#candle making? obscure but still cool as hell

[mythology-void]

reaffirming the idea that yes, I can do anything. and everything. perhaps even all at the same time

[honeytae]

Is this the wife material you’ve been waiting for?

hello my lovies, happy wednesday! i hope you guys are having a great week, but if not...i’m here to provide you with some seokjin mega fluff. it’s got little actual plot to follow along with - however, i think it’s sweet, so hopefully you guys like it!

tags: @ahgasearmyfan, @hoseokayy genre: fluff word count: 1.8k

Coughing as smoke billowed up off the pan, you tossed the lid to the side, eyes burning as you blinked them through the hot air of the oven space. 

“Shit.” You cursed as the fire alarm began beeping above your head, reaching for the dishtowel on your kitchen counter and, in a panic, jumping up to bat at the alarm in a desperate attempt to silence it. 

This was not how you wanted tonight to go. 

All you wanted was to make a nice meal for Seokjin to come home to. It was your anniversary, after all, and he’d been working all damn day. 

You already felt bad enough that your dinners were either takeout or something your boyfriend could whip up after work, since your inability to cook was absolutely hazardous to the building and the people in it, as Seokjin had lovingly informed you after you tried to cook the last time he wasn’t home. 

But even trying your hardest wasn’t enough, which was evident by the smoke exuding from the pot you’d desperately thrown into the sink to put cool water in, the blaring of the smoke alarms in your apartment, and the panicked “what the hell?” coming from your boyfriend as he walked through the front door.

The next thing you knew, he was directly beside you, arm still cradling his bag as he’d rushed in to the chaotic scene in the kitchen. His arm easily reached the smoke alarm on the ceiling, hitting it a few times before he successfully silenced it. 

Glancing around the kitchen with wide eyes, he returned his gaze to you, curled into yourself as you leaned against the counter in shame. 

“Hey,” he greeted briefly, “what happened?” He asked, his tone exasperated as he tried to piece together how the kitchen could’ve possibly gotten to this state in the amount of time he’d left to retrieve some clothes he’d left in the practice room the other night. 

“I can’t fucking do this.” You whimpered, your tone causing Jin’s eyes to soften immediately as he reached forward to pull you into his arms, his palm cradling your head against his shoulder as his other hand landed on the window, pulling it up to allow some smoke out of the hot room. 

You sniffled into his chest as he hushed you, mumbling sweet words to calm you as your fingers clung onto his shirt. 

“Okay, it’s okay. Come with me, love.” His warm voice soothed into your ear, you wordlessly following his lead as he guided you out into the living room, allowing him to sit you down on the couch with a quick peck to your forehead. 

“I’m going to go clean up, then I’ll be right back. Okay?” He asked gently, rubbing at the top of your spine as you nodded slowly. 

“I’m sorry.” You said, not knowing what else to say as the sweet man who’d just stepped in the door was about to clean up another one of your messes. And, not to mention, figure out an alternate dinner plan.

You kept your eyes on the ground as Jin dropped to his knees in front of you, his hands placed on your own as he dipped his head to try to catch some eye contact. 

“Hey, none of that, sweetheart. You don’t need to apologize.” He soothed, rubbing his palm up your thigh before his hands went to your own, picking up your fingers one by one to inspect them. 

“You’re fine, right? No burns or other injuries?” He questioned, you shaking your head in response and causing him to hum in approval. 

“Good. Because guess what? That’s all that matters.” He said, causing you to sigh as you lifted your head to finally look at him. 

“What if I told you I burnt your favorite pan beyond repair?” You mumbled, the man shaking his head with a purse of his lips.

“I don’t care. Pans are replaceable.” He said, threading his fingers through your hair to push it back behind your ear as you huffed a breath past your lips. 

“I’m still sorry.” You pouted, the man’s features crumbling into a chuckle as he shook his head, rubbing at your shoulder with a comforting palm. 

“You’re so silly to think I’d care about a pan.” He teased you, causing you to crack a smile as you met his eye for the first time since his entrance. 

“I care about the pan. And I’m buying you another one, whether you like it or not.” You quipped, Seokjin’s shoulders shaking as squeaky chuckles escaped his mouth. 

“Silly.” He said before leaning in to press his lips to the tip of your nose. 

“Now you sit here and look pretty while I clean up.” He directed you, coming to a stand with a point of his finger, leaving it up at you as he backed out of the room. 

You giggled at his actions, his eyes remaining on you challengingly until he rounded the corner of the kitchen doorway, at last obscuring your view of the man. 

Sighing, you looked around the living room, thinking of what you could possibly do to make it up to him. Him. The man you’d been with for four years today. Grunting, you stood up to further examine the room, opening drawers and cabinets to inspect their contents as your brain whirred with ideas. 

Spotting the collection of candles you stashed away for special occasions, you quickly snatched them into your hands, shutting the door behind you and setting out for the hallway closet.

Grabbing the table runner, you hastily ran to the dining room, lining the table with the fabric and placing the candles inches apart from each other to make an evened out display. 

Sneaking into the kitchen in search of matches, you thanked your lucky stars that Seokjin had his back to you with the faucet running, as he could no longer see or hear you when you snatched the flame starters in their little carton from one of the drawers. 

Scratching the wood against the strip on the box, you lit a match to hopefully light all of them, dipping the flame down into the glass candle cases and continuing the action with each one. 

“What happened to sitting still and looking pretty, love?” 

You nearly jumped at the sudden arrival of Jin’s voice from behind you, turning around with a small smile as he leaned against the wall across the room from you. 

“That’s your job, Jinnie. Come over here and sit.” You directed him, the man’s face contorting into a beautiful full smile as he pushed himself off the wall to make his way over to you. 

Pausing his steps, he instead stood in front of you, his eyes checking out the details of the table you’d built in his absence.

“Cooking is a definite no.” You sighed, turning to look back at your handiwork with a gesture of your hand to the simple decorations you’d put on the previously blank surface.

“But setting the table,” you started, Seokjin raising his eyebrows in amusement, “that I can do.”

Your boyfriend chuckled in response, bringing a smile to your face as he gripped your hand in his to pull you into his chest. 

“I love you.” He cooed, your nose scrunching up in response at the sudden affectionate tone he used before you repeated the sentiment back to him. 

“This is actually really good.” He admired the table again, making you scoff at the man’s amazement at the simplest candles lined up on a runner. 

“Why don’t you set the tables at our wedding?” He asked abruptly, making your chest erupt in butterflies at the mere idea of marrying the man in front of you.  

“I can make that happen,” You agreed, “but there’s going to have to be some kneeling and a ring first.” You teased, the man’s lips curling into another smile before his face faded into a more serious expression. 

“Okay.” He said simply, confusing you as he stared back at you. 

“Okay?” You chuckled, face falling when he wordlessly dug a hand into his jean pocket, producing a small black box between his fingers. 

Your mouth dropped open at the sight, widened eyes meeting his own as his pupils seemed to trace your features. 

“Jin.” You whispered, allowing him to hold your hand in his with a pounding heart. 

“You alright with this?” He asked in just as soft of a voice, you nodding eagerly in response as you grinned at him. 

“Is nearly burning our entire building down what you’re into? Is this the wife material you’ve been waiting for?” You chuckled through your shock, the man’s eyes crinkling as he giggled.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He smiled, lifting your hand to his face to press kisses to each one of your knuckles, holding you appendages in his as he lowered himself to his knee.

”I love you so much. Kitchen fires and all.” He teased, squeezing your hand in his as you giggled down at him. 

“You are absolutely the only one I want, forever. You’re the only person I want to share my bed with, the only human I want to be close to all the time, the only one I ever want to burn all my pans.” 

At his last addition to the speech, you chuckled, bowing your head for a moment as your cheeks heated up before lifting your gaze to smile back at him. 

“You make my life so full.” He whispered, the tenderness in his words causing a tear to trickle down your cheek before reaching up to swipe at it with your thumb. “Please marry me.” He continued, making your eyes prick with more tears at those words you knew were coming, yet not emotionally prepared at all to hear them fall from his lips directed at you. 

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” You chuckled in bewilderment, Seokjin smiling so big that you could for the first time through the ordeal see the tears brimming in his eyes. 

Vision blurring with more unshed tears, you barely registered Seokjin slipping the ring snug onto your fourth finger before you were desperately tugging him up from the ground into a hug. 

He only got halfway up off the floor before you were seated on his thigh, his opposite knee supporting his weight as it remained down on the ground. Your fiancé easily intercepted your frame with a watery chuckle, rubbing his palm up and down your back as he lightly swayed your bodies back and forth. 

“Oh my god, I love you so much.” You spoke into his shoulder, sniffling as you only slightly pulled your face out from where you’d tucked it into his shirt. 

“I love you so much.” He spoke tenderly, swiping his thumb underneath your eye to catch a fallen tear with an adoringly smile. 

“We’re getting married.” You wept, Seokjin squeezing you to him with a sniffle as he nodded.

“We’re getting married.”

[qandnoablog]

Secrets (Marvel Imagine)

Title: Secrets (Work-In-Progress)

Pairing: Loki x TVA!Reader

Warnings: This is a spin-off based on my previous work Discovered (Marvel Imagine) and the TV series - Loki Please be sure to read my previous work (link below) as well as watch the show before continuing to both understand the story and not be spoiled!

Discovered (Marvel Imagine) - Part: [18], [17], [16], [15], [14], [13], [12], [11], [10], [9], [8], [7], [6], [5], [4], [3], [2], [1] Short story: [3], [2], [1]

Part: 1

Key: Y/N - Your Name Y/A - Your (TVA) Alias

Word Count: - 2,292

Summary: [Y/N] centered her whole life around the TVA. She was born from it, trained by it, and was destined to fight for it. That should have been enough, but for some reason, [Y/N] found it difficult to accept. She just could not conform to the norms, like every other TVA agent around her. It caused her great pain to mold herself into the proper soldier, to ignore the discrepancy she felt surrounded by those who had no issues following nothing but the orders from above. Then, all that began to change. One variant, one being, shattered her very reality. He exposed the deeply rooted secrets of the Authority and his very presence swallowed her up like a storm. Who was this man who proclaimed himself to be a god? How was he so different from all the others the TVA had succeeded in erasing? And why? Why did [Y/N]’s heart stir every time he looked at her, as if peering into her very soul?

Note From Author: I finally got down to watching the Loki series! Binged the whole season in one day, and loved it! It flooded me with new ideas based on the Discovered series I made, and though I’m not sure what path I’ll be taking for this series, please bear with me! I love Loki and Sylvie’s dynamic together in the series, but I desperately wanted to incorporate [Y/N] since before the series even came out. Please don’t hate me too much if I down play their romance to make way for [Y/N]! Maybe there’ll even be a twist... Who knows? ;)

Part 1 - Secrets

The bright tiles of the mosaic glinted dimly as it obscured the intense rays of the sun trickling in from outside.

[Y/N] stared at the windows as she carefully examined the art, trying to look away from the scene that was littered before her. Instead, she focused on the colors of the window, the smell of the burning candles, and the sensation of the cool, natural air that blew in from the distant entrance. She savored the brief feeling of the outside world, before a voice awoke her from her trance.

“It’s him,” Hunter U-92 said in a slightly annoyed tone.

She glanced up at the hunter assigned to the case and slightly frowned. [Y/N] didn’t know why, but she never liked her fellow co-workers. She should have felt a unity with them, given that they were all created by the same being and assigned the same mission. Though she understood that they existed solely for the mission, it was difficult for her to accept that. That was what set her apart from the others.

“Yeah,” another man answered as he crouched down to examine the bodies, “stab wounds look consistent with the others.”

Mobius was one of the few exceptions.

“Positioning of the bodies indicates they didn’t know what the hell hit ‘em,” Mobius continued as he stood up and looked closely at the fallen Minutemen. “And reset charge is gone.”

“That’s the sixth attack in the last week,” Hunter U-92 stated.

“That we know of,” Mobius and [Y/N] replied in unison, though for [Y/N] it was more of a quiet grumbling.

“You know, [Y/A], you didn’t need to come,” Mobius chuckled as [Y/N] sat down carelessly without any regard for the bodies around her.

“And miss out on leaving the office? Not a chance,” [Y/N] countered as she glanced once at the fallen agents and quickly turned away.

[Y/N] wasn’t heartless.

She was saddened by the deaths of others and disliked meaningless slaughter. Though trained as a diligent TVA agent, she was still weak when it came to killing. But she refused to show how much it affected her. The last time she exhibited such emotions… Well, it didn’t end well for her.

“We can’t just leave them!” [Y/N] yelled as she snatched away the reset charge that had been placed on the ground. “If we reset, they’ll be erased with the rest of the timeline! We have to take them back. We have to send them off properly!”

“Stand down, Hunter Z-73. We’re running out of time-”

“No.” [Y/N] held her ground, her heart racing, as her body trembled from this blatant act of insubordination.

She didn’t know why she wasn’t following orders. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t accept something this simple, like all the other Minutemen could. She knew the consequences of failing the mission when a branching timeline was created, so why? Why couldn’t she bear to look at the faces of her fallen TVA? Why couldn’t she just be like everyone else and just do her job?

“Stand. Down.” Her superior warned her one last time, emphasizing each word, as everyone’s eyes looked at her with impatience and distrust.

“Please, just let me take them home.” [Y/N] insisted as she got on her knees as a final plea. “Let them rest at the TVA, where they belong.”

The words sounded strange to her, but she didn’t know why. Still, this one act… Her begging her team… It would seem humiliating, but something within her seemed to have settled. The uneasiness she felt since the moment of her creation, it was finally feeling more at peace. As if the acts she was committing today weren’t crimes against the TVA… As if this all was the right choice. It was the right answer.

[Y/N] had hope in that feeling, and believed that the others would feel the same way. But, reality was colder than hope.

“Apprehend her.”

No one even felt sympathy for her, let alone those of their fallen. Everything was only ever about the mission. Through overwhelming numbers, she was captured and taken to be punished for her sins. Her sins against the ultimate power, the Time Variance Authority.

[Y/N] shut her eyes at the memory, her jaw clenching from the sense of betrayal she felt towards the TVA and from herself. She felt betrayed by her colleagues who should have cared about one of their own. She felt betrayed by her team, who did not understand her nor did they even try. And she felt betrayed by her own emotions, that only ever settled when she was acting outside the strict law of the TVA.

That was her first and last mission with that team.

Since then, she had been grounded for nearly a decade, unable to go outside the TVA and stuck with grunt work. She had to start from the bottom once more, organizing and filing cases, without taking one step out into the timeline. Without so much as feeling the natural sunlight of the world beyond the TVA walls. Like clipping a bird’s wings, she was imprisoned in the system that they were designed to work for.

After possibly centuries of similar punishments, depriving her further of the outside world, her individuality was slowly being chipped away. Now, as she sat inside one of France’s most beautiful cathedrals, [Y/N]’s eyes were dimmer than the light that was obscured by the mosaic windows. Her rebellious spirit had long since broken.

“Hey!”

The shout startled [Y/N] out of her trance, and that was when she realized that it was not just the Minutemen who were here at the church.

Hunter U-92 took out his weapon, ready to spring into action by the stranger’s presence, but Mobius quickly caught his arm, ordering the man to stand down.

“Tsk,” [Y/N] scowled as she stretched from her seat, “All violence and no thought.”

Her mood had plummeted since recalling her first mission.

“It’s just a kid.” Mobius ignored [Y/N]’s remarks, giving [Y/N] a warning look, before turning back towards the child. “(I’m sorry, my friend is an imbecile).”

Mobius tried to sooth the child, speaking in the tongue of their country, but Hunter U-92 quickly shot back.

“Hey, yo! (I speak every language on the timeline too),” he called out, but then muttered under his breath while putting away his weapon, “(Jackass).”

“(Control that mouth of yours),” [Y/N] growled as she rose from her seat with a sharp glare, “(or else I’ll do it for you).”

Then she bounded off towards Mobius, disregarding the pale look that spread across the hunter’s face.

Everyone knew that [Y/N] would never do anything against them due to the authority of the TVA, but she was still feared by many. Out of everyone, she was one of the few that had powers far beyond their own. They assumed only the Timekeepers knew why she had those abilities. And since she was made differently from them, though the judge said otherwise, some were wary about her position in the Timekeepers’ eyes.

[Y/N] stood behind Mobius as he spoke with the young child, even allowing him to hold his TemPad - a very strong tool among the Minutemen - but the child did not have much regarding the incident. The only clue they managed to obtain was candy left behind by the so-called, “devil.”

As she watched his interaction, [Y/N] couldn’t help but reminisce about her past once more.

Mobius… He was one of the few within the TVA who had empathy, like her. He had come to her after her failed mission, and brought her under him when her own team had abandoned her. He understood her to a certain extent, caring for her as if she was a lost lamb amongst lions. Over time, she began to depend on him, even feeling protective over him when his words were disregarded by other agents.

He was the only one that ever stuck their neck out for her. Although he could not go against the TVA, he made exceptions for her any way that he could. Mobius was aware that whenever she was not allowed to go out, she felt suffocated, and was willing to stifle her opinions if it meant just having a taste of that unachievable freedom. Knowing this, he allowed her to tag along on missions that weren’t assigned to her. Nevertheless, he also understood that this only made her longing for an escape that much stronger. Perhaps, that too was hell, but it was the only thing he could grant her.

“Devil bearing gifts.” Mobius mused, shaking her from her thoughts.

“What else is new?” [Y/N] sighed, rubbing her somewhat groggy eyes.

Why was she acting like this? Why was she thinking so much about the past these days? She kept getting the feeling that she was trying to recall something, something she had long forgotten, but all the memories she dredged up were things she never could forget. So what was it? What was she searching for?

Then, the long awaited mission - her trip to the outside world - was wrapping up.

“Set a reset charge,” Hunter U-92 ordered, the words scraping against [Y/N]’s ears.

That often followed with a hasty retreat and the disposal of fellow TVA agents’ bodies. It had been so long, but after digging up those old memories of her first mission, she couldn’t help but feel nauseous with those words. With that tool. With the reset charge.

However, this time, things didn’t end there. A Timedoor was opened and another agent came out holding files in one hand. He glanced at [Y/N] for a brief second, a flash of worry flickering across his face, before he turned back and walked closer to Mobius.

“Sir, there’s something you’ll wanna see.”

Mobius took the files, glancing between the agent and [Y/N] who became curious about the questionable attention towards her, and glanced over his shoulder as he opened the files. A picture of a variant came into view, a stamp stating, “APPREHENDED,” in red letters above some of his printed information. It seemed like any other case, something [Y/N] had seen for what felt like her whole life, but something caught her eye.

The more she looked, the more she couldn’t look away from the picture. It was as if those eyes were drawing her in. But soon, her eyes shifted downward and were once again sucked in by two words.

Loki Laufeyson.

~

“You lost what-?!” [Y/N] gasped as she trailed behind Mobius as the team hurried down the corridor.

She could barely believe her ears. Mobius, the only TVA agent she would go out of her way to call her friend and also one of the ones who cared most about the TVA’s mission, had lost a variant under his command. [Y/N] wanted to ask more questions, to ask how the variant escaped, and how much trouble Mobius would be in after this incident, but someone was faster.

“Wish I could say I was surprised,” Hunter B-15 sneered as she kept pace with Mobius.

“Yeah, I wish you hadn’t interrupted us,” Mobius responded, a bit irked, while [Y/N] shot daggers at the hunter.

“Me? It’s my fault?” Hunter B-15 just glanced at [Y/N] but she was one of the few agents who were unaffected by her presence. “And why is [Y/A] here? We were ordered not to-”

“Look, he can’t have gotten very far,” Mobius interrupted, shifting his eyes away from [Y/N]’s questioning look.

“There’s a reason [Y/A]’s not supposed to… Fine, she can come, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Hunter B-15 let out a resigned sigh, after getting the message from Mobius’ sharp look, and stopped at the end of the hallway. Then, she turned around to face the other agents and gave out an order. “Split up. Prune on sight.”

“No, no pruning, no resetting,” Mobius countered as he turned back, away from the elevators. “He can still help us!”

[Y/N] hurried behind him, followed by two other armed agents, and held in her plethora of questions. This was a first for her… Mobius was for some reason hiding something, but she didn’t know what or why. Though she had complete faith in the man, she couldn’t shake off the uneasiness she felt.

“Mobius, what’s going on?” [Y/N] asked as they got further from Hunter B-15. Perhaps he couldn’t tell her in front of the hunter. “How did that variant get past you? I heard that that particular variant can be tricky. Is there something I can do to help?”

But despite her beliefs, Mobius didn’t answer her. Instead, he gave orders to the following agents, including herself, and hurried off to find the escaped variant. Not once did he look her straight in the eyes. As if to hide a guilty conscience, he escaped from her like he was running away from a fire.

[Y/N] stood there by herself in the hallway, staring at her friend’s back that got further and further away.

Mobius never kept secrets from her. If something was classified, he would tell her that it was and she would not ask further questions. That was how they always were, so what was different this time? What was he hiding from her? What was so important about this secret that he couldn’t even give her excuses?

You’re ok, right? She wanted to ask before he hurried off, but the look in his eyes made her swallow down her words.

Her uneasiness began to fester and grow.

[Next]

Author’s Note: This was fun to make and so was part 2! It’s still a work-in-progress but I have to admit, I’m pretty proud with how part 2 is shaping up. Please continue to stick around and look forward to the next part!

Thank you so much for reading and feel free to leave comments :)

[echo-of-sounds]

adhd pt.2

How Fatgum, Gang Orca, and Midnight would help and support their s/o who has ADHD. Midnight’s are a little shorter than the others. I had a hard time thinking of more headcanons for her.

Warnings: nothing incredibly explicit, but a couple of these talk about sex

Toyomitsu Taishiro

Tai is a friendly guy. He talks to everyone when you're out and about. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes it's a lot to handle. He wants you to immediately tell him when you’re starting to feel overstimulated or anxious. Before it gets too bad, he’ll carry you to a safe space. And it doesn’t matter where you are, his sweatshirts are yours. Weight can be very grounding and with his size, they’re very heavy. He’ll hold you close and talk you through the emotions.

Any time you lash out, he might try to ease the tension by making a joke. If you’ve ever been angry, you know jokes just make it worse. He’ll give you time to gather yourself when he realizes you’re actually angry. He won’t snap back. Fighting isn’t what he wants to do. Take some time to cool down. You’ll find him waiting for you with a smile. It’s hard to get him angry and it doesn't hurt his feelings when you lash out, but you should still apologize. He would appreciate it.

Feelings overwhelmed can erupt suddenly. When you sit down at your desk and there are five notebooks, scattered pens and pencils, loose papers, and just useless junk everywhere, you feel completely engulfed under them. It’s almost like you can’t breathe. You don’t know where to start or what to do. Tai will set some time aside to help you sort through your stuff. He may not know exactly where everything goes, but he really wants to help. He hates the look on your face when you’re overwhelmed and he’ll do anything to make it go away.

Lack of restraint and risk-taking behaviors are the most concerning to him. Sure, impulsively buying a dumb stuffed animal is one thing. But buying a new gaming system and four video games is another. The costs add up quickly. Or maybe you take another shot at the bar because screw it, you only live once. Then you do that over and over. ‘Just another shot’ turns into ten more. Your safety is always his number one priority and he worries himself sick thinking you’re going to damage your finances, career, or worse, yourself.

If you didn’t catch what he said, he has no problem repeating himself. Though he worries you aren’t paying attention while you’re in public or when something important is happening. He doesn’t want you mindlessly agreeing to something that you don’t actually want to do or potentially getting hurt. Like how you fling your arms out when you’re talking and hit someone or a wall. To ease his anxiety about you, he’ll hold your hand a lot and offer to give you piggyback rides.

He has a little trouble focusing on smaller tasks as well. He would much rather be doing fun activities out in the world. So he understands your trouble. He also understands how you forget to vacuum even though you promised you would. He isn’t annoyed. He’ll remind you when you’re home to do it. 

Since Tai is such a big guy he taught himself to be gentle early on in his life, particularly when it comes to sex, therefore he isn’t worried if you have sexual hypersensitivities. He's also great at communication and loves talking. He’ll ask what positions you can’t do and where you don’t like to be touched to ensure your comfort is at its max. During sex, if your attention starts drifting, he’ll let you take over to help keep you focused.

Gang Orca

Kugo’s a clean, organized man. To him, it’s helpful knowing that everything has its place. If you leave bowls and books around or are an overall cluttered person, he’ll pick up after you. Eventually, when your clutter gets to be too much, he’ll create a routine and a to-do list. Before bed, look at the list and look around the room if there are any pillows to put back on the couch or papers to straighten out.

Having physical sensitives is something Kugo can understand. While it’s not to the point he’s overstimulated like people with ADHD have, his skin is still quite sensitive- more than your ‘average’ human skin because of his mutant-type quirk. Whatever you need for self-soothing, he can bring to you when you’re starting to feel overstimulated. Your favorite heavy quilt will be wrapped around your shoulders and he’ll light some vanilla candles.

He’s utterly unbothered by tapping, fidgeting, or restlessness. However, he’s deeply concerned when he notices blood on your lip or fingers. It’s mindless. You don’t hurt yourself on purpose. No matter how many times you explain, it won’t quell his worries. He just really hates seeing you bleed. Out in public, he’ll hold your hand to stop your picking. At home, he keeps a close eye on you and points out your unhealthy habit so you can find a fidget toy or a pen to click. He hopes if he does it enough times it’ll become a subconscious reaction for you to grab a toy to play with instead of your body.

High mood swings and anger are easy for him to take. Your quick snaps go in one ear and out the other- mainly because he knows it's not about him. While he understands the frustration comes at the flip of a switch, he strongly urges you to find ways to deal with your emotions in a healthy way. He’s willing to listen if you want to talk it out. He’s willing to go to the gym if you need to exercise it out. And (if you’re at that point in the relationship), he’s willing to have sex if you need to fuck it out. 

Kugo loves listening to your interests. He supports any and all of your studies. Are you currently into a new TV series? He’ll buy you posters and action figures for surprises on your bad days. Or is the Viking culture suddenly fascinating and you need to learn everything about it? He scoops up some obscure book from that bookstore he passes every day. Even though his presents might not be exactly what you’re looking for, his excitement and passion to support you is really cute.

Focusing on smaller tasks is incredibly difficult. You strain yourself then get frustrated then give up. Seriously, that one piece of paperwork should take ten minutes tops to complete. But it ends up taking over two hours because you just can’t sit and do it. Whenever he notices you fussing at the table, he’ll sit down with you so you can go through the paperwork together. Having someone next to you is helpful. They keep you on track and guide the way through the long passages of words and seemingly confusing questions.

He's uneasy when it comes to any sexual sensitivities. It takes him a while to be ready for sex in general, but if you’re hypersensitive, it’ll take him a hell of a lot longer. He’s so scared of hurting you, especially since his fingers are more like claws and his teeth are sharp. He tries his damnedest to be gentle because he’s always scared that he’ll overstimulate you to the point you’re crying. Your sexual relationship will start with oral and fingering, plateauing at that for a while until he convinces himself he won’t hurt you.

Kayama Nemuri

Thoughts that bubble up and instantly spout from your mouth are common. Half the time you don’t even realize you spoke. Nemuri will be a little miffed if you keep interrupting her. She doesn’t want to forget her train of thought. She knows you have difficulty controlling it but she would appreciate it if you let her finish her sentence so she can fully listen to and understand yours.

Fidgeting and squirming don’t annoy her. She’s a Hero and a teacher. She’s become desensitized to all sorts of restlessness. Though she is in the same boat as Aizawa in that, if you’re a clicker or tapper, she’ll ask if you could find something else to fidget with. But she won’t snap at you as he may. She has a serious soft spot for her partner and rarely raises her voice.

However, those times when your anger gets sparked because your lotion bottle broke or you thought you had more of your favorite chips and you lash out when she asks what’s wrong, she’ll get defensive from time to time and might snap back. It depends on how long her day was and how tired/stressed she is. Most of the time she can reel herself back, realizing you’re not angry at her. But if she had a hard day, her retort comes quickly and sharply. It’s enough to make you pause, recognizing how you reacted to her simple question. When you apologize, she will too, wanting to make up as soon as possible.

Her quirk is quite convenient for overstimulation. If you give your consent, she can emit a tiny amount of her aroma to relax you. If you need serious instant relief, she can put you to sleep. But she won’t rely on her quirk every single time. She doesn’t like completely knocking you out. Any self-soothing techniques you use, she’ll read about and work out ways she can provide you with what you need.

Nemuri will have to change her outlook on sex a little bit. She’s very dominant, loves being the active partner, and dips (more than a little) into sadism. But she’s experienced. She’s aware her kinks aren’t always liked. Before you’re ever intimate, she’ll sit down with you to set clear and defined boundaries about what you can take. If pain is something you can’t handle or just don’t want, she’s fine without it. Her love for you is more important than her kinks. 

[thehouseoflamentation]

What would MC's first Valentine's Day with the brothers and Diavolo be like?

MC’s First Valentine’s Day with the Boys + Diavolo

(I know I’m super late but just take it ><)

Lucifer

Lucifer isn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve but Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for him to show you his romantic side because if you turn him down for whatever reason, he can use the holiday as an excuse for his affectionate behavior.

He wouldn’t make a huge deal out of the holiday. He isn’t really the most lovey-dovey person to begin with, however he would still put in a lot of effort to make your first Valentine’s Day with him special.

He would often try to save face by saying it's all part of the holiday but you can tell by the way he blushes lightly and turns his head when you make eye contact that he’s genuinely excited and a little nervous about spending Valentine’s Day with you.

When asking you to be his valentine he’ll gift you a bouquet of roses he grew himself. He’s rather proud with how his hard work paid off and hopes you appreciate all the effort he put in.

“You’ll be mine, won’t you?”

His words almost sound like an order but its only because he won’t really know what to do if you actually said “no.” His pride will take a pretty big hit and he’ll be sour and grumpy for a while if you turn him down.

If you do say yes though he’ll start the second part of his plan and take you out on a romantic candle lit dinner date. Depending on the mood after that he might invite you to continue the rest of night back at his room.

Mammon

He’s sweating bullets thinking about what he’ll do for your first Valentine’s Day together with him. Should he buy chocolates or would it be better to make them himself? Can he even do that? Maybe a card? No, no that’s too simple. How about flowers? What were your favorites again?

He wants everything to be perfect and ends up spending waaayyyyyy over his budget to make sure he has enough stuff to give you the best Valentine’s Day surprise. Well that is if he even decided to establish a budget in the first place.

Everyone can see him planning for Valentine’s Day from a mile away. He thinks he’s being real discreet despite having huge boxes from Akuzon delivered under his name in preparation for the holiday.

In the end it was actually a good thing that he bought lots of extra materials. His attempt at creating his own homemade chocolate only resulted in burned inedible bits and spilled chocolate mix. Once he got the hang of it he was barely able to make enough for one box.

He also ordered flowers but failed to order them at the right time. They ended up coming about a week earlier than he planned and most of them ended up wilting by the time Valentine’s Day came around. However in the end he was able to make a small bouquet from the flowers that were still good.

His last redeeming gift was the card he made for you. It was simple and his writing wasn’t the neatest considering he kept spacing out while writing it but every word came from his heart.

“Here! Just...just take it!!”

Once he handed you the chocolates, flowers, and card his heart felt like it would burst out of his chest from how nervous he was. If you agreed to be his valentine he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions and would probably start vibrating from sheer excitement.

Leviathan

You haven’t seen Levi leave his room for weeks up until Valentine’s Day. You were worried about him but in reality he had spent all that time binging dating sims and romcom animes in an attempt to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day with you.

In the end he decided to go with something simple, heartfelt, and foolproof. He pulled his hood over his head to hide his blush while he gave you the traditional box of chocolates and flowers however there was something else he saved for last.

“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to but...here.”

His hands trembled as he handed you a small object covered in pink and red wrapping paper. It was a charm from an obscure anime he watched a couple weeks ago. In the show the protagonist gave his love interest a matching charm so they would always have a little something to remember each other by.

He didn’t expect you to understand the reference but the fact that he was able to convey his feelings for you was enough for him, even if it meant he was only one who knew the true meaning behind the charm….or so he thought.

Once you tore the wrapping covering the charm your eyes immediately lit up. Without skipping a beat you planted a kiss on his cheek and pulled him into a tight hug, thanking him for the charm. After you pulled away he was red from head to toe as he tried to process the fact that you knew exactly what the tiny key chain meant. Oh yeah and fact that YOU KISSED HIM.

It took awhile for Levi to regain his cool after that but he definitely wasn’t complaining. You ended up spending the rest of the day chilling in Levi’s room. Even though it was simple and laid back, you now knew without a doubt how Levi truy felt about you, and that charm hanging off your D.D.D was more than enough proof of that.

Satan

Satan had done some research on the human tradition once news got out that the holiday was just around the corner. He already knew what the celebration was about but he had trouble figuring out what he should do for the occasion. He wanted the day to be special for you but he also didn’t want to overwhelm you or make you uncomfortable. He couldn’t quite choose between two gifts he had in mind so he ultimately decided on giving you both.

His first gift was simple and just as sweet, a small box of chocolates covered in red wrapping paper. The adorable face you made as you happily sampled the candy was more than enough to convince him to continue with his plan.

Phase two! This was actually the most embarrassing gift he had planned for the day so instead of handing it to you he left it in front of your dorm room and sprinted around the corner before you could catch him.

“A kitten for my kitten <3”

Attached to the note was a small cat plush with heart patterns and a pink ribbon tied around its neck. You couldn’t help but giggle and smile at the adorable little thing in front of you. You held it close to your chest before placing it on your bed and moving back towards the doorway.

Satan had been going back and forth about adding the note but from your reaction it seemed he made the right choice. He turned and was about to head back to his room for a bit when he felt your lips suddenly press against the back of his neck.

He may have been the fourth strongest ruler of hell but that fact was rendered null under the tenderness of your surprise thank you kiss. Now he was beet red leaning against the wall for support while trying to comprehend what just happened, not quite how he pictured himself spending Valentines Day but still just as enjoyable.

Asmodeus

Asmo was all too familiar with the traditions of Valentine’s Day. The gifts, the decorations, the feeling of love in the air along with *ahem* less pure emotions made it one of Asmo’s favorite human holidays.

There was no doubt the demon would go overboard with preparations but what should he start with first? Chocolates and flowers were a main staple of Valentine’s Day but giving you something like that would be way too simple and predictable for someone like him. No, no, no. He had to do something special.

He contemplated what would make the perfect gift until he finally settled on something that he knew would be true to himself and also make you happy. In the end he took you on a couples spa day so the two of you could unwind and relax together.

Then after getting pampered for most of the afternoon, Asmo took you to a candle light dinner at Ristorante 6. The place was nearly packed with couples but he managed to pull a few strings to reserve a table away from the rest of the guests with a balcony view of the night sky. The two of you chatted the night away, enjoying the food and each other’s company until it was time to head back to the dorms. But Asmo still wasn’t done.

Inviting you to his room Asmo held out his final present to you much to your confusion. It was just...his wrist with a ribbon tied around it. It felt like some kind of joke but as you untied the ribbon you found that it actually trailed up his arm and wrapped around the rest of his body. An intricate bondage pattern sprawled over his torso leading down the rest of his body hiding just beneath the cover of his clothes. Had he been tied up like this all day? Well at that point you didn’t know and didn’t care. You were far too busy enjoying your last “present” for the day.

Beelzebub

Beel was in quite the predicament. He knew the kinds of gifts people gave each other on Valentine’s Day but he often found it difficult to resist eating what he was supposed to give you. The handmade chocolates he made first were delicious! Perhaps a bit too delicious though as the rest of the batch disappeared in the blink of an eye once Beel sampled a piece to see if it turned out alright.

Well at least now he knew the right measurements for all the ingredients to make a second batch….and a third….and a fourth. He was down to his last ingredients and it was too late to run back to the store and start the process over again so he knew he had to nail this next batch.

This time around he had a special foolproof safeguard to prevent him from eating the chocolates he was going to give you and his name was Belphie. Every time Beel looked like he was about to have another taste Belphie poked him in the side and reminded him that the chocolates were meant to be a gift. The plan almost worked until Belphie fell asleep on the kitchen counter.

Soon after, Beel’s eyes started to focus on the bowl of chocolate again. His hands subconsciously whisked the sweet mixture faster and faster as his train of thought drifted away. All he could do was continue stirring while fighting back his urge to sample the chocolate again. He was so consumed in what he was doing he didn’t even notice you slip through the kitchen doors.

“Hey Beel! Whatcha up to?”

Your sudden voice and presence made the bowl slip right out of his grasp, flying forward as the chocolate covered the both of you. “I-I….umm….sorry. The chocolates were supposed to be a surprise gift but....” His eyes stared at the floor in embarrassment. This was definitely worse than getting you nothing for Valentine's Day. Beel reached for a small towel to wipe the mix off but ever the opportunist your hand stopped him.

“You know...it would be a shame to let all this go to waste. After all, I didn’t get a chance to taste any yet and I’m sure you haven’t had your fill either, right?”

Beel only nodded in response to your offer, effortlessly picking you up bridal style before heading back to his room.

Belphegor

Belphegor didn’t hate Valentine’s Day but he also wasn’t exactly fond of it. The pressure to buy your partner the perfect gift was often daunting and took some of the fun out of actually choosing a gift. Still that didn’t deter him from trying to find you something awesome for the occasion.

He ended up skipping his morning nap to search nearby stores for anything he thought you might like. Chocolates and flowers were standard but a classic so he ended up buying a box and bouquet for you.

He was just about to exit the store when something else caught his eye. It was something he knew HE would like but he wasn’t so sure what the extra details were for. Well it was cute enough and the two of you could use it together so why not?

After coming back from RAD that afternoon you made your way back to Belphie’s room. You usually stayed with him to nap and cuddle since he often missed you when you had to go to class. This time however, he had a surprise waiting for you.

Handing over the box of chocolates and flowers you immediately lit up and threw your hands around Belphie. He returned your embrace happily before handing you a gift bag with the final present inside. It was a heart shaped pillow with the words YES embroidered on the front and NO on the back.

“Wow Belphie this is.... really thoughtful!!! Thank you!!”

You tried to hide the blush that was spreading across your face. Belphie's innocent smile made you wonder if he truly understood the meaning of that pillow. Did he actually know what it meant and gave it to you as an invitation? Or did he genuinely think it was just a cute pillow? You will never know.

Diavolo

Diavolo gladly embraced human traditions and Valentine’s Day was no exception. He had events planned for the entire day, both for RAD and for you. Since you helped him plan some of the festivities the night before, you ended up staying at the demon lord’s castle for the night. The following morning you woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes, eggs, bacon, and all the fixings.

At first you figured Barbatos had made the food but as you turned to Diavolo and saw the glint of excitement in his eyes as you took your first bite you knew instantly that he was behind this. The food was delicious with most of it also being somehow heart shaped.

Once breakfast was finished the two of you got dressed and headed off to class. Attending RAD during Valentine’s Day was definitely surreal. The gothic halls and classrooms were decorated with pink and red hearts, flowers, and ribbons. You had to admit it was a rather cute homage to the human holiday.

After classes ended, you went back to the demon lord’s palace. Diavolo had requested you to meet him again but gave little to no detail as to why. You suspected it had something to do with Valentine’s Day and prepared yourself accordingly however nothing could prepare you for the surprise that was just behind the castle doors.

Once you entered the main hall you were greeted with hundreds upon hundreds of roses decorating the walls and an eager Diavolo barely able to hold in his excitement. You remember he said he had important plans for the day but you never expected something like this. Even though he already made you breakfast he didn’t want the day to end on a simple, unmemorable note so he made sure to give you something special to remember your first Valentine’s Day together with him.

[strange-lace]

Meltdown

I DIDN’T EXPECT TO HAVE THIS DONE TONIGHT BUT HERE! But fair warning, I don’t know if this counts as body horror but there’s still some kind of disturbing imagery involving shapeshifting going wrong and comparisons to a person melting. I worried about this being excessive but I warned you!

I just felt like making angst for Nagi to be perfectly honest and showing more of the drawbacks of her big power.

Here you go!

Nagi had lived long enough with her ability to shapeshift to be able to recognize the signs of an oncoming meltdown. When her power was stretched to its absolute limit and its response was to essentially kick itself into overdrive until her body couldn’t take the strain. Her usually cool skin would gain an unpleasant heat that itched before it evolved to what felt like flames on her flesh, her vision would begin to blur as her eyes struggled to keep a solid form, and movements became sluggish, uncoordinated, and incomprehensible.

If she were to compare her shifting to her body becoming clay, then a meltdown was like she was melting. It was not a pretty sight.

Just her luck that Nagi could feel the heat spreading throughout her being when surrounded by those she wouldn’t hesitate to call her family. 

It was the aftermath of another fight with the Demon Bull King’s forces and she supposed that her superfluous transformations to escape the enemy’s notice while sabotaging them underneath their notice were to blame. She had felt fine as they all celebrated, everything was fine. Until she made one last shift for the day, taking the form of MK to poke fun at the young man’s attempts to look cool during the fight.

That was the straw which broke the camel’s back.

She froze in her tracks as an unhealthy flush came to her borrowed face, shivers running her frame despite the fever and if she was capable of sweating, Nagi was sure she’d be sweating buckets.

“Please, not now,” she whimpered to herself, struggling to keep sight of the others as her sight began to give way. Her hair began to droop from MK’s gravity defying spikes and legs started to feel limp, as if her very bones were beginning to soften into liquid. The sounds of her panicked wheezes quickly got the others attention, her chest being stabbed with guilt at the sight of their looks of concern.

“Nagi, are you okay?” Sandy asked, reaching towards the demon to see if she had gotten injured during the battle. Only for his hand to sink into Nagi’s shoulder. And when he pulled away in shock, some of it stuck to his hand to form a goopy bridge between the two which drooped lazily before falling to the ground. Nagi sluggishly watched, drops of what she was pretty sure wasn’t sweat beginning to trail down her face. It only faintly registered to her ears that MK and Mei were now screaming in horror while Pigsy and Tang seemed to be struggling to contain their nausea.

“Sorry Sandy… I overdid it. Now I’m… melting,” She hissed, struggling to translate her racing thoughts when her lips felt like molasses much like the rest of her. Nagi didn’t even notice as her hair continued to droop downwards, not so much as growing in length but dripping down like candle wax. “But it’s okay… this happens. Not dying. Things will just get… messy.” Her hair was now a menagerie of different colors that seemed to be constantly shifting in no set pattern.

“Messy how? Is there anything we can do to help you?” Tang asked, feeling helpless as he watched Nagi’s clothes melt into a bizarre fusion of his robes, Mei’s biking suit, and Princess Iron Fan’s dress. The sleeves of her clothes obscured her hands but with the way they seemed to move, Tang knew it wouldn’t be a leap to assume that the sleeves had become her hands. She gave a slow shake of her head, giving a wince as familiar bull horns sprouted from the sides of her head in response. A strangled groan of pain left her lips as a metal plate covered her chin and circled her eyes.

“Can’t stop shifting. Keep changing. Hurts. Melting. Pass out. Can’t do anything. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!” Nagi screeched, flipping from lethargic to hysterical fast enough to cause whiplash. 

It was then that her body went from passively melting to actively lashing out.

Her hair, now more in the form of tendrils, shot out wildly to grab at anything within their reach whether it be people or objects. Everyone quickly dodged or ran away as fast as they could to avoid the flailing hair coils. Nagi clutched her head in pain as her hair began to wreak havoc, pulling light posts out of the ground, throwing around vehicles, nothing was safe.

Mei was thankful that she at least had a bladed weapon to cut away at the hair before it got too close to her.

MK did not have that luxury however, if the sight of him being tossed into a nearby alley said anything. With one last slash, she took off after her best friend in hopes that he was okay. Thankfully he was, though a bit banged up. Mei quickly helped him back up on his feet, keeping an eye on the alley entrance.

“Thanks Mei, didn’t expect to be thrown that hard. Definitely gonna be feeling that for a couple days,” he said before his eyes caught sight of Nagi further up the street. She was struggling not to buckle down under the weight of her hair which seemed to have tripled in length and continued to spread chaos further. She looked to be in a daze as tears fell down her face that looked more like a cracked, waxy mask than anything else.

“I got an idea. It’s stupid, reckless, and likely to get us killed if it doesn’t work. You in?” Mei gave him a look that screamed ‘bruh are you an idiot?’ as she readied her sword.

“Dude, that’s the basis of our entire friendship, of course I’m in.”

MK didn’t know what he did to deserve a friend like Mei, but he wasn’t going to question the good things in his weird as hell life.

“Alright then, follow my lead!” And with that, MK took off running towards Nagi with Mei right behind him. Any hair coils which got close to them were cut down by Mei while MK dodged and weaved his way through. Nagi snapped out of her daze as they were upon her, fear in her eyes at the sight of their weapons. Her entire being flinched as she shut her eyes, as if prepared to be struck down like all the other demons they’ve faced.

Instead of the sting of steel, she felt herself get wrapped into a tight hug that made her ribs creak in distress. Slowly opening her eyes, Nagi saw MK and Mei squeezing her with enough strength that she wouldn’t be able to pry them off if she tried. They didn’t even seem to care that they were starting to sink into her from the force they were using.

Nagi’s shock caused her hair to finally stop its havoc, now frozen in place.

“I’m… sorry. Please. Don’t leave,” She was able to mumble, despite her lips halfway fused together from melting. Her pleading eyes were enough to get her point across.

“It’s okay Nagi, none of us are going anywhere,” Mei said, freeing one arm to give the demon a reassuring pat on the cheek. 

“Tired. Need rest. Back to normal then. Knock me out.”

Mei and MK shared a look before the latter pulled out his staff with a questioning look. Nagi gave a sluggish nod and braced herself the best she could, shutting her eyes to not see the staff swing towards her head.

Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy winced as the heart stopping clang of metal rang throughout the city block before a soft thud followed behind. MK’s face was filled with regret as Nagi’s unconscious body fell to the ground before letting out a sigh of relief as her body seemed to cease melting at least and all the hair coils dropped not far after her. She remained a disturbing mishmash of the features of his friends and enemies that would haunt his nightmares alongside everything else, but she was going to be okay.

It would be okay for now.

When she woke up afterwards?

Well they’d all just have to see.

[just-jammin]

Relighting

Word Count: 2024

Summary: The obscure yet infamous game of Sburb has probably caused some trauma & all-around bad times within the Chaos Family.

Their resident Protector can tell you all about it, and about how this predicament can be solved...

So. It’s been a while.

Not in the sense that I haven’t spoken to anyone in a while, just that I haven’t written a journal since... yeah, it wasn’t that long since I did that, but my point still stands.

Look, this whole Sburb thing is crazy ever since I first knew about it, but this is just outright ludicrous. The world-ending meteor shower, trying to process the abstract concepts & lore within the game, witnessing death itself... it’s not my cup of tea when it comes to first-hand experiences.

All of this reminds me of... something. It reminds me of a story that I’ve heard once while participating Mass, in a Homily. I can’t help it but think that it’s so much similar to our situation as of now.

How? I’ll tell it here.

>> —^— <<

In a dark, quiet room, there were four Candles.

Peace, Faith, Love, & Hope.

These four elements are very important to the story, as it is related to the people’s thoughts & actions. The Peace within the group, the Faith of triumph & joy, the unconditional Love for each other, and the Hope fueling our will to go on & go forth.

It’s all present in this session, as the Chaos Family. Even though we never formally met each other until the game started, and somehow one of us was accidentally sucked into it, we still have some camaraderie with each other.

And that’s when things started falling apart.

>> —^— <<

While talking to each other, the Candles noticed that Peace was melting.

You see, we never had proper Peace. We’re all about Chaos, right? But this is our kind of Peace; knowing that everyone is having fun & laughing along to our antics is our kind of Peace. It means that every single member is getting to know each other more.

Yet somehow, when we entered the Medium, things got serious. When I thought setting up a Zoom call tutorial thing for the extremely confused members was a mess, I didn’t expect our problems to be worse when we got our own Planets.

Don’t get me wrong, all of our Sprites did say that our Planets’ purpose was to strengthen ourselves. But all I could feel was insecurity. Scared of moving forward. And I bet the others felt that too.

Basically, our first impressions of our planets are outright Hell.

I think this is why fights started breaking out whenever we talked to each other. Whether it was a memo in Pesterchum (which we had to download), or just meeting up in one of the Planets, arguments are thrown here & there. Unfortunately, it escalated to rowdy fistfights that we had to have a hard time to let them struggle & break it up.

To be fair, sometimes I was in those fights. It was... rough.

Needless to say, this was a different kind of Chaos. It wasn’t the one we’re used to, nor the one that brings people together. It was the kind of Chaos that tears relationships apart and basically destroys everyone, inside & out.

When Peace had been standing in its final moments, it cried out, “Oh, what’s the use of me being here?! Everybody has been making a fool of themselves by causing nonsensical conflict!

“That’s it! I’m done here!”

There’s no Peace in there. Not anymore.

Its light flickers out.

>> —^— <<

There were three left.

And it had been for days.

Until one time, while the Candles were talking, they noticed that Faith was melting.

Faith. It’s hard to say when it was there in the first place.

I mean, to be fair, a lot of things are difficult to see in this Family, or the rest of Tumblr, actually. (Heh... I miss Tumblr...) But Faith comes in small things, like the friendships of others. And even full-on relationships. Little things like that can let us keep on believing that we can do better for ourselves.

That was... unfortunate.

Although entering the Medium was a win for all of us, there were also some losses for a handful of us.

It included our friends outside the Chaos Family. And even some of them in the Family.

Almost everyone not participating in our session is dead.

Dead. Gone forever.

It was a hard one to take in. Some of our real-life family relatives in our houses are still alive, but our Tumblr friends impacted some of us the most. People were crying. Like real tears.

And for some reason, I didn’t.

Almost all of my friends are here, my brother is here, and honestly, I didn’t have much back on Earth. Sure, my parents and relatives are gone, so that’s... depressing. But I can cope with them here. They’re the reason why I’m thriving.

The others? Not so much.

Faith had shouted while getting weakened, “Look, my own Faith is dwindling too, y’know?! They’re moping around in their own disbelief!

“I’m out!”

I guess I’m the only one who had more of it. But only by a smidge.

Its smoke wafts away in the dark.

>> —^�� <<

And then there were two.

Unfortunately, Love was next to melt.

Ah, Love. This one is somewhat different from the story I’m telling than the source material.

You see, our Family’s Love never dwindled. We all still care for each other, no matter what happens to any of us. Through thick & thin, we helped each other to get ourselves up & going.

Heck, some of them got together romantically. Not that I’m too envious of them, but to be honest, they’re really cute with each other. A handful of them loved those outside of the Family, but you know what happened...

It’s just that we talked to each other less over time, either because of the missions we were given or because we just didn’t feel like talking to each other. It’s ok, I do respect their reasons, whether good or bad.

However, it just made me more concerned. I bet the others feel the same about that, but I think it’s been taking over my brain recently. I even tried talking about it to the closest people I know in the Family. No responses were made.

It doesn’t help that I have to literally build my way up, going through a complicated labyrinth of temperature-changing caverns filled with walking & talking thorny devils that hate me so much they shoot blood from their eyes at me.

Not to mention that I only have my annoying older brother with me, who only set my issue aside when I tried telling him. It sucks.

So no, our Love never dwindled.

It just became more isolated.

And yet, Love sobbed out, “Come on! Why am I not strong enough for them?! I thought I can keep all of them together!

“I can’t take this anymore!”

It just... feels like before. Numb all over.

Hehe, shit. I’m too familiar with that...

Love’s warmth faded away soon.

>> —^— <<

Only one was left standing.

The Candle of Hope.

Hope...

Well, that’s the only one that’s actually relevant to our session, huh?

It’s one of the main Aspects of Sburb, so of course it’s relevant! According to my Sprite, Hope is the embodiment of all positive emotions & beliefs, including Hope itself. It’s a pretty nice Aspect, in my opinion.

Anyway, Hope’s the one that got us through all our shit. Yes, even the very bad times. It’s basically a lifesaver for the Chaos Family and the rest of Tumblr. It can be distributed in many ways, from simple things like compliments, to posts like those ‘One Note a Day’ ones and a bunch of others like that.

But this, this is what I thought we were lacking the most at the time.

By that time, a little girl came running inside the dark room.

She noticed the other three Candles, melted & burnt out.

“Peace? Faith? Love?” she tried to call out.

I... didn’t think it was there when we started the session, nor when the fights started to break out. Not even when... when my friends started struggling with themselves.

Heck, some of them wanted to let their lives go to get to God Tier... or for worse intentions...

Shit, everything sucked.

The girl started tearing up, calling the other Candles repeatedly.

“Why?!” she finally sobbed. “Why aren’t you still burning?! You’re supposed to stay till the end, right?!”

At least, that’s what I thought... before, uh, that happened.

You see, it was one day while I was struggling to find my way through the Land of Rumors and Elements when someone stood in a distance away from me. When I tried to process who it was, they somehow got to me in quick speeds & punched my glasses off of me.

I was at a disadvantage by then. I tried to use my two knives (alchemized ones; they looked cool & they were more fit for fighting) to get them, but my eyesight is pretty crap. I missed my slashes so many times.

Then I felt them getting one of the knives, and it turned into what was basically a very inconvenient sword-fight. It went on for a long time, trying to injure free spots before getting parried repeatedly.

I then noticed a sharp pain on my right side.

When I turned my head towards the feeling, my right arm was on the ground.

Bleeding. Aching. Hurting.

Fading.

I faced the person one last time, and I only see a silhouette. On their head is a mint-colored circle with three wisp-like appendages... a symbol...

The next thing I knew, I was lying on stone. I was... weak. And tired.

On my side was my Sprite, a golden retriever with water buffalo horns & a fedora. She had a mournful look on her face.

I closed my own eyes & took a deep breath when I realized.

I was dying.

“RIGHT?!?!”

She cried out before falling to the ground, practically drowning in her own tears.

Then I felt as numb as I could ever be.

>> —^— <<

Then she heard a voice.

It said, “Worry not, child. I’m still here.”

She looked up to see the remaining Candle in the room.

“Why should I not worry, then?” the girl questioned.

It replied, “I can relight the others if you truly acknowledge my presence.”

She perked up at the response she was given. Crawling closer towards the Candle, she followed up with, “And why is that?”

A soft chuckle came out from it.

“Well... isn’t my name Hope?”

>> —^— <<

I didn’t expect to feel a burst of cool air from where my arm was cut off. At least, I didn’t expect it to be the first thing I felt since I died.

Then I felt something on my back, pushing me up & up until I recognized it as floating in the air. Little by little, my senses came back to normal. The numbness had subsided, replaced with what I think was... power.

My lungs breathed air again; I can make sounds; I can see, smell, hear, feel...

I’m human again. Alive. Awake.

Unfortunately, living again came with having to deal with pain. Remnants of the aching on my right arm arrived, so naturally, I let my left hand clench where it hurt. There was a scar on where I was touching, but I can unusually feel the rest of my arm...

Yep, I got my arm back. Nice, I guess. Let’s set that aside for now.

One other detail I noticed was that I was wearing a mostly yellow outfit: a sleeveless shirt, some leggings, and dark green boots, along with long fingerless gloves. I then took a look at a puddle to see that my reflection has a superhero-like mask on my face.

I did not know how the fuck they got on me.

Yet one thing’s for sure: I’ve ascended and went to God Tier.

And my role?

I relight our Family’s bond & trust with the help of Hope.

With shining eyes, the girl picked the Candle up and lighted the other three.

Peace, Faith, & Love.

All together, alight again, in the dark room.

>> —^— <<

I am the Rogue of Hope, the one who distributes Hope to others.

[vmheadquarters]

We’re going to play a game of written hot potato! Dozens of your favorite authors will take turns telling this story. Each writer will craft a chapter (with no prior planning) and then “toss” the story to the next person to continue the tale. No one knows what will happen, so expect the unexpected! Follow the “vmhq presents” and “murder we wrote” tags for all the installments, or read the story as it develops on AO3. — Chapter Eight of MURDER, WE WROTE is written by @cubbiegirl​  And stayed tuned next week for Ch.9 from @vmsteenbeans​  -tag, you’re it!

——————————————————————————————————— CHAPTER EIGHT by @cubbiegirl​ 

“Listen, I know we’re looking for clues or whatever,” Wallace cautioned as he and Casey let themselves into Veronica’s bedroom. “But she’s my best friend, like my sister. So some things are off-limits.”

Casey held his hands up, palms out. “I get it. There are things I don’t want to know, either, man.”

Satisfied that Casey understood the boundaries, Wallace glanced around the room. For all that living in a mansion sounded cool, he wouldn’t want this particular one. The room felt...weird. Not like a place he could actually live. Dimly lit, with dark wood trim and heavy furniture, everything looked too expensive to actually be comfortable.

Veronica’s duffle sat in the middle of the large queen bed, still zipped. Casey stared at it, then Wallace.

“Let’s look around first, then check that out if we have to.” He answered Casey’s unspoken question, shuddering at the thought of pawing through Veronica’s underwear.

Casey shrugged and moved to the fireplace mantle, running a finger through the dust there. “Weird that this giant house doesn’t have a staff.”

“It’s weird to me that any houses do.” Wallace shoved his hands in his pockets, trying not to feel uncomfortable. He had forgotten how disconnected ‘09ers were from reality.

“So, Walter—”

“Wallace,” he corrected, shooting Casey a dirty look.

“Right, right. We ran track together?”

“Played basketball.”

So much for the bond between teammates.

“Sorry.” Casey shrugged, unapologetic. “High school seems like forever ago.”  

“‘Murder at the High School Reunion’ isn’t jogging your memories?”

“How’d you get invited to this, anyway?” Casey avoided the question, eyes narrowing. “No offense, but it’s not really your crowd.”

Wallace wasn’t sure himself, but there was no way he’d admit that. “Token black guy in the horror movie, remember?”

Determined to change the subject, he shifted his weight from side to side, formulating a plan.

What would Veronica do?

“Okay. Veronica was on the balcony, so let’s start out there.”

Casey raised his eyebrows but didn’t argue. “What kind of ‘clues’ are we looking for?”

Ignoring Casey’s sarcastic finger quotes, Wallace opened the door to the balcony. He inspected the handle and the latch. No scratches. “Anything weird or out of place.”

“This whole weekend is weird,” Casey muttered, shoulders hunched against the cold wind and swirling snow.

That’s an understatement.

The light from Veronica’s room spilled out into the small space, illuminating it. But the snow had continued to fall, obscuring any tracks left earlier. He scanned the railing, the outside of the door, and the outer wall. His balcony was visible from hers, but the distance was too great to jump.

He gazed up. “Could someone have jumped down from an upper balcony?”

Casey followed his gaze, looking up into the falling snow. He shook his head. “I don’t see how you could get the angle right. Whoever it was would have needed to land behind Veronica, so I don’t think so.”

“No marks from a Batman grappling hook. And Spider-Man wouldn’t leave tracks.”

Casey rolled his eyes. “Can we go back inside already? It’s freezing.”

Wallace gestured grandly at the open glass doors and Casey hurried through.

“Uh, check under the bed, I guess, and in the closet,” he instructed, stopping to look at the books on the bookshelf.

They were mostly the expected gothic novels, fitting the style of the mansion—Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights type of stuff. Bleak House, indeed. At least Veronica would appreciate the Complete Works of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets didn’t really fit the theme. Wallace grabbed the spine to inspect the book and, soundlessly, a narrow door slid open on the right side of the fireplace.

He placed the book back. The door closed, wooden panel blending seamlessly with its surroundings once again. Casey’s head was still in the closet.

“Casey,” he whispered. “Check it out.”

He opened the hidden door again, then met Casey’s eyes. The blasé look was finally wiped off his face.

“Dude, is that a secret door?” He scrambled to look, peeking his head into the dim space.

“Is it a closet? Or…?” Wallace trailed off, his mind racing.

“Do you have a flashlight? There’s no light switch or pull cord.”

“Veronica had two earlier. I know she stashed one in her purse, but maybe…”

Leaving The Chamber of Secrets pulled out on the shelf, he moved to the bed, patting her duffle bag. It felt promising.

Unzipping the bag—decidedly not looking at Veronica’s unmentionables—he found a small black Maglite resting on top of a pair of pajama pants.

“Score.”

“Only Veronica would think to pack extra flashlights,” Casey quipped as Wallace flicked it on.

“Good thing, too.”

He shone the light into the doorway, revealing not a closet, but a narrow hallway lined with stone and rough-hewn beams.

“A secret passage,” Casey whispered, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Now we know how someone got the drop on V.”

“Should we go tell someone else? Or…?

They shared a look, Casey’s unspoken question hanging in the air. The thrill of excitement tingled along Wallace’s skin.

“We’re totally checking that out. It’s too cool not to. But we’re gonna be smart about it.”

He surveyed the room, making a quick evaluation.

“Um, grab that chair and we’ll use it to prop the door open. Are there any candles or anything?”

While Casey grabbed the wooden chair from the desk set, Wallace rifled through the dresser drawers. They were empty.

“Jackpot.” Casey held up a flashlight from an open desk drawer.

“Great. Is there a pen?”

Casey tossed him a ballpoint from the desk and he ripped the cover page out of The Chamber of Secrets.

“Sorry, J.K. Rowling,” he muttered, scribbling a note to Veronica just in case. He left it on the bed next to her duffle, then led the way down the narrow hallway. Casey followed.

The small passage turned and connected with a main corridor. Shining his flashlight at chest level, Wallace could see handmade labels for each offshoot.

“Wallace. Logan. Dick. Carrie. Susan,” he read as he moved along the space. “Our room assignments. So whoever set this up can keep track of us.”

“Super creepy.”

Wallace met Casey’s wide eyes, glinting in the dim light. He wasn’t wrong.

“Wanna keep going?”

“Hell yeah.”

They followed the wooden tunnel, finding labels for all the Neptune guests, until they came to a twisting spiral staircase.

“Go down or continue on this level?” Wallace asked, pointing his flashlight in both directions.

“Down is probably the main floor. Up would just be more bedrooms, maybe an attic, eventually? Let’s finish the second floor, see what’s here.”

Casey’s plan sounded fine to him. A systematic exploration made sense. Maybe he should have been taking notes or drawing a diagram or—

As he took another step forward, the floorboards shifted beneath his feet, giving out a loud groan. He froze.

“Uh, Casey? I’m not sure this tunnel is stable.”

“Maybe it’s just the house settling. The wind and snow and all that stuff.” Casey’s voice was confident behind him, but he wasn’t in the lead.

Wallace shifted forward, shuffling his feet. The floor bowed under his weight and he halted again.

“I don’t know, man. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Okay. Stick closer to the wall.”

“Or you could just turn around,” Wallace hissed. He’d like to avoid being murdered this weekend but dying in a collapsed secret passage was also not on his to do list. He shined his flashlight on the floor, illuminating a stretch of dark, rotten wood in the middle of the path.

“Just step carefully. I wanna see where it goes.”

Wallace spun to face him, gesturing with his flashlight. “You’re more than welcome to go first, then, but I don’t think—”  

“Fine by me.”

Casey’s arrogant tone set his teeth on edge as they tried to switch places in the cramped space. The wooden planks protested again.  

“No, that’s not—”  

Wallace stopped speaking as the rotten floorboards gave way beneath them. He jumped to the side, flattening himself against the wall and narrowly avoiding falling through.

The sound of breaking glass was deafening as the chandelier crashed to the ground in the great room below them, visible through the gaping hole in the floor.

[philthepegacornfics]

Are you Lost?

Soul Eater x Reader part 1!

Word Count: 1,348

Trigger Warnings: (Y/n)’s mother is deceased 

A/N: Writing for probably a dead fandom! Whoop whoop! We’ll see if I continue this or not. Depends on how much love it gets... if any... I’m also taking some aspects from RWBY for this because it’s interesting. 

I took a deep breath as I reached the last step on the stairs for the DWMA. I looked up at the tall, obscure building. For a building with giant candles and spikes sticking out of the sides, it was surprising symmetrical.

I took yet another deep breath before making my way toward the entrance. Being accepted into the Death Weapon and Meister Academy is a dream come true. Since I was little, my mom had helped teach me to fight. She always said that I need to know how to defend myself. Now here I am, a meisterless weapon, about to attend a school that can teach me more that my mother could.

My eyes started tearing up as I thought about her. I stopped in my tracks when I felt one fall down my cheek. I wiped the tear away and realized that I had completely zoned out with the thoughts of my mom.

Crap. Where the hell am I?

I looked around the crowded hallway I was in. There was a giant board that everyone was looking at. Upon a closer look, I could see that it was listed with what I assume are missions. Some were labeled new, some were labeled with the two names of the team that was sent out.

“Well, this doesn’t help,” I sighed. I turned to my right and started walking, determined to find Lord Death.

Wait a second, is this the direction that I had come from?

I stopped walking and turned around and started off in that direction. A minute after passing the board, I stopped in my tracks again. This area looked familiar.

Maybe I’d came from this way? I’ve seen that door this far from where those hallways intersect.

I turned around again. When I got back to the board, I noticed some people giving me curious looks.

This is what I get for doubting myself.

After walking another minute or so I came across an intersection. I paused for a moment to decide which way to go, when I saw the same door from earlier.

What. The. Heck? There was no way I was going in a circle. I haven’t even turned! Plus the door was in the exact same spot in both directions.  

I walked over to the door and read the plaque that was on it.

“Sun Room”

Quickly I turned around around to go check the other door. This time I got even more weird looks while passing by the board.

As I approached the door, I read the plaque on this one.

“Crescent Moon Room”

“So I’m not completely crazy at least,” I huffed. With with the symmetrical layout, how was I supposed to figure out where I came from? Much less where I’m supposed to go.

Hanging my head, I started waking back to the board area. Ashamed for how my first day was going. At this point, I had to have been late in meeting Lord Death.

“Excuse me, are you lost?” a low, but sweet feminine voice asked, making me jump.

I turned to see a girl with long legs and pale skin. She had light brown hair to go with her deep green eyes. Her arms are wrapped around a couple of books, pulling them into her chest.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I scratched the back of my neck as I stumbled out my words, “Umm, yeah. I’m new here. Well, yeah, today is my first day. I’m supposed to meet Lord Death to find out what my classes are. But everything looks the same, so it doesn’t help the fact that I don’t know where I’m going. They should really put up some signs around here.”

I gave an awkward chuckle, the heat in my cheeks grew stronger. But the girl just gave me a gentle smile with a small laugh.

“My name is Maka,” she shoved her gloved hand towards me.

I grabbed it and gave a firm shake,  “(Y/n).”

“It’s nice to meet you (Y/n). And I understand how it could be confusing. If you would like, I can walk you to the Death Room. That’s where Lord Death would be.”

“I’d appreciate that,” I sighed with relief.

Maka turned to her left and motioned for me to follow her. I fell into step with her and noted what I could about the directions we were taking.

“I really like your eyes by the way.”

“Huh?” I asked as I was pulled out of my daze.

“Your eyes,” Maka repeated, “They’re pretty. I’ve never seen silver eyes before.”

“Oh, thank you,” I blushed. “I got them from my mom.”

My heart fell at the mention of her. I missed her a lot. Maka turned and lead me down a hallway where there appeared to be a type of sky with an endless desert filled with black crosses that goes on for miles. We followed a path that was decorated with guillotines. I looked around in awe.

“Are we even in the school anymore?” I asked looking up at the bright blue sky with clouds rolling across it.

Maka put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “Yes we’re still in the DWMA. I’ve never really questioned it before, but I guess the Death Room is some sort of magic.” She turned to start down the path again, but started waving instead. “Hey Kid!”

I looked up ahead to see who she was waving at. It was a pale boy with jet black hair with three white stripes on the left side. His piercing yellow eyes stood out against his black and white attire that was just as symmetrical as the academy.

“Maka,” he replied with a nad while keeping his eyes on me. “Who is this?”

“This is (Y/n). (Y/n) this is Kid,” Maka gestured us toward each other.

“Hello, as Maka said, my name is (Y/n). I’m new here. Today is my very first day. And Maka was kind enough to show me where the Death Room is after I made an embarrassing show of myself. That’s where we are headed now when we ran into you. Besides the stripes in your hair, you’re as symmetrical as this school! But don’t get me wrong I do like the stripes. Very cool. And um, anyways it was really nice to meet you,” I babbled while my cheeks heated up.

“You as well,” Kid replied finally taking his eyes off of me with what I could swear was a small blush. He took a deep breath before continuing, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to.”

“No worries,” I waved. “Hopefully we’ll see each other later!”

I started scratching the back of my neck as I just grinned at him waiting for someone to say something. Kid finally huffed out a small laugh and said, “We’ll have to.” Then he walked passed Maka and I.

“See you at lunch Kid,” Maka waved at him again.

“Is his name really Kid?” I asked once we started walking again.

“Well, it’s actually Death the Kid. He goes by Kid for short,” Maka explained.

“Oh okay… Death the Kid?”

“Yeah, he’s Lord Death’s son.”

“Whoa,” I said in awe.

Lord Death has a kid? Aww he’s probably so cool! Oh I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too much just then. Oh God.

At the end of the long path of guillotines there was a doorway that broke apart the endless desert. Walking through the doorway there was a large white platform with a tall mirror on the other side. Surrounding the platform was more desert with tons of obscure crosses. The sky was a bright blue with fake clouds rolling through the sky. Sometimes the clouds would disappear behind windows that signified we were in a room.

Maka and I climbed the three steps onto the platform and were greeted by a tall black mass with a skull mask.

Lord Death. He’s so…

“Why hello children,” a slightly higher silly voice came from behind the mask.

...goofy.

[jakelionstumblr]

Thoughts about Luigi’s Mansion, 3, and why it lacks the magic 1 had.

below the cut, may be some spoilers but I’m only at floor 9

As I’ve been playing through Luigi’s Mansion 3 in the way I play games with collectibles (at least these days,) trying to marathon rooms, looking for every type of secret or collectible in one run, I find myself getting bored, only putting in an hour to two at a time, before needing to get a bit of space. I may have had similar breaks on my first playthrough of the first game in the series, though it’s been too long to really remember. But what I’m focusing on here is what I’m coming away from the play experience with, what I’m thinking about between sessions, as well as what makes me want to take a break.

In the long distant memories of those first experiences on the gamecube, I recall spending so much time thinking about individual rooms in the house. What do I need to do in the exercise room? How do I light up the fortune teller’s room? What will get me to the next floor?

These sorts of thoughts, memories highlights a key difference between games 1 and 3. Luigi’s Mansion 1 was about the house, the whole house, and nothing but the house.

When thinking about the first Luigi’s Mansion, I think back to some of the early 3d platformers and their allure, which I find has been lost on a lot of modern attempts. Especially in Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, I feel developers had mastered what I called the Vignette worlds. or maybe Playgrounds. These were levels that were very finite, really quite small if seen from a distance, but had so much to do in them.

This may have been due to limitations of the hardware that forced this type of world and gameplay, but I feel it had a huge impact on the way players would relate to a world. Because you spend so much time in so small a place, you start to become incredibly familiar with all the features of the world. You know by heart where the ramps are, you recognize the tower in the distance. These worlds all became like homes in a sense, and a game featuring 15 or more of these “worlds” felt huge, because of the amount of time you spent in each helped to make the move between different ones feel like a powerful move, like the feeling of leaving home for college, or taking a month long vacation.

When we saw these developers try to move to larger worlds, like Banjo Tooie or Super Mario Sunshine, that feeling of home was lost. We zip past details, we’re on a long trek to somewhere with nothing in between. Take a look at how far apart things are in Super Mario Odyssey, and how little the space in between means.

Coming back to Luigi’s Mansion, one might infer that a similar forced hand was occurring, albeit at a next gen level. They were trying to showcase the step up in graphics, which Nintendo was never a huge player in. Their solution, was something incredibly beautiful to look at, and yet incredibly small. There weren’t even 15 separate worlds, maybe... 30 rooms in a house?

So what made this a playable game? How many times can you do the ghost mechanic before it feels like you’re just bumping into the same 4 walls?

It was the mystery, the uncovering of all these many mysteries, in such a small space. Within this house were so many unique ghosts, and each one had some sort of trigger to allow you to actually catch them. You had to watch, observe, try to figure out. You would read the whole room, where any object could be important.

You might fail, you might not figure it out, and start running about the house, thinking or looking for clues or inspiration. The game played to this. Rooms you had ‘cleared’ of ghosts remained safe places, where you could think, look for money. Maybe read a book off a bookshelf. Dark rooms might always spawn ghosts, they were always a source of danger, and were never lit until cleared - you wanted to see how lovely these rooms could be. You wanted them to be safe. It was a HUGE motivator.

There were the elements of fire, ice and water. Objects in the room could relate to that, and be part of the problem solving. But you might not notice these things in a room until much later, when you got the power to do something with them. This instilled the idea that every room was important - everything in the room is important - and learning each room was as valuable a play experience as learning every world in a platformer might be.

What a huge idea! Showing us how magical rooms in a house and things in a house could be. Secret passageways, basements, attics. A candle might be magical if only you had the fire to light it.

Another important thing was feeling alone. You might get a bit of advice from E. Gadd, and you would come across Toads, but they never went with you. You could visit them, but the mystery and adventure was yours alone to unravel and discover, call out as you might for your brother. You were also never trapped in the mansion, but bound by a sense of duty.

----

When you get into Luigi’s Mansion 3, you might not notice a few things right off the bat, but maybe feel something is different. The battle mechanics feel... a bit more like a beat-em-up? The introduction of the slam mechanic makes dealing with ghosts a lot quicker. Which is a good thing... right?

Not really. Ghosts aren’t a threat to fear and a motivator to “clear a room.” There’s no way to actually clear a room of ghosts - sometimes they’re in there, sometimes they’re not, but - either way, you just slam them and move on. A nuisance at best. In the first game, you could flee from a fight by entering another room - you could double back quickly, and it still might be going on. In this game, if you’re not locked to a zone for a meaningless fight, there’s no feeling of fear like you’re running away - you’re just moving past them.

The slam mechanic, though, as well as the plunger move, highlights what I feel is the most - literally- destructive move the series has made - you can destroy everything in a room. It’s fun a hell and looks cool as hell, but what does it imply?

Rooms don’t matter. The things in rooms don’t matter.

Really, if you can’t break something in a room, then it’s obviously used as a puzzle mechanic. But in this game, if it’s not a grate that gooigi can walk through, or a tube gooigi can go through, or a big thing you can stick a plunger to and yank away, it doesn’t mean shit.

There’s no bookshelves on a book you can read, no candles that might light up with fire. There are ‘things’ yes, like a fan you can blow, but they stick out like a sore thumb. A few clever things, like seeing two cymbals and being rewarded for crashing them together, hearkens to the sort of smarts this game could have more of. But you’re not in a  house where every room is special, you’re not exploring what the parts of a house are and what they do.

I’d actually say that the first 5 floors of this game, -almost- do that. Because, in the first 5 floors, you are exploring a traditional hotel. Bathrooms, dining halls, some actual hotel rooms. That has the magic that the home-snooping 1st game had. You get to see the first rooms you were in change drastically. You get elevator buttons in a random order, sending you to 3, then 5, then finally 4.

Floor 6 is where the game pretty much tells you “nah, this isn’t it.” It’s a thematic castle floor. All the rooms are linear, castle themed puzzles. Besides looking pretty, there’s no reason you would want to come back to them. You’ll need to, if they didn’t obviously place all the thematic gems, but you won’t feel rewarded for “reading the room.” You’ll feel rewarded for noticing the puzzle, framed by a boring ass room.

Then, you start getting elevator buttons linearly. 6, then 7, then 8, then 9. Each floor is themed, but even worse then having a linear arrangement of rooms, some floors are only 4-5 rooms, with hardly any amount of play value in them. The “museum of history” which would be RIFE with nooks and crannies, moving through displays, ending up in the gift shop - is one big, boring, lifeless room.

It brings some nice things from the 2nd game - the light to reveal invisible objects, though - you just end up passing through a room twice, once with the vacuum, the other time with that light. Not as rewarding as, say, having to learn that an object in the room is obscuring something. But the way spiders move and react, the way some small animated interactions happen, give little bits of life.

Every ghost encounter, though - of which there’s like 15, talking main ghosts - is pretty much dictated to you, through a series of cinematics if not just a boss fight delivered on a silver platter _at least up to floor 9). There’s no time spent uncovering a solution, giving these bosses character and meaning - it’s just something you’re progressing to on a linear basis. Even the cat segment was boring, as it didn’t take long for you to reach the end of that arc.

Even as point a-to-b as the game is, you never feel alone, and that’s a huge detriment to the motivation the first game gave you. You don’t feel like Luigi, the under appreciated brother using his wits to figure out a situation. You feel like Luigi, the pawn that does what he’s told. E.gadd isn’t just checking in with you at the end of each floor, or maybe after a big event with a few tips. Unless you turn it off, he’s calling, constantly. If it’s not him, it’s the ghost dog. You can’t even walk down some hallways without the dog popping out and arbitrarily halting your exploration, so you can watch him walk through the door you’re SUPPOSED to go through. Or, fail a few times getting the hang of a mechanic, or try the wrong thing - never fear! Your ghost dog friend will show you how to do it!

A few instances of this can feel charming, a refreshing break between the tenser times of a trickier game. But this game floods you with it. When you finally get to some periods of silence in between, though, there’s not much for you to discover yourself that feels cumulative, feels like you’re really figuring it out - you almost rush to the next context sensitive moment, because that’s obviously where the game is.

I can see where a hotel setting for this game would have worked really well. It could have expanded in a larger sense, if it was inside of these rooms, that secret passageways took you to unbelievable areas. But you would still be exploring a hotel, the architecture, the way a hotel works, and trying to understand how to awaken and capture the tenants that otherwise would just ignore and pester you - not just be the obvious point at the end of an obvious line.

[carryonsimoncarryonbaz]

sorry it’s late but here’s the Simon/Baz Bookshop AU

Real life got to me yesterday

____________________

Simon

Penny’s birthday is next week. I don’t know what to get for her.

She’d probably like if I didn’t make such a mess in the kitchen every time I cook but that’s not really a present now, is it? It’s a courtesy you’d expect from a flat-mate. Like you’d expect someone to clean her hair out of the shower drain.

I can’t think about the things that drive me and Penny stark raving mad about us sharing a flat.

Shopping for Agatha was easier. She liked things.Candles and perfume and picture frames. The bracelet I got her. The hat and scarf set. It was easier with a girlfriend.

When I had a girlfriend.

I don’t want to think about that either.

But Penny’s not my girlfriend. She’s my best friend so I feel like an utter pillock for not knowing what to get her.

Don’t want to get her something silly, like I used to. We’ve already got too many mugs at the flat anyway. Funny ones. Ones with stupid pictures or puns on them. Penny used to love those when we were in school.

I shove my hands in my pockets and frown at the world in general.

I stop by the bakery on my way home. Not that a cherry scone will solve my problem but it does make me feel better.

I catch sight of the new bookshop on the corner as I leave the bakery. I suppose it’s not really new. It’s been there for a few months. Penny raves about it. It’s got an eclectic selection of books according to her. Which means a fair selection of feminist literature, books on the occult, and ancient history.

I’ve been avoiding it.

It’s not that I don’t like books. I do. Or at least I do now. Didn’t care for them much when I was young. Had trouble reading when I was a kid. Someone finally figured out the issue and it was like a light turning on in a dark room.

I like books well enough now. Fantasy and science fiction mainly. Penny says I should read more classic literature and biography.

I like biographies. Just depends who they’re written about.

I stand on the street corner and scowl at the bookstore. “Open Sesame” it’s called.  Odd name for a bookstore but Penny likes it. Says it makes her think she’s entering a magical world when she goes in.

I’m sure I could find something for Penny there.

I just don’t want to go in.

I’m sure it’s a fine bookshop. I know it is. I went in there once, when it first opened.

And managed to piss off one of the employees.

I didn’t mean to spill my coffee, really, I didn’t. He just startled me. Came out of nowhere, he did. I wasn’t expecting one of the employees to be lurking among the shelves. Thought they’d be at the counter or something like that. You know--selling books, ringing people up, the usual store thing.

But it seems this wasn’t that kind of bookshop. There was a red-haired chap up at the counter and an older woman at a desk near the back of the store. I didn’t know there was another bloke—one with longish dark hair and arresting grey eyes—prowling around the store and startling unsuspecting customers.

He came up right behind me, he did, and said “That’s a bit of a humdrum one. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that’s not one I’d recommend.”

I’d been reading a bit of it. Just to get a feel for the book. See if it interested me. Didn’t expect some posh, disembodied voice to pop up out of nowhere in the vicinity of my ear. I started and my coffee went down my shirt, splashed onto the book in my hand and dripped all over their new carpet.

“Bloody hell! Give a guy a bit of warning, could you?” I turned to scowl at whoever it was who had crept up on me like that.

Slate grey eyes met mine. His gaze raked me from top to toe and it was obvious in his sneer that whatever he saw was sadly lacking. “We try to be helpful to the customers here. Wouldn’t want you to buy something you didn’t find interesting.” He glanced at the coffee stained book in my hand. “Unfortunately, it seems that you will be this time.”

I spluttered for a moment but had to admit to myself that I’d mucked the book up. And the carpet too. “Listen, of course I’ll pay for the book. I can see that I’ve ruined it. And I’m sorry about the carpet too.” I looked down at the irregular dark stain in front of my feet then back up at him. “You startled me. Helpful suggestions are one thing but sneaking up on unsuspecting customers like that is unnerving.”

He didn’t say a word back to me. Just held my gaze for a minute before turning away and bellowing “Fiona!” at the lady at the back of the store. “Did you think to stock any carpet cleaner in the back? We’ve just had our first spilled coffee christening of the store. I told you carpet was a terrible idea.”

I shuffled my way up to the counter to pay for my coffee-blemished book and there he was again-- waiting for me, no sign of the other chap.

Fuck.

Rang me up without a word. Handed me my change and then pointed to an exquisitely lettered sign on the countertop. “Feel free to enjoy your beverages as you wander in the magical confines of our treasure trove of books but please no open containers. Books are magic and we wouldn’t want to damage them.”

Fuck. I hadn’t seen the sign. I never put a lid on my coffee. Don’t like lids. Keep the coffee too hot. Cools down faster without one.

I grabbed the book and hustled out of the shop, becoming painfully aware of another skillfully lettered sign situated right by the front door as I did.

I’d have to remember a lid next time I came.

No, fuck that. There wasn’t going to be a next time. I wasn’t going to set foot in that place ever again.

And I hadn’t. I’d avoided it like the plague.

But somehow, I couldn’t avoid seeing the bloke. He was everywhere, all of a sudden, it seemed.

Walking across campus. In the library. At Ebb’s bakery.

Maybe he was always there and I was just noticing him now that I’d had that miserably embarrassing encounter at the store and shouted at him.

I stare across the street at the bookshop. Surely I’ll find something for Penny there. How bad could it be? I don’t have a drink with me. I can’t possibly have a run-in with him again. I’ll check the aisles to make sure no one is lurking about.

He must be a student. I’ve seen him on campus enough to make me sure of it. He can’t work there all the time. The chances of him being there on a Wednesday afternoon are slim, right? He must have class.

I don’t let the niggling realization that it’s a Wednesday afternoon and I don’t have class deter me. I need a book for Penny. She likes this store. I’ll find something and be done with it.

The beverage sign is still on display by the front door. I honestly can’t believe I missed it the first time. I’d have finished my coffee and pitched my cup or just come back another time if I’d seen it.

There’re a few people milling about the store. The woman who had been behind the desk last time is up by the counter today. Maybe I’ll be lucky and grey eyes won’t be here.

I wander over to a display table. An interesting selection but nothing Penny would like. I go down the aisles, looking at the titles and topics, trying to find the feminist section or the occult books. I can’t make sense of the layout.

I’m scanning the titles on the endcap and not watching where I’m going. End up bumping into someone as I turn into the next aisle.

A scattering of books falls to the floor and as I look up to apologize I see a pair of grey eyes.

Fuck.

It’s him. The posh tosser. He’s not in class, he’s here. Fuck.

Maybe he won’t remember me.

“Sorry.” I mumble an apology and bend down to pick up some of the fallen books, not daring to meet his eyes again. I’m such a fucking wanker. I told myself I’d keep an eye out for lurking employees.

Although from the looks of it he wasn’t lurking this time. He was shelving books. He’s got a cart and everything.

The books are plucked out of my hand and I reluctantly raise my eyes to his. His eyebrow is arched up. He looks cool, collected and utterly bored. “At least you don’t have coffee with you this time. You’d be purchasing an entire set of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s books.” He waves a copy of Little Lord Fauntleroyat me.

Oh shit. He does remember me.

“Sorry.” I shuffle a bit and bend down to pick up The Secret Gardenfrom where it sits by my foot. I hand it to him.

He takes it from my hand and his fingertips touch mine ever so slightly as he pulls it away. They’re cold.

“Decided to venture into the world of bookshops again? Didn’t scare you off for good last time?” He raises an eyebrow, holding the stack of books to his chest.

He had scared me off. Penny’s the only reason I’m even here but I’m not about to tell him that.

“Looking for a book for a friend.” I suppose that’s telling him why I’m here. I’m such an idiot.

He turns away from me and I think this pathetic excuse for a conversation is over. I go to gingerly edge around him but he stops me. “Let me shelve these and I’ll see if I can help you.”

Even worse. Now I’ll have to actually speak to him.

I stand there awkwardly. I don’t know why I’m so nervous about it. That’s his job. He’s supposed to help people find books. Not sneak up on them and whisper in their ears, I remind myself.

I take a moment to settle down and end up watching him shelve the books. He’s tall, taller than me. Slim build but muscular, from what I can see of his arms. His hair is chin length, falling in dark waves but not obscuring the sharp planes of his face.

He’s got an arresting profile.

What the actual fuck?

What am I doing? Why am I staring at this bloke so intently? I can feel my face heating up so I turn to look at the shelf behind me, so my back is to him. The entire collection of Harry Potter books is in front of me. I focus on the spines.

It doesn’t help. I may not be looking at him but I’m still thinking about him.

He’s attractive. I’d noticed that last time, in passing, but in more of a pissed off way than I am now. I’ve gotten a closer look at him today. He’s actually fucking gorgeous. I want to turn around and look at him again but that would be a terrible idea.

I turn around and look at him just as he finishes shelving the stack of books and our eyes meet. My cheeks are hot.

He crosses his arms over his chest and regards me critically. “Looking for a book for a friend. Let’s narrow that down a bit, shall we? What kind of friend and what kind of books?”

“Uh. . . well that’s what I was looking for when I bumped into you. She’s got a lot of interests but feminism, antiquity and the occult are high on the list right now.” I look around and frown. “I couldn’t find them. I thought feminism would come shortly after Crafts and before Foreign Languages but I can’t seem to find it.”

“Feminism is in the Social Sciences so you are in the completely wrong section. Come on. Follow me.”

He tilts his head to the right and I trot after him, passing a few aisles of books before he makes a sharp turn and stops. I almost run into him but manage to catch myself before I do this time.

“So Feminist Theory? Women’s Studies? Gender studies? Any of those sound promising?”

I just stare at him. I’ve not got a fucking clue. Maybe the occult would have been a better choice.

“Uh.”

He sighs, crossing his arms over his chest again. “Give me some idea?”

“I don’t know. Is there anything that combines the occult and feminism? Or ancient cultures and feminism?” Is that a stupid thing to ask? It’s probably a stupid thing to ask. I’m going from bad to worse here.

His grey eyes are narrowed now. “Who is this friend of yours? It wouldn’t be Bunce, would it?”

A wave of relief washes over me as well as curiosity. “Yeah, yeah. My friend Penny. Penelope Bunce. How do you know her?”

He rolls his eyes. “She’s in here practically every week. I’ve had quite a few thought-provoking conversations with her.” He shakes his head. “Come on. This way. I’ve got something new that she’s likely not seen yet.”

He strolls across the store to another section. I don’t think I realized quite how big this place is. I don’t think I had the time or inclination to notice last time.

He plucks a book off the shelf but doesn’t hand it to me, just taps a finger on his lip thoughtfully and then turns in another direction entirely with me trailing along in his wake. He heads to another display table and picks up one of the books there. “Here you go. Either one will appeal to Bunce.”

I reach for the books and our fingertips brush again. I don’t know why I notice that. I look down at the titles he handed me. ‘Circe’ and ‘Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore.’

He’s moved down the aisle already and is pulling yet another book off the shelf. “Here. This one’s new too.” I take the title from him, slowly this time, my hand brushing his once more.

I don’t know what I’m doing.

Baz

I hand him a book Bunce will surely find of interest--a copy of Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger—when it happens again. Our fingers touch. It’s the third time it’s happened. I don’t know what to think. I’m not attempting to initiate contact.

That’s complete bollocks. I’m desperately trying to initiate contact. I’m not letting go of the books as he grasps them. I’m holding them in a way that makes our touch inevitable.

I’m doing everything I can to prolong this interaction.

I’ve seen him around campus for months now. He’s in my Film as Literature class. It’s an auditorium class—one of the most popular courses offered—so it’s hard to get to know everyone. He sits near the front, with Bunce. I sit in the back with Niall.

The class is enjoyable but the view even more so. I try to avoid looking at him while the professor is lecturing but I have no such compunction before class. I get there early for that very reason.

I know his name is Simon. I’ve heard Bunce call that name out at him. She shouted it across the room on the first day of class, to get his attention.

Simon.

I watched him come in the lower doors of the auditorium and saw him smile at the sight of her.

I haven’t been able to look away since.

I’m sure he didn’t even know I existed before he came into the shop.

I still can’t believe what an absolute prat I was that day. I’d been watching him for weeks by then.

Pining over him is what Niall called it but what does he know?

I’d been seeing Simon everywhere, it seemed. Class. The library. Ebb’s coffee shop.

And then he was suddenly here. I’d watched him walk in and made myself busy in the aisles as I followed him, discreetly. He’d stopped and lingered in Fantasy and Science Fiction so I purposefully made my way over there to see if I could be of assistance.

He’d been thumbing through one of Davy Mage’s books. I’ve told Fiona I don’t know why we even carry them. They’re pretentious and boring, in my opinion. But for some reason every bookshop seems to carry them. They’re insidious. It’s irritating. His writing style is pompous and overblown and his use of the Chosen One hero trope far too predictable.

I’d only meant to offer some assistance but instead I’d managed to startle him so badly he’d spilled coffee everywhere and shouted at me. I’d gone completely distant and cold in my embarrassment.

Fiona had a field day with me after he left. “That’s the boy you’ve been mooning about, then?”

“Shut up, Fiona.”

“So he is the one! You’re absolute shit at flirting, Baz.” She leaned across her desk and smirked. “Or did you just want to see him with his shirt all wet and clinging to him?”

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the store room.

But he’s here again. I thought he’d never come back.

Bunce is here almost every week but she always comes alone or with that tall American chap. I’ve never dared ask her about Simon. She talks about him though. That’s how I know he’s her roommate.

How I know his girlfriend broke up with him a few months ago.

How I know he’s not seeing anyone currently.

Against all odds he’s here again. He bumped into. Literally bumped into me and knocked down a stack of books.

His hair’s a mess, disheveled curls falling over his forehead. He’s covered with freckles. They’re much more noticeable close up.  He’s fucking gorgeous and I’ve got no idea what to say or do. Play it cool,Baz, I tell myself. Don’t be a fucking numpty like last time.

It’s child’s play finding books that Bunce will like. It keeps me close to him, wandering about the store, crossing back and forth to find books I know will appeal to her. He follows right behind me and when he almost bumps into me again I catch the scent of soap and cinnamon rolls.

He must have been at the bakery before coming here.

I’ve no more excuses to keep his attention. I’ve found three or four books that will work and we’re making our way to the counter now. He’ll pay and leave and I’ll likely never speak to him again.

Fiona’s on check out duty but as soon as she sees me coming towards her she makes a show of moving off and complaining about all paperwork on her desk and how it’s my turn to run the counter. She makes a runner for the back but not before winking at me.

I’m mortified. She’s my aunt so she thinks she can get away with being this way.

I slide behind the counter. “So, which one are you going to get?” The pile of books we’ve collected as likely prospects for Bunce are in his arms. He sets them down.

Simon frowns. “I’m not sure, really.” His blue eyes meet mine. “Which one do you think she’d like best?”

I can pick one and ring him up or use this opportunity he’s given me to extend my time with him. I dart a look around the store. A few customers but no one headed up to make a purchase.

I start to talk about ‘Circe’ and then carry on about the other books. What I think Bunce would like about each one, why I think they’re relevant. I know I’m droning on and on but he’s got his eyes riveted on me and I can’t stop talking and I don’t want to look away.

I don’t want this moment to end.

He’s right here. In front of me. And I’m blathering on about subversive retellings of myth and anger transcending into political upheaval.

I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I pick up ‘Circe’ and push the other books away. “This combines a bit of everything. Feminism. The occult. Antiquity. I think she’ll like this one.”

It’s over now. He’ll pay for his book and walk out the door. And I’ll never have a chance like this with him again.

“Sounds good. I’ll take that one, then.”

“Would you like me to wrap it up? Since it’s a gift?”

“You do that?”

“It’s a service we provide, yes.” It’s not. I’m making this up on the spot. We do have some gift wrap we sell, in the back, with the gift bags and such. I ring Simon up and then leave him at the counter while I scurry to the back to grab wrap and ribbon.

“I’m taking this out of your wages, boyo.” Fiona whispers at me as I skirt by her desk, ribbon and shiny wrap in hand.

“Fine.” I have no time for her. Simon is still waiting for me up at the counter.

Simon

I could buy any of the books he’s chosen and Penny would be thrilled. It’s easier to let him choose. He’s read them all and has a better idea of what interests her, if he’s been debating feminist ideology with her. It goes over my head when she gets on a rant.

I lean my elbows on the counter and just drink him in. His face is animated and there’s a flush on his cheeks. It suits him.

I could listen to his voice all day. It’s posh and cultured but that’s not what I like about it. Not all I like about it, I mean.

I like how deep it is, resonant I suppose you’d call it. It washes over me and I’m quite content to let him go on about the books to his heart’s content.

He stops eventually. Pushes one towards me. “This one. I’m sure she’ll like it.”

I don’t even look at it. “Sounds good. I’ll take that one then.”

He offers to wrap it and I eagerly take him up on it. I’m a fright at wrapping gifts.

He disappears to the back and returns moments later with ribbon and brightly coloured paper.

It’s all precision and crisp, sharp edges. Penny won’t even believe it’s from me. His fingers are long and slender, folding the paper meticulously, curling the ribbon with an expert flick of the wrist.

That’s it then. I’ll pay up and then I’ll have to go. I don’t want to, not now. I’ve got no excuse to linger though, after he rings me up.

I pass him the money and then the coolness of his touch contacts my palm as he hands me my change. The sensation sends a rush of warmth up my arm.

He hands me a shopping bag, the expertly wrapped book carefully tucked inside. That’s it then. Time for me to go.

“Thank you. That was quite helpful.” I smile up at him. “I’ll have to remember that next time I need to get her something. Thanks so much . . .” I trial off. I don’t know his name. He gets the hint.

“Baz.”

“Thank you, Baz.” And I stand there, like a lump, not moving.

“You’re welcome . . .” he pauses meaningfully.

“Simon. I’m Simon.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Simon.” He pauses and then glances to the back of the store, tilting his head up and raising an eyebrow. I turn and catch the woman in the back rolling her eyes at him and then nodding.

“I seem to recall I made our first meeting a bit awkward, Simon. And I’m reminded that I likely owe you a coffee.” There’s a smile on his face now and this suits him even more.

“Oh. I don’t know about that. I made a right mess of your carpet.” Is he asking me to go out for coffee? Or is he just mentioning it? I’ve got no idea. I’m pants at reading people, Penny tells me that all the time.

Maybe I’m not good at reading people. Or perhaps I’m better than Penny thinks. I don’t want to wait for him to ask me.

Baz

I’m trying to work up the nerve to ask him to coffee. It should be the easiest thing in the world to say it. I’ve got leave from Fiona to bolt. I just need to get the words out.

“I might have ended up down one coffee but I’ve a feeling you ended up on carpet cleaning duty.” He’s right. I did, thanks to Fiona.

Simon’s smile is dazzling. I’m gaping at him, I’m sure.

I should just go ahead and ask him to coffee.

But then he goes and asks me.

“I think you got the worse end of that so we’re more than square.” He shifts his shopping bag from hand to hand and then gestures at the pile of books I found for him. “You helped me so much today, Baz. I know you’re working now but could I buy you a coffee sometime? As a thank you?”

“I’d love to, Simon. Is now good?”

It’s his turn to gape at me. “But aren’t you working? Can you just leave?”

“Happens I’m off. Starting now.”

I bolt from behind the counter, nod at Fiona, and come around to stand next to Simon. “Ebb’s then?”

He grins at me. “Yeah, Ebb’s. That’d be great.”

[ineedsomethingoriginal]

You Don’t Belong Here

( A/N:first fic! be nice plz. mentioned death and not so nice childhoods!)

Chan- Pride, leader, prideful not in the ‘look at me i’m so cool’ kind of sense but in the ‘look at my beautiful children you wish you had but don’t’

Woojin- Sloth, not lazy himself but has the ability to make people drop what they are doing and cuddle with him for hours

Minho (Leeknow)- Lust, he’s pretty, petty and boy does he know it

Changbin- Wrath, short in stature and an even shorter fuse

Hyunjin- Greed, don’t try to ‘borrow’ something of his without asking, he’ll fight you and look pretty doing it. 

Jisung (Han)- Envy, he just wants some love, is that too hard to ask?!

Felix- Gluttony, pretty harmless, just don’t interrupt him while he’s eating

Seungmin and Jeongin (I.N)- two boys who tragically died and found themselves stuck in hell due to a mix up

Ch. 1

“Welcome to hell, please watch your step and follow me. You will not enjoy your stay here.”

At these words Seungmin slowly begun to open his eyes, still groggy with sleep and sporting a creak in his neck from his position as he nudged the boy beside him awake.

“Jeongin. Get up. The elevator opened.” said boy yawned, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he took in his surroundings with now wide eyes.

If he thought the elevator he was in for who knows how long was fancy, the area in front of him was the definition of luxury: deep shades of red, high beamed ceilings stretching farther than he could crane his neck from his position on the elevator floor and dark hardwood under the longest rug he’d ever seen.

“I-is this a prank?” Jeongin stuttered incredulously at their predicament, although both boys knew that was definitely not the case; Ms. Yoo couldn’t even bother to give them proper meals most of the time, she most certainly wouldn’t go through all this effort just to make the boys’ life a living hell. (she could do it effortlessly)

Seungmin had just begun to get feeling in his legs after stretching them, he finally had enough room to do so after everyone else in the elevator had shuffled out, when the voice from earlier spoke again.

“Hey, I don’t have time for stragglers, I’m on a tight schedule here so if you could kindly get over the fact you died and were a terrible person and get out you would really- WHAT THE HELL!?” the person screeched, no longer speaking in the monotone voice from earlier as he stared at the two boys sitting on the floor in a mix of shock, confusion, and horror.

The two boys straightened up, looking up at the bellhop looking person as he squawked about like a chicken with no head.

“Umm, excuse me…” Seungmin meekly asked, but went unnoticed.

Jeongin noticed this and slowly got up, ignoring how his legs felt like jelly, and tapped the bellhop’s shoulder.

The bellhop instantly reeled back from the touch, “Don’t tempt me!” he shrieked, holding his shoulder like he got burned.

The two boys were even more confused than before but they were able to finally get the bellhop’s attention, which they supposed was a good thing.

With the bellhop’s attention finally held, Seungmin saw the opportunity to clarify some things, but was still delirious from sleep that all he could do was bluntly ask, “are we really in hell?”

The bellhop took a deep breath to calm himself finally addressing the young boys “y-yes, I’m afraid... but you kids aren’t supposed to be here.”

“But we are here!” Jeongin piped up, “and isn’t hell supposed to be all fiery and stuff?”

The bellhop huffed, “look kid, I’m new here, I don’t know how all this stuff works but you being here means I could get in serious trouble, I-I can’t explain it so you’re just gonna have to wait till my boss tells me what to do and he can sort this whole thing out.”

“O-ok,” Jeongin muttered, overloaded with the information thrown at him.

“And for your information, you’re inside the Sins’ Palace. It has air condition, outside is where all the fire and roasting happens.”

The bellhop turned away from the boy trying to process this new information, and with his right hand, swept his arm around in a circular motion, Seungmin and Jeongin staring in awe as the space in the circle crystallized into a mirror type form.

A figure appeared in the glass, obscured by shadow except for glowing golden eyes.

“Um, y-your highness, I-I mean master, uh, boss, or um s-s-sir…” he squeaked, stuttering more than usual.

“What did Jisung do this time?” the figure asked boredly, seeming to be leaning on his fist like he could care less as to why this person was calling him.

The bellhop cleared his throat, seemingly beginning to brace himself for what would be happening next.

“I-it seems, my lord, that two Angel hatchlings have accidentally been transported to my sector…”

The two children looked at each other in confusion before the dark figure’s voice tore through the room.

“WHAT?!” the voice roared, seeming to shake up the massive structure to its core.

The bellhop’s tail stuck itself in between his legs, much like a cowering dog. Seungmin stared in disbelief at missing that detail about the bellhop, and upon further inspection noticed a small pair of ebony horns sticking out of his little hat.

“huh...” Seungmin muttered, staring in disbelief.

Next thing he knew, the devil-bellhop-thing had ended the call with an ‘I understand sir’ and was now ushering the two youngsters down the long hallway, up two flights of stairs, a right turn and another long hallway until stopping at the end of the second hallway, in front of the largest door Seungmin had ever seen.

The double doors were made of thick wood with intricate carvings of snakes and tortured souls, the detailed faces were twisted into looks of anguish that seemed to be staring right at the boy as if calling for help. The door handles were iron snakes twisted into a ring so that they were biting their own tail. The bellhop took one of the handles and started pulling the door open with great effort, and Seungmin decided he really didn’t want to go through that door.

Seungmin gripped Jeongin’s hand tighter, the younger looking up at Seungmin to see the older trying to keep his emotions in check but Jeongin could see the fear in his eyes and his lip start to quiver. The older had always been terrible at keeping his emotions in check, he cried easily and wore his emotions on his sleeve no matter how hard he tried, while a smile came easily to Jeongin no matter what he was feeling just so Seungmin or the others wouldn’t worry about him.

Jeongin returned the pressure as reassurance but before either could do anything they were suddenly pulled through the door forcefully. The room dark except for a few candles, the main source of light coming through the open door they had been pulled through, both turning to see their guide still there. They looked at the bellhop but he seemed to have gone back to the monotoned employee voice that they heard when they woke up in the elevator, as all he said was “wait here please” before slamming the thick wooden door closed, leaving Seungmin and Jeongin waiting, in darkness and silence.

[spikeisawesome456]

So... I decided to do all of these asks, because I was bored. :-D 

Obscure Asks.

1. what’s your favorite way to dress? Uhh… Comfortably. I tend to just wear yoga pants, graphic t-shirts, and a Dipper hat.

2. if you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? Ohhh… I both want to say lots of things, and nothing. Because on one hand, there are things about me that annoy me (I overshare, I sometimes get insanely hyper, like now, I can be really mean/rude, etc.…), but on the other hand, I do enjoy who I am. For all my faults, I am proud of the person I’ve become, and the person I’m still becoming. Maybe I’d make my memory better, so I could really utilize my intelligence, and stop forgetting people’s names because it’s starting to get really rude.

3. what movie/game/etc. helps you calm down? Eh… I like to play Stardew Valley, but it doesn’t help me calm down. I play it when I’m calm. It actually used to stress me out… probably not a good example. Uh… Nothing, I guess. Music helps. Sometimes. Basically, when I’m stressed, the only thing that can help is solving the problem or ignoring the problem. And if I can’t ignore it, I just… get stressed. Hugging my mom sometimes helps.

4. what does your room smell like? Like… a room? It smells okay? It recently smells like Maple Cinnamon Pancakes, because I got a Maple Cinnamon Pancake candle from Bath and Body Works, so… yeah?

5. do you like to organize? Ehh… Like to, yes. Do I do it? Noooo….

6. what kind of music would you listen to if you could only choose one? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Why Would You Ask Me This???????????? Also I’m assuming this means genre. But… Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

7. what song is your aesthetic? Um… I don’t really know my Aesthetic? I’m a bit all over the place. Girly, tom boy, shiny, glittery, matte…. Fast, slow, everything in between and outside. If you know of a song like that, then that’s me! Otherwise… Eh.

8. what color do you think goes best with your personality? Uh… No idea. I like blue, though. I’m not that calm a person, though. Well, sometimes, but not always. Well, it depends on what you mean by calm. So… Probably purple, a mix between loud red/orange and cool blue.

9. do you believe in auras? Not… really? A little? Like, we each have our own personal feel, and energy. Like, in a psychological way. But in the color way? Not really. Can people feel other’s energy better than others? Sure! But that’s just a hyper awareness of self and other, not a “six sense,” or whatever.

10. what do you wish you hated, but actually like? I don’t wish to hate anything.

11. vague about your crush(es) I… don’t have any. I decided a long time ago that crushes were stupid, after I ruined a good friendship with my weird crush. Plus, I don’t spend enough time around people to develop crushes.

12. is there someone you have mixed feelings towards? Not… really? Some of my old professors, maybe. My Abnormal Psychology professor was nice, sometimes, but could say such mean things at times about people with mental illness.

13. talk about an au or story you came up with Oh! I made up a story about a man who has two sons (though I changed it so one child, the elder, was a daughter in the last edit, so…) who sold his soul to keep them safe and happy, after he lost all his money when his business partner skipped town and left his embezzlement charges with the man. The man didn’t get sent to jail, since the small town had pity on him, but he did lose all his money, meaning his eldest, now a daughter, had to steal. Hating that, he made a deal with the devil. 2 years later, the devil (who isn’t evil, but more like the Jewish idea of the devil, who is a temptation) comes knocking and the man learns that instead of taking his soul, since the devil would get it at his death regardless (in order to make a deal with the devil you had to commit the greatest sin, murder, thus tainting your soul), the devil took the thing you loved most. For selfish men, it would be their fame and money. For lustful men, it would be their object of affection. For the man, who had made the deal for selfless reasons, it was his children, whom he loved more than anything.

The plot would have gone into the man trying to escape the devil, who graciously gave him a week to prepare, but I didn’t know how to write it, and it’s kind of been in my notes on my iPod for years. It would have ended with the devil catching up to the family, with the man finally begging the devil to let his children live, that it wasn’t their fault. And the devil would have smiled, sweetly, before killing the children while the man watched. As the devil turned away, the man would have brokenly asked why? Why he couldn’t have left them alone? And the devil would have chuckled sadly and said that it was what had always been planned. That the entire chase had been futile from the very first moment. The devil had sympathy for the man, but he couldn’t go against the orders of God (my version of the devil is kinder, more sympathetic to the plights of humans, since I view the “devil” not as an enemy, but as, I previously mentioned, a temptation. He tempts people, on God’s orders, but doesn’t have any true animosity towards humanity. He just follows orders). Finally, the man begs the devil to kill him, to end his suffering, that even an eternity in Hell would be better than living knowing he killed his children. And then, I’m split on the ending. In the dream that inspired this story, the devil smiles wickedly and says, “I thought you’d never ask,” before bashing the man (me, in the dream) over the head with a bat, since in the dream the devil was eviler. But I think it’s more poignant to let the devil laugh softly again, turn, and say “Oh, my dear man. That’s the whole point,” before walking away/disappearing.

Anyway, that was my main story idea. I really like it, and wrote about 20,000 words for it, but got stuck on the middle part. I wanted to add an old friend of the man’s, who became an alcoholic following the death of one of their old friends. The friend group fell apart after the man left for plot reasons, which I don’t have time to explain, and it grew worse until one of their friends died, and the whole friend group fell apart and she became an alcoholic. However, I wasn’t sure if this subplot took away from the whole plot, and I felt it was written poorly, so I kind of gave up. Plus, I had no idea what obstacles the devil could put in their way, since I don’t know religion. Though… I am currently taking a bible course in college, so maybe I’ll revisit the story. If anyone wants to read what I have, send me a message. :-)

14. do you like makeup? Eh… Depends. I sometimes like it. Also, after writing about my whole story, going back to these questions just feel weird. Eh.

15. do you prefer space or the ocean? I like the ocean, since I can see it more often. Though, I love looking at the stars when I can. I just live in a city with tons of light pollution and can’t ever see the stars.

16. if you could pick any planet besides earth, where would you live? ????? What other planets could I live on??? I don’t know any real planets that have life on them, and none of the 7 others we have interest me much. Or is this fictional? In which case… I don’t know?

17. what form of government do you like the most? (capitalism, socialism, etc.) Um… this took a dark turn. “Hey, what’s your favorite color??” “Do you like makeup??? :-D” “What is your political preference, you capitalist/commie scum???” This question just feels like a trap the cops laid in the middle of a silly, fun little quiz.

18. what animal would you keep as a pet, if you could? I’d keep a cat, but I’m allergic. And a little afraid. Also, I think this means like, wild animal, or mythical creature, but I wouldn’t want to keep a wild animal captive, even if I could. Same with mythical creature.

19. what do you think our purpose is in the universe? To do our best and to enjoy the life we’ve been given. This relates to the next question, but I believe that if there is a God, they’d want us to enjoy life.

20. do you believe in god(s)? Continuing from the last question, yes and no. I believe in a higher power, since I don’t see how the entire universe and life can just be random, but I don’t really believe in “God” or “gods” as humans have imagined them, as helpful or destructive forces that meddle with humanity. I believe they would be a high creature, humans unable to sense them since we don’t have the body parts available to “see” them. There would likely be multiple higher beings, but it is possible one is in charge of earth, to look over us. Though, no miracle granting or listening in, since they probably aren’t on the same timeline we are, or an entire generation to us is a second to them. The afterlife is tricky, which is why I’m so terrified to die, so I won’t go into it. But, long story short, yes. I do believe in a sort of “God.” What they mean to earth, what they want with us, I don’t know. But I do believe something created the universe, and watches over the various planets. Also, I believe that other planets have life, and that aliens may or may not have visited earth, but if they did, we might not have known, since, like with “God,” we don’t have the appendages or body parts available to “see” them. I mean, if we didn’t have eyes or ears, we’d never know what we were missing. Who knows what we can’t “see” because we don’t have the right parts?

21. is there a song you can’t handle listening to, even though you like it? Ehh…. Nothing, really. But, there was a P!nk song I had to turn off halfway through. Not because I hated it, but because it reminded me of my family too much it hurt. I didn’t really like the song, but it was okay. I think it was called Family Portrait? Update, I looked it up, and yes, it is called Family Portrait, by P!nk. It’s not completely similar to my family, but it’s close enough that it just… hurt.

22. what ex do you miss the most, if you have one? If you never date, you can never have an ex you miss the most. *Insert guy tapping his forehead meme here*

23. do you like soft, fluffy blankets or rough/smooth blankets? Soft ones. Who… who likes rough blankets??? What??? I mean, I prefer smoother ones, I guess, to super fluffy. But rough? Really??

24. what is your favorite thing to learn about? Psychology!!! I love it!

25. what country’s history do you find the most interesting? Um… I don’t really like history. I’m taking a history class, though, and I liked Islam’s history. No one country, but the history of the Middle East and Islam.

26. what do you think about genderbent ____ (insert someone here) I think this is one where you had to send in a question for. So, feel free to ask me about any genderbend you like, but warning: I tend not to like genderbent characters. I just think it’s weird, and pointless. Especially if you genderbend a character to make a gay ship straight. Like… dude. Or, vice versa, to make a straight ship gay. It’s just… unnecessary. Make new characters or find a different ship.

27. what breakup was the hardest, if you had one? *insert answer from question 22, but exchange “Ex you miss the most” for “hardest breakup”

28. do you have someone where you can’t decide if you like them romantically or just as a friend? Not really. Going back to question 11, I don’t spend enough time around people to really know. But, as I have weird understandings of friendship and love, as well as a deep loneliness that makes me emotionally invested in anyone who is even slightly a friend, this sort of happens all the time. I just want to be less lonely, usually. I’m just… bad at people. I tend not to like them, and they bore me, yet I long to be around people and have friends. So. Lots of contradictions.

29. what do you think about Tumblr discourse? Eh. I think most of it is stupid. Just… chill. The world sucks, it’s best just to do things you enjoy, don’t sweat the small stuff. Even the big stuff. If there’s nothing you can do, just… move on. Live with it, and live your life. Don’t yell at random people, even If they’re “terrible.” Nothing is black and white, and as soon as you start attacking others because of your opinion, you’re becoming a person in the wrong, even if your view is virtuous. No one is right. No one is wrong. It’s just a matter of opinion. Now, does that mean you shouldn’t argue your point? No! Your view is valid and if it matters to you, express it. But don’t hate on another because of it. Or else you lose your virtue, your moral “righteousness.” Sorry, this went in a wrong direction. But… yeah.

30. what instrument do you wish you could master? Piano, guitar, and violin. Piano the most, though.

31. how easy is it for you to be honest? Pretty easy? I tend to be honest, most often, because I don’t really see why not. But it’s also easy to tell white lies or to omit truths, if it makes my life easier. So. Eh.

32. do you have any strange interests? Nothing I can really think of? Nothing that other people aren’t interested in. I like collecting coins, but so do many others.

33. do you have any strange fears? Ehh… I’m a bit afraid of animals, but it’s mostly because I’m afraid of them hurting me, which isn’t really strange?? So… again, not really? Most of my fears are common. Maybe my fear of holes? Like, on the skin? But people have that fear, too. And it’s less a fear and more of a disgust.

34. what food do you binge on when you’re lazy? Anything I can, really. I tend not to get super hungry, so I only eat when I’m bored or “lazy”, or when I know people should eat. Also, I dislike calling it lazy, since I think that’s a negative word for a more complicated feeling. For me, at least.

35. when you get angry, how do you show it? I tend to go quiet and seethe. I don’t usually yell, though I will if the other person (my dad usually) is yelling. I prefer leaving the room, though, or else getting all “righteous”. Like, righteous fury, though I’m not always righteous when I get angry.

36. do you have any impulsive movements? (twitches, ticks, flapping, etc.) Dude, yes. I tend to crack my knuckles/twist my hands impulsively/nervously. I also tap/rub my thumb against my fingers, or move my foot. Mostly when I’m “hyper,” or possibly manic. Otherwise, when I’m more down, it’s just the cracking knuckles thing.

37. what do you listen to music on? iPod/Phone, and my computer. I tend not to listen to radio. Sometimes I’ll listen to new music on YouTube, but it’s mostly iTunes/the iPod/phone music app.

38. are you left brained or right brained? Well, we all have both right and left brains, so I am both. Since no one side of the brain can be really more dominant. Unless part of your brain is dead, like my mother’s, who is more right brained, since parts of her left brain died when she was born. But, since I understand what this question is asking, I am, really, both. I’m creative and logical. Shocker.

39. earbuds or headphones? Oh, headphones, every time. I HATE earbuds. They always fall out of my ears. I mean I’ll take them if I have nothing else, but I hate them.

40. do you like light blankets or heavy blankets? Eh…. I tend to have heavy blankets, even though it’s hot where I am, and I need a fan to keep me cool. So. Yeah.

[theverylastoption]

CHAPTER TWO

Victor glares at her, knowing his eyes must look unfriendly and stony. Of all the people to show up late at night, it had to be her. He tended to keep to himself, so when someone had knocked or more adequately thumped at his door, he'd been wary as hell. Then she had fallen at his feet, and his chest had constricted inexplicably. He thought for sure she had come to him with her dying steps, and his heart had seized. He had originally been surprised, then panicked when she wouldn't wake up. What he hadn't told her was that while in her delirium, she'd called out his name more times than he'd been able to count. She had been looking for him in her fever dreams. Why, or how, he had no idea. She had mumbled something about how cute the stars on his pajama pants were. Then wheezed, what had sounded like at the time a death rattle, before he'd realized she had a punctured lung. Using a homemade siphon of thin rubber tubing and a glass of water, he'd equalized the pressure, and she had finally taken a proper breath. Hearing that alone had eased the sickness in the lower pit of his stomach he felt at seeing her this way. He had worked fastidiously throughout the night to get her fixed up, but there was only so much he could do. Stitches were useless as he'd have to cut them out and pull them free from the skin as it healed. Which was a pain. He'd slapped some duct tape on some areas and knew the skin would knit itself back together. Only it hadn't. She had continued to bleed, and he was afraid he was watching her bleed to death as she lay on his couch. She had been holding a dart of some sort in her hand. He had grasped it between his fingers, as though it were some sort of venomous snake, and eyed the thing carefully. He immediately grabbed a few bags of saline, and started to flush her system in hopes of getting whatever was in the dart out of her. He would have to test what was in the damned thing as soon as he could. They'd been friends when they were young, who became more when they were in their teen years. It was unlikely either of them would get powers. It was a rarity in itself, but she had gotten powers. She had always been bright and bubbly. A loving girl who was growing into a woman, who had always had a strong moral compass. She'd also had a picture-perfect life. Two parents who were still married to this day, no tragic back story like some would insist a hero needed. Just a lucky girl, with powers, who wanted to do good things. To be the good that she saw in the world. He had been somewhat jealous, but had always felt she deserved them. And who was he to complain? He was broken, and knew he didn't deserve the powers that afflicted the smallest iota of the populous. His own life wasn't nearly as pleasant as hers. His mother had left him and his father behind when he was three, saying she didn't want either of them. His father was an abusive drunk, who often lived by the rod, and never spoiled the child. He often went to her place where she would use her powers to heal the wounds left behind by the belt and buckle. His father was a man unloved by all who met him, who died of cirrhosis of the liver by the time he was sixteen. He'd ended up in the system, but he'd often sneak out to sleep on her floor. He climbed the large oak tree by her window and would climb in. She always left her window unlocked just so he could sneak in. She would leave a blanket and a pillow on the small bench by the end of her bed. By the morning, he'd find her on the floor with him, curled up in his arms. But nothing she did kept him from being imprinted by the dark shadows that tainted his life. He had wanted and strived to be good for her, but his anger kept him from her. The fury and shadows left behind by a broken childhood and his life had made him unfit. Unfit to be a superhero. Unfit to be good with or for her. And so, when he was lucky enough to get his own powers, he had left her behind, and stepped into the twilight of villainhood. She had begged him to stay with her. That the world deserved their help, but he hadn't felt that way at all. He was furious at a world that had let him down. That had given its all to so many people, and left him behind. After everything, all that was left of him was an obscure twisted version of his previous self. He had once lived in the sunshine she had provided, but he found himself comforted by the shadows that hid the fury in his heart.   It felt like forever ago now that he was thirty-two. When their powers had shown up in their late teens, hers before his… He had thought he was holding her back, and had slowly started stepping away from their relationship even though he'd seen how much it had hurt her. He didn't want to stand in the way of her destiny. Then he'd gotten his powers, and even though he had tried to be good… He had tried so very hard, the darkness had called to him, and he had left her behind to follow his own path. He was no knight. He was a goddamned nightmare. And he knew that. The devil within him, didn't want her to hang her halo off his horns anymore. He had wanted to let his rage and ire consume him, and nothing had kept him in the warmth and light she offered him. And slowly, she had let him go. What had once been a blinding sun, had become a ray or two on a cloudy day. Then soon it was nothing but the soft glow from a candle. Then he had snuffed even that out. And she had let him. As soon as he'd managed to get her awake, he'd returned to his cold demeanor. He wasn't looking to make her feel welcome here, but he'd become gentle and panicked while he'd tried to bring her fever down. He hadn't felt himself feel emotional or weak like that in a long time and it scared him. Angered him. He stiffens his spine and glowers at her. As though she is wasting his time. "Okay, a cat named Bob, got it. What the fuck was in your system, Brooke?" He immediately switches back to her full name, realizing he'd been calling her by the moniker he'd called her when they were younger. "Dart gun…Got hit by one of the Mafia Don's goons…I think at least…I don't know…" She takes a slow breath in, cringing again, and he turns his face away to hide his exterior's cold façade slipping. She takes it as annoyance, and tries to speed up. "It's something they've been working on for a long time. I killed the Mafia Don's son. I didn't…" Brooke takes another slow breath inward, and the grimace across her face shows that she's still in pain. She shouldn't be in pain. She should've healed by now. "I didn't know it was him. Human trafficking." She coughs, and blood speckles her lips. He reaches for the cool washcloth from the coffee table and wipes her mouth down almost without thinking. "Made me practically human." Slow breath. "Would have died." Another slow breath. "If not for you." "Well, fuck. Could've been rid of you finally, if I'd known," he sneers before he can stop himself. She accepts his answer with grace though, and nods minutely. "I know," she says quietly. She was always so accepting of him, and his sharp tongue. She didn't even blink or look pained at his answer. She simply seems to acknowledge it. She takes another slow breath in, avoiding the punctured lung that was taking forever to heal. "But you didn't." She looks at him stoically, and he turns away again, putting the washcloth down. He braces himself against his coffee table before standing and moving away from her. Not willing to let her see the look on his face. "Stay put, or I'll duct tape you to the fucking couch. You're much too weak to be out in the open. And, it's broad daylight," he says simply. "And I don't need you bringing the fucking mafia down on me," he growls. "If they find this place, I'm leaving you behind." As he starts to leave the room, she gasps out, "Wait…Please don't leave me." "What?" He looks somewhat over his shoulder, looking into his fireplace in silence for a moment, as though unsure he'd heard her request. Or perhaps he was just holding himself back so he could hear her talk a little longer. "I'm scared," she whispers. "That's not my problem. You're on your way to healing. Deal with it," he snaps, before taking another step to leave the room. "Then a phone," she says, just as softly. "Someone has to rescue and feed Bob…" He hears her inhale weakly again, and that tightening in his chest won't let him leave while she's still speaking. "If I get you a phone will you stay put?" He asks coldly. He's glaring at the floor and trying to shake the restriction of his chest. "Yes," she says with a sigh of gratitude. He walks at a clipped pace from the room, and looks for the wireless phone in the kitchen. Out of sight, he grips the counter. Crunch. He lifts his hands, and stares at the fingermarks left behind in the dark marble counter top. An expensive addition that he'd put in himself. He may not like many things, but simple luxuries were always nice to have. He scowls, frustrated. This is why he didn't let her near him. She brought things out in him that he didn't want to experience. He didn't want to feel these things. Concern. Worry. Apprehension. Doubt. He didn't want to feel jealousy about the possibility of a man named Bob in her life. What kind of name was Bob for a cat anyway? He takes a deep breath, and tries to calm himself. She had never been able to wrap her pretty little head around just how bad he was for her. She still saw the good in him, even though he was sure it was long gone. The monster that hid behind his eyes, was not the pitying type. Although he had saved her, he insisted to himself that it was for selfish purposes. If anyone were to kill her… Kill that last flicker, that last ember of sunlight within him, it would be him. Then he would fully turn into the murk and mire, and find himself swallowed whole by the demons that plagued his mind. He reaches for the phone, careful not to crush it in his grasp.   He walks back out, and holds it out, just slightly out of her reach. She pushes herself up, her face contorting in pain, as she grasps the phone. As she lays back, she exhales slowly, trying to deal with the pain he'd just put her through on purpose. He nods silently, feeling his face contort back into its permanent scowl. "It's an unlisted number. Don't tell anyone where you are, or I will make sure it's the last fucking phone call you ever make," he smirks at her discomfort before turning on his heel. He leaves the room, and stands out of sight within the depths of the kitchen. ***

She sits quietly for a little while, listening to his footsteps fade away. She attempts to shift her body into a more comfortable position, but can't. This makes her angry. She dislikes being weak. She loathed how he looked at her, like she was some kind of insolent child, inconveniencing him at best. She feels her frustration building. She shoves her tears back, and rolls ever so slightly to her better side. Gasping by the time she gets more comfortable, she calls Michael. Michael had lived on the first floor since she'd moved in. They'd made fast friends, and Michael had been kind enough to feed Bob whenever she'd found herself out and about. Whether it be saving the city from criminals, or working. And so, leaving behind a key with him, had been alright. Her entire place was under tight video surveillance, but Michael had always only come in, pet Bob a little, and fed her a little extra food. Which considering the diet food that she was on it was hard to judge Michael for that. Especially, when Bob loved him a little more for the extra food. "You've got Michael!" The cheery voice meets her on the other side of the phone.

"Hey Michael, it's Brooke, I can't get home – the hospital has me working doubles, do you think you could feed Bob for me?" It takes an entire lung breath, and she feels dizzy by the end of it, but she keeps the chipper tone to her voice.

"Oh, of course, Brooke! I'll feed her as soon as I'm home," Michael says in the same happy tone. Brooke inhales slowly again, cringing against the pain in her side, but keeping the phone away from her face as she does so.

"Maybe just give her two or three scoops, I might not be home for a while, is that okay?" Brooke says in the same happy voice. "Would you mind checking in on her later tonight, just in case?" She has no doubt that by the time Michael arrived, cops would be swamping the place. She knew he would take Bob with him to his place, and worry, but she couldn't let on that she already knew of the disaster that had destroyed her home. She just needed him to get Bob out of the situation, and when the time came, she would collect Bob and move on to her new life, leaving behind Michael and everything she had in that apartment. But they were only material objects.

"No problem, babe! Don't let them work you to death, okay?" Michael says, and Brooke can practically see that happy grin across the phone. She ignores the pet name he'd given her from day one, as best she can, and inhales slowly again. Withdrawing the phone away from her face again as she wheezes inward.

"Promise! Thanks, Michael!" She's feeling dizzy by now, and Michael's laugh sounds like it's echoing.

"Anytime! Ciao!" Michael disconnects, and Brooke hangs up.

She lets the phone drop from her fingertips. It hits the floor, and she gasps for air. Her brows cinch together and she feels for sure she's going to pass out. Even just pretending to be okay was taking everything out of her.

She gasps for air again, and again. Fighting for the breath she needs, and feeling the pain. He said it was 10AM. She should have healed by now. What was in that dart? She hadn't felt this weak since… The tears from before, pressing against the back of her eyes, finally breaking free and falling. They slide down the side of her face before her eyes roll up into the back of her head, and she passes out.

 ------

 He watches from the shadows of the kitchen, and when he sees the tears fall, he bites down so hard on his lip that he tastes blood. He scowls and moves to walk away, but he finds himself walking towards her instead. He grabs the phone, and puts it on the coffee table, and checks her pulse. It was thready.

Whatever the fuck was in that dart was some vicious shit. He hadn't wanted to express his concern, but she was still weak as hell from whatever the hell they had hit her with. She'd fallen back into a heavily sedated sleep. He finds himself checking her forehead again, and he can feel her burning up again. He scowls at her, and heads back to the kitchen. He immediately starts filling large Ziploc bags with ice from his freezer's ice maker again as he had the first time.

He moves her hands out of the way, and checks the saline bag she hadn't even noticed or mentioned. She hadn't even asked if he was poisoning her, or trying to kill her. She'd just assumed the best of him. That she could show up, and he would just…be a good guy for her. He may have been snippy and short with her, but he didn't want her to die. Not yet, anyway, he tries to convince himself. She had been desperate and on death's door. And for whatever reason, she had shown up at his door. Perhaps, she knew he had a weak spot for her. Even though she never questioned him holding the phone just out of her reach. Even him saying that he could finally be rid of her. She took it all with grace and kindness. Understanding and empathy.

She was the good to his evil. And he'd always known it. And yet here was, nursing her back to health. He places the bags of ice down by her legs and midsection, trying to bring the fever down from her head. Her brow furrows as she tries to toss in her sleep before whimpering in pain. She hiccups on a sob of pain in her sleep.

"Victor," she whispers. "Help me..." His eyes narrow as he leans over and plucks her eyelid open. Her pupil is a saucer. She's not anywhere near conscious. As he releases it, he ends up sitting down beside her again, looking for the trick. But there is no trick. Even he could see that. She is alone. Wounded, and terrified. She'd even asked him to stay beside her, and he'd refused. And yet, here he was. He waits quietly, alternating between anger at her for showing up here, and worried.

He frowns and checks her forehead again. The ice is working, she's dropping in temperature, however slowly, but it may not last. Whatever was in the dart, it had made her practically human. And then… she was just one woman fighting, however many men from the mafia. She'd been shot with the dart gun just once, and there were cuts across her body that even he couldn't stitch together. If he'd known sooner about the mysterious dart, he might've stitched her up, but she has fallen into complete unconsciousness for nearly fourteen hours. And she still wasn't fully healed. She might need to bleed it out, too. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. Would she even survive this? His heart clenches again, and he pushes it down furiously. Whatever the Don had been working on, it put all supers at risk. Whether they were good or bad. And that meant he was at risk as well. He scowls, and leans in close to her ear.

"You'd best remember that when it came down to it, that I fucking saved your ass," he growls. She catches him by surprise. Her eyes half open, dilated pupils and all, and she reaches for him. She throws an arm awkwardly around his shoulders and pulls him close.

"It's okay, V. I love you, we can sleep on the floor together," she whispers to him deliriously. He lets her pull him in, and press a kiss to his forehead. His throat chokes him for a moment, and he sees the teenage girl he fell in love with again. He swallows hard against the lump in his throat and his brow furrows hard.

"I'm not that kid anymore, B," he whispers back to her delirious self. Just before her eyes flutter closed again, she murmurs one soft sentence,

"That's okay, V. I'm gonna love you anyway."

[ask-pulligan-blog]

That Soulmate Connection

So for Valentine’s day here is a sappy love short with these two finding out their soulmate is right next to them from our ink blossom au! There is a second part with a bunch of smut but might not post unless specifically requested or we finish it. 

First Valentine with someone is always a special one. It’s the butterflies fluttering at top speed in your stomach, the pressure on yourself to make it perfect for your mate along with dressing to impress. Which in the apartment above the tattoo parlor was Peggy’s case. She looks at her phone reading 6:40 pm and starts icing the chocolate cake that’s been cooling down on the table coating it with fudge frosting and then decorating it with red icing on top to resemble roses spelling out Happy Valentines Day! across the top. Knowing he’ll be at her place 7:30 on the dot Peggy goes back to check on the roast beef in the oven before checking again to see it’s already 7:05 pm. She goes to change into her Valentine day outfit of a black lace with light pink bottom babydoll lingerie hoping he’ll blush when he sees her.

Next door Hercules gave a sigh of relief as he clocked out for the night, his limbs feeling like concrete slabs. Valentine’s Day was always hell, and this one was no different. He sold so many roses they had sold out and had to restock twice, as well as that one guy who bought carnations. A small smile spread across his face at the thought of finally going back home to Peggy, he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he gave her her gifts. Hercules carefully lifted the shipping box with Peggy’s gift inside, balancing the chocolates and the flowers on top. He quickly exited the store before another straggler came bursting in and set the box down to lock up. Making sure the store was locked and the lights were out, he picked up the box again and slowly headed over to Peggy’s place careful not to drop or jostle any of his precious cargo.  

Dressed and applying her maroon lipstick she hears the oven timer go off and runs to take it out. Checking to make sure it was properly cooked she puts more pepper in the mashed potatoes and a little bit of lemon on the asparagus before plating them on the table. Lighting up the candle she sighs taking a step back to admire her work. It's wasn't long before a knock on the door was heard and she rushed to it. Taking a deep breath before working the courage to open the door for her awaited mate.

The tiredness in his eyes left instantly as Peggy came into his line of sight, and his whole face lit up. The items on top of the box sort of blocked the view of her from the shoulders down, but from what he could see she looked radiant. "Dia duit my sunshine, happy Valentine's Day!" Doing an awkward shuffle so he didn't drop anything, he entered the house and looked around for a place to set the box.

Her smile changed to a more confused expression seeing more boxes than boyfriend. "Happy Valentine Day as well, umm you can put them anywhere..." drifting off as she takes some of the smaller ones on top setting them on the couch. "A-are these all for tonight?" Wondering if what she did was enough for him.

"Yup," he chirped back cheerfully. Herc was oddly excited about this, eager to see if she liked any of the gifts he'd been saving up to get her. Flowers in hand, he turned around to face her, "I also made you a flower bouquet if you'd want to put that in a—" his sentence abruptly cut off as he got a full look at her, no boxes to obscure the view. The silk babydoll hugged her hips and in such a way he couldn't tear his eyes off of her, and his face heated up just as quickly as his words left him.

Seeing his flustered reaction Peggy couldn't help feel smug. With a smirk she takes the flowers from him and appreciate the beauty. Getting on her tippy toes she gives him a thank you kiss on the cheek, "these are beautiful and it means a lot knowing you put them together for me." She starts heading to the kitchen to get a vase calling out behind her. "Make sure to lock the door, don't want anyone coming in tonight. I'll put these in water, dinner is on the table unless you want to cuddle first"

He made a small noise as his eyes followed her out of the room, and blinked slowly before snapping out of his trance-like state. "U-uh, yeah," he managed to get out sheepishly. His heart was pounding just from the sight of Peggy in lingerie and he mentally scolded himself to get it together as he locked the door like she asked. He shrugged off his coat and hung it up, then took off his shoes and set them by the door while taking a deep breath. Can't let his inexperience show, that's for sure.

Putting the flowers in water and placing them on her kitchen counter Peggy goes to see where Herc was. "Still in the living room? So does that mean a bit of cuddle time before dinner? I could use a hug." Before he could say anything she embrace him nuzzling against his chest. Sighing because she's been thinking about this moment all day and just glad to hold him.

The hug caught him off guard but Hercules smiled and wrapped his arms around Peggy, holding her close. "Mhm," he kissed the top of her head before soothing back her curls, "I've been waiting to hold you in my arms all day."

Smiling into his chest Peggy pulls back to look at Herc. "Is there anything else you've been waiting to do? Because I can think of a few others on my mind." She leans up but stops before kissing him, "I might leave lipstick marks, is that okay?"

Herc couldn't help but chuckle, nodding as he lowered his head. "I don't think I mind." One hand settled on her lower back and pulled her closer. "Then again, it's hard to think with how breathtaking you look."

Just as she's about to kiss him Peggy pulls back to laugh at how sweet and cheesy he's being. "That was the perfect thing to say, but thinking ahead we should probably eat. Don't want to keep the food waiting." Her eyes on his lips only glancing up when she finished her sentence.

"Teasing me already?" He smirked, then chose to give her an Eskimo kiss instead. "Mmm, you're right, but then we can cuddle and kiss afterwards."

"I'm not teasing, but yeah I can mark you in my lipstick later." Accepting the Eskimo kiss she gives one last embrace before letting go. "I made roast beef, candlelight diner for two..."

Hercules visibly perked up; if he was a dog his tail would of been wagging. The smell of cooked roast beef reached him and he savored the scent. "Sounds perfect, I love roast beef." Not liking that she let go, Hercules unknowingly held her hand, needy for some contact as he absentmindedly ran his thumb over her knuckles.

Leading them to the next room the seats were originally across the table from each other but not wanting to let go of his hand she brings a chair next to the other. "Can you move the plate over too? I figure you probably like this better."

His sappy smile only further proved her assumption as he moved her plate to be in front of her chair. Hercules waited for Peggy to sit down before he did, intertwining their fingers. Even with a plate of roast beef in front of him he couldn't take his eyes off of her. "Have I mentioned that I /really/ like what you're wearing?" He blushed almost as soon as the sentence was out, unsure if that was a perv thing to say or not.

Her cheeks tint red, no matter how many times he compliments her it always makes her feel giddy. "Really? I couldn't tell, well later since you like it so much I'll give you a better look." Actually looking at the food she does her best to eat with one hand. Really just poking the meat since she couldn't cut it.

"Looking forward to it sunshine." He lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it before letting go so that Peggy could cut her food. Picking up the silverware, Hercules swiftly cut his own food and ate a huge piece of roast beef, his always present appetite ready to go. A small moan left his lips as he chewed, swallowing before turning to Peggy. "You cook like a /goddess/, this is the best roast beef I've ever had."

Watching how happy he looked eating caused her heart to swell glad he is enjoying himself so far. "You'll be lucky to not get food poisoning. Did you want something to drink? I forgot what wine went with this so I got red and some soda." Asking him as she cuts up her own food.

He swallowed another bite before answering, "Red wine is fine. Here, let me get it." Setting his fork and knife down, Hercules stood up and leaned over the table to get the bottle of red wine, uncorking it as he looked down at Peggy. "Did you want wine or soda? I can pour it for you."

"I'll have the wine, and thank you. How was work today? I'm guessing people mobbed you for flowers?" Eating as she goes wondering how he made it here in one piece.

"Oh God," he shuddered at the memory, "it was a flood of frantic people all wanting roses, /only/ roses." He popped another piece of roast beef in his mouth and ate that before continuing. "I tried telling people that there are other flowers besides roses you can give to your spouse, have a little creativity."

She covers her mouth laughing a bit before answering. "And how did that go? You know telling them to be creative and not go with the rose." Now really wondering how Herc survived the day after his bold statement.

"Lets just say, I had to stay an hour overtime and we sold out of roses." He took a sip of his wine then added, "/Twice/." Hercules sighed, setting the wine down and rubbing his temples. "It's fine, at least I get to come home to you." He lolled his head back and gave Peggy a lazy but sweet smile as he looked up at her. "How was your day?"

She gave a smile back reaching out to hold his hand, "I promise to help you unwind more and try to help you forget the days torture." Peggy starts eating her green thinking about the question. "It was busy, people like to cover up past loves that didn't work out. So lots of covering up tattoos listening to rejected love stories."

Hercules toyed with his food, a worried look etched into his face. "Does it ever get too sad?" He intertwined their fingers as their hands rested on the table. "Listening to all those stories sounds depressing."

"Mmm," she purses her lips and sighs, "It's sad seeing people so broken over someone but you know they are doing what helps to get rid of their pain. Some people like having the loved one tattoo removed because it's easier for them and I'm glad my services can help with that." She looks at Herc with a sad smile, "it's funny, next door is a flower shop where loves bloom and I'm a tattoo parlor who helps comfort those who love wilted away."

His eyes regarded her carefully, thinking. "I admire you for that," he murmured, the background noise of the busy streets fading away as he sunk further into their own little world. "It takes a strong person to help people pick up their broken pieces, let alone make it their job."

"Well from experience I know it helps. Not seeing the tattoo." Peggy picks up his hand to kiss it. " And I know they are going to be fine by themselves. If they continue to look for love that's great and they will find it but for now they are strong and perfectly okay." Putting the fork down she leans her head on her hand smiling, "who knows, they might get lucky and find someone who is even a fraction as amazing as you."

"Poor them," he chuckled, draining the last bit of wine in his glass. "Now if they hit the jackpot like I did and found someone like you, then they'd be lucky." All their talk of covering up tattoos led Herc's mind to wander back to her present. "Oh!" He turned fully in his seat to face her, grinning from excitement. "I have a surprise for you, did you want to see it now or after dinner?"

"Please," playfully swatting his arm rolling her eyes. "You're the better half," Peggy perks up hearing surprise, "I'm done eating but if you want more we can wait till after."

Shaking his head no, Hercules held onto Peggy's hand and got up, pulling her to her feet. "I promise that you're gonna love it," he reassured her, pulling her along into the living room. Excitement and anxiety coursed through him as he picked up the box, jittery to see if she loved his present or not. "Tada!" He set the box on the coffee table, turning the label towards Peggy so she could read it. Professional high quality tattoo ink in varying shades.

She giggles loving how excited and cute Herc was acting. Letting herself be dragged to the living room. When he showed her the box Peggy gasped holding her breath as she froze. "I-I" she looks up as him then smiles wide jumping into his arms. "I love it! I can't believe you got this for me!" She starts peppering his face with kisses leaving lipstick all over the place.

Hercules preened from all the attention and kisses, elated that she had loved her gift. "Baby, baby," he laughed, settling his hands on her waist to pause her kisses, "there's one more." Reaching into the bag where the flowers used to be, he pulled out a huge twenty-four inch tall heart shaped box. A blush lightly colored his cheeks, "I-it's 210 pieces of gourmet chocolate. Is this too cheesy? I feel like it's too cheesy." Herc shifted, a little embarrassed he went as far as to be so cliche.

She makes a sour face having him stop the kisses but was once again thrilled and kissing him again. Talking between the smooches, " these are the best gifts ever! Absolutely love them, and I love it when you're cheesy." Wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him down to be more comfortable in the shower of affectionate she's giving him.

Herc went with her motions and lowered his head and shoulders, smiling goofily as she peppered his face with kisses. His arms wrapped around her waist loosely, giving kisses of his own around her mouth, cheeks, and jaw whenever she momentarily pull back. "I'm relieved," he sighed contently, "I was afraid you wouldn't like them, or would've preferred something else and I didn't think of it."

"No, I love it all of it. If I could've picked gifts for myself those are exactly what I wouldn't picked. Chocolate and ink." After a few more kisses she pulls back to catch her breath, "I also got you something, it's in my room I'll bring out." Wiggling out of his hug she rushed to her room where you can hear her rumbling around looking for something. Then with a grunt see Peggy with three boxes covered in red wrapping paper decorated with hearts. Out of breath she puts them next to the Gifts she got. "Okay, you can open smallest to biggest or vice versa but middle size gets opened second."

"You got me three?" Hercules looked between the boxes bewildered, wishing he had one gotten more gifts for her. "Peggy, you didn't have to...but," leaning down, he kissed her forehead, "thank you mo chuisle." Unsure of where to start he picked up the smallest box, carefully unwrapping the wrapping paper.

She holds in a laugh covering her mouth really trying not to make a sound. "Mmh yeah no problem." Watching him open up the box to pull out a box of condoms.

Hercules stared at the box of condoms, unsure of how to react or why exactly she gift wrapped them. Was he getting laid? Holy shit—was this her way of asking?! "Um, Peggy?" He looked up quizzically with a huge blush spread out on his face. "I-I, um, thank you?"

She nods biting her lips trying her best to be serious. "Did you want me to take a picture and your presents? Well you should open the next one, medium sized." Pointing to the next box on the table.

Examining the box one more time, Herc cracked a smile and chuckled, setting the box beside him. "I appreciate it, even if they're the wrong size." Hercules opened the second box a little more cautiously, unsure of what he might pull out. "What's this o—" Hercules stopped mid-sentence, feeling his chest tightened and his blush grow even hotter.

"Huh?" with a look of curiosity she is about to ask more on the wrong size but starts laughing seeing his face. "Now you're welcomed!" Giving him finger guns she sits on the couch taking deep breaths to stop the giggles. "You like it?"

Hercules swallowed hard, but instead of doing his usual stammering he quietly looked over the picture, his body getting hotter. "Is í an bhean is áille ar dhroim na talún í," he rasped quietly, setting the picture next to him. "I love it, and if this next present is a huge sex toy of some kind I can't promise you I'll keep my hands to myself."

She leans back with a fake surprised covering her heart in mock hurt. "I have no idea why you would think I would get you that," then twirling her hair on her finger she leans forward. "I can get you one if you want though..." giving the eyebrow waggle before nodding towards the last box.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, no words coming out because he wasn't sure how to respond or how he wanted to respond. He reached over for the third box and decided to hell with it, she couldn't surprise him anymore than she already had. Hercules tore away the wrapping paper, then stopped as he caught sight of the label on the box, complete with a picture of a sewing machine. "Holy /shit/." He whispered in awe, looking up at Peggy as if he needed confirmation he wasn't dreaming.

She covers her mouth nodding yes, then gets up to hug his side. "A sewing machine, um you mentioned before wanting to be a fashion designer and although I know nothing on these things I did research and asked shops. This is suppose to be the best, and a way of saying I believe in you." Letting go she rubs her arm getting nervous, "it's one thing to say I believe but I hope this gift shows I'm serious and you should be too."

It was like his body was on autopilot as he moved faster than his brain could register, and suddenly Peggy is in his arms and he's kissing her for dear life, holding her close as if she might disappear. She believed in him, Peggy /believed/ in /him/ and that he could make his dream a /reality/, and God if that wasn't all the motivation he needed in life. "/I love you/," the words came pouring out in a rush in between passionate kisses, "Táim i ngrá leat, God I love you so /much/."

She felt her heart stop when he said those words. Of course she loves him back but her mind was racing, this was the moment of truth, once she said it to him they'll know if they are soulmates or just another tattoo. Her breaths start becoming shorter and shorter pulling back as the fear of losing him comes into her mind. Then looking into his eyes her panicked state freezes and Peggy knew now was the time to tell him. "I love you,  I'm in love with you Mr. Hercules mulligans!" She smiles feeling like the weight of worry was on hold for a moment enjoying the way the words felt in her mouth. "I love you." Then her eyes dart to her birth tattoo and she starts crying, repeating the words over and over noticing that it wasn't the same tattoo. It was now a sunflower combined with a needle a thread, stitching the name Hercules.

"Peggy?" He frowned when she started crying, anxiety gnawing at his insides. He should've thought before he said those words, what if they weren't soulmates? "Peggy, sunshine, what's wrong..." Hercules trailed off as he glanced down at his own tattoo, his heart stopping in his chest. His needle and thread birth tattoo was now winding around a golden sunflower with huge petals that seemed to extend forever. In blazing cursive scrawled in the center was the name of his soulmate, "Margarita". The sound of his pounding heartbeat filled his ears. "/Mo anam cara/," he murmured softly, the feeling of the words as they caressed his tongue sent a shiver down his spine. He repeated them again, gently taking Peggy's wrist as he pressed a kiss to her, no, /their/ tattoo, "/My soulmate/." Like the floodgates had been opened an intense amount of dopamine flooded his system, filling him with a warm, elated feeling. Smiling so wide it hurt, he rushed forward and picked Peggy up, hugging her close as he swung her around. "My beautiful, wonderful, kind, amazing, hilarious, perfect /soulmate/!" There were tears in the corners of his eyes and he gently set Peggy down, hand on her back so she didn't get dizzy and fall as the other wiped his eyes. "Sorry, sorry I'm just," he broke out into another smile and kissed Peggy again, leaning their foreheads together, "I'm just so fucking /happy/."

Everything about this moment was better than she could have hoped for. From the way their marks combined so perfectly to how he spun her literally sweeping her off her feet. It felt as if time stopped for them because right there the only thing that mattered was them. All the dopamine coursing through her caused her to be overwhelmed with feelings but instead of focusing on that she kissed Herc back with all the love and strength she could muster. "My soulmate, my love, my best friend, If I could I would have spun you around too." Peggy kisses him again the lust from finding her soulmate kicking in a bit making the kiss more rough than intended. "Mm," she goes back to the leaning forehead pose just looking into his eyes. "Over the moon," speaking with sincerity kissing his nose, "and no I won't make a joke saying that I would rather be under the moon." Giggling as she wipes away the tears from his face and her own.

[magagerie]

A Con Gone Wrong

“How did you meet him?”

The long black nails stopped their trek through auburn locks. Julian made a small groan at their ceasing and looked up to the small apprentice beneath him. Wally’s talons stilled on his head where it lay against her chest. Her kohl lined eyes lay fixed on the scratchy sheets just besides Julian’s knee where they laid in Mazelinka’s home. She’d slipped out of the palace for the day, the drovel of court hurting her eyes with how much she rolled them at the pompous officials around her.

“Who?” her voice vibrated against Julian’s cheek, the rising and falling of her breath lulling the man into comfort. “Asra?”

“Mhm.” Julian rubbed his face into her satin blouse before flicking his gaze back to her face.

“Oh.” She nodded nonchalantly into the distance, lavender blinking the gangly man into focus with a smile. The gold hoop on the center of her lip caught in the faint candlelight with her grin, the deep blue they were painted today complimenting her brown complexion.

“Well that’s an awfully long story.” Wally teased, her finger going back to smooth through his hair.

“I’m not going anywhere.” A smirked flashed across his face before it fell once more. “Are you?”

She regarded him impassively, a wide smile soon breaking across the magician’s face. “Not unless you’re coming with me.” Her arched brows waggled down at Julian, a strand of hair falling from her powder blue mohawk.

“Then tell me a story, Cadwallader.” Julian encouraged with a proper grin, his neck stretching to look at her.

“Okay, okay.” Wally maneuvered into the pillows further, “Get off me first, my toes are fucking cold.” They wiggled for emphasis.

He huffed a laugh and granted her request. Julian rolled off the small woman with a faint wobble, his long legs nearly falling off the bed with the motion. His large hand trailed down her thigh as he left her long enough for Wally to shove her feet under the cotton blanket covering the bed. He made sure to keep his palm over the light lavender slacks obscuring parts of her leg, Julian too aware of the large expanses of skin still left bare to his wandering eye.

“Alright, come here.” The apprentice waved the fugitive doctor closer once she was properly settled. Wally did nothing to hide the smirk that settled on her face from his staring, seemed to preen under it even.

Julian raised his eyebrows at Wally (definitely without a blush beginning to color his face) and followed suit, laying on his side and placing his head on her bare shoulder, “You wouldn’t be so cold if you wore more clothes.” He poked the wide cutout on her thigh, the tawny skin soft under his touch.

“You wear too many clothes!” Wally countered, sticking her tongue out. The pair piercings at the tip winked as they made their way back into her mouth, after which a wrinkled nose met him instead. “I can’t understand how you’ve lived in Vesuvia for ages and still think that 5 layers of clothes are necessary.”

“I only wear three.”

“Still too many. You look much better in none, dear.” Wally’s long fingernails dug into Julian’s hair once more and tugged at the strands for emphasis. A moan slipped from Julian’s lips before he could stop it.

“You’re-” Julian’s face turned upward with the pulling of Wally’s grip. His tongue flicked out over his dry lips, eyes glazing over momentarily. A flush painted most of his face before he swallowed and tried again, “you’re changing the subject.”

“Nope!” Wally grinned down and dark blue lipstick branded itself on his temple, “I’m just teasing you.” she spoke into his skin.

“Wally,” Julian had to fight the whine bubbling to the surface, “please don’t.”

“Fine,” she leaned away from him, smirk still firmly in place, “You’re no fun.”

A beat of silence.

“So you wanted to know how I met Asra?” she finally began, sounding like she’d forgotten his original question.

Julian nodded.

“Alright, so~” she drew out the ‘o’ for a few seconds, attention grabbed instead by the wax dripping down the candle. She stayed transfixed, the slow bead moving down to the wooden table beneath and stilling as it cooled. With a shake of her head, Wally realized she’d still been holding out the vowel and a blink later, her mouth closed.

“So I met him in the marketplace, or was it by the old plague wards? I don’t know, but either way it was in a back alley! I had my shitty little table set up, a bunch of rings on my hands to cover the green marks they left behind from the day before. Do you know how easy it is the make cheap ass rings look expensive? Even without magic! You just shine them up right and make sure the paint doesn’t flake in noticeable places and you’re good to go! Honestly, if you wanted me to spiff up your-”

“Wally.”

“What?”

“You’re getting off topic.”

“Oh fuck.” A flush crept over Cadwallader’s freckled cheeks, the subtle red dusting over her nose as a pout pursed her lips, “Where was I?”

“Literally at the beginning.”

“Shit.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, time to get serious. Just punch me if I derail again, okay?”

“I-”

“Thanks for agreeing! So, as I was saying, I met him in some random back alley at my divination stand. I had the usual shit up that you see at a fortune teller’s table, right? Like the cards and crystal ball and everything. Well this fucker just walked up and his clothes look travelled. Like exotic silks and embroidered shit and just seemed like he had money to burn, and who was I to deny him the pleasure of giving me money? So I called him over with my best smile and batted my eyes dramatically cause it’d worked on all the other bastards before him, and I was all like ‘for 4 gold pieces I’ll read your palm and tell you your dead girlfriend’s name’ or some shit and guess what? He bought it!”

Wally was using her hands at this point, back bent over Julian’s head where it had slid down to her hip as she gestured into the air, obviously enjoying her story as much as Julian enjoyed hearing it. “This poor sap came up to my booth and gave me his money and bought into my stupid, vague reading. It was all ‘she died tragically before her time’ and ‘you’ve gone to great lengths to preserve her memory, but fret not, she’ll always be close to you. Closer than you may think.’ and all that other mumbo jumbo that crackpots usually give you like shitty fortune cookies. Do you know what those are? My father use to get them all the time from his homeland, just these plain ass cookies that didn’t even have sugar- barely any vanilla!- and the outer edge had runes scrawled into it like a stamp just giving you something stupid like ‘your future is bright but only if you keep your gaze on the sun’. But like, which sun? And why would you do that anyway, you’ll lose your eyes if you look too long, even babies know that! What kind of dumbass-”

“Wally.”

She stopped, blinked, looked down at him.

“I told you to punch me.”

“Maybe next time.” The Doctor smiled at her fondly before waving a hand into the air, “Please, continue.”

Wally blew a raspberry at him. “I gave him his reading, took his money, and watched his smile with a ‘what the fuck’ expression. It was like he knew I was full of shit but humored me anyway. There wasn’t pity in his eyes, but it felt like it so it made me mad. I swindled 15 more coins from him by giving two 3 card spreads and a ball gaze. Hey shut up, don’t laugh, I haven’t actually seen his balls, I’m sure you know more about them than I do, Ilya. What, are you mad now? Don’t poke the bear if you don’t want it to shove your dirty laundry in your face, boy.”

“He eventually left and I did too. There was a few more customers after him, but they were are simpletons. They didn’t weird me out as much as he had. His final remark was ‘I look forward to my next reading, Cadwallader’ and it was bonkers cause that was before I gave my name to clients. Usually I’d just draw them in and then run as soon as I got their money so they couldn’t find me once they realized I was full of shit. But, Asra was different. He didn’t give me his name either, but I knew it. And that was fucking weird. I barely remember my mother’s name… Actually, I don’t remember her name, but I knew his? The fuck is up with that? But that’s how it was. It rattled me, but not enough to stop conning chumps. That was the only way I was living at that point!”

“It was about two weeks after that that I saw him again.” Wally’s voice shifted, more distant in her memories than it had been. Julian looked at her through his eyelashes, good eye finding her face blank, the magician too lost in thought to notice his staring.

“What happened then?” his voice barely broke a whisper.

“Well at first I didn’t think much of it! I’m use to seeing people dicking around in the square, it didn’t feel anything special. Until he made eye contact.” The scam artist shivered at the memory. “It was fuckin’ terrifying, Julian. Like, if I could describe to you just how close I was to shitting my pants in that moment, I would. It was like,” A pause. “if Count Lucio’s goat painting showed up and offered to give me a blowjob at 2:37 in the morning. In front of his wife. It was bananas. Well, not to say I wouldn’t enjoy a blowjob at that time, but what about the repercussions? I don’t wanna get caught fucking a dead noble! Which would I get hung for: being a homewrecker or a necrophiliac? That’s just too close for comfort man, I’d rather keep the freaky shit in the privacy of my own slice of Hell, not in the common for the world to see. Having my bits out in public is something I’m willing to try once but that’s not how, I’d much pre-”

A love tap knocked Wally on the side of her cheek, stopping her in her tracks. Her mouth hung open mid sentence briefly before her tongue flicked out to wet her lips and she closed them.

“Sorry.” she looked sheepishly at the man at her side.

“Why were you scared?”

“I’ve never-” She stopped of her own volition this time, eyebrows knit together as she tried to pick her words, “I’m not- I’m not use to people seeing me like that. Like they know me. People usually just glance over me or stare because of my dashing good looks,” a smug smile crept across Wally’s lips before she could stop it, “but his stare just got me. It knew me. Honestly, the only time I’ve ever seen that look, it was followed by a curse and a fist in my direction so I booked it. I only grabbed my decks and just hauled ass down the alleys until I thought I was a good distance away.”

Laughter cut through beside her and the magician stopped, “What?” she asked.

Julian’s grin softened and he glanced back up at his living cushion, “The image of you running. As you couldn’t have ran off with your whole stand.”

“Hey, it’s a lot bulkier than you are! Do you know how hard it would be run with a table?”

He laughed harder, a tear pricking at his good eye.

Wally’s hands extended as she mimed its size, “It was this big, Julian! I can’t throw it over my shoulder like I can you! It wasn’t as noodly, the shape it was was the shape it was going to be, no bending allowed. Now I could have maybe ran with it over my head and tried to pole vault over a wall with it. Gods, that would have been fucking hilarious. Just running from the law and all of the sudden boing! out of that bitch like those rubber balls kids chuck at walls to see how far it’ll bounce back. But I wouldn’t bounce back, I’d bounce away into the night like a fucking lemur.” A pause. “Fuck, I did it again. You’re no help at all Julian.”

“Hey now-”

“No, this one is entirely your fault and you can’t tell me otherwise. You’re the one who interrupted. And you wanted to hear this story in the first place.”

“I’m sorry.” His tone of voice said this was only half true.

“Shit, where was I? Right!” Wally’s manicured finger went in the air as she remembered. “So I booked it, right? And I finally got far enough where I felt safe and took a breather. I’m use to running through the streets and all. With what I do, especially when people realize that I’m full of shit most of the time, they tend to want their money back. Or to leave me another gift in a black eye. Either way, they keep my calves in great shape, as you can tell-” A toned leg popped out from beneath the blanket.

“I can, they’re very nice.”

“Thank you.” Wally nodded proudly. “So I’d gotten a fair distance away. But like a weed, he just popped up outta nowhere at the end of the alleyway! I didn’t even have enough time to pull out Susan!” Her arm flung out towards the small stack of cards sitting alone on the dresser. It was a deck Julian had never seen before, different than the set Asra had used to read him in their past. There were fewer in this one, only 40 cards, and the images depicted on their faces were unlike any he’d ever encountered.

In their short time together, Julian had only asked once to get a reading from Wally.

Her response?

‘Even you don’t hate yourself enough to want that.’

“He was just on me! And I tried to be like ‘oh hello, stranger, can I help you on this fine day?’ but we both knew that was bullshit. As I sat there, waiting for the retribution that the gods had promised me ever since I used Susan to change that first legal document, I felt no fear. For it was to be, a just ass whooping. And plus, you’ve seen my biceps, I’m good. They were even more impressive 2 years ago. But he didn’t want to strangle me for telling him his dog that died seven years ago was the reason he could never find the socks he was clearly wearing that day. Nah, that was when he offered to teach me proper magic. And it was fucking wild, man!”

She looked back at Julian, eyes wide, “I know I’ve said that a lot during this tale, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I was so confused by it I was tempted to flick him in the forehead to prove he was real, and was really close to doing it too! And then Faust popped out, and she reminded me of a slightly less cool Lysander, and I was gone. My contract was binding, my shit was moved in, and that was all she wrote. My tale of ‘holy shit that story is just wild enough to get me to this wild moment in my life’ is over and now you know more bullshit about me than you probably wanted.”

Julian was quiet. “I can’t believe it.”

“It’s the truth, man.” Wally shrugged, jostling the man resting on her shoulder.

“I can’t believe you almost cursed Asra.” There was a beat and Julian started laughing, the whole bed shaking with him.

“Hey, he woulda deserved it.” The smile that found its way on Wally’s face soon broke into her own giggles. She flung her head back into the pillows and wiggled down into the mattress so she and Julian were eye level.

“You’re not wrong.” The laughter didn’t leave his voice when he replied and regarded her fondly. Julian’s light eye found hers and a sigh left his lungs.

“You’ll find I rarely am.” Wally smiled before quickly stealing a kiss from his still parted lips.

Julian blinked as an impish grin spread across Wally’s face. The slight smudging of her lipstick caught his notice when she pulled back. “What was that for?”

“You’re attractive and I have no impulse control.” She said flatly before stealing another one.

This time, Julian’s arms snaked around the small magician’s back before she could pull away, his larger frame dwarfing hers as he deepened the kiss. A giggle bubbled up Wally’s throat and she reciprocated, eager to feel more of him across her skin. A lavender clad leg lazily slid up Julian’s as she slotted herself into his empty spacing, filling her senses with nothing but his touch and taste as she claimed him with her own. Nails and teeth and soft groans filled the air the further the past got from their minds. It all fell away until the only thing left was Wally’s fingers pressed into Julian’s hips and the touch of his lips against her ribs. But it still wasn’t enough.

She wouldn’t be sated until he was a mess beneath her, drunk off her touch and begging like he did best.

ao3