#i am howling i am SCREAMING how do i calm myself down i already cried listening to the Kermit rainbow song i love them i love this fandom i

[sad-yehaw]

“Stede becomes a man.”

[sahsoosahku]

FanFic - Chaos Commencing at Konoha's Korean BBQ

On their night off the Konoha gang get back together for some Korean BBQ! But knowing these ninja's - something is bound to go seriously wrong. Poor Ino and Tenten, their organised night was ruined by Soju Sasuke and Drunk Lee.

Characters: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sai, Lee, Tenten, Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Drunk Lee, Charasuke

Pairings: Sasusaku / SaiIno / Naruhina

______________________________________________

This only happens once in a blue moon!

The gang is back together!

Somehow all of Team 7s classmates aren't on any missions or busy for just one night. Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba and Shikamaru just returning from their weeklong mission, and late tomorrow Hinata, Sakura and Sai leave for 2 days.

Tonight, they reunite for some babbling, eating, and of course drinking.

Ino and Tenten organised for this rowdy bunch to relax in front of an open flame for some Korean BBQ at Konoha's finest. Ensuring there were 12 seats ready to go, Tenten smiled at the display before her.

One by one familiar faces rolled in. Sai, greeting Ino with a peck, Choji appearing from the corner as if he was already in the restaurant. Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru and Kiba with Akamaru soon followed, bowing their heads and thanking the ladies for their thoughtfulness and hard work.

"HEY!" Kiba yelled soon after "Where is Akamaru going to sit?"

"You know dogs can't be here!" Retorted Ino.

Kiba responded with a puppy dog frown then winked over at Akamaru who burst into smoke becoming a carbon copy of Kiba. "Sit! Sit here Akamaru!" He leaped into a seat Shino was just about to take.

And then finally, team 7 (who are always late), burst in with Naruto's "WOW! THIS IS GREAT! The Genin's are back together!"

"Speak for yourself, Naruto" laughed Shikamaru.

"Oh yeah" frowned Naruto, looking over at Sasuke, knowing at least he wasn't the last Genin there.

"Wait a minute-" Sakura searched "Where's Lee?"

"He is somewhere training" brushed off Tenten "He always adds another thousand something finger push ups before a big meal, don't worry, he'll be here soon!"

Sasuke and Sakura took the last paired spots beside Ino and Sai, Naruto trying to squish into the booth with them.

"HEY! NARUTO! Just what are you doing!" Yelled Sakura, who was sitting on the edge trying to push him off. "But I want to sit with you guyssss!" he sulked leaning on Sakura.

"We were just on a mission together Usuratoncachi-" scowled Sasuke, pushing Naruto's face off of Sakura "Go sit with your wife!"

"But she let me!" He pouted looking at her for confirmation, Hinata nodding with a smile and polite wave.

"NOW!" Kicked Sakura.

And with a frown he leapt to Hinata and whinged "NOW THAT THEY ARE TOGETHER, THEY DON'T WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ME ANYMOREEEEE!"

"It's ok Naruto-kun" patted Hinata, "I can feed you some pork belly!"

"Did someone say Pork belly?" Interjected Choji, munching on the sides.

And with a smile Naruto hugged Hinata tightly and filled her face with kisses repeating "Ah I missed you!" "You're the best Hinata!" "I love you so much!" Then blowing a raspberry at Sakura and Sasuke.

They looked on with blank faces, embarrassed for their irritating teammate.

"Can I sit here? Thanks Shino!" Naruto rushed - half his butt cheek already shoving Shino off - forcing everyone to shuffle around. "How troublesome" sighed Shikamaru and everyone laughed.

"Let's order!" Smiled Tenten and Choji cheered along. "Let's also make it 10 bottles of Soju and a beer for everyone, does that sound good?"

______________________________________________

The sizzling kobe beef and pork belly were barely heard over the sound of laughter and chatter. Sasuke, mainly silent, munched away at his Kimchi and seafood pancake.

"Sasuke-kun! You barely touched your beer" smiled Ino, already a few shots of soju in. "Here let me pour you some soju, it's grape flavoured!"

"He is a light drinker!" Insisted Sakura, also a few drinks in "He can stick to his beer"

"Wow Sasuke! I see who wears the pants in this relationship" Ino teased, embarrassing a somewhat intoxicated Sakura.

"I-" Sasuke began.

"HEY, WATCH IT! Before I fry you on this grill myself INOPIG" Jumped up Sakura with a fist ready to go.

"I'm just saying! C'mon I know he has never tried soju before, isn't that right Sasuke?" Ino purred grabbing a shot glass to make him a drink.

"I haven't-" Again Sasuke said trying to get a word in.

"HEY! If anyone is going to be pouring him a drink, IT'S ME" scowled Sakura.

"OI! I am the one who offered" growled Ino back.

"Go make your own boyfriend a drink!" Jumped Sakura over Sasuke, trying to grab the shot glass and bottle from Ino's hands.

"Sai- doesn't- mind-!" she said fighting Sakura for grip.

"I don't mind sharing my girlfriend!" smiled Sai from behind Ino.

"See! Now- let- me- pour-!"

As the girls where wrestling each other over an irritated Sasuke, he tsked and snatched the soju bottle from their hands and quickly shot up.

To everyone's amazement he threw beck 6 long gulps, finishing the bottle. And with a scrunched face he smacked his lips and frowned "it's sweet"

Shocked, everyone looked over. Sakura, frightened by the amount of alcohol a cheap drunk like Sasuke just drank, she carefully whispered to him "Sasuke… Soju is not like beer… it's a lot stronger…"

Sasuke sat down slowly and burped "I feel fine"

The onlookers giggled and whispered, "I wonder which drunk Sasuke we are going to see tonight" "Happy again?" "Sad?" "Angry" "Oo- I hope is dancy" "No- no- SINGY! Then we can go to karaoke!"

"Hey, Akamaru eat up" smiled Kiba, feeding his twin. Then..

BANG!

Sasuke's face slammed down into his food.

"I guess it's a passed out Sasuke" sighed Shikamaru. A tipsy Naruto burst out laughing, followed by a howling from the other boys.

"Oh no" sighed Sakura, trying to pull Sasuke up "I told you he can't hold his liquor"

Ino apologised grabbing tissues and moving his plates aside to make room for a sleeping Sasuke. "Is he going to be alright?"

"His vitals feel fine, but he usually blacks out after 2 or 3 beers… Maybe I should take him home?"

Nooo! Everyone replied urging her to stay. It was too rare to have everyone together again.

She wiped his face and slowly put him back down on the table for a nap.

______________________________________________

The night carried on, bringing laughing tears into the eyes of anyone who remembered that Sasuke was there.

"Just like back in the day I suppose" Chuckled Kiba, "Not hearing a word from Sasuke!"

"HEY!" Naruto responded and Sakura giggled. "Just like the old days" she recalled. Oh, the silly antics Team 7 and the others used to get into.

Almost done with their meals an excited Lee blazed in with his legs up and hands to the floor. With a flip he announced "HELLO MY FELLOW BRETHREN'S LIVING IN THE SPRINGTIME OF THEIR YOUTHS! I, ROCK LEE, AM READY TO ENJOY A HEARTY MEAL WITH PALS!"

"Lee!" The drunken crowd cheered, for once meeting his enthusiasm.

"Where were you, Lee? We are almost done!" Asked Tenten, blinking slowly.

"My apologies Tenten! I just finished training; I lost my count 3 times at around 700 so I started again! And with every time I miscounted, I added another 1000!" He beamed too proudly.

"Seems a bit excessive" she sighed making the others laugh.

"Ah I am famished! I do desperately need a glass of water!" And with the slip of a hand Lee grabbed the bottle of soju rather than the jug of water right beside it.

NooooOooOooO

Everyone yelled in slow motion jumping for Lee, but no one could match his incredulous speed. By the time Naruto, Choji, Kiba and Shikamaru were pulling back his arms and hands, the empty bottle shattered to the ground.

"Oh no-" said Tenten

"Fuck" muttered Shikamaru as Lee slipped out of their hands.

He reappeared beside an unsuspecting Sakura, wobbling beside her and with a drunken smile. He blabbered "Hey, girl, wasssuppppp"

Freaked out Sakura wailed "Eeehh?! Knock it off Lee!" trying to push him off.

Shikamaru tried the Shadow Imitation Technique but somehow Lee's speedy feet just kept missing him.

"C'mon give me a little sugar" he mused to Sakura sending her air kisses while easily dodging her punches.

...

..

.

There was a shift in mood.

Suddenly the air turned sinister.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" Grumbled Lee.

Behind Sakura was a dark shadow looming over them. "Back off" growled Sasuke, preparing his Chakra.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the guy who copied my Taijutsu!" Spat Lee, almost tripping over his own feet.

"And I was better at it" slurred Sasuke.

"Now, now, calm down!" Sakura pleaded standing between them.

"I CHALLENGE YOU!" Pointed Lee.

"YEAH, WELL TRY ME BROWS!" Pointed Sasuke back.

"OH YEAH"

"YEAH"

Lee grabbed another bottle of soju from the poor people behind him to arm himself. Sasuke did the same snatching another bottle from Sai's hand.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan ready to copy, ready for battle.

And Lee with a smile prepared his greatest weapon –

- guzzling the soju.

Sasuke mirrored his actions, trying to beat the speed of the other. Finishing at the same time they extravagantly threw their bottles on the table smashing and spraying it onto a grill, causing a minor flame.

Everyone was mortified, and in shock Hinata and Ino quickly threw water on the grills to extinguish the fire.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo"

Cried Choji, watching the meat bubble and sear in the coals.

"Haha a worthy opponent!" cackled Lee.

"Let's take this outside!" Hiccuped Sasuke.

"I guess Sasuke is an angry drunk on soju" Naruto commented following the crowd outside.

.

..

...

"…And on my birthday" sighed a wet Shino, covered in spilled water from the glass attack. Hinata still by his side smiled and said, "I didn't forget your birthday Shino."

*Poof* They turned to Akamaru reappearing beside a wailing Choji crying over ruined beef. "WHYYY!"

"HEY" screamed the shocked hostess "NO DOGS!"

______________________________________________

Lee and Sasuke stood before each other on the open street. Civilians passed by whispering and watching the ensuing mayhem.

"WE WILL FIGHT FOR SAKURA'S LOVE!" Exclaimed Lee.

"Ew" Sakura loudly thought.

"FOR SAKURA'S LOVE!" yelled Sasuke, confident in reply.

"Not you too... Sasuke" everyone sighed.

Everyone pleaded for them to stop but a powerful Lee interjected "This is between me and Sasuke!"

Both men began to prepare to fight. Lee unlocking his third gate yelling "DRUNKEN FISTS" and Sasuke replying with "MANGEKYO SHARINGAN"

"WHICH ONE OF YOU IDIOTS DESTROYED OUR GRILLS!?" Yelled the hostess with a swinging ladle in one hand and dragging Akamaru out with the other. Shino, Hinata, and Choji appeared behind her.

As everyone pointed towards Sasuke and Lee, the two drunkards used it as a signal to start charging towards one another.

AHHHHH

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

they both yelled and bracing themselves.

AHHHHHHHH-

AHHHHHH-

THUD.

CRASH.

SPLAT.

EEEHHHHHH!? Reacted everyone seeing both Lee and Sasuke trip over themselves.

"CHOJI NOW! SHADOW IMITATION TECHNIQUE" prepared Shikamaru, strapping Lee down at any chance he could get. "EXPANSION JUSTSU" Choji formed and rolled onto Lee.

"Sakura!" Ino yelled "RUN!"

Sakura quickly pulled a passed out Sasuke over her shoulders and began to sprint home hearing the echo "YOU TWO ARE BANNED FOR LIFE...!" follow her down the road.

"HEY WHATS THE BIG IDEA!" Cried Lee.

Amongst the current chaos Sai turned to Ino smiling "What a fun night!" You did a great job!" he said earnestly. Ino groaned into her palm.

"Oh Yeah!" Blurted Kiba, "Happy Birthday Shino!"

_____________________________________________________

I love the silly antics the gang gets into. I hope you enjoyed my story, if you did please leave a review on:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13943114/1/Chaos-Commencing-at-Konoha-s-Korean-BBQ

Drunk Lee is the best and always has me dying from laughter. I found most of my inspiration from this episode of "Rock Lee and his Ninja Pals"(Drunk Lee Ruins Tsunade's Picnic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqnz3v_vsRY).

I wanted to start a series of Sakura dealing with drunk Sasuke and was inspired by this comic strip: ( https://www.instagram.com/p/CFcE6NcFvX6/ ) I really wanted to showcase the multiple personalities Sasuke has depending on the amount and type of alcohol he drinks. In a later SASUSAKU smut chapter, soju Sasuke becomes Charasuke which I was trying to allude in the line "Fight for Sakura's love." I just thought it would be hilarious to combine Drunk Lee and Charasuke in a fight.

Also third wheel Naruto get me going as well. In my mind, he instantly reacquainted himself with Hinata after the mission (if you know what I mean) and being Shino's birthday, Hinata wanted to spend the night with her team mates, encouraging him to third wheel the two love birds.

I hope you guys enjoyed my story! Stay tuned for part 2.

[jaehyunspeachparty]

daddy jaehyun

iv.l. (a)

Sunoh has loved banana bread with peanut butter lately. So you bake him the banana bread every few days so that he can eat his favorite breakfast. And you've been preparing it for him for weeks, also for Miga, but that day the smell made you sick. It was so disgusting that you immediately turn around and throw up in the sink. "Mummy, are you sick?" Asks Miga and came running towards you. You quickly take a glass and fill it with water. "Sweetheart, can you smell on the bread?” You point to the plate and Miga took the banana bread and smelled it. "Does it smell bad?" You ask her, but the girl shook her head. "No, it smells like every day. Super yummy!" She grins and still holds the plate tightly in her small hands. It was strange. Why did the bread smell so disgusting to you, but it was okay for Miga? “Oh,okay! Can you take the plates and give one to your brother?" You couldn't see the banana bread anymore and you didn't want to smell it. You drink water and rinse your vomit in the sink. You actually feel good again and didn't know why this sudden nausea was coming. "Are you all right, Mummy?" Miga looked at you worriedly when you sat down with her with the glass of water. "Yes, I was only sick for a moment." You smile and take another sip of water. The taste of the vomit was still in your mouth and you couldn't wait to brush your teeth. But Jaehyun was still asleep, as his hungover was more intense and he came home very late. But your dizziness was not good and you fear that you may have been sick after all. Until Jaehyun wakes up, you just decide to sit down with the kids in front of the TV. You don't really like the kids watching TV all day, but you feel so tired and dizzy. Jaehyun still wasn't awake and you were so angry. While Miga and Sunoh watched TV, Geon sat on the floor and chewed on his toys. Kiwoo was on top of you and you breastfeed your son. "Slow down my little one." Kiwoo was quite greedy and drank incredibly quickly. Maybe he had a growth spurt. "Mummy, is Daddy not here again today?" Suddenly, Miga wasn't interested in the television anymore, she missed her father. "He's still sleeping. He came home very late yesterday." You look at her and smile gently. "But he's always there on weekends." She looked at you sadly and you see more and more how the children miss their father. "You can go to wake him up," you suggest and you thought anyway that Jaehyun should now take care of his children. "Sunoh, come on let's go to Daddy." She pulled on his sleeve, but Sunoh shook his head. "No," he said pouting and crawling in your direction. "Don't you like to see your Daddy?" You ask him carefully and stroke his head. "I want to cuddle now." For Sunoh, having Kiwoo on top of you was more of a problem because he wanted your attention now. Sunoh always expressed himself differently with his feelings. While Miga always said what she wanted, Sunoh was more likely to say that he wanted more attention from you. Since Jaehyun was not home that much, his attacks of jealousy had started again. "Then I'll go to Daddy alone," Miga then said and hopped off the couch. "Mummyyyyyy ..." Sunoh started to whimper because he still couldn't climb on you. "Sunoh, I'm still breastfeeding your brother. You have to wait now." You speak to him more strictly now, but Sunoh didn't like that at all. He started to cry and didn't want to accept the rebuff. Geon looked at his big brother in amazement and then looked at you. You were now afraid that he would start crying too. Geon was more empathetic and usually went along with the feelings of his siblings. You were just exhausted. You had now reached a point where you were wondering if having so many children was a good idea. You think of Johanna, who was now a single parent. If you ever separated from Jaehyun, would you manage to raise your four children well? "Mummy ... cuddle with me ..." Sunoh continued howling and pulled on your shirt. "Stop it Sunoh. When I'm done with Kiwoo we can cuddle, but you have to wait now." You admonish him and look at him seriously. It hurt you to turn him away like that, but all you knew was that he was seeking Jaehyun's lack of attention from you. "NOOOO!" He kept crying and his whole face was red and wet. Tears rolled down his cheeks and snot ran under his nose. You lean over to the table and quickly take a handkerchief to clean him a little. But Sunoh didn't stop crying and now Geon, who was watching the whole situation, joined in. The 9 month old boy also started crying because his big brother was crying. Only Kiwoo was in a trance and continued to drink from your breast. He was so busy with his food that he didn't see the drama. Such scenes have happened a lot lately and you didn't know what to do anymore. You were glad that Miga was already so independent. "What's going on here?" Jaehyun came to you now and saw the whole catastrophe. Sunoh looked at him and cried again. "Mummyyyyy ..." He put his fingers in his mouth and his face was even wetter now. "Come on, leave Mummy alone now. We're going into the kitchen." Jaehyun was about to pick up Sunoh, but then the boy began to scream and clung to you. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" He was screaming so loudly that Miga covered her ears. "Come on Sunoh. Let go of Mummy." Jaehyun sighed and didn't understand why Sunoh had such outbursts of anger. "NOOO! I want to stay with Mummy." Sunoh screamed and screamed and you couldn't look at it any longer. "Jaehyun, just take Geon and go." After all, your little son was also sitting on the floor, looking at his older brother and crying too. You knew that he was only crying because Sunoh was crying and once he was gone he would calm down again. Jaehyun sighed and went around the couch to pick up Geon. Then he took Miga by the hand and they left the room. "My big boy, what's the matter with you?" You ask him worriedly and wipe his tears away. As soon as Jaehyun was out of the room, he calmed down again. "I want to be with you." Sunoh sobbed a little more, but he looked at you with wide eyes. "Okay, but no more crying. Okay?" You look at him seriously and Sunoh nodded. You open your arm and Sunoh lay down in your armpit. The boy looked back at the TV and Kiwoo slowly fell asleep on your chest.

After lunch, as always, Geon, Kiwoo and Sunoh took their nap. Miga sat in her room and played with her dolls. It was the first time you and Jaehyun could be alone. You are actually looking forward to this time, but today you are afraid of a confrontation. But nausea also contracted in your stomach. Have you been sick? "Y/N ... I'm sorry about yesterday." Jaehyun came up to you and looked at you with concern. So many emotions came up and immediately tears ran down your cheeks. "I don't know why I didn't called. I think I just needed an evening to myself." Jaehyun stroked his head and didn't quite know what to say. "Do you think I don't even need a break. My job is 24/7. I’m alone with the children and never have a break. I can only make the children sleep at the same time, like now, if you help." You got angry and couldn't control your tears. "Should we hire someone? Do you need help?" Jaehyun then asked, but that's not the problem. "No, that's not the point. I love our children and I am happy to be there for them 24/7. But what about us?" You look at him and press your lips together. "We just have to slow down now. It's only for a few more weeks. My job isn't forever and the children are just more important now. I don't have any more time." Jaehyun himself was desperate about the situation, but that was his only solution. But that statement broke your heart. He confirmed to you what you were afraid of. You weren't important enough right now. "You just decide to push me away?" You close your eyes for a moment and hope that you are just having a bad nightmare. "No, I don't want to push you away. But the job makes money and I can't neglect the children." "I miss you, that I can hardly bare it anymore and you make a list where you put me in. Apparently, drinking is more important than me too." You reach for a handkerchief to quickly drain your tears. "I really miss you. And it was so stupid from that I was yesterday out but...", Jaehyun said immediately, but suddenly you hear a voice. "Daddy, can we play?" Miga came down to you and you turn away because you didn't want her to see that you were crying. Jaehyun saw you pull away from him. He picked Miga up and kissed her cheek. "Of course, let's go play."

You have to admit that you weren't sure yourself if you were right. You feel selfish for soliciting Jaehyun's attention, but you miss him. And at the same time you were angry that he came home drunk yesterday evening and then argued this with "I need a break". You were in one back and forth. Your feelings were mixed up and you could hardly think clearly. You got that terrible nausea again. You notice how suddenly your body became so weak. Did you feel sick because of the psychological pressure? Why was your body so weird? But it didn't take long to think about it, because you couldn't hold the contents of your stomach in you anymore. You immediately run to the bathroom and throw up everything. Then you wipe your mouth and lean on the toilet seat. You didn't want any more, you were weak and hardly had any more strength. All of this made you so exhausted. Jealousy almost consumed you. What was wrong with you? You were now what you hated about Jaehyun. You hated it so much when he was jealous and now you're collapsing here because you didn't like him kissing another woman, that he was spending more time with this woman than with you and that she might be there last night too when Jaehyun had a drink with his coworkers. You pull your legs towards you and begin to cry bitterly. Your heart ached and you hate that side of you.

daddy jaehyun masterlist

[zeni-chu]

Warmth

Zenitsu Agatsuma x Reader

A/N: this is entirely self-indulgent 😂 I love him so much and I get cold rly easily myself so I couldn’t help myself 😌

Pairing: Zenitsu Agatsuma x Reader

Warnings: None rly!

Words: 1900 

The blizzard winds howled as the sky powdered the earth with little white flakes of frost, chilling you to the bone. Your hands tightly gripped your arms as you cross them over your shivering frame, trying to hold in whatever body heat you had left. Walking beside you was your comrade and best friend Zenitsu, the two of you had been sent on a mission to a village high in the mountains. His teeth chattered as he too wrapped his arms around himself to keep himself warm however he could. The coats the two of you had brought gave you a bit of warmth but did little to block out the piercing cold of the icy storm. You were always one to get cold easily, so the situation you had found yourself in was hell, seeing as you were absolutely positive there was going to be no way you’d be able to get any sort of warmth on this journey.

“Th-this sucks! We’re going to freeze to death out here!” He whined, a panicked undertone to his words. You half agreed internally, yet kept your thought to yourself as you attempted to respond in a way that would calm his worries, “I think we should find shelter and wait out the blizzard!” Having to raise your voice to be heard above the storm, your throat stung from the cold air you were sure was in the negative temperatures. You received only an eager nod in response, turning your gaze to scan the area around you for any semblance of a shelter. Your eyes landed on what looked to be a sort of cave in the side of the mountain you were ascending, pointing towards it with hope, “There! Come on Zenitsu let’s hurry!” You grabbed his hand to tug him towards the cave causing him to blink in surprise and pushed down the pink that dusted his cheeks to focus on following you.

Shuffling hurriedly through the deep snow, the two of you stepped through the mouth of the cave, pushing forward to the back wall to put distance between you and the blizzard. Your breath puffed in clouds but the lack of strong winds and falling snow was a welcome change.

After catching your breath you decided to build a fire using the sticks you had packed in your bag. “You brought firewood with you?” Zenitsu broke the silence with a curious tone.

“Well, yea. I knew we wouldn’t make it to the village in one day, and it’s on a snowy mountain,” you stated in a matter-of-fact way, “I decided to play it safe and bring some stuff with me in case anything were to happen. And lo-and-behold!” Ending with a slight smile, you struck sparks onto the patch of kindling, gently blowing on the small flames to help them grow. Placing the kindling under the firewood and making sure they stayed lit, you sat back with crossed legs and moved your bag to the side to give yourself room, all the while honey-colored eyes watched your every move subconsciously. As you shivered and warmed your hands against the flame you felt his gaze and looked up to match it, casting him a smile that warmed his cheeks. He looked away bashfully as he too and held up his hands to the fire, not a sound between the two of you other than the howling winds and crackling firewood. The silence between the two demon slayers left Zenitsu to his thoughts, all of which seemed to wander to (Y/N). The way your contagious smile could brighten his mood to matter what, the way your angelic laugh made his heart squeeze, the way you never ran out of patience for the boy and his antics, the way kindness seemed to drip from your very being; everything about you was absolutely infatuating to him.

“Zenitsu?” The boy was dragged out of his thoughts by your call, concern lacing your tone.

“Y-yes?”

A soft sigh made its way past your lips, which curved upwards in a gentle manner, never once losing your seemingly endless patience. “I said I’m going to try to get some rest, silly. Are you okay?” (Y/N) leaned forward and put the back on their hand on their partner’s forehead, “You feel a bit warm, did you catch a cold?”

The blonde-haired boy gasped and quickly leaned backwards, his blush deepening to a cherry-red and his hands shooting up to frantically wave off your concern, “N-No! I’m fine, really!! You don’t have to worry, just get some rest!”

A small chuckle escaped you and you leaned back as you agreed and unpacked your belongings for the night. With your futon rolled out and bedding set up you turned to Zenitsu whose face was still basically steaming as he stared intently at his hands still being warmed, “Hey Zenitsu,” you called out hesitantly, “Can... Um, c-can you turn around for a bit please? I want to change into my yukata so I can sleep.”

“Oh! Y-yea! Of course!” Whipping around to face the rock wall, he desperately tried to focus on anything but the sound of fabric falling to the ground as you undressed. Slipping on the sleepwear, you turned around to let him know you were done. “I’m done now, Zenitsu. Thank you!” Mumbling a response he turned back around to face the only source of heat in the hollow as you crawled under the covers of your bed. Before you could close your eyes, you realized something that made you sit up and stare at the boy sitting across from you with furrowed brows, earning a confused look from him.

“Hey, Zenitsu, did you bring your futon?” You could practically hear the gears turning in his head, and eventually, with a stroke of horror he realized he hadn’t brought it with him and let out a scream, his hands gripping his head and tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

“I didn’t!! I thought we would’ve gotten to the village by now so I didn’t think I’d need to!! I’m going to freeze to death out here! I’m going to freeze to death and it’s all my fault!”

“Sleep with me.”

His frantic cries stopped as your words processed through his brain. Immediately a blush so bright it was nearly glowing flushed over his face, ears and neck as you too blush at your misconstrued statement, “N-not like that of course! I just thought, well, since I’m the only one who brought a mattress and I don’t want you to freeze... You could sleep next to me..? There’s enough room...” Your voice trailed off near the end of your sentence, muttering under your breath, but Zenitsu heard. He heard every word, and with every word he grew impossibly redder and his heart rate sped up.

“You don’t have to right now, think about it for a while if you need to.” Your restful tone and tender smile certainly wasn’t helping the boy calm down.

‘Sleep!? With (Y/N)!? They’re okay with that!?’ he thought to himself, ‘They actually care about me enough to do that?’ Of course he knew that you cared about him, but he had his doubts and insecurities that he struggled with. The fact that you had been so willingly open about being concerned for his wellbeing threw the butterflies in his stomach into a fit. Removing his shoes and belt that carried his katana as quietly as possible, he decided that he’d rather nearly have a heart attack lying next to his crush than freeze to death as he padded across the cold cave floor. Gulping, he crouched next to your sleeping form, your back facing him. Swallowing his anxiety and embarrassment, he silently slid into bed next to you covering himself with the blanket while making sure you had more than enough for yourself. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment while he struggled to calm his racing pulse but quickly snapped open as he heard the one next to him shift around to face him. Somehow, he wasn’t sure how, but somehow you were even more beautiful in the warm light cast on your features from the still burning fire that burned behind him.

You smiled sweetly, “Thank you Zen, I was worried about you.” 

The nickname you had given him made his heart flutter, ‘I should be the one thanking you,’ before he could respond you shivered and pulled the blankets draped over you closer, attempting to draw in the small amount of heat your body had created. Getting cold easily was already annoying to deal with, but being stranded in a cave with a raging blizzard outside really looks you in the eye and gives you a big ‘Fuck You.’ Even though you had started a fire and were swamped in the blanket you had brought with you, you still struggled to generate enough body heat to keep yourself warm.

He frowned, seeing you unhappy and shivering cold made him hurt, he had to think of a way to help. Taking a deep breath to steady himself he shakily drew you into his arms, swathing you in his haori and the blankets. You gasped as your face heated and your heart skipped a beat, “Zenitsu?” you questioned. “Y-you were cold and you offered to share this bed with me and s-so I wanted to keep you warm!” You could see the nervousness behind his golden eyes and couldn’t help your lips curving upward, he was too cute for his own good. The smile was sweet and held an expression he couldn’t quite decipher, “Thank you,” you whispered in a tone that dripped of affection.

“Of course... I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. I-If I am I can move-” you cut him off by snuggling closer into his chest and giving a soft sigh, finding comfort in his scent, “Can we stay like this?” you spoke timidly, your voice barely above a whisper. He froze, if his hearing weren’t so great he would swear he misunderstood. You want to stay cuddling with Him? Of course it’s not like he would turn down the request, he would stay like this with you in his arms forever if he could. It was simply the fact that You, (Y/N), the most incredible, beautiful, kind, and lovely person he had ever met, enjoyed laying in his arms breathing in his scent.

“Yea...” his tone grew faint, “Yea we can stay like this,” finally answering, his pounding heart slowing ever so slightly as he relaxed. It was as though you were made for him, your frame fit so perfectly in his arms. His haori was just the right size to hold you in. This moment was just so perfect. You were so perfect.

“Hey Zen?” You broke the comfortable silence briefly, mumbling sleepy words. “Yes, (Y/N)?” he replied meekly. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Zenitsu smiled and looked down at you laying against his chest to reply only for his heart to swell with warmth as he found you fast asleep curled into him. Instead of replying, he placed a gentle kiss to your forehead and snuggled closer, closing his eyes. 

Suddenly the storm outside didn’t seem cold anymore.

[boldycrazygirl]

Most People Think You Go To Either Heaven Or Hell, What I Experienced Was Much, Much Worse



By Elias WitherowUpdated June 26, 2021

 Forest Simon

I slowly opened my eyes. My head was swimming and a dull pain surrounded my throat. I was thirsty. That was the first thing I noticed. I licked my dry lips as my surroundings faded into focus. My body ached and I realized it was because I was tightly bound to a metal chair in the middle of an empty room. The barren concrete walls were stained and dirty, the floor beneath my bare feet was cold and slightly wet.

A single bulb lit the room, dangling from the ceiling by a string. It cast moving shadows and I blinked back darkness. An open door stood before me, but I couldn’t see anything but the wall of a hallway.

I tried to clear my head, tried to remember how I got here. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself not to panic. I slowed my breathing and focused my thoughts, desperately trying to summon some recollection of why I was here.

I couldn’t remember anything.

I opened my eyes and exhaled, my parched throat throbbing. I could hear sound echoing off the hallway walls outside the door. Screaming, clanging, howling, all very distant but that did nothing to help calm my nerves.

“Hello?!” I cried, the word tearing at my vocal cords. I felt my chest hitch in pain but I cleared my throat and yelled again.

“Is anyone there!? Hello!?”

The dark hallway remained silent except for the constant echoes. I shut my mouth and tried to wriggle free of my bindings, but the rope was knotted impossibly tight. I fought back against my imagination as it flooded my mind with horrific scenarios of what awaited me. If I could only remember!

Suddenly, footsteps erupted from outside the door, a rapid patter of small feet. My hopes rose and I trained my attention on the door, praying it was help.

A young boy ran into the room, dressed in a red onezie, complete with padded feet. Stretched over his face was a plastic Devil mask. The eye holes revealed massive blue eyes that greeted me curiously. Taken back, I opened my mouth to speak but that’s when I noticed something was off. His eyes were huge, impossibly round and bulging from their sockets. It sent a shiver of unease down my spine, but I shook it off. This child might be able to free me.

“Hey!” I hissed, urgently, “Hey kid, can you get me out of here?!”

The boy took a step closer, cocking his head, but remaining silent.

I rattled my bound arms against the chair, “Cut me free, please, I shouldn’t be here, this is some kind of mistake!”

The boy eyed me behind his strange mask and stopped directly in front of me. He leaned in close and whispered, his voice like wet silk, “You did a bad thing…”

Confused, I shook my head, “No! No this is a mistake! I didn’t do anything!”

The boy’s enormous blue eyes suddenly filled with sadness, “Oh, you did a really, really bad thing…”

I shook my head again, violently, “No! I’m sorry! I don’t remember, just please get me out of this chair!”

Suddenly, before either of us could speak again, a man came charging into the room. He was overweight and dressed in overalls, his grizzled face twisted in seething anger. He was holding a sawed off shotgun in his arms.

“I didn’t do anything!” I cried as he advanced on us, my voice cracking, “I’m not supposed to be here!”

The big man ignored me and instead grabbed the kid and shoved him hard against the wall. The boy grunted as his back struck the concrete and his eyes rose to meet the grizzled man’s.

Wordlessly, the man raised his shotgun, placed it against the boy’s forehead, and blew his head off. Chunks of gore splattered the wall as shock slugged me in the stomach like an iron fist. My ears rang and time seemed to slow as I watched in horror as the headless body crumpled to the ground.

My breath rushed back into my lungs and time seemed to readjust.

“Jesus fucking CHRIST!” I screamed, straining against the ropes, my eyes bulging in horrific shock, “WHAT THE FUCK!?”

The man ignored my screams as he bent down and picked up the boy. He slung the ruined corpse over his shoulder and walked out the doorway.

Suddenly, the hallway erupted with malicious laughter, a chorus of voices all howling in glee. I shut my eyes, the noise deafening, as absolute terror filled my every pore.

After a few moments, the laughter faded and I cautiously opened my eyes, unable to believe what I had just witnessed.

“Hello.”

I jumped as I realized there was another man standing before me. He was dressed in a simple, white button down shirt and jeans. His brown hair was cut short and he appeared to be in his early thirties. His green eyes were dull and lifeless, his full lips pulled down at the corners.

“What is going on!? Where am I!?” I cried, new fear pooling in my stomach like hot blood.

The man crossed his arms, “So you’re the new one huh?” He shook his head, “You people disgust me.”

Questions bubbled on my lips but he waved them off with a sharp chop of his hand, slicing the air and demanding my silence.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, sneering, “You look like you’ve already seen some of the horrors this place holds huh? Yes, I can tell by the look in your eyes. You’re terrified. You’ve seen something haven’t you? It doesn’t seem all that bad now does it, looking back? You’ve been here five minutes and already you’re shitting your pants.”

“Where am I?” I gasped, unable to hold back any longer, “What do you people want?”

The man crossed his arms behind his back, “I bet you want to get out of here don’t you? I bet you’d like to go back to your home, your family, everything.”

“Please,” I interrupted, “Whatever I did to you…I’m sorry, I really am, but I don’t remember!”

The man rolled his eyes, “You didn’t do anything to me. You did it to yourself. You really don’t remember anything?”

I shook my head and felt tears brimming in my eyes, liquid fear.

The man looked at me with contempt, “You waited until your wife left for work and then you went out to the woodshed and hung yourself. You’re dead.”

The recent memory rose in my mind like a monster from a bog. My eyes went wide. As much as I wanted to deny it…he was right. I had killed myself. The incident tore through my brain like a bullet train and left me reeling.

“I’m Danny, by the way,” the man said, ignoring the shocked look on my face, “And I’m number two here. I run the orientation process. I want to make this quick because I’m tired of repeating this fucking thing to you pathetic Suicidals. You get one question before I begin.”

He stared down at me and I scrambled to organize my thoughts into something cohesive. This was all horrifying. Why had I killed myself? I fought against the fog and panic and the mists of confusion slowly began to lift. I had just lost my job. Yes…that was the start. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced more of the memory to emerge. I had lost my job and I was about to lose the house. My wife…Tess…she found out and was going to leave me. I didn’t have any way out, didn’t have any options. Getting fired had come out of the blue and I didn’t have much in savings. I was broke, soon to be homeless, and my wife hated me for it. There was something else…yes…that’s right. She had been cheating on me. I had seen texts on her phone while she slept one night and confirmed my suspicions. My life had degraded to shit and I had run out of options. Humiliated and ashamed, I had decided death was my only option.

“Hey, fucker, do you have a question or not?” Danny said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

I was sucked back into reality and I asked the only question that mattered.

“Is this Hell?”

Danny snorted, “That’s always what you people ask.” He began to pace back and forth in front of me, “No. This is not Hell. It’s not Heaven either. This is the Black Farm. And no, I didn’t name it that. This is where God sends the souls who have ended their own life. Suicidals. You see, he doesn’t really know what to do with you…and neither does the Devil. There are genuinely good people who kill themselves. Seems cruel to banish them to Hell for all eternity for a moment of weakness right? Personally, I think God and the Devil were just tired of arguing about it. And so, they send them here, to the Black Farm.”

“Did…did God create this place?” I asked, growing more and more confused.

Danny spit on the floor, chuckling, “Sure, at some point. But he lost control of it when he put The Pig in charge.”

“What’s The Pig?” I asked, unsure I wanted to know the answer.

Danny held up a hand, annoyed, “Can I fucking finish? God created this place, eons ago, put The Pig in charge, and then forgot about it for a while. Well, when his back was turned, The Pig decided to use his new powers to try and create his own little world. This mess you see around you is the fractured remains of that experiment. The Black Farm use to be a lot nicer, but The Pig wanted things to be different. He wanted to create his own vision. These people you see, these monsters? They are The Pig’s attempts at creating functioning life. Instead of mirroring God’s Earth, these mutated horrible creations are full of sin and hatred. They run rampant here, unabashed. This place is chaos. The Black Farm is a circus of freaks and monsters. And it’s your eternity.”

Fear boiled in my gut like thick oil. No. No this couldn’t be my end. I didn’t believe in stuff like this. This wasn’t real! I would wake up soon and realize I was just having a nightmare! That had to be it!

Danny stood before me and lightly slapped my face, “Hey, hey! Don’t go into hysterics on me. I haven’t finished yet.”

I raised my teary eyes to meet his.

Danny smiled, “You can always Feed the Pig.”

My breath pushed from my lungs like burning steam, “W-what does that mean?”

Danny spread his hands, still smiling, “It’s as simple as that. Feed the Pig. If you do so, there’s a chance he’ll send you back to your life.”

“A-and w-what happens if it doesn’t?” I bumbled.

“You get sent to Hell. So flip a coin if you have one. Stay here with us or Feed the Pig. If you choose to stay, I’ll let you go…I’ll let you go out there,” he said, pointing towards the door, “But let me assure you…what awaits you at the end of the hallway…well…let’s just say Hell isn’t that much worse.”

I swallowed hard, trying my best to digest everything. Why wouldn’t I try Feeding the Pig? Whatever that meant. If there was even a sliver of hope, I would take it. An eternity in this place, the Black Farm, be sent to Hell, or…or Feed the Pig? I would do anything for a chance to go back. This nightmare made my problems seem nothing in comparison.

Danny raised a hand before I could speak, “I’ll let you think on it a while. I’ll be back later.”

“I want to Feed the Pig!” I cried, not wanting to spend another second in this awful room. I could hear a woman screaming down the hallway, her cries rising as something meaty pounded into her. My breath came in sharp pulls and my throat burned. Danny noticed the noise and grinned.

“Sounds pretty bad huh?” He said softly as the woman’s voice creaked with agony. Something was still slamming into her, the sound of beaten flesh igniting my imagination with horrors.

“Please,” I gasped, breathless, “Just…just let me Feed the Pig. I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

Danny turned away from me, “I’ll be back later. Enjoy your time alone. Really think about your situation. Weigh your options. And remember…you put yourself here.”

And with that he was gone, leaving me in the dim room.

Tears streamed down my face.

The woman didn’t stop screaming for hours.

At some point, I fell into a semi-sleep. The darkness in the room seemed to press in on me and my eyes fluttered shut. My body ached and my throat was a halo of fire. Thirst raked at my windpipe like sharp glass. My lips felt like crumpled paper. My head thundered like a drum. The room swam in and out of focus and my mind drifted towards the horrific sounds that never ended.

I was lost in a haze, unaware that something was sliding into the room until I felt a sharp prick on my big toe. I jolted out of my daze as my bare foot ignited with pain. I screamed and tried to move, but my bindings held me tight.

The room rushed back into focus and I blinked in agony as I felt blood trickle between my toes. I looked down for the source of pain and I felt a scream claw up my throat.

Staring up at me was an armless man. He slithered on the floor like a worm, his bald head scabbed and filthy. His legs were wrapped together in barbed wire, forcing him to wriggle his body to move. His eye were lidless and wide, two bloodshot white orbs that stared up at me with hungry intensity. His teeth had been removed and replaced with long screws which jutted from his bleeding gums like a broken rock formation.

Around his neck was a chain leash, which I followed across the floor to the open door. The end of the leash was held by a tall, naked man. His body was hairless and flabby, covered in similar scabs like his pet. A dirty bag was pulled over his head that hid his features except for a single red eye that peeked out at me from a crude cut in the cloth.

He stared at me and groped his engorged penis, his breath heavy and labored. As the armless man wriggled towards me again, his master started to masturbate. I screamed as the screw filled mouth bit at me again and my cries seemed to stimulate the naked man even more.

“Get off of me! Stop it!” I screamed, horrified. I tried to kick at the man, doing my best to avoid his sharp metal teeth. I brought my heel down on his head and he screamed as his face bounced off the floor.

A moan of pleasure escaped the bagged man’s mouth and I turned away as a mist of black sprayed out onto the floor. There was a rattle of chains and I turned back to see the two of them leaving, the armless man dragged by his neck out the door. I looked at where the bagged man had ejaculated and saw a puddle of dead ants. I vomited onto myself, thick chunky curtains of bile and slime.

“GET ME OUT OF HERE!” I screamed, strands of puke running down my chin, “I DON’T BELONG HERE!”

I listened to the two men retreat down the hallway, the clank of chains accompanied by the sound of flesh being dragged across the concrete. I screamed again, but I knew no one was going to help me. I spit a wad of phlegm and bile onto the floor, ridding my mouth of its sourness. I forced myself to calm down. It wasn’t easy.

After some time, I heard someone else approaching. I had been in a miserable lull, my mind a blank canvas of dark despair, but the noise roused me from my trance like state. The muscles in my arms burned from being restrained for so long and I shifted them desperately, trying my best to prepare myself for whatever horror was about to walk through the door.

Footsteps drew closer and then a woman walked into the room. She stopped at the doorway and looked at me. One of her eyes was missing, a dark cavernous hole in her skull. Her hair was ratty and wild, a brown tangle like a forgotten nest. Her skin was pale and filthy and she was dressed in rags. I couldn’t tell how old she was, but there was maturity in her one good eye.

“Still thinking?” She asked, her voice course and brittle.

“What?”

She took a step closer, “Are you still deciding whether you’re going to Feed the Pig or not?”

I looked at her cautiously, “Yeah…I am. Who are you? What do you want?”

“I was once where you are now,” She said, “trying to decide my fate. I couldn’t believe that this was what happened…what happened after we die. It wasn’t what I was taught…religion didn’t warn me about this place.”

I tested my bindings again before asking, “You killed yourself too? You’re a person like me? You’re not one of those…those creations?”

She snorted, “Breaks my heart you have to ask, though,” she touched the hole where her eye should have been, “Though I can understand your caution. Yeah, I’m a Suicidal. I’ve been here a long, long time. But that was my choice. I decided to chance it here.”

I motioned with my head towards the door, “What’s out there? What is all this?”

She exhaled heavily and leaned against the wall, “I can’t even begin to describe this place. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. You walk down that hallway and go out…into it…and…” she swallowed, “You’d have to see it to understand.”

“How bad is it? Why are all these mutated people hurting and killing each other?” I asked.

She let her head loll back against the wall, “It would take years for you to fully understand this place. Years you don’t have. Right now you have to make a decision. Stay or Feed the Pig. They tell me Hell is worse than here, but it can’t be by much. Monsters and Suicidals roam the Black Farm…killing, raping, brutalizing…and then you wake up and wonder how long you can survive before something else kills you. It’s an endless cycle.”

“So why did you stay?” I pressed, “Why didn’t you Feed the Pig? I don’t even know what that means, but I would do anything for a chance to go back. I can’t stay here, I…I just can’t!”

She smiled sadly at me, “Why? Why did I choose this? It’s simple really. I’m a coward. I was a coward when I was alive and I’m a coward in death. When it came down to it, when the moment presented itself, I chose to stay here. I didn’t know what awaited me outside. It boiled down to a simple choice fueled by my own fear.”

“What is The Pig? What does it do to you?” I pressed.

She suddenly turned to go, “I’m afraid that’s for you to find out. But let me warn you. Think hard before you make a decision. Sometimes suffering through your fear is better than suffering for eternity. Be brave.”

“What do I do!?” I yelled, shaking in my chair as she walked out the door.

She paused and took one last look over her shoulder. Her eyes darted around and she dropped her voice to a whisper, “Feed the Pig.”

And with that she was gone.

I sat in silence once again. My mind was spinning, desperately turning over my options. I still couldn’t fully understand the situation I was in. It was too much, too overwhelming. The other side of death wasn’t supposed to be like this. I didn’t know what I had expected, but it wasn’t this nightmare. Questions crashed over my mind like cold waves onto a sinking ship. How was I supposed to make a choice when I didn’t even know what my actions entailed?

This place, the Black Farm…I couldn’t stay here. But what if I went to Hell? What if I didn’t get sent back? I would be out of the fire and into the frying pan. My existence would forever be damned to unending misery. Here though…here there were people like me. Suicidals. It wasn’t all monsters and mutilated murderers. Maybe I could hole up somewhere with them, try to scrape together a passable existence. Surely that would be better than getting sent to Hell!

No. No this wasn’t going to be how I spent my eternity. I refused to let it be. If there was even the slightest sliver of hope, I would take it. I didn’t want to wonder what could have been. I didn’t want to be tormented by doubt. I would Feed the Pig and accept whatever fate chose for me. When I boiled it down, that was the only option left.

I would Feed the Pig.

“Hey! Hello!? Danny!” I yelled, rattling in my chair. “I’ve made my decision! Danny!”

After a couple seconds, I heard footsteps echo down the hall towards me.

Danny walked through the doorway, an annoyed look on his face.

“I’ve made my choice,” I said, “I’m going to Feed the Pig.”

“Sounds like you’ve really thought a lot about it since I left you,” Danny said sarcastically.

I licked my lips, “You’d do the same thing if you were in my place.”

Danny walked behind me, “I was in your place once. And I chose differently.” My eyes widened and then Danny wrapped my entire head with a strip of thin cloth, blinding me. I sucked in as much air as I could, but each lungful felt empty.

I felt Danny cut me free from the chair and my body sighed as my stiff muscles were released. I rolled my shoulders as my hands were released and I moaned with relief. I dug my fingers into my back and I stretched, my bones creaking.

“Keep your blindfold on and follow me,” Danny said, pulling me up.

My legs shook as I put weight on them, my thighs trembling after their long cemented position. I groped blindly in front of me and found Danny’s shoulder. I rested my hand on it as he walked us out of the room.

As were entered the hallway, I could suddenly hear sound I hadn’t before. The clank of metal, a long fleshy tearing noise, something vomiting…these sounds sprang to life in my ears, painting the darkness before my eyes with imaginary scenes of horror. I gripped Danny’s shoulder tighter, stumbling behind him, my heart thundering.

I heard something trailing behind us, but Danny didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn’t care. Flesh slapped the concrete mere inches behind me and I suddenly felt hot breath on my neck and the click of a wet tongue against gums. My breathing became even more labored as fear choked me.

“Go’in ta feed da piggy are ya?” Something whispered in my ear. I felt something press against the back of my head and I tried not to think about what it might be. It was wet and slimy and I heard the thing chuckle.

“Ee’s a ‘ungry piggy, you make shor’ ee gets iz meal now,” the thing whispered again, its voice low and unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was like a series of grunts and moans jumbled together to form broken words.

To my relief, I heard the thing retreat back to wherever it had come from and I continued to follow Danny. He remained silent as we walked and I could feel shifts in the air. The thick heat gave way to a cooler, almost pleasant temperature, but then it kept decreasing and soon I was shivering violently against the cold. I couldn’t see anything but I felt a breeze on my face, like we were outside. I didn’t hear Danny open any doors, but nothing about this place was natural. It was like reality blurred and bled into itself, like reels of film melting together.

Teeth chattering, I was suddenly blasted with intense heat and I gasped. My feet tripped over themselves as the terrain changed and I was suddenly walking on what felt like warm iron. My ears were filled with the sound of blazing furnaces and the clash of working machinery. I couldn’t see it, but I felt like there was a vast open expanse overhead. I smelled ash and tasted dirt on my tongue, sweat already forming along my spine.

Suddenly, I crashed into Danny as he came to a halt. I backed up a few paces, quickly, and muttered my apologies. I could hear movement in front of us, a rustle of chains and an odd clicking sound on the metal floor. Something else too…something…snorting.

And then the room filled with a deafening sound of an immense pig squealing. I covered my ears, head splitting at the high pitched wail. I grit my teeth as the noise echoed off the metal and faded into a series of snorts and grunts.

It sounded absolutely enormous.

“I’ve brought another one,” Danny announced, a slight tinge of respect lining his voice. “He wants to Feed the Pig.”

I waited, expecting to hear some answer, the cloth around my eyes sealing my sight to darkness. I realized my knees were shaking and my back was coated in sweat. I was terrified.

“If that is what you wish,” Danny said and I felt him bow under my hand. Apparently some unseen conversation had just happened and Danny took my wrist and pushed me forward.

“Approach The Pig,” he instructed.

My whole body trembled and my knees locked into place. Robbed from sight, I raised my hands, trying to get my bearings, the heat and ash filling my head with nausea. I felt like I was going to throw up, my stomach rolling like a dead sea. I didn’t know where I was or what horror lay before me. I felt lost and tiny, a fresh splash of tears dripping from my eyes and soaking into the cloth around my face.

“P-please,” I begged, “Let me see what’s happening.”

Danny was suddenly behind me, pushing me forward. He guided my hands towards something as we stepped together in unison. Even with the cloth around my face, I could see a giant mass of towering darkness before me. It was a spot of black on an already darkened canvas.

As we walked forward, I was suddenly assaulted by a horrendous smell and I gagged, turning away. Danny’s grip tightened and forced me to continue. I could sense something just in front of me, a living shifting mass of flesh. The smell increased to a wretched level and I gagged again. Then hot air was being blown on my face, a blast of heat that came in repeated short bursts.

I vomited into my cloth, the source of the smell stemming from the hot air. I choked as the bile gushed over the fabric, soaking it and momentarily cutting off my oxygen. Danny slapped my hands away and I took a few seconds to steady my breathing again. I was opening crying now, fear and misery collapsing my willpower.

The wet cloth stunk as I sucked in soggy breaths. My own stomach acid coated my skin and I begged for all of this to be over.

And then something squealed directly in front of me.

I felt my bladder go. I was standing before The Pig.

It was the source of darkness in my obscured vision; a fat, titanic creature that filled my senses with every breath it blew into my face.

Danny raised my hands and suddenly I was touching The Pig’s snout. I recoiled immediately, but Danny forced my hands back. Its fur was stiff and brittle and as my shaking hands explored up its nose, the size of the animal became clear to me.

It was gigantic and had weight over a ton. Its flesh wiggled under my sweating hands and it opened its mouth slightly. My fingers curled around teeth the size of kitchen knives and I realized its mouth was absolutely cavernous.

The Pig squealed again and I heard its hooves clack against the ground. It sounded like thunder rolling across an open field in the middle of summer.

“Take this blindfold off, please,” I begged, my legs turning to jelly.

Danny had taken a few steps back and I heard reverence in his voice, “You don’t want to do that.”

I jumped as The Pig nudged me with its nose, the wet circle of flesh squishing against the length of my face. I shuddered away, raising my hands and omitting a cry of fear.

“Feed the Pig,” Danny instructed, his voice like cold steel now. “You made your choice. Now live with it. It’s the only chance you have of going back. Or maybe The Pig won’t like how you taste and send you to Hell. Only one way to find out.”

My eyes widened behind the vomit soaked cloth, “Won’t…like…how I taste?!”

“Climb into its mouth.”

My bladder let go again and I felt warm piss run down my leg, “N-no…no you can’t mean…”

Danny’s voice hardened, “Climb into its mouth and don’t stop crawling forward until its done with you.”

“P-please,” I begged, turning towards Danny’s voice, reaching out blindly, “Please there has to be some other way…don’t make me do this!” I was a mess of snot and tears, my words bumbling from my mouth like a toddler.

Danny stepped forward and spun me back to face The Pig, “DO IT! You made your choice! It will all be over soon! This is your only CHANCE!”

I could feel The Pig breathing onto my face, its snout mere inches from mine. The smell and heat it omitted made me want to vomit again but I held it back. This was insane, this wasn’t happening. My mind spun and twisted in chaos and fear. There had to be some other way. I couldn’t do this, I COULD NOT do this!

Suddenly I remembered the words of the woman: Sometimes suffering through your fear is better than suffering for eternity. Be brave.

This was my only chance to get back to the world of the living. I had made such a terrible mistake in killing myself. If I could go back and change my life, I wouldn’t have to spend eternity here. I could change my ways, ensure a spot somewhere else. Somewhere away from The Pig. But what if it decided to send me to Hell? How much more suffering could I endure?

I had to take the chance.

“Please, God,” I whispered, taking a step forward, “If you can hear me…please…have mercy on me.”

My shaking hands reached out for The Pig and I grasped its thick fur. I felt it slowly lower its head and open its mouth. It was waiting for me, its thick, hot breath stinking in my nostrils. This was it. No turning back now.

I slowly gripped its teeth and pulled myself forward into its jaws. Its head was at a downward angle and so I immediately fell onto my stomach at a forty-five degree angle. Its wet tongue squished under me and I was shaking so hard I could barely breath. Tears soaked my blindfold and my heart crunched against my ribs.

I slowly reached forward and found another tooth to grab onto. Gritting my teeth, I pulled my body inward past my knees. The Pig raised its head and I was suddenly completely horizontal on its tongue.

Saliva and mucus dripped around me and the heat was so intense I almost blacked out. My knees clacked against its front teeth as I pulled myself even deeper. Its inner cheeks pressed in around me, squeezing my body like a soaking fleshy coffin.

Crying, terrified, I reached ahead of me and found more teeth. I pulled myself deeper into its mouth and I felt my feet slide past its lips. My whole body was coated in slime and I openly wept, grasping in the darkness for another tooth.

And that’s when The Pig started to chew on me.

I screamed in crushing agony as my body was compressed between its massive teeth. I heard my legs snap instantly and felt wet bone pop from my skin. I shook violently as my body spasmed in shock, a mangled twist of blood and pain.

Its tongue shifted me in its mouth and I felt it bite down on my shoulder. My eyes bulged in their sockets as I howled, a hot pillar crunching down on my collar bone. I threw up violently, unable to control myself, the pain overwhelming.

Keep crawling.

Screaming, bloodshot eyes rolling wildly, I reached forward with my good arm, wetly searching for another tooth. I grit my teeth, blood squirting between them, as my fingers wrapped around something solid.

The Pig bit down again, its tongue twisting my body so its molars could snap down on my knees. The pain brought darkness, but my howling screams forced my eyes to remain open.

“JESUS MAKE IT STOP!” I bellowed, my trembling hand still gripping the tooth ahead of me, “PLEASE MAKE IT FUCKING STOP!”

I ground my teeth together so hard they cracked, screaming as I slowly pulled my body deeper into the mouth.

Something was changing, the tights walls of its throat squeezed my head and I realized I was almost through.

“COME ON YOU MOTHERFUCKER! COME ON!” I begged, vocal cords cracking. I reached ahead of me and grabbed onto a thick wad of flesh. My head felt like it was splitting and The Pig bit down on me again.

I gasped, blood exploding from my mouth in a great gush of red.

It had pierced through my stomach, obliterating my insides like bloated noodles. Darkness rushed in on me and I was in too much shock to even scream.

With the last of my strength, right as the blackness took me, I pulled myself forward one last time and felt myself slide down its throat.

Darkness. Falling…screaming. I was screaming. Heat. Heat so intense I thought I would melt.

Clanging. Something was hammering on a metal. Colors and images flew past me so quickly I could only make out their shape. Blood poured into my eyes.

I felt like I would keep falling forever.

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open and I was falling, my breath rushing back into my lungs in a great wave of purity. My face bounced off wood floor and I cried out as I felt my nose break. I tasted blood and saw stars.

I had stopped falling.

There was a ring of burning fire around my throat and I felt impossibly thirsty.

I was lying on the floor.

I slowly opened my eyes again and the darkness began to fade like morning mist under a hot sun. Colors blended together and shapes came into focus.

I was in my woodshed.

I reached up around my throat and grasped at the source of heat. It was the rope I had hung myself with, but now it was severed, releasing me from the grip of death.

Relief rolled over me in overwhelming waves of thanks. I curled up on the floor and sobbed, tears dripping from my eyes onto the dirty floor. My body shook, unbroken, as I wept, wet horse cries rising from my quivering lips.

I had been spared. I was alive again.

From my spot on the floor, I turned my eyes upward, my voice cracking, “Thank you God. Oh thank you.” I fell into another fit of uncontrollable sobbing, “I promise I won’t waste my life again. I promise I’ll make things right, I’ll fix everything.”

I don’t know how long it was before I got up. Time seemed to stretch for eternity. My mind refused to rebuild, the horrors of what I had just witnessed crushing me.

But I knew I would do everything I could to make the most out of my life. I was going to live every day to the fullest. I would devote myself to helping others in dark times. I would reach out to as many Suicidals as I could and try to save them from awaited on the other side.

I didn’t want anyone else to have to witness the horrors of suicide.

I didn’t want anyone else to have to Feed the Pig.



Come (press) play with us.

We hear you like all things creepy… we do too.

That’s why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate.

Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web. When you opt in, not only do you get our curated list of the best horror streaming and stories, you support our work and help us keep the lights on. Creepy Catalog is owned by the Thought and Expression Company, a small, independent media company.

We’ve created a community powered by horror fans like you and we need you in it. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Signing up helps us (not Zuckerberg) stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible. Future news of events, Zoom movie marathons, books, and streaming updates will be delivered first to our newsletter readers.

Don’t worry, you can unsubscribe any time you like. We only haunt the willing.

Submit

You may unsubscribe at any time. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement.

About the author

Elias is a prolific author of horror fiction. His books include The Third Parent, The Black Farm, Return to the Black Farm,and The Worst Kind of Monsters.



“Growing up reading the works of King, admiring the art of Geiger, and knowing fiends like Pinhead left me as a pretty jaded horror fan today. It takes a lot to get the breath to hitch in my throat and the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.. My fiance is quite similar, so when he eagerly begged me to let him read me a short story about The Black Farm by Elias Witherow, I knew it had to be good... And I was not dissapointed. Elias has a way of painting a picture that you can feel with all your senses and plays the tunes of terror created when our world meets one much more dark and forces you to keep turning the pages hungry for more.” —C. Houser

Follow Elias on or read more articles from Elias on Thought Catalog.

Learn more about Thought Catalog and our writers on our about page.

AFTERLIFE FICTION HORROR HORROR FICTION NO SLEEP SCARY STORIES

 2.5m

 

 

 

 

 

RELATED



Thought Catalog

My Arm Was Amputated, And Something Really Weird Is Happening With My Phantom Limb



[anystalker707]

the famous living dead

Pairing: Gerard x Reader Genre: Fluff/Angst Word count: +- 4 000 Summary: [Corpse Bride AU] Gerard is suddenly married to a corpse Requested on Wattpad

[3rd person pov]

Gerard sighed in frustration as walking between the trees. If anything, the melancholic vibe of the woods matched his feelings exactly. Apart from needing to deal with the annoying bride, Eliza – who didn't do anything apart from complaining since they met each other earlier that day –, he couldn't memorize the vows, what increased his stress.

Running a hand through his hair, he tried repeating the vows just to mess up with it once more. Another frustrated breath escaped his lips.

The repeated fails left him in the verge of giving up, but Gerard was determined to get it right. A few crows rested on the old oak tree he stopped next to, pausing. Gerard took a deep breath before he started talking.

"With this candle, I will..." He trailed off, suddenly met with a blank in his mind that he wasn't ready for. Shaking his head, he sighed. "I will set your mother on fine," he finished in frustration, facepalming, and sat down on the fallen trunk that laid not too far from him.

Gerard took the wedding ring from the coat's pocket and stared at it for a moment. It didn't bring him any happiness and shared no differences with a chain, in his perspective. Remembering how annoying the bride demonstrated gave him great stress, certain desperation even, since it was clear he was going to be stuck in a predictably deplorable marriage for most likely the rest of his life.

Well, if that was going to happen anyways, he better do it properly.

He took a deep breath as standing up, the ring between his fingers like if he was to slip it in the bride's finger already. "With this hand," the words left his lips with confidence, in a way it even looked like he was in the ceremony already, "I'll lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine."

As Gerard spoke, he gradually gained more security, moving his hands and turning on his place dramatically. Saying it correctly brought him a momentary pleased feeling as he tossed the ring in the air before catching it again with a smile. He raised his eyebrows, nodding at himself with approval, looking around as the imaginary people – who were actually just the trees – praised him.

He leaned down as breaking a stick from a fallen trunk's branch.

"With this candle," Gerard said, pretending the stick was a candle and 'lighting it', throwing it aside right next. "I will light your way in the darkness. With this ring," he held up the wedding band, kneeling down in front of what seemed to be more dry branches, though in the shape of a hand. "I ask you to be mine." He slipped the ring on the dry wood, smiling with another wave of pride hitting him.

Reality suddenly hit Gerard again and he was slightly startled by the wind suddenly howling and the crows growing agitated. Worry started filling his chest with the birds weirdly observing him. Birds didn't act like that... did they?

His attention was held enough for him to not notice the 'dry branch' moving, but also enough to almost give him a heart attack when it wrapped itself around his wrist and started pulling him down.

Gerard gasped as trying to pull away from the grasp, not knowing if he should be more worried about it or the birds starting to fly around. In panic, he started trying pulling his arm out of the hole it had been stuck in and, when he finally did so, a terrified scream escaped his lips seeing how the hand gripped around his wrist, noticing it wasn't wood at all.

He shook his arm until the hand let go and Gerard's attention was suddenly snatched by the place where the hand had originally been in. The dirt moved like if there was something under it, making him freeze, terrified in anticipation.

[Your pov]

I struggle a bit to bring myself out of the hole, even more without half an arm, but the excitement motivates me into doing it. My eyes land on the guy who said the vows with certain anxiety and I contain a smile as looking down at his scared form.

"I do," I say, making him gasp and start backing away as I reach down a hand to help him up. Unfortunately, he continues too scared; he quickly stands up and starts running away. Well, it's not like he'll get out of here easily, so I follow him calmly, grabbing my hand back in the way.

The guy ends up tripping when going down a rock, his head hitting against the gravestone, but he doesn't seem to mind the pain, sitting up with his back against it. His wide eyes observe me walking after him with fear. He continues with the scared gasps as clumsily backing away until he's up to his feet again.

He runs. And hits a tree.

Seeing me approaching, he tries to run just to hit it again. Great job.

Our chase continues until he reaches the bridge, probably thinking I ended up losing him. The crows continue cawing behind him, more of showing me where he went before returning to the woods. His terrified face gains relief as he leans back against the wall of the bridge, looking around frantically.

A last sigh comes from him, calming down with thinking I really stopped chasing him. The look on his face, however, when he notices me right behind him is hilarious, but I say nothing, setting my hands on his shoulders and leaning in for a kiss.

.

"A new arrival," Frank says in amusement as Gerard's eyes open; a drink in hand as Frank stands beside me, observing the other intently just like me, Ray and Bert. Or maybe everyone else in the bar.

"He must've fainted," I add, like if Gerard was still out. Carefully, I reach a hand under his neck – his eyes go wide at my exposed bones. "Are you all right?" I question, worried.

"What-? What happened?" He asks, still looking around in panic.

"Oh, looks like we've got ourselves a breather." Frank comments in amusement. "He's still soft," he said. The poking on Gerard's chest scares him, sending the living man backing away once again, struggling up to his feet.

"A toast, then," Ray says with a lazy grin, raising his glass lightly in the air. A clinking sound comes from it as it touches Bert's, both grinning. "To the newlyweds."

"Newlyweds...?" Gerard asks in confusion.

"In the woods," I tell him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "you said your vows so perfectly." A smile curls my lips up as I show him the wedding band around my boney finger.

"I did?" He asks hesitantly before a wave of realization – or is it defeat? – hits him. "I did!" With a sudden motion, his hands hold onto the counter. "Wake up!" He tells himself repeatedly, slamming his head against the wooden surface.

From this, things just turn into a momentary chaos; Gerard starts walking around, bumping into the others, more gasps coming from him as he jumps like a scared cat. It earns him a few concerned glares.

"K-Keep away!" He stutters and, in certain desperation, tries to get the sword lodged across Frank's torso. Not being able to remove it makes him a bit nervous, but it holds it towards everyone the same way. "I've got a- I've got a... dwarf. And I'm not afraid to use him." He tries to point the sword to towards the people next to him, sending Frank stumbling. "I want some questions. Now!"

Frank's face goes from confused to annoyed with Gerard's words. "I'm not that short, y'know? And you actually want answers, you dumb fuck, not questions." He rolled his eyes, playing lightly with the stitches starting in the corner of his mouth and following up his cheek. He's got a weird habit of playing with the stitches.

Gerard rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Where am I? Who are you?" The last question is directed to me.

"Eh," I twist my mouth lightly, shrugging a shoulder. "It's kind of a long story."

"Yeah, a good story, tho," Frank nods, looking back at Gerard, showing him thumbs up. With a yelp, he immediately lets go of the sword.

~

"Gerard? Where are you?" I ask as walking around the city, looking for him among the dead walking around. "Gerard?" I ask again, sighing, but a smile makes its way to my lips when I notice him in the corner.

Gerard runs around frantically and, though he can hide, there's the advantage that I obviously know the city better than him. It's also easy following his scared gasps and cries. I chuckle and, noticing him climbing to the cliff, I already wait for him there. He gasps when noticing he grabbed my ankle.

"You could've used the stairs," I tell him with a chuckle, reaching down to help Gerard up. "It's beautiful up here," I say, extending a hand towards the city below us. "It always takes my breath away. Or would, if I had one." A laugh escapes my lips. "Come on," I take his hand in mine, pulling him along with me to sit down on a bench.

"Look," Gerard says hesitantly once we sit down on the wooden bench, still seeming disturbed. "I'm terribly sorry about what's happened to you and I'd like to help, but I really need to get home."

"This is your home now!" I tell him, stating the obvious.

"But I don't even know your name," he throws his hands in the air lightly, furrowing his eyebrows. The scared air continues over Gerard's features and in the way he jumps lightly whenever I do something.

"It's (y/n)." I say with a smile; he repeats it slowly, almost absentmindedly, while looking at me, like if finally taking in all the details of my face. It does make me a bit flustered. We're stuck there for a long moment with our gazes locked, until reality hits me again.

"Oh, I've got something for you!" I say with a smile, grabbing a box I've brought and handing it to him. "Consider it a wedding gift," I wink, not minding how tense he still seems to be.

Gerard hesitantly takes the box in hand and undoes the ribbon before opening the box. He grabs the pen, that's shaped like a bone, but probably doesn't understand what's it. "Erm," an awkward glance is thrown my way, "thank you...?"

I roll my eyes, "I found out you liked drawing and I got you this." Opening the box properly, I show him the sketchbook and the ink he ignored. "It's some sort of special ink and paper. You'll find out later when you use it." I smile, scanning Gerard's face to see if he liked it. There's a hint of happiness under all the confusion.

He took the ink flask in hand, removing the cork to take a look at it and smell the liquid briefly before returning it to the box. Then, Gerard grabs the sketchbook, rubbing one of the pages between two fingers as analyzing the texture – he lets out an interested hum. The items are certainly nothing like whatever he's ever seen. Well, in that state, actually.

"Mother never approved me drawing..." Gerard trails off, sadly. "But then again, she never approved of anything." His lips press together in a sad smile.

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow, unconsciously mirroring his smile. "Do you think she would've approved me?"

"Heh," he shoots me a side grin as closing the box again. "You're lucky you'll never have to meet her." There's a pause and he hums thoughtfully, setting the box aside. "Well, actually..."

~

"Okay, so," Ray raises a hand to scratch his head, consequently getting a few of his curls messy – he looks at the strands with a frustrated frown, trying to fix them, but gives up and looks at the book in his hand again. "Are you sure you want to get up there? I mean-" He pauses hearing the sound of a pile of books falling, "Frank, I already told you to stop!" A grumbling comes in response from the same direction, but all Ray does is to roll his eyes.

"Ah, yeah, it's important for me," Gerard says with certain anxiety. "Us." He adds after seeing me looking at him, pressing his lips together in a smile.

Ray slowly nodded, shrugging a bit though he clearly seems to not understand the purpose of this yet. "Well, I've got something here. You just need to say hopscotch if you want to return."

.

"I spent so long in the darkness," I say with a smile as looking up with a smile, "I'd almost forgot how beautiful the moonlight is." A relieved sigh escapes my lips as I look around the place; well, it's not exactly that I missed the land of the living, but it's a nice place. Grinning, I take Gerard's hand in mine and start walking, but I'm forced to stop noticing he hadn't moved.

"Erm, hold on," he placed a hand on my shoulder, pushing me gently to sit down on the trunk of a fallen tree. His hand goes from my shoulder to my face, cupping it lightly, making me a bit flustered and kinda happy with it. "I guess I should prepare mother and father for the news. I'm going ahead and you wait here, okay?"

"Well, okay." I smile again, raising my eyebrows lightly. I've gotta admit it does make me a bit anxious.

"I won't be long," Gerard reassures me, observing me for a few seconds and starting to run off after I nod in comprehension.

And I wait. Wait. Wait.

Maybe... something happened? – The though crosses my mind as I look around, seeking for a sign that he's coming back, but I'm met with nothing. I guess I should check on him and it won't be that difficult with all the footprints.

Eventually, I find Gerard. He stands outside the door of a house, seeming to listen to what's going on in there before he goes to climb up the balcony. It takes me a bit of struggling, but I eventually do the same, a bit confused and kind of angry for being left there for so long.

Well, maybe I shouldn't be so angry. Gerard talks with two other people – his parents? – and doesn't seem to notice me just yet. However, my feelings return when I hear his faint voice coming from the inside.

"I- I don't really know what the fuck happened. It was unexpected, accidental, I swear," Gerard said in obvious desperation, tugging lightly on his own hair then throwing his hands in the air. "Suddenly, I'm married to a corpse." The tone he says it in isn't very... pleased; it makes my heart sink. "I- Damn, I don't know how the fuck I get rid of-" He freezes his eyes widening once landing on me.

Gerard obviously notices my angry gaze, what brings a worried air to his features. A few terrified cries echo in the room once I suddenly walk in, marching towards Gerard. He tries to stutter a few excuses, but hopscotch leaves my lips before he's actually able to do anything.

Suddenly, we're back to Ray's place, with the usual bickering in the background, of Ray telling Frank and Bert to not touch his things and more books falling to the floor.

"You lied to me!" I tell Gerard, throwing him away from me; he loses his balance, taking a few steps back. "You were trying to get away from me!" I say indignantly, sighing sharply as turning my back to him. Trying to not let my tears escape my eyes, I wipe them away before they can even fall, but it sends one of my eyes to the floor. Damn, I waited for so long and when I finally find someone, they try to get away from me.

A sigh comes from Gerard, followed by a few footsteps before he's right behind me. "You don't understand," he says softly, touching my shoulder, "this just can't work. The circumstances we're under..." He trails off, gazing at me expectantly, but I do nothing asides from taking my eye back. "We're different!"

"And?" I raise an eyebrow at him, "you should've fucking thought about that before you asked me!" I shoot him a glare, raising my left hand momentarily.

"Can't you fucking understand?" He snaps in disbelief, eyeing me amused. "It was an accident! I wouldn't ever marry you!"

His words are like a bucket of ice throw on me. I freeze, not knowing what to say nor wanting to say anything. Sighing, I just turn around to walk out of there, with my heart heavy in my chest.

"Look, I'm sorry for earlier." Gerard says regretfully, sitting down beside me. His voice is quiet under the piano notes as I continue to play the instrument, not wanting to hear whatever he's got to say, not even looking up from the black and white keys. A sigh comes from Gerard.

"I'm really sorry, I said that without thinking, I don't mean it," he insists. "I don't even know you properly and, by what I've seen, you're an amazing person." By the corner of my eyes, I'm able to see him smiling at me, his eyes flickering over my face, searching for a response to his words, as minimum as it may be. There's none.

Apparently, Gerard gives up on trying to apologize, his attention averting to the piano. He takes in a deep breath before starting to play with me. The new notes are like a perfect complement to the ones I play. I even let myself appreciate the combination of both for a moment before starting to play faster, trying to cut him off.

Gerard is surprisingly able to keep up with me, looking at me with a smile that I have to hold myself back to not mirror. At some point, my forearm ends up detaching from me, it goes down the piano, playing the notes I'm not able to reach from my place and crawls up Gerard's arm. He doesn't seem bothered by it, smiling as seeing my arm go the way up to his shoulder.

"Sorry," I say, kinda embarrassed, "I got a little bit too excited."

"It's fine," he chuckles, taking the part of my arm and putting it back on place. His hand goes down my forearm until meeting mine and holding it. "I like your excitement."

Again, Gerard's eyes lock mine in a strong gaze, though now he tries more of transmitting comfort than analyzing me this time. His gaze is kind of shy, like if finally allowing himself to act normally around me and know me; what I highly appreciate. It seems like he's about to say something, but someone shouting by the other side of the bar startles us, breaking the mood we're set in. Both of us chuckle lightly as moving away, our eyes lingering over each other before we look away.

"So..." Gerard starts, looking at me again with a smile. "Tell me about yourself..."

.

"And then he asked me to tell him about myself, we spent a long time talking and... Now here I am." I flash a small smile to the three, glancing at them before my eyes fall back to watching my hands on my lap.

We're sitting on the ground in the kind of alley behind the bar, talking with each other while having a few drinks. It's quite pleasing and calming, after all the stress.

"Things seem to be going on very well, that's amazing!" Ray smiles at me, looking up from his book for a second. "And to think he was throwing all that tantrum some hours ago..." He raises his eyebrows lightly.

"Damn, true, what the fuck." Frank says in an indignant tone, furrowing his eyebrows at the nothing as he thinks. "Though he was mostly scared and surprised earlier. It's a good thing he stopped to think and all, tho. He'll see you're an amazing person," he grins and I smile shyly as thanking him.

"Whatever goes through the living's heads, huh," Bert says, his voice distant as most of his attention seems to be focused on balancing a glass over his knee.

"Not like you weren't alive at some point," I reply, rolling my eyes with a chuckle.

"Eh, it's been so long," he furrows his eyebrows in frustration, turning to me. His intention of continuing to speak is ruined when the neglected glass falls from his knee, cracking as hitting the ground – all of us laugh at his pout.

"Happy ever after," Frank tells me after a few silent seconds. "Until death do you apart... Or something like this." His words make both of us laugh and, as the laughter dies, reality hits me.

"Well, until death do us apart..." I say thoughtfully and it takes a moment, but he understands it too.

"Ah, yeah, exactly this point that I wanted to discuss with you," Ray speaks up, adjusting his position as looking at me. "Well, you know the vows and since you're already dead, so... it kind of doesn't count, y'know...?" He says carefully, a bit awkwardly, like if afraid of my reaction.

A gasp escapes me after I reason it. "Oh, fuck, true." I curse, suddenly growing a bit desperate. "And how-"

"But," Ray cuts me off, "there's a way to fix it. To repeat the vows. The only problem is that... he would need to be dead." He raises his eyebrows with certain worry, though I think most of it is about my response.

"Eh, but- No, hell." I stutter, stumbling over my own words while trying to process it all.

"Oh, murder? Sign me in!" Bert says, not even paying proper attention to the conversation again. The comment earns him a slap on the back of his head coming from Frank – I would've laughed at them if my worry wasn't so overwhelming.

"That's too much, I wouldn't ask him to do it to himself..." I sigh, holding my head in my hands as looking down, my fingers tangling with my hair in stress. "He wasn't even happy with marrying me, I don't think he'd take it to this level..."

"Then I guess I'd like to surprise you." An awkward, new voice reaches my ears, making me tense up a bit. "I'm up to doing it. I'm up to marrying you, whatever it takes."

In the brief moment of silence, Ray, Frank and I look between each other – both of them shoot me rather happy, encouraging looks. Still a bit insecure, I look back to Gerard. He's about to continue, but pauses seeing Frank and Ray standing up to leave, dragging Bert along with them.

Gerard sighs before he carefully sitting down beside me. He takes my hand in his, playing with my fingers, until he starts talking again.

"I believe I should give you a chance because you're a wonderful person," he says, his eyes still not meeting mine. "Not to mention, I believe it's much better to stay here with you than anything else. My bride... Eh, not anymore. Eliza seems to be batshit crazy and no one I know understands me as well as you do, even if we haven't known each other for long." He smiles genuinely.

"You make me feel well, to a point I didn't even know to be possible, so..." Gerard trails off, finally looking up at me, though there's clear insecurity behind his eyes. "I'm staying. With you."

Knowing this makes me extremely happy, though I'm still a bit afraid it might not be the right choice. Before I'm able to question anything, I'm surprised – once more – by Gerard's lips being pressed to mine in a loving kiss that reassures me he's certain about his choice. I try to kiss back with the same feeling. I'm usually not able to feel cold and heat, but I'm able to feel how warm his lips are against mine.

"Thank you," I mutter as pulling away, grinning stupidly.

"You don't need to thank me," Gerard furrows his eyebrows lightly at me. He smiles before pulling me to another kiss.

[ladynyctophilia]

Avoiding Red

Part 1 || Part 2

Mature Themes

Pairings: Vivienne Tang x MC (Rozario)

Vivienne and I walked past a jewelry store, arms linked, discussing the nothings. It was a calming afternoon in Paris, but the next groan of wind rippled my skirts and left me shivering. Aw. My heart cried for the passing summer season. It was my favorite, but we couldn't ignore the cold any longer. Soon I would have to "purchase" some warmer clothes. I flushed, thinking back to the outfits I had for New York’s winter. I'm pretty sure The Poppy would have kicked me out if I was still in my experimental fashion phase. Growing up in Florida, we rarely had to think about winter or autumn apparel because of HEAT. Colder seasons were not my thing. I remembered that when I first arrived in Paris, Nikolai had been so hard on me for wearing my floral skirt and denim jacket. I smirked, glancing down at it. 

Ha. That didn't stop me from wearing it. 

So I knew he wouldn't approve of whatever "American" crimes of fashion I had planned to wear next season. But I was more than confident that Vivienne had already picked out my autumn wardrobe mentally.

"Oh!" I gasped as Vivienne yanked on my arm, pulling me out of harm's way.

"Darling," Vivienne whispered, brushing her toxic lips against my temple. "You know I love that far away look in your eyes…but not here," she kisses my cheek, "too many people."

"Sorry," I flushed, embarrassed, blinking away the dreaminess from my eyes as I took in our new surroundings. It was older, a much more rustic part of Paris. Huh. I didn't recognize where we were. Must have been one of Vivienne's scenic routes. Regardless, I took the opportunity to melt into Vivienne further. How was she so warm? Even if I wanted to, I couldn't stop a pleased sigh from escaping my lips. Vivienne raised a brow at the noise, but said nothing, allowing me to cling to her with a huff. She ALWAYS tried to make things more dramatic than they were, but I caught the glimpse of an amused smile before she hid it.

"Will I be carrying you back as well?" Vivienne huffed with laughter. I squeaked, fighting off a laugh as she pinched my bottom with a playfulness that I only got to see. It meant the world to me. Truly. How many people got to see this side of Vivienne? I always cherished whatever she gave. ME. Of all people. Teenage Rozario would have flipped! But in all honesty, teenage Rozario would have probably died from Vivienne’s domme energy. 

"Any excuse to be closer to you," I muttered, purposefully breathless as I connected my eyes with hers, open and yearning. The bottom in me immediately panicked. 

Oh shit. What have I done? 

My eyes darted around nervously from person to person in the surrounding crowd.

We are in public. 

Taking in the loudness of my sudden desire, the click of her heels went offbeat. After a few tense seconds, she then stopped and faced me, forcing the half annoyed crowd to move around us, like a rock in a river. Vivienne's eyes found mine, and her grip on my arm tightened. My breath hitched. I could tell she was thinking the same thing as her eyes left mine to glance at the surrounding people. Words were not needed, however. With delicate fingers, Vivienne took hold of my chin, and my knees grew weak under her paint, stripping gaze. It was a chain reaction. She gripped the back of my thighs to steady them. Shit. Vivienne looked like she was going to devour me, right here and now. A part of me was hoping she would. 

Not now. 

Her piercing eyes warned. 

Look what you started.

Her brows pinched together as she backed me out of the crowd and up against a building. She was trembling with frustration. She was frustrated because she couldn't go in for the kill that I so temptingly offered. With the unfortunate predicament of my period, it had been over a week. Whoops. 

Look WHERE you started it.

Her hand slid down from my chin to my throat, turning my head side to side, but my eyes never left hers. I was stubborn. That pushed Vivienne over the edge, and I couldn't stop the cocky smile from spreading across my lips. A hiss escaped her as she pulled me closer by the throat. Those toxins on her lips burned into my skin as she lingered. It was getting dark by now, and most people were already gone, and those remaining were on their phones. 

"Tonight," she licked my neck, "I want you waiting for me, bent over the table in nothing, but heels," she whispered hoarsely, digging her nails into my shoulders as she held them in place.

"Yes sir," I muttered, brushing my lips against hers, eyes fluttering. 

"Good girl," she purred in response, eyelids closing at my touch. I could tell Vivienne didn't want to move, but finding her last ounce of control she did, taking my arm and leading me back to our original route. I sighed to myself. I needed to go to horny jail. 

The Poppy had only been back in Paris for ONE freakin night, and that's all Vivienne needed to locate her next target. Like a deer frozen in headlights, she appraised something in the window of a jewelry store warmly. I could already see the gears turning in that beautiful mind of hers. 

What beautiful thing caught Vivienne's attention this time? 

It was a gold necklace, glittering in the rays of the setting sun. It draped a serpent that wrapped itself protectively around a mess of diamonds, but a blood drop ruby in the center stole the show—fucking rubies. I smirked to myself as my gaze dropped to Vivienne's signature, serpent ring, and then back at the reflecting serpent on display. Both promised to strike if you threatened their treasure.

 HA! 

That thought only made me squeeze Vivienne's arm tighter. 

Bite me.

 I taunted them both. 

I dare you. Both treasures belong to me. 

24 hours later.

"Rozario!"

My eyes rolled to the direction of the voice, and my fingers twitched in response. Everything was blurry. I could vaguely make out shapes.

"ROZARIO, WHERE ARE YOU??!!!" The voice desperately repeated my name, competing against the volume of jewelry store alarms. That low sensual voice, it was so familiar. Louder, but familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it. Like the moon, the name was there but out of reach, but all this noise made me wince. My head was heavy with hurt. I was confused, scared, and I felt like someone had just hit me in the head with a baseball bat. 

"Ugh…" I groaned, testing the stability of my muscles. There was so much noise that I didn't notice how cold the ground was. My shirt felt wet. "Stop…" I pleaded, shielding my ears as the flashing red lights consumed me, but yet again, the voice ripped over the alarms. It was more desperate, and then it clicked. My eyes widened in recognition. 

VIVIENNE!!! 

A rush of adrenaline-charged my body, and my heart squeezed with concern. 

"Vivienne…" My voice didn't want to work, but I managed to whisper through dry, bloody lips. My whole system froze. 

Why. WHY WAS I BLEEDING??? WHAT HAPPENED??? WHERE AM I??

 Trembling in a storm of panic, I reached up to examine my face.

 "OUCH!" I howled as my knuckles unknowingly bumped against the tip of my nose, provoking tremors of pain to spike up. I whimpered. My head pounded in rhythm with my heart. Not good. More, unfamiliar voices reached my ears. NOT GOOD. I needed to move! Pushing aside the pain, I roared out a groan in an attempt to stand. My pathetic excuse of a body just didn't want to function.

BUT IT NEEDED TO WORK DAMN IT!! Who knows how much time I have before security finds me!!??

"Come on..." I whimpered out, pushing myself across the floor with one foot towards the exit. At this rate, my heart felt like it was going to pump out of my chest. I stopped, already out of breath.

I just didn't have the time. I need to stand. NOW. 

Finally, after eighty-four years, I managed to roll myself over to a GUARD STAINED IN BLOOD!!?? FUCK!!! My eyes shot from their eye sockets, and before I could make a level headed response, I hurled out a scream that shook the heavens. If security didn't know where I was before, they would now, but it all came back to me. Things didn't go as planned. We thought this was a small, family-owned jewelry store, but it turned out to be bait planted by some government agents. We took the bait like a fish lured by a worm, and I got my ass kicked by a guard. Fuck. FUUUCK!! But those memories didn't explain why I was so hungover. With a rush of determination, I lifted my hand and smacked myself.

 "OW!!" Were my knuckles bruised too?? I smacked myself again. Ow.

Rozario. F O C U S. Escape now, think later. 

Last I knew, Vivienne had the necklace, but a small army of security separated us. My eyes widened with panic at the thought of her captured, or worse. HURT. 

I needed...I NEEDED TO FIND HER!!! 

With my senses high and alert, I listened for her voice. Nothing. My heart dropped, the concern inside of me, twisting into something ugly. Fueled by it, I managed to stand with the wall as my guide. 

 "Vivienne!!" I cried out, stumbling around like a teen wearing drunk goggles. My focus scrambled, and all I could do for the sudden wave of dizziness was to shut my eyes as the floor spun and became the ceiling. 

Oh god. OH GOD!! I'm going to puke. YEP, puking now.  

My throat opened, and my stomach squeezed as I hurled out last night's dinner. Vivienne. 

ROZARIO! 

I smacked myself again. 

Bad Brain. If you don't get out of here, you will go to REAL prison instead of HORNY jail!!! 

I scolded myself, tapping my head back to its senses. Nikolai would be proud. 

The floor is NOT ceiling, get it right brain! 

After calming down, I took my advice, exhaling through my nose.

Breathe Rozario, just breathe. 

That's when my head decided to take a trip to "Pain City." I winced more at my own joke than the pain. 

I hate myself. 

Putting one foot in front of the other, I approached the unconscious guard, trembling. He was still breathing. A weight of relief that I didn't even know I was holding left my chest, but again my body failed me, and without resistance, my knees dropped to the ground with my body begging for the rest that it's been denied. I just couldn't do it. My breath was jagged, and it burned as I licked my lips. 

Where was Vivienne? 

My eyes searched for red in the dark. 

Why hadn't she come for me? Was she already caught? 

These questions haunted my mind until the scent of bittersweet chocolate washed over me. 

"Rozario, my love!" I heard my name in both panic and joy as I felt two long arms wrap underneath my shoulders, lifting me up to grace. 

"Vivienne…" I screamed in a whisper, the red of her cape had become my beacon of hope, and once she embraced me, I just completely broke, crying tears of relief into her chest. "Never leave me again," I sobbed, "I was so scared. I thought. I thought…" the words died off my lips as she shushed me with a gloved finger. Despite myself, I smiled against her finger, but she didn't smile back. Instead, Vivienne's beautiful face darkened as she took in my state. My brows pinched together in suspicion. Besides the obvious, what else could be wrong? Vivienne was full of hesitant gestures as her gaze flicked from my face to my torso. 

"Viv…" I whimpered with pleading eyes.

 Just tell me. 

I thought to myself as I caressed her cheek. Like always, Vivienne knew something that I didn't, and by the way her teeth caught her lip, it was bad. Shouts from a distance grew near. It forced Vivienne into immediate action, and she let me go, postponing whatever news she was going to share with me until later. We needed to get out of here. Skillfully and well-practiced, Vivienne lurked around the corner, with stealth and flexibility in her favor, as she fished out some tools from her cape. I wasn't as fortunate. Vivienne's reassurance might have lifted my spirits, but my body winced in pain with every step. The injuries I had endured were oblivious to me. I felt lightheaded like I've lost a lot of blood. Without the wall, I probably would have fallen again.

"Can you run?" Vivienne asked, flipping open a pocket mirror to get a better view of the guards behind us. 

" Yes," I answered breathlessly, not wanting to be the dead weight on our mini heist. Vivienne snapped the mirror shut, unconvinced as her heavy gaze rested upon me and thought up a strategy. Besides a few strands of hair out of place, Vivienne's appearance was flawless. It made me self conscious, but her eyes were tired and swimming with fear. A crack in the mask that I always found. The realness of the situation finally dawned on me."We are probably going to be caught, aren't we?" I finally asked in a whisper. Vivienne stood up straighter, eyes widening at my bluntness, but before she could answer, AGAIN, my body failed me, and I dropped. The sound of glass shattering penetrated my ears, and with one long stride, Vivienne was instantly at my side, catching me before I could fall. She huffed, silently mourning the pocket mirror she sacrificed to catch me. 

" Rozario…" she begged, but before any of us could get another word in, as quick as my panicked heart, Vivienne dragged me into another room as security promptly swarmed to locate the source of the shattered glass. Hopefully, the unconscious guard would buy us time. 

 "Getting caught is the last thing on my mind," Vivienne whispered low, propping me up against the wall as she tested the knob of a door. It was locked. With her brows pinching together in concentration, she fell on one knee to pick it. Time. We didn't have a lot of that. 

I'm slowing her down. 

"Leave me," I said quietly, without thinking. Vivienne didn't hear me at first. "Vivienne, baby,” I reached for her, ”leave me," I repeated, but louder," you won't be able to get us both out, and I'm only slowing you down." It was the truth. It hurt, but it was. 

I'm not going to be Vivienne's downfall. 

The lock had been picked, and the roof door opened, but when Vivienne looked at me, it was with the face of someone desperate. Out of control. A look that NEVER touched her expression. 

"No," she promised. 

My eyes burned with tears.

Couldn't she see that I would destroy her? 

Vivienne saw me breaking and was quick to soothe me, stroking my hair with gloved fingers. 

"My first concern is you. I won't leave you. I'm done doing that," Vivienne whispered, caressing her poisonous lips against my cheek in both a promise and declaration. I gazed up at her in worship, like any victim would their savior. Vivienne Tang was a thief through and through, but right now, she was my hero, and without warning, she picked me up. My cheeks burned in a mix of pain and awe. I always forgot how strong Vivienne was, and I was too weak to argue any further. 

Okay. 

I thought, closing my eyes, allowing her to take complete control of the situation. I trusted her. 

I don't exactly remember how, but Vivienne carried me up the flight of stairs. 

"THIEF!! STOP!! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!!" The small army of guards threatened, chasing us up the stairs. 

Vivienne didn't slow. In fact, I think she went faster, sprinting with me dangling in her arms. A red blur vanishing into the night. She was breathless, but this feat couldn't have been done by your average human. When did she have time to work out? I knew Leon worked out, but damn Vivienne had endurance. She MUST have worked out at SOME time in the day. There was no other explanation, but that was another discussion for later. 

"Zoe, how...how close are you?" Vivienne inquired through ragged breaths, and it was then that I realized my earpiece was missing. I wondered at which phase in our mini heist I lost it, but whatever Zoe said must have pleased Vivienne because the panicked look in her eyes had slightly receded. "Rozario has lost a lot of blood, and we need to get her to a hospital. Fast." 

Those words should have scared me, but they didn't. They only gave me relief as another lost memory revealed itself. A gun in the guard's hand, hot from firing. His first shot had missed, but the second hit. Funny, until now, I didn't even notice the injury. Adrenaline was a mask until it depleted.

Vivienne flew onto the roof, stumbling and breathing rapidly, desperate for air as she slowed to a walk and set me down. 

 I smirked, letting out a weak chuckle that might as well have been a whisper. "T-th-this is wha...why you shouldn't wear h-hheels to heistsss…" I teased, despite myself. 

Vivienne glared down at me like she couldn't believe I was making a joke at a dire time like this, but there was a humorous glint in her eyes. "I have yet to be caught, and besides," she waves her hand, gesturing to me, "try carrying your heavy ass up a flight of stairs." 

I gasped dramatically, acting all offended even though I wasn't, but our teasing banter was interrupted by a sudden pain spreading through from my torso. I groaned, clutching my side in agony. 

"Eh…hrrnngg..." I pulled back my hand to see crimson. My eyes instantly closed, not wanting to look as I bit back a scream. 

"Don't look, eyes on me, my darling," Vivienne muttered, crouching down next to me and keeping her eyes locked with mine as the helicopter neared. She was scared and on the verge of tears. I could tell, but she wouldn’t let her brave face fall. Protectively, Vivienne pulled me closer with the seriousness returning to her features. The lights and winds of the helicopter were overwhelming, and I wondered silently to myself who was in control. Was it Leon? Or did Zoe program it? The helicopter didn't land, but there was a loud clunk as the metal door slid open. A ladder tumbled down and I was relieved to see Jett poking out his head. There was a device of sorts in the palm of his hand, and before I could process, there was a loud BOOM behind us. The explosion had caused a fire, separating the security from Vivienne and I, but there were no sparkles. How disappointing. 

 "Come on, move your arse! We haven't gotten all bloody night!" Jet shouted, shaking his fist dramatically. Vivienne rolled her eyes as she took hold of the ladder, steadying it before swiveling around to reach for me, cape whipping viciously in the wind behind her. I accepted her hand with a smile that didn't quite meet my eyes, well aware that I couldn't climb the ladder by myself. Leon, Remy, or Jett would have to pull us up. I just wasn't strong enough. 

"We have a bath in London waiting for us," she promised, eyes shining down at me. Carefully, the helicopter began to rise, and as it ascended, I caught the glint of Vivienne's ring. The emerald eyes mocked me. A new pain stabbed my heart.

 Oh no. No no-no-no. NO!! 

With a new realization and a returned memory, my heart pinched as I recalled the needle of her ring stuck in my flesh. In the jewelry store. On purpose. I shook my head in disbelief. 

NO!! LIES!! Vivienne PROMISED she wouldn't poison me.

"Vivienne...baby..." I breathed out, squeezing my eyes shut as the wind collected my tears. Vivienne wouldn't do that because she loves me. She promised. Why would she stab me? The helicopter suddenly jerked, and I gasped, losing my balance.

"ROZARIO!!!" Vivienne’s screams filled the air as she dropped to catch me, but it was too late, and I fell. Looking back, I didn't want her to catch me. Maybe this fate was best. A reminder that I traveled with criminals. 

Why, why would she poison me?  Was I the escape goat all along?

It wasn't a long drop, but it felt like forever. Like time had slowed, drawing out all my mistakes starting with Vivienne. I wasn't prepared, but my body smacked against the roof anyways, and immediately, I couldn't breathe. I gasped, choking, and struggling to find the air in my lungs that wasn't there. I didn't know what hurt worse, my body, or my heart. The fire had dulled, and I was surrounded in a beat with guns pointed at me from all directions. I didn't care. Shoot me, I mouthed, but no more further injuries came. Or perhaps I just couldn't feel them anymore. Or see. Their mouths moved, but I couldn't hear them, and the last thing I saw was Leon holding back a feral Vivienne as the helicopter soared high from sight. Goodbye, Vivienne Tang. 

“R-r-r-re...red....”

To be continued….

[marmolady]

The New Taylor: Part 2

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC(f)

Summary: (Endless Ending).  Saving the world takes a lot out of a person. For Taylor, growing into her new self beyond La Huerta can only happen as fast as her exhausted body will allow her….

Warnings: Non-graphic sex scene, little bit of blood.

Word Count: 6246

Tagging:   @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr,  @greengroove

______

“Estela-- no!”

Unblinking, Estela brought her knife to the side of her head, and plunged it behind the blinking mind-control device. She yelped and dropped the knife, but renewed her assault with her own fingers, tearing at her flesh until the cold metal device came loose, to be flung across the room. All the while, she was deaf to Taylor’s  cries, dodging the frantic attempts at prising her fingers away from the now gaping wound.

She slumped to the floor, her face pallid as blood continued to gush.

“T-Taylor…”

“I’m here… I’m h-here, okay?” Desperately, Taylor tried to stem the bleeding with her hands, but as Estela’s cold fingers reached up to touch her face, scrunched in anguish, she knew it was already too late.

“I-I d-didn’t… hurt… you?”

“No. No, baby, you could never.”

Estela’s choking exhale shook. “I’m… m-me. I would never h-hurt you… Tay….”

“Shh, shh…. I know. You’re here. My Estela. You saved me.” Tears cascaded down Taylor’s cheeks, mingling with blood. Please, Estela…. No….

Estela shuddered, her body a dead weight against her lover’s chest. “I g-get to go out as m-me. W-with you. T-taylor….”

“With me. I love you-- I love you-- I--”

“...Love…you….”

The last light behind Estela’s eyes dulled, and she was gone. Taylor unleashed a howl of agony….

 And she awoke.

Taylor’s heart felt as though it might pound right out of her chest. Her face was wet-- tears?-- sweat?-- both? She let out a quiet, dry sob. The tingle of blood on her hands could have been real. After so many of these nightmares, though, she knew how to ground herself. Against her back, she felt the gentle rising and fall of Estela’s chest. Against her ear, the soft, grumbling breaths of Estela deep in slumber. In the dim light of the bedroom, Taylor could make out the outline of the tiny dog that lay curled up at the end of the bed. All was peaceful.

Slowly, the thundering against Taylor’s ribs calmed. It’s okay. You’re home. Estela’s with you; she’s safe. You’re safe. Stress seemed to make these nightmares-- flashbacks of memories bestowed by the Endless-- rear their heads. Her throat was dry, as if she truly had screamed for the loss. Taylor carefully extricated herself from Estela’s arms, and stood on shaky feet. She’d disturbed her lover too many times; as much as she herself did, Estela needed to rest and recover.

Taylor padded out to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

“You’re not sleeping so well, mija?”

It was perhaps the third time Nicolas had called her that, and it still gave her a happy jolt. She stood up from her slumped stature over the sink and turned to see the tall silver-haired man perched upon his desk chair, apparently restless himself.

“And what are you doing up so late?” she asked, the croak to her voice betraying the impact of that haunting vision. “An old man like you? You need your full eight hours.”

Nicolas chuckled. “The mouth on this one…. Well, being so old, as you say, I find myself with a lot of accumulated thoughts to organise. Estelita told you I was thinking of writing a memoir? It happens that such an undertaking comes with the stirring of memories. Some… are disquieting. The thing with war is you might find yourself processing memories you’d once pushed aside for sheer survival. But it is nothing I don’t know how to deal with-- a way of life by now.”

Having tiptoed into the front sitting room, Taylor set herself down in a chair; there was little point to heading straight back to bed while her mind was a whirl of traumatic images. Quietly, she was grateful for the company, appreciating how comfortable she was in sharing with her wife’s cantankerous uncle, even for the bumps they’d had in the road.

“I’m surprised she let you slip away,” Nicolas growled-- not an unfriendly noise, but gruff. “After your fainting episode, she’s been on you like an extra limb.”

“I didn’t want to wake her. Estela has had too many bad nights because of me.”

Understanding, Nicolas gave an almost imperceptible nod. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

Taylor opened her mouth, then closed it again. How to even explain her visions to someone who’d never stepped foot on La Huerta? “I have nightmares,” she said, after a moment of deliberation. “But like, really, really vivid. And not like just a random dream, more like… like I’m living this version of a past with crystal clarity. What might have happened on the island… how it could have all gone wrong; as real as my own memories. I see all the hundreds of ways my friends might have died, how Estela….” She shuddered. “I’ve seen her die so many times. I’ve felt her dying in my arms.”

“This is… all the time?” Nicolas was frowning, but didn’t appear alarmed. Apparently, life had made him pretty unflappable.

“Mmm… more when I’m emotionally stressed. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. And then it’s this really fun vicious circle; you try and not be an emotional wreck when you can’t close your eyes without seeing everyone you love die.”

Nicolas grunted, thoughtful. “It seems the last thing you need is to not be sleeping properly. Have you considered meditation before bed?”

“Yeah, actually. Estela suggested I try that. It helps me with getting to sleep, but I still have the dreams.”

When Nicolas spoke again, his voice was small. “I spent many months unable to shake scenarios my mind conjured… how that fool’s mission would have Estelita killed. It seemed inevitable for so long that I’d lost her, that she’d been wiped from the face of the earth without a trace. And here you have all those ‘what if’s’ collected in your mind. All the ways it could so easily have all come undone.”

“She always would have gone down fighting. I think… every single time. Whether she was going after Rourke, or saving her friends from some monster from the pits of hell… she would be this unyielding force of nature, so sure. To Estela, none of those eventualities ever happened-- she doesn’t have these memories, thank God--, but they’re real to me.”

For a little while, Nicolas was silent, lost in thought. He looked up at Taylor, a twitch of a smile upon his lips, and then his tired face was sombre once more. “I’ve learned a few things over the years of being the guardian of a wonderful, foolish child; one of those things is that to come down hard is to create fractures. And I have been hard on you-- harshness you do not deserve. I am very sorry.”

She swallowed hard. “I… I appreciate that. I’m sorry too. For blundering around like an idiot.”

“Yes, but you are our idiot. My second niece.”

Taylor was certain her heart just skipped a beat. She covered her shock by laughing it off. “You’ll be having me call you ‘Tio’ next….”

“By all means. It is quite clear that Estelita intends to keep you; we may as well cut to the chase with familiarity, mi Taylita.”

“Well, fine. If you say so, Tio.” In spite of her casual tone, Taylor couldn’t keep the smile from creeping to her face. Acceptance.

Nicolas took a long drink of rum.

“I’ll admit it seemed too good to be true; for Estelita to be happy. I always had this dream of seeing her, sharing a life with someone she loved, free from the shadows that have been there for as long as she knows. You’ll forgive me-- it is not that I didn’t wish to believe it, but my guard is there to keep her from being hurt more. Do you know when I knew that this-- you-- were real, not some cruel wishful thinking?”

“What was it?”

“It was, I think, four, maybe five , days after you came home. I didn’t hear what you said, but she was laughing. Really laughing. As though her body could not possibly even try to contain her joy. It was the sort of unrestrained delight in living that I hadn’t seen in her eyes since she was a little child. It was magic. So, I wish for you to know that I will be forever grateful for that gift. For your care for her.”

Feeling like she might just about burst with happiness-- with love for her wife-- Taylor flushed. Whatever life would make of her next, she could be proud of the person she’d been for Estela. “It’s not just me, you know. The rest of us, our friends; they love Estela so, so much. I guess you see that with Jake, but it’s like we’re our own family. This thing we all went through together, it’s seared in us. Whatever happens next, even if I was to get struck down by lightning tomorrow, Estela is not gonna be alone ever again. Not really.”

“I’ve seen a good few impossible things these past weeks. I’d been certain that if she dared try to smile, her miserable old face would shatter! And now, here she is, light as a feather.” Nicolas looked down, his eyes misted over. “I have seen what you, your friends, have done. To say… to say I am thankful feels small. Inadequate.”

Taylor shook her head. “Something like that doesn’t even need thanks. What we have is a privilege. It’s… all the family I thought I’d ever have-- until I came here.”

“Then, it seems my family has grown more than I know.”

 _________________________

Sprawled out in front of Taylor were a collection of notes, cutouts and photographs, atop a poster-sized paper. When the idea of a vision board was first put to her, she’d barely given it a thought, but it had become so damn hard to see anything past this period of physical rehabilitation that doing something was a necessity. With a piece of toast in one hand, and the other offering quiet reassurance to her thin half-hairless canine companion, she pored over the visual summation of herself. As it happened, she didn’t appear to amount to much. In the middle of the board, she’d scrawled ‘Who Am I?’, and the wishy-washy answers she’d managed to surround it with did nothing to light the much-needed fire of self-confidence.

‘A people-person’, ‘nurturing’, ‘compassionate’. She scritched Fenix’s belly. ‘A strong leader’, ‘determined’, ‘resourceful’. There was no need for any kind of translation into the real world; all that had come with her. Those things, at least, were hers. But there was no history-- not any that she could ever talk about outside her own close circle.

“I can’t even put down any hobbies…,” she muttered.

Beside her, Estela peered over.

“I don’t think that’s true. You’ve been learning to knit; that’s definitely a ‘you’ thing. And we used to go hiking, swimming, wind-surfing….”

Taylor flinched, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey… I know it feels like your body’s giving out on you right now, but this won���t be forever.”

I love you, but you don’t know that.

“Taylor, you can look at me like I’m crazy all you want, but… I know things are gonna get better.” Estela gently took Taylor’s hand in her own. “When you were in the med centre, those first few days… I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. You were gone, and there was no hope. But you came back to me. From nothing, you came back. I’m scared too, no matter how much I try and push it down. Even hard as things are it seems like it’s too good to be true. We can’t listen to those doubts, okay? I believe in a lot of things, but more than anything, I believe in you.”

“Well, at least someone does.” Taylor gave her wife’s hand a squeeze, and offered a grateful smile. “Considering what I clawed myself back from, this could be as good as it gets. But… I guess I’m not done fighting.”

Estela pecked a kiss to Taylor’s cheek, nuzzling close. “Good. I’m glad some of my stubborn streak has rubbed off on you.”

Taylor couldn’t help but chuckle. She was just about to go in for another kiss, when Nicolas marched into the kitchen for a drink of water.

“Buenos días, Tio!”

So… the smooch session was on hold. Resigned to being patient, Taylor reached for her glass of orange juice.

“Estelita, your poor esposa tells me she is having nightmares!” Nicolas announced as he popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. “You need to be making sure she is nice and relaxed before she goes to sleep.  A hot bath would not go amiss. And you should have plenty of sex. The oxytocin will do you both many favours.”

Taylor spluttered into her juice, slopping it down her front, while Estela promptly turned a glowing scarlet.

“Tio!”

“Sex is good for you, mija.”

“Ohmygod!”

Of course, Jake chose that moment to stroll into the room, a shout of laughter giving away what he’d overheard.

“Ya hear that, Katniss? Sex is good for ya.”

The look Estela gave him might have killed a lesser man stone dead on the spot.

“Eh, Lobito, I hope you are not expecting sympathy when she murders you.”

Taylor snorted. “And you will have no one but yourself to blame!”

“Enlighten me, E.T.; what’s all this you’re up to? Taking a break from being nurse to the world’s ugliest dog?”

“That’s Princess E.T. to you,” she retorted, placing a hand over the sleeping animal by her side. “And she’s characterful. Pretty sure she’s a damn sight more attractive than you’d be if you were half starved and crawling with mange.”

“Ten out of ten would not let you in the front door,” Estela said dryly. She looked to Taylor and Fenix with an affectionate glance. Having someone to help out was good for her wife. A few days after the little dog came home and the fire in Taylor’s eyes was once more shining bright. When Estela had suggested the name for the dog, it had not just been an expression of hope for the miserable little creature.

“What I’m up to,” Taylor explained to Jake, “is something like a personal vision board. I’ve been really tripped up by not really knowing who I am in, you know, the real world. Quinn actually suggested this-- I use words and images to make a tangible impression of who this new Taylor is, what I want her to be. The more I think about it… the more I actually see it in front of me… I find it really difficult to separate my sense of self from my friends.”

“Kinda makes sense considering what Vaanu made you for.”

“Yeah… it does. But they didn’t make me with this life in mind. It’s hard to see me fitting.”

Estela grasped Taylor’s free hand, entwining their fingers. “Nope. You fit perfectly. See? It’s just a case of you finding your feet.”

Taylor exchanged a look with Jake. It wasn’t that simple. She’d been created for a purpose, and she’d fulfilled it. How would she even relate to people beyond that world? It would have to be built up slowly. Her friends had ensured she left La Huerta with a plausible life story to parrot, a medical history, even a collection of fabricated childhood anecdotes. Anything more that was a matter of time; she’d be built into a semblance of a real human being through her stumbling experiences.

“I’m serious, carińa! You know it doesn’t help you to see yourself as something set apart. Vaanu created a human person-- not anything else. The human experience isn’t defined by just one thing.”

Jake shrugged. “Eh, that ain’t a bad point, if I’m honest. Not a soul outside anyone you’ve told is gonna think of you as anything but what you look like; and that’s the same slightly irritatin’ human woman that came barging into my cockpit. Ain’t as if anyone’d believe who you are if you even tried tellin’ ‘em.”

Taylor frowned. They couldn’t get it; not really. How was she supposed to see herself as anything other than an outsider when her very body seemed intent on telling her that she was incompatible with this life.

“Look, I know you guys are trying to help, but I really don’t want to talk about that. I want to focus on recovery… on who I am in the here and now.” Maybe to them that was one and the same, but to Taylor, there was a big difference. She didn’t want to hear reassurances of how human she was-- she wanted to just be that human.

Jake put his hands up and backed away, but Estela simply held her wife’s gaze, thoughtful, then nodded.

“I guess I can’t really help you with what to put on this collage-thing-- what with the whole point being that it’s personal-- but I’ll dig out some old papers and magazines. And if you want any pictures printed….”

“Thanks,” Taylor said warmly, offering a squeeze of Estela’s fingers. Even in her gratitude for the subject being dropped, something had been stirred; was she making an outsider of herself? Could it be that she was her own worst enemy? If she’d never uncovered the truth of her being, would she be so scared now? The Taylor who arrived on La Huerta did so with no hang-ups about how she’d fit with others; she just got on and did it. That Taylor wouldn’t be drowning in this cursed self-doubt.

  ___________________

The little dog, Fenix, made for good company. There were no preconceived expectation to meet, and it was refreshing. Nursing the dog back to health had occupied most of Taylor’s past few days, and it had been a welcome point of focus. Fenix wasn’t in the best shape, and the thought of having a recuperation buddy actually did a lot to lift Taylor’s spirits. If nothing else, she was grateful that she at least didn’t have mange.

The sight of Fenix rolling contentedly onto her back made Taylor smile. It seemed she’d managed to put the sickly animal at ease. That ability to reach people-- and mangy little dogs, apparently-- was one part of herself she was sure of. To be building new relationships, with Nicolas and Fenix, gave her the confidence boost she’d sorely needed”.

“Okay, pupper. See if you can help me with this. I’ve got to do some kind of representation of my future. Whatever the hell that looks like for someone like me.”

The basics were simple. She’d be by Estela’s side. They’d have a child together-- even before Taylor had decided to sacrifice the alien part of herself to restore the world, the two of them had discussed that. She would remain close to her friends, now family for all intents and purposes. More than that… did she really need to have it all worked out?

Maybe it would help.

In spite of herself, Taylor pouted. It’s not as if I even know if I’ll physically recover. Maybe… small goalposts are gonna be more helpful.

She jotted down some notes; small goals…. ‘Go on hikes with Estela’-- they used to go on long walks all the time back on La Huerta. ‘Lean some Spanish’… if nothing else but to see the gobsmacked look on Nicolas’ face. ‘Survive first year of college without worrying too much about picking a direction’…. ‘feel in control of my own body’… ‘take more baths, have more massages-- basically, anything to get me to actually relax’. She tickled Fenix under the chin, and chuckled to herself as the dog groaned happily. “Get this little lady on her feet and living her best life.”

Progress, though, quickly ground to a halt. Self-reflection was tiring, and Taylor simply couldn’t handle tiring. With a hand to her forehead, she looked down upon the jumbled mess before her-- at least in that way it was a fairly accurate representation of the woman she was. It felt pointless. Quinn’s idea had been lovely in the abstract, but all this just hammered home that she was building something from scratch. Her eyes stung. It was crystal clear that she’d been fooling herself; a bit of positive thinking and visualisation wasn’t going to make a human being out of a glorified lump of stardust.

“Taylor, if this is only making you more stressed, you should take a break,” Estela said calmly from the doorway-- how long she’d been standing there, Taylor couldn’t be sure. “The whole idea is to help your recovery.”

Taylor hunched over, her eyes stinging. Torn between letting it all pour forth, taking comfort in her partner, and holding back and keeping up the crumbling facade of some easy happy ever after; she froze, all the while tears wove their tracks down her cheeks. Then, two strong arms took her from behind, carrying away the burden of choice. She sobbed.

Why am I falling apart like this?

After a long while of simply being held, caressed, kissed through her tears, Taylor found her voice.

“I thought I knew who I was. I guess… the fact that I don’t physically feel like me right now… it… it makes all the other things stick out to me so much more. All the ways I don’t fit.”

Estela nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. It… it must be hard.”

“‘Stel… are we insane to think I could just waltz into Hartfeld and just be another student? I never even went to school; people are gonna see right through me. I’m scared, ‘Stel. Of being some kind of broken half-person who can never be what you deserve.”

“Amor, no--”

Taylor shook her head. “I know how much you love me. You’d never say those things or even think them… but I might not be the same woman you fell in love with. Back then, I was ‘Taylor, Hartfeld student kicking ass on crazy island’, not ‘Taylor, sad little alien that might not ever be close to keeping up with you ever again’.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate a good badass streak… but everything I fell in love with is still here. I’m looking at it right now, and falling in love all over again.”

“I’m not even human.”

Estela gave her wife a hard, penetrating look. No way would she let that go.

“Look at me. Your favourite flowers are sunflowers. Your favourite food is ice cream-- strawberry. To you, a day when you haven’t given out, like, ten hugs, is a day wasted. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, it would be Princess Bride, which I find personally amusing, but Back to the Future would be your close second choice. You’re more clued up about world issues than most of the people I shared a lecture theatre with in college, and you actually care. You might have just appeared on some magical tropical island a year ago, but you know all the words to songs I’ve never even heard of. You never needed a high school education-- it’s all there, innate to you. More than that… more than anything, you’ve got more humanity in your little finger than most people have in their whole bodies. That person who came and sat with me on that first night on La Huerta… she wasn’t just a human being, she was a wonderful human being. You are and always will be.” Estela brushed Taylor’s hair out her eyes, seeking her gaze. When she found it, those sapphire eyes were welling.  “I just… you’ve gotta know that. I know it’s hard-- God, I just want to make it easier for you… for you to see it. And we’re gonna keep building your strength up. It’s okay that this is getting you down-- that’s only natural--, but I won’t let you stay down. It’s your corner I’m fighting in now.”

“Thank you. For always knowing what to say… and for making me feel so, so loved.”

“It’s only because you are.”

“I love you too.”

“We’re getting through this, okay? We need a solid plan. All these things we’re doing that help… but there’s no routine, no targets-- you can’t see how far you’ve come.”

“So… you’re gonna be my personal trainer? Just like old times.”

“Well, kind of. We don’t have the threat of you dropping dead to worry about, so it’s definitely gonna be more pleasant than preparing you to return Vaanu’s essence. And I’ll be taking things a lot gentler.”

“Oh, thank god.”

Estela couldn’t hold back a giggle. And the sound of it, the airiness… and the sight of that once-so serious face scrunched up in mirth, it tickled Taylor until she was laughing herself.

“I mean it though. I love you, so damn much.” Catching her breath back, Taylor looked down beside the table, where Fenix was now fast asleep. Peaceful. There was something kind of satisfying about seeing that. A little sign that Taylor might just still be capable of doing something worthwhile. She needed more of that feeling. Much more.

She brought a finger to Estela’s chin, and let her eyes speak her desire.

“Hey… the dog’s sleeping, no one’s home…. I could really use some nice feelings right now, if you wanted to take this to the bedroom.”

Concern furrowed Estela’s brow, and it made Taylor laugh all over again.

“I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I was to tired. We can just take it slow.” As usual. She was pretty sure there was a joke to be had there about a worst case scenario in which at least she’d die happy, but she kept it to herself. Too soon. Besides, it wasn’t important. Something else was on Taylor’s mind.

The smile slowly returned to Estela’s face. “I won’t say I’m not tempted,” she said quietly. “Okay, fine, I’d love that.”

As Estela settled on the bed, Taylor carefully pulled the door closed, not wanting to wake Fenix from much-needed rest. She looked at her wife, waiting there for her, all tenderness and affection, and felt a rush of warmth. There could never be any discomfort in expressing what she needed, not here. Estela was her safe place.

“I… actually wanted to try something different,” she said, slowly moving toward the bed. When Estela’s quirked eyebrow gave away her interest, Taylor continued, pink spots blossoming upon her cheeks. “You know how I’ve been feeling like I’ve got no control… like I’m just along for the ride in my own body…? Well, I want, I guess, the opposite.”

Estela nodded solemnly, but a matching blush rose up on her face. “Oh, you want to be in charge. Are you thinking a… um… bondage… kind of… thing?”

Ignoring the raging heat that had flushed her skin, Taylor responded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Something like that. If you’re open to giving it a try?”

Having shrugged off a pesky layer or two of clothes, Estela settled into the pillows and offered her wrists. She watched with smoldering eyes as Taylor rummaged through her La Huerta luggage until she came across a scarf.  

With gentle hands, taking time to caress along Estela’s sensitive inner arms, Taylor carefully secured a knot, then slipped out of her clothes-- all the while, butterflies danced in her stomach. The kind of trust involved here was… a lot. Complete vulnerability should have been against everything life had hammered into Estela, and yet she looked comfortable. Okay-- more than comfortable.

“You’re sure this is okay? Just-- I’ll stop the second you--”

“Taylor. I know. I wanna try this. So, now you’re in charge.” Estela settled back into the mattress, her glittering eyes poring over her wife’s scantily clad figure. Have me.

One hand remaining firm on Estela’s tied wrists, Taylor let the other trail downwards, dancing a slow dance across supple shoulders criss-crossed with faded scars.

“Close your eyes.”

Estela did so, though not before meeting Taylor’s gaze with a smirk clearly intended to make her lover go to pieces.

“Oh, god,” Taylor hissed out as the warm throb between her legs heightened. She took a moment to catch her breath. This was another area in which her confidence had taken a knock, but she was safe and loved, and knew she could take all the time she needed. She leaned close, and began to touch, to feel, responding to the soft whines and moans of pleasure that followed in her wake.

Some time later, after a few stops and starts, for rest breaks were something Taylor now simply had to accept, the two lovers lay entwined in one another’s arms.

“That… was nice.”

Taylor collapsed into breathless giggles. “’Nice’? That’s the review I get?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not my fault I can’t throw a sentence together right now. Most of the things I’m feeling are kind of… too big for words.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess I can take the compliment.”

“You should. I am so lucky.”

“Not nearly as lucky as me.” Taylor sighed contentedly, snuggling against Estela’s shoulder and appreciating the joyful hum that rumbled from her throat. “It just felt so good, to feel like I’m actually in control of something, to not be helpless. So, thanks for giving me that.”

Estela flushed. “When I say it’s my pleasure, you don’t know the half of it.”

Giddy, Taylor couldn’t hold back the laughter. For the first time in a long time, her body felt simply light, no longer an anchor dragging her down. As Estela gave into giggles herself, the tickling bounce of her stomach only served to chase out one laugh after another, until Taylor found herself spent.

“I love you…” she gasped. Her body ached all over, but it was the happiest kind of exhaustion, without a trace of the frustration that had plagued her. She’d stopped fighting it, and as it turned out, her body was still hers.

“I love you too, mi vida. With every beat of my heart.”

Taylor gazed adoringly into Estela’s dark eyes and knew home. How is it even possible for someone so tough and prickly to be utterly soft? Of course, she knew, the hard outer shell was itself a force of love. As long as you’ve got her, you’re indomitable.

“I guess we’ll see if Tio’s right about the oxytocin helping with the nightmares.”

Estela snorted. “Joder-- I’d never hear the end of it. Whatever works, I guess… but I still think we should keep up the meditation before bed tonight.”

“A bit of clearing out the old noggin never hurt anyone.” Taylor grinned, and pecked a kiss to her lover’s cheek. “It’s like… the more I’ve been scared, the more tired I get, just from the worrying. Well, I’m done. The new Taylor might be a little frustrated with her limitations, but she’s done being scared by them.”

Pulling Taylor ever closer, Estela kissed her deeply, then pressed her forehead gently to hers.

“This is how you’re gonna get better,” she said. “By ramping up the self-care. If it’s knitting a jumper for our sad, naked dog, or  taking two or three baths a day, or curling up with me in a hammock and watching the world go by. I think… in this instance, fighting looks like… like letting go. Like enjoying the quiet moments, and letting your body rest and heal.”

Taylor nestled into the blanket, and slid down so that her face was tucked against the sensitive crook of Estela’s neck. I’ve been such an idiot.

“I’d over-think myself to death if I could,”she sighed. “And I’d miss all of this in the process. You.” Her lips tickled a teasing trail of kisses down to her love’s collarbone. Maybe she’d been so focused on the impossibility of her being her, alive and with a life by Estela’s side, that she’d been fighting it. Fighting herself. Sabotaging her own happiness, her own body, with fear. Maybe she didn’t need to fear letting Estela down.

The ‘new’ Taylor, was, after all, just the old Taylor. And she was enough.

[nourishing]

Bishop Berkeley or Mariana of the Universe by Liliana Heker

‘How much longer till Mom comes home?’ 

It’s the fourth time Mariana has asked that question. The first time, her sister Lucia answered that she’d be back real soon; the second, how the heck was she to know when Mom would be back; the third time, she didn’t answer, she just raised her eyebrows and stared at Mariana. That was when Mariana decided that things weren’t going all that well and that the best thing to do was not to ask any more questions. Anyhow, she asked herself, Why do I want Mom to come back, if I’m here with Lucia . . . ? She corrected herself: Why do I want Mom to come back, if I’m here with my big sister? She blinked, deeply moved by the thought. Big sisters look after little sisters, she told herself as if she were reciting a poem. How lucky to have a big sister. Lucia, with large guardian-angel wings, hovered for a second over Mariana’s head. But in a flash the winged image was replaced by another, one which returned every time their mother left them on their own: Lucia, eyes bulging out of their sockets, hair in a furious tangle, was pointing a gun at her. Sometimes there was no gun. Lucia would pounce on her, trying to rip Mariana’s eyes out with her nails. Or strangle her. The reason was always the same: Lucia had gone mad. 

It is a well-known fact that mad people kill normal people, which meant that if Lucia went mad when they were alone together, she’d kill Mariana. That was obvious. Therefore Mariana decides to abandon her good intentions and asks again, for the fourth time, ‘How much longer till Mom comes home?’ 

Lucia stops reading and sighs. ‘What I’d like to know,’ she says (and Mariana thinks, She said ‘I’d like to know’; does one say ‘I would like to know’ or ‘I should like to know’?) ‘What I’d like to know is why in God’s name do you always need Mom around?’ 

‘No.’ Now she’ll ask me, ‘No what?’ She always manages to make things difficult. But Lucia says nothing, and Mariana continues, ‘I was just curious, that’s all.’ 

‘At twelve.’ 

‘What do you mean, at twelve!’ Mariana cries. ‘But it’s only ten to nine now!’ 

‘I mean at twelve, six and six,’ Lucia says. 

Mariana howls with laughter at the joke; she laughs so hard that for a moment she thinks she’ll die laughing. To tell the truth, she can’t imagine anyone else on earth could be as funny as her sister. She’s the funniest, nicest person in the world, and she’ll never go mad. Why should she go mad, she, who’s so absolutely terrific? 

‘Lu,’ she says adoringly, ‘Let’s play something, okay? Let’s, okay?’ 

‘I’m reading.’ 

‘Reading what?’ 

‘Mediocre Man.’ 

‘Ah.’ I bet now she’ll ask me if I know what mediocre man means, and I won’t know, and she’ll say then, ‘Why do you say “Ah,” you idiot?’ Quickly she asks, ‘Lu, I can’t remember, what does Mediocre Man mean?’ 

‘The Mediocre Man is the man who has no ideals in life.’ 

‘Ah.’ This lays her mind at rest, because she certainly has ideals in life. She always imagines herself already grown up, all her problems over, everyone understands her, things turn out fine, and the world is wonderful. That’s having ideals in life. 

‘Lu,’ she says, ‘we, I mean, you and I, we’re not mediocre, are we?’ 

‘A pest,’ Lucia says. ‘That’s what you are.’ 

‘Lucia, why is it that you’re so unpleasant to everyone, eh?’ 

‘Listen, Mariana. Do you mind just letting me read in peace?’ 

‘You’re unpleasant to everyone. That’s terrible, Lucia. You fight with Mom, you fight with Dad. With everyone.’ Mariana lets out a deep sigh. ‘You give your parents nothing but trouble, Lucia.’ 

‘Mariana, I wish you’d just drop dead, okay?’ 

‘You’re horrible, Lucia, horrible! You don’t say to anyone that you wish they would drop dead, not to your worst enemy, and certainly not to your own sister.’

‘That’s it, now start to cry, so that afterwards they will scream at me and say that I torture you.’ 

‘Afterwards? When afterwards? Do you know exactly when Mom will be back?’

 ‘Just afterwards.’ Lucia has gone back to reading Mediocre Man. ‘Afterwards is afterwards.’ She lifts her eyes and frowns as if she were meditating on something very important. ‘The future, I mean.’ 

‘What future? You said Mom would be back very soon.’ 

Lucia shakes her head in resignation and goes back to her book. 

‘Yes, of course, she’ll be back very soon.’ 

‘No. Yes, of course, no. Is she coming back very soon or isn’t she coming back very soon?’ 

Lucia glares at Mariana; then she seems to remember something and smiles briefly. 

‘And anyway what does it matter?’ She shrugs her shoulders. 

‘What do you mean, what does it matter? You don’t know what you’re saying, do you? If someone comes home very soon, it means she comes home very soon, doesn’t it?’ 

‘If someone comes home, yes.’ 

‘What?’ 

‘I just said that if someone comes home, then yes. Will you please let me read?’

 ‘You’re a cow, that’s what you are! What you really want is for Mom never to come home again!’ 

Lucia closes the book and lays it down on the bed. She sighs. 

‘It has nothing to do with my wanting it or not,’ she explains. ‘What I’m saying is that it simply doesn’t matter if Mom is here or there.’ 

‘What do you mean, there?’ 

‘Just there; anywhere; it’s all the same.’

‘Why the same?’ 

Lucia rests her chin on both her hands and stares gravely at Mariana. 

‘Listen, Mariana,’ she says. ‘I’ve got something to tell you. Mom doesn’t exist.’

Mariana jumps. 

‘Don’t be stupid, okay?’ she says, trying to look calm. ‘You know Mom doesn’t like you saying stupid things like that.’ 

‘They’re not stupid things. Anyway, who cares what Mom says, if Mom doesn’t exist?’ 

‘Lu, I’m telling you for the last time: I-don’t-like-you-say-ing-stu-pid-things, okay?’ 

‘Look, Mariana,’ Lucia says in a tired tone of voice. ‘I’m not making it up; there’s a whole theory about it, a book.’ 

‘What does it say, the book?’ 

‘What I just said. That nothing really exists. That we imagine the world.’

‘What do we imagine about the world?’ 

‘Everything.’ 

‘You just want to frighten me, Lucia. Books don’t say things like that. What does it say, eh? For real.’ 

‘I’ve told you a thousand times. The desk, see? There isn’t really a desk there, you just imagine there’s a desk. Understand? You, now, this very minute, imagine that you’re inside a room, sitting on the bed, talking to me, and you imagine that somewhere else, far away, is Mom. That’s why you want Mom to come back. But those places don’t really exist, there is no here or far away. It’s all inside your head. You are imagining it all.’ 

‘And you?’ 

‘I what?’ 

‘There’s you, see?’ Mariana says with sudden joy. ‘You can’t imagine the desk in the same exact place that I imagine it, can you?’ 

‘You’ve got it all wrong, Mariana sweetheart. You just don’t understand, as usual. It’s not that both of us imagine that the desk is in the same place: it’s that you imagine that both of us imagine that the desk is in the same place.’ 

‘No, no, no, no. You got it all wrong. Each of us doesn’t imagine things on our own, and one can’t guess what the other is imagining. You talk about what you imagine. I say to you: how many pictures are there in this room? And I say to myself: there are three pictures in this room. And at exactly the same time you tell me that there are three pictures in this room. That means that the three pictures are here, that we see them, not that we imagine them. Because two people can’t imagine the same thing at the same time.’ 

‘Two can’t, that’s true.’ 

‘What do you mean?’ 

‘I’m saying that two people can’t.’ 

‘I don’t understand what you’re saying.’ 

‘I’m saying that you are also imagining me, Mariana.’ 

‘You’re lying, you’re lying! You’re the biggest liar in the whole world! I hate you, Lucia. Don’t you see? If I’m imagining you, how come you know I’m imagining you?’ 

‘I don’t know, I don’t anything. You are just making me up, Mariana. You’ve made up a person called Lucia, who’s your sister, and who knows you’ve made her up. That’s all.’ 

‘No, come on, Lu. Say it’s not true. What about the book?’ 

‘What book?’ 

‘The book that talks about all this.’ 

‘That talks about what?’ 

‘About things not really existing.’ 

‘Ah, the book . . . The book is also imagined by you.’ 

‘That’s a lie, Lucia, a lie! I could never imagine a book like that. I never know about things like that, don’t you understand, Lu? I could never imagine something as complicated as that.’ 

‘But my poor Mariana, that book is nothing compared to the other things you’ve imagined. Think of History and the Law of Gravity and Maths and all the books ever written in the world and Aspirins and the telegraph and planes. Do you realize what you’ve done?’ 

‘No, Lucia, no, please. Everyone knows about those things. Look. If I bring a lot of people into this room, and I say when I count up to three, we all point to the radio at the same time, then you’ll see. We’ll all point in the same direction. Let’s play at that, Lu, please, come on; let’s play at pointing at things. Please.’ 

‘But are you stupid or what? I’m telling you that you are the one who’s imagining all the people in the world.’ 

‘I don’t believe you. You say that just to frighten me. I can’t imagine all the people in the world. What about Mom? What about Dad?’ 

‘Them too.’ 

‘Then I’m all alone, Lu!’ 

‘Absolutely. All alone.’ 

‘That’s a lie, that’s a lie! Say that you’re lying! You’re just saying that to frighten me, right? Sure. Because everything’s here. The beds, the desk, the chairs. I can see them, I can touch them if I want to. Say yes, Lu. So that everything’s like before.’ 

‘But why do you want me to say yes, if anyway it will be you imagining that I am saying yes?’ 

‘Always me? So there’s no one but me in the world?’ 

‘Right.’ 

‘And you?’ 

‘As I said, you’re imagining me.’ 

‘I don’t want to imagine any more, Lu. I’m afraid. I’m really frightened, Lu. How much longer till Mom comes home?’ 

Mariana leans out of the window. Mom, come back soon, she begs. But she no longer knows to whom she’s begging, or why. She shuts her eyes and the world disappears; she opens them, and it appears again. Everything, everything, everything. If she can’t think about her mother, she won’t have a mother any more. And if she can’t think about the sky, the sky . . . And dogs and clouds and God. Too many things to think about all at once, all on her own. And why she, alone? Why she alone in the universe? When you know about it, it’s so difficult. Suddenly she might forget about the sun or her house or Lucia. Or worse, she might remember Lucia, but a mad Lucia coming to kill her with a gun in her hand. And now she realizes at last how dangerous all this is. Because if she can’t stop herself thinking about it, then Lucia will really be like that, crazy, and kill her. And then there won’t be anyone left to imagine all those things. The trees will disappear and the desk and thunderstorms. The colour red will disappear and all the countries in the world. And the blue sky and the sky at night and the sparrows and the lions in Africa and the earth itself and singing songs. And no one will ever know that, once, a girl called Mariana invented a very complicated place to which she gave the name of Universe

[star-birthmark]

Living Through You: Ghiaccio X Reader

Ghiaccio had never been someone who could take criticism well. But someone has attacked the integrity of his stand, he wouldn’t just sit idly by. When a heated attack is thrown, he is asked to explain his side of the story. He had to defend his abilities and what they represent: his love for you. Hear the ice man tell a story from his past and learn why Ghia is the way he is.  (4.1k words)

CWs: parental arguments, casual violence, reader death

“Do you guys ever wonder why we have the stands that we do?” 

It was poker night at the La Squadra base, the whole team huddled around their dining room table, engaged in the heated card game. Pesci had already blown through most of his money (much to Prosciutto’s dismay), with the game quickly becoming a power struggle between Melone’s calculating mind, Risotto’s blank expression, and Sorbet’s cheating ways. However, all members stopped and took a pause when the oh-so tipsy but oh-so curious Formaggio asked all of them his question. Illuso thought about it for a moment before looking at his casual rival with a grin. 

“I can think of why. I’ll bet a fatass like you wanted to be thinner so you got Little Feet.”

Formaggio growled. “At least I’m not so narcissistic that my stand would require me to look at myself in the mirror all day you prick.”

Prosciutto rolled his eyes and stuck his cigarette in between his teeth. 

“You gotta be kidding me. A stand has nothing to do with someone’s personality. What? Do you really think Melone’s some kind of scientific genetic genius?” 

He snickered, causing the masked man to dramatically gasp from his wounded pride. 

“Oh yeah?! Well, at least I’m not subconsciously scared of my good looks fading Pros dear. I take good care of myself. You keep smoking and eating red meat and relying on your genes to stay fit, and you won’t even need Grateful Dead to look like a gross old man.” 

Proscuitto grumbled, ready to stand up from his seat and give Melone a peace of his mind. Pesci, noticing his mentor’s ticks of anger, shook his head in protest. 

“Hey what if we all just stop this? We all got pretty strong stands anyway, so what does it matter why we have them?” Sorbet rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah obviously the man with the worst stand out of all of us would say that.” 

Seeing Pesci’s hurt expression, Risotto placed a large hand on the boy’s shoulder and glared at Sorbet. 

“Come Sorbet. You know how sensitive Pesci can get.” Proscuitto rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever sir. He should learn to take it.” 

“Wait for just a second now but I don’t wanna take it-”

“He should learn how to take it.” 

Proscuitto eyed his mentee waiting for him object again. Pesci sighed, slinking back in his chair. Formaggio raised an eyebrow in thought. 

“Wait a second… there’s still someone we haven’t really considered.” 

He looked about the group before eyeing Ghiaccio sitting between Melone and Sorbet and Gelato. The curly-haired assassin sat silently, staring down at his cards with shaking hands. The rest of them had realized who Formaggio was talking about and turned to Ghiaccio as well. Melone leaned in towards his one true friend of the group. 

“Well, you’ve been awfully quiet Ghia. You’d think since we’re all yelling at each other, you’d want in on the fun.”

“I’m alright.” The icy man nodded between teeth, still staring at his cards. Sorbet decided to pry as he usually does, unafraid to be truly hurtful. 

“Oh come on Amico… we’re all men here. You know damn well we can take an insult. So what’s about it. How about you take a shot at us, you pathetic little figure skater? Little girl huh?”

“What the fuck did you call me?!” Ghiaccio exploded, slamming his hands down on the table, coming up to his feet. Sorbet chuckled. 

“Alright alright calm down. Mad at me? Do something then…”

Ghiaccio bit his tongue once more, turning his head to sneer at his senior member. Melone was the first to notice the glossiness of his best friend’s eyes but didn’t want to hurt the assassin’s pride by saying anything. Formaggio was beginning to take notice as well, glancing down at the table to pretend he didn’t see how the tears were starting to build in Ghiaccio’s eyes. Proscuitto lit himself another cigarette for a distraction and placed a hand on Pesci’s shoulder to stop him from asking Ghiaccio what was wrong. Illuso fidgeted in his chair before getting up, claiming in his own falsely arrogant way that he was too tired to watch Ghiaccio’s and Sorbet’s pathetic stare down. Only Risotto was able to look at his teammate’s approaching vulnerability under the fellow murderer’s gaze, ready to step in case things got physical. 

With Ghiaccio, they usually did. 

His whole body trembling, Ghiaccio sat back down in his seat and looked away from Sorbet’s deadly gaze, causing the older man to howl in laughter, getting his boyfriend to join in with him in mocking their teammate. Noticing that final eye twitch from Ghiaccio, Risotto and Melone nodded to each other before getting up from their seats. But they were too slow; Ghiaccio had already stood up again in blinding rage and landed a hard punch into Sorbet’s nose, knocking both him and Gelato clinging onto him, backward out of their chair and tumbling to the floor. 

“Ghia! Ghia stop it!” 

Melone lunged, grabbing Ghiaccio from behind and struggling to hold him back. Risotto walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on Ghiaccio’s head, causing the young man to faint into Melone’s arms. 

“Take him back to his room. I’ll handle Sorbet and Gelato.”

Melone nodded, dragging his unconscious friend out of the dining room. The other got up from the table with a sigh, leaving as they heard the couple’s loud cursing and cries of pain. The night soon went down in history as the worst poker night they’d had in a long while, all members silently agreeing to not speak of it for a while. 

Until about two weeks later, when Melone and Ghiaccio were sitting in the ice man’s room talking. Mission briefings lay over the floor, along with paperwork that still needed to get done and styrofoam cups from the noodles they had just had. Melone eyed Ghiaccio at his desk from the other’s bed and finally opened his mouth. 

“Can you please tell me why you punched him?” Ghiaccio closed his eyes, sighing.

“No. I don’t want to.” 

“Oh come on. You told Ris.”

“Risotto’s our capo. I had to tell him or I’d be kicked out. You ain’t shit.” 

Melone pouted and shrugged, muttering under his breath that he, in fact, was shit, but Ghiaccio only glared at him again. Melone rolled his eyes and opening his mouth again.

“You know, it’s wasn’t even that important of a question that Formi asked. ‘Do you guys ever wonder why we have the stands that we do?’. That was all. Then we had to get all dramatic about it and yell at each other. But of course you take it too far and you ruined your relationship with Sorbet by punching him, and you still won’t tell me why you punched him at all. Not even too mention you needed Ris to move all the blood from your brain for you to pass out since that’s apparently the only way to get you to calm down. Then I had to drag your sorry self back to this room without any than-”

Not surprisingly, Melone was interrupted by his friend slamming his fists down into his desk and screaming. 

“Fine. Fine! You wanna know?! YOU WANNA FUCKING KNOW?!” 

“YES?! I DO! THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING!”

“FINE! I WILL FUCKING TELL YOU!”

“YES! PLEASE DO!”

Ghiaccio grumbled and turned away from Melone before beginning. 

“You can’t judge me for this…” Melone could sense the seriousness of the situation but decided to keep it light.

“Do I seem in any position to judge anyone? Look at me.” Ghiaccio smiled a little before gulping, not wanting to tell the story. 

“Look… I don’t know all this for certain. But I really do think I know why I have White Album. I’m not a hundred percent sure on it all. But I remember Polpo telling me a stand can have something to do with our past, something that we loved, someplace, even… even someone. And I think that’s what happened to me…Someone.”

 The iceman bit his lip, getting mad at Melone that he was making him admit all this. Still, Melone, another prier of La Squadra, was still confused. 

“What do you mean?” 

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

“Dear, please! I don’t know what the fuck you want, Rafi! Please! You know I can’t control him! Can’t you help me?!” 

A woman paced back and forth on the kitchen floor, wet sobs steadily streaming down her cheeks as she hid her face in her hands. The man sitting at the table away from her was smoking a cigar, his fist clenching and unclenching against the wood of the furniture, staring silently ahead of him with a sneer, his whole body seeming to quiver with hidden rage. The woman looked over at him from her spot, still shaking. 

“Well?! SAY SOMETHING! He’s your son! You’re as responsible as I am!” 

“Oh go away, dear… “ 

The man grumbled and took another puff of his cigar, causing the woman’s boiling rage to reach its critical point, and she exploded, swiftly walking over to her husband, grabbing his cigar, throwing it in the kitchen sink and soaking it in the running water.

“Hey what the fuck did you do that for?! Those are expensive!” 

“You haven’t been here for him or me for so long it’s no wonder he’s so messed up! All his father does is smoke all day while he’s here and ignore us when he isn’t!” 

“Oh please, it’s your damn fault the idiot’s the way he is! And what am I supposed to do?! We don’t have the money to keep bailing him out! His anger is out of control Marea, and I don’t know what to do about it either!” 

The woman’s eyes widened and she soon began to weep once more, her pacing continuing as she watched the clock on the wall through her tears. 

“Oh god… oh god what are we going to do? My baby… my baby… Oh, Santo Cielo! I don’t know how to help hi-”

A knock came to the door, the man quickly rushing to answer it as his wife worked to recollect herself, wiping her tears and straightening out her dress. The man opened the door, finding the exact picture he was expecting. A police officer stood alongside his teenage son on the porch, the man in uniform holding onto the young man’s handcuffs. The woman leaned out of the kitchen doorway, recognizing her son’s light blue curls, even as they messily blocked her view of his beaten and bruised face. 

“Is this Rafael Bianchi’s residence?”

“That’s me…”

“He was caught starting a fight with some other boys in the town square. We had to keep your son downtown until we could confirm the boys would recover well in the hospital. The parents say you’ll be hearing from them over the coming week.” 

“…I see… come on son.”

The handcuffs were unlocked, a young Giulio Bianchi stepping forward into the house, shyly looking up to see his father’s face and mother’s worried gaze. Once the woman got a good look at his face, her own turned to one of disappointment to one of worry. 

“Oh my god! Dear, what happened to your face?!” 

She came rushing over, carefully cradling her son’s chin in her hand and seeing the large bruise on his cheekbone and around his eyes. The young man growled before nudging out of her grip. 

“Get off me…”

“Dear we need to take you to get that seen…” 

“Just leave me alone. You didn’t even bother to pick me up from the station you bi-”

“Don’t talk to your mother that way!”

“Oh yeah?! And where the fuck were you old man?! A big tough guy like you didn’t come to pick me up either!” 

“You said you were coming back from school.” 

“I can’t believe you believed me.” The man sneered, clenching his fist before his wife took it in her hand for him to calm down. 

“Please dear… we need to get that seen. It could get infected a-and get worse and oh god what if you die? Oh god-” 

“God stop it! Stop it! Stop it!”

The woman reached forward and tried to hold onto her son, but he pushed her away, taking a step back. She sighed, shaking where she stood. She had no idea how many times she had cried that night. To think she’d given birth to such a devil. To think she and her husband had raised such a monster. The tears began to fully form once more, the helpless woman weeping into the man’s chest as he reached to hug her. He looked at his son with contempt.

“Alright… alright, get going. Go wash it yourself if you don’t need us. Go wash it yourself…”

The young teen headed back further into the house towards his room, slamming the door behind him and closing his eyes in the sudden silence. He leaned against his doorway before sliding down till he sat, up against the door. The seconds of silence soon became far too much to bear, as the young delinquent let out an ear-shattering scream, venting out his frustrations and sadness.  He soon cut it short, the action hurting his bruised cheek. Giulio stood up from his spot and walked towards the window of his room, noticing that now more than ever, the snow was beginning to the fall over their little town, the beautiful white flakes trickling down to paint all over the grass outside. He stood there, watching the snowfall for what felt like hours, the slow, seemingly endless action working to calm down the young man. Distract him. From his parents. From the other boys. From school. From himself. A pull came over the young man, something drawing further and further to the snow, his hand rising from his side to the latch of his window. With one swift motion, he grabbed his coat from his desk chair and slipped his way out from his window, standing out in his yard and basking in the snow. Totally at peace. 

Of course, the peace didn’t last long. Once outside, all the young man could hear was scraping. A horrible, distinctive scraping, coming from a few streets away. Like a blade against ice. He grumbled and went to walk towards the sound, ready to give the person a piece of his mind for interrupting his peace of mind. 

That was when he saw you. 

The pond by your house had frozen over, one of the rare moments that you could finally rummage through your closet to find your skates and perform for yourself out on the ice. And well, perform for him. But you didn’t know that yet. He was entranced by you. Watching you form lazy figure eights along the perimeter of the pond, before circling into the center to spin around at top speed, had his interests peaked. Hiding within the trees, the young man watched for almost an hour as you skated all over the water, his breath catching in his throat whenever you jumped up, never one hundred percent sure that you would fully land on your feet. But you always did. The more he watched you, the more the young man became aware of the heat rising in his cheeks, or the sweatiness of his palms, or pace of his heartbeat. When you finally stopped, it took everything he had to just leave without a sound. It was a good thing he had failed. 

The rustling of the leaves and snow and the breaking of the branchers alerted you that someone was around. You turned every which way, watching for someone. 

“H-hello?! Is someone there?!” 

You called out, still looking around. He didn’t know what to do. Does he say anything? Does he run away? No. Giulio clenched his fist and turned around no longer hiding from behind the trees, his bruise out in the open, his curls blowing in the wind. 

“H-hello… I was…  I was watching you skate.” You look him up and down, scared for your life. 

“Uh-huh… Is there something you want?” 

“…Could you teach me?” You watched his face flood in embarrassment as he asked such a simple question. You couldn’t help but giggle. He frowned deeply at you.

“Hey don’t laugh at me! I’m asking you for real!” 

“But I don’t even know you.” 

“I just want to learn. I was watching you skate. It just… looks so calming.” 

You watched his eyes grow melancholy as he spoke those last words. He looked in need of help. He looked like he needed calm. Looked like he needed something like this.

“Well… I don’t even know your name.” He looked up at you. 

“It’s Giulio Bianchi… A dumb name I know.”

“I don’t think it’s dumb… my name is (y/n) (l/n). Would you like to come in? I could take care of your bruise…” His eyes widened before he shyly began to nod. 

“Sure.”

From that day on, things began to change for the young man. Winter break had begun. You had let him borrow your older brother’s skates while he studied in university, thankful that the two men had the same show size. It was a bit shaky at first, figuratively and literally. He fell quite a few times and had to hold onto you even more not to lose his footing, but you didn’t really mind. When the day was done, the young man returned home, promptly hiding away the skates, to head off to have dinner with his family. Day by day, his parents observed that their son was getting more and more at ease with his surroundings, and had been blowing up much less, though for the life of them they didn’t know why. But they certainly weren’t complaining. Calls from the police station stopped, yelling within the house turned into a peaceful silence, kisses were exchanged between two young lovers, ‘I love you’s were said. Giulio kept getting better and better at his skating. 

After weeks the two of you practicing, of him gaining his balance, of looping around the pond, and then the skating rink in town with you, Giulio felt a brand new man, and you could see it as well. Gone were the days of screaming at the top of his lungs every time he fell on the ice. Instead, he was now… civil. Loving even. You hurriedly untied your skates as you watched your partner make his final loops around the rink. You leaned against the railing as he came up to you. He watched you inquisitively.

“Hello. What are you staring at?” He asked.

“Hehe… you.” 

“Oh yeah? Like anything about it?” 

“A lot of it…” 

You chuckled and leaned down to take his lips in yours, cupping his cheek that was scarred from the fight the day you two met took place. Your boyfriend wrapped his arms around you, one hand taking through your hand with neediness. You couldn’t help but smile. He even loved in his own angry sort of way. And you have fallen in love with it. 

“Come on… let’s head home…” 

The walk back from the rink had been peaceful for the most part. Spring break was upon the town, with tourists coming to the north of Italy for the ski slopes and skating. You two huddled together in the chilly evening, chatting about the homework you both had due, how you were feeling a bit under the weather, him promising to bring over some of his mom’s homemade soup for you the next time it was made. All seemed at peace. 

Until that peace was gone. A man came running up to the two of you, coming out of a side alley. He didn’t seem to notice you. It was all so fast-paced. Another man ran in your direction, not seeming to notice you two in the crossfire. When the first shot was fired, the bullet pierced straight into the opposite man’s stomach. The two of you tried to hurry away from the noise, running in the opposite direction, the shooter running with you away from the shot. With his vision blurry, his life draining, the wounded man went to take his foe out, aiming as best as he could, sure that he hit someone. It was too bad that he hit the wrong person. You came crashing down, your head knocking against Giulio’s chest, blooding spilling everywhere. In a hot flash, he grabbed the gun the dead man had left behind and aimed towards the fleeting criminal, but he kept missing in the empty evening street. It was all done. The original shooter had gotten away, the second shooter was now dead. And poor (y/n)… was gone. It was too bad that another woman saw the stark image of a young man standing over the two dead bodies with a gun in his hand. The Bianchi household would receive another call from the police that night. 

Giulio wouldn’t know what would come of him for the rest of his life. The only person that understood him and managed to calm him down was gone, he was in jail for a crime he had not committed, and all of his raging had returned after so long of being gone.  He had no idea what would happen until a tall, powerful man stopped by his cell. 

“I can get you out of this. Is there anyone that would miss you?”

“Dunno. My parents disowned me. The love of my life is dead, I got nobody. What’s that got to do with you anyway? Who are you?” The man rolled his dark, void-like eyes and spoke. 

“Stop being so dramatic. The truth is.. I’m starting something. A team of sorts. And someone without any hesitation to resort to violence, someone with such a short fuse, would be perfect for it. You agree to join me, I’ll make sure you are out of here and taken care of…” Giulio watched him for any sign of lying before nodding in determination. 

“Alright… I will.”

It had been stressful to keep that flame on for 24 hours. But what was more stressful was what happened after the lighter went out. The dark presence, the shadows coming alive. The near-death experience, the sensation of being stabbed. Until he woke up the next morning with the light still on, sighing in relief to still be alive. 

When Guilio first felt his stand, he felt a heavy weight be placed right onto his heart. As White Album formed around his body, the sharp skates forming at his feet, and the temperature dropping just as it did back home, the young man resisted the urge to cry. Polpo explained to him that stand can from many places in the mind, even from a person the user used to know. So that was it. Guilio, now Ghiaccio smiled when he first heard that. So it was you. You were with him. You and your beautiful turns on the ice,  the way you protected him from himself, and your conditional love for him, they’d all be with him as long as he was still alive. You would live on through him, the love for the cold and ice that you both shared was now on his shoulders. 

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

“So that’s why I believe I have White Album. (Y/n) taught me how to control my anger through skating, and to this day it’s still the only thing that really calms me down. I got my love for it from (y/n), so when Sorbet mocked me for my stand, I couldn’t just sit there and take it. (Y/n) was everything to me Melone, and I had to defend (her/his) honor against him. So that’s the end of the whole story. That’s why I got so upset.” 

Ghiaccio leaned back against his desk chair and glanced over with a shrug to his best friend dramatically wiping the tears away from his face and blowing his nose violently into his handkerchief. 

“That was such a beautiful story! Ah! Ghia! I didn’t think you were capable of being so emotional!” Melone reached forward and hugged his friend, who immediately shrugged him off. 

“Yeah? Whatever…”

“Can we go skating now?! I think there’s a rink near town! You can teach me!” 

“Wait what?! No!”

“Oh come on! After such a story I want to learn as well!”

When the two friends finally arrived at the rink, Melone realized that his friend hadn’t finally agreed for them to go because he wanted to teach. He stood by the railing in his rental skates watching his best friend make the same lazy loops and figure eights on the ice that he so lovingly described. He watched as his friend closed his eyes, trusting that his feet knew where to go as if he’d memorized his rink from years of skating there.  Melone smiled and rested his chin in his hand, wishing he had met this person that shaped his best friend into the man before him that day. 

[the-gedonelune-times]

New Friendship

Rumours of werewolves invading the Academy have spread like wildfire, affecting Day and Night class students alike. Persephone takes it upon herself to investigate, where she meets the blue-haired prefect; Lizzy, where they team up to unravel the chaotic mystery plaguing the Academy.

@explosiveglitterqueen I’m love your OC and I hope I did her justice UmU

“Ah, I absolutely love coming here. The marmalade sandwiches are superb!”

“Bandit, I’m honestly getting concerned with the number of marmalade sandwiches you’ve been consuming.”

“Oh come now, you’re over-exaggerating don’t you think?”

“The amount of sandwich bags with traces of marmalade on them, beg to differ. You’re addicted.”

“Well, it’s not my fault that I like a taste of the finer things in life.”

With a roll of her eyes, Persephone took a bite of her blueberry muffin while she opened up her notebook/daily planner combo, while her familiar, sneakily rasped his claws against the counter, ordering another sandwich.

“Seriously?”

“I can’t help it! Besides, we’re up rather early don’t you think? Sugar will keep me awake.”

“All that sugar is going to send you into a sugar coma, now stop.”

“Fine, fine. This will be the last one.”

“Thank you.”

“Mm…” 

The raccoon-like familiar took a bite into the sandwich and after dabbing around his mouth with a napkin, he looked over at Persephone who had her nose buried deep into her planner. Furiously writing.

“Mind telling me what you’re writing?”

“Hm? Oh. Just some notes.”

“Just notes? You’re writing so fast you’d think you were working for the Gedonelune Times.”

Persephone chuckled. “As if. No, I’m writing down all the things I need to do today. Lucious ended up getting sick, so as Deputy Prefect it’s my job to take his place and teach his classes for the day. Along with taking care of the things he was tasked with.”

“Seems you’re going to be busy.”

“Correction, we’re going to be busy today.”

“We?”

“Yes, we. In return for buying you all those sandwiches, the least you can do is help me out.”

“Such a chore, ah such a bore! But I suppose it’s only fair. I suppose I’ll go and have the rest of this sandwich wrapped for later as my lunch. Oh speaking of which, I’ll need you to take care of it.”

“Huh? Why me?”

“Because that devious feline will steal my food!”

“Devious feline?”

“That blasted cat, Chocolate Cake is his name. He’s stolen my food before. Oh, such a delicious molten lava cake. I had yet to taste it’s divine flavor because that heathen stole it from me! I have never forgiven him since. He and I are sworn enemies!”

Persephone sighed. “You’re really going to make enemies with him, just because he stole sweets from you?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

“Come on, don’t be like that. We can literally go and get you another molten lava cake. But starting issues with the other familiars is something we need to avoid.”

“Since when have you been the one to give pep talks like this?”

“Because I’d like to avoid headaches, thank you very much.”

“Yes, yes, you can give headaches, but can’t take them.”

“Why you little-”

“Oh...man…”

Just as a heated argument between the two of them was breaking out, a new voice had entered the Night Cafe. Their clothes were disheveled and they were gasping for air as if they had just ran a marathon. They stumbled a little as they took a seat in the booth in the farthest corner, prompting concern from Persephone. Putting her planner away, she got up from her seat, waiting for Bandit to hop on her shoulder before walking over to the troubled-looking student.

“Cyrus?”

“H-Huh?! Oh...Persephone? What are you doing here?”

“The usual. What’s up with you, you look like you’ve been through hell and back.”

“It seems like it, huh? I guess the courtyard is...like a battlefield.”

“Like a battlefield? What do you mean?”

“I…” 

Cyrus paused, seemingly not wanting to describe whatever it was that caused him to be in the state he was currently in. Instead, he just slowly put his head down, telling Persephone to go check it themselves, before waving them off.

“Well, that wasn’t very helpful.” Bandit commented.

“Well, he at least gave us a little info. We know that whatever it is that went down, happened in the courtyard.”

“Yes and he called it a battlefield. I’m not sure I like where this is going. It sounds like a lot of work if you ask me.”

“True, but aren’t you curious?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Well, I am.”

“In other words, you’re just excited to see the chaos with your own two eyes.”

“Pretty much.”

“This right here is why you constantly get into trouble!”

Persephone smirked. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The pair had just started their journey to the courtyard when a figure came flying down in their direction. Clearly not paying attention, they ended up running right smack into Persephone, sending them both flying to the ground with a loud thud.

“Oh goodness, I-I’m so sorry! I just couldn’t bear to stay there any longer!”

“Huh? Millie?”

“P-Persephone?! Ah!” Without any hesitation, Millie through her arms around Persephone. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Safe? What do you mean? What happened?”

“O-Oh, well, you see, I was offered some extra credit if I could attend some Day Class lectures and on my way back I heard a terrible noise! It was like a ravenous beast. It started snarling and howling, i-it sounded like a werewolf. S-so I ran and ran until I couldn’t, to be honest, I was even sure that I would even make it back down to the Night Class.”

“Oh dear…” Bandit mumbled.

“How bothersome.” Persephone sighed as she got up. Once she dusted herself off, she held a hand out to Millie, helping her to her own feet. “Millie, go ahead and head back to the dorms, we’ll take care of this.”

“Huh?! By yourselves? Persephone wait!” 

Her cries were nothing more than a whisper. Persephone had already taken off running, summoning her staff in the process, while Bandit held onto her shoulder for dear life. They had just turned one of the final corners and were about to head up to the ground above when a figure had stopped right in their path. 

“Persephone, slow down!” Bandit cried out.

“No, if they want to get in my way then they can get run down!”

“Why are you so reckless? Oh, dear!”

Bandit, unable to watch, used his tiny paws to shield his face from the impending disaster. He was relieved when Persephone had come to a stop, the tip of her staff pressed up against the chest of the Night Class student who held their hands up in surprise.

“What the hell Sephie?!” Viggo exclaimed while wearing an annoyed glare.

“I could say the same thing to you, Viggo. What the hell are you doing up this early?” Persophone asked while lowering her staff to her side.

“Hard to sleep with all the commotion.” Viggo sighed. “I’ve heard a few students already screaming about magical beasts attacking. What about you?”

“Same here. Cyrus and Millie were pretty shaken up by it all.”

“Tsk, so you’re going up to help those Day Classers?”

“As a deputy prefect, it’s my job to offer assistance. Besides, it’s affecting the Night Class too.”

“Never thought I’d see the day that you’d be taking your work seriously.”

“Unlike *some* people.” Persophone clicked her tongue before using her staff to jab Viggo in the shoulder playfully.

“This is nice and all but Persephone, shouldn’t we get going? After all this incident isn’t going to clear itself on its own anytime soon it seems.”

“Right. We better get going.”

“Wait, I’m coming with you. I want to check out this chaos for myself.” Viggo smirked. 

“I think not!”

“Bandit…”

“No, Persephone no. This is the same hooligan who fed me food with hot sauce so hot, it was called ‘The Devil’s Lament’. He reeks of trouble and furthermore-”

“Sure, you can come.”

“WHA? Did you not hear what I just mmph! Mmm...such a sweet and delicate taste.” 

Bandit, content with having a piece of marmalade sandwich shoved into his mouth, sank down lower onto Persephone’s shoulder.

“You’re forgiven, for now.” Bandit huffed as he licked his paws clean before hopping on top of Persephone’s head, curling into a small ball.

“Your familiar is strange…” Viggo whispered.

“Careful, he might hear you and then you’re in for it.”

Persephone smiled and led the way out into the courtyard; Viggo trailing behind by just a mere couple of feet. Their walk was in silence but the moment they had stepped foot outside, screams could be heard. With a nod, they both took off towards the source and what they saw was truly a chaotic sight. Right smack in the courtyard was a student who was trying to calm down the other students that were running away while screaming.

“I heard there are werewolves!”

“If we don’t run t-they’ll eat us too!”

“Why are classes not canceled?!”

“Everyone, please calm down There are no werewolves in the vicinity!”

Despite her best efforts, the blue-haired prefect just couldn’t seem to get her words across to the terrified students. 

“I swear, when I find the one who started this then so help me I’ll-”

“Excuse me?” 

“AH!” 

Startled from Persephone’s sudden voice, the girl reached into her pocket with lightning speed before throwing it fiercely at Persephone. Had it not been for her quick reflex, she would have been hit directly in the face. Instead, she dodged it by mere centimeters and watched with wide-eyes as the object hit Viggo right smack in the face with a pop. Immediately after, blue shiny glitter exploded out, covering his face and his clothes with it. Oh the sight brought Persephone to tears with laughter that she didn’t realize that there was another glitter bomb in the prefect’s hand.

“Who are you?” She asked while taking aim.

“Lizzy, don’t!” Viggo shouted out while rubbing at his face, trying to rid himself of the glittery substance. “This is a friend of mine. They’re from the Night Class.”

“That so?” Lizzy looked over at Persephone and then put her bomb back with a sigh before smiling. “Sorry about that! You kind of startled me back there.”

“My master is a reckless one, so allow me to be the one to apologize on her behalf.”

“Bandit…” Persephone lowered her voice and glared at her familiar who was now sitting upright on her head.

“Oh how cute!” Lizzy exclaimed while holding out her hand towards Bandit. “Who’s this cutie?”

“That’s Bandit, don’t be fooled by him, he can be a little shit.”

“Now, now! That’s not very nice.” Bandit exclaimed while walking along Lizzy’s arm to rest on her shoulder. “Perhaps you should learn some manners from this young lady. It might do you some good.” He huffed.

“Why you little…”

“Alright, alright, I hate to break up the fun fest but I want to know what’s happening.” Viggo spoke up.

“I’d like to know that as well. I’ve already talked to two Night Class students who seemed to be a little shaken up from the situation.” 

“Oh, right, you must be talking about this whole werewolf situation.” Lizzy sighed. “There’s no werewolves on the premises, just a wolf familiar who was provoked into becoming feral. His owner has managed to calm him down, but it seems that the rumor has spread like wildfire through the Academy.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“A familiar being provoked into becoming feral? Hah, how weak.” Bandit snickered.

“Pay no mind to him.” Persephone sighed. “Back to the issue, do you know who was the one who provoked the wolf?”

Lizzy shook her head. “Not a clue, I’ve been trying to ask the students but they just keep running away, claiming that they’ll get attacked if they don’t.”

“Well considering that this place is pretty much a doomsday magnet, I can see why. Even so, it’d be nice to get some answers.”

“Yeah, it’d be nice to find the person who made Seth angry.”

Persephone raised an eyebrow. “Seth?”

“How did you know it was Seth?” Lizzy asked.

“You said wolf familiar.”

“I did, but if I recall, you don’t hang around the Day Class, in fact, you sometimes claim that you’re allergic to them.” Lizzy pointed out.

“Viggo, what did you do?”

“Nothing-”

“Bullshit! What. Did. You. Do?”

“Okay, okay, fine. I confess it was me.” Viggo said cooly.

“What?” Lizzy suddenly reached and grabbed a glitter bomb. “So you’re the person who tied the meat to my boyfriend’s ankle?!”

Suddenly, Viggo’s eyes widened. “You’re dating Rex?”

“Don’t change the topic!”

“Wait, hang on a second.” Persephone ran a hand through her hair. “So basically, Viggo tied meat around your boyfriend’s ankle, provoking Seth into going feral. People heard the commotion and thought the ACademy was under attack so now a vast majority of the students are on edge?”

Persephone inhaled and then sighed while facepalming. 

“Hey, Lizzy, right? Mind handing me one of those bombs of yours?”

Lizzy smiled. “It’d be a pleasure.”

“Hey…” Viggo, now realizing the situation, began to slowly back away. “We can talk about this, right?”

“Oh sure, let’s talk about it right now!”

Lizzy shouted as she threw the bomb in her hand, hitting his face perfectly. Persephone followed suit and within seconds, the two of them were coating Viggo and the ground in nothing but glitter. Viggo’s screams were an indication that their attacks were effective and after a few more tosses the two of them looked at Viggo. He was sputtering out glitter as he tried to speak.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“I think I have a few more bombs in here…” Lizzy went to reach for more but Persephone stopped her.

“Don’t waste them on him. Save them for later, you’ll probably need them.” 

“Well if we’re done here, then I’m going to go take a shower.”

Viggo turned on his heel and began walking away, meanwhile, Persephone began to chuckle.

“He looks like a walking glowstick in the sunlight.”

“Pfft, he does!” Lizzy whipped out her phone and snapped a quick picture without Viggo noticing.

“Please send me a copy of that.” Persephone smiled.

“Sure thing.”

“Hey, it’s technically lunch for the Day Class right?”

“Yes, why?”

“Well, my breakfast was pretty much ruined because of this ordeal, so I was wondering if you’d like to come to the Night class and get something. I’ll pay. Besides, think of this as a gift for the start of a lively friendship.” Persephone held out her hand and Lizzy gave a firm shake.

“To a new friendship.” Lizzy smiled.

“Oh hey, what’s this?” 

Viggo’s voice rang out as he picked up a wrapped object. Persephone squinted, trying to get a better look at whatever it was that was in Viggo’s hand. With wide eyes, she suddenly started feeling around in her pocket before coming to the horrifying realization.

“Viggo, put that down!” 

Persephone screamed but it was too late. A blur zipped past Lizzy and Persephone and headed straight for Viggo, landing a kick to his face. Bandit, who had been at Persephone’s side had gone feral and was now attacking Viggo for the marmalade sandwich that Persephone had saved. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Persephone said while taking Lizzy’s hand, leading her away.

“Wait, is he going to be alright?”

“Yeah!...probably.”

Persephone laughed and the two of them ran towards the Night Class cafe. It was truly the start of a brand new and chaotic friendship.

[poppibranchlover]

Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 11

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 10. Now get ready for Part 11!:

Branch ran through the path of the large forest, lost and scared. He wanted to go home by himself without Poppy’s help, but with scary noises of predators growling and swaying tree branches filling throughout the woods, it was hard for him to do this on his own. He was just a small tiny kitten, and has no choice but to deal with the problem he got himself into.

While Branch was still running, a voice suddenly shouted “Hey! You dropped this!”

Branch quickly stopped in his tracks and listened. He sniffed the ground, trying to find what is dropped in front of him. He approached a bush and stopped sniffing suddenly as his wide cat eyes were staring directly at...

...two long rabbit ears! They were peeking through the bush, shivering. Branch titled his head to the side in confusion. “Is that...a tiny rabbit? Lost in the woods all by himself?”

He cautiously approached the bush. Maybe this cute little animal was looking for a home...just like him. The tiny snow-white creature looked up at Branch. It was so innocent that it didn’t even know it was in danger of being lost in the forest.

Branch bent down to the precious rabbit. The bunny stayed hidden deep in the leaves. It looked up, its nose twitching, as Branch said gently to it “Awwww. Hey there, little guy. I heard your owner kinda left you behind. Come on. Let me return you back to him!”

He carefully opened his mouth to grab one of the little rabbit’s ears, but before he can, the creature popped up from hiding and suddenly spoke directly to Branch with the same Troll-like voice he heard in the first place! “How do you think I went away from him, you fuzzo?!”

Branch’s eyes widened in horror and he couldn’t believe his ears! He jumped back, stuttering “W-wait a minute! Did you just talk?!”

“Oh yeah I am! What do ya think I’m talking about?” the bunny said, raising an eyebrow. It leaned over with a smirk and said “What’s up?”

Branch suddenly screamed and retreated to a nearby bush.

Then he peeked out from it and shivered with fear, trying to understand what he just witnessed.

“No way!” Branch exclaimed. “Y-you can t-talk to me?!”

The rabbit called out from the distance in its calm voice “Hey, kid. Don’t be scared of me. I’m surprised to find out that you can understand me! Isn’t this great?”

“No, not really!” Branch cried, still hiding in the bush. Was he going crazy? He has never heard bunnies speaking to him before, and now he ended up meeting one that can understand him! He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again, thinking he was still dreaming.

Then he jumped out of the bush and walked towards the rabbit, attempting to know if it doesn’t talk to him anymore. It just stood there on that bush, nose twitching and staring at him.

Before Branch can sigh with relief, it suddenly spoke again “Are you gonna stop stressing about your feelings?”

As it said it, Branch shook his head and stomped his paw on the ground. “No! No, no, no, no, no!” he shouted. “This can’t be happening! Rabbits don’t talk to me like that! Now I can understand you?! How is that possible?!”

“Well, it’s probably nothing!” the rabbit said cheerfully. “I just can’t believe you are actually talking to a rabbit, aren’t you?!”

“No, don’t do the innocent,” Branch said nervously, pacing back and forth. “I must be crazy! What is going on? What a nightmare!”

“You can understand me!” said the bunny with a wide smile on its face. “It’s no nightmare, it’s...”

Simultaneously, Branch said “Horrible!” while the bunny happily squealed “Awesome!” 

“Okay, seriously. This needs to be stopped,” Branch demanded. “I ask you a question. Why you can speak to me like that?”

The little bunny looked down. At first, Branch felt bad for a moment in front of this cute pouty rabbit face, but he had to get some answers.

“I...I prefer not to say who I really am,” it simply answered. “But I live in the forest all alone until I saw a helpless little cat like you running from a large scary dog!”

Branch did not believe his ears. He recognized that creature. It was the same bunny he had run into while he was being pursued by the big black dog yesterday!

“So...you know me?” he asked in disbelief.

“Of course! And I’m not alone in the woods anymore!” the rabbit said, laughing. “I never knew I needed a friend someday like you!”

“How did you know I am running from that huge dog yesterday?” asked Branch.

“It was easy. I was just hopping around when a fluff of blue fur tumbled straight into me, and just before I want to help, you run away and then that scary mutt was coming straight toward me. So I just hid and saw what is going on.”

“And that’s how you came here and meet me?”

“Yep!” the bunny said eagerly, wagging its little bushy tail. “Now that no predator is coming after you, you seem so lonely here. Are you looking for your owner too?”

“No!” Branch said, annoyed. “I’m trying to get home myself! I don’t want to get interested to being with my owner! But where is your owner?”

“He left me alone here because he hates my behavior of eating his food in the house,” the rabbit said sadly. “But here I am now!”

“Whoa,” said Branch. “That sounds so harsh. But you know what, I’ll tell him a word. Why am I talking to a rabbit and how do you understand what I’m saying?” He raised an eyebrow as he said this.

The rabbit scratched its fur with its back leg and replied “We always talk when Trolls are not around. Normally, nobody seems to hear us talk when we’re apart from them. When we’re near them, we usually communicate using animal language.”

Branch thought it was better for him to be with the other Trolls since he changed his habit, but after being turned into a cat, he has no other way how will the people know him. “Your explanation makes sense. But I am not sticking with my owner’s side for now. I gotta get home,” he told the bunny.

“What? Now?” it asked. “But we haven’t get to know each other yet! What’s your name, little cat? I want to know what cute name your owner pick?”

Cute name? Branch suddenly thought about Poppy nicknaming him “Mr. Tickle”, but if he did reveal this name to the rabbit, it might be too teasing for him. He sighed and blurted out “My name is Branch! I’m no cat! I’m a brave young survivalist!”

This caused the little rabbit to fall over and laugh. Branch frowned, utterly baffled. That creature was now thinking that his name sounds a lot funny!

“REALLY?!” the bunny howled through his laughter. “You called yourself a “cat survivalist”?! What a made-up!”

Branch has no idea what he is talking about. He insisted “Stop it! It’s not a “made-up” title! It’s a job I usually do in case of emergency!”

“Oh, I get it now! You’re a survivalist because you always do everything to survive in the forest!” said the rabbit, giggling.

“No. My job was to prepare for danger and keep my village safe. I hope you understand that. Please stop making fun of my title.”

The rabbit stopped giggling and smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s just I found how funny it is for cats to have jobs!”

“But most cats don’t do jobs!” Branch said firmly.

“But this one does have!” the rabbit said, playfully wagging his tail and wiggling his nose.

Branch stared at him. This creature looked so energetic like his girlfriend, Poppy, only that it was just a grey bunny, longing for a friend. Wanting to know more information about it, only one question burned his lips: “Who are you in reality? I want to know what does your owner name you!”

The little long-eared creature groaned. “Sorry, but I prefer not to reveal my own name.”

Branch sat, plunking his bottom down on the floor (as if it looked like his way of crossing his arms), with a stern look on his face. This little kid was already annoying him.

“If you want, you can give me a name as the queen does with you!” the bunny suggested, leaving a laugh escaping from his mouth.

Branch shot him a murderous look. Did this weird little creature just spy on him? He named the rabbit without any hesitation. “Hmmm…let me think about it. 'Wiggles'?”

“What?! That’s not supposed to be my name! Why?” the bunny asked, getting up on his four legs, obviously finding how completely stupid is that name.

“Because rabbits always wiggle their noses.” Branch pointed out.

“Urgh, fine!” Wiggles growled.

Meanwhile, Poppy and Biggie are almost finishing up their conversation regarding on presenting Branch to the Show-and-Tell festival.

“I truly understand,” Biggie was saying to Poppy. “But I have a question. How are worms and cats different from each other?”

“My father once said little worms have the genes of a cat. Compared to a normal cat, they might be a distant cousin!” explained Poppy.

“Oh, I’m sure Mr. Dinkles and Mr. Tickle will make great friends!” Biggie replied. “Besides, they’re definitely cousins now!! What do you think?”

“Of course they’ll get along so well together!” Poppy said excitedly. “This is just so exciting! Right, Mr...” She smiled and looked down at where Branch is supposed to be before realizing that he is not there.

“Mr. Tickle?” she said, confused. “Where’s Mr. Tickle?” She began to whimper.

“Oh no! Where did your little cat go?” Biggie asked, gasping. “He was right here!”

“I know!” cried Poppy. “But how could my sweet little cat disappear?”

“Perhaps a magician took him out of nowhere and made him vanish!” Biggie suggested, imagining how terrifying it is for someone looking like he had just kidnapped a cute kitten.

“I’ll go look for him!” Poppy said, desperate for her pet. She ran around the village, calling out for Branch. She was worried sick. Why Branch had to run away from her so he can return to his beloved bunker home? Poppy also didn’t know the reason why he did it as she only knew he did ran away on purpose.

“Mr. Tickle? Mr. Tickle, where are you?” she called as she searched the village high and low for her lost pet. “Oh, please be okay! Don’t run off! You’ll be caught by Animal Control if you get lost again!”

Poppy stopped walking for a moment and quietly cried. She had promised the Animal Control that she can take care of Branch more properly and now that he disappeared, it was now the time to face the consequences being made.

While Poppy was lamenting, Smidge was preparing her Show-and-Tell project when she noticed her in the corner. She approached her and said proudly “Hey, Poppy! Glad you made it just in time to test out my Muscle Spirit treadmill!” But when she realized she looked very sad, she asked “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

“Oh, Smidge! I need your help!” Poppy begged. “I lost my pet cat, Mr. Tickle! I was talking with Biggie and he suddenly disappeared!”

“A lost cat?” Smidge was stunned. “Oh my gah! Whatever you’re talkin’ about, lost animals always go to Animal Control!”

“I know,” said Poppy. “AC officer Garth told me I should keep on eye on him otherwise he’s back in his poor little cage where I first met him!”

Smidge held her hand, trying to make her feel better. But the sad pink Troll could not be comforted unless Branch is found.

“We have to find him, Smidge,” Poppy whispered. “He can’t be gone forever.”

“Don’t worry,” the tiny yellow Troll told her. “I hope we’ll be able to find this poor little cat! I could definitely hear him meowing in the woods right now.”

Poppy looked at Smidge with determination in her eyes, hopeful that Branch would be back at any moment.

In the forest, Branch was grumbling as he walked. Wiggles the bunny was following him and he could not get rid of him anymore.

His innocence is irritating him. He hopped with joy and skipped between some rocks on the ground, humming an interminable song.

Branch viciously hissed at him in an effort to drive him away. “HIIISSSSSSSSSSS!!!!”

Wiggles stopped hopping and clumsily stepped backwards. But he didn’t seemed scared of him at all.

“You could not shut your mouth and listen to the sounds of the forest?!” Branch snarled. “Maybe you’d like that!”

“Aw, I can’t help it!” Wiggles exclaimed. “I’m too happy for that.”

Happy. Happiness. One thing that only Branch, Wiggles and the other Trolls could participate because Branch had to ensure the protection of the village.

Not quite. Branch is still in the form of a kitten, and he wants to go to his bunker since he is finally away from the captivity of the animal pound or Poppy’s care. He turned to Wiggles, who was running behind to stay beside him; his paws were too short because of trying to catch up.

“Look, I don’t need any help from a cute little bunny like you,” Branch said sternly. “I have a lot of things to do like, you know, preparing for the worst to come at Troll Village.”

“Ohhhhh.....okay,” said Wiggles, rolling his eyes and understanding his statement. “I get it now! It’s what a survivalist really does, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Branch said. “It’s the one possible thing I have to expect unless the queen might be organizing another party.” He turned back to the path where he was walking and continued on his way.

The tiny rabbit looked at him with his wide blue eyes. “What kind of party is the Troll queen preparing?” he asked.

Branch grumbled. “Some kind of Show-and-Tell party that also included cute little animals like us! It’s just that I don’t want to be used as my owner’s main object for the party!” He was shuddering at the statement that Poppy is planning to use him for her Show-and-Tell event while she is talking with Biggie earlier.

“Oh, that’s fascinating!” Wiggles said with a giggle. He was trying to catch a squirrel but it scurried away while he was talking. “I will definitely like attending to this party!”

“Yeah, that’s why I had to make my own project for this special occasion.”

“What project?” Wiggles didn’t quite catch those words.

“I am planning a research project on nature to show to the Trolls for this party or else I’m a failure to the rest of the world!” Branch explained, getting clearly annoyed. “I just don’t have enough days to finish it in time!”

“Just calm down,” Wiggles told him calmly. “All you need is a little practice, man! Get a hold of yourself!”

Yes, but getting a hold of myself would cause me to scream with rage when I can’t get any ideas to complete it, Branch thought while Wiggles jumped around, trying to catch some fireflies. He groaned and was about to continue walking when Poppy’s voice called out in the distance. “Mr. Tickle?! Where are you, little kitty?”

“Who’s calling out in the distance, calling for a guy named Mr. Tickle?” Wiggles asked with meek curiosity.

“It must be Poppy,” said Branch, looking at the direction where her voice was heard. “She’s looking for me! She nicknamed me Mr. Tickle when she kept me as a pet!”

When he said this sentence, Wiggles snickered as his nose twitched. He is thinking something funny about Branch once again.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to make fun of me?” he demanded.

“I have a question,” Wiggles said. “Why your nickname is “Mr. Tickle” and not 'Branch the cat survivalist'?”

Branch rolled his eyes. “It’s that ridiculous nickname my owner would usually gave me, and I hated to be called like that.”

“Oh, cool!” Wiggles chuckled. “But can I call you ‘Branch’ in the meantime?”

“Yeah, you can call me that name if you want,” the blue Troll-cat replied. “I prefer some people who usually call my name when they need me.”

But now Poppy really needs him. Branch can hear Smidge saying “There’s your pet! Go to him!”

Wiggles wanted to go to Poppy as well, but Branch pushed him away. “Please go home,” he growled, worrying that the bunny was not supposed to accompany him to Poppy’s house. “Your owner will also worry for you.”

The little bunny shrugged and turned to greet him. “I guess you’re right. Oh, well! See you tomorrow, my new cat friend!” he said cheerfully before hopping out of sight, leaving Branch standing alone in the woods again.

“Friend?” he asked as he watched the rabbit disappearing into the dark. “We just met and I’m already his friend? Pfft…” He sighed, annoyed.

Once Wiggles is already gone, Poppy rushed towards Branch, exclaiming happily “I found you, Mr. Tickle! Come here, sweet kitty!”

She picked him up and embraced him with a big cuddly hug. Branch wheezed uncomfortably while Poppy was hugging him and giggling.

“Oh, Mr. Tickle!” Poppy said, relieved that she found her pet cat. “I’m so glad you’re okay! Don’t ever leave my side again! Let’s get you home all warm and cozy!”

Now that she found Branch, Poppy proudly walked out of the forest, taking him in her arms and making her way back to her pod.

                                                  To Be Continued...

                                               Stay tuned for Part 12!

[alenajg]

I’m His Second Mate Part 3

Genre: Angst/ Fluff

Right now is where I am describing myself as a pissed off woman. “ Me? A mate home wrecker? Are you beeping serious right now ?” Body shaking I start to feel all my muscles tense and release. About to release into my wolf, and mount this shewolf called my Luna. When I feel sparks on my shoulder, and with a whisper of a voice that’s as smooth as chocolate. “ Y/n? Calm down please. Let me talk to her okay? Trust me?” Feeling my body relax jello. Even though my body relaxed my voice didn’t,” Fine.” I say with a stone cold voice. He locks eyes with me pleadingly. I look away with my jaw clenched. I can’t help it she really pushed my buttons this time. First she’s mated with my true mate. Second she belittles me. Third she orders my new friends to ignore me like they are dogs. Fourth she said I’m a mate home wrecker. When I clearly backed off. Tearing my heart and soul apart. Just to do the right thing because their mates and she is my Luna. The nerve of this woman. I mean how can she give up her mate? Looking at Jimin stand in front of us protectively makes me melt into a puddle. Even when he’s clearly shattered my heart by taking this woman as his mate. One thing is for sure he is sure darn lucky I can keep my emotions in check. If not this supposedly called Luna of mine would be on her back, belly up and my teeth clamped around her neck. Gently enough not to break skin, but to show her who really is the boss around here.

With these thoughts I finally tune into what Jimin is saying to his mate. “- out of your mind.? Commanding my pack members to ignore her as they are like nothing. I can understand that your jealous of Y/n , but she hurt herself just to let us be together. Not only that she decided to stay and let you be her Luna. My Luna to be specific, so she will always see us love one another. When that’s supposed to be her. You know, I thought you would be more mature. But no what you just showed me was that you can’t be a Luna. Why do I say this? Let me tell you. One, you Just treated a new pack member like garbage, and act like your so high mighty above her like your the goddess. Two, you ordered our pack members like their toys for you to use, and play with when ever you want. Three, you were so blinded by your own emotions you hurt others. How can I trust you when our pack is in danger? Hmm?” He said with a stern but angered voice. She looked at him hurt and scared,”Ji-min, I can’t believe you would take her side. I’m your mate not her! I’m sorry for ordering them like that, but seriously!” She clenches her hand fuming, pausing to stomp her foot to speak again after,” She nothing Jimin, but a low dirty bi***. She should have died along with her pare—“ Smack. She holds her cheek. “ Never speak about my parents like that ever again! I don’t care what you say or do to me, but that is too far.” I turn around to look at Jimin,” I can’t stay. I need to leave.” I walk up to him shaking with pure rage and determination. I grab his neck, pull his face closer to mine. Getting up on my tippy toes, and kiss him for the last time. At first he doesn’t respond but then it’s like he can’t get enough of me. He grabs my hips and holds me close to the point of our chests and hips are against one another. Hands in each other’s hair pulling even closer, if possible. It was fierce with our front teeth grinding on each other’s. But it slowly turned into pure passion and sincerity. Lips locking and slowly gliding on top of one another. Our heads turn in opposite sides to deepen the kiss. I love every second of it. Not wanting to push him away again. I begin to slowly remove my hands from his hair to his cheeks rubbing my right thumb across his cheek. We slow down to part away from each other. Panting to catch the air that was taken from the kiss.

He suddenly speaks while looking down at me with his hands on my hips. “ Jungkook please take Y/n to my office. I need to speak with your Luna. Y/n please go with Jungkook I’ll be there shortly okay?” He slowly comes closer to my ear and whispers,” I lied I can’t let you go my dear. I need you. Not only that our bound has grown too strong, so I beg you to go to my office. Okay?” I feel torn but I let my heart and our bond make the decision when I reply,” Okay, I feel torn but I’ll go.” He pulls me in for a hug, “ Thank you” I hug him back “ Your welcome, but please... please don’t break me again. When we’re in your office tell me what this truly is. I can’t keep going back and forth like this, and neither can you.” He leans down and pecks my lips.” Okay I’ll explain everything. Just I need to talk to her okay? I don’t want to hurt you but I still love her. She still is to be your Luna unless she dies, or you battle her for the position. But I won’t let either happen. I’m sorry, but I’ll always choose her over you.” He looks down. That’s it the last string that was holding me together. He did it again, breaking my heart. I should just give up. He doesn’t care about me or care about how I feel. I don’t belong here.

Leaving his grasp slowly more thoughts cloud my head. I can’t stay and I won’t, so I tell my wolf,” Break the bond Zlena.” She whimpers as she speaks,” If I do this you might lose me.” I shake my head“ I won’t lose you. What you feel put the pain on me. Transfer it to me.” My wolf cries,” Okay” Then I feel it. It feels like my body and soul is tearing in half. I then collapse on my knees in front of Jimin. Keeping the scream locked inside I look up to Jimin to see he’s already crying heavily and his chest breathing erratically. I whisper to him,” I love you my Jimin, but truly this is goodbye. You say you need me, but you don’t. I mean nothing to you.”I whine out. I see Jimin kneeling to before me. Reaching hands to touch me, but I nip at him.” Don’t. touch. me.” He sobs after I say this,” Y/n please I do need you I d-“ I cut off his desperate cry,“ No you don’t ! You don’t. You don’t need me and you don’t love me. Stop, just stop giving me false hope.” I hear whimpers from Ri Eun, so I glance at them and see Jungkook holding her to his chest while he cries as well. “Goodbye Jungkook and Ri Eun. Thank you for a friendship I hadn’t had in a long time. I’m truly grateful, but I need to leave. I don’t belong here. Please I beg you to understand my selfishness.” With that I turn into my wolf and run away not looking back. “ Y/N!!!” I hear Jimin yelling, but I still runaway with the thoughts of never being enough for my true mate. How he loves someone more than me, and how I will always remain as being his last choice. Once I run past the boarder to change back into my human form to climb up a big willow tree. In order pass out from the pain.

Jimin’s POV

“Y/n!!!” No, what did I do. You just lost your one true mate. My wolf howls inside me, but then speak,” You broke her! You broke her. She gone! She in danger out there. I don’t deserve this pain. You do, so you bare it.” He growls at me, and then leaves into the back of my mind cutting me off from him. With the worst pain imaginable to the point it’s suffocating me. I’m so caught up in my self I forgot about the rest was here. Until I heard my mate laugh. “ Wow do you see her cry and her little speech. No wonder you don’t love her Jimin. I’m so happy you chose me instead of that sl**. I mean how dare she kiss you. You should use mouth wash before you kiss me again.” I don’t look at her realizing my mistake,” Leave before I fully lose my temper with you. I made a mistake of letting her go. I made a big mistake mating you, and not waiting for her. I said LEAVE!” She quickly scurries off back to the pack house. I hear whimpering behind me that makes me turn around,” Ri Eun? Jungkook? Are you guys okay?” “ Jimin I’m hurt because I liked Y/n as a sister, but Ri Eun. I don’t understand. What’s going on. Why are you so affected?” Her voice cracked from her crying when she speaks,” I felt it Jungkook. I felt it.” She said whimpering,” Felt what baby?” She nuzzles into his chest further,” I felt her pain right before she fell to her knees. I-it felt so-oo awful. I never want to feel that again Kookie.” He pulls her in closer nuzzling her neck before kissing her mark. “ you won’t baby” I tare my eyes away from them feeling pain, knowing that I could have been like that if I just chose Y/n. I want to track her down, but I need to give her space. Although, I won’t give up. I can’t. I’ll will find her soon. I need to because I can’t let her bare all the pain by herself. Oh Y/n please survive.

Y/n’s pov

I wake up by hearing voices under me. “- no spread out and then we’ll attack. Then I can have my mate back.” Another guy speaks,” No offense sir but who’s our Luna ? We never meet her?” The Alpha laughs,” She’s the best Luna you can ever have. She went to fake mate with the other Alpha named Jimin to get his trust. In order to know the packs weaknesses.” He laughs and speaks again,” Let’s go its the perfect time to attack because the guards are busy switching shifts. I almost gasp, but I quickly put my hand over my mouth, so they don’t know I’m here. The willow leaves that surround my must have masked my sent. I must let Jimin know before it’s too late. I watch them all go in different directions. I quietly climb around the tree to see if there was anyone left before climbing down the tree. Once I’m down I look around and quickly, but quietly sprint towards the pack house. While running I saw one of the wolf’s that was next to the Alpha, so I ran towards him jumped in the air to clamp his neck taking a chunk of the spinal cord out of him. He crumpled to the ground, and I sprint faster than ever towards the house. Once I reach there I yell,” JIMIN!!!!!!!!” I hear hurried foot steps run toward me,” Y/n!! I’m so so sorry. I chose you not h-“ “ Jimin theres no time for that. She betrayed you. Your going to be attacked at any moment. I woke up to them speaking about that when I slept in the willow tree. Please hurry!!” He looks at me with wide eyes, but anger. His eyes glaze over, but then his eyes come right back,” Jungkook hurry!!!” He grabs my hands,” Tell me what they said. What do they have planned.” “ I don’t know much but they said to spread out and that your weakness is the guards shift change. The one that told them your weaknesses is your mate. But she only mated you to gain your trust.She never loved you because the Alpha said that he’s mated to her already. I don’t know how she hide it but please believe me it’s true. While coming here I killed one of them, as you can see.” With the wolf blood on my front half of my body. He takes me into his hold checking my body,” Are you hurt anywhere?” He ask worried. “ No, I sneaked attacked him.” He sighs in relief,” Thank the goodness your okay. I need your help though. Can you gather all the pups and mothers that is pregnant into safety. In my office upstairs there is a safe room only Jungkook and I knew about. The code is 42JungkookJimin. Okay? Can you help me with that?.” I shake my head as a yes before speaking, “ Okay. Just be safe please.” He takes ahold of my cheeks and kisses me. “ I meant what I said I chose you not her. I regret every word and action I have done, so far.” I look into his eyes hopeful,” I need time please understand.” I say while looking down. “ I do understand, but we can’t talk right now. I need you to go get the pups and the pregnant women. Go.” He kisses my forehead and I leave to go outside first because the houses out side is more vulnerable than inside.

Hello Cuties, I hope this chapter is better than my second and I hope you enjoy it. You guys motivate me. Thank you for the followers and the likes. I truly appreciate it. I love you all.💜💜💜 from Author Rain

Part 1 Part 2 Masterlist 

[strangerivy]

Let The Rain Fall - Two

Summary: After an interesting and eventful first day at school, Elena returns home and decides to explore the woods behind her house. But she doesn’t know just how dangerous those woods can be and what is lurking in them Warnings: None in this chapter, some anxiety attacks throughout the series Pairings: Jasper  x OC (Elena)  Genre: 17+ | Fluff Word Count: 3084 Author’s Note: Let me know what you think! I am always open to feedback to better my writing ♥  

Links: || One | Two | Three || Masterlist ||

My house was only a 20-minute drive from the school. I was pulling up our driveway noticing my mom’s car was still there. I parked my car next to hers and got out going up to the house. It was a small two-bedroom two bath house, perfect for just the two of us.

I could hear she was on the phone, I stopped at the front door trying to listen to the conversation. Yelling. No, Screaming. It’s dad. I opened the door loudly shutting it, so she knew I was back. She poked her head out of the kitchen giving me a small wave hello.

"I don't want to hear it, Tom! She doesn't want to speak to you!" She yelled into the phone going back into the kitchen. I sighed walking down the hall going into my room. I was still unpacking so most of my stuff was still in boxes scattered around the room.

When I moved into the room it was painted this light mossy green, my mother offered to paint it, but I told her it was fine. It fit with my stuff well enough. I dropped my backpack off by the door shutting the door leaning against it. I silently thanked my mom for not making me talk to him.

After I found out why my parents were getting divorced, I wanted nothing to do with him. My dad had always been an ass especially as he got higher up in the business world but never did I think he would cheat on my mother.

I pushed myself off the door grabbing one of my boxes off the floor labeled hiking. The rain was more of a mist now so going outside wouldn't be too bad. I grabbed my boots and rain jacket out of the box putting them on by the front door.

"Mom, I'm going for a walk!" I yelled before exiting the house. I walked to the back of the house admiring the thick forest. Behind our house was the national forest which was convenient for someone who likes to be outdoors. There was a small trail going into it that I followed. It was quiet in the woods and everything was so green. Almost too green.

"Well, it’s not called the evergreen state for nothing," I joked with myself. The ground was mushy and wet, but my boots were keeping my feet relatively dry. I don't know how long I walked for, but I was deep into the woods now not even able to hear cars drive by on the road. I looked up towards the sky and noticed through the small gaps in the trees it was starting to get dark. I decided now would be a good time to turn around and back to the house but then I heard a branch break. I stopped my eyes widening; panic starting to rush through me, my heart began to beat faster. When I was looking into the area before we moved just to see what was around here, I had come across some articles regarding animal attacks and two of those attacks being fatal.

I looked in front of me scanning the tree line. Nothing. I gulped letting out a breath trying to calm my breathing as best as I could, I turned around slowly trying to make as little noise as possible and looked. Nothing.

"Okay... it was probably just a deer. Just. A. Deer." I whispered trying to calm myself down. I looked back up and that's when I saw it. Two yellow eyes maybe twenty feet to my left. I stopped breathing the hairs on my arms beginning to stand up as I stared directly at the eyes and them back at me. It was panting heavily and whatever it was it looked mean and tall. Like HUGE. That's when I heard the howling breaking my stare to look around me not sure where the howl came from because it didn’t sound like it came from where the eyes were. I looked back at where the eyes were to now see nothing.

All those things I read in articles on what not to do when in this situation, went right out the window and I did the one thing you don't do; I ran. I ran as fast as I could hearing its paws hit the ground behind me Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Agh!" I cried in pain as I fell to the ground my foot caught on a root that was sticking out of the ground, I quickly unhooked my foot feeling a sharp pain shoot up my leg when I moved my ankle. I sat up and listened. Too afraid to move. It should have caught up to me, but it was quiet again. I looked ahead of me and thanked God under my breath because I could see my house. I waited before pushing myself off the ground to make sure it really was quiet.

After a few minutes of silence, I decided it was gone. I hobbled my way to the front door unlocking it and walking inside slamming it shut and locking it. My mom was gone now off to work at the hospital noticing her missing car from the driveway. She was a nurse and worked nights at the local hospital. I was kind of glad because I really didn't need her hovering over my ankle.

I sat down on the couch leaning down to untie my boots to look at the damage. It was sprained. The bruise was already apparent. I cursed myself, I really didn't want to deal with this. I hobbled my way on one foot back to my room to get my brace. Sprained ankles weren't uncommon for me. I put it on and got dressed in my pajamas before getting in bed I threw one of my pillows to the end of my bed to elevate the foot.

I looked out the window and I swear I saw Jasper. I sat up and turned to turn on my lamp but when I turned back, he was gone.

"Too much. This is too much, I need sleep." I fell back onto my pillows exhausted deciding it was the adrenaline making me see things before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

 I called Bella in the morning asking for a ride to school.

"You sprained your ankle?" She was trying to hold back laughter after I explained why I needed a ride, I sighed completely embarrassed by my klutziness.

"I said I hike; I didn't say I was good at it." She laughed and said she would be right there; I sent her a text with my address. I got up from my bed and jumped in the shower before she got there. It wasn't raining today so jeans and a sweater would do fine but grabbed a rain jacket just in case the weather decided to change. I had to loosen one of my vans for my brace to fit in it. I reached into the closet grabbing my crutches I had decided to keep a few years ago from another sprain accident. 

I opened my door and peered into my mom’s room. She was asleep still in her scrubs, I smiled before grabbing her door to shut it. I heard a rumble outside, and I looked out the living room window. It was Bella in an extremely old truck. I exited the house and Bella got out to help me into the truck.

"So, " she began pulling out of the driveway "How'd you do it?" She was getting a kick out of this. I smiled looking out the window.

"I was out in the woods and ran into an animal, except..." I trailed off deciding whether to tell her about the wolf or not, I turned to face her, she would probably know more, "do you guys have wolves?" I asked, her body went kind of tense and her face seemed strained like she was trying to hide her emotion back.

"Why, did you see one?" She asked looking at me, her face looked as if she was trying to hide something, but her eyes were filled with concern.

"I think so, well I know I did." We were pulling into the parking lot now. Edward was already there, and his face too seemed worried but stern kind of like he was listening to someone speak but no one was around him. They were defiantly hiding something.

Bella parked her truck in the back of the lot and Edward came and opened the door for me offering me a hand. I took it giving a small thanks as I grabbed my crutches from the truck bed.

"Well Bella, it looks like someone might be more prone to accidents then you," Edward joked, you gave him a small push 

"Shut up, I was almost viciously eaten." I laughed, he looked over at Bella, like he was looking for confirmation from her over something that I couldn’t give. "I swear I saw a wolf last night in the woods while I was out walking, but it was, it was strange because I mean it was HUGE. Taller than any wolf I've ever seen."

"Maybe it was just a bear Elena," Bella suggested as you walked to the school, I shook my head, I know what I saw and heard. There was no doubt in my mind that it was a wolf. But what kind? There were no species of wolf that I could think of that would get that tall. Not without some sort of genetic mutation but that would have to be done in a lab it wouldn't be out in the wild.

The rest of Edwards family pulled up in a silver Jeep parking toward the front. Jasper got out of the car and looked over at me noticing the brace and crutches, he frowned. He raised his eyebrow at me as if he was asking what happen. I gave him a shy smile before going into the school grounds. I'd explain later, maybe he would believe me or give me a better idea of what it could have been.

"No, " I shook my head. The body was two thin for a bear and the howling there was more than the one I saw. Remembering the howl sent shivers down my spine, I shook them off "It was a wolf."

"Elena?" I jumped startled by the new voice; I turned my head to see Jasper was next to me. I looked at him confused. There was no way he could have gotten here that quick from his car. We were on the other side of the campus now.

"Oh, hey Jasper." Bella and Edward said bye so they could head to their class, Bella looked back at me with a grin spread across her face. I shook my head trying to ignore her "How are-"

"What happen?" He cut me off, I sighed getting ready to explain my accident again.

"Oh, just my stupidity in the woods last night" I chuckled trying not to act as nervous as I was. He was so intimidating but not in a bad way he made me want to just tell my entire story to him. My hopes, my dreams my struggles. Everything. "There was a wolf in the woods last night and I tried to run away from it and well roots," I explained lifting my foot to show my brace.

"A wolf?" His voice was concerned, and his face was stern I was a little taken back, I mean I had just met him so it was confusing as to why he would be so concerned. I was flattered though; I knew I had feelings for him, but I didn't know if I really wanted to pursue them. Yet. I shifted beginning to feel uncomfortable. 

"Umm yeah, a wolf, but uh I need to get to class so I'll see you in history, okay?" I tried to avoid eye contact with him as I began walking to my next class. I was much slower with the crutches.

I couldn't help but think about how they reacted to my injury or more my reasoning. It WAS a wolf. I was positive. Jasper was outside each of my classes today helping me with my books and backpack. It was sweet and I was grateful, moving around became extremely difficult but more importantly, it allowed us to talk more.

"You rode horses?" he asked surprised looking down at my foot. I laughed and jokingly hit his chest.

"I may be clumsy, but I can ride horses," I said as we continued to my fourth-period class. "I competed a little too, plus the horse does most of the work, I just tell it what I need it to do."

"You competed?" He was clearly intrigued, and it made me smile. 

"Not often but sometimes, it was kind of my town's thing. Horse riding. Almost everyone was involved in riding," I said as we got to my fourth class. He opened the door for me, and I waved goodbye as I entered. I looked up and Bella had this huge smile on her face she was seeing something I wasn't. I sat down next to her trying to avoid her gaze. She wanted to talk it was obvious. I wasn't used to having someone like her around. Someone to confide in. It was a new thing for me, but I was starting to like it.

"So," she was clearly giddy about me talking to Jasper, I had run into her a few times in the hall today with Jasper and every time she would give this weird cheesy grin. I didn't understand why. We were just talking but maybe it looked different from an outside perspective. Whatever it was, I didn't mind.

"So?" I looked at her questioning what she was trying to say, she shrugged as the teacher walked in, she clearly wasn't going to drop this. The nice thing about Bella is we were similar. She was just about as awkward as I was when it came to conversation. It made talking to her easier because she just understood.

"Jasper seems to have taking a liking to you," she whispered, we were watching a movie in class today. I looked over at the teacher and he was playing solitary on his computer clearly not paying attention to the class.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about," I whispered back keeping my eyes on the screen. Jasper and I were just talking, I have no idea why he would take an interest in me. Especially since he was gorgeous. He could have anyone in this school and there were way betting looking girls than me. 

"Maybe you don't see it, but I do." I shook my head and continued watching the rest of the movie in silence. The bell rang and I got up from my seat, Bella handed me my crutches and we both walked out of the class to head for lunch, Jasper was waiting for me in the hall. 

"Hey Jasper, are joining us for lunch today?" Bella asked with a smile, I elbowed her trying to get her to stop.

"If that's okay with Elena?" He gestured toward me and I nodded not seeing anything wrong with that. We got to the table we sat at yesterday and I plopped down in the chair except I missed and hit the edge and hit the floor with a loud thump. Jasper was next to me instantly, I looked at him grimacing in pain, my foot hit the table leg and pain was shooting up my leg.

"Are you alright?" That voice again. He was worried, I could see it in his eyes, he was very open with his emotions. I felt a calmness run over my body again like that first day in class and the pain in my leg was barely noticeable now. 

"Um yeah, yeah I'm fine, thanks." I grabbed the edge of the table trying to lift myself back up, he offered his hand for support and I gladly took it. This was pathetic.

"Elena at this rate we're going to need to put you in a bubble." Edward joked walking up to the table grabbing my crutches out of the way of my seat and setting them down next to me. I gave him a joking smile while getting situated in my seat.

"I would just pop the bubble." He scoffed at my response before taking his seat next to Bella.

Lunch was awkward, to say the least, Jessica and Angela were clearly uncomfortable with Jasper at the table. From what I could gather, he never broke away from his siblings much. I looked over at the table with the rest and noticed the blonde was staring at me clearly pissed off. I looked over at Jasper and he was staring off lost in his own thoughts.

"Jasper?" He looked over at me hearing my voice, "Is your sister okay?" I asked gesturing over to the blonde. Edward and he scoffed. I was clearly missing something.

"Rosalie is just like that, don't pay attention to her," He mentioned pulling his attention back to the table. I heard a tray slam startling me a little, I caught myself before falling out of my chair again. I looked up noticing it was Rosalie, she was fuming. Her heels clicked echoing through the now silent cafeteria. She walked right past the table glaring before storming out of the cafeteria. The dark-haired guy from yesterday was over at Edward whispering something to him before going after Rosalie.

"Uh will you excuse us, Jasper and I have to deal with something," Edward said getting up from the table kissing Bella on the head before following the other two out. Jasper got up clearly annoyed on whatever was going on. He grabbed my hand and my cheeks were instantly on fire, I looked up at him confused about what was going on. He just gave a soft smile and squeezed my hand gently before following Edward out. I stared at my hand not sure what to think. I looked at the door they had all walk out of and over at Bella who was quietly eating her salad now. What in the world was going on in this town, or more specifically this group?

[twilightxcx]

Paul Lahote - Jealousy

Anonymous asked: I would like to read a paul story... but i have no ideas! 😂 maybe some fight, break up and make up? Jealousy? Sweet Paul? Sexy Paul? All? 🤔🤔🤣 sorry, i'm not helpful 🙈🙈

Thank you for your request anon! Disclaimer, I do not see/and / or wanna keep up an ideal that Jared is misogynic. But for this story's sake I made him that. (I view my babes as nothing but perfect, and that's that)

Readers POV

It's 5 in the afternoon when I arrive at Sam and Emily's house. The welcoming smell of food is the first thing to catch my attention as I take of my jacket and shoes. Whilst the warmth fills my body little by little from the cold weather outside, I hear two laughs coming from the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, I find my best friends Emily and Kim chatting. Emily standing smilingly next to the stove with her big baby bump, stiring in a pot where the amazingly smeeling of food comes from, and Kim standing next to her cutting vegetables for our planned dinner together. In difference to Emily she carries no baby just yet, but a a beautiful engagement ring sitting on her finger from a month ago when her and Jared celebrated 2 years together. Looking down at my hand i am also finding a beautiful ring set on my left ring finger, a ring I got just a year after Paul and I started dating. Today we are 2 years and counting.

Since it's a girl night only today I eagerly start helping them with the food whilst chatting about the pack in general, laughing ocationally at funny things that's mentioned before the food is ready and we sit down to eat.

A few hours later we have eaten dinner, made and eaten a beautiful dessert consisting of chocolate cake and just chatted. Soon the boys and Leah are gonna be on their way back, having food already warming up on the stove whilst me and the girls take a seat in Emily's living room.

"I just can't understand you are gonna have a baby soon, I mean it's just about 3 months left!" Kim states with a happy tone making Emily smile looking down at her big belly stroking it. "You are right, it's all gone so fast. With me and Sam getting married last year and now we are having a family. I can't wait to see our baby girl grow up!" Emily says happily looking over at me as i also smile happily for Emily and Sam's sake. They have gone through so much but now they can finally just have a life together and raise a child, it's beautiful really.

"When are you and Paul gonna have one?" She then asks me making Kim also turn her focus at me. Directly i see a spark turn lit inside of her at Emily's question, making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Uhm maybe next year? I don't know. Paul talks a lot about it but I don't wanna rush into things." I answer before Kim interrupts my thoughts.

"Omg what if you were to get married whilst pregnant? You would look so good with a long white dress and a round belly." Kim says exitedly as I screw myself in the chair a little, unsure what to answer. Emily agrees with Kim.

"Who's gonna get married whilst pregnant?" Embry then all suddenly says, surpising me but also Emily and Kim with his presence. With him I also see Jared and Seth, Jared directly locking eyes with his imprint before siting down next to her in the sofa where both her and Emily is seated. Seth on the other hand sits down next to me, greeting me whilst doing so.

"Y/N and Paul!" Kim explains exitedly, making me feel even more uncomfortable then before now that there is a crowd. Jared kisses his girl on her cheek. "Nah I think if she's gonna have a baby it's gonna be with Emmet, you know based on her love for cold, vampire guys with too little brain." Jared jokes, making all of the guys in the room laugh, including himself and Kim. But I don't laugh, and Emily doesn't either.

In the corner of my eye I see Paul enter, hearing this out of context. Meanwhile Emily starts defending how good relationship Paul and I have and how much we love eachother since she knows that Paul isn't the happiest about me hanging out with the Cullens in the first place. But Jared doesn't listen, and also doesn't seem to know that Paul is present, so he continues.

"Come on. Like Emmet wouldn't diss Rosalie, a cold unfertlie vampire who also doesn't seem to be able to take a joke for a warm, fertile, funny girl like Y/N! Also, you call them 'friends' but who knows what happeneds behind closed doors!" Jared keeps on joking teasingly, making Paul turn furious. As I realise where this is heading, I then quickly stand up before placing myself between Paul who's shakings are increasing by the second and Jared who now finally is aware about Paul's presence in the first place.

"Paul nothing of what he just said is true. Let me guide you out and I'll happily stay in the forrest with you until you calm down so we can talk about this." I say placing my hand on his cheek, but it's too late. Pauls shaking are already increasing even further.

"I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to, it was a joke. I didn't even know you where here" Jared is now standing up. The three of us stand close, with me in the middle trying to keep them away from eachother.

"Y/N let me go, I dont wanna hurt you" Paul voice is angrier then I first would have imagined it to be. He's shaking uncontrollably and breaths in angry huffs, tying to calm himself down.

Jared on the other half tries to get even closer to me and Paul, making Paul even angrier. Paul softly pushes me away, not hard enough to harm me but hard enough to increase the distance between us. Now he's face to face with Jared, who seems more worried then anything.

"Then why did you say those things? Some of things must be true if you were joking about them" Paul growls as I once again place myself between the two men, getting a worried look from both Seth and Embry, both of them prepared to drag two wolves out of the house if this goes out of hand.

"Paul don't take it out on him. He was just joking. Please just go outside with me and I'll happily stay with you until you have calmed down."I say sympatically placing my hand on his warm arm, directly getting lightly pushed away again.

"Don't touch me Y/N. Why would you defend him if it werent true? You are just as false as all of them, I regret that I ever trusted you. I don't want anything to do with you ever again." He barks at me, hurting me even more for each word he speaks, and I feeze in chock. Did he really mean that?

He soon realizes his mistake, and keeps on shaking uncontrollably whilst trying to erase the small distance between us. I shake my head at him, meeting his eyes filled with regret as I feel the first tears leave the corners of my eyes.

"I-no I didn't.." Is everything I hear from him before the guys drag him out, to afraid he might shift this close to me. I don't even react at him screaming my name, it's useless. He doesn't want me anymore.

As I keep on crying my vision turns blurry, and because of all the thoughts spinning in my head my world turns quiet. I don't really hear anything after that, all I see is how the guys drags him out of the house, into the forest where he shifts in anger, and fear. A second later he is gone before a howl echoes through the house.

All suddenly someone puts its arms around me, holding me close. Then another person also puts its arms around me. I don't react at any of the calming words or gestures. I just feel cold inside.

My whole world is still blurry and I see barley nothing. And I feel nothing, I'm just empty. I pull away from the embrance, hearing Emily call my name as I put on my jacket and shoes in a quick manner before running out the house. Luckily no one follows me, I guess they are to focused about what happened to Paul, my fiancé. Or atleast he was mine.

I run home in the pouring rain, closing the door with a hard bang before locking it. I already know I am home alone, Paul is most likely not in the mood to see me right now, or ever again for that matter. After taking of my jacket and my shoes I then stumble into our bathroom. Without taking of any of my clothes I turn on the shower with hot boiling water. Just before I stand myself under it I place my phone on the sink, still wanting to have a phone later on.

I am still numb from feelings, so non understanding what I did wrong. It wasn't me who spoke those things, and even less so me who wanted to beat up my best friend for saying them in the first place. But still he blames me, because he is jealous and can't take that I have other males around me. Male friends, nothing more. Only if he would understand that.

As the warmth fills my cold body I relax under the steaming streams of water. It's like they are waking up my shocked body into an awaken state again and soon I find myself crying. Crying over how much I love that stupid man, but also crying over the fact he didn't believe me, but he believe his friend that knows nothing about me, absolutely nothing.

I stand there until the water goes cold, and even then I don't step out. I don't know how long I stand there. 20 minutes, 1 hour? 2 hours? Time seems to go so slow, every breath I take feels like having a truck pushing down my own chest. But then finally, I stand out of the shower, finally ready to atleast go to bed. No toothbrushing, no hugs and kisses or cuddles from the man I love. No. Just me, my thoughts and my cries.

Stepping out of the shower, I trip and fall. It takes a minute or two to realise what actually happened, and I see that I've not only hit my head, but wrenched my left ankle, and that I am bleeding from my right hand. With a little bit of help from leaning against the shower door, I soon get up standing, only to reach for my phone to call for help.

SETH'S POV

As Paul got carried out through the door to the forest by Embry, Jared and Quil, I stayed in the house with Emily, looking after Y/N.

After Paul said those horrible things to her she just zoned out and just ran out of the house a few minutes later. I and Emily did even try to hug her to show our sympathy, but she didn't react. It hurt a lot in me seeing her that hurt, and I wanted to follow when she left but Sam made me stay. He said he was gonna talk to Paul as soon as he calmed down, and that this would soon be over as if it was a normal thing that Paul and Y/N had a fight in the first place. It's not, and knowing Y/N correctly I know she doesn't take this as lightly as Sam said she is gonna be. I don't know what she thinks, but all of us wolves feel Paul's angst and anger at himself. Shes his imprint and he fucked shit up, as always.

Looking at Emily contenly asleep in the sofa next to me, I sigh, before looking back at the TV on with some bad soap opera. I wish Y/N was here. Kim and Jared have already gone home, Sam told Jared to stay away a while until Y/N and Paul work things out. And whilst Paul is calming down with Sam and Jake the others had to go on patrol. Except me, I am looking after Emily.

After another while of hearing snoring coming from sleeping Emily across the couch and having the soap opera coming to an end, I stand up and take her in my arms, bride style, soon placing her in her and Sam's bed before heading out of the house. Whilst locking the front door since Emily is the only one home at the moment, my phone starts buzzing and I imedietly start wondering who wants to contact me this late at night.

"Hello?" I speak, not looking at the screen before answering. "Hey! Seth, I, I need your help" It's Y/N and she sounds sad, and afraid.

"Are you okey Y/N? Where are you now?" I ask worriedly, she sniffles a cry. "Just come to mine and Paul's house. Use the key under the door carpet to get in. Hurry." She says before hanging up. As soon as the call is ended I start running towards the forest, undressing quite messy while doing so.

When I shift to wolf form I hear all of the guys talking to eachother, through our mind link. Sam and Jake talk about Paul finally calling down, whilst Leah, Embry, Quil and the pups run around the border searching for vampires. As soon as they hear my thoughts Paul is on his way towards his and Y/N's house, together with me, Jake and Sam.

When we get there Paul is quick to pick up the key from under the mat, and unlocks the door before all four of us almost run inside. We are all wet from the rain, naked under our shorts entering the small house. A small cry hears from the bathroom.

"Babe? Are you in there." He calls, walking hurriedly over to the bathroom door, trying to open it. We follow.

"Paul?" She sniffles, all of us hearing the sad, desperate tone in her voice. "What are you doing here?" She continues sadly, not a single trace of being mad in her tone. He hums agreeingly.

"Yes its me baby please open the door. Seth called for us." Paul says yet again trying to open the locked bathroom door.

Y/N's POV

"Yes its me baby please open the door. Seth called for us." Paul says as I am sitting down on the cold bathroom floor, not able to stand and therfore not able walk another step. He then tries to open it again, hoping it might work but it doesn't.

"After you said those things I ran home and took a shower, trying to ease my mind but as I stepped out of the shower I think i fell wrenching my foot. I am bleeding on a few fingers on my right hand but I also seem to have hit my head. I don't remember that much. I called Seth whilst I still was able to stand up." I say as the guys outside turn quiet for a moment.

"It's okey beautiful, we are gonna get you out" Paul says, worry filling his voice. "You think you need stitches?" He asks as the other guys seem to have left the door in order to search for the spare key to the bathroom in other parts of the house. I nod to myself, taking in the deep cuts in my ring-, and longfinger but also thumb. "Yes" I say as Seth seems to have come back, giving Paul the extra key before the door seconds later turns open.

"Omg babe what did you do" He says crouching down to where I sit, gently placing his arms under my legs and back to carry my hurt body into the bedroom. Placing me down on the bed, something touches my feet and indirectly moves my hurt ankle, making me hiss in pain. Paul realizes this, and calls for the others to get bandaid, call Sue and a water bottle.

A few minutes later the guys have patched my thumb us as good as they till Sue gets here and can stich my wounds together. My foot is put in a bandage and I am not allowed to sit up, due to the dizziness of my head. Paul even snarls at Jake when he tries to see if anything in my hand is broken, but since I still can move all five fingers we think It should be fine.

"I'm here you guys! I'm here!" Sue, Seth's mom arrives maybe fifteen minutes after Paul told Seth to call her. She walks into the bedroom with a bag full of doctors equipment and if she were not to have come in regular clothes you would think I was a patient and she was my doctor. Sue is a nurse, and has even work some at the hospital where also Carlisle works.

"Let's get you into one piece again, shall we?" She says siting down next to me in the bed as I nod. She starts taking of the bandage of my wounded hand, reveling the wounds cut open from a sharp edge by the showerdoor. Both Paul and Seth gasps as Jake let's ut a quiet 'damn'. After she's examinated it for a minute she starts cleaning around it with some rubbing alcohol, me twitching at the sudden strong pain in and nearby the wounds.

"You okay?" She asks me as Paul circulate the room like a stressed out puppy. Sam mentions for him to sit down next to me in the bed, taking my unharmed hand in his stroking it gently with his thumb while doing so. He grips at it tighter when she starts stitching my hand back together.

"There you go Y/N. Now I just need to look at your head a little since the guys did such a great job at stabilizing your foot, so I think that atleast should be fine."

-

20 minutues later I am still placed in my bed, with absolutely no allowence what so ever to even go to the bathroom for myself. After Sue finished examining me it turned out I also got a small concussion. So on top of my sprained ankle and a cut open hand, I not will not to be allowed to do anything without help for the next two weeks. So I will not only feel like a dead zombie I will look like one too.

As in for now Seth and Sam are talking with Sue about further medication and treatment whilst Jacob and Paul stays in the bedroom with me. Sue got me some medication for the hand, already making me feel even more tired then before.

Whilst I'm laying here almost forgetting what happened between me and Paul a few hours ago, I can feel he's still pretty worried about it. Not because I don't think that is fair, but because I am to tired to care and both of us know what he said not will change my feelings for him. Jake speaks up.

"So, no work or studies for the rest of this month huh" He says, trying to start a conversation since Paul honestly looks to shaken to start one himself. I sigh.

"Yes. Exactly. Me and this bed are gonna spend a lot of time together." I say with a tired, sad voice. Paul murmurs something I can't interpret.

"What were you saying Paul?" I say, slowly turning my head towards Paul, not wanting to make any sudden movements. In the corner of my eye I can see Jake leave the room, probably so that we can talk privately. Turning my gaze back to Paul, he sits very sunken with his head hanging low, and a ashamed look on his face. He takes a long moment just staring at our intertwined fingers before he answers me.

"If it wasn't for me this wouldn't have happened from the beginning. I let my aggression take over before I even listened to what you had do say about it. I know nothing of what he said was true, but just the thought of it got me shaking in anger." He breathes out in frustration over his own actions. I just sit still listening whilst he continues.

"I just didn't want this to happen, I didn't wanna hurt you but yet here we are. I am so sorry Y/N, I am an god damn idiot. You are an amazing woman and I fucking failed you." He says, letting go of my hand to cover up his red puffing face from me, about to cry. I place my unharmed hand on his shoulder, trying to scooch over as much as I possibly can with on working leg and one working arm. He starts sniffling.

"Hey baby look at me. Don't worry I am not mad at you" I speak truthfully, moving my hand from his shoulder to stroke his hair and scalp, knowing this soothes him. He shakes his head removing his hands from his face, looking up at me.

"I hurt you" He says, eyes red from crying as I place my hand on his cheek, stroking away the tears. "To quote the best book in the world written by the best author in this world; 'You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices' " I say with a small smile as I stroke my tumb against his stubble, then lips and finally cheek. He grasps my unharmed hand in his two, prepping it with kisses before he closes his eyes placing my hand on top of his clothed chest, against his heart.

"I love you, so much. I really am so so sorry" Paul pleads as I put my arm around his shoulders pulling him to me for a side hug. When he hugs back I dig my face into his neck whilst holding him tight. "It's okey baby, I love you too. Just forget that it ever happened, it doesn't matter." I mumble into his hairline whilst caressing his hair. He thighteneds his grip on me a few seconds before we let go.

I press a short kiss to his lips, getting a kiss back the same second. "Okey?" I ask, unsure if my message got through. He nods. "Yes, thank you. I promise it will not happen again" He says with a determined but sweet voice. I smile.

"I know. Now please warm me up I'm freezing" I say, gesturing to the small blanket put on top of me whilst the sheets are placed behind my head and by my feet and hand for support. He smiles at me before doing as I propose, placing his arm around me letting me lean onto his shoulder. Paul gently kisses the side of my head and scalp making me close my eyes.

"On a other note. I actually wouldnt mind marrying you whilst pregnant. It would honestly be pretty sexy if you did." Paul whispers into my ear with a deep voice making me shiver in excitement. He notices my reaction, laughing as I with my unharmed hand i hit him in his rock hard chest, marking that that is not the way you speak to your future wife! This makes Paul laugh even more, making me roll my eyes at what a dork of a man I have. I sigh.

"You are an idiot you know that?" I tease back as he smiles one of his sexy, stomach fluttering smiles at me. He takes my hand stroking it easily with his thumb whilst answering.

"But I'm your idiot baby" He says as I sigh yet again but agreeing defeat to his words.

"And only mine"

"Only yours"

-

Thanks for reading!

[eve6262]

Consumed By Apathy [[vent]]

Perhaps this was a bad idea. In Leila's defense, it was her only option.

Even now, though, her hand trembled with anticipation. Her eyes were unfocused, unwilling to think about what this required; what this asked of her feeble conscience, already too vulnerable to heated words alone. And yet her heart felt nothing but silence and apathy, and that was the reason this had all started.

She remembered, somewhere, her only distinct thought, that Pheonie only came out when she smelled blood. She didn't particularly know why, didn't quite care how; all she knew is that for a month now, Pheonie had not said a single word, and because of this all her emotions dried up and when a particularly grueling spell called for intent she could not even muster up a basic want for food.

So, she reasoned, she had to get Pheonie back. Damn the people that say she's insane; she'll amit it a thousand times over, chant it in front of the gods as a beg if that will bring the voice in her head with a name back. Damn it all, she'll kill an entire village to get her back; could kill an entire country if she had the means.

And yet her body is disagreeing with her. It cries out that this shouldn't be, we- I should just stay in solitude until the growing blanket of apathy smothers you whole. Because it's not we or they anymore, it's I or you. It was always us, unless it was about each other. Now? It's only me.

I still do wonder if I could have done this without you as a motivator. Is your absence bringing me more drive than you did? Not for normal work or natural wants, of course, but for strange, desecrating acts that damn me to only working with demons, now.

As if you'd have it any other way.

The first cut sends him screaming. In a strange display of dissonance my body flinches but I don't feel it; instead, I feel nothing but a smothering blanket of silence being wrapped around my neck.

The second cut has him panting, and reminds me vaguely of dirty dreams where you'd pull me into my mindscape, out of whatever fantasy I'd made, because in my mindscape you had a physical form and you loved to use it.

The third cut has him howling, because I remembered you fiddling with your physical form, in all its alterable glory, just so you could please me in whatever way I desired, and the knife just so happened to slip, is what we'll say.

The fourth has him gurgling, because I cut into his neck and the blood is spilling out like a fountain.

Upon the fifth cut I feel a familiar pressure in the back of my skull and I hope. I dearly hope that I will hear something- anything- from you, even if it's just a promise to stay but never say a word that will be enough I think to get me through the days.

"I thought you said you'd never take part of such debauchery?"

O Lucifer, you truly are merciful and wonderful, though excuse me when I say your voice does not compare to the angel- no, succubus I hear now. Perhaps her intent is to take my soul as her own but I could not care less; all I hear is beauty and my own personal Goddess speaking to the stupid, ugly little nun that she's taken a liking to.

"Come on now, be reasonable. You're a nutjob with a voice in your head, and a killer now. Not ugly, though, you should know that."

I can't bring myself to care for the sting of her words more than the relief that she is back, finally, I hear her once more, she speaks, O Dearest Lucifer she SPEAKS. I am FREE once more from the apathy that so CONSUMED me dear DEVILS BELOW GRANTED ME FREEDOM-

"Leila."

Yes, O Goddess?

"My name. Use my name."

Yes, Pheonie?

"Calm down. You've covered yourself in blood."

So I have. Though I physically recoil, I can't bring myself to care much; apathy consumes me in everything but Pheonie's words, now. And thus I have fixed it all.

((posting on mobile rn, I'll add the Read More sectioning when I get home))