#i think I wasn't too clear with my instructions and that's why no one has sent anything yet...

[chaosister]

Chao! I still don't understand how the prompt works 😭

AAAA I'M SORRYYY (i think i didn't explain it well...)

basically, you can send in any prompts you like for any character! for example: “(insert prompt) for infinity please!”

you can send as many as you want! as long as the event isn't closed yet then spam me with those prompts!

this is open for the fandoms that I've mentioned in my event post! if you're still confused then please hit me up! ^^

[flemingsfreckles]

Better Boyfriend than Him (18+) pt. 5

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Read the 4 previous parts here

Warnings: SMUT (18+) frat boy Jessie vibes, oral sex (r receiving), fingering (r receiving), masturbation, sexting but not really

WC: 5.6k (she’s a little long)

A/N: I got a little carried away and this one ended up a little long.

Jessie 🦖: feel free to dream about me tonight when you go to sleep

Jessie 🦖: or when you’re touching yourself, I don’t mind ;)

Those texts started back at you as you looked at your phone. You couldn’t help but follow both of her texts, about thinking about her while you touched yourself and while you dreamed. You got home and almost immediately moved into your bedroom.

For a second, you debate taking a photo to send to Jessie, show her what she was missing by claiming she doesn’t fuck on the first date. You weren’t sure if that was too forward now that the mood seemed to shift from just sex to something more between the two of you. You decide to meet your idea halfway. You take your phone, open the camera and slide your right hand under your panties, just cupping your hand around yourself, not trying to get yourself off yet.

You snap a photo, before pulling back your phone to admire it. It just showed your bare stomach, starting at just above your belly button showing your hand creeping into your underwear, your legs spread. It’s telling enough without showing her anything too explicit. Without thinking too much about it you put it in a message to Jessie and hit send.

You: glad you don’t mind ;)

Jessie 🦖: holy shit

Jessie 🦖: I should’ve gone against my rule of not fucking on the first date

Jessie 🦖: maybe I can change my dating rules and fuck on the second date

Jessie 🦖: I don’t even date I don’t know why I have “rules”

The last text makes you laugh to yourself. Satisfied with her reaction, you get back to what you were doing. You hook your thumbs into your panties and slide them off your legs. Your hand returns between your legs, you slowly slide a finger between your folds, feeling how wet you had become at the thought of Jessie. She didn’t take much to get you worked up.

A couple minutes and a lot of thoughts about Jessie later, your orgasm takes over, lasting a few seconds, a whisper of Jessie’s name coming from your mouth. Sure, an orgasm was an orgasm but doing it yourself wasn't nearly as satisfying as letting Jessie do it.

Having followed one of her two instructions to think about her, you figured you may as well follow her second text and fall asleep thinking of her. Getting up you move to the bathroom, washing your hands before getting ready for bed.

Before you climb into bed you send her a quick goodnight text, you don’t get an immediate response and assume she has already fallen asleep. When you lay your head down on the pillow, thoughts of Jessie fill your mind. You wished she was next to you, her arms wrapped around you, holding you tight. Instead of listening to your fan, you wish it was the sound of her breathing putting you to sleep.

The next morning you’re woken up by a call from Jessie.

“Hi.” You’re half asleep when you answer the phone, voice still full of sleep. You clear your throat after hearing how your voice sounded.

“Hey, want coffee?” She sounded far too awake on a weekend, as if she had been up for hours already. It was Saturday so you both didn’t have any commitments to attend to. You glanced at the time, seeing it was still early part of you wanted to go back to sleep, fall back into your warm bed and into your dreams of Jessie. But seeing the girl in person would be even better, even if it meant dragging yourself out from the warmth of bed.

“You already know the answer to that.” You never turned down coffee.

“Okay. Can I pick you up in 20?”

“Is this your way of asking me on a date Fleming?”

“Maybe? Is that okay?” Her voice changes as she asks for confirmation.

“Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll see you in a bit.” Before you let her respond to you, you hang up and the line goes dead and you scramble out of bed throwing on a pair of jeans and pulling out a sweatshirt. It was cold out and you wanted to just throw on sweatpants and you would have on a regular trip to coffee with Jessie. Except now this was a date, you had to look nice.

You get distracted by brushing your teeth and hair, tidying up your room a bit. You end up forgetting to finish getting dressed. You had half a mind to make your bed, knowing there was a chance you’d be bringing back a guest later.

You hear, said expected guest, come through the door as you were still getting ready. Cursing yourself for not being ready you continue to rush around cleaning while yelling a greeting to her.

“Hi Jess!”

“Hi, can I come in?” You can hear her voice coming through your bedroom door. You open the door instead of answering. You’re only half dressed but you don’t care. Her eyes draw to your chest for a second where you had on a simple bra, nothing compared to the one you had worn the other day to tease her, she then looks up to your eyes. She realizes she was caught looking and just gives you a smile and greeting.

“Hi.”

You raise an eyebrow at her, “Are you saying hi to me or to my boobs?”

“Who says it can’t be both?” She argues your point. She’s wearing a red flannel over a plain sweatshirt and jeans. You half wish she had shown up in sweats and given you an excuse to also put them on but you also were pleased to see she was treating this as a date.

You grab your shirt and finish pulling it over your head and down your torso. “Considering someone doesn’t fuck on the first date, I don’t think you have the right to say hi to them.” You finish by throwing on your sweatshirt and walk past her out of your room and into the living room.

The two of you decide against walking to the coffee shop, usually you would if it wasn't too far but with the temperature and wind, you decided to hop in Jessie’s car and drive. A few minutes into the drive, Jessie’s hand comes across the center console, finding its place on your thigh. That’s new, you think to yourself but you don’t comment fearing you’ll scare her into moving her hand.

You walk into the coffee shop, it’s quiet, the majority of college students not yet awake at this hour on a Saturday. You both ordered your usual coffees, Jessie adding an extra shot of espresso to hers before offering to pay. It wasn’t uncommon for her to buy your coffee or for you to buy hers, you both traded off paying, it was easier than ordering separately. Knowing this was a date made watching her offer to pay feel different.

Watching Jessie as she sat across from you you could tell something was up with her. She wasn’t one to add extra caffeine into her coffee besides the standard, claiming anymore made her feel like she was vibrating. She usually wasn’t one to be up before 10 on the weekends. It was noticeable she was zoning out as well, staring off behind your head for periods of time before snapping back to focus on the two of you. She leaned back in her chair covering her mouth as she let out a big yawn.

“What's up with you today? Late night fucking your other girlfriend yesterday?” The sentence comes out more serious than you intended, your attempt at sarcasm completely missing.

“My other girlfriend? Are you claiming to be my first girlfriend?” She’s got one eyebrow raised at your sentence.

“Um. I didn't mean it like that,” You definitely didn't mean to call yourself her girlfriend, sure it had crossed your mind but now was not the time for that conversation. “I just meant that we’re dating.” That didn't help the point you were trying to make, you realize how much of a fool you were making of yourself. “Not that we're dating, like officially dating, but we’ve done on dates, well one date, besides today, this is two. I just meant, it was a joke.”

“Okayyy.” Jessie looks as if she's about to laugh. “Are you good?”

“Perfect, just we’re not girlfriends, I didn't mean for it to come off that way, I know we aren't anything officially.” If this was happening with anyone besides Jessie you would have ran out of the coffee shop by now and never shown your face again.

“We could be?” The words come out of Jessie’s mouth as both a question and a statement. For a second you think you must have heard her wrong. There’s no way miss ‘i dont date’ was already willing to commit to the girlfriend label after one official date.

“What?”

“Yeah that's actually what kept me up last night. It was you, not my other girlfriend.” she kicks you softly under the table. “I was just thinking. Thinking about you, well us.” She pauses, taking a sip of coffee, you can tell she has more to say. Staying silent you just watch her, giving her the space to talk.

“I’m going to need help though, I still really don't know what I’m doing as far as dating. I can't promise that I’ll be perfect, but I couldn't stop thinking about you last night and I haven't had that happen in years. And I’m still scared, not of you, just of how badly she messed me up, and I know you're not her, but I think I’m ready to try again.”

You knew what Jessie meant, bringing up her ex girlfriend and how she had messed her up. For the first few months of your friendship you never heard much about the girl, Lauren. Jessie would occasionally reference her ex, but never giving much detail. She finally spilled all of the details to you on the couch after a long night of drinking. Jessie told you all about the girl, how she was her first everything. First proper date, first kiss, first relationship, first sexual experience, first person she brought home to meet her parents, first and only person she had said I love you to, first person she pictured a future with, and ultimately her first heartbreak.

Lauren was older by a year and when she went off to college, they agreed to do long distance. It lasted for a couple months, going well, facetime calls and texts keeping the couple in touch and happily in a relationship. Or at least that's what Jessie thought until she took a surprise visit to see her then girlfriend. Jessie told you how Lauren had not seemed super excited to see her but she was still young and naive and thought nothing of it. She noticed Lauren’s behavior was different but figured that's just what happens when you go to college and get a taste of adulthood. Jessie only learned the truth when the two found themselves in bed later that day and Jessie removed Lauren’s shirt to find her then girlfriend covered in hickeys. It quickly came to light that Lauren had been cheating on Jessie since quite literally the first day she arrived at school. Their relationship ended following a screaming match between the two, breaking Jessie’s heart and wrecking her ability to trust people and future partners.

When she went to college a year later, Jessie wanted nothing to do with relationships, only wanting to have the same “fun” her ex had behind her back for months. She started sleeping around, enjoying her no strings attached lifestyle for the first few years, until now.

“I don’t expect you to be perfect.” Reaching across the table you put her hand on hers. You didn't want her to think you had insanely high expectations for this relationship. “I expect you to be how you already are, that's why I like you in the first place, because of how you are already, you don't need to change anything just because we change this from friendship to relationship. Except maybe more kissing than when we were just friends.”

“Okay.”

“So are you and I-”

“Does that me we-”

You both start your sentences only to fall silent once the other starts talking. You just sit and look at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

“Go ahead.” Jessie gestures toward you.

“So are you and I, like, dating then? Are we girlfriends?” This felt like the least romantic way you could be asking her to be your girlfriend but you weren’t sure Jessie would be interested in some form of big gesture to ask her.

“That’s what I was going to ask.” Part of you is relieved hearing she was on the same page. She didn’t date, you didn’t want to make her feel pressured.

“Is two dates too soon? I mean for someone who doesn’t date, that seems fast.”

“I don’t know, is it too fast?” Jessie gives you a shrug when she asks.

“I don’t know. It’s confusing. Because I already know you so well, so it feels different.” It was true you didn’t have to do all the pleasantries like you normally would on the first few dates. You didn’t have to ask if she had siblings, where she grew up, what major she was, what her favorite food was. All those details were already ingrained in your brain and that was nice but it was throwing off the usual dating timeline.

“I mean you said we could just do this how we want to, trial and error and all.”

“I’m gonna let you take the lead, if you want to make this formal, say we’re dating, that we’re a couple, I’m comfortable with that. But I’m also comfortable if you’re not ready for that, that’s okay, we can just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Jessie takes a second to ponder your options. Her hands spin her empty coffee cup around, she’s looking down at it. It’s as if she zones out for a minute, her eyes not blinking as she stares down. After what feels like an hour to you, she gives her head a shake and blinks a couple of times before looking up at you from across the table.

“I’m ready to make it formal.” She gives a soft nod with her response.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

You both sit, grinning at each other from across the table. You’re filled with a warm, glowing feeling looking at her. Someone who was just your best friend a few weeks ago had suddenly become so much more than that, it was perfect.

You finish up for coffee, putting out your hand to take Jessie’s empty from her. You throw out your empty cups and return to the table.

“Do you want to come over for the rest of the day?” It’s silly to ask, Jessie probably already assumed she’d be coming over like she usually did but you felt the need to ask her anyway.

With a nod and a quiet “yes” Jessie stands up, grabbing her keys from the table and follows you out of the coffee shop and to her car. Almost immediately after sitting down in the car, Jessie’s hand is back on your thigh, this time it sits more on the inside and higher up. Her hand on the ride to coffee had sat in a more appropriate location, more of a reassuring touch. Now her hand gripped your thigh in a more possessive, bordering sexual manner. You could feel her fingers flex and tighten on you as she drove.

When you got home you told Jessie you were going to change, not wanting to be in jeans all day. You throw on some soft shorts, made out of an old pair of sweatpants that you had cut. They weren’t the most flattering for your figure but they were comfortable. When you emerge from your bedroom Jessie is on the couch. She looks up at you, giving you a glance head to toe and a quick smile. You move over to the couch, picking up a book on the way over.

You sat in a comfortable silence with Jessie on the couch, your calves and feet placed comfortably in her lap. She sat on her phone, probably playing some mind numbing game, while you read. It wasn’t anything special but having the peaceful morning with her was the best start to a weekend you had had in a while.

With a sigh Jessie put down her phone, her hands coming to rest on your shins instead. Peering over the book you look at her, confused if the sigh she gave was one of content or unrest. She looked relaxed, looking forward out the window, a small smile on her face, so you went back to reading. You were only able to focus for a couple more paragraphs before you felt her hands start to move.

Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of how easily she could affect you, you kept your eyes down at the text in front of you. You weren’t able to actually focus on the words but you could pretend for a bit. Jessie’s hands crept up, making it past your knees and onto your thighs. She was having to lean over slightly in your direction to keep moving her hand upward.

She shifts again, taking away one hand and leaving the one closest to you, her movement allowing her to have even further reach, dipping between your shorts and your skin.

“Jessie,” you say as her hand creeps up your thigh even higher, her fingers finding where the edge of your underwear sat in the crease of your thigh and hip.

“What?” She gives you a smile playing dumb.

“You know what, don’t play dumb with me, I know you’re trying to tease me, so just do it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” As she says it she lets her hand slide into the inner most part of your thigh, her pinky moves out to slide across your core with feather light pressure you barely even notice her movement.

“Your girlfriend is asking you to fuck her, are you going to do something or not?”

Uncharacteristically, Jessie’s face turns bright red at your comment. Her hand freezes against you.

“Um, yeah, right.” You notice an uncertainty in her voice, her eyes no longer meet yours, she looks off behind your head to the wall.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah just, girlfriend, isn't something I’m used to hearing.”

“If you’re having second thoughts about this, we really can wait on labeling it Jessie. I don't mind waiting. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s just new for us. Not bad, just different. I haven’t heard that word used since… Lauren.” Jessie lets her name fall from her lips as if it’s poisoned, she says it quickly and quietly.

You cringe slightly at the mention of her ex, not really an ideal thing to be brought up when she’s got her hand touching your pussy through your panties.

Jessie must have noticed your reaction to the mention of Lauren. “Sorry I don’t mean to keep bringing her up, it’s just the only comparison I have.”

“No I know, it’s okay, I understand, just I don’t want to necessarily hear about another girl you’ve fucked while your hand is between my legs.”

“I’m sorry, let me make it up to you?” As she says the words she moves her head, letting her lips meet your neck, placing open mouth kisses down from just behind your ear to where your neck meets your shoulder. Your mouth falls open at the feeling of hers on your neck, a breathy sigh leaving your body.

Jessie stands up from the couch, pulling you to stand with her. She turns to face you and picks you up, her hands roughly gripping the back of your thighs as she moves the two of you to your bedroom. She places you softly on the bed, climbing to place herself above you.

She’s hovering close, holding herself up on her forearms so her face is just inches from yours. She hovers above you for just a second before sitting back and moving her hands to your shirt.

“Off?” You loved that even though it was very clear you wanted her, Jessie still took the time to check with you before she would undress you or do anything to your body.

You sit up, throwing your arms up above your head to let Jessie know you wanted your top off. You get your arms out of the shirt and while Jessie pulls it over your head, your own hand moves to your back finding your bra clasp and releasing it. You slide the straps down your arms. Jessie’s hand comes up, resting the valet of your breasts and she gives you a push, making you lay back down. She moves her hand to cup your chest, her thumb and index finger making their way to your nipple, giving it a soft touch before a firm pinch. Her other hand moves to support her body and she moves back to being face to face with you, she just looks at you, a cocky smile on her face.

“Kiss me!” Sick of her teasing you decide to just tell her what you want. She obliges, bringing her lips to yours in a searing kiss. It doesn’t take long for her tongue to brush against your lips. You feel her grind her hips against yours, causing a moan to find its way out between kisses.

Wanting to take a bit of control for once, you gently bite on Jessie’s bottom lip, pulling away from the kiss, her lip still between your teeth. You give it a firmer bite before releasing it, letting it pop back against her teeth. Her fingers pinch your nipple harder out of reaction to your bite.

You open your eyes to see her surprised reaction.

“That was hot.” Her eyes are wide as she stares down at you, her own teeth now biting her bottom lip.

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine.” You try to give her your best innocent look, as if you didn’t know you were turning her on.

She switches her hands, giving your other nipple the same treatment. Feeling a loss from her hand, you bring your own hand up to your chest, mimicking her actions on the nipple she had abandoned.

“No.” Jessie is quick to grab your wrist, pinning it to the pillow above your head. “You don’t get to touch right now, let me please you.” She moves down so her lips brush your ear. “You can show me how you touch yourself another time.” That sends a wave of heat through your body, the thought of showing Jessie how you had touched yourself all the times you thought of her. You get lost in the thought of that fantasy for a minute before you’re brought back to reality with Jessie’s mouth closing around your right nipple, her hand still playing with your left. She stays focused on your chest, biting, squeezing, kissing, sucking until you’re practically thrusting up at her with your hips, desperate for contact. You knew when she took off your shorts there would be a noticeable wetness in your underwear, you could feel it dripping from where you needed Jessie the most.

“Someone’s getting impatient.” Jessie laughs to herself, you give her a scowl, but she gives in, her hands finding where your shorts sat on your hips and she hooks her fingers in the waistband, looking up at you for consent. You lift your hips, nonverbally telling her to take them off. Much to your disappointment she only starts to remove your shorts. She has them just at your knees when you figure you may as well ask.

“Take it all off please.”

“Wow, really impatient aren’t we?”

“Yes, I need you Jessie.”

You hear a soft mutter of “fuck” leave Jessie mouth, you’re not entirely sure she meant to say it, more that it was the reaction to you using her name. You’re not sure she’s going to give in, her hand stalling where they held your shorts. She starts moving again, finishing pulling off your shorts. Before you can protest that she left your panties, the thumbs are in the waistband of them, pulling them down quickly.

Once she finishes removing your underwear she sits back. Her hands find your inner thighs and she spreads your legs, leaving you fully exposed under her gaze. As if she hadn’t just exposed your dripping pussy, she looks away from where you desperately needed her. Jessie’s hands come up to hold you right above your waist. Her thumbs caress the skin where they sat, rubbing back and forth. Her gaze is all over your body, looking at every inch of your exposed skin.

“You look so pretty like this.” You feel a blush start at your cheeks and move down your chest as she studies your naked body. She’d seen you like this before, but it felt like the first time she was really looking at you, seeing you. There was a different admiration in her eyes, mixed with the lust you had come to know. “All mine.”

“Only yours.” You tell her when her eyes make their way up from your navel to your chest and to meet your own gaze.

Jessie pulls her hand from your waist, letting her fingers trail a path down to the apex of your legs. Despite your legs already being open, you spread them further, encouraging Jessie to touch you.

“Fuck, baby.” The noise comes out deep and raspy from her mouth as Jessie’s fingers finally feel between your legs where your arousal had pooled. Jessie then looks at you, her fingers stalling their movements, her voice returning to her regular voice, not the same husky voice form before. “Is baby okay? We didn’t really talk about that.”

“Yeah, I like it.” You did, you liked it when she called you her’s a second ago and you liked the pet names.

Jessie fingers get back to their movements. She moves two fingers down to your entrance, gathering some of your slick and pulling it upward before she starts circling your clit. Her touch has you throwing back your head against the pillow.

“You’re so fucking wet.” Jessie hums in your ear and her fingers continue to tease your clit, circling around it and down to your opening.

“All because of you babe.” You groan back in her ear. It was true, you were never this wet when you touched yourself, or when anyone else had ever touched you, you were only like this with her, because of her.

Each time she would move her fingers toward your entrance she’d dip into you, just barley letting her fingers inside before she’d pull back and move up to where you were most sensitive.

Getting impatient again, when her hand makes the move back down to your entrance you try grabbing her hand, trying to push her fingers further inside of you.

“What are you doing?” Jessie stalls her hand, she was stronger than you and as much as you were trying, you weren’t able to overpower her and her fingers remained just outside.

“You’re taking too long.”

“You could’ve just said something.” You rolled your eyes at her, you knew she was joking, you hadn’t explicitly said you wanted her fingers in you but you figured the displeased moans every time she pulled back and the bucking of your hips when she’d get close was enough to give the hint.

You go to make a smart comment back but as you open your mouth, two of Jessie’s fingers slide into you, she pushes in until her fingers are fully inside. Instead of a sentence, a loud moan comes out.

“Is that what you wanted?” Jessie moves so that she’s laying between your legs now, her cheek resting on the inside of your thigh, her eyes look between where her fingers were buried in your pussy and where your mouth was hung open, your eyes closed in pleasure.

“Mmhm.” The murmur is all you’re able to get out, overwhelmed from the sudden sensation of her fingers opening you.

Jessie begins to move her fingers the same methodical curling she had done to you before. Already worked up from the teasing you knew it wouldn’t be long before you were clenching on her fingers. You have your eyes closed, focusing on the feeling of her fingers, both trying not to cum too quickly but also wanting to let the feeling fully take over your body.

With your eyes closed you don’t see Jessie moving to place her mouth on your clit, you only feel it once her tongue is lapping against you. Instinctively your hand moves to her head, gripping her hair as you sit up slightly to look at her. Her eyes are closed, as if she’s fully concentrating on making you feel good. The sight of her so focused between your legs makes your stomach clench and you feel yourself tighten on her fingers.

“Jessie, please.”

She hums in response against your pussy, that’s all you need as you feel your legs tense and your grip in her hair tightening.

“Fuck babe.” You groan as you cum on her fingers and lips. Her fingers continue pumping inside of you, working you through your orgasm until your own fingers come to push on her wrist silently telling her you were done. She slowly pulls her fingers from you, you watch as a string on your arousal connects them to you for a second before it breaks. Looking at you then to her fingers Jessie spreads them slightly, you can see the wetness that connect her fingers. She makes sure you’re watching as she brings her fingers to her lips, sucking them slowly between her lips.

It’s an erotic sight, your newly named girlfriend, sucking off her own fingers that were covered in your orgasm. It stirred something deep inside of you. You wanted to fuck Jessie, you wanted to return the favor, you wanted to be sucking her arousal off your fingers, but you weren’t sure how.

You weren’t sure how to ask, and even if you found the courage to ask, you weren’t sure what to do. You had always thought about sleeping with a girl, girls were hot, you were attracted to women, you just had never gotten around to acting on it, the fear of being considered a “virgin” as far as sleeping with women had kept you from trying any casual hookups. But now you were dating Jessie, that was different than a casual hookup.

While you were too busy hyper fixated on your lack of sexual experience with women, Jessie had made her way up to lay next to you. She was watching your face and you were staring off to the wall.

She placed a kiss to your forehead. You could smell the strong smell of yourself still on her face. She pulled back looking down at you. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you thinking about?” Here it was the perfect time to bring it up, she was asking, there was no pressure, no expectations.

“Nothing.” That was the easy route, not telling her, letting your concerns and fears stay in the back of your mind. You could fake like you knew what you were doing.

“Seriously? You weren’t allowed to lie to me when we were just friends, we’re dating now so you’re really not allowed to lie to me.” She knew you too well, knew when you were lying, she knew when you were overthinking.

“Are you ever going to want me to touch you?” For the second time today your words come out not in the way you wanted. You meant to ask differently, in a way that was less accusatory, less hostile.

“Oh.” Jessie looks like she regrets pushing on the lie before. “I, yes, I just, I haven’t let anyone touch me besides…” you get the hint that she was referring to Lauren as she lets her sentence trail off.

“Oh.” You don’t mean for it to come off negatively, that was just your initial reaction.

“Yeah, and then after her I just, I didn’t want to trust anyone with my body like that again, I was, I’m worried about giving that vulnerability to someone just for them to ruin me again, to betray my trust.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” It’s all you can think to say. You now felt like a dick for wanting to see her naked. While you were too caught up in never having been on the giving side of sapphic sex, here was your girlfriend with more real, genuine concerns.

“It’s okay, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, I just couldn’t bring myself to. It’s embarrassing.” Her eyes move from your face to the blanket covering the both of you.

You reach a hand out to her cheek. “It’s not embarrassing babe.” You place a kiss on her nose. “We can do this at whatever pace you want, you just tell me.”

“Okay.” Jessie gives you a halfhearted smile.

“I’m going to go shower, is that okay?” You start to move from the bed, still completely naked. You’re about to move into the bathroom when you hear Jessie speak up from behind you.

“Can I join you?”

[astoldbylanii]

Ignorance

dealers!shuriri x black!reader

warnings: smut, cursing, reader has a kid

-------------- "Is everyone clear on instructions?" Your professor asked from the front of the classroom. There were whispers among the class but ultimately everyone answered yes. Prof. Diggs nodded, giving permission to start the project before he took a seat at his desk. He was your art teacher, as calm and chill as they come. He was one of your favorites considering he wasn't always jumping down his students throats.

As you finally started to get into the flow of your sketch, his phone rang. He picked it up, muttering a few words before he stood from his desk, clearing his throat.

"I have to run down to the front office real quick. Best behavior please, lord knows I don't need miss Mulligan asking about my teaching capabilities. Again." He said, throwing on his suits jacket and tightening his tie. "Until I come back, ask your neighbor for help and if they can't I'll answer your questions when I get back." He instructed, saluting goodbye before he left the room. 

Immediately, the room was filled with chatter. You sighed, throwing down your pencil, your thought process now thrown off.

"What's wrong?" Your friend, Eden asked from beside you. She was already well along with her drawing. It looked like it was going to be of her late brother.

"This finna be hard as hell. You know I don't mess with that hyperrealism shit." You said, rolling your eyes as you picked up your pencil, twirling it around your fingers.

"Well, just draw someone but like, abstract. We're in the second semester, by now Diggs knows your style." She suggested, starting to blend her own piece at some points. You shook your head at her idea.

"Nah, he specifically said he wants it to look like he can touch the person. I don't know, I think I might just settle for a nice D at this point." You shrugged, staring at the circle on your page. You took the paper off, crumbling it in your hands and replaced it with a fresh one. After that you didn't pay any more attention to it, pulling out your own sketchbook instead.

"Shii, I could settle for some good D too." Eden joked, smacking your hand down when you playfully shoved her, laughing too. "I'm not kidding!" She said, glaring at you with an offended look when you continued laughing. She rolled her eyes, going back to her drawing as you went back to your sketch.

Some minutes passed by and you two sat there in silence, surrounded by chatter. You were looking for inspiration in your old works while she was focusing on her new one. You were confused when out the corner of your eye you saw her put down her pencil too. Thinking she might've been done already, you looked over to see it unfinished. But maybe that was the look she was going for. You went to ask about it when she spoke up first.

"Girl, who is that fine ass specimen walking towards us." She asked, gawking over whoever it was. You were sure they couldn't have been that good looking that she had to stop drawing, but you stood corrected when your gaze met Riri's. She had been surveying the room for you, and once the two of you made eye contact she started making her way up the stairs to you. "Wait why she coming up here? And why y'all staring at each other like y'all know each other? Wait, bitch, you know her?"

"Shhh!" You hushed, staring at Riri in shock as start to get closer to where you were seated. Why in the hell why she in your class? Much less in your building? You quickly fixed your shocked face when she stood in front of you, her hands in the pockets of her plain grey nike sweatsuit as she stared down at you. "The fuck is you doing here?" You whispered, looking around for any watching eyes.

"Since when you think it's ok to curse at me?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. You stayed silent, leaning back in your seat as you mugged her instead of apologizing. She chuckled down at you, obviously a little surprised at your attitude but she didn't mind it, knowing it'd be fixed in no time. "You haven't been answering our texts, mama."

"Yeah, I know." You said, rolling your eyes and going back to your sketchbook. Duh, why tf she staring the obvious like you don't know what you've been doing. You knew exactly what you were doing. Being petty. But ain't no way you was gon watch them sit there and talk to that girl and not react. This was you reacting, and they caused it so they can fix it.

Now you were starting to tick her off. You could tell you were. The way she rolled her tongue against her cheek as she looked down at you. The way her hand clenched up inside of her pocket. The way she softly scoffed under breath when your attention went back to your book. You could tell. It was because you knew how to piss her off. No eye contact, attitude, basically just being disrespectful. She was big on respect.

A hand came between you and your book and before you could stop it, it was snatched from your grasp. Your gaze snapped to her as you stood, trying to reach over the desk to grab the book but to no avail. She kept it out of your reach, using her free hand to grab your own, keeping you in place just from that grip. She leaned her head over your shoulder so her mouth was right by your ear.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you're lucky your in class right now. When this class is over you're coming to The Palace. By then I want what ever you got going on fixed." She leaned away from your ear so you were face to face, looking you in the eye. "Or, I will fix it for you. Ok?" She warned, waiting for an answer. You nodded, though you changed to a verbal yes quick after you saw the look on her face. She smirked, pecking your lips before she pulled away. She caught sight of Eden, who's jaw had dropped at the affectionate action. Riri waved, knowing who she was to you before she took her exit, taking the sketchbook with her.

You assumed she took that for assurance that you'd actually show up at The Palace. She knew you rarely went anywhere without it. 

Finally relaxing again with her gone, you slumped in your chair. You groaned, dragging a hand down your face as you thought about how the rest of your day was going to go. If God was on your side today, you'd still be able to crawl come tomorrow. But it was Friday. Meaning you didn't have class for the next couple of days meaning both Riri and Shuri were less likely to take pity on you. Damn you fucked up. Why couldn't Riri have came on a Teusday?

"Bitch, you know Riri? Wait never mind, you fuck Riri? I couldn't tell that was her at first but you're with Riri? Wait a minute don't she got a girlfriend? And you bottom too? I knew you was just shit talking all them times you-"

"Eden!" You interrupted her, not enjoying the rant that was soon to come. "Yes, I'm with Riri. Yes she has a girlfriend, I'm with her too. Also no one needs to know about the whole bottom shit, you know? We can just...keep it to ourselves." You admitted, looking around the room for anyone that might've been watching the whole interaction. Why did she have to pull that in front everyone? She could've pulled you outside, texted you. You know what, maybe she did text, you had been ignoring her to be fair.

"We gon circle back to the bottom thing but girl you're with two fuckin drug dealers?!" Eden whisper-shouted but still you shushed her, not exactly fond of the idea of them getting caught. "I am shushing! How did you even manage to- wait how the fuck did she get in here?" She asked, looking around like she felt unsafe now.

"Girl first of all calm down. Acting like someone coming to kidnap your ass. They don't do that type of shit anyway. And that front office call was more than likely her so she could make her way up here. I also heard there was a tour or something today? She proli pretended to be apart of it." You answered, still stressed about what you were going to do after this class. You hoped it felt as long as English usually did, the longer you have to form a plan the better.

"Don't she go to MIT? The hell is she doing on Harvard campus?" Eden asked, but more to herself. For the first time since Riri left, she turned to look at you, seeing the nervous look on your face. "Girl why you shaking in your boots for? You bout to get your doonies beat down goodt. By two people! I'd be clacking my heels."

"I'm not even sure that's what's gon happen for real. That's what's making me nervous." You replied, taking your nail into your mouth to bite. Your best friend shrugged, going back to her painting.

"Well either way if you're not here next week I'll tell your teachers you had some sort of accident. Maybe one about your legs not working." She said, giggling to herself. You looked at her with a fake annoyed face, holding in the smile that threatened to show itself.

"You think you funny, huh?" ---------------- Finally, your last class was over. Usually you'd be happy but unfortunately it did not go by as slow as you had hoped. You had no plan. You'd have to go to The Palace.

"I still can't believe you ain't tell me." Eden said, packing up her bag. You rolled your eyes at her dramatics, hearing her sniff like she was crying. You swung your own bag over your shoulder, waiting for her to be finished.

"Girl please. Like you be telling me every person that be dicking you down every two to five business days." You scoffed. Eden paused her actions, lifting her eyes to stare at me.

"You ain't een had to do that." She shook her head, finally fitting that fat ass computer into that small ass bag. She threw her bag on and we started to head to the door. As soon as we turned into the hallway we were face to face with Riri. She had been posted up on the wall checking her watch. Eden looked between the two of us, quickly dismissing herself while wishing me good luck. 

Ri watched her leave before turning back to me, pushing herself off the wall. She was in the same outfit from before, except now her gold chain was untucked, and you could see what shoes she was wearing. They were just some dunks, ones Shuri bought all three of y'all so we could be matching. Coincidently, you happened to be wearing yours too. Riri leaned in closer to me, You thought she was going to greet you with a kiss. At the last minute, she swerved her head, reaching out and pulling my book bag from off your shoulder.

Yeah. Deserved that one.

She pulled your bag over her own shoulder, reaching her hand out to grab yours and smiling when you took it.

"I see ya attitude fixed." She said, using my hand to pull me so I was walking in front of her, then dropping it. "For now anyways."

"How you even here? I'm sure you got classes or something." You asked, wrapping your arms around yourself when you made it outside. It had gotten colder since morning. You'd forgotten to check the weather again and were wearing a short sleeve shirt. It was a little big too, which made it easier for the win to blow through.

"I got my ways. You of all people should know that by now." She answered shortly, giving you just enough for it to pass as an answer. You felt a soft fabric touch your shoulders and looked behind you to see Riri now in a grey shirt, continuing to make sure her hoodie was covering your shoulders.

"Thank you." You smiled, sticking your arms through the sleeves of the sweater. You zipped up the hoodie, leaning into the girl as she wrapped her arm around your shoulder, now next to you. She leaned down to press a kiss to your temple.

"'Course, ma." She muttered, using her free hand to take her phone out. You sunk into her some more. As petty as you had been, you'd miss her. You'd miss them. Of course you did, but you still weren't happy about the girl. You knew, however, there was no competition. Riri and Shuri would never do that to you. It was just the mere fact that they had entertained her. That's the part that bothered you.

You went to turn into the parking lot, only to be pulled in another direction by Riri. You looked up at her confused, but followed her nonetheless. She led you to some field on campus where a group of white guys were hanging. Some throwing a football, others just sitting and talking. She went up to one of the ones that were sitting, snatching the phone out of his hand. Your eyes widened, stepping behind her a little as she dropped her arm from around you, using both hands to type on his phone.

"Yo! What the fuck?" He yelled, standing up so his height difference was apparent. Riri was unfazed, continuing to type something on his phone. You looked over her shoulder, only to see her stuck on his cashapp, he was signed out. Obviously she didn't know the boy's password.

"You owe me." She told him, muttering something else under her breath as she turned the phone to him. "5k."

"5- what?!" He gritted his teeth, glancing around to make sure no one heard what they were talking about.

"I supplied your entire party white boy. That's how much you and your frat bros snorted. Pay up." Riri demanded. One thing you were quick to learn about her, there were three things she didn't play about. One of those being her money. She was gonna get it one way or another and when the boy didn't move you had learned that today it was going to be another. 

You could see Riri getting even more irritated than she already was about the payment being late in the first place. You saw her survey the place one last time before lifting her shirt just little, flashing something. You couldn't see it from behind her but the look on the boy's face told you what it was.

"Ok, damn." The boy agreed, snatching the phone. Riri dropped the end of her shirt, watching as he typed in the information. Soon he turned around the screen to face the two of you, showing that it was sent.

"Good, next time you do a deal with me again, have your money with you. I'm not doing no more after pay with you." She said, not waiting for a reply before she grabbed your hand again and started walking away. 

She led you to a familiar foreign and flashy car, opening the door for you to get in and crawling in after you. You could see Okoye, their right hand women, in the driver's seat through the divider of the front and back of the car. You waved shyly and she smiled at you through the rear view mirror.

"I thought you wanted me to meet you at the club, not pick me up." You expressed with slight confusion in your voice. Riri finished typing some things on her phone, sliding it back into her pocket to give you her undivided attention.

"So now you wanna listen?" She questioned, doing the same tilt with her head that she always did when she was mad. So she was definitely still mad. Okoye voided her eyes of the situation after hearing Riri's words, sliding the divider closed. You looked down at your hands, picking at the fresh polish on your nails. Only looking up when you heard Riri snickering. "Clearly I had some business to handle, figured I'd might as well pick you up too. That way I knew you couldn't avoid us. Not that you could even if I didn't."

You rolled your eyes at her cocky behavior, pulling out your own phone from your pocket. You typed in some things, noticing Riri looking at your screen from her position. Dialing your sister's number, you put it up to your ear waiting for her to pick up. "Hey Bianca!" You greeted once it finally did.

"Hey y/n, what's up?"

"Do you have any plans for this weekend? I'm gonna be running a little late tomorrow night, but I don't want you to be staying up late if you do have something to do." You questioned, feeling slightly guilty to be asking this of her.

"No no, it's fine! He can stay longer, it's no problem." Kylie answered, you could practically hear the smile in her voice. Man she must love kids. Asante had been staying there for a week now. Bianca had practically begged for him to come over and spend some time with his cousins, of course you said yes. She didn't live far from you so it wasn't like he couldn't attend school, and you could seen him whenever you liked. He'd been staying there since Wednesday now.

"Ok, thank you so much! I'll send you guys more money for some food and stuff. Could you please put Asante on the phone?" You asked, deciding against ending this call just to call the 6 year old's iPad. The babysitter agreed, and soon you heard your son's voice.

"Hi mommy!" His preppy voice blared through the phone, making you slightly pull the phone away from your ear in surprise.

"Hey baby." You giggled out, putting the phone against your ear. "Mommy's gonna be a little late coming home tomorrow. Do you think you'll be ok? Bianca's gonna stay with you a little longer."

"Yes! I love Aunty Bey, she bought me a new toy car! Does this mean we can have pizza for dinner?"

"Yes, you can have pizza for dinner." You agreed, laughing at his celebrations over the phone. "Okay, when I take you home you can tell me all about school today. Call me if anything happens, okay? I love you."

"You can tell me about yours too! Love you mommy, bye bye."

"Bye, 'Sante." You sighed, hanging up the phone. You put your phone away, looking at Riri after feeling her eyes on you the whole time. "What?"

"Asante could always come to the house, if you want." She offered, not trying to pressure you. You shook your head, laughing at the suggestion.

"No, thank you. The boy hasn't even met you yet, love." You denied, rubbing your hand over her knee. Riri shrugged, throwing her arm to rest on the back of the seats.

"Who's fault is that?" She taunted, watching as you turned your head away from her. She used her hand to turn your head back to her, wanting you to see that she was serious. "Me and Shuri plan on making you a wife. We aren't going anywhere, y/n. We care about you, which means we care about Asante. But, he's your son, we're not going to pressure you into meeting him. Just know that we want to." She assured. You smiled, pulling her in for a hug which she graciously accepted, wrapping her arms around your waist and resting her head on your chest.

"Thank you."

It's not that you didn't want them to meet Asante, your feelings were growing stronger by the day. You didn't stop they'd ever stop growing, really. You were just worried. You didn't want your son hurt. Emotionally, you didn't want him to get attach only for them to not come home one day, a job gone wrong. Physically, they protected you already, and you knew they would protect him even more. But still, there was always room for human error, and you didn't know if that was a chance you were willing to take. 

You loved them, but you would always love your son more. Who would you be to purposely put him in harms way for your own gain and comfort? Sacrifice was something you were used to when it came to Asante. But isn't that what mothers do? Then again, maybe there was supposed to be a certain balance. One that you didn't have. --------------- The Palace. It was their club, also their headquarters. It was protected and secured by all women bodyguards, Okoye being one of them. It was also where you met them for the first time, but that's neither here nor there.

You, Okoye, and Riri made your way through the entrance, the metal detector going off as you walked through, but no one said anything. Once you were inside, Riri pressed a small kiss to your head, making you turn to look at her questioningly.

"Go find Shuri, baby. I got something to handle real quick but I'll meet with y'all as soon as I'm done." She stated, signaling Okoye to follow her. You pressed a short kiss to her lips, wishing her luck with whatever she had to do. Then, both her and Okoye left your side.

You never felt scared to be alone in their club. You knew for a fact more than half of the guards were watching your every move, knowing they'd probably suffer consequences if anything happened to you under the roof of The Palace. 

Anyway, back to the problem at hand.

You did not want to find Shuri. She was more than likely pissed. Just like you knew what made Riri mad, you knew what made Shuri mad. And one thing she hated was being ignored by anyone, and you were no exception.

There was also that fact that she was the harsher one out of the two. Usually, you could always pull one over with Riri. Talking back, rolling your eyes, smacking your lips, the whole nine yards. At least, for a while. After a certain amount of times she'd get mad too. But with Shuri, she'd be mad if she even heard you thinking about talking back.

You weren't scared of her by any means, you knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt you purposefully. Intimidated though? Oh yeah, 100 percent you were shitting your pants. 

But their was no doubt Shuri had been alerted of your arrival and was keeping and eye out for you. So either she knew where your were and was on her way, or she was already here.

You sighed, excepting your fate as you made your way over to the stairs. She usually stayed on the upper two levels as they were more secluded and had some VIP sections. You climbed all the way up to the third level, hoping for some time to prepare yourself before she caught you.

Your hope was crushed when a hand wrapped around your throat, your back being pressed up against the wall behind you harshly. You were going to let out a panicked scream when your eyes met her familiar chocolate ones, a cocky smirk that her and Riri shared spreading across her face.

"My y/n." She greeted with a light smile, letting you catch a glimpse of the gold grills she wore today. You reached up to grab the wrist of the hang currently around your throat. Shuri noticed, loosening her grip just a little with caution. "What a surprise it is to see you here after what I think was-" She pretended to count on her free hand. "Right. Three weeks."

"It was actually two and a half weeks. Unless you rounded-" Your sentence was cut off when she tightened her grip once again, a silent warning that she was not in the mood for your slick comments today.

"Still a smart aleck." She observed. Her eyes trailed down your figure to take in your outfit, Riri's hoodie that was now open had fallen to an off the shoulder look, showcasing the cropped short sleeve you had on. Other than that, you just had on some simple ripped jeans with writing on them. 

Her eyes returned to yours, a certain glint in her eye that made you nervous. Just like Riri had, she leaned in closer so that her lips were right next to your ear as she spoke, her tone sending shivers down your spine. "I want you to tell me why you think it is ok to ignore me. To ignore Ri."

Keeping your act up, your turned you head away so she wasn't right next to your ear. Shuri only chuckled at your defiance, taking the opportunity to mark up the now open side of your neck. The hand that was once around your throat moved down so it was on you hip, keeping you pinned against the wall as her lips trailed down, pressing light kisses to your neck that you knew would get harsher soon.

Shuri moved her head so she was in your line of sight again.

"Things haven't changed since you were gone. When I ask you something, you answer." She said, watching as you turned away from her again, crossing your arms. She took your chin in between her thumb and finger, forcing you to look at her. "What happened to my good girl, baby?" She asked, swiping her thumb over your bottom lip. For a second, you almost fell for it. But you snapped yourself out of it, ripping yourself from her grasp and quickly walking away from her before she could react.

You were confused when you didn't hear her footsteps following after you. She could easily catch up as you were still very in her line of sight. But soon your question was answered when Riri appeared out of nowhere, turning a corner and backing into the same position you were just in. Pressed against a wall.

"Such a fucking brat. Walking away when we're talking to you, talking back. What are we gonna do with you?" She asked rhetorically. She gave you a smile, letting her hand come up to pull at one of your hairs that had fallen out of the bun you made. Shuri came to stand next to her and you pressed yourself further into the wall, if that was even possible. Separately, you were willing to pull almost everything. But when the two were finally together, you knew better than to try anything.

Unfortunately, it was too late for anything else. You had to continue. Gots to see it through my boy.

You were gonna 'see it through' alright. ---------------- "Please, I came already." You whined, trying to push Shuri's head away as you came down from your high for the umpteenth time. Riri's hand grabbed yours, pulling them away while she kissed on your neck, trying to calm you down.

"Cum again." Shuri muttered, pressing a wet kiss to your overstimulated clit, chuckling when you jumped from how sensitive you were.

You three had been going at it for what felt like forever. After the whole confrontation, they drove you to their house, teasing you the whole way. Once you did get there, they spared no time getting you to the bed. Since then, it felt like you had done everything under the sun but stop.

Literally, everything. You'd lost count of how many times you'd came, but you knew for a fact it had to be in double digits. You could only imagine how you looked.

Hair frizzy, sweaty, tear stains running down your cheeks, cum around your lips that you were unable to wipe yourself. Riri and Shuri didn't bother to either, quite liking the look on you. You were exhausted, overstimulated, and clinging on to consciousness by a pinky toenail. But they never stopped. There hasn't been a break since you walked through the door. 

At first, you were conflicted. You couldn't tell if you even wanted them to stop. It hurt so bad that it started to feel good. The pain blended in with the pleasure and you couldn't help but ask for more. But when you felt another one of Shuri's digits dip in for another round you knew something had to give.

"Okayyy, I'm sorry. Please." You begged, seeing your vision get cloudy as more tears appeared. Riri's voice came from behind you, you could feel her warm breath on your neck though you could barely make out what she was saying.

"Sorry for what, mama?" She pressed. All that came from you were mumbles of an apology as you still tried to break your hands from her grasp. 

In the moment you weren't in a good position to realize it, but the fact that she could keep you pinned down with just her own strength was making you even more wet than you already were. Shuri realized though, smirking between your legs as she slowed down her pace.

Shuri used her free hand to push herself up from the bed, kissing up your body and over fresh marks until she met your tired eyes. "What are you sorry for?" She repeated, looking down at you with lidded eyes of her own. 

You began to reply but only a groan left you when you felt her purposely angle her fingers at your favorite spot. "Hm?" She mocked, still waiting for an answer.

"M'm sorry for- fuck, sorry for ignoring you." You apologized, your head falling back onto Riri's shoulder as your eyes rolled behind your lids, feeling Shuri speed up once again, targeting that same spot. "Shit, Shuri please."

"Please what, baby?" She teased, tilting her head with a mock of confusion. You whined again, frustrated with her taunting.  

She shared a look over your shoulder with Riri, who released your hands and started to pin down you hips instead. Your hands immediately flew out for something to ground you. The first things you could get your hands on being Shuri's wrist and Riri's hand.

"Do you want her stop or do you want more? You're confusing her baby." Riri added, watching closely at how your brows furrowed and your back arched when she applied the slightest amount of pressure to your abused clit, practically shoving you over the edge.

"Stop! I want her to stop." You mumbled, finally able to get your thoughts together enough to make a complete sentence. Having some pity, Shuri slowly dragged her fingers against your walls while she pulled out, curling them one last time just to see you squirm. 

Just as slow, she brought them to her lips. Feeling both your and Riri's eyes watching her carefully, she decided at the last second that she wanted you to take them instead. She tapped them on your close lips, watching as you opened them to take in her coated digits.

Taking the sight in, she hums, obviously please with your obedience (as it did take a long time to get back). That was all the acknowledgement she gave you before she and Riri made eye contact over your shoulder again, and Riri's hand began to circle your bud again. 

You whimpered, trying to back yourself into the girl to get away from her touch. They both ignored you in their own conversation about what to do with you, Riri keeping you in place while Shuri forced her fingers further down your throat, making you gag.

Suddenly, the feeling of Shuri was ripped from your mouth and replaced with Riri's tongue as they tried to distract you from the feeling of Shuri's slender fingers dipping back into your already sensitive hole. You immediately pulled away, already feeling yourself starting to ache.

"Shuriii." You dragged, watching as the girl lowered between your thighs again. She shushed you, placing a delicate kiss to your thigh, though dangerously close with your entrance.

"Just one more baby, I promise." She soothed, caressing the same thigh she had kissed with her free hand. "Can you do that for us, love?" She spoke softly, taking one of your hands in hers to kiss.

"You've been doing so good for us tonight, pretty girl. We just wanna make you feel good one last time, can you let us do that mama?" Riri coaxed from behind you, rubbing soothing circles on your stomach to calm you. Debating, you took Riri's hand in your other one, trying to relax yourself into her. "One more, we promise." She whispered, pressing a sweet kiss right under your ear.

"Okay." You agreed. Your words came out mumbled but they both understood you. Shuri smiled up at you, pressing another kiss to your thigh as a thanks before she joined her fingers that had never stopped moving.

The second her tongue makes contact with your clit your hands are fisting through her hair, pulling around the tight coils on her head.

There are a few more strokes of her tongue before she wraps her lips around your awaiting clit, your slick coating her tongue as she swirls it around your clit just before wrapping her lips around the bud.

Her fingers are buried deep inside of your cunt as she sucks your pulsing bundle of nerves into her mouth. There's a second where she sucks just hard enough to make your vision go white at the same time Riri decides to pinch and rub on the sensitive buds on your chest.

Feeling the coil in your stomach tighten, you let out a load moan when Shuri curls her fingers against your g spot one more time before you let go, clenching the sheets in your hand. Riri whispers sweet praises in your ear, rubbing soothing circles on your hips to calm you down while Shuri fingers you through your high, waiting for your legs to stop shaking before she pulls away, your essence coating both her fingers and lips.

She slipped the drenched fingers between her lips, licking your cum from between her fingers before leaning over your frame to trap Riri's lips in her own, who moaned at the familiar taste of you. Though you were drained, you still manage to keep your hooded eyes open long enough to watch them swapping your cum with each others tongues, eventually swallowing when they had enough.

"Are you ok baby?" Shuri checked, rubbing your side comfortingly. You nodded, sinking into Riri more as she rubbed your thighs. Shuri leaned down, pressing multiple kisses to your forehead, cheeks, and nose, making you laugh tiredly, pushing her away. She smiled, leaving you to go get some new sheets, clothes and something to clean you up.

"It wasn't too much, right?" Riri asked softly. Confused by the question, you craned your head to look up at her, not even wanting to attempt to move your bottom half. Riri had already been looking down at you. "I mean, you didn't pass out this time, but still, we didn't overdo it too much?"

"No, Ri," You answered, reaching up with one of your hands to smooth over her cheek. "It felt good, I promise. Even though there was one point where I was fighting for consciousness." You joked and she smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of your head. "To be fair though, it was supposed to be a punishment so I figured it wouldn't be all love making and soft caressing."

"Yeah, why were you ignoring us in the first place?" She questioned. You shrugged distractedly, running your thumb over her furrowed brow. "y/n, I'm serious." She said, taking your hand from her face and holding it in her's. You let out a dramatic groan. She was ruining the vibes.

"I got mad because y'all were talking to that bitch Ashley." You mumbled, playing with the hand that had took yours. Before she could even respond you continued on, defending your actions. "But I had a right to be mad, I mean y'all went into a whole ass private room with that chick. Without me!"

"Ok, first off, Okoye was in there so we couldn't have done anything, not like we would want to. We only talk to Ashley about business, that conversation wasn't any different. But, if it helps whenever we talk to her again, we'll make sure you're there too." She compromised and you agreed, thanking her. You two continued talking until Shuri returned with a wet cloth, some sheets, and new clothes.

And the night ended with a nice warm bath. Which you fell asleep in. ----------------

You groaned waking up to the sound of your ringtone. You stretched, feeling a certain weight on your chest. Looking down you saw Riri sleeping soundly with one hand up your shirt and on your boob, Shuri spooning her. You smiled at the sight, reaching over to your nightstand for your phone. You wondered how two supposedly high alert dealers hadn't woken up from the sound, but no matter.

"Bianca?" You mumbled, messing with the features on Riri's face. Two big and bag drug lords and yet they looked like puppies in their sleep.

"y/n, when are you coming to get Asante? No rush, because I'd keep him around forever if you'd let me, I just wanna have him packed up and ready to go." Your sister asked, you could hear your nieces and nephews running around in the background. You pulled the phone away from your ear, checking your phone and groaning once you saw how close it was to noon.

"I'll be there at like, one. I still have to shower and everything." You said, rubbing your hand down your face. You and Bianca chatted about some smaller things before she finally hung up, giving you time to get ready. You smiled at the two next to you, leaning down to press a kiss onto both of their lips, even though they weren't awake to respond to it.

You pulled Riri's strong grip off your titty. She was holding on it like a hungry newborn. You replaced yourself with the pillow behind you, slipping out of the bed, only for you to stumble into the nightstand when you did, startling both of them awake. 

The two sprung up from their place as if they weren't just knocked with drool in the corner of their mouths, searching the room frantically until their eyes settled on you, who was currently using the nightstand to stand. They turned to look at each other, holding in their laughs. You glared at them, trying to keep yourself upright so they took your next words serious.

"Both of y'all shut the fuck up and come help me to the bathroom."

"We ain't een say nothing." Riri protested, though she swung her legs to the side, getting up to come help you.

"You ain't need to, your face said enough." You said, holding your hand up for her to help you. Riri disregarded your hand, her small frame bending down to toss you over her shoulder. "Riri!"

"You told me to help you, now you mad I'm helping you. You just acting like this cause we fucked ya lace front off and now you walking like there's an earthquake." 

"Shut the hell up and take me to the damn bathroom, Riri!" You demanded, smacking her back and flipping off Shuri who watched on from her position in the bed, clearly amused. ----------------

BRING BACK SHURI AND RIRI X READER ALL 2024!! I'm jumping into the writing scene because i honestly miss the era where everything was about them, and i miss some of my fav writers😔✊🏾

anyways hope yall enjoyed

thank you guys for the inspiration, whether old fics or new @shinsousliya @inmyheadimobsessed @quintessencewrites @saintwrld @marsolgy @pinkwright @vixentheplanet

[thatfandomslut]

Janis's Ending

Janis's part two ending to It's a Competition.

Word Count: 1.2k

Trigger Warnings: descriptions of making out

Cady Heron wasn't the best at holding in information as she sat next to (Y/n) in their English class. As soon as the bell rang, the teacher instructed them to start on their writing assignment, but Cady couldn't focus on the work in front of her. This was something (Y/n) quickly came to realize as their desk began to shake with every bounce of Cady's knee. "What's wrong, Cady? You're making my 'r' turn into an 'm.'" (Y/n) said, placing a hand on Cady's shoulder to hopefully provide some aid in calming her down. However, Cady almost became more tense under (Y/n)'s touch.

"I need to know who you have a crush on." Cady blurted out, causing (Y/n)'s eyes to widen as she eyed Cady suspiciously. She sat there in silence, slowly retrieving her hand from her shoulder as she processed Cady's blunt request. "Okay, I know I kind of blurted that out, but I've been struggling to keep my thoughts on a few things to myself, but if you tell me who you like, I can focus better. Of course, I know that's personal and something you probably don't want to share, so don't feel forced."

(Y/n) bit her lip to hide her snicker over Cady's rambling as she cleared her throat in order to catch Cady's attention. She gave herself a moment under the strawberry blonde's watchful gaze as she considered the possibilities that might occur if she told the person she liked her feelings. "Okay, but don't laugh… I know that she'll never like me back." (Y/n) sucked in a breath as she looked around to make sure no one else was listening. Unlike Gretchen, she trusted Cady with a secret like this. "I like Janis. Which, I know, is crazy. She's so cool and always has an opinion on everything. I really admire how outspoken she is." (Y/n) sighed, resting her cheek on her fist.

Cady took a moment to let the information sink in as she examined (Y/n)'s face gently. She had never heard (Y/n) get so vulnerable with anyone before. A slow smile snuck up on her face as she nudged (Y/n) gently. "I think you're amazing and Janis would be lucky to have you in her life." She said softly, watching a small smile tug at the corner of (Y/n)'s lips. There was a brief moment of realization that Regina was sure to go into a frenzy, but Cady stuffed that fear away. "Maybe you could just talk to her. I know it sounds scary, but Janis appreciates bold people. Why not be bold?" She questioned as her eyebrows wiggled playfully.

(Y/n) tapped her knees gently as she looked over at Cady in thought. "I don't know," she hummed softly, glancing out the window for a moment. "I mean, Janis does seem like the person to like bold people, but I don't know if I'm bold enough to tell her how I feel. Very cowardly, I know." (Y/n) sighed softly, looking down at her paper that barely held anything on it. She was now too distracted to work on the prompt given to them by the teacher. Normally, she was good at writing prompts, but right now, with Janis on her mind, it was safe to say she wasn't sure how to proceed with her paper on 'What Does Love Mean To You?'

Cady knew it wasn't her place to tell Janis, but she did accidentally let it slide to Damian after English class when they were heading to meet with their resident artist.

"She what? Tell me exactly what she told you, Cady." Janis had her hands on Cady's shoulders as she looked deeply into her blue eyes. She was searching for any hint of a lie on the girl's features. She didn't want to find a lie, of course, but that's what she felt like she would find. "You have to tell me now, Cady. You didn't think Damian would just keep this information from me, did you? He's literally my best friend and the biggest gossip we know."

Janis was right, but Cady couldn't help but narrow her eyes at Damian briefly, even as he held his hands up as if to say he was innocent. Which he wasn't. "Fine, just loosen your grip on my shoulders." Cady winced as Janis sent a sheepish, apologetic grin and let go of her shoulders, offering them both a small rub when she did. "Thank you… She said she likes you and admires how you're outspoken. Speaking of outspoken, I think you should just talk to her. I was your middle man, I gave you the information, now it's your turn." Cady told Janis, crossing her arms gently as she looked over to where Regina, Gretchen, and Karen were waiting for her. "I have to go now." She said timidly as she walked off to meet with the Plastics.

"She's right," Damian spoke up with his signature smirk. Janis knew that Cady was right, too. She now just needed to figure out how she was going to ask (Y/n) out officially. That's when an idea began to formulate in her mind. Texting (Y/n) to meet her in the park, Janis decided she would ask (Y/n) out while teaching her how to skateboard. This was something she promised to do a couple of months back but hadn't had the chance to.

When the time came around, Janis smiled as she stood up from the picnic bench when she saw (Y/n). "Hey, stranger," she greeted as she held out a board for (Y/n). For a moment, (Y/n) looked confused before realizing what was going on. Janis watched a giant smile break out of (Y/n)'s face as she placed the skateboard down, trying to get on it. Janis helped her, taking her hands softly. "I remembered you wanted to learn, and I finally got the chance to teach you. You're going to want to kick gently. Lean forward to go left and lean backward to go right. We'll go slow." Janis said as (Y/n0's fingers laced between her own.

"Am I doing it right?" (Y/n) asked as she began to kick off, her knees wobbling as she tried to maintain her balance. Janis quickly stabilized her, causing her to grow confident as her knees stopped wobbling as much. "So, lean this way for left… and this way for right." (Y/n) tested it, the board slipping from under her. A small yelp escaped her lips as her eyes squeezed together, however; the fall she expected never came. Instead, she was carefully wrapped in Janis's arms.

Janis smiled down at her as she processed that she was no longer falling. She tried to thank Janis but nothing left her lips. Instead of her crashing and burning, her lips came crashing onto Janis's, who quickly reciprocated the kiss. Janis kept her in a solid grip as they kissed, (Y/n) gaining more of her balance as she wrapped her arms around Janis's neck. "I've been waiting a long time to do that," Janis said with a cheeky smile playing on her face.

"Me too," (Y/n) whispered a bit breathlessly. "We don't have to stop though." She added and the two reconnected once more.

By the end of the night, Janis had sent Damian and Cady a text that said 'Guess who has a girlfriend bitches?' The competition was won by Janis, not that she cared about it. She only cared that sitting right beside her, telling her about a new movie she saw in theaters, was her girlfriend.

[megistusdiary]

this idea literally just popped into my head after seeing some art on twitter but hear me out pls ok

reader grinding themselves down on alhaitham’s abs. that man is RIPPED -🔮

ALHAITHAM IS SO FINE. i need him so bad you don't even know. his drip marketing looks so mf good like 😇😇🙏

also i love love love this concept ty for putting it in my box, 🔮 anon ♡♡♡

warnings: dom!alhaitham and sub!gn anatomy/pronouns reader

ab grinding lol, degradation, no gendered terms used but you grind against him

alhaitham sat beside you, focused intently on his book, squinting at the pages in the low light. the lamp beside him was close to going out, flame flickering when a soft breeze blew into the room.

you were instead taking some time to rest, weary from your long week and desperate for some time to be with your lover.

though he wasn't the most physically affectionate, he knew exactly what you needed and would always deliver.

"you seem unfocused." alhaitham commented, not bothering to look up from his book.

ah, he caught you staring at him, cheeks warm as you returned to busying yourself with sketching in your notebook idly. "sorry, i didn't mean to stare. i just zoned out i guess."

"you've been staring at me like that all week." he paused to close his book will a short thud, placing it on the table next to him and turning to fully face you. "if you want something, just spit it out. i can't read your mind." alhaitham let a little smirk fall onto his face, leaning back against the chair. "yet, that is."

"well.." you trailed off, chewing on your inner cheek. your brain had been plagued with many...tempting dreams this week, each one waking you with an ache between your thighs that you had to take care of before leaving.

there was one specific scenario that seemed to be on repeat in your brain, and you couldn't help but ponder if alhaitham would be agreeable to experimentation.

"well?" he asked as you cleared your throat.

"it's kind of an odd ask. i don't want you to think i'm weird."

"despite what kaveh has filled your head with, i'm not the prude he believes me to be." he simply answered as you sighed.

"okay, well, you know- woah!" you gasped as alhaitham reached to drag you over onto his lap, settling your chest against his as your noses practically touched.

"do i have to coax it out of you, or can you spare me and use your words?"

your mouth felt dry, lips parting as alhaitham gripped your waist, letting you rest your thighs around his torso. it just so happened the way he sat you allowed you to grind yourself against his abdomen, feeling the definition through the layers of clothing as you bit your lip.

"you-" alhaitham cut himself off, watching your hips roll against him as the corner of his lips quirked up into an uncharacteristic grin. "you're really that desperate? rubbing yourself against me like some kind of animal?"

"i'm sorry, i just- this dream, i had a dream about you. and you told me to do this, and it felt so good, then-"

alhaitham silenced you by pressing your lips to his, moving his tongue into your mouth and allowing the kiss to grow sloppy. "the citizens of sumeru are finally allowed to have dreams and you spend them on grinding against my abdomen?" alhaitham arched an eyebrow as you hid your face into the crook of his neck, hot with shame.

"why do you need to imagine some shoddy version of me when you have me here?" he asked, using his own strength to roll your hips against him at his own pace.

"can i, can i please take them off?" you whined into his ear, breath hot against his skin as he nodded.

"lift your hips." he instructed you as you begrudgingly sat up to remove your pants. you went to settle back over him before he stopped you. "those too." he hooked a finger into the waist band of your undergarments, snapping it against you as you shivered, slowly peeling the fabric off.

your eyes widened as he lifted his shirt, revealing the blemish-fres expanse of skin to you, gesturing for you to come closer to him.

you hovered over his lap, feeling him collect slick from you and rub it over your sex, hearing you whimper and try to press your thighs closer.

"come on and get to it already." alhaitham snapped as you moved forward, pressing yourself against his abs and shivering at the contact. you squeezed his shoulders, finding a pleasurable rhythm to grind yourself against him with. you bit your lip as you focused on your hip movements, though some noises spilled out as you trembled against his form.

at some point, he grew bored of your pace, instead grabbing your waist and grinding you down harder and faster at the same time, feeling the slick spreading over his skin and watching you toss your head back, eyes fluttering shut.

"oh- that feels good-" you mumbled, thighs beginning to shake as he moved you in little circles letting you feel every dip and bump of his abs until you finally came, white liquid coating his skin and shirt as you fell against him.

you seemed boneless, enjoying the warm bliss of alhaitham's chest until you felt the tent in his pants prodding up against you.

"don't act like you're suddenly exhausted. let's recreate all those little dreams of yours, hm?"

[thepaperpanda]

Moonboys & Khonshu vs cat || Steven Grant x fem!Reader || Marc Spector x fem!Reader || Jake Lockley x fem!Reader || Khonshu x fem!Reader

Summary: How would moonboys interact with a kitten? And how would Khonshu handle a cat if he had to?

Warnings: none 

Word count: ~ 2890

Authors: Cass & Rouge

😻 JAKE 😻

It was usual for Jake to announce his return home loudly, but this time he didn't. He entered the apartment and went to the bathroom without removing his cap or jacket.

You peered out of the kitchen after you thought you had heard the lock and keys squeaking. "Jake, is that you?"

"¡Sí! ¡Me das un momento!" He yelled loudly from behind the closed door.

"Of course!"

Within a few moments, Jake walked out of the bathroom. "You better not get in there. I have blood on my stuff. I don't want you looking at it."

A frown appeared on your forehead but you followed him back to the hallway, not questioning anything else.

"How was your day, cariño?" Jake asked, trying to catch your attention.

"I made dinner and tried to reach you but you didn't answer my calls. Was everything okay? I'll wash your stained clothes. Do you want me to wash your jacket as well?" You replied with a frown still on your face.

Sitting down, Jake protested, "None of that is necessary. I can take care of it myself. You don't need to worry yourself."

You proceeded to set the kettle on fire to make Jake his afternoon espresso. It wasn't until you could swear you heard a loud meow sound coming from the bathroom.

Jake heard that too and cleared his throat loudly. "That crazy lady next door. I wonder how many cats she has there."

With a raised eyebrow, you left the kitchen and headed straight to the bathroom. "She only has three of them and none meows like that."

Immediately after getting up, he grabbed your hand tightly. "Since when do you know how her cats meow? I told you not to go there."

"Why not? She's just an older lady. I sometimes help her with shopping and I've been there a few times. She's very kind and her kittens are cute. Also, none of them meow like that, so stop making fun of me, Lockley, and tell me what you're hiding in our bathroom."

Jake continued to argue, "Just blood on my stuff. I don't want you to even look at it."

Another loud meow and a small paw reaching out from under the bathroom's door sold him out.

In a nod, Jake pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Okay fine. It's a cat... A kitten to be exact."

"Bring it here," you instructed your boyfriend and walked to the living room.

After rolling his eyes, he went to the bathroom only to return with a kitten in his arms. "Here."

You immediately approached him and rubbed the kitten's head.

"I just found him in the trash can outside and I couldn't leave this little guy there," Jake shrugged.

You made a quiet awww sound and picked the kitten out of Jake's arms.

"I was also unsure if you would let me keep him here," Jake added.

"Why wouldn't I, silly?"

"Because the building owner is weird and you don't want to have any trouble?" Jake gave you one more shrug. "I hope the kitten isn't a problem."

"Like I'd care about the groaning of that old prick," you told him, cradling the kitten in your arms. "How are we going to name the baby?"

I was going to ask you for a name idea, honey. You always come up with great ones."

You picked the cat up to have a brief look between its legs. "It's a boy. So maybe Nuka?"

Jake rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle. "I know it's a boy, silly. Well, you will have to think about more names then."

"You can give your thoughts too, love," you told him. "We need to take our baby to the vet."

"Babies, cariño," Jake muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I have a box full of his siblings in my limo."

You blinked. "What?"

"Well... There was more than one kitten."

"How many?"

"Four more," Jake said quietly.

You gasped quietly. "Mr Lockley, I never thought you would care about the plight of poor stray animals."

"I just like cats, okay?!” Jake groaned, not too happy with your teasing.

You put the kitten down and turned to Jake to give him a deep kiss.

He didn't even dare to protest and kissed you back, grabbing your sides. Once you pulled away, he smiled. "What was that for?”

"For bringing this beautiful furball home. Now, chop chop, move your round ass and get his siblings here."

"You want to keep them all?"

"Why not? Our flat is spacious."

This time he grabbed you by cheeks and kissed you deeply. "I love you."

"Go, go and bring them. I can't wait to see those babies."

🙀 STEVEN 🙀

Steven was busy with a new book you gave him recently. Your return to the flat after work caught his attention. "Evening, luv!" He said cheerfully. "Look, I'm reading the book you got me!"

You entered the flat with something nestled in your arms. "Baby! Can you help me out here?"

In the blink of an eye, Steven sprang from the armchair, abandoning the book on the desk. "Did you go shopping again?" Steven asked softly. "One more trip like that and we'll drown in your dresses."

As you shook your head, a soft chuckle escaped your lips. "This time, no. Take a look at who I brought with me."

A small, red-haired cat was curled up in your arms.

Steve smiled, surprised, and gently touched the kitten. "Who might that be?" He chuckled. "You're a cute one, aren't you? Where did you find this poor thing?"

"I noticed him limping down the street near my office. He was so tired that he kept falling, and it appeared that his back paw was injured. I couldn't let him live on the streets any longer... I had no idea what else I could do."

"Did you take it to the vet? Shall I call someone?"

"Actually, I didn't. I wasn't sure if you'd let me keep him because I live by your house, so first I wanted to see if you'd agree," you explained everything.

The kitten you were holding opened his eyes and meowed loudly, his gaze fixed on Steven. The tiny creature was trembling.

As Steven picked up the kitten from your arms, he gently wrapped it in a blanket from the couch.

"Poor little thing. We need to get you warm and cosy. Then we should take you to the right doctor," He abruptly stopped, looking at the fish tank. "Oh, bloody hell. We cannot have cats here. Gus... Cats eat fish."

You blinked as you listened to Steven's words. "But, babe? Gus lives in his tank. The tank is covered from above. And the kitten is too young to comprehend the significance of his own cat nature and hunting abilities. Not to mention that he's hurt. If he grows up around Gus, he will never attack him..." You made an effort to make your points clear.

"He will learn how to get under the covers if he grows up here," Steven explained, looking at the kitten.

You approached Steven and gently took the cat wrapped in a blanket from his arms. "So, why are you holding such a raging beast?" You couldn't pretend not to be angry with Steven. "It's only a kitten. A furball. He will not attack your goldfish. But if you take him as a treat, I'll take him with me to my old flat, where he won't try to hunt, kill, or eat anyone nor anything."

Don't act so dramatic, darling. I didn't say I wanted to throw him out."

"I'm not being dramatic, but you're accusing him of something he'll never do. You stated that cats consume fish. That is, you attempted to find him guilty before he committed a crime. Are you playing Ammit?" You started raising your voice.

Grabbing your arm gently, Steven protested, "Don't pull that card on me now, luv. I don't judge the kitten. I am just worried about Gus. That's all."

"Do you honestly believe I won't teach the cat not to eat Gus, and treat him like a part of the family instead? Do you think I'm a horrible person? You already know how much I adore your goldfish," you protested.

I never said I thought anything like that. Now you put things into my mouth, and that's something I don't like," Steven said, shaking his head. "Let's get the little guy to the vet, okay?”

"Yes."

Steven nodded and gave you a small smile. "Then we will go to the pet store and get him everything he needs."

"And you promise to not accuse the little one of anything, deal?'

"I promise."

It had been two months. Freddy, the kitty, was doing much better after his injured leg was treated by the veterinarian. He was a bouncing ball of energy who was too cute to not be liked by everyone in the house.

You got home earlier one day because your boss had to close the store where you worked a bit earlier due to computer problems. How surprised were you that Steven wasn't there to greet you right away.

He was on the couch with the kitten on his lap. He was moving his finger right above the kitten's head, giggling when Freddy tried to catch it. "Look at you. Jumping like a little bunny. Someone is getting better."

Your heart melted at that precise moment. You were annoyed with Steven at times for being too harsh with the kitten, but the man was still concerned about his beloved goldfish. However, the scene you witnessed convinced you that Steven adored your new pet. "Hey, boys, I'm back. I can see you two are having a lot of fun!"

"Oh yes we do!" Steven cooed, stroking Freddy's little cheek. "He was a good kitten the entire day. Today, I woke up with him sleeping on my chest. I-it's okay, right?"

"I've been convincing you that he's not a beast, but a sweet, fluffy furball," you flopped on the couch next to Steven and briefly kissed his cheek. "Thanks for giving him a chance. You did the best thing possible by saving his life."

"Although I try, I still get nervous when he sits under the tank and watches," Steven admitted, kissing Freddy's head. "But he is indeed a cute, little furball."

"He watches Gus because it's interesting to him to see other animal just floating so peacefully in the water," you explained. "It's nice to see you two getting along so well. I'm pretty sure you both are the cutest boys around."

😾 MARC 😾

Marc loved visiting your flat. Your cat was the only thing he didn't like. The animal hated Marc, despite your claims that it was sweet and cute.

Your cat was a lovely black girl with a pointy nose and big, golden eyes. She was a sweet furball around you, but whenever Marc came into your flat, she transformed into a demon, as if possessed.

When Spector entered the room that day, your kitten ran up to him and hissed loudly.

Marc frowned in disbelief at the cat. "Yeah. Glad to see you too," Spector groaned, already annoyed before he looked at you. "Why is she like this?"

"Maybe she's just a bit jealous of you, you know? You're the only man that visits us and you pay all of your attention to me," you told him after making it to the hallway to greet him.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. There is no doubt in our minds that she is your one and only baby."

"But she can sense that you're a leader type here," you commented. "Maybe we can run a short test?"

"Test? Should I be worried?"

"No. Just come with me," you grabbed Spector's hands and led him behind you, right to the living room.

Reluctantly, Marc nodded and followed you, squeezing your palm.

You asked him to take a seat on the couch.

As reluctantly as before, Marc took a seat and got comfortable. "What are you planning?”

You took a seat by his side, and asked him, "Kiss me now."

Before pulling you into a deep kiss, Marc teased, "So demanding."

The moment you started kissing, your cat jumped on the couch and aggressively poked Marc's lap with her paw.

He glared at the cat, then at you, with an annoyed growl. "She seriously has a problem with me getting close to you. What now?"

In the softest voice you could muster, you advised, "Give her some attention. And change your tone, she can sense your exasperation."

As soon as I touch her, she's going to try to scratch me, you're aware of that, right? She's done that before."

"At least this time, trust me."

As Marc rolled his eyes, he decided to gently scratch the cat behind the ear. It was a hit with cats, wasn't it? What could possibly go wrong?

You knew everything you said was true when you heard a loud purr of approval filling the room.

"I wonder when she'll happily sink her claws into my hand," Marc joked.

The kitten jumped on his lap, made two small spins and laid down, purring loudly. Some moments later, a meow accompanied.

"I still don't trust her. I saw her sharp teeth," Marc said, scratching the cat's back.

"If you give her the attention she seeks, there's no way she'll think of attacking you."

"Are you sure about that? It's a mini version of a tiger."

"It's just a kitten, Marc. You're several times bigger than she is."

Marc was brave enough to pick up the cat and display it to you like a little lion. "Look at those paws. Mini tiger."

You couldn't help but chuckle. "Marc, it's a small kitten. She won't eat you alive and all she needs is love."

The cat meowed loudly, wiggling her tail.

"She agrees with me,” Spector added, happy that the kitten finally stopped hissing at him.

"You see? We can say you tamed her in some way," you smiled at Marc.

Marc chuckled and took a look at the kitten. "Yep. When she's not hissing at me, she's not so bad.

The cat freed herself and instantly placed herself on Marc's lap again, purring loudly as soon as her golden eyes were closed and Marc started scratching her back again.

BONUS

🐱 KHONSHU 🐱

Khonshu asked, watching you carry a cat in your arms, "What's the point of this creature even being here?"

A small frown crept on your forehead after you heard Khonshu's words. "Well, she's my cat, and I love her. Do I really need some deeper purpose in keeping a cat at home?"

He scoffed, "In my time those were treated like saints and not like common house mascots."

"Would you tell me more, Khonshu? Of course, I've heard they were worshipped in Egypt."

“Is there anything else you would like to know, woman?" Khonshu asked.

"How did it start?"

"Have you heard about the goddess Bastet?”

"Yes, I did."

"There's no need to discuss that then," the god nodded, getting closer to gently rub the cat's head. "The Egyptians believed cats brought good luck. To honour them, wealthy families dressed them in jewels and fed them royal treats."

Your kitten tried to grab Khonshu's hand, meowing loudly. "This is what I need to do for my beautiful Nea," you smiled, looking at your cat.

"Do you know how to mummify it?" Khonshu asked curiously.

You blinked in disbelief, shaking your head.

"You don't? And you house a cat? Pathetic.”

"I won't mummify my cat after she passes away," you said with a frown. "She'll be buried, that's all."

A roar came from Khonshu. "What? You all lack even a shred of respect these days! I knew humans were stupid, but now it's ridiculous and disrespectful."

"What's your problem this time, 'ol bird?"

He scoffed, scratching the cat's head as he said, "You humans have no respect for old customs. Poor thing will die and be buried without respect."

Your cat tried to be picked up by the creature as best she could.

Khonshu picked up the cat and scratched its chin. During my time, owners would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. They would mourn until their eyebrows grew back," the god stated simply.

You blinked and frowned more. You thought to yourself that as much as you loved your kitten, there was no way for you to shave your fucking eyebrows as a sign of mourning. "Well, it was centuries ago, Khonshu. And now we live in the modern world and we have modern ways to worship our dead, beloved ones."

By burying them like ordinary animals. Modern people are so pathetic and weak."

"Even though you think we're weak and pathetic, we've gained longevity not only for us but also for others thanks to medicine and science," you argued with Khonshu.

A life full of nothing. Hardly worth extending," Khonshu muttered, absorbed in the care of your feline companion.

Your kitten climbed on her back legs and licked Khonshu's beak.

"I will ensure that you are respected after you are gone, my dear," Khonshu promised, stroking your kitten's head carefully.

[seven4asecret]

₊✩‧₊˚ Tipping The Scales Pt.3 ˚₊✩‧₊

Moonknight System x Layla x Gn! (Eventual Avatar) Reader

Content & Warnings: No pronouns, no Y/N, no Smut, descriptions of typical violence, eventual polyamory, & badly written fight scenes

Ao3 Wattpad Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Chapter 3: Feelings? (Rip Khonshu)

You closed the door to your apartment behind Layla, before scrambling towards your desk. You flipped a few stray papers aside and lifted a few books. Where did you have it last?

"Hey, uh, we should probably make sure you don't have a minor concussion and stop the bleeding before you-"

"I-I'm fine. Just give me one moment." You checked your nightstand, the counter, and the couch. You had it only a few hours earlier. What could you have done with it?

"What are you doing?" Layla asked brows furrowed as she watched you scramble around your small apartment.

"Looking for this!" You explained triumphantly as you untangled your blanket, the book from earlier landed on the floor with a thump. You winced at the surprisingly loud noise, the headache returning. Maybe she had a point.

"Okay. Can I ask why a book on Ancient Egypt takes priority over medical attention?" She crossed her arms and nodded at the book now in your hands. 

You sighed, dropping your shoulders in defeat. Your head did hurt. And it probably wasn't the best choice to let it go unchecked. 

"Do you have a first aid kit anywhere? Or-"

"Yeah. It's under the sink. I'll grab it." You blinked a few times, trying to clear the sudden dizziness. You must have stood a bit too quickly. Low iron and all that.

You took a step. Layla took your arm, stopping you. 

"How about you just sit here," She pushed you gently back onto the couch," and I'll go grab it okay?" You nodded and leaned back. It was nice of her to do. Especially for someone who was practically still a stranger. You appreciated it, really, but with everything that happened, you wanted to figure out what was going on. You had a sneaking suspicion that this bird-man wasn't just a weird attachment. 

Layla returned with the kit a second later, both of you maneuvering to sit on the couch facing each other. You suddenly noticed her eyes had flakes of gold as she leaned towards you, bringing a cloth to the side of your head. 

"Thanks." You winced as she began to wipe the blood away.

"It's no problem." She hesitated a moment. "Can I... ask you a question?"

"Y-yeah. Go for it." You fiddled with your hands resting on your lap.

"How were you and Steven able to see it? The jackal?"

You swallowed. 

She was going to think you were crazy. 

You just met one of the coolest, most badass people you had ever encountered, and now she was going to think you were crazy. Great. You took a breath and glanced down.

"To be honest I've just... always been able to see things." You waved your hand, "Spirits, ghosts, and the like."

"Oh." She pulled back the rag.

"Yeah." You cringed. "It's crazy, I know. But the jackal...that wasn't anything like what I normally see. Usually, most things are fairly peaceful and have limited interaction with their environment. It sounds insane but I swear I didn't hit my head that hard."

She cracked a smile.

"Okay. I'll trust you, considering you haven't passed out on me yet." She brought the rag back up to your head.

"Really?" You released a breath. 

"Yeah." She paused," I mean... we just got attacked by an invisible jackal. It's not too hard to think there are more things like...that out there."

You nodded.

She pulled the rag away. It was stained with a light crimson spot.

"I think the bleeding has stopped but you might want to watch out for any more dizziness. You'll also want to keep a cold cloth on for about 20 minutes at a time on it."

"Okay." She handed you a clean cloth, and you did as instructed.

 You turned back to her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

 "Sure."

"What's the situation with you and Steven or Marc, I guess? I mean you don't have to tell me of course I-"

She sighed, "No. It's fine. He...he disappeared. For months I heard nothing. I thought he had been kidnapped or...killed. Then out of nowhere, he sent divorce papers. Next thing I know the phone is turned on and I tracked it." She paused a moment. "How about you and Steven?"

"Oh, we just work together at a museum. I'm a guide for the Greco-Roman exhibit, he works in the gift shop. I'm sorry about the two of you. I'm sure that was awful."

"Just work together, huh?" She flashed you a grin. "But, yeah...I'm just glad to know he's okay for now."

"You wouldn't happen to know where he went with the jackal would you?"

She shook her head, "No. But I would guess that he will start making his way to Egypt."

 "Why? Doesn't he still need the scarab?"

"Yes. But Ammit's tomb is Cairo. That's where the scarab will lead. We need to meet Marc and find the tomb before Harrow."

 "W-we?" You looked at her surprised.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "If you want. Harrow has seen you with us so it would be safer to leave for now. It also would be pretty convenient to know when I've got another jackal after me." She nudged your shoulder and grinned. "Besides, Steven's fond of you. I'm sure he'd want you there." You felt your face begin to heat up. You weren't sure if it was because of her sudden closeness to you or that she had brought up your coworker. 

"So what do you say? Are you up for trying to stop an ancient goddess from taking over the world?"

"Yeah. Let's do it."

"I'll book the tickets for tomorrow. Okay? I'll swing by here to pick you up after I make a stop."

You nodded, "Okay. Sounds like a plan."

She gave you a quick smile and closed the door behind her. The gravity of what you had gotten yourself involved with dawned on you. You sighed to yourself and pushed those thoughts to the side. Right now you needed to see if you were right about your hunch, you turned and reached for the book.

You couldn't help but pick up on the recent name-dropping of ancient Egyptian entities. The jackals and the recurring crescent moons only served to fuel your theory. It would make sense. Why the entity had felt so different, ancient. Why it had felt more powerful than most spirits? Maybe because it wasn't one. It would make sense why it shared so much resemblance to a mummy and presented itself as half humanoid half animal.

Steven had mentioned a name earlier...Khonshu, was it? The Egyptian god of the moon? 

You flipped open the book, scouring the pages for the name.

Khenti-Amentiu... Khenti-kheti...Kepri...Kherty...

You stopped.

Khonshu

You looked at the illustration a skeletal bird-man staring at you from the page.

No way.

‘Khonshu is the Egyptian god of the moon and the guardian of the travelers of the night. His name itself means "traveler" or "wanderer" and may correlate to the journey of the moon across the sky. In addition, he was also known as a god of healing and fertility. When there was a full moon present he was believed to possess power over evil spirits. Khonshu's earliest depiction describes him as a cannibal god. He was terrifying and violent and feasted on the hearts of men and consumed other gods. His nature evolved over time and was more benevolent in the new kingdom. Here, he was worshipped more widely.’

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

You sat on your sofa, cloth to your head as the TV cast a blue glow around your flat.

You tensed. The hair on your arms stood on end.

The atmosphere had abruptly shifted. The earlier comfort of your flat had become noticeably uneasy. You felt a pair of eyes on you.

Khonshu.

You could sense him before you caught sight of his figure. He stood just on the edge of your periphery. You sucked in a nervous breath. In all the time you had felt his presence, you had never sensed him in a place that Steven wasn't.

Well… This was unsettling.

You didn't sense any negative intent from him, but that didn't stop your apprehension. Your hands trembled lightly.

Don't panic. You attempted to ease your worry. He's never bothered you before.

"K-Khonshu?" You whispered as you turned towards him.

He abruptly appeared before the couch. You jumped. Khonshu loomed over you, his skull nearly grazing the ceiling. 

He tilted his head at your acknowledgment. The blue lighting from your TV cast him in a sinister shadow. You were still not used to seeing him so close. Your heart pounded as you noted just how intimidating he was. He stood unmoving for a moment, seemingly observing your shaking form.

"You need not fear me, little one." His voice was surprisingly gentle. "I wish you no harm... rather the opposite. I have come to offer to you my protection. "

This took a moment for you to process. This was certainly not expected from the bird-man. 

"W-what? Why?"

"I must admit I'm..." He paused and turned his head, "Curious. It should be nearly impossible for mortals to sense us. Yet, you felt my presence long before I revealed myself. You possess quite a rare ability. I had believed it had perished among mortals a millennia ago."

You hesitated, fidgeting with your hands.

"When I... first felt your presence, I knew something was different about you." You furrowed your brow, "But at first, I believed you to be just another spirit or entity."

"We do not exist in the same way as mortal spirits or other entities but it is similar. Both do not exist on the same plane of reality as this one. But our's makes us more difficult to perceive."

You paused, the information slowly sinking in.

"W-wait. Hold on." You waved your hands, "You're saying I can perceive... interdimensional beings?

"To put it simply, yes." He nodded. This revelation was unnerving. Your ability was much more complicated than you thought. 

"But... why does it interest you so much if all I can do is see you?" You began to get the creeping sense that he wanted something from you. 

"Oh, but you can do much more than that, little star. Your ability allows you to channel a god's energy, focusing it and allowing them more power in this plane. This makes you quite valuable to the gods. I do not wish for you to fall into the wrong hands." He paused.

 You glanced down, hesitant. 

"I offer to you my protection, resistance from injuries, and illness. I can keep you safe from harm. In return, simple offerings and rituals would be all I demand. I only ask that you serve as my priest."

You hesitated. If you accepted, you wouldn't be entirely useless anymore. Part of your work for Khonshu would potentially help Marc and Steven. You'd imagine they would need as much power as they could to face off against Ammit. The offer of protection was helpful. But it paled compared to the opportunity to help the people you cared about. You wanted to do something to aid them. 

"Okay." You nodded. A small part in the recess of you whispered that this might be a mistake. You pushed those thoughts away. You could do something now. You drew in a breath, "I-I want to help. I'll do it."

"Good. You've made the right choice..."  Khonshu leaned forward towards you, hand outstretched. "Now, allow me to see your wound."

You furrowed your brow in confusion, resisting the urge to shrink away from his menacing figure. You did as he asked. It was only a minor concussion. What would it matter to him if you got hurt? You took off the cloth, letting out a sigh. Crusted blood surrounded the gash as your head throbbed.

You tried not to appear too apprehensive of his sudden closeness. Khonshu raised his hand to your head, fingers hovering over the injury. He stilled a moment. He seemed to hesitate before allowing his fingers to brush against your head. You flinched as they met with the tender wound. His fingers were surprisingly cold, even through the worn wrappings. You suppressed a shudder.

A feeling of numbness began to spread around the gash, soothing the painful throbbing of the headache. Khonshu caressed the healed skin once before pulling away.

"There. I cannot have my little priest hunting down the tomb injured." He gripped his staff and raised his head. "Now, I require an offering before your departure."

"Uh...sure." You blinked. "What do I need to do?"

"I will require an altar first."

It took you a bit to find a good spot, but you eventually decided on the top of a short bookshelf. You felt it was a perfect spot as the moonlight shone through the window and onto the wood. Khonshu meanwhile hovered as he guided your efforts. You added a black cloth, lit a few candles, and burnt some incense you kept around. You completed the altar with a small moon-shaped plate that held a few crystals.

 You turned back to Khonshu, silently asking for his opinion. He offered you a soft hum of approval. 

"Now what?"

 "I require an offering of nourishment. Bread and wine will do."

You walked to your pantry, "Just out of curiosity, do you need some food to exist or..."

"How curious you are, little one. While our life force requires replenishment, which can be given to us through offerings, we are not dependent on sustenance the way mortals are."

"Huh. That's neat." Your eyes landed on a small bag of birdseed. You hadn't ended up feeding the birds at the park for a few weeks you didn't want it to go to waste. You fought a smile. Peeking back at the moon god, you watched him glance around your flat. His back was towards you. You took a tiny dish and scooped a bit into it. Grabbing a glass of wine and a slice of bread you made your way toward the altar. You added the bowl next to one of the candles in the back. You turned back to Khonshu, a plate of bread and a glass of wine in hand. 

Khonshu joined you by the altar, taking one last look over it. He stopped suddenly, gaze fixed on the small dish.

"What is that."

"Oh, that. That's just some birdseed." You shrugged, attempting to keep from smiling. "The crows at the park seem to like it so I thought I'd add some here. 'Cause y'know..." You motioned to him.

Despite not being able to express emotion the typical way, you could feel Khonshu cast an annoyed glare your way. But there was no true bitterness behind it. It did absolutely nothing to deter the grin on your face.

"You believe yourself to be so clever, don't you? You are quite bold to mock a god." He shook his head at you, and let out a sigh.

 You gave him a shy grin. "So what do I do with the food? I don't think you exactly... have a mouth... How exactly does this work.?"

"You offer it to me and eat."

"Okay. I...uh... offer this bread and wine to Khonshu." You ate and drank the offerings.

You paused, "Did it work?"

"Yes. It was acceptable. This is all I require of you for now." Khonshu lifted your chin, "I shall see you soon, my star."

 With a gust of wind, he was gone, leaving you alone in your flat wondering what you had gotten yourself into.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

After quickly shoving some clothes and other necessities into a small suitcase you phoned your boss at the museum. You made a rushed call letting them know you would be out for an unknown amount of time due to sudden personal reasons. Thankfully it was well received and you were off the hook.

You began to throw a few items into a small carry-on. A sketchbook, and some pencils to keep you occupied. 

Your eyes landed on the mythology book. You studied the intricate cover before grabbing it and adding it to the bag.

You jumped as you heard a knock at the door. Opening it you were met with Layla.

"Hey! Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are."

You both managed to make it through security and boarded the plane. The flight wouldn't last long but it was a decent amount of time. Layla sat next to you, earbuds in, staring at the fading ground. You pulled out your sketchbook. Your interactions with the bird-man, or Khonshu rather, were haunting you.

Metaphorically, of course.

All your interactions with him had been a bit odd. The gentle wind gusts, his curious watching from afar, had abruptly and drastically changed seemingly overnight. You had seen a fraction of Khonshu's anger. That had terrified you. The next time you saw him, he had been completely different. He was much more directly involved in what was going on. Then the last night he had been almost...kind? But he was gentle as he tended to your wounds and offered you his protection. You began to question his motives. You should probably be a bit careful in case this turned into some word Greek Mythology type shit. You knew what he wanted with you. But what did he want with Steven?

"What is that?" You turned to see Layla eyeing your drawing. You blinked. You didn't realize you had drawn Khonshu.

"Oh. That's Khonshu. He's... Steven's attachment."

"Well, that's horrifying. You've seen that?"

"Yeah." You shrugged, "I've seen him a few times. He chased us out of the building just as we met you."

She stared at you. "You say that like that's just a normal occurrence. How were you not scared of that? 

"Oh, I was fucking terrified. But he wasn't usually like that. He's been pretty chill up until then. I get the feeling he can be a bit moody."

She just blinked in surprise and laughed. "I have no idea how you're calm about that. You had a god chase you out of a building!"

"Well, in retrospect it's a bit funny. He went all out with it. Rattling the doors, flickering the lights. He made sure we ran into him just to turn around and be dramatic. Dude could run a great haunted house if he wanted."

She laughed again and shook her head at you. " I think you'd be the only person to come out of that experience and be able to say that."

The landing was announced over the speakers.

Your stomach dropped as the plane jolted, causing you to clutch the armrest.

"Are you okay?"

 "Yeah. I'm fine. The landing just always makes me nervous." You chuckle nervously as the plane rattles.

She takes your hand and squeezes it, surprising you, before leaning closer as she grins. "You know the odds of crashing are low. It's one in like 11 million."

You turn to her, matching her smile, "One, the odds are never zero, and thus still horrifying. And two so not helpful." You playfully shove her shoulder.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

The marketplace was packed. Stalls crowded the roadsides and colorful rugs, fruits, and other items were on display. 

Oh, you were so getting a souvenir after this.

People swarmed the remaining space, some shouting in order to attract a customer. Various vehicles attempted to maneuver their way through the crowd, and the beeping of horns was almost constant. You assumed looking for Marc or Steven in this place was going to be difficult. Layla somehow spotted Marc within only twenty minutes of being there.

When you finally spotted him you wanted to rush over and hug him, ask if he was okay, what had happened, and how he escaped the jackal. Why had he left the two of you without a word?

 But this wasn't Steven. This wasn't your friend.

So you stood beside Layla, attempting to ignore the immense relief you felt at seeing them okay.

"I hope you like attention." She walked up behind Marc. He turned away, frustrated but stayed put. "Right guy, right place. But you're not Egyptian. "

"Layla, what the hell are you doing here? And you," His dark eyes locked onto you, "You shouldn't be here. You've made a mistake getting involved."

You winced at the intensity of his glare but said nothing. You were busy noting the change in atmosphere as the hair on the back of your neck stood up.

"Oh, leave them alone Marc." She tilted her head, "Why shouldn't I be here? Because my name pisses off a few people in Cairo? Who cares?"

"It's not the locals I'm worried about." Almost simultaneously as he glanced behind Layla you felt a familiar presence. Sure enough, the bird-man, Khonshu, was perching on a rooftop. As looming as always.

You made the closest thing to eye contact you could with him. He barely moved, but you could distantly make out his head bow slightly in recognition. You gave a small wave. You could sense his amusement.

You heard Layla as you were pulled back into the conversation. "Come with me. I'll help you find what you need."

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

The view of the waters surrounding the boat would have been breathtaking, with the orange lights of the city reflecting in the dark water. Only if it wasn't for the conversation happening on it.

"So what exactly are we gonna do here? What's the plan?" Marc asked.

"Oh. It's not pleasant being left in the dark is it?"

This made you wonder why you were here. You really had no right to include yourself in their situation, despite the fact you already had. Continuously. It was nice of Layla to include you, despite this. She sympathized with your situation. You just wanted your friend back. You wanted him to be okay. You let your thoughts wander as you looked out over the water and attempted to block out their personal conversation.

"Okay. Let's get our story straight."

Eventually, the boat docked. 

Layla stepped up onto it, handing a bag to Marc before helping you up. 

"This guy's got a lot of friends."

"Yeah, and a lot with guns."

Suddenly Marc froze, looking out over the water. You could barely make out the silhouette of an unlit boat.

"What is it?" Layla asked. "Harrow's men keeping tabs?" Your stomach dropped. 

"I don't know. It could be."

"Let's go." Layla led the way. "Remember, your name is Rufino Estrada."

"Right."

"We just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives." You weren't sure how you would fit into this. A couple coming back from their honeymoon was believable. But adding a third person would have been a bit odd.

"That's an interesting little detail to give to them."

"I'd tell them you worked at a gift shop, but they'd never believe me, would they?" She turned to you. "You'll be Callaway Kingsley. Our partner." Marc raised his eyebrows at her, glancing from you to her. 

"Oh, I'm not sure I have enough knowledge on these types of antiquities dealings to realistically-"

"No, not that type of partner." She stated.

"Oh." You blinked. It took a second for you to get what she meant. "Oh!"

 That type of partner. 

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

"Bek." She greeted.

"Layla."

 "It's been a while."

"Good to see you." Bek glanced at you. "Who's this?"

Layla grinned at you and wrapped an arm around you. "This is our partner, Cal." 

You panicked. How would you sell the act? Lean closer? Still could be mistaken for close friends or colleagues. You didn't want to look uncomfortable or awkward. What if you blew your cover? What if you made her uncomfortable? You could feel your face heating up. You took her hand, laying a gentle kiss on the back of it. Marc's gaze caught your eye.

You could only briefly see the shock behind her eyes before she gave you a small smile.

 "Alright. Right, this way." Bek gestured to the three of you. 

"Thank you."

When Marc grabbed Layla's hand, you were surprised to feel her take yours. You followed.

 "He's looking forward to seeing you. After Madripoor I'm sure you three will have a lot to talk about. Excuse me for one moment. Mr. Mogart will be with you shortly."

The three of you stood, observing the riders on horseback.

"So what? This joker just puts on El-Mermah games in his backyard, for fun?"

"No, he gets private lessons by the best in his backyard." She turned to Marc.

"Cool."

A man hopped down from a horse and was given a robe.

"I like the robe."

"Layla. Come in." He waved to her. Such a delight to see you."

"You too." She returned his greeting."

 "How have you been?" He kissed her hand.

You narrowed your eyes at his action. The sudden jealousy you felt was new.

"Good. Thank you for having us over on such short notice."

"Oh, please. I hope you realize you need no excuse to drop by."

 "This is my husband, Rufino." Layla introduced him. 

"Pleasure." They shook hands.

"And this is our partner, Cal." You extended your hand for a shake. Mogart took it and kissed it instead. You had to keep from scowling. 

"Nice to make your acquaintance." The four of you turned, and you took the opportunity to wipe your hand on the side of your pants.

"I hope you understand this is more than a collection to me. Preserving history is a responsibility I take very seriously." Layla and Mogart took the lead, leaving you to trail behind with Marc. You were nervous. You didn't know exactly where you stood with him. He already didn't want you here. And you had just made it worse by panicking and making a move on his wife. He probably hated you. 

"A self-appointed responsibility that you alone were able to enjoy, no?" Layla responded.

"Well, I prefer to see it as a philanthropic effort at preservation. Now, if I may ask, why such interest in Senfu in particular?"

"Oh, actually, our purchases are..." He cut her off.

You swallowed.

"I'm sorry. I'd like to hear from your husband if you don't mind."

"I think that... I think I just would love to take a look." Marc replied. You were worried about yourself messing this up. Now you were growing concerned for Marc. Your mind began to wander. You suppressed a smile imagining how Steven would have been ecstatic about this opportunity.

"Funny man. Feel free."

"Great." Layla took Marc's arm as the three of you made your way into the glass pyramid. The sarcophagus opened to reveal remains. You had always felt it was a little weird when dead bodies were displayed. You couldn't help but find it a bit disrespectful. They were people, human beings, after all, taken from their desired resting place only to be put on display as mere objects. You knew your opinion on this was a bit ironic, considering you worked at a museum.

"Please, just let Steven out before you blow this." She whispered.

"Not a chance." He paused, "All right, what do you see?"

"Well, the burial practices are in line with the Studenwachen texts."

"The what?" You and Marc asked in unison.

"It's legit. But all I'm seeing is literature to guide the dead. There's no location indicated." 

"Okay, um... Will you give me a minute? I gotta talk to Steven... Just keep him occupied." You followed Layla to give them some space.

Layla turned to the people behind her. "He just needs a couple of minutes in there alone, 'cause... Yeah. He is..." She looked at Marc, "He's praying."

You glanced back to see Marc messing with something in the coffin. Bek started to approach him from behind. Layla began to step forward, and you followed. You caught movement out of the corner of your eye. Your breathing quickened as you noted two men with guns trailing the two of you.

The situation was getting very dangerous very fast. You hoped Khonshu was planning on upholding his offer. 

"What are you doing?" Bek asked as he grabbed Marc's arm. Less than a second later Marc had wrestled the gun away from Bek.

"Marc! Don't." Layla raised her hands. The man behind her dug the gun into her back.

"Shit." Marc hissed. He handed the gun back to Bek, who pointed it right back at him.

Mogart forced his way passed you towards Marc. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? Get on your knees."

"Anton, stop!" Layla shouted.

"Get on your knees."

"Okay." Marc lowered himself to his knees.

Mogart turned back to Layla, the men with the gun behind you pushing you both forward. "Layla, I was so ready to make peace with you."

"You don't understand. We're trying to save many lives."

"Hey, pal." Marc spoke up, hands raised, "Take a look inside the sarcophagus. There's somethin' really, really big."

Bek whispered something into Mogart's ear. 

"Well, that's interesting. It appears we have a concerned third party here." Mogart walked out, "Get up."

The three of you were forced to follow, guns aimed at you. Your eyes widened as you were met with the sight of Harrow. 

"Whatever they've told you, I'm sure I can offer you something much more tangible. Why settle for a clue when you can have the treasure?" Harrow raised his hand, and the scarab hovered above his palm. 

"Anton. Anton, don't listen to this man. He's trying to stop us from reaching..." Layla pleaded, only to be cut off.

"Please, stop."

"He's gonna kill millions, trust me!"

"Are you seriously talking about trust?"

Harrow spoke up. "Please, there's no need to descend into violent accusations. Each one of you has so much more in common than you know." He turned, "Layla, you keep thinking that distance will prevent the wounds from your father's murder from reopening. But something stands in your way. Your husband doesn't tell you the truth."

Marc shook his head, and Harrow continued, "And Marc, you don't tell her because you know that if you do, she'll see you exactly as you see yourself, as unworthy of love."

"You piece of shit." Marc hissed at him.

"And you." Your eyes widened at his gaze. "You feel out of place here, don't you? If you can't keep up with them, you'll end up a burden. Ammit could have given you a place of belonging. She could have used someone with your abilities. It's quite unfortunate you decided to serve Khonshu."

You grit your teeth together at his words. How did he know?

Harrow turned back to Mogart, and lifted his staff. "Anton... The lore surrounding these relics, I offer proof that it's real. This sarcophagus doesn't belong to anyone."

The few lights around you suddenly flickered. Khonshu sat perched on the roof, haloed by the light of the moon.

"Do it. Summon the suit. Give them what they deserve."

"Anton... Would you like to see for yourself?" Harrow asked. 

"Yes... I do."

The lights flickered again as Harrow began to chant, the wind picking up. You wanted to move, to do something, but your feet stayed firmly planted.

"What are you waiting for?"

Harrow continued chanting. Behind them, you saw a glimpse of a purple fire-like aura throw the sarcophagus lid and damage to the coffin. You let out a shaky breath. Whatever you had been after probably had just been destroyed. 

"That's just a taste of the godly power I offer." Harrow began to walk away. Your eyes followed him.

"Hey, he's gone. Where is he?" Mogart shouted. It took a moment to register what he meant. You looked around. Marc had vanished. Had he left the two of you again? You caught sight of him standing at the top of the glass pyramid. The white cape danced in the wind.

Suddenly a glint of gold flew through the air, finding its mark in the man holding Layla. The people present began to panic. Layla grabbed the man's gun and began to shoot.

The man behind you grabbed you, pulling out his gun. You tried to wrestle your arms away to no avail. The man fired once before Marc jumped at him. You managed to use his distraction to escape his grasp. 

"Thanks." You looked at Marc. His bright eyes only stared blankly at you. He turned and ran towards the gathering forces.

Alright then.

With the oncoming wave of people shooting you needed to find some cover. Layla had Marc's bulletproof cape, and you had... the very secure, entirely made of the glass pyramid. 

You reached the pyramid and were met with the remains. A piece of cloth caught your eye. Wasn't that what they were looking at earlier? You grabbed it and shoved it into your pocket. 

Layla ran into the pyramid. "Where's the map?" 

"I got it."

 She nodded at you.

You suddenly found something pressed into your side. One of the men had returned and had a gun pointed at you. 

"Oh. Hey... Bek right?" You stomped on his foot hard. He let out a yelp. Using this moment you turned and pushed his arm away. He stumbled back before being showered with glass shards by Layla.

She only took a moment to grab another makeshift weapon. You noticed something in Bek's hand. He held a knife. She blocked his stab by redirecting his arm. His knife plunged into the mummy with a squelch. Ew. 

You grabbed a piece of debris and attempted to hit him. He countered your attack and threw you against the wall. The impact was surprisingly painless and you muttered a quick ‘thank you’ to the moon god. You saw Layla get hurled to the ground. You briefly registered the gun that lay at your side. Bek pulled the knife from the mummy. His eyes trained on Layla.

You lined the gun up, waiting for a clear shot. You steadied your hand as Layla unclipped her collar. You fired. 

Bek stumbled backward. 

The bullet hit his collar. Layla jumped up and dug her weapons into his shoulders. You could see red begin to bleed through his clothing.

She looked to you, "You can shoot?"

"Yeah. A bit." You stood, shaking. The adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off.

You had just killed someone.

You swallowed, noting the queasy feeling that grew in your stomach. You felt his soul leave his body and you shut your eyes. You didn't want to see it. It vanished in a second, finding its way to whatever afterlife awaited it.

"Hey? You okay?" You blinked as registered Layla had moved in front of you. Your shaking hands are enveloped in her steady ones.

"Y-yeah. I'm g-good. Just...just fine. You?"

She glanced behind you, towards the arena, to Marc.

"Will you be okay here? Can you stay low and keep it safe?" You nodded.

"Layla... be careful."

She returned your nod, and gave a squeeze to your hand, before running towards Marc.

You positioned yourself low enough to be hidden by the structure's base. The glass above letting you get a clear view of the arena.

Your eyes landed on Marc.

He was kneeling, surrounded by men. Several spears protruded from his bandaged armor.

Your stomach sank.

A hand flew to your mouth.

No!

You couldn't tear your eyes away as Layla hopped over the fence. A man on a horse came racing towards her. She shot at him, and he fell. As he met the ground Layla was struck by Mogart.

Marc shouted. 

You finally tore your eyes away. You didn't want to see what happened next. You curled up into the far wall of the pyramid, behind the broken tomb, keeping yourself concealed. Your breathing quickened as you registered the muffled yells and grunts from the arena behind you. You couldn't help the guilt that began to grow. You should be doing something instead of sitting and doing nothing. Your friends might be slaughtered, while you hid like a coward. But you had to keep the map safe. Without the scarab, this was essential to finding the tomb. You fiddled with the cloth as you spiraled.

Footsteps.

At least two people.

You panicked.

You couldn't tell who was approaching. The broken casket blocked your view from your angle. The gun from earlier sat just a few feet from you. You threw yourself towards it and clutched it tightly, finger on the trigger.

The moment footsteps sounded on the floor you shot up, gun aimed.

You were met with familiar faces.

"Oh thank the gods." You released a breath and lowered the gun. "I'm so glad you both are okay."

"You still have it?" Marc asked.

"Yeah. Right here." You handed him the map. Your fingers brushed.

"We need a car." He spoke.

 "Let's go." Layla squeezed your hand. A silent reassurance.

 "Tick-tock, Mark Spector. Tick-tock." Khonshu echoed from his perch.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

You sat in the back seat of the car. At this point, the third wheeling was inevitable.

"Ay. I really liked that jacket. Oh, well." Marc tossed it into the empty seat next to you.

"What was Harrow talking about?" Layla glanced at him. "He said I had a right to know."

"I have no idea." 

"I never told anyone why I really moved. I mean, but he knew, he just saw right through me."

"He's just trying to mess with you. You know, he's trying to get in your mind. No, don't let him do that. You know, he's got this idea that he can see the true nature of people or some baloney like that. If that were true, I don't think he'd have a bunch of homicidal maniacs as his disciples, would he? "

"So, it's not true? What he said about you and..." She trailed off. 

"No, it's not true. No, he's just trying to divide us. Don't let him get in your head." 

"Every time I learn something new about you, I think, "That's it. There can't possibly be any secrets left between us." And then something else pops up, and it's like I've not known you at all." You could hear her begin to get upset. 

"Yeah. You haven't. You don't." He stopped and looked out the window.

You caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror. He looked dejected. It was abundantly clear that they still harbored feelings for each other. 

 Layla caught your eye in the rearview mirror.

"What did Harrow mean you decided to help Khonshu?"

"Well... I-" Marc cut you off.

"He means that they got involved with something they shouldn't have." You didn't meet his eyes when he turned to you. "You should never get involved with serving gods."

Layla tilted her head, confused. You elaborated.

"Khonshu... He told me about my ability. I can... somehow channel a deity's energy and focus it. I allow them to have more power on our plane. I thought it would help Marc and Steven..." You took a breath. " I-I only wanted to help."

 "Look, I appreciate the thought, I really do." Marc shook his head at you. "But you can't trust Khonshu. There's always a catch with him. And if anything were to happen to you... Steven would kill me."

You looked down, a bit ashamed of your previous actions. A tense silence settled in the car. 

 Eventually, you made it to wherever the three of you were headed. The dark sky looms over a vast expanse of sand.

The three of you stood around the car hood and began to assemble the map. The headlights cut through the murky blackness of the night.

 "Try that."

"Maybe, actually." Layla slapped a piece of tape on the back. 

"This one?" Marc handed her a piece. 

"Okay. Uh... No. Anything else?"

"I'm not getting any whole constellations. It's just little pieces and fragments." He sighed. "This is gonna take forever." He slammed his hands on the car. You flinched.

"Marc, we need Steven. He understands all of this. I really think it's worth giving him a shot." Layla suggested.

"I summon the gods, you summon the worm." Khonshu appeared on the roof of the car. You jumped. "He won't return the body."

"Marc, we can't wait. It's okay, just let go."

In response, he tore the mirror off the car. 

"We don't have time."

Marc scooped up the map pieces and began to walk away.

"What are you doing? She asked.

You looked to Layla. She just shrugged. 

You watched as Marc's posture changed, and he flicked the edges of his coat back. You noted the familiar mannerism. You had seen Steven do it countless times. You glanced at Layla and crept forward, trying not to disturb him. You could faintly hear him muttering to himself, in a familiar British accent. You lowered yourself beside him. 

"Steven?" You barely whispered.

He turned to you. It was impossible to miss the way his eyes lit up as he let out an exclamation of your name. You feel your heart nearly burst. You were so, so happy to see him again. Honestly, you weren't sure if you would again. While you've seen his face for hours, you haven't seen him since you were back in London. As he smiled, you let out a small laugh of pure relief. You wanted to hold him while he's here, make him promise never to disappear on you like that again. You almost start to cry.

In a rush of sudden courage, you hugged him. He stiffened in surprise before you felt his arms hesitantly wrap around you. You held him tighter, soaking in the feeling of the warmth of his body against yours, the unmistakable smell of him, the way you two just seemed to fit together. You let out a shaky breath before pulling away. You look at him as he stands in the glow of the headlights. You start to say something.

"I-"

"You-"

You both begin at the same time before letting out a small chuckle.

"You..." He took your hand, an undeniable fondness in his gaze, "You came all this way?" He nearly whispered.

"Yeah," You squeezed his hand. "Yeah, of course, I did. I can't let you have all the fun without me."

He's so close to you, but still too far. It feels like it's been forever since you've seen him. Your cheeks burn as your eyes flick to his lips.

Movement behind Steven catches your eye.

You could see Layla standing behind Steven. You lock eyes with her. You begin to feel a pang of guilt. You're standing there, holding hands with a man who shares a body with her husband. If the situation were different, you would never be doing this. She’s kind, clever, and doesn't deserve you complicating things. Layla is someone you would consider a friend and... maybe more. You blink in surprise as she offers you a genuine smile.

"So, uh..." You cleared your throat and gently removed your hand from Steven's. "What have you got?"

Layla joined you, sitting on his other side. 

Steven takes a breath, "Egyptians invented modern navigation. There's not a lot of landmarks in the desert. So they came up with a way to get about using the sun and the stars. It's bloody genius, isn't it?"

 "Yeah."

 "Et voilà." Steven presents the completed map.

 "Whoa." Layla reached out and held the star-shaped map. 

 "It's French." You smiled. Layla gave a quiet laugh. 

 "I know." You noticed the way she held her gaze on Steven.

Once this was all over, assuming she and Marc would work everything out, Layla and Steven would make a pretty cute couple.  If circumstances were different you would have been teasing her about this.

"So, what do we do with it?"

"Well, I'm not sure, but if... Wait, hang on a minute. You see that? You see those little pinpricks there? That's a constellation."

"We should be able to triangulate the stars into coordinates, right? Let me just scan it." Layla took out a tablet and snapped a picture.

"Well, um, actually... Unfortunately, it's not that simple." Steven started.

"Not working. Why isn't it working?"

"Yeah, yeah, you see, Senfu... Senfu marked that tomb, like, 2,000 years ago. And stars drift over time. Not much as far as stars go, but it could mean the difference between us searching miles away from where we're supposed to be looking. So unless we know exactly what the sky looked like on that date, we're buggered."

You let out a sigh. It seemed every step forward meant two steps back. 

"I remember that night. I remember every night." You spun around to find Khonshu standing on top of a dune. 

"Khonshu?" Steven called.

"I can turn back the night sky."

"How?"

"It will come at a cost, and I cannot do it alone." Khonshu looked at you. The wind picked up, and clouds of sand stirred up. Khonshu appeared next to him. "Steven, when the gods imprison me, tell Marc to free me."

You shifted nervously. A sense of unease quickly overtook you as you stood next to Khonshu.

What kind of cost?

Steven stood, arms outstretched. He breathed deeply and summoned his suit. 

"Do what I do." Khonshu raised his arms and swiped. Steven did the same.

"Yeah? Like this?" Steven asked. The sky seemed to glow for a moment. The dark dim of before being replaced with vivid blues and purples. The stars shone brighter. 

And then it moved.

The sky began to move.

You let out a breath in awe as you stared into the sky.

"Whoa! Oh, man! This is mental."

It spun faster and faster until the lights streaked across the sky in blurs.

"This is the night." The spinning stopped suddenly. They held their hands still.

"This is surprisingly painful."

"It's working," Layla spoke.

“Holy shit…” You muttered.

"It's working. Yes. good." Steven groaned. 

Khonshu fell to his knees and looked at you. 

"I can feel my energy leaving me. Oh, God, I don't know how much longer I can do this." He dropped his hand, his mask fading. He doubled his effort, raising his hands again. 

A silent moment of understanding passed between you and the moon god. You lay a trembling hand on his bandaged shoulder. You felt something like a spark run through you. 

The sky stood still for a moment longer.

You were suddenly aware of how exhausted you were. Your arms felt like slabs of concrete weighing down your shoulders.

"Coordinates found, 29 degrees north, 25 east."  The tablet announced.

"I got it. 29 degrees north, 25 east." Layla exclaimed. 

Steven gasped and fell. 

You panted and turned to Khonshu.

A pit formed in your stomach. Particles of dust began to rise from his figure.  

 He reached out an arm towards you.

"My star..."

Khonshu began to crumble.

"No. Nonononono!" You extended a hand to him just as he collapsed into dust. You collapsed to your knees. Fuck. There went every chance you had at actually being useful. Now that your newfound patron deity was gone you were once again useless. A burden. You cursed, rising to your feet.

You turned to see Layla attempting to help Steven stand, but he collapsed to the ground. You cast a troubled glance to where Khonshu had stood before running over to them.

"Steven!"

"Hey, Steven? Marc? Come on. Come on. Where are you? Marc? Come on."

Ao3 Wattpad Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

[comradekatara]

hey, thanks, all’s well that ends well. 🙏

I was def struck (and delighted by) your theory! had to re-think things I had always assumed like, wait, was Yon Rhas flashback entirely in his head??

there’s so much interesting fic fodder too: are Hakoda or Kanna the type to tell Katara, or keep that info from burdening her? how would that convo have gone down?

it definitely lends itself to interesting character analysis

another thought to support your theory btw: Katara sees black snow and says “I’m gonna find mom,” so immediately that I wonder if this was something she’d been explicitly instructed to do as a child…

yes! i've never considered that yon rha was recounting that because there was no narration, much like when katara has her flashback on appa and it's clear that she's not speaking, as opposed to sokka's flashback, which he is explicitly recounting to zuko. but even if he was, and that's what katara is responding to, i've always been so certain that they both knew why kya died because it is so key to informing their characters.

katara knowing that she was targeted as a waterbender (the fact that she's the only waterbender in the south pole being a big clue for her growing up, as well) is a huge part of what drives her to travel north, fight for her right to learn, and work so hard that in a matter of weeks that she is effortlessly destroying all her peers, quickly becoming the most powerful waterbender in the world. knowing her mother died for her is what motivates her to be a great bender, a great leader, to take on the qualities she admires in her mother such as her warmth and care and compassion, but also never acting purely selflessly (like she's caring of course, but her own interests are always given primacy in any decision she makes, with the exception of maybe making an occasional sacrifice for aang).

and then sokka knowing that their mother died for katara motivates him to be replicate that dynamic so that katara can remain safe. both hakoda and kanna emphasize how important it is that he take care of katara in their goodbyes, and he is extremely protective over her and ready to sacrifice everything for her and prioritizes her over everything. it's a protectiveness and willingness to sacrifice oneself that goes beyond normal "younger sibling" responsibilities (i should know); it's the sacrifice one would make when someone in their lives is special and important and must be protected at all costs, and you are not special by comparison, you are expendable.

i think that knowing that why their mother died informs their motivations throughout their lives in such a beautifully tragic way, to the point that i can't imagine that they didn't know.

i think katara wouldn't bring it up when talking about her mother because even though she's very open with her feelings and can accept that it wasn't her fault that her mother died, the fact that kya's death was so personal and traumatizing means it isn't something she generally wants to disclose to strangers, especially since they already do already understand the genocidal nature of the fire nation, considering she always discusses her mother's death in the context of bonding with those who have also lost people/homes to the fire nation. i can't imagine any fourteen year old is so emotionally intelligent that they could actually say "my mother died to protect me" without wanting to throw up. i know i wouldn't be able to!

i do wonder though at what point hakoda and kanna had to tell katara and sokka. i feel like they probably would've held off from talking about it at first, both to protect their innocence but also because they hadn't processed their grief themselves, but eventually sokka would start asking questions, like why was kya the only one who was executed in the raid, what prompted their arrival, etc. he's a very curious and paranoid person, and i imagine as a child he would've asked so many questions all the time. so their hand is forced, and they explain to him that kya died to protect katara because she's the last waterbender. and he internalizes that deeply.

you know what, maybe katara didn't know until yon rha told her, or she figured it out when she was with hama and he confirmed it. she would still want to be a great waterbender and emulate her mother and fight for her memory even if she didn't feel guilty about her death, though i think it adds an extra layer to her character, especially concerning her rage in "the southern raiders" and her fury at pakku in "the waterbending master." but there's no way that sokka doesn't know. sokka knows, and believes above all else that it is his duty to die for katara when the time comes the same way kya did. he can no longer see his mother's face that so resembles his own; it has been replaced by katara.

[loganofthenorth]

One of the most frustrating parts of being Autistic is that I am trapped between two communities that either know nothing about my experience, or think my experience was a good thing.

There's the Autism Awareness Community, trying to cure Autism, silencing Autistic Voices, has to be reminded that we are people too, etc.

Then there's the Autism acceptance community. Which at first I loved and was very active in because finally, at long last, people were saying the same things I've been saying since I was eight.

But the issue is most of the advocates in that community are people that went without the diagnosis for most of their lives. They're realizing they're Autistic, the things they went through, the battles going on, etc as teenagers/adults.

A lot of them tend to say that they wish they got their diagnosis sooner

That they wish they got the accommodations

If I told them that I had my diagnosis since I was four (because my mother fought for it) they'd call me lucky.

But...

Being diagnosed as Autistic meant authority figures that were supposed to keep me safe and accommodate for my needs felt that they had the right to control me, to reprogram me like a robot until I worked in a way that was convenient for them.

But I was stubborn and intelligent and had some control issues of my own

So they had to beat me down even more than other students, because using affection, special interests, and accommodations as a reward system wasn't working for me like it worked for the other kids.

So they took my rights. My right to feel safe, my right to education. They made me feel like a monster, someone less than Human, and unless I could learn to 'act human' (they never gave me clear instructions on how to do that) then I would be trapped in the Autism Program until I graduated. Then I'd either have no choice but to live with my parents forever or live in a group home, which would probably be the same thing from what little I saw on tv about them.

I started fighting because at eight years old they told me to wear blue and support Autism Speaks, a company that wants to spread awareness about Autism. I didn't know why it was important to do that, but I knew that if I wore blue I'd get my picture in the news. So, having always had dreams of being famous, I wore my favourite blue shirt.

But my Mom, who actually did research on the topic, respectfully asked if I was sure I'd like to wear blue. She suggested I wear rainbow unicorns or something instead, because rainbow was a better colour for Autism than blue.

But I wanted my picture in the news, so despite my Mom's hesitance, I wore blue. My Mom, one to respect my choices, allowed it.

I am lucky on that front. I was lucky to have a mother that respected me and my decisions and trusted me to be my own person.

And while I was naive, that didn't mean I had no questions. I told my teachers about what my Mom said and tried to figure out why she didn't want me to wear blue. They just told me that she was wrong, and blue was the colour for supporting Autism Awareness.

I didn't like that answer, so when I got home I asked my Mom about it. She gave me a link to a blog called Autism Speaks Does Not Speak For Me, and that's where I began my goal to become an advocate for Autistic Rights.

I thought I would be the first, because they never taught us about Autistic People with successful career paths. They didn't teach us much of anything. They were teaching us to be 'normal.' Which is funny because they kept us socially isolated so, like, we had a very small window of how 'normal' people our age actually acted.

So, to explain why I went into so much detail about this

At eight years old I learned that there was a company that wanted people like me to not exist.

In sixth Grade I would learn that the teachers in the Autism Program weren't supposed to grab my wrist, corner me, pin me to a chair, etc for 'bad behaviour.' I learned that I was supposed to be integrated into mainstream classes (they stopped integrating me in third grade but told my Mom I was still being integrated) and that I wasn't learning my full curriculum.

The teachers weren't supposed to threaten me, use education accommodations, or affection as rewards. (I got a hug at the end of the day if I behaved the entire day. If I tried to hug them not knowing I did something wrong they would stop me and say: No, you don't get a hug because you did (insert Autistic trait here)

I liked hugs as a child because they made me feel secure. Also physical touch was always one of my love languages. But now hugs are awkward and throw me off unless I expected them or they're part of my routine (I always hug my Mom every night before bed) because I think 'what did I do to deserve the hug'

I started doing research to teach myself.

They'd take us to the library and I'd get text books and learn from them.

I did research online and I practiced skills.

I analyzed fictional characters on tv in order to understand the way people interact with each other so that I could mimic being a 'normal person'

I worked incredibly hard to try to 'earn' my mainstream education and get out of the Autism Program.

I went into severe depression at thirteen because nothing I ever did was good enough. My teachers told me I was 'only getting worse' and I couldn't have a conversation with an authority figure without going into a survival response or just breaking down into tears that I couldn't stop.

The only reason I didn't...

The only reason I lived through it was because I couldn't think of how to die a painless death without asking someone how.

Then I'd have to explain myself and they'd think I was trying to get attention.

But then I had the thought one summer. What if I'm not broken? What if the world around me is broken?

After that I purposely went out of my way to be weird, to stand out. I showed off and was loud and forced everyone to acknowledge my presence. I wasn't afraid of 'looking for attention' like the Autism Program made me. I was fire and the world could burn for all I cared.

In eighth grade they finally allowed me to sit in on some mainstream classes, but I wasn't allowed to participate.

I participated anyways.

But I knew when I graduated they would just send me to the High School Autism Program. The only thing keeping me at that school were my friends, but they all left me for other friends or because I didn't like their boyfriends.

So I changed schools, and I was lucky to get a principal that actually gave a shit about his students.

Mr. McRae was the coolest principal and worked hard to make sure I had accommodations.

I had amazing teachers (some terrible ones too but the good ones made much more of an impact on my life)

And guess what?

I graduated on the fucking honour roll.

I was the smartest kid in that school and everyone knew it

I was the loudest kid in that school

I was the most talented kid in that school

...

But I was also very lonely

All I knew was the Autism Program. I came to the new school thinking I'd have to put up with the same bullshit, so I brought all my defence mechanisms with me.

By the time I realized that school was different, that one wrong move wouldn't send me back to the Autism Program, that everyone at that school was weird and their own person rather than a copy of each other, it was too late. I had already made my impression of a girl that pushed everyone away and was incredibly annoying on purpose.

So I spent most of my time role playing on the internet and had a variety of online friends. The stories I have to tell about that could fill a novel, and that's just outside of the role plays.

I'm now starting to suspect that I'm an OSDD 1B system

And I'm working on getting my first novel published.

In some ways I am lucky, but I often wonder if things would be better if I didn't have my Autism Diagnosis.

Sure I wouldn't know why I had so many difficulties, but people wouldn't think they were right to do what they did to me, and I wouldn't have to deal with the things I have to deal with when I tell people I'm Autistic. People wouldn't talk to me like a baby, and people wouldn't see spending time in my presence as an act of charity.

Besides, I had the diagnosis and knew about it my whole life and I still didn't know why I had so many difficulties. I couldn't fit in with Autsitic people either. I was weird as an Autistic Person. I have difficulty walking and keeping balance and I didn't know about having ADHD while growing up.

Now I'm no longer an advocate. I don't know what to fight for anymore, because society is so broken the only way to fix it is to burn it down and start a new one. But that would be complete anarchy and the same problems would start again anyways.

So I'm just trying to figure out how to live the life that's best for me. I'm living with my parents regardless of all my work because I don't want to go into dept by buying a house, and I can't get a job because I'll have to deal with the same bullshit I put up with at school which will put me into trauma responses. I'm hoping to get a career going as a writer, but that can be a gamble so we'll see how that goes.

Anywho, thanks for reading this if you did. I'm not sure what my point is, I just saw another post about how lucky people are if they got their diagnosis from the start and decided to vent here.

Peace

[uglypastels]

Part 4 of Hell Diver!!!!!

[I promise the other requests are coming soon too but this story just comes so much more easy to me and I honestly needed a bit of an easy fix to get back into writing after volume 2 lol]

Stranger Things: taglist / Masterlist / Inbox

no explicit warnings. swearing. mention of shitty friends and strict parents

Chapter 4: Hamster Wheels

The rest of the day had gone by insanely slow. Most days had already felt like they took an eternity, but that Monday… was some cruel joke from the universe. The minutes just would not pass while the hours took on forever to finish. People around you were suffocating you. Not in the literal sense. Just in the "could everyone please shut up for a second so I can finally hear myself think!" insanity. Since lunch hour, all you wanted was to be alone, which was almost impossible in high school. And the feeling of guilt over what you had done to Eddie didn't make any of it any better. 

Once that final bell rang, you stormed out of the classroom, speeding towards your locker to grab your jacket. If you were quick enough, you could get it and get the hell out of there before any of your friends caught on to you. 

'Hey.' Well, it was nice to dream. You were, of course, too slow. Mary walked up behind you. Her smile was broad in the type of menacing way. 'We were gonna go get some milkshakes. Wanna come?' 

'Uhm, no, I can't. ' Usually, you would never have even let the thought be put up for consideration. How could you say no to a milkshake that would most likely be paid for by some cute guy ha! But now, a place where all those people would be was the last place you wanted to step a foot in. 

Mary raised a brow, hearing your unexpected answer. 'Oh. Got plans then?' 

'Yeah, I got to study for the chem test.' 

'That's not until next week, though.' Why couldn't she just let it go? 

'I know, but I really need to nail this one or my mom will kill me, so I'd rather start early.' That must have done the trick, for Mary's whole demeanour relaxed. All your friends knew how overbearing your mother could get. She was that kind of tough love kind of parent, who really just wanted the best for you… even if it wasn't exactly what you had in mind for yourself. 

That was why you had had to lie to her about why you had come back home so much later than agreed last weekend. For all your mother knew, you were at Stacey's for study club–  it's what all of you had decided to use as a cohesive ruse in case your parents started asking questions among each other. If anyone needed an excuse or an alibi, study club is where it's at. You had never really found a use for it before, never having been much of a party person nor had a lot of guys asking you out, which your parents didn't approve of, but Eddie… 

Well, you didn't have to think much about that. No matter how you would put it, there was no way that your parents would let you within a ten-foot vicinity of the guy. He was what they called a "degenerate". Those you had clear instructions to stay away from. And Hellfire… well, let's not even bother. 

'Have fun then,' Mary said with the last twinge of a smile before walking away in search of her boyfriend's arm to hang onto. The second she was out of earshot, you let out a deep sigh and closed your locker again, letting your head fall forward and lean against it. The cool of the metal was pleasant to the touch, heavily contrasting the actual texture of the door as it had bumps and the edges in the slits were sharp, pushing into your forehead. 

You bumped at it again, then again, but quickly stopped, feeling someone's eyes on you. 

And when you turned around, they were hard to miss. The pair of puppy brown eyes, glancing at you from across the corridor. Eddie saw you as he walked out of the building. Had he been walking by, and you hadn't even noticed? Did he hear you talk to Mary again? Well, at least you hadn't been talking about him this time. There was nothing to worsen the situation anymore. 

As you made your way outside, you wondered if you would ever get the chance to talk to him. Would he ever let you come over to his trailer again to talk about D&D? Would he still let you join the campaigns? Hellfire? 

You hoped so. 

By the time you reached your bike, you could see a cloud of dust practically trail behind the same van you had seen at his trailer. It drove off at high speed. If only you could get out of there so quickly… but the wheels on a bike still went waster than just your feet. Sure, you would have preferred to take your dad's car again, but you only got the keys for that on the weekends.

The road to the town library was a relatively simple one. It mainly was following the road leading out of the parking lot of the school, down Main and taking the third crossing to the left until you were greeted with the sight of the large and old building. Even if it had only taken you about fifteen minutes to get there, the scorching sun above you made sure you felt the energy be sucked out of you from the exercise. With deep breaths, you locked your bike again and walked up the small steps to the entrance. 

Inside, the air was colder but not cold in any way. Even worse, it was stuffy, with no proper ventilation anywhere. You could practically smell the dust of the old books that no one had bothered to borrow in the past few decades. 

You walked past the front desk, giving Doris a kind smile as you passed her workstation, as you knew exactly where you wanted to go. 

For years already, the library had become somewhat of a sanctuary for you. A safe haven. Not from anything in particular. Probably just "life" in general. Whenever people started to feel like a bit too much, and you just wanted to get away, you would come here, grab the first book that sparked some kind of interest, sit in a corner, and read until it was time to get back home again. That is kind of how you found your love for all things fantasy. It was the purest way of escapism. 

You walked straight ahead, through the aisles and aisles of books, to the section you had basically devoured already. Today, you weren't in the mood to search for something new. You needed something familiar that you could grab and go and get sucked into all over again. And you knew exactly where it would be. 

Where it should have been. 

'What?' you said to yourself as you mentally went down the alphabet repeatedly. M… N…O…P. It should have been there, that orange-yellow, almost gold, cover. It practically jumped out of the shelf, and yet… it was nowhere to be seen now. 

You had almost given up the search when you noticed the familiar colour in a gap between books. Lying on its side, the spine called to you from the other side of the shelf, its neighbouring aisle. You had no idea what it would be doing there, but it didn't matter. It was there, and you could easily reach it. 

With your hand already stretching out to it, your heart pumping with excitement to have managed to find the book, you almost scared yourself to death when suddenly you saw something else between that gap of books. The back of the head, looking at the books across, and locks of dark curly hair. 

With a shriek, you pulled your hand away. It couldn't have been that loud, but in a quiet and almost empty library, there was no way he hadn't heard you, and you could just about see him turn in your direction before you knelt down. Keeping your head down, you walked as quietly as possible out of the aisle, hoping to get far away from that library section. Why was this happening right now? Why was Eddie Munson the only other person there with you? While all you wanted was just some peace. 

Not that he wouldn't give it to you; he wasn't the problem. You knew you were. Your mind had already started spinning at the idea of "Eddie". Should you go up and talk to him? Or maybe better ignore him completely? The guilt from school, the same guilt and gnawing feeling in your stomach you had been trying to escape, was coming back even stronger. What was he doing there? Would he just take some books and leave, or was he planning on staying longer, like you? And in that case, could you let yourself stat as well? Maybe this had all been a giant mistake, and you should just go home, but no, this was your idea first. Even if you had no idea when Eddie decided to visit the library, you knew for sure you were the first to come up with that idea. 

Yeah, you were spiralling, and it had taken less than a minute. 

You had, however, made it over all the way to a different part of the building. The letters on the covers of the book had become all blurry in your head, the language not processing what the words were actually saying to you anymore. A feeling in your gut, or perhaps the vast acoustics in the room, told you someone was approaching, so you pulled out the closest book to you, trying to read the back cover of it as Eddie Munson turned the corner. 

'y/n?' He seemed genuinely surprised to see you when you turned to look at him. 'I thought I saw you back there.' He smiled, making you remember to smile as well; your whole body had really started to feel miles away. You blinked slowly, before pushing out a smile and a sheepish laugh. 

'Where?' You played dumb, and thankfully, Eddie went along with it. 

'The fantasy section.' He cocked his head back in the direction of the bookshelves you had just escaped from. 

'Uhm, no, I think you must have been mistaken. I've been here the whole time.' You went back to pretend-read your book. Eddie, still enjoying this little play you were putting up, took a step closer, letting his arm lean on the shelf. 

'Are you sure? Because I could have sworn, I heard you.'

'Oh yeah? What did I say?' You had no idea where this cheekiness was coming from, as it really was not you, but Eddie was bringing out plenty of new sides to you. 

'It wasn't so much words more like a–' he copied your little shriek, 'It kind of sounded like a hamster, if I have to be completely honest.'

'I do not–' you cut yourself off quickly, 'I do not think hamsters are allowed in here.'

'Yeah, that's what I thought, so then it must have been something else, shouldn't it?' He was coming closer and closer, his smile only getting bigger while your heart only started beating harder and louder. Eddie must have heard it by then. 

'Well, I've just been here the whole time, so–' 

'So you've said,' he chuckled, 'And I'm sure… The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money' he peeked at the title of the book you were holding, and so did you, realising you had ended up in the Economics section of the library. Trying to hide your embarrassment, you looked back at Eddie as he continued: '-is a fascinating read, but I really think I had seen you back there.' 

'What makes you so sure it was me?' 

'I suppose it is a bit of a far stretch.' He was now entirely leaning on the bookshelf. 'I mean… we are the only people in here, so the chances of it having been you are… pretty small.' 

'Ha ha,' you rolled your eyes, putting the General Theory back in its place. 'You still have no proof, Munson.'

'I guess I don't. See you later then.' He let his weight fall back on his feet as he straightened up, tapping the book he had been holding on the shelf before turning around. The bright yellow cover made your jaw tighten. 

'Mhm, see ya.' You let yourself roam the Economics section once more, just waiting for him to walk away… with your book. 

You waited a few seconds, but he didn't seem to be going away any time soon. He stood there, a few feet away, arms crossed with a big amused smile. So, you looked back at him, getting a bit annoyed now– you weren't even annoyed at him, just at everything in general. But you pushed it back when you gently asked: 'Can I help you with something?' 

'No, no,' he shook his head, 'I'm good thanks. Was just wondering when you would ask.' 

'Ask what?' 

'For the book.' He showed it to you again, almost taunting you with it. 

'Why-' 

'Here,' he put it down on a shelf near him and started walking backwards. 'It's good. I'm sure you'll like it.' 

'I know.' you reached out for it, unable to hide the smile from seeing one of your favourite books. 'Uh- but, thanks.'  

'Don't mention it.' And with that, he disappeared into another aisle. You looked at the cover of the book, being greeted with the image that in itself had already brought so much comfort to you. As you walked between the shelves to your usual sitting spot, you let the pages slip through your fingers. It was a bit unconventional for a public indoor space, as you didn't go for one of the designated reading spots or one of the large desks in the middle of the room where people usually did their reading. 

You liked to sit down in one of the corners of the library, around the biography section, where the books could quite literally embrace you from all sides. There was a window right above you, too, so the natural light was better than the artificial yellow glow from the old lamps. You sat down on the ground and started reading. 

 In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part…

You read about ten pages, but quickly realised you had barely comprehended anything that was happening on the pages. The words flew into your mind and immediately left as soon as your eyes moved on to the next. If it weren't for the fact that you had already read the book a few times in the past year, you would have no idea what was happening. 

The thought of Eddie Munson having picked out the same book you had wanted to read was occupying your whole being. And the fact he had just given it to you… it made you feel even worse about everything that had happened at school. 

You couldn't just sit there and read, so you got up and started looking in the hopes he hadn't left yet. 

You went through every aisle, turning each corner, hoping you would see him standing in all his Eddie Munson glory that you had slowly started to miss whenever he wasn't around. 

Eventually, you found him at one of the large oak tables. A whole pile of books next to him, as he was scribbling away in a notebook and only looked up from it when you were standing in front of him. 

'Hey,' you said, waving, for some reason. 

'Hi.' he said, a bit unsure, not knowing what you had come for. He glanced down from your face to see you holding the book close to your chest. 'Done already?'

'Oh, no, couldn't really get into it today.'

'That's a shame.' Eddie looked down to scribble down some more words onto the paper. 'Do you want to–' he pointed at the chair opposite of him. 

'No, I uhm, I just– wanted to apologise.' You held the book tighter for a bit of support as it let you focus on something besides Eddie's piercing gaze on you. The way he had his head, slightly crooked, in curiosity for your next words, made a warm and fuzzy feeling grow in your stomach. 'Since I'm sure you had heard what I had said at school, and that was really a shit thing of me to do.' 

'You have nothing to apologise for, y/n. Heavy is the head that wears the popularity crown.'

'I'm not popular,' you scoffed, 'but that's not the point. I don't want you to think that I'm like, ashamed, or something, to be seen with you. You're a really cool guy. But people are so cruel and well, we are not exactly the types to usually be seen together, and then that is just fuel for others to be nasty, to either of us.' 

'We are in two separate worlds, and you're scared that if we spend too much time together, those worlds will collide and will end in a giant disaster?' 

'Sorta… yeah.' He had phrased it so much better than what you had managed to come up with while you had been searching for him. 

'I get it. And I'm not mad, either way,' he said, closing his notebook. 'I get how it is; school sucks, and for what it's worth… I'm scared of my friends seeing me around you too.' 

'What?' your heart dipped a few inches down to your gut. 

'Yeah, what will they think when I start ditching them to hang out with the prettiest girl in school.' 

A warm feeling crept up on your face, and you suddenly couldn't look directly at him. But your peripheral vision still let you enjoy the glimpse of his smirk at you, trying to process the compliment. Then, you needed to change the subject, so you looked at the books he had stacked up on the table. Most of them you recognised to be different Dungeons and Dragons manuals, giving you an idea of what he had come to the library for, but you still asked: 'What are you doing?'

'That is highly confidential and secret information, my dearest y/n, so I unfortunately can not tell you.' 

'You're working on the next campaign?' The campaign he had told you to join. The excitement started bubbling up inside you. 

'If I tell you, I'll have to kill you,' he whispered the words, already looking around himself as if the walls had ears. You doubted anyone in town would care what he had been up to and what he had written in his notebook, and perhaps you wouldn't even have cared if he hadn't made it so enticing to know. 

'C'mon, there must be something you can tell me?' 

'As the Dungeon Master, I have taken an oath to protect and keep the secrets of the world, and there is nothing you can do sway me to your dark side.' 

'Nothing?' you quizzed, giggling at his antics. 

'Nothing,' his dark eyes were so serious, yet you could tell he was having the time of his life right there. More thoughts interrupted your moment, that you quickly pushed aside. Flirting would not be the right direction for this. If it had been some guy offering you a milkshake, you would have gone for it, but you and Eddie seemed to be really hitting it off. Even after these very few interactions you've had with him, you could tell that a great friendship could come out of this, so there was no need to go and ruin this now just for a silly joke about the campaign.  

Maybe, not even that deep down, you did want to walk across to him and pull him by the collar and kiss him, but those thoughts were quickly stomped down. He was a nice and good-looking guy. Obviously, you felt a slight urge to do it. But, it didn't mean anything. 

'Ok, fine, I give up.' You put a hand up in defeat, 'I'll just have to wait like everyone else.' 

'That you must,' he would have said something else, but he was suddenly caught off by a deafening thunder rumbling outside. You could immediately see yourself having to cycle back home in that storm. Where had it even come from? It had been a perfectly sunny day when you arrived at the library, but when you looked out from the windows, the sky was dark grey, and the rain was hitting the glass hard.

'Shit.' Was all you said in reaction to the thunder. 

'What's wrong?' Eddie asked, looking up at you as you still had not sat down.

'Nothing, I'm just gonna have to cycle back home in that.' The once silent library had been entirely taken over by the rain pounding on the outside. 

'I'll drive you,' he got up, grabbing his notebook. 

'What?' 

'Most people reply with a thank you,' he quipped, 'but you can put your bike in the back of my van, and I'll drive you home.' 

'Why?' Your responses weren't getting any better, much to Eddie's amusement. 

'Let's say it's an investment. By driving you home, I'll make sure you don't catch pneumonia or some shit and won't be then eaten alive by endless guilt.' 

'I wasn't really planning on going back home yet,' you admitted, and you could have sworn Eddie's shoulders slumped lightly. 'But can I maybe join you here, for now?' 

'Go right ahead.' And you took the seat opposite him, opening up your book again as Eddie returned to work. Every few pages, you would look up and see him work, flipping through the books around him, tapping his pencil on any surface in a random beat. At one moment, he looked up at you as you had been at him, thinking you were bothered by the drumming. 

'Sorry,' he smiled, stopping subtly.

'No, you're good.' You told him, giving him a smile before going back to your own book. It was very pleasant, the two of you being together yet not. Joined at the table but separated by your own doings. He had his campaign; you had your book. 

At some point, you got so into your book that everything else slightly faded away, and you were only brought back to the real world when ring-covered fingers tapped the top of the book spine. You looked up and met Eddie's eyes, as he leaned over the table to reach for the cover. 

'What's up?' 

'Just checking in,' he shrugged. 'Just let me know when you want to go home, yeah?' 

'Mhm,' you nodded, 'but if you want to go now, that's fine. You don't have to wait up on me; I can just cycle home later.' 

'That is pretty selfish of you, y/n– since you know how guilt-ridden I will be if anything happens to you–  just to go and suggest that.'

You had no response to that, and so you continued your ventures on parallel sides of the table until the sun was starting to set once again, making the skies even darker than they were to begin with. The librarian walked up to you to announce that the place would be closing soon. 

'If you're not planning on checking anything out, be a dear and put them back,' she told Eddie with a kind smile, to which he saluted. Almost a second after the woman left again, he was up on his feet, collecting the books in his arms. You were about to reach for his notebook to help him out, but he grabbed it quickly, taking it between his teeth, letting the pages flap about as he walked. 

'I can help,' you told him, seeing how heavy the books seemed. 

'Thank you, milady, but I shall go on this quest on my own.' None of the comedies you had watched in the cinema matched up to the comedic timing of Eddie having said that and almost immediately falling over by stumbling into the chair he had been sitting on previously. 

'Are you ok?' You asked apprehensively as he regained his balance. With the notebook still in his mouth, Eddie's response only came out as a disgruntled muffled sound, but he seemed to be doing fine. 

You hadn't finished reading your book, but it wasn't your plan anyway. You had just needed to escape for a little bit, so that had been accomplished… whether it was the actual act of reading of your companion in it… 

Eddie put all of his books back, one by one, so you did so as well with yours. Obviously, you were done much quicker so you came back around into the aisle in which he was standing, and without a moment for protest, grabbed the top books in his arms. 

'This shall be no solo quest, today, my good sire.' That was enough from you to leave him speechless. With a chuckle, he let you take the books; noticeably, they were all lighter than the ones that remained in his arms, but still. Somehow, it had become a bit of a competition to see which one of you would be done first. You only had one final book left to place, but it was on one of the highest shelves, just a bit out of your reach. 

'Wait,' before you could ask what was going on, Eddie grabbed you and pulled you up just high enough for you to reach the shelf you needed. It had been a surprise, so the squeak sound that you had made earlier, which Eddie lovingly commented on its similarity to a rodent speech, came back up. 

'Did you hear that?' Eddie said, putting you back on the ground. 'I think the hamster came back.' 

'Hamster or not, I won.' 

'Only because I let you.' He smirked, and you became very aware of your proximity to him. With your back against the bookshelves, you had nowhere to back away, and Eddie was so close that your chest was nearly touching his. 

'Now, why would you do that?'  You asked softly. There was no need to whisper. The library was soon closing, and you were the only ones still there. Not to mention, you hadn't exactly been quiet before either. But this situation called for soft, intimate tones. 

'I'm not sure… maybe it's because I like your smile.' Now it was his turn to leave you speechless. A lump formed in your throat as you tried to process what he had said, which was even harder since he was so close. When he reached out to brush some hair out of your face, you had to suck in a breath. His calloused fingers only ghosted over your skin, but an electricity sort of spark shot through you. 

'We should probably go,' you mustered out, 'before she locks us in.'

'Wouldn't want that.' Eddie's voice had also become much softer, almost a whisper. You could have sworn his eyes had, again, whisked down to look at your lips, and that idea made your head spin. It would only be even if you did the same for him now, right? Just a quick glance at his lips. They were perfect, just like the rest of him… 

'Come,' he said, so close to you now you could feel his words on you. 

'Huh?' You blinked slowly. 

'Let's get you home.' and so, he took a step back. The emptiness between you felt personal, almost internal. Like by stepping away, he had actually ripped something out from between you. A bandaid ripping at your skin, leaving a weird tingly sensation behind. 

Eddie's van was parked just behind the library, which is why you hadn't noticed it on your way inside. The rain had started to slow down, the lightning and thunder hadn't been heard for well over half an hour, but it was still pouring heavily. You grabbed your bike as quickly as possible, and Eddie had already opened the car's back doors and was waiting for you inside. He didn't wait, just grabbed the front of the bicycle and pulled it inside, then offered his hand to help you in. 

'Thanks,' you sputtered out. The two minutes in the rain had been enough to thoroughly soak you, so you were definitely glad to take Eddie's offer and let him drive you home. 

It was a short drive, in which you mostly tried to get some information out of Eddie on what he had been working on. 

'C'monnnn, tell me something. Anything.' 

'What would you like to know?' he asked as he turned a corner into your street. 

'I don't know.' 

'That doesn't really help me, sweetheart. You got to be specific, otherwise I could go on for hours and maybe not even tell you anything worth your while and we'd waste both our times.' 

'That's impossible,' you laughed, 'You could never waste my time.' 

Eddie clutched onto the stirring wheel, stopping the car as you near the house. Before you had started driving, you decided it would be the smartest thing not to drive up all the way to the front lawn, so your parents wouldn't see you step out of some "random guy's" dingy van. 

'Maybe next time I'll let you hear all my secrets.' he put the van in park, and you thanked him again. Then, you both climbed out to the back to get your bike. Eddie opened the doors and jumped out, taking the bike out and again helping you make the little jump. His hand fit perfectly around yours, and even though you were standing quite steadily, neither of you let go. 

'Hey uhm,' he said, the rain making both your hairstyles worse, 'just so you know, I'm really not mad… about anything.' 

'I'm really glad for that.' you squeezed his hand, to which he pressed back. 

'Just, promise me one thing, if you can.' He wiped the hair out of his face, and you did the same. The weather should have been getting better, but it really wasn't. 

'What's that?' 

'Promise not to run away from me again?' 

I like you way too much to watch you walk away from me; that's what he had said when you were leaving his trailer. And how many times had you run anyway? Too many to count, which was too embarrassing to keep track. So maybe he just asked out of annoyance, but the fuzzy warm feeling was overcoming you anyway, which might have been a bit foolish since, in reality, you were freezing in the cold rain. 

'I'll try.'

To be Continued... Leave a review behind!

Thank you for reading!!! please let me know what you thought by either leaving a comment or reblog or sending an ask. i would love to hear feedback or any ideas you might have for the upcoming chapters (if there is a demand for those, of course. i plan on writing this as long as people want heh)

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[cryptid-pet]

Tending To Stiched Scales

Azushin Merman AU Caruki Short Story

Ruki slips a sigh out towards the warmth of the water. The reeking scent of roses and lilacs tinting the large bathroom was paradies not even Kim K could earn herself easily. It had to been two hours in this water basking under dimmed lights and aura of a candles' flickering flame.

This was a first from Carla, probably the nicest he's been to this merman within four weeks. The harsh tips of blades and marks from being cuffed in a chair with no legs to kick with was horrible, the scratches and bruises are what remain to show Ruki's survival through them. Even though this bath was granted, it wasn't as a reward- Like that would ever happen.

Because of how sensitive and fragile mystical creatures of the sea can be, Carla took the time to make sure Ruki would heal faster than normal, which seemed to be working accordingly. Splashing gently and toying with the petals that floated on the surface, how blind could this male be? Nothing felt like home just because Ruki was out of water in a damn tank, he's well aware of that nothing given can be taken as a replacement.

Considering the freedom being provided one day at a time, barely, he's not a free man at the surface like he is in the waters. Shin and Carla still were the dominant figures, nothing more nor less would change. Huffing at the thought left alone, Ruki sinks further in the tub with a head tilting back.

As the door opened, it's only Carla who peeks in. "Are you feeling better?" He asked, straigthfowardly.

"Barely," Ruki replied, purposely splashing water onto the floor knowing he won't be the one cleaning it. "You think pampering me will get me to cooperate with you?"

"Do not make it as more challenging than it must be, you're lucky your probability of death is slim."

Ruki smirks at that, interested. "You know if you killed me you'd me filthy rich, why not go for it?"

Carla didn't have time to talk, he had more lab work to do with Ruki so he didn't want this creature stinking the bathroom any further. Coming over, he casually scans and eyes Ruki.

"You're enjoying yourself too much, Mukami."

"So stop me, I won't get mad."

Only golden eye squint, staring a bit too much at the merman's tail. "You have scars and tears along that thing, submerge it underwater immediately."

"Hooh?" Ruki cocks. "Is that why you added pink salt to the water? For me to burn away my destroyed flesh and scales?"

"Unless you want to be under medication again to numb you up, then you shall listen to what I'm demanding from you."

It's really funny, it is the joke of the hour. Ruki stares with a smug look, it's making Carla want to kill himself already. As expected, a man has to do the labor himself, even when not instructed to.

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

With now ten minutes further into the bath, Carla wasn't expecting to be washing Ruki's tail fin for a good while, by force thanks to himself. Now he understands why these creatures are a pain to capture, the sass is high on the raidar. The change in who had control was impressive, since Ruki didn't have to do anything major to make Carla sit in a stool with his tail in his lap.

"Are those probability changes increasing?" Ruki taunts.

Silent, Carla makes eye contact, "Perhaps."

Child's fucking play. This is just mocking Carla at this point, liking getting a black women on her knees to scrub the floor queen. This is very insulting. The water was still clear, though would fog as time passed.

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

I was just rewatching parts of the four-parter of Sonic Boom, "Robots From the Sky," originally for the Sonamy content 😂 (since that has some of the biggest evidences for them secretly dating in that show, but that's for another post)

But then I noticed something a little odd.

In the fourth part, Sonic is weirdly...quiet.

I'll just say real quick I'm a big fan of the headcanon that Sonic used to be mute, and is still selectively mute, all depending on the day and the situation and whatnot. I think it adds depth to his character and another side that'd be fascinating to see in canon (and I always latch onto fanworks that portray such). But besides there being the obvious thing about Classic Sonic being completely mute, and Sonic X Sonic being quiet most of the time, and stuff like that, I didn't expect to find anything for it in Boom, of all things.

(to be clear, that wasn't an insulting comment. I adore Boom. It's sorta my comfort show. XD)

ANYWAY, the point of this post! In the fourth and final episode of the miniseries, even though he started out the episode talking as usual, Sonic went weirdly silent starting shortly after the rest of his friends arrived. There was the silly, rather flirtatious scene he had with Amy, they all tried (and failed) to fight, Sonic instructed Tails to take the others and fall back while he went and got the robot guy (I forgot his name). That command he gave Tails was the last real thing he actually said for the next five minutes of the episode (these are ten minute eps remember, so that's more than it sounds, and definitely way more than five minutes happened in the real timespan of the episode). He said a couple things at the very end, but spoke no real words in the conversations and battles (other than yelling "ow" that one time 😂).

Like?? Boom!Sonic isn't necessarily as talkative as Movie!Sonic or Prime!Sonic, but he doesn't often come across as "quiet," either. But...???

Like, several times in that period (which must've been hours, since the robot guy built a bunch of robot duplicates of them during that time) he was the only character who stayed quiet the whole time. He was paying attention to what was happening, but I kept expecting him to contribute or just say SOMETHING, and he just wouldn't. Not even when Tails said something to him. Several times someone gave him some type of instruction and he just nodded, without so much as a hum. He just stood there. His robot duplicate said something a couple times (or maybe just once, idk, but still).

I might be reading too much into it, but the thought was just interesting to me. I was trying to think of why he might've gone silent for that time, in context of the situation, and thought either maybe it was because it was a truly more serious situation, or maybe because he was actually hurt? And his being silent was the only tell that something was off? IDK!! Selective mutism, especially with Sonic, is very interesting to me. 😅

[bi-bard]

Theoretical - Nigel Imagine (Charlie Countryman)

Title: Theoretical

Pairing: Nigel X Reader

Word Count: 787 words

Warning(s): mentions of violence

Summary: (Y/n) and Nigel had an interesting habit of running into each other. Nigel thinks it's some kind of a sign. (Y/n) has other theories.

Author's Note: I found an excuse to ramble about psychology! Hell yeah! (Oh, if you didn't know, I'm a psych student)

Also, I don't know if I captured his character at all.

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

"We need to stop meeting like this, my dear."

I would've rolled my eyes at Nigel's comment if it wasn't for the wound in my arm.

"I've got you," he promised, helping me off the ground. "There you go. Let's get that taken care of."

We did have a tendency to meet like this. Somehow in a mess of action, Nigel and I would be found face-to-face. One of us usually hurt. I would help him get better. He would help me get better.

Over the course of our meetings, we grew closer.

I knew how I felt about him. His flirting seemed to make it very clear how he felt about me.

But there was enough happening. Our lives were much easier without relying on each other. No one needs a weak point. Why volunteer for it?

I kept my distance. I would shut him down whenever I needed to. Not harshly. Just firmly.

It all seemed to take a turn this time. It was different. I could tell.

I was sitting on a sink counter in a shitty motel room. Nigel was grabbing the first aid kit that I carried everywhere.

"Your commitment to this little first aid kit is almost admirable," he said as he walked into the bathroom.

"You say that like it doesn't get the job done," I muttered.

He grinned, chuckling at me, "I'm shocked you haven't run out of supplies."

"I keep it stocked just for our run-ins."

"How sweet," he replied. I rolled my eyes at him. "Maybe we could get better supplies if we just stayed together."

I scoffed.

"Move your shirt off of the wound," he instructed before I could respond with something sarcastic.

"There's this effect," I said as Nigel cleaned the wound on my arm. "Misattribution of arousal. Our bodies are sent into aroused states and then we see someone. Our brains associate that aroused state with the person, essentially ignoring the other cause."

"So, my attraction isn't attraction..."

"It's because we were just in a high-stress situation."

He hummed, "You're wrong."

"How so?"

"I feel the same emotions for you when we're not in 'high-stress' situations."

"Have we interacted outside of a high-stress situation," I chuckled.

"Have we not?"

I shook my head.

"Well, that's just no good then."

I scoffed as he finished wrapping my arm.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," I shrugged it off before looking down at my arm. "Thank you for your help. I'm gonna head home."

"Wait," he asked as I made my way to the door. "Do you really think all of this is just that misattribution thing?"

I paused, grinning, "I didn't say that."

He raised an eyebrow at me, a small smirk sitting on his face.

I sighed, "Humans are... horrendously complex. Every rule or effect has exceptions. Every social effect, every theory surrounding personality, all of it has gaps. Giving finite answers is almost impossible. I... I just simply can't give you a complete answer."

"I don't think it is."

Nigel walked over to me and grabbed my hand.

"What are the other causes of attraction?"

"Reward theory," I said. "We are usually more attracted to people we associate with good things. Rewarding experiences. We tend to go for people similar to us. There's actually very little evidence to support the 'opposites attract' thing. There are obvious like physical attractiveness. There's the mere exposure effect, granted that has exceptions- what are you doing?"

Nigel had stepped closer. He was close. Far too close. It made my heartbeat speed up.

"You son of a bitch," I scoffed, trying to play off any nervousness. "Try to make me ramble so you could get closer."

"I would never," he replied sarcastically. "Just wanted to find something to use against your misattribution of arousal theory."

"I did just say that I couldn't claim that's all there was."

"You are attracted to me."

I sighed, "Nigel-"

He cupped the sides of my face. Any comment or argument I had died on my tongue.

"I don't want any explanations or reasons or excuses," he muttered. "I want a chance."

"A chance?"

"A real chance."

I leaned in and kissed him gently. It was brief. Hesitant. Nigel seemed okay with that. At least that's the impression I got from his smile as I leaned back.

"I never thought you'd be a romantic," I muttered.

"Maybe you should let me prove you wrong."

I bit the inside of my cheek, "Maybe."

With that, I pulled the door to the room open and walked out. He didn't follow me or try to stop. He respected the 'maybe' because he knew that it meant he had a far better chance than he did a while ago.

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

Masterlist (Includes links to All Writing Challenges)

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[corallapis]

[spoilers for the dark path]

re: koschei's standing with the time lords prior to & during the dark path: he's definitely not a renegade yet!

“Yes… That’s something I’ve been meaning to ask: they allow you to wander around like this?” “Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Doctor?” Koschei shrugged. “They’ve never said anything untoward to me.”

of course, they are secretly keeping tabs on him through ailla, but as far as he's aware, he's still in good stead with them. ailla describes him multiple times as a “scholar” and gives it as his reason for travelling — presumably this is what he's considered as back home, too.

ailla has heard koschei been called “two-faced,” and explains she's been made to spy on him bc there are worries he's unstable:

The Doctor looked surprised. “What? You mean he doesn’t know you’re one of us?” “I was instructed not to tell him. I was placed on Earth to wait for Koschei. I was to make occasional reports on Koschei’s activities. There was some doubt over his stability, but everything I’ve seen shows him to be the most level-headed man I know. Or at least, he was.” The Doctor’s face was a mask of horror. “What was I supposed to do? Tell all and get hauled up in front of a tribunal? Stay on Earth with its food riots and constant wars? It seemed sensible enough at the time.”

koschei is surprised when all this is revealed, not only over ailla's betrayal, but what this means about how the time lords view him:

“What’s happened?” Koschei repeated in a murmur, knowing the Doctor would hear him nonetheless. “My people mistrust me; [...]”

he only describes himself as a renegade (by saying “you are a renegade from our people too” to the doctor) after ailla has been exposed, things have gone off the rails, and it's clear there's no turning back if his plan succeeds. he removes a part of his tardis that allows remote control from the time lords, which clearly indicates that he wasn't on the run before this point:

Koschei then opened an inspection panel on the console, and physically tore out a chunk of crystal which had delicate circuits embedded in it. “Just so they don’t get any ideas about dragging me home.” He dropped the crystal to the floor, and smashed it with his heel. “I will go back when I’m ready, and not before.”

anyway, the lines that got me thinking about this were these, which occur after the aforementioned going off the rails:

“Koschei’s trying to incorporate the Darkheart into his TARDIS, to give him the ability to directly alter Time. We have to destroy the whole complex.” “That’s what we were se— That’s what we think we came here for in the first place.” The Doctor clasped his hands and looked rather smug. “I rather thought so…”

i took that “we were se—” as sent, as in the time lords have sent them to destroy the darkheart. it's possible that koschei was a cia agent (though if that were the case, why the subterfuge with ailla, why the description as a scholar?) or otherwise working for the time lords, but there isn't much to indicate this in the rest of the book. from everything else, it seems that koschei and ailla encounter a temporal distortion and their tardis is drawn off-course, and so they investigate, just like the doctor & co. koschei and ailla certainly don't know what the darkheart is until they start snooping. there is the possibility that the time lords have sent them to deal with this temporal distortion without informing them, by overriding koschei's tardis, as happens to the doctor in colony in space. perhaps koschei suspects this and had had a conversation about it with ailla, who secretly knows that's indeed true (hence the dialogue above)? that's the most sensible conclusion i've come to, though i'm still a bit baffled, as if that's the case it's blink-and-you-miss-it in the text. if anyone has any other theories, i'd be glad to hear them.

[ilovecupcakesandtea]

Chapter 1 Chapter 6

Eddie wasn't sure how he was going to get through the day. They'd got home too late yesterday to do anything but bring things into the house and set Nova's pack and play up in the master bedroom. A room that Steve insisted Eddie took so that he had more room for him and Nova. As well as a bigger ensuite bathroom for a changing table. But as they started to put things together and move things around into various rooms Eddie couldn't help but notice, and appreciate, how Steve's muscles moved under the thin t-shirt he wore as he did, well, anything really. 

This latest one was absolutely going to kill Eddie off though, he was sure of it. Steve putting together a crib, that he'd ran out and picked up first thing whilst Eddie fed Nova, meant that not only was he using his hands, bending and twisting to get into position, he was doing it for a baby that wasn't his and he'd really only known a few days. 

"I erm, " Eddie spluttered as Steve bent over heavily to tighten a screw up, "need a drink" he practically shouted as he ran from the room. Walking to the kitchen he took a few deep breaths and thought the most unsexy thoughts he could think off to help his situation. 

Coming back into the room with two glasses of water and a bottle of water made up for Nova Eddie dropped the bottle. Steve was there checking over the instructions, topless. A slight sheen of sweat running over chest and his hair a little messier than normal. This had to be the end, he'd clearly fallen and hit his head, there was absolutely no way this was Eddie's life. 

He put the glasses down, picked the bottle up, wiped it and handed it to Nova. 

“Eddie?” Steve asked, voice slightly raised. “Earth to Eddie!”

"Yes, hi, sorry" Eddie squeaked out before clearing his throat, "here's some water" he said, thrusting a glass of water at Steve. 

“Thanks. You alright? I called your name like three times.” 

"Yeah, I'm ok, sorry. Just spaced out for a second" had he really been that out of it? Had Steve noticed him staring? 

“Anyway,” Steve said, sounding like he didn’t quite believe Eddie. “Someone is at the door. Could you answer it while I try to finish this up?” 

"Someone's at the door?" Eddie questioned. "Someone's at the door, yes I shall go and answer it. Promptly." He said walking out of the bedroom. Stopping to take a second on his way down the stairs to bang his head on the wall. "Stupid Eddie, going to ruin everything" he muttered to himself 

Answering the door Eddie was greeted with the sight of Dustin, Will, Mike and Lucas on the other side. 

"Eddie?!" Dustin said surprised. 

"Last time I checked, that's me. What's up? You guys after Steve? He's currently busy." Eddie replied. 

"Well yes but you're good enough" Mike cut in before Dustin could speak. 

"Tone mini Wheeler. Now what can I do for you gentleman and Mike." 

"We, erm, heard there's a baby? Kind of wanted to know about their sudden appearance is all" Will spoke. 

"There is infact a baby, yes. What about them?" Eddie asked, raising his eyebrow. 

"Dude! You didn't tell us you even had a partner nevermind a pregnant one! Who's is it?! That weird chick that speaks to you at lunch sometimes? The girl from the record store that fancies you?" Dustin rambled, listing off potential baby moms off on his fingers. 

"She's not mine, chill out 'kay." Eddie spoke loudly to cut Dustin off, "she's my sister. My loser of a sperm donor decided he didn't want a kid, again, so I've taken her in." 

"Why did we have to find out about her through Steve and my mom" Mike asked, clearly pissed. 

"Because she's a baby! I was busy taking care of her and working to make sure I can look after her. Why did you turn up here if you were surprised to see me here?" Eddie questioned. 

"Steve picked up baby stuff thought, he'd know what was going on," Dustin shrugged.

"Well now you all know what's going on ok. Look, we're busy right now. Me and Nova moved in with Steve, because he has more room and he offered, but today is the first day. Give us a few days and you can come and meet her, ok?" 

"That's absolutely fine, isn't it guys, come on, let's go!" Will said, grabbing the other two by their wrists and moving them away from the door. 

"I'll drop you all messages when we're settled ok, bye!" Eddie shouted after them before heading inside. 

Steve is standing in front of the sink, sleeves rolled up as he washes the dishes from lunch when there’s a knock on the door. They had finished unpacking the last of Nova and Eddie’s stuff before having lunch, planning to relax for the rest of the day. It had been a busy couple of days and Steve just wanted to rest. If it was the damn kids again wanting something, well they’d just have to get over it and try again another day. He wouldn’t normally be so set on telling them no. Opening the door he found his neighbor Susan, hair perfectly curled, make up done, and dressed for a night out with a large container in hand.

“Hey Steve. I noticed you had someone moving in and I thought I’d bring over some cookies to welcome them to the neighborhood.” Susan offered with a smile.

“Yeah sure that’s why you brought cookies.” Steve mumbled.

“What?” Susan asked, confused.

“Nothing. Thanks, that was nice of you.” Steve replied flatly, not even trying to hide how annoyed he was by her presence. He was trying to think of a way to get her to leave before she had the chance to flirt when he felt Eddie coming up behind him. Exactly what he was hoping to avoid, knowing Susan just wanted to flirt with the new guy in the neighborhood since Steve was never responsive.

"What can I smell? Something smells wonderful!" Eddie asked as soon as he was behind Steve "How rude of me, I'm Eddie" he said smiling at Susan and holding his hand out for a shake. 

“I’m Susan.” She replied, shaking Eddie’s hand while looking him up and down. “I noticed you moving in and thought I’d bring over some cookies and welcome you to the neighborhood.” handing Eddie the container.

"Oooo! Cookies! I love cookies, thank you, I'll go put these in the kitchen and check on the terror, see if she's up from her nap yet" he said cheerfully skipping off. 

“Yeah, thanks Susan. See ya around.” Steve said harshly as he shut the door, not wanting for a response or for her to start walking away. “God, I can’t stand her.” He huffed once he caught up with Eddie on his way upstairs.

"Why?" Eddie questioned through a mouth full of food. "These are amazing," he said, offering Steve a bite. 

“Why? Seriously? Could you not figure out the real reason she was here offering her shitty baked goods?” Steve grumbled.

"What reason? She was just being welcoming" Eddie shrugged. 

“Welcoming? Wow. Yeah, no. Did you not notice her checking you out?” Steve asked as his voice got louder. He couldn’t help it. Susan just got under his skin so easily, flirting with some guy she’d just met without knowing if he was even single. 

"She was checking me out?" Eddie said, sounding shocked.'"Is she single? Think I stand a chance?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Yes she was. I really don’t know how you missed that.” Steve said. “She’s married but that doesn’t stop her from trying to flirt with any guy she sees.”

"Breaking my heart here Stevie" Eddie cried out, clutching his chest. "Are you telling me I'm not special?" He asked, getting into Steve's space. 

“To her? Not even a little. She still tries that shit on me sometimes. I don’t know how you’re eating that. Anything she’s ever made has always been horrible.” 

"These are quite nice," Eddie shrugged. 

"Your taste buds must be broken then. They're all yours though. Don't have to worry about sharing with me." Steve said, storming off to the kitchen as Eddie went to check on Nova. Susan always seemed to think that all she had to do was bring some guy her shitty baked goods and she could flirt with him, probably hoping to get somewhere with them too. It always annoyed Steve but now that she was starting with Eddie he was pissed. Eddie had moved into his house. For all she knew they were together, not that it would have stopped her anyway.

Steve got everything he needed to make an apple pie. Sometimes he would bake if he got bored enough and take it to work so he always kept the ingredients for some of his favorites around just in case. How would Susan feel if Steve turned things around, brought over this pie and tried to hit on her husband? She was going to eat this stupid pie and realize that she wasn’t going to win over Steve with her baking or use it to take Eddie from him. Not that Eddie was his or anything but she didn’t need to know that. 

When Steve had pulled the pie out of the oven Eddie had wandered into the kitchen sniffing the air. Steve just glared at Eddie until he left. He let the pie cool while he wrote a note to go with it. He’d considered knocking on the door and actually talking to her but he didn’t really want to hear her annoying voice anymore than he had to. The pie went into a container with the note taped on top. Steve set it down on the door mat, knocked on the door, and walked away. He didn’t wait to see if one of them answered, or even turn around to check. Hopefully they’d be seeing a lot less of Susan.

Susan,

You really should find out if a man is taken before you start flirting with him. Does Allen know what you do with the things you bake? Does he know you use them to try and hit on other men? I doubt you’d want him to find out so I suggest you leave what’s mine alone.

ps. This is what actual good baking tastes like. You should be glad I don’t do the same as you. I’m sure Allen will like the pie.

Steve

The sound of footsteps on the stairs has Steve reaching under his bed for the baseball bat he keeps there. He doesn’t get the chance to try and wake up as he slowly opens his door and quietly goes down the stairs, brain still foggy from sleep. Once he made it to the bottom of the stairs he noticed the kitchen light turn on followed by the sound of opening cabinets. What Steve saw when he made it to the kitchen doorway had him freezing in place for two reasons. One being that in the fog of sleep he’d forgotten that he no longer lived alone so there was another reason for noises in the house besides a possible break in. Second, he needed a minute to process the sight in front him. 

Eddie was standing there, heating up water on the stove. The problem was what he was wearing, sweatpants that sat obscenely low and nothing else. Eddie had absolutely no clue what he was doing to Steve’s poor brain, standing there shirtless with all his tattoos on display.

“Steve, what’s with the bat man?” Eddie asked.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I just heard noises and woke up. Guess I kinda forgot you were here.” Steve apologized as he set the bat down against the kitchen door frame.

"Always good to know I'm missed when I'm not physically there" Eddie laughed. 

Nova spent a couple of weeks sharing the master bedroom with Eddie until he was absolutely sure she was settled enough in her routine to be in her own room. The baby monitor with a camera, a mat that alerted to anything wrong with breathing, a gift from Auntie Nancy and a sock that tracked vitals, a gift from a paranoid Auntie Robin that had read to many things online, did nothing to stop that panic that rose in Eddie's chest as he lay awake. Nova had cried at first when left but had quickly settled when reunited with 'bun' and had been asleep since. 

He looked over at the Alexa display on his bedside table and noted it was 2am. Maybe just a quick check would help calm him, he thought as he got out of bed, slipping a shirt on and walking to her bedroom door. 

It wasn’t his kid Steve kept telling himself. He wanted so badly to go check on Nova but he didn’t want to over step. Eddie had a way of making sure she was ok but all Steve could do was sit in his room and wonder. It was her first night in her room all by herself and he couldn’t stop worrying. Eddie hadn’t slept in a different room from her before, would he wake up when she cried or was he a deep sleeper? He wanted to ask Eddie for a monitor for his room too but Eddie had been so reluctant to even accept the offer of living with Steve that he wasn’t sure if that would be too much.

Maybe he could quietly go check on her without waking Eddie up. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Steve slowly got out of bed and made his way to his bedroom door, avoiding the floor boards he knew would squeak. He tiptoed his way to a few feet away from Nova’s door when he stopped, noticing Eddie making his way to check on her as well. Could he turn around and head back without being noticed? Right as Steve was about to turn around he made eye contact with Eddie. Well fuck, so much for not being spotted. 

Eddie thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye as he reached to open Nova’s door. Steve was slowly creeping towards him but stopped when Eddie looked at him. Had he been just as worried as Eddie? He offered Steve a smile and waved for him to follow once he opened the door. They stopped in front of Nova’s crib to find her fast asleep and her arm still wrapped around bun.

Looking over at Steve it was hard to read the look on his face as anything but loving. This man not only invited them to live here but now it was written all over his face how much he cared for this baby that wasn’t even his. How was Eddie supposed to deal with this? How was he supposed to watch Steve care for this kid he wasn’t really responsible for and not fall in love with him? He couldn’t mess this up for Nova. He’d find a way to move past his feelings.

[narratingvoice]

from one to ten how silly do you think all of the fans are

Dreadfully silly, of course. But mostly in a good way. Have you seen some of the interpretations of myself that people have created? They've drawn me as a kitty, a pony, a very silly bird, and even a fern! And Stanley too has been rendered into all kinds of fantastical forms. How whimsical! I love seeing how the human mind can wander off into far reaches of the imagination, even if it doesn't make any sense in the context of the canon they're working from. How would Stanley complete the game if he was a pony? He wouldn't be able to climb the stairs, that's for sure! Oh, I'm giggling again just thinking about it.

I used to be much harsher on that sort of thing, you know. Back in 2013 when the original Parable came out, I hated the idea of anyone making jokes and japes out of my game. It was supposed to be a very serious story that I poured my whole soul into, after all. I even had a serious room to deposit players who weren't taking the experience seriously enough. But apparently it wasn't serious enough, because they still disregarded my clear instructions as often as possible, often for incredibly silly reasons like seeing what happens if you jump off the cargo lift. More than that, they started creating fan works that mainly revolved around me kissing Stanley, and this made me scratch my head. Why would I kiss Stanley in the middle of the story? I do that on my own private time. And how did they even know about that??

But as the years went on, I've slowly learned - and this has been one of the hardest lessons to learn in my life - that it's not meant as a slight against me. It's not about me at all. It's about my fans expressing themselves, adding their own unique voice to my work. I can't stay mad at that. It's a true expression of the essence of divine art! And more importantly for me, it drives engagement with my game and ultimately increases sales. So thank you, and also you all need to thank me for being such a huge inspiration on you. Let's keep the artistic symbiosis going as long as possible.

Oh right, but you wanted a number. Well as tempted as I am to rate the fandom a perfect ten out of ten, I think there's a number that most effectively encapsulates the silliness. A number that has given me no end of headaches going all the way back to the demo. That number, of course, is....