#drawers are key to the desk experience for me

[elephantbitterhead]

At long last, I have found a desk that satisifies my seemingly-simple-yet-somehow-actually-impossibly-arcane demands. It's a close cousin to the desk I left behind before moving to Scotland, minus that desk's ~200lb slate top (which is why I rejected the possibility of shipping it here). After 12 years without a desk, I'm looking forward to putting things in drawers & pulling out those little slab shelves.

Its top is also nicely aged/dinged up & I will enjoy running my hands over it -- see below:

It's going to be a tight squeeze to get it into the room where I plan to use it, so let's hope I can channel my crafty-furniture-mover persona (or that the top comes off easily).

[unitedhamilton]

Flowers

Summary: flowers in the trash are the result of hurt.

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: this is my first fic I’ve published and written so go easy on me!! There will be a part 2.

Everyone said the honeymoon phase wouldn’t last. You ignored them, too wrapped up in the love shown by Lewis. He was a man who knew how to race, but also how to love. From the start of your relationship to now, your heart knew nothing but love. A hand on your waist, pinky fingers interlocked, or legs intertwined on the sofa, Lewis was always touching you. He was all-consuming. It was everything you could have asked for.

A long holiday in Las Vegas was the perfect rejuvenation for you and Lewis after a busy season. Hours spent together with no distractions but each other. One night, he surprised you with a beautiful bouquet of roses, carnations, and orchids. You made sure to display them proudly on the little desk in your hotel suite.

Your vacation came to an end and you found yourself back home in Colorado. Although a short flight, it was still an exhausting experience.

You dropped your luggage by the front door, Lewis doing the same. Lewis got close and said, “Go on up to bed. I’ll be up in a minute,” not waiting for an answer before kissing your cheek and heading into the kitchen to check the state of the house.

You looked at the suitcases on the floor, shrugged, went to bed, and fell asleep before he came up.

Waking up, Lewis was gone with no text or note left on the kitchen counter. You didn’t see Roscoe puttering around the house so you figured Lewis went to get him. Early afternoon, you got a text from Lewis saying that he was “getting back on track with work” and wasn’t sure when he was going to be home. Your text back went unanswered.

Thus, you spent the day getting your life back in order. You dragged your (and Lewis’) suitcase to the laundry room where you sorted through days of laundry. You started a load and began meal prepping for the week. The flower bouquet that you carefully wrapped in tissues to dry out, sat in the middle of the kitchen island as you pulled out pots and pans from the sleek kitchen drawers.

While in the middle of putting broccoli in Tupperware containers, the doorbell rang. Opening the door you were pounced on by a panting Roscoe. Expecting Lewis at the end of the leash you were surprised to see your sitter, Ally, grinning at you. After a quick conversation, you closed the front door after thanking Ally and unhooking Roscoe’s collar so he could run freely.

You texted Lewis a brief, “Roscoe is home,” because you weren’t sure if he knew that was on the plan for today.

When Lewis texted you that he’d be seeing to things, you didn’t think you’d be going to bed alone. This wasn’t uncommon as Lewis was a man that was dedicated to his work. However, his late endeavors were usually accompanied by numerous texts, calls, and apologies for not being home to go to bed together.

You woke up alone again. No note. No car. No Roscoe. Instead of a text this time, you got a phone call.

Before you could say hello, Lewis said “I have Roscoe and we’ll be home later.”

Then he disconnected. You had to look at your phone to make sure he just hung up on you. To say you were ready to throw a fit was an understatement.

You grabbed the flowers that were drying on the kitchen counter and threw them in the trash. The lid echoed as you stomped up the steps to get ready for the day. If Lewis was going to leave you to your own devices then you’d be productive.

So, you put on the cutest farmers market outfit you could find, grabbed your tote bag, and left the house. Spite was coursing through your veins holding you back from letting Lewis know you were leaving the house. You debated turning off Find My Friends, but you were irritated, not stupid.

~~~~~~

Lewis twisted the key, hearing the lock click, and he pushed open the door with a panting Roscoe scurrying through the small gap. He could only see the light shining from the kitchen, everything else was dark in the house.

Toeing off his shoes, Lewis makes his way into the kitchen stopping by the staircase to look up to the bedroom. He can see the light from your shared office. Some tension released from his shoulders knowing that you were home.

In the kitchen, he immediately notices the dried flowers are missing. While only being home for minutes at a time the last few days, he never missed a glance at the flowers.

Lewis looked around the kitchen to see if you hung the flowers or put them someplace else. With no luck, he opens the garbage bin and sees the flowers. Something you spent so much time trying to preserve from Las Vegas to New York was found in the garbage bin.

He closed the lid and flicked off the kitchen light. Upstairs he went, giving a pat to Roscoe who was resting on his bed after a busy day.

Lewis climbs up the steps, ringed fingers gliding against the railing. He moved to the office door and quietly turned the handle. You had headphones on so you weren’t aware of his presence. Your blue pajama shorts weren’t accompanied by a usual shirt stolen from his closet. And that was when Lewis knew that you, who could shine brighter than the sun, had shut out the light.

You swiveled in your chair, catching sight of Lewis, your body doing a slight jerk then your hand coming up and pulling off your headphones.

“Hi,” you said.

“Hey honey.”

You turned back to your computer, hand on mouse still clicking at whatever was on the screen. Lewis couldn’t see and didn’t care to be honest.

“I went to the farmers market today,” you told the computer screen. “The fruit and veggies you usually get are in the fridge.”

Lewis didn’t respond. Instead, he sat on the couch tucked into the corner of the room and watched you.

“What are you doing on the computer?” Lewis asked.

“Stuff,” you answered. “Is there something you need, Lewis?”

Lewis didn’t answer.

He didn’t respond because he knew he fucked up. He didn’t know how to fix it. He always had an answer, but not this time.

“Honey—“ he started but you quickly pushed the desk chair back and stood up.

“I forgot to give Roscoe water. I have to go do that.”

Then you were out the office door and didn’t even spare him a glance as you slammed the door behind you.

Lewis stared at the throw blanket on the couch. He moved to follow you down to the kitchen, but he heard you stomping back up the steps.

That’s when Lewis moved. He opened the office door and followed you into the bedroom.

“Bab—“ he started but you didn’t even let him finish.

“Roscoe has water and I filled his dry food bowl,” you said without looking at him, heading towards the en suite.

“Can you listen and look at me for a minute!” Lewis snapped back, stopping you dead in your tracks.

You locked eyes and there it was. Or actually, there it wasn’t. There was nothing there.

He needed to fix this. Now. “I’ve been an asshole the last few days. I have a lot on my mind but what I did wasn’t cool.”

“It’s fine Lewis,” you replied immediately. You went back to the bathroom and began washing your hands.

“I should have communicated with you more,” he said to you.

“Don’t worry about it. All good.”

He made a move to get closer to you when suddenly you slapped your hands on the counter, whirled towards him, lifting a finger and pointing at him.

“Don’t come near me” you snapped. “You don’t get a right to come in here after two fucking days of not speaking to me. We had a fantastic time in Vegas and then we came home and you turned into a different person. You may be dealing with shit but I’m your fucking partner. We deal together,” you jabbed a finger towards his chest, “and don’t you try to show up and think you can fix your mistakes with a few words Lewis. You hurt me and my feelings. I’m going for a drive and don’t follow me.”

Then you turned and walked out the bedroom door slamming it behind you.

Lewis stared at the space where he last saw you and did it until the burn in his throat and heart faded.

He didn’t have to look at the clock to know this took a while.

Then he opened the bedroom door and made his way back downstairs where this all started.

[bunnyywritings]

got my period this morning and it hurts so much, my entire body is like shaking because of these stupid cramps so i wrote up some period comfort with my favorite gentle giant mezo shoji

no warnings really, this is like college!au UA so… yeah, could be read as afab!reader, (y/n) used once?, shoji calls reader: honey, sweetheart, lovely, my love, i also think i mention the term “lady problems” and didn’t notice until now, that’s my bad, this is for ANYBODY who experiences a menstrual cycle

mezo shoji x afab!reader

Waking up to a blaring alarm was never pleasant, it was even less ideal when you body was throbbing in pain. As you shut it off and buried your face in your pillow, a suspicious slick feeling between your thighs made your stomach churn.

Reaching below the covers and feeling the damp fabric of your shorts was the final nail in the coffin. “Dammit…” you whined, slowly hauling yourself out of bed.

Luckily your sheets had been spared but you couldn’t say the same about your underwear.

So, you trudged to your drawer and picked out what you had dubbed your “period undies”, a comfortable pair that wouldn’t squeeze at your bloated tummy and covered in various stains that you had never successfully gotten rid of, a pair of comfortable sweats, and a baggy pullover you had stolen from Shoji.

On your way to the shared bathrooms, you texted Momo to ask her if she had any pads she could bring you, relieved when she promptly responded she’d bring you one asap.

So as you used the bathroom and cleaned yourself off, you wrapped your towel around your waist and met her outside the shower area.

“You are a lifesaver Mo…” You grinned, sheepishly taking the pad from her fingers.

“Oh don’t worry about it.” She scoffed a laugh. “Would you like me to make you some tea for after your shower?”

Your eyes watered, lips pulling down in a soft pout. “Yes please…”

“Okay.” She smiled, squeezing your hand before giving you your privacy.

After showering and changing, you finally made it back to your room and lo and behold, there was a mug of hot tea sitting on your desk and two midol capsules beside it.

You could cry.

Instead, you cranked the AC unit in your room, hoping Aizawa wouldn’t notice, and crawled into bed.

Scrolling through tiktok and sipping on your tea before being lulled into a nap.

Shoji was disappointed that he hadn’t seen you at breakfast but he just brushed it off as you having slept in.

But as the hours ticked by and the clock struck 12pm, he began to grow a little worried.

“Hey, Mina?”

The pinkette looked up from her switch and smiled up at Shoji. “What’s up?”

“Have you seen (Y/n), by chance?”

“Hmm no, I actually haven’t seen ‘em all morning. Sorry Shoji.”

“That’s alright, thanks.”

Just as he turned to walk back into the kitchen, he jumped at the sudden appearance before him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Momo smiled. “(Y/n) is probably still in bed. They started their period this morning.”

A few years ago, even the vaguest mentions of any “lady problems” would have sent Shoji into a flustered state but as he grew older and once he had been around more women, and you, he was a lot more educated on the things that you go through.

And at this new information, he frowned. He remembered how much pain you experience during your monthly and he grew worried. Especially since you hadn’t eaten yet.

“Got it, thanks Momo.”

So, he grabbed his keys and made a small trip.

The first stop was the vietnamese restaurant down the block, picking up some beef brisket pho and to the convenience store to stock up on few snacks he knew you craved during this time.

Once he returned to the dorm, he plated up your food and an iced barley tea and stacked it on top of a tray, heating up a hot water bottle and carrying it up to your room.

When he was met with silence when he knocked, he gently pushed the door open and there you were, curled up underneath your duvet, arms surely hugging your abdomen.

Lips turned downward and eyebrows pinched, he placed the tray down onto your desk and softly shook you from your sleep.

“Hmm?” Your sleepy grumbling was adorable, eyes squinting underneath the sudden light in your room. “Sho?”

“Yeah, honey…how’re you feeling?”He brushed your hair away from your face, hand falling down to cup your cheek.

“M’okay…cramps are really bad this time…”

“Mmm I’m sorry.” He cooed, loving how you leaned into the warmth of his hand.

“S’okay, not your fault.” You smiled, easing his worries, that’s when you turned your nose up and sniffed at the sudden aroma in the air. “Is that-“

“Pho? Yeah, I picked some up for you just now. Was worried that you hadn’t eaten anything.” His heart dropped when you looked up at him with teary eyes, worried he did something wrong.

“Sho…” Your bottom lip wobbled. “You went through all that trouble, for me?”

“Wasn’t any trouble at all, sweetheart. Anything for you.”

His tone was so reverent, you had no doubt he meant it. And it was true.

You could ask for the world on a silver platter and he’d move heaven and earth to do it for you.

“T-Thank…Thank you.” The tears poured over, spilling down your flushed cheeks.

“My love…”

“I’m sorry…don’t know why I’m crying.” You sat up, burying your face in your hands.

“Don’t apologize, lovely. I understand. Now, why don’t you scoot up a bit. I’ll sit behind you and you can eat something. Hmm?”

Content in doing so, you scooted up and let him settle behind you. His arms wrapping around your midsection, big hands holding the water bottle just below your lower stomach, loving the way you melted into him as you ate your late breakfast.

He loves to sit behind you when you were on your period so his body heat would ease the ache in your lower back.

Hooking his chin over your shoulder so he could watch you eat. You hated it but he loved seeing you eat.

There wasn’t really a specific reason. Maybe he just enjoyed seeing you be taken care of…regardless, he loved it.

He loved you.

Once you finished your fill, he placed the tray down on the floor by your bedside and laid down with you.

Knowing you loved being little spoon.

His hands had replaced the water bottle once it had cooled down, his finger tips kneading at your flesh, chuckling softly when you preened and basically purred like a little kitty cat.

“Let’s take a nap, hmm?” He muttered, littering kisses to the back of your neck.

“Sounds good to me…” You slurred, halfway under the spell of slumber.

And later on that evening, when you had bled through your sweats and onto the bedsheets, and his shorts, he quieted your embarrassed cries, shushing you with a tender kiss. He warmed up your towel and shooed you back to the showers, stripping your bed of its sheets and shedding his own shorts, opting to change into some sweats.

He simply put the soiled objects into the washing machine, on a cold cycle, and once your shower was finished, he scooped you up and brought you to his room. Giving you another one of his hoodies and pulling you into his bed.

Reassuring you that he wasn’t at all grossed out and you shouldn’t be embarrassed. There are some things you can’t control, and this was one of them.

Sheets could be washed or replaced, same with his clothing.

But you? You were the most precious thing on earth to him. Nothing could take that away.

[kelcemenow]

Drive Me Crazy - Chapter 1.

Pairing Travis Kelce x Reader

Words 682

Warnings Nothing at all!

Huge thank you to the Anon who sent this in! They had such amazing words to say about my writing which I massively appreciate and then to top it off, had an incredible request for me! I only have experience with mechanics in the UK, so I've tried my best with this one! "I just recently got interested in Travis K. X reader stories and wanted to let you know, I read all of yours as quickly as I could. They are so well done and I couldn’t help but laugh/giggle and feel through each word you typed out. You’re doing amazing and I’m so glad to have stumbled onto your page. If you have any space for a request, I’d be curious about what Trav would think about having a military (like fighter pilot) or engineer or mechanic girlfriend. I see a lot of stories with him paired with models/singers/social media individuals (which are phenomenal!) but just wondering how he would be with a more tomboy like girlfriend!"

CHAPTER 1

You wiped the beads of sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand, grabbing your water bottle with the other and slowly gulping down the cool liquid. Taking a deep breath, you closed the hood of the car and gave Jordan a nod of your head to signal that you were finished.

"Thanks, Y/N." He said as he made his way towards you, "I knew you'd figure it out."

"Don't sweat it. You almost had it, bro." You smiled, wiping your hands on the towel that hung from your waistband.

"You're the best." He grinned as he got into the car and started up the engine with ease.

The purring of the motor combined with the sounds of the drills and hydraulics pierced through your ear and although you were used to them, a slight headache was looming. You headed to the small garage office, massaging your temples on the way.

The office door was battered and covered in grease from years of being pushed open by dirty hands, and as it swung open, you were greeted by a smiling face.

"Hey honey!"

"Hey Dad." You said wearily as you pulled open one of the drawers of the desk.

"Oh dear." He groaned, "What's up? That Chevy pushin' against you?"

You shook your head gently as you picked up the bottle of Aspirin, "No, no...I finished it."

"That's my girl."

"Just...I didn't sleep great last night and I got a migraine coming on." You tipped out a couple of tablets into the palm of your hand before popping them into your mouth.

"I'll steer clear of you today then...I wouldn't want to poke the bear." He joked as he opened the door, disappearing onto the shop floor.

"Ha ha." You said flatly, swallowing the Aspirin with a mouthful of water.

The bell above the front door rang and you turned around, plastering a fake smile on your face.

"Good mornin', sir. How can I-"

"Yeah, can I speak to a car mechanic, please?" His eyes were stuck to the phone screen in his hand.

You quietly cleared your throat, clearing away your immediate frustration, "Well, lucky for you, sir, I am one."

The man in front of you looked up and paused, blinking a couple of times before his mouth dropped open, "Oh, I'm so sorry, ma'am."

"Happens all of the time." Your lips curled slightly into a smile, "What can I help you with?"

His eyes darted across your dishevelled appearance, almost narrowing with curiosity as he looked at you. Your hair was pulled back and a colourful scarf was covering your hair as best you could. You were wearing one of your Dad's old band shirts, grease and oil stains adorning any space they could and your navy blue coveralls were pulled down and tied at your waist to relieve you from the blistering heat. You blew a rouge piece of hair away from your face and waited patiently as he reached for his keys and gently placed them on the desk in front of you.

"My uhh...car. I was driving down the highway and...it just-" He stumbled.

You slid the keys closer to you, "I'll take a look."

He ran his hands through his beard, "Thank you. And can I please apologise for what I said? Today is not my day and I just-"

"Honestly, it's really not necessary. Like I said, it happens all of the time. Mechanic isn't really a 'typical career' for a woman." You bent your fingers in the air as you spoke, reciting words that you had heard many times before.

The man exhaled a laugh, his eyes gentle yet piercing, "I gotta say, it's pretty impressive. I'm useless when it comes to stuff like this."

You smiled, an uncomfortable silence filling the room.

"So, if I could take your number and I'll call you later today?"

"Uhh yeah." He mumbled, jotting the digits down on the pad positioned next to your hand before turning back to the door. "And I'm sorry...again."

"It's fine..." You glanced down at the pad, "...Mr Kelce."

______________________________________________________________

I know I said that I was going to carry on with requests before diving into another series but this one was too good not to make into a little series so I'm doing it and no one can stop me! This first part is just setting the scene really so I hope I've piqued your interest! If you want to be included in my Taglist for any future chapters, just let me know!

Taglist @rd14 @dandelionwrites8 @keiva1000 @fantasywritersstuff @caelipartem @anacarangel @she-lives-in-her-dreams @kkrenae @kristencochefski1125 @countrygirl120983 @charmed2000 @nouis-bum @cixrosie @delicateearthquakellama @wordsaresimple-imnot @amylouwho9 @queenisa17 @talicat713 @luvvtrent @purecinnamonextract @savaneafricaine @caelipartem @beyxgrande @caitdaniels @ezgirl1108 @vir-tual @lightsoutstyles @macey234 @s294749w @kelcemesoftly @calirindo @livinginmyfantasies @bernelflo @secretmywritingfictionlawyer @killatravtramp @there-goes-thefighter @unicornblueberry @calirindo @tjkelce87 @kristinamae093 @kmc1989 @ajbird18 @triski73 @ctn26 @kgcaputo07 @abby-splace @bobthe-turmpetman29 @cedricbitch @jmamas92 @bellstwd @killatravsworld @marchmaiden @chimchimmarie @blackstabbath6 @fanficfanatic15 @jessiemariebarnes @mmb219 @vanwritesfan-fiction

[theplottdump]

M: Speaking of Aliens- wanna hear a secret? Vera: Always. M: You know Agent Star? Vera: The super serious one that works at the capital? M: 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣. Vera: What? No way! Why do you even know that?

M: So you know how there's like stuff that's 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵- and then there's stuff that's 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩, yeah? Like how UNIT is a secret but the tub of hummus Argent keeps in her desk is top secret?

Vera: 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 - Argent keeps a tub of hummus in her desk?

M: 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘴- I helped her set up a refrigerant system in one of the drawers. She gets snacky.

Vera: So 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 what that humming is!! I seriously thought it was just the sound of my anxiety during one on ones!

M: Well above that there's what we 'labrats' call the '𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲' secrets. Stuff reserved for only the most need to know higher ups.

Government Secrets so dangerous they get shoved all the way in the back in the server - left to be forgotten and covered up with digital frost til the end of time.

M: Every few months me and few of the lab guys over at Bridgeport HQ meet up online to race and see who can decrypt whatever deep state documents we manage to fish out of the freezer the fastest.

The prize is usually pizza.

Vera: And that's how you found out about Agent Star? M: Agent Star was just the tip of the iceberg. Turns she was transferred from this facility an hour outside of Oasis Springs. The place was running experiments on all kinds of occult kids. Vera: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩!? That's horrible.

M: It was 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬. After the last Director died, the state took one look at it and shut it all down. Relocated all the remaining staff to Strangerville and wiped all the records- cept for what we found in the freezer. Kinda like a post mortem. Cool right?

Vera: But what happened to all the kids?

M: I dunno. Place is still locked up tight from what I managed dig up. I low-key wanna drive out and see what else is left down there sometime.

Vera: And 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 is what you do for fun? M: Eh, yeah- I mean sometimes? Just because we work for the government doesn't mean I trust them.

What do you do for fun?

Vera: I 𝘶𝘩, it's stupid. M: Try me. V: Well, after my Dad tracked me down he gave me one of his old guitars. I think he felt a little bad about the whole 𝘶𝘩- abandoned at birth thing?

M: That's cool he found you. Vera: Yeah! 𝘶𝘩𝘮. He gave me a few lessons on it - said I'm a natural, but I think he was just being nice. So 𝘶𝘩- I've been writing! M: Music?

Vera: Yeah, ah, songs. With words and all that. They're mostly rubbish. M: I bet they're great. Vera: [ 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙩 ] You haven't heard them.

M: Well then- you should play them for me sometime! I've seen you do karaoke at the Office Holiday Parties. Vera: 𝘗𝘧𝘧𝘵, I was drunk!

Maya: 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩.

[musclesaber]

H2GROW: Just Add Water

Move In Day

[Story Gallery] [Next Part] [Latest Part]

Commission done for @scot158f on Twitter/X. Tony is off to his first day of college and finds he's been paired with a science geek as his new roommate. What could go wrong when he's doing experiments in their room all the time?

Tony climbed the stairs to his second floor dorm room with bags of luggage in hand. Groaning with each step, the stocky man finally reached his door and fumbled to get the key out of his pocket. As he did this, he started to lose his grip on all of his bags. Trying his best to fish the key out of his pocket, Tony at last grabbed the key, but his hand couldn’t hold on any longer. All of his bags fell to the ground with a loud crash and Tony sighed in defeat.

While Tony was picking up his dropped luggage, the door to his room swung open. Tony looked up from the ground to see a tall lanky guy standing in the doorway. “Hi there! You must be Tony,” said the stranger with a smile on his face as he reached his hand out to Tony. 

“Yes I am! And you must be Andrew. Nice to meet you.” Tony got up from the ground and reached his hand out to meet Andrew’s in the process of dropping all his luggage again.

“Need some help with that?” asked Andrew chuckling a bit at Tony.

“Actually yeah. That would be real helpful man,” said Tony, picking up some of the suitcases. Andrew got down and started to collect a few of Tony’s bags and walked back into the room. 

Tony followed him in with the remaining bags and examined his new dorm. On his side of the room, there was nothing. A blank billboard and a twin sized bed attached to a desk with a chest of drawers and a small closet. On the other side, it was clear that Andrew had been here well in advance and set up his room. He had plenty of Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek posters up on the wall. Along with stacks of books on his desk and plants lining the window sill.

“Wow, you didn’t waste any time moving in,” said Tony, setting his luggage down in front of his closet.

“Actually this isn’t my first rodeo. I lived in this room last semester. In the fall semester, I was in this room by myself. I think I originally had another roommate, but he ended up dropping out either right before the semester started or the first day of classes because I never met him. So I had this room all to myself last year,” said Andrew. Tony started to move his luggage into the room and while doing so, slinging some of his suitcases up onto the bed.

“Oh nice man. Sorry to ruin your solo act,” said Tony.

“It’s okay. It’ll be nice living with someone. Did you have anything else that you were gonna bring up? I can help you out if you need it,” said Andrew.

“Nope, I wanted to bring everything up here in one trip. But I’m pretty beat from that drive.” Tony took off his jacket and set it on his desk and then laid down on the bed. Andrew quickly stood up and walked over to Tony. 

“Oh well maybe, if you don’t feel like unpacking now, we can go and get some food? Ya know, get to know each other. We will be living with each other for the next four or five months, might as well start it off right,” said Andrew as he started putting on his jacket.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me get a quick break in then I’d be more than happy to get some grub with you,” Tony smiled at Andrew and Andrew gave a big toothy grin back at Tony.

“Great! I’m just gonna run to the bathroom real quick and then we can leave,” said Andrew as he opened the door to their room to go to the community bathroom they shared with the whole floor.

Tony looked over at his luggage on the other side of the bed. He leaned forward and grabbed one of the zippers on the bigger suitcases sitting on top and quickly unzipped it. Sitting on top was a big fluffy pillow with folded sheets below it. Tony grabbed out the sheetless pillow, put it on the side he would put his head, and laid down. He took a deep breath in and sighed from exhaustion. But he paused for a moment. 

What is that smell? he thought to himself. He sat up and grabbed his pillow and moved it out of the way. On the mattress was a small stain that looked to be no bigger than a ping pong ball. Looks like whoever had this bed last was not the cleanest roommate in the world. I’ll have to get some candles or something to get that smell out of here.

As Tony was examining the stain on the bed, the door swung open and in walked Andrew. “You ready to go or do you need some more time to rest?” asked Andrew as he reentered the room.

“Yeah, I’m good to go. And maybe we can leave the window open or something. My bed kinda reeks,” said Tony as he started standing up. Andrew's eyes got wide for a split second, but then settled back into his big smile. 

“Oh yeah. Sorry about that. I think it’s my experiment going on over here.” Andrew walked over to the window sill where he had five potted plants lined up. “I’m a biochemistry student and I really got to know one of my professors last semester so he let me do a little experiment of my own over winter break. I won’t be winning the Nobel Peace Prize for it or anything, but it’s still a good way to get close with the professors in my major.” Andrew grabbed a spray bottle sitting on his desk and started to spray the plants with water. 

“That sounds interesting. What are you testing?” asked Tony as he got up and stood next to Andrew. 

“These plants were given a fertilizer that was supposed to give them more nutrients which would enable more growth output. It won’t grow them massive, but I’m seeing which chemical combination reacts the best to inhibit the most growth. Long term it could give farmers a new product to get bigger harvests every season.”

“Wow, that sounds…really complicated, but also cool,” said Tony. He leaned in towards one of the plants growing and took a sniff. “Ooo yeah. That’s what I smell.” Tony grabbed his nose a little bit and stepped back towards the door.

“Sorry, this fertilizer is fresh. I didn’t realize you were moving in today and put it on the plants. It will smell for a little bit as the nutrients work their way into the plant's system. That’s why I suggested we go eat and get out of the room while the smell goes away,” said Andrew, putting his spray bottle back on his desk.

“I see your point. Then lead the way to the nearest dining hall. I don’t think I realized how hungry I was until I was out of the car.” Tony opened up the door and waited for his lanky roommate to walk out with him. Andrew smiled and followed Tony out of the room towards the nearest dining hall.

*A FEW HOURS LATER*

“I can’t believe they allow All You Can Eat at The Market on Saturdays. That’s gonna save me sooooo much money this year,” said Tony as he walked back into his dorm room with Andrew.

“It’s pretty nice. And for a growing guy like you, I’m sure you’ll take full advantage of it.” The two laughed and looked at Tony’s bed. It still had plenty of still packed suitcases sitting on it. 

“Damn I’m not looking forward to unpacking that,” said Tony as he started unzipping his suitcase. Both of them were happy that the smell of the room had returned to normal and they weren’t suffering through the stench of the fertilizer. 

“It’ll be done before you know it.” Andrew sat on his bed and started to play on his phone. “If you need any help doing any of the heavy lifting, I know I don’t have much size to show, but I can at least help.” Andrew brought his arm up and flexed his mediocre bicep for Andrew.

“Thanks Andrew. But I don’t think I have much to unpack. Mainly just clothes and some supplies for school. It’ll just be a pain.” Tony started unpacking his things as Andrew got up from his bed and checked on his plants. “Did the plants like the fertilizer you gave them?”

“Unclear. I can’t see any changes in them now, but it has only been a few hours since I added the stuff. Realistically, I shouldn’t see any real changes for a few weeks,” said Andrew as he continued to examine the plants. 

“So how does all of that stuff work? I’ve never really been big on science, but I’m always open to hear of better ways to get bigger,” said Tony as he started putting some of his clothes away. 

“It’s kind of complicated. How much do you know about biology? Or chemistry?” asked Andrew, spraying down the plants with water.

“I’m a kinesiology major so I know about biology. But that’s human biology. Not plants.” said Tony, folding up some shorts and putting them in his dresser. 

“In layman's terms, whenever I give the plant water, it should activate the nutrients in the fertilizer I gave to the test plant to inhibit growth. But the growth we see at this stage would be microscopic at this early of a time. Or at least on this size of plant. But if we wake up in a jungle of vines, we know it worked.” Andrew got out a ruler and notepad and started to jot down numbers on it.

“So could it work on humans?” asked Tony, peering over Andrew’s shoulder at the plants.

“Who knows? All of this is theoretical. Don’t get me wrong, professor Hendricks and I have been running the numbers and these plants should only grow a few inches more than a regular one. But we’ve only ever tried it on plants. I don’t even know what would happen if that fertilizer got into a human’s system.” Tony frowned and walked back to his closet and continued to hang up his clothes.

“Well whenever you guys do human trials, let me know. I’ll be first in line. I’d do anything to grow.”

“Yeah I feel you there. I might not be as short as you, but being as skinny as a twig sometimes can be a pain. People always say I look like a giraffe.”

“Short and fat isn’t the best either. In the last few months, everybody has been calling me a baked bean.”

“Wow, that’s rough buddy,” said Andrew as he walked back to his bed. “But kinda funny.” Andrew couldn’t hide the small smirk on his face. “You’ll be able to go to the rec 24/7 if you’re trying to get buff big guy. And the kinesiology department is right next door so it's an easy commute to class.”

“You’re right, but I was always the short kid in high school. I never was strong enough or fast enough or tall enough to be in any sport so I was really hoping that I could at least gain some sort of size in college,” said Tony.

“I was a band nerd. I didn’t care for any sort of sport. They’re overrated in my opinion. But considering the rec is free with tuition, and as we learned tonight, Saturdays are all you can eat, you’ll get big in no time. At least in the muscle department. The height department, I’ll give you a call once we’ve figured out how to grow people taller,” said Andrew as put away the last of his clothes. 

“Like I said, first in line for it.” Tony plopped himself down on his now made bed and breathed out a sigh of relief. “Finally done. I’m beat.” Tony took another deep breath in and then caught a whiff of himself. “You know, on second thought, I might go shower and then head straight to bed. All that moving today really took it out of me,” said Tony sitting back up and grabbing his towel and toiletries. 

“I’ll be here. Have fun. Make friends,” said Andrew.

“Make friends? It’s the floor’s community bathroom. I don’t know if I wanna make friends in there.”

“Hey, you never know,” laughed Andrew as Tony shut the door to head to the bathroom. Tony turned the corner and entered the community bathroom. It had three stalls with toilets and three stalls for showers. Tony ducked down and checked if anyone was in there with him, and to his luck, there was no one else. He opened the first door to the shower stall and stepped in .The stall wasn’t very big. It just had a dry area for Tony to place his pajamas and then the small shower itself. 

Tony walked into the shower and turned the water on. He started rinsing off his body. Taking stock of it, there wasn’t much to rinse. Andrew hadn’t been lying. Tony was a bit of a little guy. At only 5’5, he definitely was towered over by most other men. And even some women. And he was pretty stocky for being so short. He rinsed off his sizable moobs and lifted his belly up so water could get the undercarriage. Looking down at his belly, he couldn’t even see his stump of a dick under it. At only 3 inches, Tony really longed for any size at all.

Tony sighed as he reached for his shampoo bottle and started lathering up his curly black hair. Tony was met with a weird tightening sensation on the back of his head when he started to rub the shampoo in. It wasn’t burning him, but he did feel a strangle warmth trickle across his head and down his neck. Tony pulled his shoulders back as he felt the warmth spread throughout his whole body. His toes curled as his back arched up. He was lucky he was alone because he let out a deep, loud moan. It echoed through the stalls of the bathroom and Tony felt it ringing through his chest.

It started in Tony’s shoulders first. It was subtle, but he could feel them thickening. His traps became denser and his delts rounded out. Spreading out to his flabby arms, the jiggly fat that hung on his arms seemed to be moving and shifting. Tony was shocked when he flexed, he saw his biceps inflating to the size of softballs. Tony balled his hands into fists to see the veins pulsing on his vascular forearms. Seeping down to his chest, his moobs began to plump up. The once saggy moobs were pushing upwards on his chest. Forming a rectangular shape on his chest and filling out with more muscle. His belly felt like it was marinating with the warmth. Tony rubbed his belly and let out a loud belch that echoed throughout the entire bathroom. 

Tony moaned again and gripped his cock with both of his hands. His eyes shot open and he looked down to see his cock. He could see his cock and grip it with two hands. Tony smiled in disbelief as he felt his cock pulse in his hands. His spine shivered with every heartbeat as his cock throbbed bigger and bigger. Tony felt his already somewhat fat ass tighten up and form into a bubble butt behind him. Thunder thighs shaping into ham sized quads. He raised his toe up and flexed his diamond calves.

As Tony stayed under the shower head, he felt his body start to go through a different change. He had gained some muscle suddenly, but now it seemed his belly wanted to grow bigger too. Tony let out another large belch that lasted a few seconds and then he gripped his stomach. His hands were feeling pushback as the belly began to push out further and further. Looking at his body, he saw the toned muscles begin to swell with fat. His athletic build he had just gained being eclipsed as fat began to crawl back onto his body. 

Tony reached for the shower faucet and turned the water off. He looked down at his body and was amazed. He couldn’t help but grope and prod at his new form. While he maintained a rather full belly and a significant amount of fat still on him, he could actually see muscles on him now. “I knew there was muscle under all that fat,” mused Tony. He couldn’t stop smiling as he began to towel off his muscular body. 

Pulling up the pajamas he had brought, his underwear felt tight on his beefier body. Gripping the waistband, Tony heaved them up and over his fat ass that now felt shaped more like a bubble butt than a lumpy blob. His legs felt squeezed into the pants like sausages and his calves and ankles were on display at the bottom of the pants. Pulling on his shirt, his sleeves felt constraining around his biceps and like one little flex could tear it. His hairy belly was now on full display for the world to see since now his shirt only covered just above his belly button. 

Walking out of the stall and staring at himself in the mirror, Tony couldn’t help but smile with glee as he looked absolutely comical now. He didn’t know how it happened, but he had gotten bigger. His clothes looked two sizes too small at least and he had no idea what happened. But he didn’t care. All he did care about was that he had done what he had never thought was possible. Get bigger.

He walked giddily back to his room and entered to see Andrew playing a video game on his tv. Andrew looked up and did a double take at Tony. He squinted his eyes and paused his game. “Hey Tony, how was your shower?” asked Andrew skeptically.

“It was good. I like the showers here,” said Tony as he put his toiletries up and hopped into his bed.

“Uh huh. And you look different than when you left, but I can’t put my finger on it,” said Andrew as he shifted his body towards Tony and pulled his head set off of his head.

“Well after a long day of travel, a shower always makes me feel nice and refreshed. It’s probably just that you’ve never seen me clean.” Tony said as he absent mindedly rubbed his exposed hairy belly.

“Hmm, okay. I will say you might want to invest in some new pajamas. It looks like that pair doesn’t fit you anymore. And with you saying that you’re wanting to grow even bigger, I bet those won’t last long.” Andrew put his head set back on and resumed his game as Tony’s cock jumped a little bit from the excitement of Andrew’s words. Grabbing a pillow to cover himself, Tony blushed a bit and made sure his now larger dick wasn’t seen.

“Haha you got that right. I think I’ll be doing plenty of growing this semester. And I won’t stop until I’m the biggest there ever was.” Tony laid his head back on his pillow and took a deep breath to clear his head. He smiled to himself as his mind began to wander into the fantasies of how big he would grow. 

“Sure, whatever you say, big guy. Are you gonna go to sleep now?” asked Andrew, leaving one ear off his head set. 

“Yeah. I have my first day of classes tomorrow and wanted to get a good night’s sleep before it,” said Tony as he shifted his weight on his bed. Now amazed at just how far his feet went down the bed.

“Alright, I’ll finish up this game and turn everything off so you can get some good sleep. Besides, I have a class at 8am tomorrow, I should probably head to bed too,” said Andrew. Tony looked down and actually saw his pecs obstructing his view of his body and still couldn’t stop smiling. He did feel his cock jump again, but had to resist reaching down and feeling his new endowment. Even though he was under the covers, he could see a bulge wanting to break free and grow. This thought only made the bulge under the sheets jump with even more excitement. Tony tried to focus on other things, but his horny thoughts were getting to him.

“No need to rush.” Tony mused as he turned his body to face away from Andrew only to hear a rip shoot through his pants. Tony’s eyes shot open and he turned to look over at Andrew. But with his head set on, Andrew didn’t hear anything. Turning back to his body, Tony saw a little wet spot on the blanket that must’ve been a small bit of pre that leaked out when he tore his pants. 

“Just finished on a good one. Perfect way to end a good day,” said Andrew as he turned off his console and tv. He laid down on his bed and reached for his light to turn it off. “Tomorrow will be a good day. First day of classes. First full day with a new roomie, we have a lot of things to be excited for.” Andrew hit the switch and the light in the room went off.

“Definitely. It’s gonna be a great day. And a great semester. Goodnight Andrew.” Tony rolled back over onto his back. Now with his boner hidden by the darkness.

“Night Tony.” Tony sat there quietly waiting for Andrew to fall asleep. Once he heard a light snore coming from Andrew’s bed. Tony wiggled his big body out of his pants and underwear so he could feel his big enhanced member. He felt another shot of pre leak onto his hand as he put two hands on the mighty rod. Tony looked over at Andrew and heard him sleeping before, but decided to risk it all by starting to jerk off. 

Tony felt how big his cock felt in his hands now. He couldn’t believe that he needed two hands just to jerk himself off now. And his hands felt like they barely closed around the monster, it was so thick. One of his hands left his cock to feel the rest of his improved body. After feeling the heft of his pecs, Tony knew it wouldn’t be long before he was shooting cum everywhere. Between having an obscured view of his dick and the fact he could feel how juicy they felt with each lift, he had to stifle a moan as his big body turned him on so much.

Sensing what was about to happen and feeling how much bigger his balls were, Tony reached back behind him and grabbed a few tissues off of his desk.  Only after feeling how round and expansive his belly was did Tony start firing shot after shot of cum. It was the biggest load he had ever produced as volley after volley of cum hit his hairy belly. Tony panted as the orgasm subsided and looked over to Andrew who still seemed to be fast asleep. Grabbing the tissue, he started wiping off the excess cum on his belly and was surprised about just how much he had to clean.

After grabbing another tissue, Tony finally cleaned up the mess he made and pulled his blanket back up to cover his torso. He thought about pulling up his pants, but they were already ripped so why bother. He turned to his side and closed his eyes to go to sleep. Wondering if everyday of college was going to be this eventful. And if it was, it was going to be an incredible year. 

[kindersurprisebacterium]

Taken (Ghost/Reader)

Explicit Content and Depictions of Medical Events MDNI

CW: knife wounds, hostage situations, sharing clothes/bed, alcohol, vaginal sex, oral (giving & receiving), fingering

Gender Neutral AFAB Reader, They/Them Briefly Used

WC: 5.9k

The city's outskirts were draped in a blinding sheet of sand and dust. Gunfire rang out from the concrete buildings. Between an alleyway ducked a masked figure, finger on the trigger as he cleared out the buildings. He pushed through abandoned room after abandoned room, only ever coming across discarded cans and abandoned supplies. The radio clipped onto his vest hummed with static. He glanced back over his shoulder as he traversed the sector alone. Gunfire erupted from the east, earning a quick glance out the window as he advanced. Aching hands held his rifle steady. His chest steadily rose and fell as he evened out his breathing. Even after years of experience, the nerves still got to him.

“West end secured,” a voice said over the radio. He brought the device to his covered lips, pushing down with his index finger. 

“Copy, almost done here,” he said, clipping the radio back to his vest. Muffled cries drew his attention. He pushed himself against the wall. He aimed the barrel of his rifle toward the doorway as he quickly moved through—another empty room. More soft cries came from down the hallway. He thought as he cleared out a closet. The voice was far too high to be a man. Maybe a woman, maybe a child. Giving another glance to his rear, he entered the hallway. His boots clicked against the concrete. As he approached the end of the corridor, his eyes locked onto a single door cracked open just a hair. He swiftly pushed the door open, checking every corner of the room, and then behind the door. Everything was clear, except for the person chained to the wall. 

Cloaked in just a single oversized tee stained with blood and dirt, was what looked to be an adult female. The cuffs were placed just high enough that they couldn’t even rest on their heels. They stood in a puddle of urine, skin covered in deep purple bruises. He looked up at their terrified eyes. 

“Please, I'm an American soldier,” they said in a hoarse voice. “My partner and I were captured.”

His brows furrowed as he looked the alleged soldier up and down. Stepping forward, he did a quick pat down of the hostage. He tugged their shirt up after palpating a soft mass. The skin of their abdomen was littered with more scars and bruises. Sitting above their right hip was a messy pile of bloodied gauze taped to their skin. That was the only other thing they were wearing. Quickly pulling the shirt down and turning away, he spoke. 

“Any ID on you?” He asked. 

“My, my unit number was 492. Headed by Captain Davis. They took everything from me,” they explained, tugging against their cuffs. 

Quickly scanning the captive over, he grabbed onto his radio. 

“Got a hostage here in the north sector. Said they’re an American, unit 492, under the order of a captain Davis. Gonna need medical here too.” He said, reaching out to grab the battered arm of the soldier. They winced, gritting their teeth and shifting on their toes. 

“Got it. We don’t have a way to get medical. Get them back to the copter and we’ll deal with it at base,”

He glanced at the soldier, scanning over all of their battered limbs. 

“I’ll make it there as soon as possible. Still haven’t cleared it out, but the way they’re looking, I can’t stick around to finish it up.” Putting his radio back, he brought his hands up to the cuffs. They were solid, unable to be broken by hand.

“You seen anyone put a key anywhere?” He asked, peering down at the soldier. 

“The desk. Check the drawers,” they said, nodding toward a ramshackle desk in the corner of the room. He approached, ripping open each drawer and digging through the rubbage. His eyes caught onto a glint of silver. He pushed past the clutter, revealing two sets of dog tags. 

“Name?” He asked, looking over the information on the tags. 

“Last name is Whiteford. My partner is Barr.” They explained. The names matched up on the tags. He held the tags up for them to see before quickly turning back toward the drawers. There was no key in sight, however there was a pair of wire cutters. Not bothering to close the drawers, he quickly made his way over to the captive. He placed the cutters on one of the chains and began pushing with all his strength. A subtle click sounded as the steel gave way beneath the force of the pliers, and another, before the link broke altogether. With a thud the captive fell, only to be caught in the arms of the masked man. He slung the captive over his shoulder, all too aware of the pair of bare legs in his peripherals. 

“I can’t feel my arms or my legs,” they said as their breathing staggered. 

“You’re okay. We’re getting out of here,” he said, returning to the hallway. “We’re getting out of here. They can’t walk, we’re gonna need to find a place for the heli to land.” He spoke forcefully into the radio. 

“Uh, southwest, past that gate. We’ll have them land.” A voice said with a stutter. The man ran out of the building, pistol in hand as he turned down another alley. He could see the decrepit gate up ahead, more of a mess of chicken wire than a gate. Glancing up into the sky, he moved toward the landmark. The loud whirring propellers quickly came into earshot. He tugged at the back of the Americans shirt, pulling it down as far as it could go. A plume of sand erupted as the helicopter landed. He quickly approached and ducked as he handed the American over to his comrade. He watched as the man set their limp body on one of the seats. He hoisted himself up inside the chopper with a small grunt and moved to sit next to the American. His fingers fished through his pockets, pulling out a chain with the soldier's tags. He slipped them over their head, reading the engraved letters again. 

“You’re in good hands, sergeant,” he yelled over the deafening roar of the propellers. The battered sergeant whimpered, laying their head in the lap of the lieutenant. They tucked their knees into their chest and closed their eyes.

-

I felt, disjointed, to say the least. As if I was some sort of spectator, watching myself as I stepped away from the convoy of cars. I don’t remember where it went wrong. It might’ve been a misstep. Something loud blew our cover. I remember seeing the look on my partner's face. His eyes went wide. The grip on his gun tightened until his knuckles went white. The scene erupted into bedlam. Screaming voices sounded from the roofs. My ears rang as a bullet zipped past my head. I followed him into one of the buildings, quickly firing shots into an enemy. Sharp pain bloomed in my abdomen. I doubled over, looking at the blood seeping through my uniform. OCP never did hide stains too well. Handcuffs tightened around my wrists as the enemy took us captive. 

I can’t remember how long it had been. Eventually, they took my partner. The constant ringing in my ears overwhelmed my ability to audibly track. At one point a single shot rang out, then back to the deafening silence. With each day of only being given stale bread and enough water to only wet my lips, I grew more disoriented. Or maybe it was the blood loss. Either way, that British flag was a welcome one. 

I woke up with a stinging pain in my stomach. The first thing that stole my attention was the olive green shirt put over my body. I lifted it and peered at the boxers that loosely fit on my hips. My gaze shifted to the neatly placed bandages and the faint orange tinge of iodine. 

I was in a dorm of sorts. Standard issue bedding, scattered clothes, and a skull balaclava resting on the nightstand. An IV was placed in my arm, leading to a stand placed by the bed. The bag of fluids perched atop the pole had been long empty, along with the Keflex infusion next to it. I had a suspicion I was in the room of the man from earlier. I decided to lay back down, clutching at my tags as I rested my head on the pillow. The door clicked open, drawing my attention. It was the man from before, maybe. His mask wasn’t on. He had a strong nose, slightly crooked. His lips, plump and pink, were turned down into a permanent frown. Frown lines decorated his forehead along with a myriad of scars in various states of healing. His stubble was graying, a contrast against his short blonde curls. His deep brown eyes flicked across my body. 

“Whiteford,” he spoke, stepping closer to the bed, “your small intestine was eviscerated. They repaired it in surgery. You’re not going anywhere in your current condition, so it looks like you’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“Why am I in your room?” I asked. He looked away, running his fingers through his blonde locks. 

“Multiple reasons,” He stated plainly. He glanced back at me and rummaged through his pocket. He held out a cup of lemon jello and a plastic spoon. “You’re on a clear diet since they had to mess with your intestines.” I took the food from him and sat up, crossing my legs. The ache of my muscles had died down significantly. 

“They must’ve given me some good painkillers. Felt the best I’ve felt in years,” I said, opening the container. The man slowly moved toward the foot of the bed. The mattress dipped under the weight. 

“You know about your partner, right?” He asked. My nostrils flared as I sniffed, sinking the spoon into the jello. 

“I heard the shot,” I explained, bringing the jello to my mouth. I silently chewed, looking up at him. His brows furrowed as he stuck his hand into his pocket. He held out the tags to me. They lightly clanked as they dangled in the air. I grabbed them, setting them down by my Jello cup. “Kid joined the army for an education. Knew him since day one,” I mumbled as I dug around in the jello with my spoon. “He was good, just an easy scare.”

We sat in silence. The man reached out toward my IV and unscrewed the tubing. The rubber stopper popped into place. I glanced at my IV, and back up to him. 

“These yours?” I asked, tugging at the collar of the shirt. 

“There’s a lot of men here. It’s better than an open gown.”

“M’ used to it,” I mumbled. “Thanks.” 

He nodded as he stood up. He pulled open his closet door and dragged out a comforter. With a thump, it landed on the ground along with a single pillow. 

“What are you doing,” I asked, watching as he pulled off his shirt. 

“Sleeping,” he replied. 

“There’s enough space. It’s your bed anyway,” I pulled back the covers for him and set the empty jello on the nightstand. His brown eyes glanced at me, the bed, and then the floor before he stepped forward. He slipped into bed behind me, pulling the covers over his shoulder and turning away from me. The sound of his steady breath pulled me back into sleep. 

His shuffling body woke me. When I opened my eyes I was met with a beam of sunlight drifting through the window. I glanced down at my waist. His arms had wrapped around me in my sleep. The palm of his hand gently rested over my bandages under my shirt. I felt his chest rise as he took a deep inhale, groaning as he exhaled. His hands quickly jolted from my body. 

“Sorry.” He blurted out as he sat up and moved off of the bed. 

“It’s okay. You warmed me up at least.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed. I watched as he pulled open his closet door and began grabbing various items. He turned around and tossed me a pair of sweatpants. 

“I’ve got things to do. I’ll show you where the kitchen is, clear foods only,” he said before slipping into the bathroom. I pulled the sweats up over my ankles and eased onto my unsteady feet. I pulled the pants over my hips, practically swimming in the material as I pulled the drawstring tight. The cotton had bunched up around my ankles, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. He stepped out of the bathroom just as he finished lacing up his shoes. His brown eyes scanned up and down my legs. I could see the way his brows furrowed through the balaclava. He turned to the door, pulling it open and gesturing to the hall with a nod of his head. I followed along beside him. I read the embroidered letters on the back of his vest. 

“Riley, huh?” I mumbled. He looked over his shoulder at me as I said his name. 

“It’s Simon,” He stated as he faced forward again. I followed him past a turn and into the kitchen. A group of men sat at a table, their conversation halting as the two of us walked in. 

“This the Yankee?” A man with a Scottish accent asked, crossing his arms. Simon nodded as he pulled open the pantry doors. 

“Glad we pulled you out of there, yank. Was a bloody mess.” A man with a thin mustache said. 

“You’re not gonna make me eat beans on toast, are you?” I asked, slipping my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants. 

“Fuck no,” the Scotsman added. Simon held out a box of chicken broth. I took it in my hands, sighing as I turned it over to read the cooking instructions. 

“Right then, we should probably get goin’,” Simon said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“Make yourself at home,” the mustached man said. The two followed behind him, turning a corner and continuing down the hall. 

“Aye, bet you like havin’ a hen like that in your clothes LT,” a Scottish voice said, followed by a yelp of pain and muffled whispers. I turned toward the microwave and set the carton of broth on the spinning disc, dialing up a minute and thirty on the controls. As the humming of the microwave filled my ears, I turned toward the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water from one of the shelves. 

I sat silently at the table and ate my meal. It wasn’t the most appetizing, but it filled my empty stomach nicely. After finishing, I set the bowl down in the sink and wandered down the corridor. It was door after door of what I could only assume were private dormitories. I glanced out the window, watching as a group of soldiers traversed through a maze of equipment and obstacles. 

“Oh, let me take your IV out,” a voice said. I looked up at the person in front of me. It was some medic I hadn’t seen before. I held out my arm, looking away as he slipped the tubing out of my arm. He placed a cotton ball at the junction of my arm, holding it firmly to stop the bleeding and applying tape to hold the cotton in place. I muttered a ‘thank you’ and dipped into Simon's room. Determined to wash the grime from my body, I stepped into his bathroom. A small array of soaps were placed in a small shower caddy. I turned the faucet, stepping out of his baggy clothes. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I couldn’t help the frown that took over my face as I looked at the extent of my injuries. The deep purple that had blossomed on my skin faded to yellow and green. My limbs looked as if they were mangled, and the giant bandage over my abdomen only added to it. I stepped under the hot water, the ache in my bones melting away with the soothing warmth. I sighed as I popped open the cap of his body wash. It smelt earthy and fresh, just like him. I clenched my jaw at the thoughts that overtook me as I bathed in his scent. I felt an instant relief as I began scrubbing at the layers of dirt and sweat that coated me. Frankly, I didn’t know how he let me in his bed with how disgusting I was. The water that ran off of my body was tinged brown. I frowned, scrubbing underneath my arms until the water eventually ran clear. Hesitant to use the bottle of 2 in 1, I brought my product-tinged hands to my knotted hair, easing the suds into my scalp. I worked my fingers through the knots that had tugged at my locks, the dull headache behind my eyes easing with every strand undone. 

I felt clean, the cleanest I’d been in months. I grabbed a folded towel from under the sink and wrapped it around my body. Stepping back into his room, I pulled open his closet door, looking for another set of clean clothes. The door clambered open. A pair of heavy boots thudded onto the carpet. The masked man looked me up and down as I pulled out a pair of his boxers. 

“Oh I’m sorry,” I said, placing the pair back. He reached past me. The smell of sweat overwhelmed my nose, his soaked chest just inches from me. 

“There,” He Said, handing me a Set of neatly folded clothes. “I’ll be in the shower.” He closed the closet door and pulled off his drenched shirt as he stepped into the bathroom. I dropped my towel and quickly changed into his clothes. The feeling of clean linen against clean skin was intoxicating. I smiled, tossing the towel into his hamper and sitting down on his mattress. After a few minutes, he stepped outside, a cloud of steam following him. He wore a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips and a tank top, mask now forgotten in the bathroom. He scrubbed at his hair with his towel, dropping it to the floor as he came closer to the bed. 

“I don’t have anything else to do today. Figured I’d just hang around here.” He pulled on a navy blue hoodie. In white letters on the back was “ghost”.

“Mind if I join you?” I ask, kicking my legs back and forth. 

“Long as you don’t tell anyone about where we’re goin',” he said, tossing me a jacket. I quickly pulled it over my head and followed him out the door. He turned down the hallway, past the kitchen, winding through tight turns in the dormitories.

He glanced over his shoulder at me every so often, watching my hobbling paces. Eventually, we approached a stairwell at the far end of the base. He leaned into the door with his hip, pushing it open and letting me step past him. 

“Just up at the top,” he mumbled, boots clanking against the stairs as he ascended. I followed behind, gritting my teeth at the strain each step put on my sore quads. His brown eyes noticed my distress, grunting softly as he picked me up, carrying me the rest of the way up the stairs. He smelled like his soap. Woody, with a hit of something sweet. I wonder if he wore cologne. We approached the landing. His arms shifted to set me down on my feet. He fiddled with the knob, pulling the door open to reveal a rooftop. A single chair, a battery-operated lamp, and a radio sat next to a pillar. I followed him toward the little camp. He flicked on the radio, turning it to a low volume. Soft classic rock broke the silence that had grown between us. He disappeared behind the pillar, grabbing two cans of beer and a pack of smokes. He held one out to me. With a small smile on my face, I accepted the drink. 

“Set this up my second year on this base. Sometimes you just need a bit of quiet,” he explained as he sat down on the ground. He glanced up at me as he cracked the tab of his can. I took a seat next to him, opening my own beer. The long stretches of empty field in the distance caught my attention. Just over the horizon was the sun, tinting the sky a rose color. I silently sipped my drink, watching groups of soldiers jog by in formation. 

His lighter flicked. Looking over at the man, I watched as he held a cigarette between his lips, holding a flame to the end of it. Orange embers sparked to life, a plume of smoke rising from the end of the stick. He took a drag, closing his eyes as the smoke filled his mouth. He pulled back, holding the cigarette between two fingers. Glancing at me, he offered me a hit. I reached forward and took it from his hand, taking a drag of my own. A rush of static ran up my spine as the musky taste sank into my tongue. I exhaled, feeling a steady tinge of vertigo wrack my brain. Handing the cigarette back to him, I let the head rush envelop my senses. Eventually, after the feeling subsided, I opened my eyes, met with the cotton candy sky above. I hummed, picking up my can and taking a sip. 

“Why  the military?” He asked, exhaling a plume of smoke. I huffed a breath of air through my nose, laughing at the question internally. 

“Poverty,” I stated plainly, “the kind of poverty where you’re squatting in an old farmhouse, the kind that should be condemned,” I explained. He looked at me as if expecting me to continue. Sighing and setting my can down on the ground, I did just that. “We didn’t have grocery stores. Our schools were infested with mold. Everyone was hooked on meth,” I swallowed as visions of my old town sprung up in my head. “I’m trying to make the best of it here because I know as soon as I’m discharged, I’m ending up on the streets.”

He solemnly nodded, giving nothing but a grunt as he took another drag off his cigarette. Silently, he put his hand on my shoulder, gently sliding it across to the other until his arm was behind my back. I leaned into his touch. His hot breath blew against the top of my head as I rested my head on his collarbone. We sat in silence, the rise and fall of his chest threatening to lure me to sleep.

By the time I’d awoken, it was nightfall. His hand gently shook me, soft voice coaxing me awake. I grunted, breaking free of his hold and sighing. He stood, holding out his hand for me. I reached out. He gripped my wrist and pulled me to my feet. I stretched my arms over my head, yawning and shaking the sleep off of me. I followed behind Simon as we descended from the rooftop and quietly made our way back to his room. The nighttime air had a nip in it, I was thankful to be wearing his hoodie, thankful my hair was mostly dry. I followed him into his room, yawning again as I walked toward the bed. I pulled his hoodie off of my body, letting it drop to the ground. I pulled back the covers, slipping underneath and watching as Simon joined me. His eyes flicked up and down my face, from my eyes to my lips. He silently held his arms out, inviting me into the warm expanse of his chest. I accepted his invitation, leaning forward and swinging one of my legs over his hip. His hand went to my hip, rubbing soothing circles into my aching muscles with his thumb. His fingertips slowly slid up over the bandages on my stomach, to my shoulders. His brown eyes stared deeply into mine, flicking down to my lips. With his fingers placed under my chin, he tilted my head up. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I brought my hand to the back of his head, leaning into his touch. His hand slid back down to my hip, over the small of my back, pulling my body closer to his. His tongue swiped against my bottom lip. I parted my lips for him, breathing heavily as his tongue slid into my mouth. Heat enveloped my body as my insides began to churn. His fingers began slowly inching toward my ass, pulling me flush against his hips. He slowly rocked his body against my core, earning a moan from my lips. He flipped me onto my back and pushed my legs apart so he could sit between them. I hooked my ankles around the back of his hips, keeping him in place. With his hands on either side of my head, he leaned down, harshly sucking on my neck. With a roll of his hips, he drew a whine from my throat. My head felt like it was spinning. A dull throbbing spiked between my thighs only alleviated with every movement of his hips. 

I could feel him, even through the sweatpants. He was hard. A deep blush settled over his cheeks. His skin felt hot, and his brown eyes darkened as his pupils dilated. I probably looked the same. It was hard to contain the noises growing in my chest, hard to conceal how much of an effect his touch had on me. He pulled his lips away from my neck, reaching down to tug at the hem of my shirt. His brown eyes scanned my face for any hesitance. I nodded, helping him ease the fabric over my head. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip as he stared at my bare chest. Deciding it was his turn to strip, I reached for his hoodie, pulling it off of his head. He pulled his undershirt off. I couldn’t help but visually trace along all the scars that adorned his pale skin. Reaching out, I stroked my thumb along vast patches of scar tissue. He pushed my hand away, gaze dropping to my pants. 

With a small huff, I sat up, pushing him to lay against the foot of the bed. I kneeled between his legs, gently kissing over his scars as my hands fiddled with the band of his pants. My lips traveled lower, past his navel, kissing every new inch I exposed as I tugged down his pants. He lifted his hips just enough that I could tug the material down his thighs. My eyes widened as his cock sprang up, thwaping his stomach. He was long, Long enough that I wouldn’t be able to take him in my mouth. Thick too. The head of his cock was flushed with a rosh tint and a string of precum leaked from the top. I kissed along his thighs, gently sinking my teeth into his skin. His breathing intensified as I drew closer to his aching cock. Darting my tongue out, I licked along the tip. Salt overwhelmed my tastebuds as I licked a thick stripe up his shaft, stopping at his head. His fingers roughly gripped the sheets. He choked back a moan, watching as I wrapped my lips around his cock. I gripped the base with my hand, holding him steady as I slowly took more of him into my mouth. I watched as he threw his head back, chest rising erratically as his breath grew labored. While pressing my tongue against his shaft, I began to slowly bob my head up and down on his length, pushing forward until the intrusion in my throat threatened my gag reflex. I moved my hands in sync with my mouth, gently twisting my wrist. His hand went quickly to the back of my head, not pressing, but gently encouraging me. Pulling off, keeping the pace of my stokes up, I moved lower. I brought one of his balls into my mouth. His grip on my hair tightened. He moaned, sending a pang of need straight to my core. Pulling off with a loud pop, I ran my tongue up the underside of his shaft, sinking his length back into my mouth. His hips jutted forwards, sending the tip of his cock toward the back of my throat. Tears pricked at my eyes. 

“Fuck, fuck you’re so good,” he moaned, tugging me further down his shaft. I obliged, ignoring the tickle in my throat as I took more of his length into my mouth. 

“Wait-” he said through heavy breaths, tugging me off of his length. “I was close, just, give me a minute,” he said, tilting his head back. 

“Then let me finish you off,” I said, inching closer to his length. 

“No, not until you cum.” With a swift swing of his leg, I was on my back again. This time he was straddling my knees, tugging at my pants, his pants. My body jolted as he tugged them down my hips, along with his boxers. He shifted back as he eased the material down past my ankles. He gripped my knee, pushing my leg up and to the side. He swept two of his fingers up my cunt. I moaned and reached out for him. I hooked my arms around the back of his neck and pulled his chest against mine. He quickly shifted to lay next to me, fingers tracing up to find my clit. He pressed sloppy kisses to my cheek and jaw as he slowly circled my clit with two of his fingers. I gripped his bicep with a whine. He raised his fingers to his mouth, slipping the soaked digits past his lips. He moaned as he pulled the digits out. He spat onto his fingers and brought them back to my cunt. My breath hitched as he pushed one of his fingers inside me. His digits were thick and calloused, and the gentle stretch they added had my head spinning. 

“You’re tight. Gotta work you open before you take my cock,” he mumbled against my neck. He slowly thrust the digit into me. His thumb brushed against my clit, circling lightly as he stretched me out. 

“Simon!” I whined, bucking my hips into his hand. 

“Ya like that?” He said, sucking roughly on my neck. Pulling off with a loud pop, he spoke next to my ear. “Want another? I know you can take it.” I nodded. He gripped my chin, turning my head to face him. “Use your words.”

“Please, Simon,” I said weakly. He slipped a second finger inside me. I threw my head back with a moan as he stretched me out. The pace of his fingers sped up, matching the circles he rubbed into my clit. I leaned over, burying my face in the crook of his neck. With a huff, he gripped my hair in his fist and tugged my head back. 

“Look at me,” he said with a gruff voice. My cunt clenched around his fingers. He smirked, pumping them faster. My breathing grew ragged as the muscles in my stomach tensed. I could feel my toes tingle with pins and needles. I was close. 

“Simon i'm gonna cum,” I whimpered as I let my leg drop to the mattress, spreading myself even wider for him. The feeling of static washed over my body in waves. My toes curled and dug into the sheets. My brows furrowed, eyelids squeezing shut as he worked me through my orgasm. My body went limp as he pulled out. My thighs gently quivered. He moved to sit between my legs. He shifted his weight onto one of his knees and pulled his sweats down the rest of the way, letting them drop to the floor. I crossed my ankles behind his back, pulling him closer to my core. He guided the head of his cock towards my entrance with his fingers. His lips parted as he slowly inched inside me. I threw my head back against the pillows and tightened my hold on his hips. He moaned as I pushed his cock further inside me. 

The stretch burned. I couldn’t help the tears that welled up in my eyes, but with every movement, the pain bled together with the pleasure he sparked in my core. With a nudge against my cervix, he bottomed out. I felt undeniably full. I could feel the head of his cock in my stomach, just above my belly button. He pulled out, only to push his length back inside of me at a rough pace. He gripped my waist, keeping me still as he roughly fucked into me. I grasped onto his blonde hair and pulled him down into a kiss. He moaned against my lips. He rested an elbow at either side of my head, leaning in closer. Sweat began to roll down his forehead as he continued his rough thrusts. He huffed, breaking away from my lips. He buried his face in the crook of my neck with a groan. 

“Fuck you feel so good,” he moaned, rutting his hips into me. His lips latched onto my neck.

“Yeah? Fuck me harder, Simon,” I spoke through heavy, heaving breaths. He pulled back, pupils blown wide. He gripped onto the back of my thigh and began to push my knee toward my chest, angling even deeper into me. My hands flew to the sheets, gripping tight. The mattress began to creak beneath us, loud enough to bleed through the walls and into the adjacent rooms. His thighs began to roughly smack against my ass, filling the room with the disgusting sounds. My toes curled as the pleasure rose in my stomach. I reached up with one hand to lightly stroke his face with my fingers. 

“I’m close,” was all I could manage to whimper out. He kept up his pace, not faltering for a second as he drew me into my second orgasm. My mouth opened in a silent scream of sorts. With a painful stretch, my back arched off of the bed, limbs contorting as I came. His hips stuttered and then stilled as he reached his own orgasm. With a shaky sigh, he fell onto his side and pulled me into his arms. His breath fanned against my sweaty chest, cooling my heated skin off. 

Glancing down at my stomach, I noticed blood seeping through my dressings. 

“Simon, you popped one of my stitches,” I mumbled. 

He quickly sat up, looking down at the soiled dressings on my abdomen. He reached toward the pile of clothes on the ground and pulled out a hoodie. 

“Wait, can we just lay here for a bit before we go to medical?” I asked, gently tracing my fingers over his hip bones. He stared at me with furrowed brows before sighing. 

“Fine,” he relented. With silent gratitude, I snuggled up against his warm chest, throwing my leg over his hip with ease. He lightly chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me.

[endereies]

Fuck it - Matt Sturniolo - Part 4

Spotify playlist:

Summary: Fem!oc x Matt Sturniolo

Growing up with parents who make her feel isolated, what happens when she meets Matt. A person who introduces her to new people, new experiences and new feelings.

Authors notes:

This chapter is my life rn fr

Warnings: Swearing

Word count: 2879

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

“Is this something we are meant to do?”

“Fuck it.”

Alyia Pov:

I was sat sketching in my last period of the day, creating small doodles around the edges of the sheets I got handed only thirty minutes prior. I had attempted to go to the library to focus on my work but it had the opposite effect. I had been sat here for half an hour and spent that time doodling eyes in the corner of my work accompanies by small starts and hearts. My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket which caused me to be dragged from the comfort of my sketches. A loud sigh escapes my lips as I bring the screen towards my face which shines in near full brightness. The top of my notification bar held a text message from Matt, sent only a minute prior.

Matt🥁:

‘hey alyia, can we work on the project at my house today rather than yours?’

I tap the border of my phone, picking in the gaps of the phone case and the metal flicking between replies in my head.

Alyia🎸:

‘yeah sure, any particular reason why?’

Matt🥁:

‘I just have some shit to do before hand and I don’t wanna go back and forth between places’

Alyia🎸:

‘alr then, send me the address and time and ill come over’

Matt🥁:

‘sweet, can you be here for 7 ish’

Alyia🎸:

‘see you at seven Matt’

I sit staring at my screen for a while, looking at the ‘online’ that lingered under Matt’s contact name. He finally leaves the chat and I follow suit to place my phone face down on the desk. I let my hands rest on the desk but my body leans back into the chair. I haven’t ever been to his house before and I was used to him coming to mine, I had no idea if his brothers or parents would be there. How they would react to me suddenly being in their house.

I didn’t get a chance to properly react or overthink due to the bell’s intrusive sound that emits from above on the library’s walls.

-

It had been an hour since I had gotten home and it was nearly time for me to leave my house if I wanted to get to his place on time. I had just finished building my outfit which wasn’t too casual but it wasn’t smart either. A long-sleeved top with a shorter-sleeved, thinner sweater onto covered a black shirt that hung just above my knee. A pair of black tights ran up my legs only being covered by some plain air forces which seemed too worse for wear. Even if the weather didn’t immediately call for it, I paired the outfit with a black jacket I purchased a few years ago. The arms of the jacket swung off the edge of the leather seat I threw it on to. I rummage through my desk drawers for my keys, vitamins, charger and any extra notes to throw into my backpack.

-

Their house looked so put together from the outside of it the designs being simplistic but appealing to look at. The car outside was one I recognised from the same parking spot at the entrance of the school which him and his brothers exited every morning. I noticed them walk towards the main entrance on my way to the music room most days.

I stand in front of their main door and I hesitate before finally hitting my knuckles onto the centre of their door making sure I avoid the blurred glass. A shadow emerges from behind that glass and I take a small step back not wanting to feel immediately intrusive.

“Hey, oh-“ my words fade when I realise Matt wasn’t the one who answered the door but instead it was a longer haired brunette.

“Alyia? Hey what’s up” he grabs a hold of the door frame and uses the rest of his weight to push the door open “Come one in”

I don’t respond right away, making note that Chris remembered my name perfectly. Either he focused on that detail when he first met me and barged into the music room, or Matt has spoken about me to his brothers often enough for them to know. As unlikely as that was.

“Chris, hi.” I take a step inside, following Chris and shutting the door behind me which he ignored and left.

“What are you doing here?”

“Matt didn’t’ tell you” I’m only met with a slight shake of his head due to a lollipop he just placed in his mouth.

“Matt wanted me to come to his house to work on the project tonight” I slide my backpack down my arm, noting the loss of friction as it gets stuck on the folds of my sweater

“Really? Kid didn’t mention that to me.” I go to respond but another voice emits before mine does.

“Chris, who was it!”

“It was Alyia, Matt has invited her over for the English shit.” Chris walks past a corner and his volume in his voice decreases, so I follow him to listen to the conversation that now included me.

“Alyia is here?” Nick turns from the sofa and rests an arm on the back as he faces me directly.

“Hey guys... uhm hate to interrupt but where can I put this?” my backpack rests in my palm, causing my wrist muscles to flex slightly and after a few seconds it starts to ache further down my arm.

“Literally anywhere at this point, we need to clean up this weekend anyway.” Nick circles his wrist in a general location of the main sitting area.

I drop my backpack and use my foot to push it further to the side, so that no one trips up over it.

“So…where is Matt?”

“In the shower upstairs, but he went in 10 minutes ago so he should be out soon” Chris speaks, keeping his gaze fixed on his phone in my hands, slumping down next to Nick harshly.

I simply nod in response and start to sit next to them, creating a small distance between us. I follow Chris’s actions and pull out my phone and go onto random apps one after another before finally scrolling on Instagram for a moment. I few minutes of awkward silence go by before a loud voice echoes from up the stairs.

“Yo Nick, have you seen my pink shirt, the one with the bear on it?”

“Yeah, it’s on top of the table down here!” Chris yells back up to Matt upstairs.

I lift my head up from my phone, putting my attention onto the voices exchanging between each of the brothers. Footsteps approach and I see Matt walking down the stairs towards the three of us.

Traces of water track down the back of his neck from water that was adsorbed from the towel he now holds in his arms. Strands of hair cling to his forehead which appear darker, almost black. His lower body is hugged by a blue pair of plaid pyjama pants, sat on the bottom of his hips. His tattoos are clearly on show and I take this time to analyse them, noticing a few designs I hadn’t seen before. They traced around his arms and tracked the lines of his muscles alongside missed droplets of water. He brushed the strands from the front of his face backwards, parting his hair with his fingers slowly, not wanting any knots to remain. His tongue parts his lips slightly, wetting them briefly. He finally looks up from the floor and notices me sat on their sofa.

Shit.

“Alyia...hey you’re here early” He reaches the bottom of the stairs and walks towards the vibrant shirt on the table.

I swallow harshly when he turns around, his back facing me as he lifts the shirt over his head and past his shoulders. His back muscles flex as he drags it past his chest and hips

“Uh, yeah, my car is being fixed so I had to take the bus... I just took the one that wouldn’t make me late.” I rub the back of my neck, trying to calm myself down.

“I guess that’s fair. So, you wanna work on the project now?”

“Yeah, about that.” Chris mumbles and drags out his words and Matt looks at him with a confused expression.

“Why can’t we Chris.” His tone is a little harsher and his voice raises in pitch as he grows more curious.

“Well. I didn’t know Alyia was coming over for one, so I invited Nate and Madi over...”

I hear a sigh from Matt from across the room and I look up at him.

“Nate’s that hockey player in our English class, right?”

“Yeah, he is” he stops looking at me and turns to face Chris. “Did you invite them to do anything?”

“I mean yeah. I do every time, games n shit. You guys can fuck the project for one night to hang?” Chris’s demeanour has relaxed and he cross his arms over his lower stomach.

“Alyia hasn’t ever spoke to Nate and Madi is that fair?” A voice from Nick emits for the first time in a while.

I sit up and put my arms weight on my knees, slouching over. “I can always leave if you wan-“ I suddenly get interrupted by Matt and I glance up to him, his expression making him seem deep in thought.

“You could hang out with us if you wanted. It’s not like these guys know you, it could be fun to know each other more.”

“I’m so down if y’all are?” Chris faces Nick, earning an eager nod. I get a similar eagerness when Chris turns his body to me expectantly.

“If you guys don’t mind, then I’m down.”

-

A few hours had gone by and we were all sat down on the floor onto of pillows and blankets playing an intense game of monopoly. Initially I was intimated by practically 4 new people in an unfamiliar setting but once we all sat down and started talking, I got used to it. I had found out that Nate was the captain of the hockey team and that Madi was working with fashion and was in Jenny’s class. Chris’s personality filled the room whenever intense moments happened and it was fun to be around. He was a bubble of energy and it felt like Nick had to reel him back down any time he yelled too much. Which seemed to be often. Chris was being a sore lower in monopoly anytime someone had to take money for him, only to celebrate moments later when he passed go and got $200. Nate was currently winning but Nick and I weren’t fair behind him money wise. Nick was winning property wise and already set in multiple hotels down.

“Oh, come on! Again!” Chris had started to complain again which made us giggle, especially Matt as Chris once again owed him money.

“Not my fault, I own Oxford Street and so...you owe me money.” Matt holds his hand across the board in front of Chris who simply rolls his eyes and begrudgingly slaps $1100 into his hand.

It was my turn to roll the dice and a number of 4 is added between them. I grab the dog character and move it across, landing on the same square that Chris did. I sigh and flick through my money and pull out $1100 and hold it out for Matt to take.

“Damn again, Matt you’re getting lucky right now I swear” Madi giggles along with Nate and Nick but Chris still sulks at his loss of money. Matt's hand reaches forwards and grazes mine as he takes the money with a weak smile.

-

“Damn it. I’ve fucking landed on Mayfair” I see Nick slam his money down on the board. Nate just responds with laughter as he takes the money from Nick.

I had lost a while ago, having to mortgage my property after I landed on Oxford Street again, I sat to the side talking with Chris and Madi who had lost to Nate.

“Honestly I’m glad that ended, it’s getting late” Nate mumbles before yawning.

“late? How late” I quietly speak as I pull my phone off the sofa behind me and turn the screen on, the screen a little too bright now that it was dark outside. “Oh shit.”

“Hey, you okay?” Matt stands up and faces me, leaning down to reach the board to help pack it away.

“Its like eleven right now, buses are gonna be fucked.” I frown at my phone screen as I pull up my bus times for the journey home.

“You could always stay over, it’s not like we have classes tomorrow.” Chris smiles at the suggestion Nick makes, facing me with a genuine kindness.

“Really? It wouldn’t be intrusive; I mean I’ve known you for one day.”

“We've heard enough through Matt to be honest; it would be nice honestly.”

“I appreciate it, but one problem. I don’t have any spare clothes on me” I look down at the outfit questioning if it’s suitable enough to sleep in.

“I have some clothes you can borrow...” Madi finishes putting the board game away and faces me with a wide smile.

“If that doesn’t fit since she is shorter than you, I have shit you can use for the night.” Matt reaches into the cupboard to place the box onto a high shelf.

“Uhm sure. If that’s okay”

“Of course, no worries.”

-

Matt pov:

I have showed Alyia to a spare room we have across from mine and carried her things into it and placed them at the foot of the bed. We haven’t had a chance to paint or fully decorate the room apart from the bare minimum but thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind. I return back to my room while I grab a few options of clothing for her to wear overnight. One of which is the same ransom tee I wore the first time Alyia and I met. I smile briefly while walking back towards Alyia’s room.

“Hey I picked out a few options for you”

“Thanks again for this, I appreciate it” Her demeanour seems more closed of than it was when playing the game less than an hour ago. She seems to hide herself, rubbing her arm in what I can only assume as a form of self-comfort.

“You, okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, I’m fine. Just don’t want to feel like I’m overstepping” She sits down on the bed behind her.

“Trust me. You aren’t, I want you here.” Those words come out a little too fast than what I wanted them to.

“Really?”

“Yeah...really.”

We smile at each other for a moment before I snap out of it and hand her the clothes that were draped over my arms.

“Thank you, Matt.” She gives me a small smile which I reciprocate before I even process it.

Her phone suddenly vibrates on the nightstand displaying the name ‘Scarlett Hawkes’.

“Sorry, I have to take this.”

Alyia pov:

“Hello mother.”

“Hello Ally, why are you not at home?”

“I went out with friends, I’m staying over.”

“And you didn’t tell me? I’m at home waiting for you and you aren’t here.”

“You didn’t tell me you would even be home.”

“I told you I would be home on Thursday, Ally”

“Mother it’s Friday.”

“Either way I expect you to be home tomorrow.”

I sigh and hang up the phone, not wanting to deal with the conversation any longer and I place my phone back on the nightstand.

“Sorry about that” I mumble quietly.

“Was that your mum?”

“Uh yeah, she is finally home and wondered why I'm not.” I speak slyly, hoping he doesn’t pick up on my attitude.

“I haven’t ever seen your mum at your home before...”

“She travels a load; she works in fashion and is constantly travelling and my dad organises her meetings and manages all her work. They try to be home when they can but it’s not often enough.”

“Fuck...well you’re always welcome over here if you ever feel lonely or something”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, you’re my mate and you get on well with my brothers and everyone, tonight was fun. I’m glad you stayed over.” He offers me a smile and I smile back, watching as he sits down next to me.

“Well thanks for inviting me”

“Don’t sweat it, the buses are awful at night and we have nothing planned”

I keep my smile as I look down at my hands, fidgeting with them quietly.

“Well...I’ll uh let you get ready and I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yeah, thanks again for this” I meet his gaze, standing up holding the clothes he gave me a few moments ago.

“If you need anything, let me know, yeah?”

I nod to him as he leaves my room, pushing the door to. His footsteps fade as he walks to his own room, hearing the chair creak as he sits in it.

I flick through the few shirts he gave me and I pull out a ransom shirt.

The one he wore when we met.

@yuhayeee @melliflws @axolotllover225 @st7rnioioss @sturn-bugz @sturniolosmind @worldlxvlys @patscorner @breeloveschris @y0urm4m

[writeonwhiskey]

I reblogged Ch. 5 of SKZ House with the same sentiments, but wanted to make absolutely certain you'd see said sentiments! I hope that's okay!

LITERALLY PARDON ME?! Hold on...hold on a god damned second...

*ahem* PARDON ME!!~!?!11

Firstly...my head is currently a Chan SBS clusterfuck central, okay? We all KNOW the man is bulking. So, I'm sitting here "innocently" just minding my own business reading...AND IT STARTS WITH BEING CAGED IN AGAINST A DRESSER?! And, of course, Big Daddy Chan is the image I've got beautifully curated in my brainspace...SOTHANKSFORTHAT. 😳

Bang Christopher Chan, god damnit.

Oh...oh but he's not done. No! Not Christopher. The man is just getting started. Dearest Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph...I need a priest, a lawyer, slap across the face and a damn drink. 🤣

The amount of times I wanted to key smash my own keyboard...with my face...was ludicrous, okay!? Like...I am pretty sure I uttered "sir" at least 10 times...

Then we've got y/n asking Chan to be good to her...😩😩😩

But y'know what...just go ahead and sign my death certificate and here's my eulogy:

Here lies Mel...taken out by Dom!Chan, running his possessive mouth whilst balls deep inside y/n.

THENTHATENDING?! THAT ENDEARINGLY SWEET ENDING?! 😭 I'm going to go procure a patch of grass to just keep in one of my desk drawers, so its available at all times. 🤣

If it wasn't clear...bra-fucking-vo, m'dear. I am quite literally obsessed and cannot wait to see what's next. Also...you still needing Halloween costume suggestions?!

OMGGG this is absolutely okay! Thank you for making sure I saw it! It's very rare to get a play by play of the readers thoughts/emotions when they read a chapter so this was AMAZING 🥹 lol I got to experience the ride through your eyes and I fucking loved it. You have no idea how happy you've made me, Mel 😂😂

I'm sooo glad the being caged in his arms thing got across to you cause him wanting to bulk up for us and that selfie on bubble with his buff shoulder out gave me so much inspiration 🥵

Touch the grass, climb out of your grave, PARTY ISN'T OVER YET!!!

And yes, still needing Halloween costume suggestions. One detail for the upcoming Halloween chapter I'll say is that y/n is going to have a bet with Changbin/Lee Know/Seungmin to decide on their costume, so I have something in mind for them but I'm lost on the others.

[xxlady-lunaxx]

Orange Spider lily | {KokuZan}

Theme: Angst

Kokushibo and Muzan were secretly dating. Well, 'secretly' is a term that they use but isn't actually true. It would be secret if it weren't for their horrible skills of secrecy. Unfortunately keeping their relationship within the two of them was out of their hands, though they had somehow hidden their existence from most humans for centuries. Which made it so stupid. But.. neither of the two cared, at this point, because it's not like it would be harmful for anyone to know.

Muzan often visited Kokushibo, because of their relationship or so he said. Today was different though. Today he'd discovered something. And so, this time when he went running to Kokushibo, he was smiling. Something quite curious to the Uppermoon, given that he'd never seen a smile quite that big on his Master's face.

"Kokushibo! Look, look I found something," Muzan said, almost like a small child finding a particularily pretty rock. 

"What is it?" Kokushibo inquired.

"This." Muzan thrust out a bag that held two beautiful flowers. They looked quite like spider lilies, only they were orange.

"Orange spider lilies?" Kokushibo asked, confused. "Did the color seep out from the sun?"

"No, no, they've been like this for a while now! I was looking through some red spider lilies and I found these!! It might be the key to the blue ones! I'm going to use some for experimenting. I'll try it and see if it'll make me be able to go in the sun. I'll use it first though. If it works you can use the other spider lily for yourself," Muzan explained, clearly having thought this out before.

"Oh? How interesting," Kokushibo agreed, inspecting the flowers closely.

Muzan nodded and took them back carefully. "I'm going to try to make something that I can easily drink, alright?"

"Okay, I'll wait here." Kokushibo watched as Muzan excitedly went to his working desk where he instantly pulled out several drawers filled with liquids of all variations.

Over the next few weeks, Muzan experimented with the flower and the different assortments of htings he'd made over the centuries. The whole time, Kokushibo stood by, retrieving what Muzan needed and always there for whatever happened. Eventually, Muzan decided he would try his concoction, saying if it didn't work that would be alright since he was a demon, and if it did, well, he had it all memorized and he would make it again for Kokushibo.

So, that day, Muzan downed half the flask and then waited. He felt nothing so he told Kokushibo to cut off his arm and put it somewhere where sunlight would shine soon. The two demons watched the hand from the safety of inside while it sat there, Muzan's arm had long since regenerated. Then the sun came by and burned it to crisp. Muzan sighed. "Maybe it just needs some time?" he suggested. Kokushibo agreed.

The two went back to Muzan's work room and talked. After a while, Muzan fell asleep and Kokushibo put him in a comfortable place, deciding it had just been from the amount of work his Master had been doing recently.

The next day, Muzan awoke with a headache. He complained that he felt dizzy and was a little wobbly standing up. But that would wear off eventually. The same as the day before, they cut off Muzan's hand and put it in the sun, watching it burn, yet again. 

"How long would it take to set in?" Kokushibo asked, confused.

"If this continues through the week, maybe I should just try again," Muzan grumbled. "I still have one and a half orange spider lily flowers left."

"Won't they rot?" the Uppermoon pointed out.

"No, I froze them so they'll be contained fresh until I need them." Muzan placed his hand on his hips in an almost proud manner. "I've thought of everything!"

Kokushibo laughed and nodded. "Yes, yes you have."

The day seemed to pass by rather slowly for Muzan for he was very tired. Eventually he went to sleep again, hoping he would feel perfectly fine when he woke up. Unfortunately for him, when he woke up he felt considerably worse, the headache being stronger and the dizzyness that had previously disappeared for a couple hours, had come back fully. Only a couple steps could lead him to nearly tipping over and Kokushibo had to help him walk, which was extremely frustrating given he felt so useless like this. So weak and foolish. 

Two days went by, and he didn't seem to be getting better. Each day they would cut off part of Muzan's arm, though each day they resorted to cutting off less and less, because Muzan's condition made him have to focus all his strength on fighting whatever this illness was, and not on regeneration. Each day they took the piece of flesh and put it in the sun, only to watch it burn.

(Why did it take me so long to figure out how to write that paragraph 💀)

Muzan's illness only grew which was starting to bring back memories. The constant help he needed from Kokushibo, to fetch him some food, to take him simply to the other side of the room, it was frustrating and he was starting to actually get worried. 

By the end of the week he could not only barely stand but his regeneration was nearly twenty times slower then his normal rate. He hated this. He was trying to convince himself this was all a before affect of the spider lily but it really, he didn't actually believe it. As much as he wanted to, it was becoming obvious that he needed to stop this. And soon. 

But how? He didn't know how. Didn't even think there really was a way. He felt hopeless. 

Kokushibo tried keeping him going, but it was hard when he himself shared these worries. He constantly fretted over Muzan and tried keeping him at bay. 

Days went by as he continued getting worse and worse. And then weeks flitted past and Muzan's condition was as shit as ever. More so, if that was possible. A month passed into this, and Kokushibo told Muzan that if he didn't somehow get better soon, he might die. And when they came to this conclusion, Muzan felt absolute dread. He couldn't believe that this would happen. He couldn't. Fucking. Believe it. 

He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to die. It sounded childish, of course, but death was his biggest fear. He merely feared Yoriichi because Yoriichi could bring him death. He feared the sun simply because it could kill him. He couldn't bear the fact he might die.

So, he asked Kokushibo for something. One night, one more unbearable night of pain, he'd been laying down in the silence, uncomfortable. Then, casually, he said, "Kokushibo? I may have been thinking and..."

Kokushibo shook his head. "If this is another 'I think this is just an effect,' then I don't want to hear it."

"No, I was thinking something. Maybe you could turn me into a demon or something? Like, I can make you into the demon king and you can give me your blood and turn me into a demon? I mean, give me your blood for more strength? As I've done for you and the other 12 kizuki?" Muzan suggested.

Kokushibo nodded slowly. "It could work.. but it would be painful for the both of us, no?"

"Would you mind? It'll go away fast. And I've been in pain these past few weeks, I honestly don't care about myself," Muzan said, sighing. 

"True. Alright then. I'll get you some food first, though."

When Kokushibo came back, the two demons ate in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts. When they finished, they didn't do anything, unsure where to go from here. Then, quietly, Kokushibo said, "Can I.."—he hesitated for a beat—"kiss you? In case this doesn't work.. I don't want.. I want to be with you, actually, and not just worried and getting you things to help you with your sickness. I want to do this before anything happens. In case anything happens. If anything happens. You understand?"

Muzan nodded, definitely understanding. "Of course. But you better lean down here because I don't want this 'moment' to be me dying in pain."

Kokushibo chuckled softly, though it wasn't particularily funny. "I will." He leaned down, peppering Muzan's face and neck with kisses until the smaller demon was a whimpering mess. 

He stopped, eventually, letting Muzan breathe for a minute. "Kokushibo?"

"Yes?" he hummed, caressing his Master's face.

"I know I'm shit at affectionate things, but I love you, you know that, right?" Muzan murmured, leaning into Kokushibo's touch. 

"Mhm," his boyfriend smiled. "I love you too." 

Muzan flushed, still not used to any of this. "Thank you. For taking care of me."

Kokushibo nodded. "I wouldn't leave you even if my life depended on staying away."

They were silent, the comfort of each other spreading through their bodies. Eventually, Muzan said, "How do you want me to transfer my blood to you?"

"What will hurt least for you?"

"Probably if you use my finger. Or.." Muzan paused, a sly smile creeping up his face. "From my neck or my lip?" 

Kokushibo laughed. "Alright. So I'll kiss you while taking your blood like a vampire?" he said, amused.

"Sure, why not?" the demon lord said. 

"Okay, okay." Kokushibo paused, brushing Muzan's hair away from his forehead. "Love you, Muzan," he mumbled. 

"Love you too," Muzan said, sighing. 

The Uppermoon pressed his lips to Muzan's neck, carefully biting slowly down, making sure to make only a thin line which would be easier to regenerate. Muzan closed his eyes, concentrating on making sure Kokushibo got through with this. 

When Kokushibo moved up, feeling that that was all he needed to take in, he noticed how pale Muzan looked. But before he could ask if he was alright, pain shot through his body and he doubled over. He clutched his arms around himself, his mouth wide in a silent scream. 

But then the pain was over and he was panting heavily, sweating. He looked up to see Muzan still lying there, looking more sick than before. 

Kokushibo felt the opposite Muzan did, though. He felt alive. Powerful. Like he could do anything.

But instead, he leaned down closer to his lover and whispered urgently, "Are you okay?"

"Kokushibo," Muzan said, his voice like sandpaper. "Blood. Give me.. some of your blood."

"Right, right," Kokushibo murmured, panicking. He used his fingernail to slice his palm and he dripped some of his blood in Muzan's mouth carefully.

He watched his boyfriend swallow, and waited. The waiting was painstakingly slow and fear pressed Kokushibo's insides into a tight ball. His body felt like lead as he watched and waited. Nothing happened.

This wasn't what was supposed to happen, was it? When you were given blood, usually the effects started immediately. What had gone wrong? Kokushibo tried again, slipping more of his blood into Muzan's mouth. 

"Please, please work," he said, his mind and heart racing. He must've done something wrong. What had he done wrong?!

Muzan shook his head wearily. "Koku..shi.. Koku.. I don't think it's going to work," he mumbled, growing paler (is that a word?) by the second. 

"It will work! It has to work," Kokushibo insisted. As much as he'd known that it might not, he had hoped with all his might that it would. 

Muzan shook his head. "No, I can feel it.." He coughed rather violently, blood spilling from his mouth. "Kokushibo.. You'll be the demon.. lord now.. Continue on.. the work I've done.. Don't let it go to waste," he said, his eyes meeting the Uppermoon's. No, the demon king's. Kokushibo was the demon lord now. 

Kokushibo nodded weakly. "I will. But please don't die. Not yet. Please," he begged. 

"It's not my choice.. anymore," Muzan mumbled, closing his eyes. 

"No, no! Don't close your eyes, no, wait," Kokushibo said urgently, putting his hands onto Muzan's chest. What was it humans did? Something about chest compressions?? But this was different, no? All that could save Muzan was regeneration.. 

He desperately tried again to get his blood into Muzan, trying, and failing, to save him. Muzan coughed again, blood staining his clothes. 

"Kokushibo, it's no use," he said, his eyes still closed. 

"It has to work!" Kokushibo insisted. 

"It won't." 

The words were harsh and cut into Kokushibo like a knife. He knew it wouldn't, but the fact that Muzan had lost all hope made him feel suddenly hopeless as well. The words were so certain, so clear, and true. Unbearably true.

Kokushibo's hands left Muzan's chest and went to cup his face. "Fine," he said, all desperation drained from him. "Then.. goodbye, Muzan."

Muzan nodded slowly, painfully. "Yes, goodbye." 

"I still love you," Kokushibo murmured. "I won't stop."

Muzan's mouth twitched into a smile. "Such a flirt," he said, sighing deeply. "I won't stop loving you either, I promise."

And then he was gone. His chest stopped moving in it's uneven sort of breaths and the pale gradiant of his skin slowly went deathly white. Kokushibo didn't know how long he sat there, holding Muzan's face in his hands, but it was long enough for the touch of his fallen lover to become cold. Ice cold. 

He retracted himself when he realized that and stared at the body. Then, he realized, it was starting to disintigrate. He wondered, for a split second, why it hadn't disintigrated earlier. This was as Muzan had died first as a human then left the earth as a demon. Kokushibo's hand clutched the slowly disintigrating arm of Muzan's, until there was nothing but cloth in his grip.

He held onto it tightly, fearing that if he let this go, it would turn to dust as well and he would have nothing left of him. Kokushibo's upper body shook in sharp, shuddery breaths. He was trying not to cry. But try as he might, tears rolled down his cheeks.

He hadn't cried in a long time. Centuries. He never had a reason to. He'd never felt pain that lasted, never pitied anyone to the point of tears. In fact, he'd never felt much emotion since he became a demon. And then Muzan came along and made him feel. Feel happy, for once. 

Made him cry. Ugly, shaky sobs that ripped through his body. He buried his face in his hands and screamed. How could the world take Muzan from him? How could it take the one person who had ever made him feel? 

The floor trembled and he looked up. Then, he realized with a start, it was himself who was trembling. From fear, anger, and sadness. Sorrow. He'd never felt that before. When his mother died, he had been disappointed. But he'd never really been close to her. To anyone. 

When Yoriichi died, he'd felt only powerful. And powerless. But never grief. Never anything like this. He'd never felt this sort of internal pain that teared him from inside out. His hands, still clutching tightly the bloody cloth Muzan had worn the day he died. Today. 

The day Kokushibo became the demon lord, failed to save the previous one, and lost his lover all at once. The day he felt. Felt nothing but pain. 

He looked at the clothes and buried his face into it, uncaring it was covered in blood. The blood would disappear soon. Gone with Muzan. Gone. 

The word vibrated inside his mind, bouncing off the walls in his head and repeating over and over and over. Gone. Muzan was gone. Forever.

And it was all Kokushibo's fault. He had failed his master, his boyfriend, the person dearest to him. He had failed and Muzan had died and it was all. His. Fault.

{Word count: 2600}

Well now that lightheartening oneshot is done 😊

ALSO THE PICTURE I USED FOR THIS IS SO SILLY AHOIDAKMS (okay bye you chaotic demons-)

(pt. 2 here)

[traumatizedjaguar]

how do you tell if someone you love is a narcissist and what to do?

First I’m confused on why you’re asking this question and exactly what you are looking for? Some people have asked me bc they tell me they’re living with an abuser so that’s how I’m going to take your question…

If that’s the case and you have an abuser you’re living with and you can’t get away yet I don’t exactly have any good advice other than the usual we survivors always tell each other:

leave when it’s safest

keep everything low key and secret from your abusers such as passwords, accounts and users, jobs you’re working, etc.

Don’t leave papers with your passwords and usernames written down laying around your bedroom if you’re living with an abuser

!!! Lemme add: I used to write down on paper fake usernames and fake passwords and I’d leave it on my desk or in a drawer easy to find so my abusers wouldn’t know my actual accounts and passwords !!!

grey rock technique is always useful

And you can’t control how people perceive you when you’re being smear campaigned, so it’s best not to care about it and do your best with your life for yourself

Look for local DV shelters

Also do t leave journals or diaries laying around, I keep an online diary password locked

I’m posting a master-post soon about how to do your best living with abusers still in your life based on techniques and other things I’ve used to help myself deal with abusers. I’m almost done with it. It’s kind of based off one persons experience I.e. my own lol and everyone’s experience with abusers is unique. So some of what I say might not work for you, some will.

I can’t use words like narcissism on tumblr when talking about abusers, although about 6 of my abusers actually had NPD, ASPD, other stuff and Conduct Disorder (some were flying monkeys who abused me) and these disorders certainly impacted how they behaved with me (using fire to harm people, abusing animals, bullying, physical cruelty, sexually abusive both coercively and violently, excessive lying issues and manipulation, deceitfulness, justifying harming others, vandalism of property, conning, severe possessiveness and jealousy issues, lacking in remorse and care).

It’s common for psychological abusers to have “gangs” of others just like them/same personality and behaviors. Which is why you often see them together in numbers behind the scenes.

It’s best to use the word abuser or psychological abuser instead at least that’s what I do on my tumblr account as not to cause uproar. But you can still be honest about how their symptoms impacted you, as I still talk about it too.^

Idk if this person you’re referring to is someone abusive, someone you wish to keep in your life, or someone you’re just trying to help?

You can’t help abusers nor should you try, I’ve been there with all of my abusers and it’s a bad cycle to stay in. Don’t try to get them help if they’re abusive, just leave when you can. Grey Rock everyday. Please never try to stay and help an abuser.

——————————————

If they’re a loved one who isn’t an abuser (rarely have people asked me it this way ahhh):

Then it’s best to just bring up the disorder casually instead of accusatory.

Like say you’re interested in psychology and want to share what you’ve learned and you can go over the symptoms like, “such an interesting disorder I have been learning about!” And then go over the symptoms more so in depth with examples of how the symptoms can manifest and see if they start thinking about it as “huh I do that?” That way you don’t make it sound accusatory, but instead you are just casually talking about a subject!

That’s all I can come up with unless you have specific questions or specific needs? I’m not the best with advice but we’ll see hah

[ask-aesop-sharp]

Dear professor Sharp,

Follow up question, have students ever declared their affections straight out? Have they tried to not so subtly hint at very suggestive situations? That's probably not how it works in reality, but alas, I have only read books.

Much love

-S. Devereux (a very curious 7th year)

Ps. How often do you ever actually have encounters with these admirers????

Aesop leaned back in his chair for a moment, reminiscing on a rather uncomfortable memory he tried his best to suppress. Though much like the incurable pain in his knee, there are some things a person simply doesn't live down easily - and his colleagues liked to remind him of that. Still, he had hope for one, so why not the other? Chuckling to himself he reached for his quill...

Miss Devereux, I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice, at least one student in a class asks me about it, that any personal effects I carry with me are... for a lack of better description: quite well secured. Whether it be with a double buttoning pocket, an exceptionally well charmed wallet chain, or simply keeping the item so well hidden on my person that only a fool would go fishing for it, I do keep an exceptionally close eye on my belongings. Likewise, there are several locked cabinets in my classroom, and several more I keep in my personal office. Much to the chagrin of would-be pilferers, a simple Alohomora won't be enough to get them open (though I do so enjoy a laugh at watching them try, when they aren't aware I'm nearby). I, and only I, carry the sole key to each of them - I assure you this is relevant to your inquiry. I hadn't been a year or two separated from the Ministry, and in my role as Potions Master when, well, I'm afraid I was a bit careless. Perhaps my experiences as an Auror still predominated my thoughts... or, perhaps, I had simply forgotten what incorrigible little bastards some teenagers can be. Forgive my brusque generalization. I'm not sure how the concoction was brewed, or otherwise "acquired", but an unknown Slytherin student managed to spike my personal stash of Firewhiskey. ...with Amortentia. Just enough to be effective, and just a small enough amount even I didn't notice the change in aroma - I suppose I can commend them for their expert dosage, at least. Fortunately, I'd already locked myself into my personal quarters for the night - less fortunate was I when @ask-professor-weasley came to investigate a commotion she likened to, in her words, "a rabid, lone wolf gone mad, trying to rut the moon". She and I haven't spoken of it since... and I appreciate Matilda's excellent tact. Other than that, it's mostly anonymous love letters and crude notes I confiscate during class. I keep a box of my favorite, and most embarrassing ones in the top drawer of my desk, if you are ever in want of a good laugh. Yours, Prof. A. Sharp

[karliahs]

just did an escape room and man i love them so much...it's so interesting to me how much a physical escape room environment adds to the experience versus those board game versions (which i also like!)

i love seeing the ways people use physical environments to enhance puzzles, and set up satisfying tactile inputs for puzzles especially. my fave room i ever did had a thing where there is like a big old timey ring of keys locked away from you through bars. like one of these:

and then you get a big stick. and have to poke it through the bars, hook the ring of keys and slide it over to where you can grab it. and that just delights my brain like nothing else

and my friends always make fun of me for how excited I get if a room involves a magnet but like. magnet! there's a key stuck at the bottom of a thing where you can see it but not grab it. the excitement of realising one of the components you've been given is a magnet...unparalleled

i think it's so fun how certain ways of manipulating an environment are just instinctively delightful. i think I've done multiple rooms where there's a big old fancy desk and when you solve a puzzle the back panel of the desk opens! and turns out it's a little tunnel you can crawl through! that's instinctively fun in the same way a secret bookcase door is fun

one room i did involved having to pour water in order to access certain things like...needing to use particular physical actions to solve a problem makes me feel like this guy:

big levers! little hidden switches! it's the best

i also just love being set loose in an environment in which rummaging is not only acceptable but necessary. you've gotta rummage. you've gotta search through those drawers and reach into little hidey holds and find stuff. i think my puzzling skills are not actually much above average but i am an exceptional rummager

most times when people tell me they don't like/want to do an escape room it's because they think they're bad at puzzles. which i think most of the time what they mean is that they don't like puzzles, and it's more polite to be self-deprecating than to outright say they don't like the thing I like, which is fine

but i think escape rooms are fun bc they perfectly demonstrate that you and everyone you know are both very dumb and the smartest person in the world. everyone's brain works differently and some puzzles will click for you perfectly and others will be incomprehensible.

today i had the experience of actually understanding how a puzzle worked but being incapable of communicating it in words. and then trying to succinctly while under time pressure communicate to my friends "my brain allows me to understand this puzzle but not to articulate anything about how it works in words. please just trust me and turn those cranks when i say." and similarly I've made it out of rooms where i would have no idea how to solve a particular puzzle in there, but i don't need to bc my friends' brains are different to mine and they've Got This

[afticxs]

TWILIGHT GEARS chapter five

it was so dark.

your grip on michael tightened with every step down into the basement. you couldn’t even tell where you were putting your feet. loose pipes dripped water, making you choke and tremble.

“dear god, i come before you today to humbly ask for your protection and to watch over me and my friend,” you prayed, holding onto michael impossibly tighter, “in jesus’ name i pray, amen.”

you heard michael chuckle next to you, “you that scared?”

nodding, you felt your socked feet land on the concrete floor of the basement, “yeah, guess i am.”

the boy felt around for a light switch, the only guidance being the light from the doorway thirteen steps upwards. you listened to him tut, “where is the switch?”

“i think it’s a string,” you hummed, finally letting your hands slip from michael’s jacket. your hand drifed through the air until it got in touch with a piece of rope. wrapping your fingers around it, your tugged on it.

a singular bulb turned on, giving you both a decent amount of light in the dark room. the two of you stood awkwardly staring at the scrapped metal, bulletin board and cleared desk at the end of the room.

breaking the silence, michael let out a loud, almost obnoxious laugh, “is that seriously what you nearly pissed yourself over?”

grunting, you elbowed his side and walked towards it in silence while michael groaned, rubbing the injured side.

on the board, there was a map of utah and the neighbouring states and stuck next to it was a sticky note with names. you read them aloud.

“dawn torres, edison royle, birdie jones, ryan haywood..” you noticed how next to the names had shapes drawn next to them, matching the labels on the map. michael finally got behind you, examining what was infront of him.

“who are they?” michael asked, looking down at you while you looked up. shrugging, you left the map alone and opened the drawer. inside was a single note, the date unknown.

shuddering, you pulled it out and held it so you and michael could read it. all it said was that there were four failed experiments and that he finds himself there when the go and gets tough.

“what does that mean?” you asked, putting it back where you found it and turning to michael. he had a smirk on his face, “it means, that he’s gone back to one of the locations. what else could ‘he finds himself there’ mean?”

you nodded, “yeah, you’re right.”

looking back to the map, the labelled marks were located in four different states. one of them being directly in hurricane. you looked at the star mark and then looked at the sticky note.

“dawn torres was in hurricane,” you breathed out and michael squinted his eyes at the note. he then lookrd at the map, “yeah, the others were in idaho.. colorado and nevada.”

“why were they so spread out, though?” you asked yourself aloud, though michael answered before you could figure anything out, “maybe they thought it was weird how he worked with dead bodies.”

“possibly,” you hummed, “he told me he came straight to hurricane, though.”

“your dad’s a liar,” michael pointed out, “surely you know this by now.”

with a sigh, your shoulders fell, “yeah, i’m just.. still trying to grasp everything..”

“you still love him though,” michael stated, “that’s normal, he probably felt he had a good reason to.”

your eyes felt dry as you blinked from all the staring, “i just need him to tell me without cryptic messages.”

michael clapped his hands, startling you, “that’s why i’m here to help, we’ll find him.”

you sulked, “thank you, but how?”

the boy pulled a chain of keys out from his pocket and swung them around his finger, “because i can help you look.”

your eyes lit up and you grinned, “really? you’ll drive me out of state?”

“i’m driving us out of state!” michael chuckled, putting his keys back. you hugged him, thanking him a few times before pulling back.

michael stared at you in thought. he just could not help but admire how full of life you were. your childish way of expressing your emotions when they got too much for you but on your own, you were reserved and unaware of how awkward you actually were. you had a maturity to you and it amazed him how well you maintained it and knowing you missed out on lots of things people your age, he’s surprised you weren’t more rebellious in some way.

“yeah we can leave tomorrow at dawn,” michael suggested, “the earlier we leave, the sooner we find your dad and get to come back!”

excitedly, you hugged michael again.

“i can’t thank you enough,” you expressed with tears in your eyes, “i mean.. you barely know me and you’re willing to help me with this.”

bashfully, michael rubbed his necked and shrugged, “it would be wrong of me to let you go through this alone, i can’t find it in me to be made aware of something and ignore it.”

“scratching the itch..” you let out, absentmindedly. michael nodded, “yeah, like that.”

the two of you left the basement shortly after that conversation and michael didn’t stay.

“how do i know what to pack?” you asked at the door, seeing him off. michael advised you packed a weeks worth of clothing, a toothbrush and the map. just before he left the porch, you waved at him and he waved back.

you watched his car speed off before going back inside.

you did what he said, using one of your dad’s travel bags to stuff with a weeks worth of clothes. in the middle of summer, it was probably wise to pack shorts and skirts and easy tops.

a lot of your clothes were actually hand-me-downs from your dad’s ex girlfriend. you never met her, but he kept all of the clothes she left here because she never came to pick them up. to be honest, her style wasn’t completely bad.

it just seemed like she might’ve been a hippie.

judging from the neutral browns and orange and green patterns. maybe some yellow or red here and there.

or the dresses littered with flowers that hardly got to halfway down your thigh. your dad hated those dresses, saying they were too immodest. but he let you keep them, considering the heat could get too much sometimes. plus, nobody would see.

it explained all of the tight shorts and flares. your dad’s ex was into prime 70s fashion. you didn’t blame her though, her clothers were nice.

your bag was filled with two tops, two pairs of shorts, a skirt, a jumper, multiple pairs of socks, and obviously underwear. you didn’t bother with picking out shoes, you only had a pair of boots. one pair of matching pyjama’s barely fit into the bag as you remembered it last minute.

and then you fit hygiene essentials into the two side pockets.

you don’t think you would be able to sleep with all the nerves that were buzzing inside of you.

[transfenris-truther]

New Fic! Chapter 1 of If Not By Faith- By the Sword is now up on A03. Hoping this is going to be a quick little ten chapter guy, but I know myself and I'm terrified I'll be writing it until 2025. Here's a summary:

Carver joins the Templars because he has to. His brother must be dead, or so lost in the Deep Roads that he'll never be seen again. His Mother can't afford to live on a mercenary's salary alone. Desperate Fereldans can join the guard, the Templars or mine the Bone Pit. Carver's already burnt his bridges with the guard, but if the purpose of the Templars is to protect mages, he has a lot of experience.

Unfortunately, it seems very few Templars share his perspective.

With the disappearance of his brother into the Deep Roads, Carver joins the Templars to make ends meet. To his surprise, he ends up a key member of a secret society of Templars affiliated with the mage underground. His brother may be the Champion of Kirkwall, but Carver's name is going to mean something too.

And here's a little excerpt:

Meredith's mouth was razor thin, but she didn't object a second time, "I understand you are Ferelden."

Carver nodded. It was safer than speaking.

"We accept refugees here, of course, but this is not a charity. The life of a Templar requires dedication and commitment. It's not a salary. It's a calling."

Carver suppressed his eye roll.

"Tell me, Recruit Hawke, what called you to become a Templar?"

"The Maker, I guess?... Ser."

"Hmm. Tell me, what does the chant say about magic?"

Carver knew the right answer here, the one he'd been taught to parrot since childhood. The answer he could say without a hint of acid in his tone, "Magic exists to serve man. Never to rule over him."

She stood, seemingly satisfied with that answer, and walked to a shelf of books.

"And what does the Chant say about Mages, in specific?"

"The magisters-"

She cut him off, "The Chant speaks of magic. It speaks of Magisters. It says nothing of mages by name. Do you know why that is?"

Carver shrugged and Meredith pounced on the opening.

"Because Andraste was a gentle woman. Because the Maker is a gentle god. They do not speak of mages because what must be done to control them is not a gentle thing."

He got the impression that she'd given this speech a thousand times as her fingers skimmed the spines of the books.

"When the Maker found his creation wanting, he did not destroy us. He did not even punish. Instead, he turned his face away from us, unable to bear the harm we do to ourselves. Andraste herself was no warrior. When it came time to change the world, to wrest it from the grasp of the Magisters, she did not raise the sword. Instead she died to give us The Chant."

Carver suspected he and the knight-commander had different perspectives on history, but he let her continue.

"Yet, The Chant does tell us to take up arms, it does command us to stand against the corrupt and the wicked. It commands us never to falter. The Maker and Andraste are too holy and gentle to take those duties into their own hands. That," she said with finality, "Is our calling. That is what makes us the Champions of the Just."

She returned to her desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a shimmering blue vial. "This is the magic we use to serve man. And out there-" she gestured to the door, beyond which a community of mages was imprisoned, "-are the mages who wish to rule over him."

[liatieska]

Adding on to my last post, here's some sad depressed Argyle:

Here he is. Sitting in his dirty bedroom. Clothes all over the floor, papers and different objects covering every surface available and then some, music tapes in every possible drawer. Just a complete mess. That's usually how it always is, but there's a key problem here:

Argyle isn't high. He hasn't been able to touch the stuff since everything that happened. He's been bone dry sober for over two weeks and it's terrible. His head is filled with burying bodies, super powered children of cursed experiments, and evil creatures under the Earth that want domination.

He didn't understand how Jonathan got through years of this. Course, he did get high quite often when they became friends, but still.

Argyle wasn't sober very often but when he was it made him think, and he wanted to do anything but. He knew he shouldn't, not in this head space, but he opened his dresser drawer and pulled out a metal lunchbox. He opened the container and pulls out a pre-rolled joint.

"Purple Palm Tree Delight." He tries to sound excited but it doesn't ring true. He sits on the floor and lights the joint. Argyle takes a long drag, motions coming natural. It feels nice, body seeming to finally still and his brain quiets.

After a few puffs he relaxes into the side of his bed and humming quietly. It's good, quiet. He stretches his arms over his head as a small smile crosses his face. He can relax.

His heart seems to stop beating as the sound of a helicopter sounds outside. Argyle's breath hitches as he starts to panic. His vision is fuzzy, he's getting dizzy. He didn't even realize he stood up until he had tripped over his own feet and fell against one of his desks.

Something hit the floor and shattered. Argyle didn't know if he screamed or not, it was like he was deaf. His eyesight seemed to be fading, blacking out. He stumbled over to his bedside table and to the phone. Argyle didn't even know who he was dialing.

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

Jonathan was going through his polaroid photos from the last week. He'd gotten back from a visit to Hawkins and taken tons of photos for his corkboard. The phone on his bedside table rang. He jolted and sighed. Jonathan stood from his seat and walked out to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jon, Jonny, hey man, I, I'm having a really really bad trip right now, I'm scared. Can- can you come over dude? I don't know when I'm gonna come down." Argyle was rambling through the phone.

"Woah, Argyle? I- Yeah, yeah I can come over I'll be over right away. Don't move, okay? I'll be right over."

"Okay. Okay." Jonathan hung up. He grabbed a bag and threw some water and a few snacks inside before heading out the door. Argyle's place wasn't too far, but he ran anyway. At the front door he took out his extra key and went inside.

Walking in he found his way to Argyle's room. When he walked inside his friend was balled up in a small cubby between the wall and a dresser.

"Argyle, Argyle, hey." He spoke softly as he strode closer. The man looked up and weakly smiled.

"Hey, dude."

"Hey. You alright?"

"I don't know man, I thought- I thought it would calm me down but, fuck, then I heard something and I freaked the hell out." Jonathan sat down next to him.

"I don't know how you do it, man. Be so calm and...neutral." He snorted.

"Thats an overstatement. I'm not calm about anything, dude."

"Well, then you're sure good at faking it."

"I guess I am. But, dude, if you're ever freaking out about something you can call me, you know?" Argyle hugged his knees.

"I don't know, Jon. It's just- you went through so much more than I did. I almost feel silly."

"Argyle, no, no. What you've seen is terrible, I wish...I wish you hadn't gotten involved. But that doesn't mean what happened to you doesn't suck. We're all in this together, we're here for eachother. I'm here for you." Jonthan squeezed his shoulder. A smile crossed his face.

"Thanks Jon."

"No problem. Now, want to watch a movie, eat junk, and braid your hair?" Argyle grinned.

"Fuck yeah, man."