#every bump in the road here scares me into thinking this isn't real and they're going to revoke the offer i accepted

[izzy-b-hands]

i am not panicking bc hr isn't getting back to me with my ID number which will prove im registered with them and that im actually hired (and allow me to set up direct deposit)

what if i just choose the send me paper checks option like

my new bank lets me cash them via the online portal, maybe that's the secret to solving this

they have a form that says they'll pay me that way at least and if the id number never shows up...

i dont want to think abt what that means bc i Know what that would mean and that possibility terrifies me

[touyubesposts]

Ghosts aren’t Real (Part 1/?)

Hey, this is my first Storytime Big Bang (@tss-storytime) submission! It was very fun, even thought here were a couple of road blocks (Mostly my fault. 😅) I was partnered with @pizza-box-raccoon, who has some amazing art! (Some of the best IMO.) Their art is here, go check it out! There's nothing too serious in this chapter (or in the next one (I think)) but look at the tags and keep them in mind just in case ❤️

Summary: After a ‘Ghost’ knocks over something in his kitchen while he was coming up with video ideas with friends, Quill and Davi come up with the idea to go ghost hunting in his house. Virgil is scared that they’ll somehow get detected, but Logan is less convinced. Because Ghosts aren’t real… Right?

Rating: PG?

Word Count: 2135 (A short read :))

Ships: None, everything is purely platonic

CW: Mentions of death, Negative thinking, Remus being Remus, if I miss anything let me know 👍

(Fanfic under cut)

(Thomas's P.O.V)

"- So yeah, that could be a fun video idea," Davi finishes up his statement, taking a bite of Chinese food.

Quil chimes in, "Yeah, I could see that, but we don't have a pool."

"There are public pools."

We were talking on the couch about video ideas and things the others wanted to do, trying to come up with ideas while also talking a bit about how we were doing. Patton was watching over us in the kitchen fondly, smiling at every idea and laughing at every joke, even if they weren't particularly good. Patton adjusts himself, accidentally knocking a spoon onto the floor, causing Quil and Davi to look in his direction.

"Thomas, your ghosts are hungry," Davi jokes.

My sides come around and check on me often. It's not surprising at this point and there is nothing I can really do about it anyway. However, they can be clumsy at times as well, accidentally knocking things over and bumping into furniture or walls. No problem, they usually pick whatever they knocked over up and go on their way. The problem is when people are over and they do it. At first, it freaked out my friends and made me self-conscious about it. But over time it became a light-hearted joke, so now whenever something gets knocked over or there's an 'unexplainable thump,' they say it's 'my ghosts' messing around.

"Well, they'll have to stay hungry," I smile, "I have no idea how to feed them."

"That rude, Thomas," Quil joins in, "You should always feed your guests."

I glance at Patton for a split second, "More like unruly roommates. They're lucky, they don't even pay rent."

"Technically we do, but-" Patton goes on to say before being cut off by Quil.

"Damn, must be a hard afterlife. Knock over a random guy's stuff and he doesn't even make you food."

"Would you?”

"... Depends."

Davi asks, "Hey, Thomas? Random question, but were you scared when you first moved into this house?"

I glance at Patton for help, but he just shrugs wildly at me. "Umm... No, not really. I mean, I guess it was scary at first, but after a while, you just tune out the noise."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Do you think it's actually a ghost or a demon or what?"

Oh boy, if only you knew. "Well... No, I don't think it's a ghost or a demon. I'm sure there's a solid, logical reason that all of this is happening but we just aren't seeing it. But the way I think of it is... If it was going to hurt me or wanted to hurt me, it would've done so by now, you know?"

Davi nods, "Yeah, I get it." I play off a breath of relief as just a sigh. I was making stuff up. I know for a fact it isn't a ghost, it's me. And it's not an it! It's a he! Sometimes a 'they,' but in, like, a plural way.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Quil smiles excitedly. "Let's do a ghost-hunting video!"

I feel my heart drop to my stomach as I realize what that implies. "... A ghost-hunting video?"

"Yeah! I have some equipment I could bring over, try some stuff I saw on TikTok a while ago, it could be fun! I mean, we most likely won't catch anything, but it could still make a cool video if we crack jokes and just have fun with it, you know?"

I nod along, feeling like roots and vines wrapped around my chest and squeezed tightly. "Yeah, totally!"

"Oh my god, I love watching those ghost-hunting videos!" Davi excitedly grabs Quil's arm, "Have you seen the ones that Ryan and Shane do?"

"Are you talking about their newer ones or their older ones?"

Davi and Quil continue talking about Ghostfiles and Buzzfeed unsolved while I give Patton a concerned glance. He holds onto his cardigan nervously, refusing to make eye contact with me. Finally, he sinks down guiltily. I feel bad for Patton. He didn't mean to, it was an accident. But now I may have to face a reality I don't want to face, that being 'confronting the idea that my sides are more than my sides.'

"So when do you wanna do it?" Quil turns to me and asks, catching me off guard.

Oh god, how do I answer this? Is there a good answer to this? "Umm, I don't know-"

"The soonest I'm free is a week from now," Davi chimes in, "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, I should be free then," Quil turns towards me, "Thomas?"

"... Yeah, that works great!" I force a smile, trying my hardest to not let them suspect anything.

"Sweet! Hey, I gotta go, but I'll text you guys about it. It will be fun!"

"Great!" Davi grabs his bag, "I'd stay longer, but Quil's my ride. I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Yeah, of course!" I walk Quil and Davi out the door, waving them off. I take deep breaths as I close the door as sit back down on my couch in defeat. After a couple of minutes of agonizing silence, Virgil pops up by the stairs. Great.

I sigh, forcing a smile, "Hey, Virgil."

"Cut it," Virgil ordered, not buying my happy exterior. I immediately drop my smile after I hear him speak. "You were hanging out with Quil and Davi and now you're anxious... Why?"

Without another word, I summon Patton. As soon as he appeared, he began rambling. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! My hand just brushed against it and it fell and I didn't know it was there! I shouldn't have even been here, I should've ducked out when I could, I-"

"Patton!" Virgil shouts over him. Patton stops, waiting for Virgil to speak. "... Tell me what happened."

Patton takes a shakey inhale before speaking, "So, I... I knocked a spoon on the floor... in front of Quil and Davi-"

"Is that it?"

"No, that's... That's not the bad part. The bad part is... Now Davi and Quil want to ghost hunt here because of me."

"What?!" Virgil shouts, along with Roman and Logan who just arrived. While Roman and Virgil sounded genuinely concerned and panicked, Logan just sounded confused.

"I'm sorry!" Patton covered his face, part in embarrassment.

"Hold on," Logan interrupted, "Why are we panicking? Why is Quil and Davi 'ghost hunting' a bad thing?"

"Because what if they detect us?" Virgil speaks up.

Logan sighs, "They won't. We aren't ghosts, we are a part of Thomas. Also, ghosts aren't real."

Roman buts in, "Yes, I get that, but... Don't you at least find it a little strange that we can touch and throw things even though we are nothing more than Thomas's thoughts and feelings?"

Virgil leans in closer, "Interact with our surroundings... Like ghosts?"

Logan holds the bridge of his nose, "Gosh, both of you are being ridiculous. Yes, it is a little... Odd that we can touch things that exist. But for us to be ghosts, we'd have to be real or human, in some sense. And as far as I'm concerned, we don't even exist outside of Thomas."

At this time, Remus and Janus have both appeared in the kitchen, listening in on our conversations. Virgil pipes up once more, "You say that, but obviously, we have to exist somewhat. We can literally interact with our environment! Meaning we are as real as the things we knock over. Also meaning, we could be ghosts."

"... Virgil, we would have to have died to be ghosts, meaning we existed before Thomas. And that just doesn't seem likely, considering we are Thomas."

"But how do we know that?!"

"Because we are Thomas! Literally! If it looks like Thomas and sounds like Thomas, it's probably Thomas."

"No, I mean how do we know that we didn't exist before Thomas?!"

"We didn't exist before Thomas, there's... There's no way we could've... Ghosts are dead, Virgil. For us to have died, we would have to have lived. And the only one here that has ever lived is Thomas."

"Maybe we did live and we don't remember it! Isn't that the cliche? That the ghost has to remember how they died to pass on? If that's the case, then it makes sense why we don't remember dying or living."

"God, Virgil, you are infuriating right now." Logan turns towards everyone else in a slow turn, looking for support, "I'm not the crazy one here, right? I'm being reasonable? Patton, Janus, anyone?!"

Janus tilts their head slightly, lost in thought, before speaking. "You know... I would try and lie about this, but I... I actually don't know the answer."

"What?" Logan says exasperatedly.

"I mean... I could give an answer, but I wouldn't be lying... I'd just be wrong, maybe."

Logan whips around towards Virgil again, "Okay, then how do you explain all of us looking like Thomas if we are separated beings from Thomas?"

"I don't know, maybe that's the only way Thomas can see us."

"So... What, you think Thomas is a medium? And what about what we represent? We know what we represent, that has to have some meaning for you, right?"

"Guys, let's calm down and take a breath, alright?" Patton tries to de-escalate, moving his hands as he speaks. "I mean, will know the answer when it happens, right?"

"Yes, but-" Logan interrupts himself. He takes a deep breath, before facing Virgil once more, "... But I want to try and ease everyone's mind before then."

Virgil sighs, "I know, I just... I'm scared to be... 'Found out', you know? I mean, as much as we pretend that all of this is normal, we all know it isn't. We know Joan or Kenny or Davi and Quil don't have their own 'sides' that they talk to daily. And I don't know how much longer we can lie to them about this."

"Virgil-"

"And what if they react badly? What if they think all of this is weird or strange, too weird for them to stick around? Or what if they think Thomas is haunted by ghosts and they freak out and run off? And what if they tell Thomas's other friends and they do the same? What then?"

The entire room has gone silent. This wasn't a new train of thought for me, being scared that my friends were going to leave, but hearing it out loud in this context made my stomach flip. Finding out about the sides really would freak them out too much, wouldn't it?

Logan places his hands on Virgil's shoulders softly, with a neutral but sympathetic look. "Everything will be fine. I promise... They may think it's weird, but it should take more than this to drive them away. "

"... And if it does drive them away?"

"Then they weren't real friends anyway. Plus," Logan removes his hands and dusts himself off, "I don't see why they should be scared. We're the ones who live with it."

"Yeah!" Roman cheers, "If they don't like it, they can suck it! We deal with us every day, and that just makes us stronger than them."

"And it's not like they have anything to fear," Patton adds on, sitting on the arm of the couch, "We aren't violent or evil or anything."

"Speak for yourself," Remus cracks his neck, the pops sending shivers down my spine.

Patton winces, "Well... Well, we've never hurt anyone."

"On purpose."

"Or severely."

"Or physically," Logan explains, "We can't touch them. We can touch things, Like spoons or counters, but not people. So even if Remus wanted to put his hands on them, he couldn't."

"If I could physically hurt people, I would've done so already. That's why you gotta... put them to sleep for me, Sanders-man."

I shoot Remus a look, "Okay, that first sentence did freak me out a bit, but... Sanders-man?"

"Like sandman. Not my best work, I admit. I'll workshop it."

Janus clears his throat to get everyone's attention, "So we're lying about this, right? If they suspect anything just deny?"

Virgil takes a harsh breath in, taking a seat on the stairs, "... As much as I hate you and that idea... It's the only one that can keep Thomas safe."

"Aw, Virgil doesn't want to admit I'm useful~"

Logan takes control of the conversation once more. "Reminder: this is all dependant on if their ghost equipment even detects us. And there's a very good chance it doesn't.

Maybe... Maybe attempting to rationalize with fear was the wrong move. Because, and don't take this the wrong way Virgil, but fear can be... A bit irrational. Why don't we try and find different ways to cope until then? Any ideas?"

To be continued…

[casspurrjoybell-27]

Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 47

*Warning Adult Content*

Mind Made Up

Everett can do nothing but watch.

He watches in frustration and full-blown alarm as one of the policemen moves Knox's truck off to the side and away from the pump.

He then climbs back into the cruiser with his partner, Knox trapped like a wild animal in its steel embrace and they drive away.

The crowd disperses, the drama over and Everett makes a dash toward Knox's truck.

"They're gone."

He clenches the cell-phone in his hand, having given Gavin a play-by-play.

"But they left the key to the truck behind. What do you want me to do?"

"Alright, listen," Gavin replies, his voice steady.

"If they had a warrant to search it, they wouldn't have left the truck behind, so they probably took Knox in on some bullshit. It's all scare tactics. I'm texting the club lawyer as we speak."

"What kind of bullshit?" Everett asks before thinking.

By now, he should know better than to ask questions that won't be answered.

"Club business. I can't tell you, kid. I'm sorry," Gavin says.

"Do you want me to send Finn out to pick up the truck or are you comfortable driving it back? I'll make sure Mason scrubs the cameras out there. Your involvement won't be documented."

Everett takes a deep breath.

Driving the truck back is a risk but he feels a sense of responsibility to Knox.

"I can drive it back," he replies.

"I can do it."

"I'm sending Finn out anyway. Don't want you to be alone right now," Gavin assures him before ending the call.

Everett pockets his cell-phone and climbs into the driver's seat, the keys dangling from the ignition.

He closes his eyes and takes a moment to inhale deeply, the scent of Knox's cologne lingering in the air like a distant memory.

He starts the engine seconds later, both hands trembling as he grips the steering wheel and navigates the truck out of the gas station.

He tries to ignore the regret swirling in his stomach.

He's been acting like a total dick since their long-distance conversation.

His concerns are valid but had he known Knox would get snatched up by the police today, perhaps he would've handled his emotions a little better.

No matter, his nerves are officially shot now.

The tension in his body makes every bump and pothole on the road feel amplified.

He can't stop looking in the rear view mirror, thinking that he's being followed during the whole drive back to the clubhouse.

He doesn't truly calm down until he spots Finn on his motorcycle halfway into the drive.

They ride back together, Everett leading the way while Finn takes on the job of scanning the road for any of their enemies.

As they eventually pass through the gate of the clubhouse, Everett brings the truck to a stop and hops out, his legs feeling slightly unsteady.

He turns to Finn.

"Be real with me for five seconds," he says.

"Fuck club business. How much trouble is Knox really in?"

"Look, the pigs love fucking with us, kid."

Finn's expression is guarded, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

"But we're careful in everything that we do, so there's really no need to worry..."

"Oh. My. God. Do I have to be initiated in or whatever the fuck for you people to just tell me a little bit of what's really going on here?" Everett snaps.

"Everett. Chill."

Finn places a hand on his shoulder and much to his surprise, Everett doesn't shrug it off.

"Without any hard evidence for... whatever it is that they think Knox did, the longest they can hold him is 48 hours. We just have to wait it out, man," his words amount to a whole lot of nothing but arguing with Finn isn't going to bring Knox back, so Everett has no choice but to drop it.

He nods, lips pressed into a tight line and he grabs the grocery bags from the backseat.

With Finn by his side, they head into the busy clubhouse.

Bear greets Everett in the kitchen.

The dog's presence is a brief distraction from his turbulent thoughts.

He kneels to accept the affectionate nuzzles and licks.

"I missed you too."

Burying his face in Bear's soft fur, Everett apologizes for his absence.

"You're probably wondering where your other Daddy is, aren't you?"

As if to answer his question, the dog whines in response.

But the moment is quickly ruined by the ping of his cell-phone, signaling a new text.

Everett pulls it out, his brow furrowing as he sees its from an unknown number.

His heart nearly stops as he reads the message: You have 24 hrs to deliver the USB. Come alone to the attached address. If you don't, there's gonna be more dead bodies.

Everett's stomach churns, bile rising in his throat.

Before he can shout for Gavin, two more pings signal the arrival of picture messages.

With trembling fingers, he opens the first image, eyes widening in horror as he sees his father's house.

The blinds are open on the living room windows, revealing his father eating in the kitchen alone, oblivious to the danger lurking nearby.

The next picture message is even more chilling.

The lifeless bodies of the two Fallen Angels members who were keeping guard at his parents' house stare back at him from the inside of someone's trunk, their eyes vacant and faces battered.

Everett's vision blurs, the room spinning around him as he rushes to the kitchen trash can and retches violently, his body shaking with each burning heave.

Bear whines beside him repeatedly and the chattering in the room stops abruptly.

He can feel all eyes on him as Finn walks over to place his hand on his lower back, his voice a low whisper when he speaks.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Stupid fucking question, isn't it?"

Everett straightens and wipes his mouth with the hem of his shirt, his mind racing with thoughts that don't feel right.

Without another word, he rushes out of the kitchen, Bear's loyal footsteps trailing behind him.

They head upstairs and enter Knox's bedroom, Everett shutting the door behind them.

His heart is heavy and throbbing as he paces the floor.

The thought of betraying The Fallen Angels, of stealing the USB drive after everything they've done for him, makes it feel like a million explosions are going off in his head.

In truth, however, the choice he needs to make is quite simple.

The Jackals are already at his house and will presumably stay until he hands over the USB.

Even if he tells Gavin about the threats, The Fallen Angels won't be able to reach his father in time.

The Jackals will definitely shoot to kill before anyone can sneak up for the rescue.

'Don't leave the clubhouse. Stay where you are, kitten. Let my brothers handle this. You trust us, right?' he can almost hear Knox's voice, firm and protective, telling him to stay put.

Too bad Knox isn't physically here right now.

The tables have turned drastically and it's up to Everett to take action, to make a move that may cost him everything... even his own life... for the sake of his father.

Even as his emotions threaten to overwhelm him, he knows exactly what he must do.

So he takes another look around the bedroom, committing every detail to memory before finding a notepad and pen to scribble down a short message for Knox.

His mind is made up.

Everett is going to steal back the USB.