost in his thoughts…

The alluring scent of flavorful food being prepared had caught Erjon's attention, as was usually the case when someone was working in the kitchen. The spices in particular however, were familiar in a way he had not sensed for a few moons now. Making his way down the stairs, boots hitting the wood with each echoing step, he soon spotted who he suspected to find. "About time you showed up," he spoke in the same casual tone he always used. "Hard at work already, I see."

Eir Fellfrost runs a knife carefully through an onion, before a partiularly loud footfall makes him flinch, nicking a finger, head turned towards the sound as he backed anxiously towards the cooker. "I--- I--- H-have been…" He nods, staring. He bunches the wounded hand in a ball of fabric at his sleeve, relinquishing the knife to the floor with a clatter. "…"

He--- He was... ...I should have expected it when i opened the spice jar. It is fine. It is fine. It... I need to be more careful...

Erjon Sjadarwesfv raised an eyebrow, quietly regarding Eir for a moment before getting closer. "You know, knives are pretty sharp. Better be careful with them." He kept observing Eir as he got closer before coming to a stop by the counter door. "Or better yet, not handle a dangerous object while you're shaking like a leaf. Even if what you are making smells pretty good. You just got back from what I can only imagine to be a pretty traumatic event."

Eir Fellfrost: "I… w-was fine…" He stammers, staring at the knife. But he doesn't reach for it. He stares at Erjon, a death grip on the fabric at his hand. "Y-you just… Spooked me, i-is all." Eir swallows an anxious lump, before slowly kneeling to retrieve the knife, eyes not moving from him for a moment.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Right, my bad. Not sure sneaking down the stairs would have been any better though, would it? If you're this jumpy now, then I can only imagine me suddenly saying 'hello' might have caused you to actually lose a finger or two." He invited himself to the kitchen as he usually would, walking around and observing the foodstuffs Eir was preparing. "In any case, welcome back. Glad to see you didn't die."

...I did not die. I... ...Did not. Did not? No. No no no. I... Do not think about this, now. I am alive! I am alive. ...How close was i, to the opposite...?

Eir Fellfrost: "No, n-no. I was simply… Lost in my thoughts…" Eir trails, moving to rinse and clean off the knife before he plans to use it again, the bleeding at his finger stemmed. "I… D-did not die. No." He says, as though convincing himself. "…B-but it was… Close…" Eir quietly admits…

Erjon Sjadarwesfv glanced at Eir over his shoulder as he walked around him, curiously eyeing the pot on the stove. "Hm. I'm not surprised, with what little I have heard. Despite it not being operated by the company, quite a few invested themselves into getting the two of you out of there. Seems to have been difficult. But here you are."

Eir Fellfrost works slower now, carefully adding things to the pan as he'd finished dicing. The moment he is done, he turns to face Erjon, never quite letting him out of his sight. "Some… Th-they came for us. If… If it were not for them, perhaps we… We would still be…" Eir trails, shaking his head, almost forcing himself to cut those words short. "…W-would not be the… F-first time."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv watched the pot for a moment before turning to face Eir properly, arms crossing as he watched him. "First time?"

Eir Fellfrost: "…Werlyt." Was his only remark, careful to not divulge too much information to prying ears. "…It is… No secret i am… N-not the best fighter…"

...It... Was the first time. That i almost died. That i was... I... I remember it. Vision goes first. Blurred, then black. Then sound. I... No, no no... Why am i thinking of this now? Is it because of him? Because we were... We...

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Ah, you meant that. The curse of a long year and little peace, hm?" He walked over to the stack of fruit, grabbing himself an apple before taking a bite out of it. "You sure you don't regret associating yourself with mercenaries yet? I don't doubt things like this will keep happening, and you seem pretty done with it all. Maybe becoming a baker would have been a more comfortable change of career."

Eir Fellfrost: "I h-have made my choice." Eir replies, a little more sternly. "We will suffer a-anyway. So let me suffer for someone i care for." His gaze drifts a little lower. "I… H-have friends here. People i love. I w-will not leave them. N-not again."

No. Not... Not like Bozja. ...No! This is nothing like then! I... I am not expected to fight, this... This... I am not a conscript! This was just... This is just...! I am going nowhere! Things will keep happening, and perhaps i could have chose a more peaceful, more kind life! A sadder life, for not meeting her, for not meeting the friends i have now! I chose this, and i chose her!

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "A bit dramatic there, aren't you?" He took another bite out of the apple as he made his way back to invade Eir's air of nervosity. "I'm sure plenty here are glad to have you back. After all, many headed out to save you, didn't they?" He kept chewing as he talked before pausing to swallow. "In any case, it's not like you would have been able to fight your way out of that place on your own like a juggernaut. But you're stubborn. You endured, and you survived. Congrats."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "However, you are not free. Not entirely. I'm sure you have realized that yourself, you're an even bigger nervous wreck than you were before. Afraid only time will do the trick. Good thing you got plenty of it now, hm? As long as you avoid playing with knives of course."

Eir Fellfrost: "It is hardly dramatic. It is the t-truth. You know this." Eir spoke, lowering his gaze. "…People… Are glad to have m-me back. They have told me. I… B-believe them." He eyes the bubbling curry for just a moment, glance tracing back to Erjon. "I am -lucky-, more than i am stubborn." The voice that had been full of so much steadiness had begun to falter. "A-and i will be fine! I w-will. I w-was after th-the Locket. A-and after everything… Th-that came before. Why should th-this b-be any different?"

I have endured misery after misery, and i am still here! Why would this be any different? It hurts, and it hurts, and it... Should. I am still here. ...I am still here.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv tilted his head, eyebrow raised just a bit. "I don't doubt you will be. You've been to hell and back more times than one. But it never fully leaves you now, does it?" Finishing the last of his apple, he turned to toss the core in the trash. "So… How are you feeling, Eir?" There was no sarcasm to Erjon's voice as he spoke, like there so often would be.

To hear Erjon speak his name; no mocking undertone, no nickname, was enough to silence him. "I am f-f-fine…" Eir eventually lied, with the well of tears in his eyes, no matter how he fought them. "It… It w-will just be another… A-another…" His voice trails, wavery, as Eir stood stone still; the usual rock back and forth of the balls of his feet absent in his other anxious moments.

I... I am fine. I... Have to be. What other choice do i... Have?

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "… Another trauma? Another painful memory? Another scar to ignore until it fades?" Erjon watched as Eir's pretend reassurance started to falter. "You are not fine, clearly. Why pretend? You don't have to be strong for anyone."

Eir Fellfrost takes another shaky breath, lips parting to give a reply… But he can't. The sound that leaves is a sob, as tears stream down his cheeks, backing further away into the counter. "I… A-am trying!" Eir speaks through gritted teeth as the grief wells.

I... I am not being strong for anyone. Not... Not even myself. I... I just... I just wanted things to be normal. Even... Even for a few bells...!

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "It won't go away by pretending it doesn't bother you as much as it does. You're a mess, Eir." Erjon frowned softly as he spoke, unusually serious for being somewhere that was not a battlefield.

Eir Fellfrost: "I… I--…" The sound is almost vomited up from his throat; a wail, a scream as Eir hurries right past Erjon in some effort to hide his face, though only makes it so far before his legs begin to give. Eir drops to his knees, and all he seems to want to do is curl into a ball, face hidden against his knees as he hides beneath the worktop. "I-it w-will n-not go away!" Eir's voice is loud, distressed, "M-my every n-nightmare is full of a-all that happened th-there! S-so what?! A-are you happy? H-happy th-that you could see through it? Th-that you were right?!"

...Why? Why would you not just let me pretend? Pretend for a few bells that i am fine, and everything else is?! Why do you care how i am feeling?!

The sudden loud noise that escaped Eir surprised Erjon enough for him to stare baffled at him as he hurried past him. He was quick to understand what was happening however and walked up to Eir, not too quickly or with steps as heavy as he usually would. He got down on one knee in front of him, frowning softly as he studied Eir's trembling frame. "Eir, you're having a panic attack. It's only the two of us here. You are not in danger."

Eir Fellfrost took another breath; fighting to speak through it, he shrinks back against the alcove until the hardwood was felt flat against his back, sobbing. "It will happen a-again… It w-will h-ha--ppen… A-again…" His breaths, hitched and halfway to hyperventilating spilled more tears forth, though curled away as he was, he couldn't neither see, nor easily be seen. "M-my legs! He -broke- m-my legs!" Eir begins to rock, as to get some feeling back into them, numb and stiff now that they'd betrayed him. "D-do you k---know? H-how it f--eels to have th-the -only th--thing- of m-mine i c-could rel--ly on, t-take away from m-me…?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv watched Eir as he continued rambling, patiently listening before carefully reaching one hand to put on his shoulder. "Breathe, Eir. Breathe. In… and out." As if to demonstrate, he took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. "… I will never know how you feel. I have not experienced what you have. I'm sorry for pushing you into a corner. But… you are here. You are breathing. Your legs are working."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "I know scars never truly heal, be they on your body or your soul. No doubt you have gotten more now. You don't have to hide them, that just makes them more present."

Eir Fellfrost weeps all the more fitfully for the contact, but doesn't retreat from it. "Th-they used m-me as -bait-! For her! For -her-!" He's almost screaming, but it's not anger, it's grief. "Th-they used m-me like a-an animal! I w-was not g-good for… A-anything, wh-when they h-had her…" He trembles, voice breaking. "J-just bait…" He sobs for a little longer, catching his breath with Erjon's quiet instruction. "I… D-do not… W-want anyone to s-see…" He sobs. "N-not… E-even her…"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv sighed before moving to sit underneath the counter next to Eir. "You're so hung up on your weaknesses. I've heard you complain about your own strength since day one. You're not being fair, Eir. Not to yourself, or those who trust in you. Like Sayuri. Do you think you have to seem strong for others to trust you? To rely on you?"

Eir Fellfrost: "N-no, o-of course n-not!" Finally, Eir pulls his tear stricken face from his knees. "B-but if i w-was stronger, th-this would… N-not have h-happened. I… W-would have been able to f-fight. Do… S-something…"

...Something. Anything. I... I would have been able to defend myself. Hold on a little... Longer. Done... Something. Anything, to get away, or to free us... But i... ...I am not... ...Strong enough.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "I doubt so. While it may not have happened when it did, it would have happened eventually. As miserable as that feeling might be. There is no use in thinking 'what if'. It happened, and there's that. And now you've got to deal with the results of it. Step one being to acknowledge that it hurt you, and it still hurts.

Eir Fellfrost: "A-and what d-do you t-think this is? I -am- h-hurting!" He was still half yelling, even now, though it simmered with his next words. "I… T-think it… W-will, always. H-how… C-could i… Possibly pr-pretend otherwise?" He chokes another sob, head rested back against the wall. "I… K-know it w-will happen a-again. B-but…" He shakes his head, words quietening to a whisper. "I k-know this."

...And i chose this. It hurts. I am... Afraid, and i know it will, but i made my choice, and i regret nothing of it! ...Nothing of being with her. I know what i want, and i know what the more difficult life would be. I do not want to be without her.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "It's easy to say 'I can handle this', or 'it's worth the pain and suffering'. It's a whole different thing to live up to those words. Anyone who confidently claims they can is full of crap. This kind of stuff isn't something you brush under the rug to go frolick in a flower field of pretend."

Eir Fellfrost: "…I c-can." Eir sniffles. It's quiet, but confident. "A-and it is. S-she is. I k-know what it is to be w-without her. I d-do not want to be w-without h-her again. O-of… A-all the things they… D-did to me, that… That hurt. M-more than anything." Tears still continue to pour, though the outright sobbing has stopped, for the moment. "I… H-have before. W-we both have. W-we would not b-be here, otherwise…"

...I can handle this. I will cry and scream the entire time, but i will. And it is worth the pain and suffering. ...It is like the Locket. If... If i had to endure it all again, to be where i am now, i... I would, without question.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "If you say so. But you can't pretend to be dealing with this just fine in front of her or anyone else forever. Especially if stuff like this is bound to keep happening."

Eir Fellfrost: "…S-she knows. I… I d-do not pretend i-in front of h-her. Just… J-just out here." Eir swallows the lump in his throat. "I j-just w-want some n-normality. I… I cannot simply confine m-myself t-to my room and scream." Eir blinks away tears, though is still clearly upset. "…W-what else was i s-supposed to s-say? You… Y-you did not come here t-to l-listen to me w-weep."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv shrugged a hand. "I came looking for food and I found a Viera about to have a nervous breakdown. Did screaming out here feel a little less confining?"

Eir Fellfrost: "…I-it felt…" Eir closes his eyes, lips still drawn into a frown. "…I-if someone else h-here would understand, it… I-it would h-have been you.."

...It... It would have been him. He knows. He understands, he has... Walked a similar path, before. ...But he handles it better. I am... Weak. Delicate. Sensitive. I wanted to thank him for... For being here. But the entire notion of it felt so... Stupid.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "… I have seen this before, if that's what you mean. I'm sure you recognize the signs as well. This wasn't exactly uncommon."

Eir Fellfrost: "N-no. It…. W-was not." Eir whispers, finding some steadiness, now. "Th-the whole b-boat ride to Eorzea. I… I n-never said a w-word…" He wavers, gazing up to Erjon. "I… A-am still s-scared. S-scared they w-will take her again. A-and i will n-not be able to d-do anything…"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "It might happen. Or it won't. You'll have to deal with these thoughts, and with the knowledge that you will be involved either way if you make that choice. You know your own weaknesses and strengths, Eir."

Eir Fellfrost: "I k-know i d-do not want to be w-without h-her. I h-have made m-my choice." Eir whispers, and a ghost of a smile moves over his lips. "I… I a-asked her to m-marry me."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv raised an eyebrow. "You really are a masochist, huh. Well, congratulations. Have fun looking after your nerves. I'm guessing there will be cake."

Eir Fellfrost gives the most fleeting smile. "…S-some people are w-worth suffering f-for. A-and yes. There will."

I had expected him to... Chide me more for it. But i felt i had to tell him, at least. I wanted to tell everyone, the whole world, but... ...There are people worth suffering for. Though i would prefer it if it need never happen... I would, if it meant keeping her.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Well, don't come to me if you need a therapist. I look forward to cake though." He glanced at the pot still on the stove. "How's the cooking going, by the way?"

Eir Fellfrost: "O-oh!" Eir exclaims, narrowly avoiding the shelf he'd crammed himself under to tend the stove; the rice was a little overdone, but salvagable. He stirs the curry thoroughly, ensuring it hadn't stuck as he feared. Slowly turning to look to Erjon, Eir moves to take two plates.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv grabbed the edge of the counter top for support as he got up on his feet, careful not to hit his head as he straightened his back. "Almost had two disasters this evening, huh."

Eir Fellfrost: "Almost." Eir manages. A hefty portion of rice is piled atop one of the plates, and a heap of curry soon joins it. Taking a handful of cutlery, Eir turns and walks to Erjon, offering the plate without hesitation. "…I-it is better fresh." Eir smiles, gratitude in his expression. "…B-better than leftovers."

...Though it was because of his words i... I reacted as i did, i would not doubt that i needed to hear it. That... That it was okay, if... If i was not. That i did not have to pretend... I... ...He deserves better than leftovers. Though he is insufferable on occasion, this... I... It is the only thanks i can think to give.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv raised his eyebrows ever so slightly at the offered plate of food. It did smell just as enticing as when he first caught a whiff of it upstairs. "My thanks, it's been a while since I got to eat something that tries to burn my tastebuds." He wasted no time in getting a spoonful of rice and curry to eat, not even bothering with sitting down.

Eir Fellfrost: "…This one is not so spicy. F-flavourful, though." With the easing of his nerves, the stammer than had clung to his words begins to settle, returning to prepare his own plate. "If… You p-prefer something spicier, i can always prepare it as such, n-next time…?"

Already on his second bite, he looked at Eir with curious eyes before swallowing. "Are you offering a challenge? I accept. Just don't feel tempted to kill me."

Eir Fellfrost: "No, n-no, i w-would not." He pulls his lips into a line, before they curl into a small grin. "…B-but y-you might make s-strange faces."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Faces of bliss or faces of despair? I'm up for the challenge." He walked a little closer to Eir, corner of his mouth lifting into a crooked grin. "Surprise me with some ginger cookies at the wedding, won't you?" Giving a single pat on Eir's back, Erjon started walking towards the stairs, still eating his food from his plate. "Don't go disappearing for moons anytime again soon now, alright?"

Eir Fellfrost: "N-no promises!" Eir calls, though it's a lighthearted tone. "I h-have both a wedding -a-and- a honeymoon to plan!" Eir watches as he escends the stairs, intending to clean the kitchen once again. "…E-enjoy the f-food---…" Eir manages, sentence ending a little abruptly.

...Erjon. I... I almost said his name. Something stopped me, and i... ...Is he a friend? I have never consciously thought of him as one, but... ...Maybe. I do not know. The more i speak to him... The more comfort i find in his answers. His understanding. Without judgement, to know we have walked a similar path... ...Does he think the same of me? Or am i simply just another face in a hall full of people...?