#i’d just wander around the house like a zombie. i couldn’t think. couldn’t figure out what to do.

[eenochian]

i found a song that i listened to the night before my family had to put one of my cats to sleep and now i am just. sitting here crying. fuckin hate it here man.

[thesunicarusfellfor]

The neither route was amazing! If you ever get ideas for it pls continue because i found it really interesting. You are a great writer.

Okay! This route actually made me very happy, but unfortunately, as much as I wanted to write it, I didn't know how exactly to do it? If that makes sense?

Context is HERE- The very end of the story is the Neither route.

TW: Anxiety, mentioned nightmares, mentioned Tubbo threatening Ranboo, guilt

I would also like to say that cuddling is platonic.

Left The Game (Plat!C!Ranboo x GN!Reader x Parental!C!Philza) Headcanon/Fic (Part 3???)

Ranboo Beloved joined the game.

(Y/n) (L/n) joined the game.

Michael Underscore-Beloved joined the game.

You and Ranboo tumbled out of the swirling portal and hit the ground with a hard thud, dirt and sand kicking up around you both upon impact.

Before you could comprehend what happened, a small squeal came from behind you and something slammed into your back, causing a groan to pull itself from your chest.

The monochrome male mumbled from beside you, his face practically buried in the grass which caused his words to be muffled.

His crown had rolled a few feet away, and his bags had opened as well, sending a few of his tools scattering, but everything seemed to be intact?

You slurred a mess of words before spitting out the sand that had gathered up in your mouth, attempting to tell the tall male that you were alive.

At least somewhat.

You both knew that you three had to drag yourselves into Phil's house, but the travel was so exhausting. Sleeping in the dirt sounded so tempting...

A quiet whine sounded from the weight on your back, reminding you that Michael had also come into the server with you.

When Ranboo got up, he picked the zombie piglin up from where he sat on your back, allowing you to get up.

You both, plus Michael who was resting on Ranboo's hip, began to pick up everything that had dropped out of the portal with you.

Once everything was gathered up, you three wandered through the iron doors of Philza's home and looked around curiously.

Two cats, one named Pog and one named Champ, came up to you both, chirping and meowing eagerly before pausing suddenly. They most likely expected Phil...

Michael gave a loud squealing noise at the sight of the cats and squirmed out of Ranboo's hold, running over to pet the cats.

Ranboo set off to find food in the chests, scribbling in his memory book the entire time.

You, on the other hand, dug through your bags to find materials you had brought to make three beds. One yellow, one grey and the other (f/c).

Once you placed each of them beside each other, Michael eagerly hopped into the middle one (the yellow one), while Ranboo walked over with plates of steamed carrots and baked potatoes.

"Stressed?" He mumbled softly, watching you stare down at your wrist where the tattoo of a heart with deep grooves in the center rested. The exact place the three hearts tattoos were, "I-I know, it's going to be a little different... But... Maybe it's a good different! ...Please, eat something and then get some sleep. Phil will check on us in the morning, and you know how he can get..."

With a smile, he handed you the plate and a fork before sitting on the floor at the foot of the beds with his own plate. Luckily he had given Michael a golden apple before he had gone to look for food, so the child was quietly drifting off to sleep, "Do... You really think that running was the best option?" You whispered, taking a bite of the vegetables.

"I... What else could we have done?" He frowned, setting his crown beside him before taking a bite of his own food, "We couldn't fight them... and they were definitely not going to let you go so easily. Hell... Tubbo... My own fiance was threatening to kill me because I was talking to you and caring for your burns!" He hissed, tilting his head back with his eyes pinched shut tightly, trying so hard not to cry.

You quickly walked over and moved his plate so it rested on his bed and you wrapped your arms around him tightly. The enderman hybrid eagerly returned the hug, crying into your shoulder so the fabric of your clothes soaked up his tears, "Should... I have just... Accepted their love, and maybe learn to love them back? For everyone's sake?" You whispered, your voice wavering as you tried to keep your composure.

"Absolutely not!" He yanked himself back from your shoulder to give you a glare, "That relationship would not have been healthy whether you loved either of them or not! They would've kept you locked away like a prized possession, and they would've severely hurt anyone who tried to interact with you!"

"I- I know... But..." You glanced down, but Ranboo tilted your head upwards so you were looking at him, but you still avoided eye contact so it didn't make him uncomfortable, "Your... Your relationship..."

Ranboo sighed, "I know. But, I'd rather that he showed me his true colours and I divorced him again for that, rather than him manipulating someone into loving him... and putting everyone else in danger in response. Now. We have a lot to do tomorrow. Finish eating and get some sleep."

The next morning, Philza practically slammed open the iron doors to his own house, looking a tad bit out of breath and a bit frazzled.

Once he saw you, Michael and Ranboo curled up in a small cuddle pile on the three different coloured beds, he gave a loud sigh of relief and adjusted his striped bucket hat.

Thankfully, the father of Minecraft let you three sleep for a little while before waking you and Ranboo up around noon.

First, he gave you both spare elytra's and so you could keep up with his massive black avian wings.

Ranboo's turned into massive black and purple dragon wings, while yours turned into (f/c) (f/a) wings.

Phil showed you both the end realm and his Endlantis, which he gave Ranboo special water protection potions so he could swim through the waters as well.

This man basically treated you three as if you were his own children!

Taught you how to fly.

Taught you how to cook properly.

Everything!

And basically survive with bare minimums.

Once you both got better at flying, a few months later, Philza rEAAALLY wanted to take you to the massive project he called Nether Void.

"Ready, mates?" Philza walked over and ruffled the hair on both your and Ranboo's heads with a soft smile, somehow unbothered by the blistering heat of the hellscape, "Double check your potions, armour durability and food supply."

Ranboo mostly stopped wearing his crown because it had problems staying on when he flew and because it had a lot of memories tied to it, so he didn't want it damaged. He had also stopped wearing his tux, instead, he wore plain black pants and a white ruffled poet shirt with a purple short cape that had a golden trim and gold chains, which was a gift from Philza.

You on the other hand wore something similar but with a(n) (f/c) poet shirt and a(n) (f/c) and gold cape. Your cape was also a gift from the fatherly figure as well, and so was the (f/c) infinity scarf type fabric wrapped around your shoulder over your chest that helped you carry and protect Michael as you flew, "Yep, we're ready to go, Mr. Dadza Minecraft!" You gave him a mock salute with a smile as he laughed.

Ranboo checked on Michael who was nibbling on a golden apple before he helped put the zombie piglin child into your scarf carrier, "Yeah, everyone seems safe!" He chirped softly as he adjusted his cape to spread his wings, shaking them out a bit in the heat of the lava.

"Let's go!" You cheered softly once you made sure Michael was 100% secure and wouldn't fall out somehow, "Food is stocked up and in my bag, as well as Regen and Health pots, and a first aid kit and two extra totems."

Philza gave you a proud father smile and took off first, hovering in the air for a few seconds as he waited for both of you to catch up. Thankfully, he knew very well that you both likely would never be able to catch up to his skill in flying as he had been born with massive feathered wings hundreds of years ago. You and Ranboo had never been into the air until a few months ago. Once you both caught up, he took off and soared through the burning hot nether.

Phil loved telling you both the stories of the lands. The Blaze Empress who lived in the Quartress, the foolish Ender King...

You and Ranboo always listened to his stories with such eagerness, often asking him to retell the stories when you were having a bad day or just wanted to relax.

The elder male actually greatly enjoyed having two children to raise again, even if he didn't have the best track record with sane children.

When he did leave to go to the DreamSMP, he would always promise you both that he would be safe and NEVER left without saying goodbye, even if he was angry or upset with either one of you.

He never wants his last words to someone to be filled with anger or hatred.

Somedays he would go to the SMP, you and Ranboo would not leave the house, just out of fear that he wouldn't come back, or that Tubbo and Tommy would come out instead of Phil.

Both you and Ranboo were plagued by nightmares very often for the first few weeks and woke up in tears in the middle of the night.

As old as Phil was, he had absolutely no problems comforting either of you in the middle of the night, same with Ranboo.

"Here mates..." He whispered softly as he handed you a hot beverage and gave Ranboo a grass block, "You're safe here... I promise. I would have to allow either of them into the server, and that would never happen... Especially now that I know what kind of people my sons are..."

You sighed and put your hand on Ranboo's back as he sobbed into your shoulder, using the fabric of his shirt to dry his tears before they burned his skin, "I know... I know... There's just the overwhelming fear that suddenly I'll wake up and I'll be back in the SMP and-and..." You decided not to finish your sentence, nuzzling into Ranboo's hair to try and keep yourself calm.

"Last I checked... Techno scared them off from the Tundra... But I haven't been in Snowchester or near the Embassy enough to know what Tubbo and Tommy are doing. But Ghostbur said that Tubbo has gone absolutely nuts... And Sam had to steal the nukes so Tubbo wouldn't destroy anything else... He also said Tommy on the other hand hasn't done anything except visit Dream in prison constantly."

Ranboo gave a shaky sigh and glanced over at Michael, most likely extremely happy that he brought his child along so he didn't have to deal with a psychotic Tubbo... Hell, he didn't know what would've happened to his kid if he did leave him. The thought caused him to give a small sob and hide his face again, holding onto you tighter and practically pulling your smaller form into his lap, trying to silently promise you safety and using you to remind him that he wasn't alone.

"We... we can't thank you enough, Phil... Really... You taught us so many life skills, kept us safe and promised us a safe haven... Allowed us to your private server..." You whispered, before feeling the warm cup being taken from your hand before a hand replaced it.

"Honestly... It's the least I can do to protect you both... You two have become two children to me, and, while I haven't been able to raise you from children like Techno, Wil and Tommy..." He didn't continue his sentence, struggling to form sentences, but both you and Ranboo understood and were quick to yank him into your little cuddle pile/hug, the two of you eagerly hugging him.

"Thank you... Dadza..."

[yoongi-sugaglider]

Daegu Quarantine

Jungkook x reader

Gang/ zombie apocalypse au

Warnings:

Gore, violence, zombies, mention of drugs and drug dealing, weapons discharge in self defense, main character death, zombies, course language, zombies, drinking, did I mention zombies?

Summary:

They were the top of their game, known throughout the city as the smartest and most dangerous crew to ever hit the Daegu streets. But what’s going to happen when this group of young men encounter something right out of a horror film?

Word count: 2640

Part 15===Part 16===Part 17

The next handful of days became a blur of activity. Well, more so for the others than for me.

Hoseok and I had been ordered to strict bedrest, which only one of us actually took seriously. While I sat in bed most of the day, watching movies on my laptop or vegging out on as many snacks as I could convince Jeanette to bring me, Hoseok on the other hand snuck by Jimin as often as possible to help the boys with various projects around the house.

The only reason I even found out is because every few hours I’d hear Jimin fussing at him all the way up the stairs and back to the bodyguard’s bedroom.

I sat with Jeanette, Rose, and Jimin one afternoon, chatting away with them while Jimin checked my leg wound when Jungkook wandered into the bedroom, a stoic look on his face as he sat at his computer desk and turned to stare blankly at my injured leg.

“Something on your mind boss?” Jimin asked as he cinched the bandage tight and turned to begin putting his tools away in his bag.

“Mmm…” 

The noncommittal sound drew my attention and I frowned at him, worry creasing my forehead as I reached my hand over to the small throw pillow I’d been using to prop up my injured leg.

“Oi! Earth to Jeon!” I yelled, tossing the pillow overhand at him. He caught it midair, never breaking eye contact with my leg as he tossed it onto the floor beside him.

“We can’t let Eun Kwang get away with this…” He muttered, the stoic look dissolving into a frown when he finally met my eyes.

“We’ve talked about this Kookie. There’s no point to trying to retaliate. We have no idea where they’re holed up. Nor how many of them there are or what kind of fire power they’re packing.” I leaned forward, pulling my pajama pant leg down and leaning back into the headboard.

“If we had even a sliver of that information…”

“Jungkook please…” I whispered, eyes pleading with him to drop it.

He growled, shoving his way out of the chair and to his feet. Fists clenched at his sides he glared at me, though the moment didn’t last long as his gaze softened.

I shook my head, nodding to Jeanette and Rose. “We have far too much on the line to risk even one of us getting dropped because of some half thought out revenge scheme. Jungkook, going out there would be suicide.”

“You wouldn’t leave a girl widowed before you’ve even gotten a chance to marry her boss, would ya?” Jimin’s quiet words seemed to do the trick.

Jungkook stared at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape as if he’d had half a mind to argue with the words from the wise doctor. But after a moment of fish bowling he shut his mouth, shaking his head with a resigned sigh.

“No...you’re both right. It’s hot headed and foolishness that’d get me killed before I even made it halfway there.” He bowed his head for a moment, eyes closed as he inhaled slowly.

“See, Tae said you were a smart man.” Rose grinned at him, standing from the bed and patting him on his arm. “Come on bud, let’s get some food in ya. I bet you haven’t eaten all day have ya?”

I snorted at the two, waving them off and thanking Jimin for his hard work. The room quickly cleared out, leaving just me and Jeanette to ruminate in our thoughts for a bit while I shifted around in bed trying to find a comfortable spot to mope in.

“Hey y/n?” Came the whispered voice of Jeanette, causing me to pause in my movements.

“What’s up?” A smile came to my lips as I watched the timid woman worrying at the hem of her shirt.

“Well umm… I was talking to Jin this morning while we worked on breakfast...about the pantry and stuff?”

I nodded as she paused, motioning for her to continue when she glanced over to me with a look of worry.

“Well, it’s just that… Yes, we have an amazing pantry. MRE’s keep for ages and so do canned goods. But like...wouldn’t it be nice to have fresh produce?” When I remained silent and smiling at her words her face lit up.

She began talking faster, turning in place to sit cross legged before me. She pulled the pillow I’d discarded earlier into her lap to protect the tiny protrusion of her belly as she spoke at length about her plans.

“Since there aren’t that many of us it wouldn’t have to be that big at first. And of course it would take a while for anything to grow. But just imagine, come fall we could have all kinds of amazing fresh veggies. Corn, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. I could even manage cucumbers and watermelon if we could find things for the vines to climb.”

I leaned forward, taking her hands in mine and running my thumbs reassuringly across the ridges of her knuckles as she spoke, watching the idea grow bigger and bigger within her. The passion in her voice alone had me picturing the enclosed area, teaming with life and greenery and her tiny plump form tending to the plants as she coo’d at them as if they were her own children.

As she began outlining plans for bird proof netting she paused though, mouth curved into a gentle O of surprise and if I didn’t know any better, fear as her head whipped to the door to stare at Yoongi who’d been watching us...well her, talk this whole time.

“Oh...Yoongi I…” She bowed her head, seeming to shrink in on herself as if seeing the man had taken the wind out of her sails.

“Go on…” He whispered, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe with an encouraging smile.

“It’s just….Jin told me to ask Hoseok, who pointed me to Jungkook, who told me to ask you...and well.”

“Jeanette…” My smile only grew when her gaze finally mine. Hope began shining in her eyes and it seemed that the entirety of her frame lit up with our shared excitement.

“I love the idea. Honestly. We can get Namjoon to draw up your plans. He’s basically a genius so I’m sure he could engineer it to be the second safest place in Daegu. And since we’ve been having issues with Hoseok sitting still for long enough, he can be on duty for helping you till the soil or anything else that you might need.”

“I’ll be there to help as well…”

I glanced over to Yoongi and he grinned at the shocked look on my face.

“All of my end of things is done. You can’t exactly expect me to sit on my thumbs while cleaning my weapons all day now can you?”

Jeanette giggled at his words, gingerly lifting herself from the bed and smoothing out the black YG shirt that drowned her figure, another of Yoongi’s favorite shirts.

“Thank you y/n. Really I mean it. I was worried that I wasn’t able to contribute enough to everything that was going on and well...with this…”

“Hey now, we talked about this.” Yoongi walked over, wrapping her in a side hug and tracing his fingers down the bare skin of her arm. “You’re doing plenty enough. Between laundry and helping Jin cook all the meals?”

“Exactly.” I chimed in, shifting to my side a bit so I could send her a less pained smile. “Nobody in this house thinks you’re a burden in any way. And if they even think it I’ll tell Jungkook to beat them up on the spot.”

Yoongi snickered, sending me another grin. “He’d do it too, no questions asked. So don’t worry your pretty little head about it, yeah?”

She nodded after a moment’s hesitation.

“Well, alright then. It’s settled.” He began steering her towards the door, shooting me one last grateful smile. “Let’s get those plans started on. Let the boss lady get herself some rest.

As my bedroom door shut behind them, I couldn’t help but to wonder when and how they’d gotten so close.

***

By dinner time I’d managed to convince Jimin to let me down to the basement. Everyone was off doing their own thing and frankly sitting alone to eat in the bedroom again had made me so nauseous just thinking about it that I’d almost opted to skip dinner all together. But he’d seen the desperate plea in my eyes and relented, barring that I allowed Jungkook to carry me down there.

I sat with Taehyung and Rose, munching away at my meal as I watched them giggle over stories they shared of when they’d first met.

“It was a coding nightmare. I’d only been working for the main office for two months when they put his case in my lap. Some young kid that’d managed to bully his way into the Seoul Police department’s criminal database and posted all of the corrupt politicians with arrest warrants and speeding ticket fees to every news site that he could get his grubby little hands on.” Rose cackled, throwing her head back as her entire body shook with the force of her laugh.

“Hey! That was some of my best work!” Taehyung pouted, tossing a wayward green bean in her direction and causing her to snort harder.

“Best work? You had everything so scrambled from that little backdoor snipe that it took their tech department 2 years to set everything straight.” She shook her head, popping the betrayed green bean in her mouth before tossing one of her own in his direction.

He caught it in his mouth easily, smirking all the while before continuing his rant. “It was the art job that did me in.”

“Art job?” I leaned forward, almost instantly regretting the movement when a rib shifted and sent a spike of pain shooting through my chest.

“Shit, you good?” Tae asked, looking as if he was half way to dropping everything to come to my rescue.

I waved him off, shoving a hand over the cursed injury and grinning despite the pain.

“I’m fine. Now come on, tell me about the art job!”

Rose snorted, placing her plate beside her and leaning back on her hands to give Tae a coy smile. “It was why I call him Art Nerd. He decided it would be a good idea to hack into the archives of one of the biggest art museums in the world.”

“You wouldn’t believe it!” Tae tossed up his hands, all angst and agitation as he stood abruptly and began pacing the room. “Of all the places you would think that would be trustworthy about their pieces and whether they were authentic or not. The Louvre!!” He paused in his pacing, pointing angrily to his computer before spinning on his heels to scowl at me when I began snickering.

“Did you know…” He paused, stalking closer and bending forward to glare in my face, “that 87% of all the art in the Louvre is fake?”

I gasped, feigning shock at the revelation.

“That’s right! It’s a travesty! They spit on the names of the greatest artists to have ever walked the face of this planet!” He growled, turning from me to begin pacing again. “The nerve of those imbeciles. Displaying Van Gogh forgeries as if they were the real deal.”

“Needless to say when he tried to tell the world what he found out he got caught.” Rose shook her head, picking at the last of her mashed potatoes with her fork.

She glanced over at me, sly smile broadening into a full grin.

“Did you know he was wanted in 27 countries for that little debacle?”

“Tae!!!” I gasped, eyes wide as I stared at him in awe.

He shrugged, literally beaming at this point with pride though he tried to play it off as bashfulness.

Rose pointed behind me and I shifted around to stare.

“Wait…” My eyes widened with equal parts horror and pride as I whipped my head around to glare at Taehyung. “Tae...you didn’t!!”

This time he couldn’t disguise the pride. He bounded around the sofa, skidding to a stop before what I had previously thought was just a bunch of band posters. There, hanging on the wall was what Tae had told us long ago was a quilt that his grandmother had given him.

He’d sworn that he’d remove the hands of anyone who ever dared touch it. Hell he’d chased Jungkook halfway to downtown Daegu once for nudging it with his shoulder during one of the boy’s many playful basement wrestling matches. But as he slowly and reverently lifted the blanket I quickly realized the real reason why he treasured it so much. Right there on the wall, hanging between two trashy band posters was…

“Tae is that Starry Night?? Like… the actual real fucking deal Starry Night?????” I screeched.

“I couldn’t help it. When I found out they’d hung it between two forgeries I just knew I had to save it.” He lovingly traced his fingers above the protective glass, never actually touching it but making the motions nonetheless.

Rose muttered behind me, snickering into her hand as Tae dropped the quilt back into place and turned to frown at her.

“What was that Jangmi?” he growled, his already baritone voice dropping as he walked back to stand over her.

She squeaked, shrinking back as he crouched down and lifted her chin with a single finger so that she was forced to look him in the eyes.

“I said...I...hnnggg…” The brilliant blush rushing to her cheeks had me bursting with laughter, gripping my sides as I pressed myself into the sofa.

“Damn you two are adorable.” I wheezed, wiping at my tears as I watched the two hackers spring apart as if they’d forgotten I was there.

Tae gathered up our dishes, muttering to himself all the while as he disappeared upstairs. But not before I spotted his own crimson cheeked grin.

“Huh…” Rose muttered. I returned my attention to her, realizing quickly that she was now staring at the security feed pulled up on the tv before us.

“What’s up?” I asked, eyes darting over the various live images before settling on one that showed Jeanette and Seokjin talking in the area they’d decided would be the future garden.

“I thought I saw something.” Came Rose’s absent minded reply. She clicked on the video I’d been watching, bringing it up to fill the screen and squinting at a corner of the shed beside the unaware pair.

“Are you sure?” I whispered, straining to make anything out in the depths of the shadows.

“Maybe not… Tae’s better at security monitoring than I am… Let me just…”

She began typing rapidly, a series of commands appearing on screen before a top down view of the area appeared.

“Is that…”

“A live satellite view, yeah. I figured, I’ve got access to them, why not use them…” She clicked again, zooming in rapidly before suddenly screaming. “Oh shit! There’s chatterers outside the fucking gates!”

“The fuck did you just say!?”

We both screamed as Jungkook charged around the sofa, appearing as if from nowhere and grabbing Rose’s arm in a death grip.

“What do you mean there’s chatterers outside the gates?” Jungkook glared at Rose, the hardened criminal in him causing her to cower as far back as his grip would allow her.

“Kook…”

“I’m sorry okay! I was wondering what it was that I’d seen in the backyard, and when I switched to the satellite feed I saw them. It’s at least 30 of them. Jungkook, we’re surrounded!”

[maryellencarter]

jesus christ it's 1am

so okay, back on election night, ursula vernon et alia were streaming "seven days to die". this is a game where you start out in your underwear in the wilderness in the zombie apocalypse, have to punch down trees with your fists and weave clothing out of grass, and by day seven of in-game time the idea is to have built a base that will keep the weekly horde of zombies from obliterating you.

so having watched the replay of the stream, i was like "i kinda want to play something like that, but with less zombies and time pressure".

so as it happens, my elderly ipad mini has "minecraft: pocket edition", which is or was free, and which i installed at least four years ago but have always played on "creative mode", where you have infinite access to resources and can just get straight to building the el dorado of your dreams.

having built some el dorados in my time and gotten bored, i launched a nice basic minecraft world. day/night cycle, weather cycle, no hostile mobs, "survival" mode where you have to mine and craft everything you might need.

it was... trickier than expected. i chose the basic "abandoned village" world seed, so that I'd have access to things like water and trees, and i got a nice spawn point near a river and a forest, but even in creative mode I've never figured out most of the shit people can do in Minecraft like building elaborate automated bullshit and simple if/and computer gates with redstone. i started out by reading the manual -- I'm not sure if that's not available in Creative mode or if I just hadn't thought to look.

then i went and punched some chickens. figured out that i needed to punch a tree down first, which was approximately what i was looking for, and then had to use the wood to build a crafting table (which I'm glad the manual told me because I would not have figured it out, never having played a crafting game like this before), and then i had to run around punching sheep in order to get wool to craft a bed. around that point i went into the settings and turned on always-daytime till i could figure out how to make a fucking torch.

(in creative mode, of course, i got used to torches just being this infinite supply of things i didn't have to worry about. creative mode also has a much longer interaction distance and you can pretty much break any block immediately with any other block. survival mode is... an adjustment.)

so then i punched three whole sheeps to death to get their wools -- i was expecting to have to do a cookery at some point also but it appears that in "peaceful" no-enemies worlds you also don't get hungry or take fall damage. i don't mind. one might not even drown, but I'm terrified enough of drowning in real life that I never go in the water even in Creative worlds.

anyway, so *then* i was able to use my crafting table to craft a bed and plopped it down near my crafting table. then i built a couple of storage boxes, because i remembered that in the "seven days to die" stream liz kept filling up her inventory so she couldn't carry any more things.

then i crafted myself a bunch of wooden tools and went poking around. you wouldn't think a wood-bladed axe would actually do anything, but it's better than your fists. i chopped a hella bunch of wood, crafted it into planks, and built myself a snug little house around my bed and my crafting table and my storage boxen.

of course in creative mode the recipes for things are not relevant, you just grab whatever you want. so i was able to figure out a lot without googling, like how to make a stone pickaxe (i was worried that "cobblestone" would be tricky to find but it turns out that's what the normal default stone turns into when you quarry it, whoch you can do with a wooden pickaxe in order to get the materials to make the stone pickaxe).

but some things i did have to google. it was pretty dark in my little house, even with the always-day setting still on, and i could find that a torch would be crafted from a stick and charcoal but i couldn't find how to make fucking charcoal. turns out first you have to have like 14 cobblestone and build a furnace, and then you can burn anything wooden as fuel for the furnace but to make charcoal, you can't put planks or anything else wooden on the cooktop, only raw logs. it was very perplexing.

so then, having acquired stone tools and a house with torchlight, i turned the day-night cycle back on and went exploring. another perplexing thing i had to google was -- so i had the setting on where, when you break a block, it drops a little floating duplicate of itself and you have to get close to it in order to vacuum it up into your inventory. so i was mining cobblestone with my wooden pickaxe, and i found a block that i recognized as some kind of ore by the textural patterning, but it didn't drop a block when i chopped it with my pickaxe. it just evaporated. so i googled, and it turns out: what i was chopping was iron ore, and you can't just skip steps in human evolution that way. you are required to have a wooden pickaxe first to mine the cobblestones, then a stone pickaxe to mine the iron ore, then an iron pickaxe to make other kinds of ore like gold and emeralds drop properly.

but once i had acquired iron ore, i could stick it on the furnace and make it into iron ingots, and then i could craft myself iron tools!

then i tried to figure out how to tame a horse and got so completely turned around that i wandered down a hole at night and had to dig myself a staircase out, wondering vaguely what would happen if my tools broke before I reached the surface, and then i had to jump into creative mode and grab a compass to find my way back home.

(then i had to google how to read a minecraft compass. you want it pointing *up* while it's in your toolbar, not forward while it's in your hand, which was... problematic for a bit there.)

one thing that would be really fucking handy, which i understand other versions of minecraft perhaps have but "minecraft: pocket edition" has not got as far as i can find, is just some kind of damn map so you could figure out where you'd been. i wind up having to leave trails of torches everywhere, which is less fucking handy when torches are a finite resource! :P

[mor-beck-more-problems]

Soul in Our Brains || Morgan & Bea

The Un-Dead Witches Club holds its first meeting.

Morgan had hoped that taking Anya on a hunting walk in the neighborhood would make her feel more at ease, and convince her that, no, she wasn’t a body snatcher, she was herself. To sweeten the deal, Morgan had even put on some of her old things and brought along a bag of treats to pepper down the walk. So far, Anya was cooperating, but with a fair amount of suspicion. She kept glaring at her, like how dare Morgan know her weakness for treats and leverage them against her. But she was willful enough, at least, not to let her irritation get in the way of her hunt. If anything, she sniffed and dug harder that the mounds of dirt for blood-crusted feathers, or still fleshy bones. Or, her favorite, baby rabbits in their burrows. She was sniffing out one now, circling a loose patch of grass, sniffing and wriggling in preparation to pounce. Rather and pull her away for the rabbits’ sake, Morgan lingered and let her try her best. It was the circle of life, the way of all things. Deirdre had tried to explain that to her before, but she often felt too sorry for the rabbits. Too small, too helpless. Anya couldn’t help her bloodlust, but at least pigeons had the strength to put up a good fight.

Anya backed up two paces, eyes focused. She pounced.

“HOLY SHIT!”

Morgan jumped back, jerking Anya off her balance.

She could have sworn there was nothing in front of her before, but suddenly, clear and real and very headless was Bea Vural.

“Uuuhhh…” She stammered, covering her mouth lest she scream again. “--Bea? Are you--? I’m seeing you, right--?”

There was very little to do as a ghost. Bea could not sleep nor eat nor speak to most people. It was boring, to say the least. She had taken to simply wandering, sometimes through the woods in search of her head. Today she found herself in front of her parents’ house. They had no idea the fate that had become of her, her sisters couldn’t tell them until after the ritual. Bea hoped there would be nothing to tell her mother. By the time Nisa returned to White Crest, her eldest daughter’s fate would be sealed. Either finally back from the dead or put to rest. Turning very quickly, she gaped at Morgan. The former witch had become a zombie. Morgan could see Bea. The relief that swept through Bea was clearly visible. “Yes. You are. I’m here. It’s been so long since I could speak to anyone,” She admitted. Blanche had been around, but she hated to put the medium through it looking like this. “Is that a cat on a leash?” She asked, suddenly distracted by the seemingly annoyed animal.

“Speak to anyone,” Morgan repeated, still trying to process. “Because you--” Only kind of have a head? That definitely didn’t come up in the talk she’d had, but then, why would it? Who would want to mention something awful like that? It took Morgan a few moments to digest the sight--it was different, knowing what Bea was supposed to look like. Knowing how confident, how certain and warm she was, how animated made her wispy form so much more eerie than the ghosts she saw at the cemetery. To Morgan, those spirits had always sported holes in their chests or cracks in their face, it was how they had always been. This Bea stood in painful contrast to who she knew, floating not in the spotlight but invisible, holding up her head to feel whole as the world phased right through her. “You’re a ghost,” she said at last. “I...I’ve heard from Nell. But not about...this. Uh….” Morgan fumbled for what to say next. Maybe she really had been too hard on her friends for not knowing how to talk around her own death. She looked down at Anya, circling the rabbits and fretting on her leash.

“Yes! That is...exactly what it looks like! That’s Anya, she’s--well, she was my familiar, and now I’m either on her shit list for dying or she thinks I’m some kind of evil body snatcher. She has a lot of energy, most of the time. Uh…sorry, it just feels weird talking about my cat in the yard while--” She paused to wave at one of the neighbor kids. Becoming known as the bounce house lady sure had its drawbacks when you suddenly needed to be discreet. “While Braylee and her brother walk their dog. Can we--is it weird to just invite you to my place for a bit? Deirdre’s at work, it’ll just be the two of us. And the cats.”

“It took awhile for me to make it back here. And at first I wasn’t tethered here so I kept fading,” Bea explained, glancing down at her feet. She half expected herself to begin to fade away just from speaking about it. She glanced around them, understanding Morgan’s hesitation quickly. God she had forgotten people would think Morgan was losing her mind if she sat there in the front yard talking to someone they couldn't see. “Of course, probably best the neighbors don’t think you’re losing it.” Glancing around, she pointed at the house nearby,“Is this one your’s?”

As Bea explained the time she’d been having, Morgan realized she didn’t know the first thing about being a ghost. They looked so idle and peaceful, she hadn’t thought that it would take just as much effort for them to pull themselves together into a shape as it did for her to make it out the door on her low days. Seen through their struggle, it was hard not to wonder if all the undead weren’t straining against some ancient curse. “That must have been so exhausting,” she murmured. “That must be…” she shook her head, at a loss. “No, we’re down the road, but it’s not far. Although I guess for us, time and tiredness is all relative and--” She couldn’t help but look at Bea in earnest, however strange it was. “I hate it when people tell me they’re sorry about what happened to me, but I don’t know what else to say, except...I am glad to see you. And...stars, I wish you didn’t have to hurt like this. But we can talk about all this inside, I think.” She pulled on Anya’s leash and turned back in the direction of home. “Come on, Anya,” she cooed. The black cat stiffened and glared before sulking along. Yeah, definitely wasn’t going to be winning any points with her today.

It had been exhausting. Pulling herself to Blanche had made her fade for days after. However, it was getting easier for Bea as the days went and as they got closer to the ritual. Having a reason to stay tethered her, though she hated the idea of what would happen if the ritual failed. She didn’t want to be like this forever. “I’m sure there’s worse to go through,” She answered mildly, instead of giving Morgan the truth, having no desire to spread her misery to other people. “I know what you mean. I’ve been able to see more of this town as a ghost because I never have to sleep.” She was glad that Morgan didn’t offer a sorry. Bea wasn’t particularly sorry for what had happened. She had made the decision to save her sisters and she would do it again, even if there was no chance she could come back. She was sure they felt guilty over it all and frankly, she hated it. “Thank you. It’s a breath of fresh air to be seen and heard.” After visiting Felix, she had been rather sure she would only have Blanche. Morgan took a certain amount of ache out of her chest. “I didn’t know you lived near my parents,” She said softly as she followed behind Morgan. “It’s a nice neighborhood here.”

Morgan couldn’t help but chuckle. With Bea behind her, it was almost like she was really here, just having a normal talk. “Yeah, I didn’t either, until I ran into your mom at the shops. I think she got the entire store’s attention on us, just so she could say hi. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have guessed she got someone to position one of those fans to windsweep her hair just right as she came over to hug me. It was uh, a lot of questions to field about my love life, but you can’t really dish about inter-species relationships when you're just on a run for fresh blueberries, so--” She shook her head, a sheepish smile just visible as she stopped herself from looking back to face Bea fully. “...Does she know? Your mom?” She asked, turning the corner and coming up to the white house she shared with Deirdre. “Nell said not to tell anyone, and I figure everyone needs their privacy, but I just...I know how hard and awful it is, to have to spread news like that.” She cleared her throat, not knowing if this was the sort of thing Bea wanted to talk about. She’d been fading in and out for how many weeks now? Without anyone to talk to? “We’re um, we’re here,” she said awkwardly, leading them up the walk and through the front door.

“She does everything like she’s on stage,” Bea chuckled. “I wouldn’t be shocked if she had some magic going to make sure she always looked like that.” Her mother had so many tricks that she did to make sure she always looked her best, it honestly impressed Bea at times. Nisa had a spell for everything, even the things no one else seemed to think of. “Probably not the place to do it,” She laughed again. Her mother would probably approve of the relationship if only because it had Morgan in this side of town. Nisa did put a lot of importance on money. Bea knew the right thing to do would be to let her mother know, but she knew what would come after. “No. I asked my sisters to wait to tell her.” She was tempted to spill the details of the ritual to Morgan, but the risk outweighed the reward at this point. She couldn’t have a wild card when it came to knowing about the necromancy. She wanted to trust her, but Bea didn’t know enough about the other woman’s connections to the coven to trust it. “She’ll blame them,” She admitted. Her mother would take her grief out of her younger daughters and Bea wanted to delay that as much as she could. Following Morgan in, she smiled. “It’s a beautiful place you guys have. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Oh, because she’s away? Is there no getting her back sooner, or--” Morgan sighed. Much as the Vurals had tried to welcome her in, she really wasn’t privy to the inner workings of their families. She waited for Bea to come in before closing the door. She could phase through as well as any other ghost but it somehow seemed more polite to give her the kind of gestures she would have been afforded if she were still alive. Morgan stopped short of offering her something to drink. Even she, almost two months dead, struggled to feel anything but resentful of food she couldn’t taste, unless the mood for texture really struck her. So, only one cold glass for this visit. Morgan let Anya off her harness and lead Bea into the great room, promptly deflating onto the couch. “It’s my pleasure. And hey, if you ever get lonely, you can count on at least one whole undead friend to always be able to see you. My girlfriend too, actually, but I don’t know if that would make you feel too...vulnerable, or something. How--how has it really been, Bea? From my experience, waking up dead is kind of a bitch.”

They were lucky this all happened when their mother was away, Bea wasn’t sure how they would hide this all from Nisa. The matriarch of the Vurals was far too nosy to ignore Bea’s presence being missing from the theater. “She’s in Turkey with my dad for the solar eclipse and I have a thing I want to settle before they find out.” She hoped it was vague enough that Morgan wouldn’t be suspicious but there was no good reason for Bea to avoid telling her mother that she was dead. “It really is a relief to know that you can hear me. I ... I had someone very close to me find a way to see me but we couldn’t speak. And I can’t speak to Blanche for too long, not looking like this.” The fact that Morgan wasn’t repulsed by the sight of her was a blessing. She wasn’t sure how she would do if another person vomited at the sight of her. A pained smile took over Bea’s face. “To say that it’s lonely is a gross understatement. And some days it feels like I’ll lose myself with how angry I am.” She shrugged, “I’ll be fine though. There’s not much to do about it.”

“A thing, huh? Okay.” Morgan’s brow arched with interest, but she didn’t press. Talking about anything to do with life was fraught, worse so when the death was recent. But Bea’s remark about seeing the people in her life gave her pause. “I’ve seen my fair share of ghosts by now. As you can probably guess, you’re definitely still one of the pretty ones--” Her face was at least fully intact, although it was still hard to redirect her eyes to Bea’s head rather than the empty space above her neck. “You can come here anytime you feel like it. And you don’t have to...I mean it does suck. I’m trying to be all well adjusted, but it’s...worth being angry about. I don’t think that’s a bad thing to feel. I mean, we were witches, and now the only magic we can touch is the magic that’s keeping us on this plane of existence. Which, I’m grateful for, for both of us, but...it feels cruel sometimes.” But her state, like Morgan's, might be permanent. Adjusting and managing might be all that was left. She looked at the oldest Vural thoughtfully, considering her own brand of courage and determination, reaching out for people, trying to have something, even like this. It reminded her of something. “Bea...do you mean Felix?” She asked.

“I can’t say much about it.” Bea knew she was technically lying to Morgan, but this was something she couldn’t admit to just yet. It put the whole plan in danger if Morgan didn’t agree with it. She wasn’t going to let her chance to come back slip through her fingers because of friendship. “Even so, she has a weak stomach and I know she doesn’t like to look at me when I’m like this. I can’t actually blame her.” She was sure she would feel a bit queasy herself if someone she cared for showed up without a head. “It’s certainly cruel. There are moments where it feels like the universe is trying to get back at me for something.” It was nice being here with Morgan. She understood better than anyone else what had been lost. The disconnect Bea felt from magic had been like losing a part of herself, it was indescribable, but she didn’t even have to try with Morgan. Bea was glad that Morgan had seen her like this rather than anyone else. She looked at Morgan in surprise,“Yes I do. How did you know?”

Morgan’s look widened, gaping with delight. “Oh my god! You’re the girl!” She gasped, then covered her mouth, trying to cover the look of awe and gossip on her face. “Oh, that’s---that’s wonderful. Maybe not now, yet, but it will! We’ll...figure something out, somehow. You will, Bea.” Then, remembering her question. “We got to talking recently, and he said something about a girl. How you didn’t get to say everything plain and clear before you passed. And that it was complicated now, because of that. And you told me he was your best friend one, pretty excitedly too, I gotta say.” She looked at Bea thoughtfully, dropping her hand to grin. “Maybe there’s something about witches and fae that make them hard to resist. Maybe we just found the best ones there are. I wish it could’ve happened for you sooner, Bea,” she sighed.

It was bittersweet to know that Felix had spoken to Morgan. Bea smile became tight as she remembered how difficult it had been to speak to him. “I might have had to tell him the depth of my feelings through a board. He couldn’t hear me.” Looking back at it, she felt terrible for how she told him. He deserved more than her admitting her feelings like that. “It was in front of my face for years. When he found out that I was a witch and he let go of his glamour around me, I knew something was changing. I just didn’t realize what until I was gone.” She sighed along with Morgan, “If we can’t find some way to work it out in the end, could you make sure he knows I want him to be happy?”

Morgan looked sorrowfully at Bea as she explained the rest of the story. She couldn’t imagine sitting like something on that for years, but maybe when someone made you feel that safe all the time, you didn’t notice the pull between bodies or the exact texture of warmth or longing between an embrace. She’d heard these things were said, at least. And maybe it was a tragedy in its own way, to take such things for granted without realizing. Morgan had never considered the alertness and sensitivity that came with her series of losses might be a good thing. She couldn’t help but notice when she was getting attached, even if the realization was followed with dread or nervousness. But maybe it was. “I’ll tell him, Bea,” she said gently. “But don’t give up yet, okay. Hey, how are you with holding things as a ghost? Have you thought about sending him a letter? An old fashioned guy like him, maybe it’ll make him brighten up a little. And…” she tried to think. “I don’t know. There’s got to be some magic to make you a little more...you. If you could possess a radio, or a phone, that might--I don’t know. But you were the one who thought being dead didn’t mean I had to stop being a witch completely. I can try to look, if you want.”

Bea knew that she would know whether or not her message should be delivered soon enough. She would refuse her sisters if they failed and wanted to try again. She had read about people who refused to give up and how even after succeeding their loved one was wrong. She didn’t want to come out of this wrong and twisted. “I haven’t been able to hold anything yet. Blanche said it may take me a while to learn. Since I’ve lasted more than two weeks I think I’ll start to get strong enough to do it, but it can take a long time.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to wait that long, she didn’t think she could wait that long before she turned into a bitter ghost. She smiled slightly at Morgan,”I did say that. If you have the time to look, I wouldn’t mind it if you did. I can always use more opinions.”

“I’m a zombie, Bea. I have nothing but time,” Morgan said. “The ocean fills with ink, the sun blinks on the hour, my girlfriend goes on a mushroom ring bender, and I’m still here, somehow still with enough time to feel bored. Or sad. But Felix has been helping with that, purely in the medicinal sense, so we’re clear.” She regarded her thoughtfully. It wasn’t fair, how she could see the furniture through Bea’s back, how her expressions were limited without the use of tilting her head on her own. “I’ll do whatever I can that you think will help, Bea,” she said softly. “It’s the least I can do. We...stars, I know we weren’t ever, you know, the closest or anything. You always seemed to have things together, while I was running around like a headless chicken, but I know...something about how isolating it is to be dead. Those pieces inside you that feel like they’ve been cut out, where your magic was. It’s...the worst thing, feeling how much a part of you it all was by feeling the hole it leaves. And I can’t say that I’ve found a way to fill mine yet either, just that it’s scabbed over. But I know we didn’t do anything wrong. Well, you didn’t, anyway. Maybe there’s not a way to fix everything, but if there’s a way to make this good, I’ll help. Even if it’s just someone to talk to who knows where your eyeballs are.”

“I might not understand it at the same level, but I get having so much time you don’t know what to do.” Being a ghost was boring in ways that Bea couldn’t explain. Not being able to rest was something that bothered her much more than she realized it would. If she came back, she was going to appreciate her sleep much more than she used to. “I think we could have been great friends if things hadn’t worked out this way.” She hoped that if things went well this would make them great friends. Bea was sure that she would need friends who understood dying as something more than an abstract construct. She couldn’t help the slight laugh at ‘headless chicken’,“Well, I’m the headless one now, so don’t worry.” She listened to Morgan carefully, finding a bit of solace in knowing that she didn’t have to be okay so soon. “Scabbing is good… It means it’s healing right?” She considered Morgan for a few moments,“I don’t think you did anything wrong either. Neither one of us deserved what happened.” It was unexpected, how this conversation made her so happy. She hadn’t felt quite so light since her death, though she supposed being heard for the first time in weeks by someone other than Blanche would do that. She’d have to thank Morgan for this if she came back. “Speaking to someone who can see my eyes is a perk. I didn’t realize how important that was until now,” She told her with a soft chuckle.

Morgan’s face dropped. She would have blanched with embarrassment if there was any circulation left in her, but as it was, she covered her face, eyes wide and parted her hands enough to reveal a grimace. Sorry, she mouthed. But Bea took it nicely in stride and she felt just brave enough to let out a nervous laugh. “I want to be your friend too, Bea. The dead witches club is very exclusive, you know. I don’t think they’ll be admitting more members anytime soon. We gotta celebrate what we’ve got.” Her coy, wry smile turned sad, because sometimes it really was like there was so little. All they could do was hang on, but it was hard, on the worst days, not to feel like she was being a desperate fool. She hadn’t felt that way in a while, thanks to Felix’s magic pills, but it was in her, buried like a corpse in a shallow grave, like bones just waiting to be found. She managed a smile at Bea, knowing she understood the strain behind it, however bright she seemed, however earnestly it was meant. “Healing is good, yeah. And I’m glad--” She reached out and gave Bea’s nose a gentle boop, approximate to the cold wisp of air that formed it. “--to be able to offer something. Even if it’s small. We need all the good we can get, I think.”

“I would hope we add no others anytime soon. The witch community needs a break,” Bea said with a raspy laugh. Her smile turned sharp as she thought of August’s soon death. He wouldn’t be admitted to the club, she’d make sure of that. The coven wasn’t losing anyone important with his demise. They were doing the world a favor getting rid of that worm. Even if Bea didn’t end up coming back, she’d be glad that he’d be wiped away from the earth. Her hand went to her nose, a bit surprised that Morgan was so casual with touch towards a ghost. “Not many people out there that understand. Being around you has been good. Really good. I think I needed this a lot more than I thought I did.”

[lost-in-time-marie]

Into the Shadows: Chapter Six

           I stared at my reflection in the mirror attempting to recognize myself underneath the black bandit style mask (a replica of my shadowy hero’s) and knee length black dress. There was the familiar splash of brown hair, falling in loose careful waves to my shoulder. My hazel eyes could be seen, somehow more striking than before, thanks to the black mask surrounding them. My pale skin glowed in stark contrast to the plain dress. Perhaps it was just the fact that I was going to a haunted house that made my stomach curl or maybe the mask was giving me PTSD about the two times I’d been attacked and then rescued by some unknown hero, but I knew in my bones, without room for doubt, that tonight would not be fun as Natasha, James, and Aleks had promised.

           Halloween had finally arrived, a fact I would normally be overjoyed by, Halloween being my second favorite holiday, the only day all year you could be anyone but yourself and no one could judge you for it. The haunted house our school was putting on was making me uneasy, that’s what I kept telling myself anyways. I even forced Natasha, Sam, Aleks, and Katy to join the set-up committee with me, that way I would know all the surprises and plans so I couldn’t really get frightened when I actually went.

         “Pull yourself together, Kristin. You’re being ridiculous. Nothing is going to happen, it’s just a haunted house!” I muttered to myself, forcing myself to take three deep breaths. That helped, by the time Natasha honked her horn out front, I was marginally calmer and managed some excitement for tonight. This would be a great Halloween; I silenced any thought or feeling that disputed that fact.

         “You excited to see you lover?” Natasha teased, as I slid easily into the black, leather interior of her car. Natasha had been nearly incorrigible since I announced my impending date with James.

         I rolled my eyes, “You’re hilarious,” I muttered, in no mood for such cracks about James.

“So, are you crazy excited for tonight?” She grinned, her whole face lighting with excitement.

         “Woo!” I said, monotonous and unenthusiastic. Natasha scowled at me, but she didn’t have time for a lecture, as we pulled into the school then and hunted for a parking space. I groaned internally. This was going to be bad, I don’t know why and I don’t know how, but it’s going to be bad.

         “Hey, I’m going to hunt down Aleks. Wait right here,” said Natasha as we arrived at the now spooky main hall of the school, before snaking through the pack of awaiting students. I sighed and hugged myself in the cramped corner of the dim, cobweb covered entrance. This wasn’t the part of the school I had decorated, but I could see they really went all out for this. Spiders hung from the ceiling, eerie music played in the background, skeletons’ creepy grins poked around corners; even peoples’ costumes were done to the nines. There were vampires, witches, zombies; every horror movie flick imaginable met in this cramped hall waiting to be unleashed upon the rest of the school. The whole thing made my skin crawl. The brick building suddenly seemed even more imposing in the dark, it didn’t feel natural to be on campus at 8pm at night.

         “Hey, don’t you look comfortable,” Katy teased with a bright smile, coming to stand beside me.

         I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling in return. “Well, you know how I’m so fond of cramped spaces and scary movies. It’s like my two favorite things collided,” I joked sarcastically, already feeling better with her there.

         Katy laughed, “Don’t be a baby. Have a little fun. So, what do you think of my costume?” she asked, giving a small twirl in the room allowed. I realized her black hair was pulled back by a simple black headband, and her round figure concealed by a conservative, white church dress, topped off with a leather-bound Bible in her arms.

         I busted out laughing. “I see you were feeling ironic this Halloween,” I said. Katy was a well-known atheist, constantly spouting religious arguments and disproving Bible passages. She played up the Bible-thumping, churchgoer to a T.

         Katy smiled pleasantly and curtseyed. “And what are you supposed to be?” she asked, eyeing my simple ensemble.

         I rolled my eyes, recognizing the I-should-have-dressed-you look. “A masked figure,” I beamed, enjoying my own private joke. Katy simply raised a brow and shook her head, accustomed to my odd tendencies.

         “So what’s been going on with you and James?” She asked, winking and giggling. I sighed. Katy and Natasha hated each other, but they were remarkably similar. I wasn’t ready for round two of this interrogation.

         “Why is everyone suddenly determined to get me a boyfriend? I don’t date, Katy, you know that,” I snapped at her unintentionally. It wasn’t her fault this was the second time I was hearing this, I reminded myself, trying to reign in my annoyance. She groaned.

         “Yeah, but you could. James sounds absolutely perfect for you. You couldn’t possibly be afraid of dating him; it’s all just too perfect! Practically what you wished for on a silver platter,” She argued with a deep scowl.

         “James is really great, but I don’t know…I just can’t,” I hedged, shrugging. Katy narrowed her eyes at me, clearly suspecting something was afoot, but thankfully Natasha was approaching us with Aleks- feigning mock annoyance to hide his delight- in tow. That was all the signal Katy needed, she jetted away with a quick goodbye.

         “Eww, were you talking to Katy?” Natasha asked, wrinkling her nose.

         I rolled my eyes and ignored her. “Aleks, are you seriously dressed as Vladimir Lenin?” I asked, laughing.

         “He was a great leader of Mother Russia,” Aleks replied with a grin, flashing all his pearly white teeth, and emphasizing his thick Russian accent. Sure enough, he stood before me in a fake beard and suit. I shook my head and laughed.

         “Hey, Natasha’s dressed like a hippy, so you can’t really make fun of me,” Aleks teased her, nudging her shoulder, and pulling the attention off himself. I took in Natasha’s costume for the first time. She wore a tie-dyed t-shirt and bell bottoms, had her unruly hair wrangled by a headband, and a peace sign necklace hung from her neck.

         “That is true,” I agreed. Natasha batted my arm playfully; we bantered like that for only a minute or so more before a teacher announced on the intercom several rules of conduct for the evening, and finally, the long awaited go ahead to explore our haunted campus.

         I had to admit, we did a pretty good job decorating the school, it was seriously sinister. Despite having helped set up, I still screamed a few times at different monsters jumping out and fake spiders touching me. It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed the company of my friends, I almost forgot the sense of impending doom I had started the night with. As the night went on, I noticed Natasha drawing nearer and nearer to Aleks and took that as my cue to leave.

“Why don’t you guys head to the cafeteria for food and whatnot while I see if I can find James?” I suggested. Natasha smiled and nodded gratefully while Aleks just shrugged, okay with anything. We said our goodbyes and promised to meet up soon. I headed in the opposite direction, not really looking for James, just wanting to give Natasha some space and alone time with Aleks. A tight sensation snaked around my chest, strangely suffocating, an unexpected, yet familiar, side effect of being around such sickly-sweet romance and purely innocent puppy love. I could tell she liked him dearly, and, to be honest, seeing people all lovey-dovey in relationships made me want to hurl these days.

While wandering aimlessly, lost in thought, through the dark halls and classrooms filled with costumed students, coffins, skeletons, ghosts, and other monstrous props, I ran smack into something. Something hard and sturdy, I fell right on my butt and what I ran into did not even budge. For half a second, I wondered if I’d gotten so lost in thought I’d actually run into a wall, but then I heard a familiar small, high voice.

         “Is she going to be okay?” The familiar voice asked.

         “Yes, she’ll be just fine. Believe it or not, this is actually the second time she’s run into me because she wasn’t paying attention,” Another deeper, even more familiar voice teased. My eyes snapped open.

         “It’s not my fault you don’t say anything, you just stand there and let me crash into you,” I fumed, staring up at the identical faces of Ryder and Robbie. I might have found it comical how they were looking down at me and making the same bemused facial expression, but I was too embarrassed to really appreciate it. Ryder rolled his eyes, but was unable to hide the smallest smile turning up the corner of his lips. He grabbed underneath my arms and easily hoisted me upright, before quickly letting go and stepping back.

         “Hello, Kristin, are you having fun?” Robbie asked unusually bright, grabbing my hand and then Ryder’s, tugging us along with him.

         “Robbie, Kristin might have somewhere else to go, don’t just drag her along,” Ryder chastised, halting Robbie and casting him a disapproving look.  “Aww, do you have somewhere to go?” Robbie asked glumly, his pink bottom lip puckering, sad, blue eyes devoid of the happiness I previously saw there.

         “No, it’s okay, Robbie, I’ll come along with you guys if you want,” I said, looking at Ryder with a raised brow. He shrugged nonchalantly and looked to Robbie to make the decision. Robbie grinned, instantly happy again.

         “Yay! Let’s go get candy!” exclaimed Robbie, releasing our hands and running ahead of us in the direction of the cafeteria, his one-track mind already fleeting to another subject.

         “You can have a little bit, but don’t run ahead too far, stay where I can see you!” Ryder called after Robbie, sounding, and looking, very much like a concerned father. There was something intriguing about the little flashes of the real Ryder I got see behind the mask he always wore. I could tell that this Ryder was truly him, that every day he walked around with a solid, emotionless mask on. For what reason I was still unsure, but I was certain the real Ryder was fun and beautiful, the kind of person that attracted other people, like a moth to flame. I wanted to know that person. I never could back down from a challenge. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Ryder and I were not friends, I still harbored a strong dislike for him, and he for me, but curiosity often got the best of me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ryder asked, amused. I realized I’d been staring at him and felt a blush creep up my face.

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” I said, sheepish, turning my gaze to the floor.

“About what?” Ryder asked, curious, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking ahead after Robbie, who was winding his way through the crowd.

“Lots of things, like always; this event, school, things like that,” I responded with a shrug. Ryder chuckled. My head snapped to him in shock, it was rare for him to show any emotion, even in private, but at a public function such as this? It had never happened as far as I knew. He pretended not to notice. A full smile warmed his sharp, pale face and melted his usually hard eyes into glowing green embers.

“You have this remarkable way of answering questions without actually sharing any information about yourself,” He commented, casting me a wry look. I laughed.

“You are more perceptive than most. I was thinking about how you act very much like a father to Robbie, more so than an older brother,” I answered more honestly this time. Ryder’s face darkened instantly, like a storm cloud covering the sun. Regret instantly panged my stomach. I had allowed myself to enjoy Ryder’s company for a brief moment, and I managed to ruin it just as quickly. I wondered after a minute of suffocating silence if he would respond.

“Our parents…died,” he said, voice thick and heavy with sorrow, “it wasn’t very long ago. We lived in Washington, D.C, before this. My father was a scientist in a military lab, there was an accident and he was just gone. My mother died of a broken heart; they were so in love; she just couldn’t deal. She became so sick. My uncle and father were very close, he lives here on Long Island; he took us in. He truly is a great man; I owe him so much. Robbie was very upset, we all were, but he was missing something in his life, he was missing a father, and my uncle tried his best, but he just isn’t the same as our dad. I’ve tried very hard ever since then to fill that hole for Robbie. He’s gotten better, especially lately,” Ryder finished, struggling to keep his voice even. I stared for a minute just trying to process this tragedy, the hurt and depression were evident in Ryder’s hollow voice, dark eyes, and pained face, even his stance grew more hunched, as if some unknown weight were beating upon him, and as I studied him, I realized I recognized that feeling. The feeling of a weight you cannot hope to bear on your own, so obvious to you, but invisible to the world, the kind of burden that seeped into your bones until you were made of cement just trudging along, fighting for every breath, every moving muscle. This overwhelming emotion nearly made me double over, suddenly sitting heavy on my chest.

I fought for composure before answering. “I can’t even begin to imagine having to bear all that for your brother, it sounds as though you were very close to your parents,” I attempted, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. We stared at each other for a moment, somehow kindred spirits in our unknown tragedies.

Suddenly Ryder smiled, a small, sad smile, just the slightest lifting of the corners of his pink lips. “Thank you,” he said in a soft voice, “For understanding and not saying sorry. I know people are sorry it happened, but sorry sounds too much like pity. I don’t want pity, and neither would my parents. I’m sure I sound crazy, but thank you.” He ranted, all in one breath. I returned his smile with one of equal sadness. He wasn’t crazy; I understood exactly what he meant. Everyone said sorry when someone died, but it didn’t make anything better and they didn’t really understand. Sorry was often just disguised pity, and I never, no matter what tragedies I endured, wanted pity. And if I didn’t want that pity, I didn’t really imagine too many other people were deserving of it either. I think Ryder could see that somewhere in my face.

I cleared my throat, attempting to change the subject. “So where’s your costume?” I asked, scrutinizing his casual jeans, grey t-shirt, and black converse.

“I’m a stone statue of course, this girl I know told me once that I always look like a statue, frozen and stoic,” Ryder teased, pausing in place and hardening his face and tensing his muscles, transforming before my eyes into the familiar cold Ryder I’d grown so used to. I laughed, and though he kept his composed face, his lighthearted air remained. I could tell our previous conversation was a very secret subject that would never come up again. I found myself glad. I was curious about Ryder’s past and I spent so many days seeking this kind of explanation for his cold mannerisms, but seeing Ryder in so much pain was almost disturbing. The urge to reach out, to help, was overpowering. Natasha always said I was a sucker for lost causes, the savior of sinners and the damned.

“Oh, well, that girl obviously knew what she was talking about,” I grinned and nudged his shoulder. He laughed. It was a musical sound, oddly comforting and relaxing; I hoped for some bizarre reason that I would hear it more often. I became aware then, that I was the most relaxed I had been all night walking through these halls with Ryder.

“Robbie! Not so much candy, you’ll make yourself sick,” Ryder scolded with a soft smile as we finally entered the cafeteria and found Robbie loading himself down by the fistful with sweets. It was brighter in here and tables all along the walls were covered with sodas, punches, candy, sweets, and other delicious treats. Robbie was quickly darting around and stuffing his face with a little of everything. I laughed as Ryder stole bits of food from Robbie, who would then scowl at him so seriously, as if Ryder were stealing prized jewels from his personal safe.

“Kristin! There you are, I’ve been searching everywhere for you,” Natasha called, pushing through a crowd of people, Aleks following quietly behind.

“Oh, sorry, I got caught up,” I replied, gesturing to Ryder and Robbie, who now ceased bickering and stood beside me in stiff silence. Robbie waved shyly and half hid behind Ryder’s leg, Ryder gave a curt nod, his face and attitude totally reverted to cold, “stone statue” mode.

“We found James by the way; he’s been in the cafeteria the whole time. Sorry you had to spend all that time searching,” Natasha apologized. James slid his way through the crowd then and came to stand with us. Ryder’s face hardened perceptibly, I wondered how his teeth didn’t turn to dust from how hard he was clenching them together. Jeez, if looks could kill.

“We have to be going. See you around, Kristin.” Ryder said harshly, his words like daggers.

“Bye,” I whispered, staring at Ryder’s retreating form. Robbie cast one heartbreaking look at me, almost as if I betrayed him, before fleeing with his brother. I liked to think I was growing accustomed to Ryder’s abrupt shifts in mood, but every time he shifted gears, I found myself whirling in his wake.

“What did he want?” James asked casually, but I detected the slightest edge to his voice.

“Nothing, I ran into him, literally, and we just talked and walked to the cafeteria together,” I responded with a shrug, confused by the sudden change in Ryder’s attitude and the overly harsh, rude way he responded to James. Even James, easygoing and carefree, seemed to aim a certain tense, harshness at Ryder. It was exactly like when the three of us worked together for the Psychology project. James hadn’t liked Ryder from the beginning, and Ryder didn’t like anyone, but their dislike seemed to intensify overnight to sheer hatred of one another. I wondered if perhaps my imagination was getting the better of me again. Surely that was just Ryder’s usual distaste for everyone, and if I could hate Ryder so quickly on the first day of school, James could too. That was it, I was imagining the personal edge to their slights, I tried comforting myself unsuccessfully.

James nodded casually before Natasha expertly steered the conversation to safer waters. I shoved these confusing thoughts from my mind and attempted to enjoy my time with my friends. We stayed in the cafeteria for a little longer, chatting easily and munching on snacks.

“Hey, we should go see the dungeon exhibit, I want to see what it looks like now that it’s all set up,” Aleks suggested after a while.

“I know! We did such a good job replicating those torture devices!” Natasha boasted excitedly, already dragging us to the exit of the cafeteria.

“Natasha, I’m not sure that’s something you should be proud of,” I joked. We bust into laughter and started down the hall to the classroom where that exhibit had been set up.

James casually shrugged his arm over my shoulder as we entered the dungeon exhibit, a gesture I would normally have been delighted by, but today felt somehow heavy and possessive. I distracted myself by watching Natasha and Aleks. A little ahead, I noticed Natasha grab Aleks’s hand when she squealed in surprise at a skeleton jumping out at her. I caught Aleks’ soft gaze directed toward their intwined hands and the small smile of pleasure that briefly flashed across his face. I would have to remember to report my findings to Natasha, lest she accuse me of being derelict in my best friend duties.

James noticed the direction of my gaze, “Would you stop worrying about everyone else for a change and just enjoy yourself?” He chastised with a smile. I gave a small laugh and leaned into him further as we followed the twisting path of the exhibit.

“I’m sorry I can’t help it, what would you have me focus my attention on?” I teased, staring up at him through my thick, black lashes, in a poor attempt at flirting. I still hadn’t made up my mind about James, it seemed I always had more questions for him than I ever did answers, but maybe everyone was right. I should relax and appreciate the attention of an honestly good guy, god knows those are hard to find.

He responded with a seductive smile, leaning over to whisper in my ear in a smooth, low voice, “I can think of a few things.” I smiled and a bright red blush crept up my skin. I let my wavy brown hair cascade around my face, hiding my embarrassment.

“Oh, Kristin, I left my wallet in the car, but I really want to buy a picture of all of us here tonight, can you run back and get it?” Natasha pleaded. I jumped untangling myself from James, not realizing she had turned back for us.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be right back,” I answered, trying not to look so guilty.

“I can go with you,” James offered, looking a little too pleased with himself.

“Thank you, but I’ll be alright, keep enjoying the exhibits, I’ll meet back up with you guys in just a few minutes,” I quickly waved off his offer, before turning and weaving my way back out of the exhibit to the front of the school. I was thankful for the chance to get some air and organize my very confused and messy thoughts. It was easy to brush off my interactions with James to Natasha and Katy, but another thing entirely when he acted as he did tonight. I found myself unable to control my heart rate and my limbs felt shaky and unsteady. I reached the school’s entrance quickly, without even noticing it, as I was wrapped in my thoughts. James had something going on with his dad and was clearly hitting on me, but as of yet, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Ryder had a sad past and was just starting to resemble a human being, but he still irritated me with his superior attitude and unwillingness to associate with anyone, not to mention the strange drama playing out between him and James. That was definitely something I had to get to the bottom of. I hadn’t seen my masked hero since my birthday, I was surprised to find I actually missed him and still burned with curiosity about who he was and what he was doing and how he was always saving me, yet another mystery that needed solving. Natasha and Aleks’s relationship also seemed to be heading in a good direction; I wonder how I can help shove that in the right direction for her? The whirlwind taking place inside my mind was quickly making me dizzy and setting me on the brink of panic. I was holding too may loose ends of ropes and didn’t have nearly enough to tie any firm knots.

With so many thoughts on my mind, it didn’t even occur to me to look for cars as I crossed the street to get to Natasha’s Prius, my goal was in sight and I charged after it, foolhardy. Headlights speeding around the corner of the dark, ill-lit road in front of the school blinded me then. I froze and tensed as the speeding car headed right for me. My eyes squeezed shut and braced for impact. A great force slammed into me suddenly, at first, I thought it was the car, but it came from behind me, not my side. All logical thought quickly fled after that. My head slammed into something hard and the breath was knocked from my lungs. I peeled my eyes open in time to see the car speed away down the road, burning rubber in its wake. I realized I was lying on the opposite side of the road in the wet grass, a heavy weight on top of me.

“Are you alright?” A figure asked, from above me. I understood now. Someone pushed me out of the way. And not just someone. I knew that voice, it was the familiar worried voice that always found me when I was in danger. The figure was pinning me to the ground, saving my life for a third time.

“Oh, never better,” I joked, not managing an effective sarcastic voice. My head was splitting, I could barely think through the pain. The figure flashed a bright smile. That was all I could see through the black spots dancing on my eyes.

“Yes, I can see, so I guess you have no need for my assistance then?” He teased lightly.

“Don’t be an ass,” I breathed, attempting to scowl. The blackness was converging on my vision; I couldn’t see even a glimpse of my hero anymore. I heard him chuckle softly. How disappointing, the first time he is close enough to look at and I can’t even get my eyes to work properly.

“You hit your head pretty hard,” The figure said, his musical voice colored with worry now. Cold fingers pressed lightly on my forehead and I gasped as the pain knocked me breathless. “Very hard,” he amended in a tight voice. His cold, muscular arms slid under me, hoisting me up as if I weighed nothing. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder.

“Thank you,” I muttered under my breath. Then, for the second time that year, my world faded away into a peaceful darkness…

[67-chevy-baby]

Remedy

Pairing - Jared x Reader

Tags - Slight angst, FLUFFFFFF, language, and I think that’s it.

Word Count -  2,664

Beta - @winecatsandpizza​

Fic Aesthetic - Yours truly

The Song I Chose - Off My Mind by Radio Company

Written for - @saxxxology​’s Vol 1 Writing Challenge

A/N - So, I couldn’t find much about Jared’s sister. I don’t think she’s married, but just so y’all know I made up Trent, Max, and Macee. Also, there may be a part 2 to this. It’s my first Jared fic, and I’m not sure I write him well. At any rate, I hope y’all enjoy it, and I especially hope you like this Saxxy. I really tried to make this good. :) 

To say you’d become a failure to your parents was an understatement. 

From the moment you dropped out of college to pursue your real dream, they’d cut all ties with you. Honestly, it didn’t come as a surprise considering all they seemed to care about was what they wanted you to succeed in. If it didn’t benefit them, then they weren’t interested.

Finally realizing their true intentions was the straw that broke the camel’s back. You packed what little belongings you had and left for Texas, leaving your home-town in Ohio behind in the rearview mirror. The beat-to-hell car you inherited lasted you until the outskirts of Dallas, so you decided to hole up in a hotel with the last bit of savings you had. 

After checking in and grabbing some snacks from the vending machine in the lobby, you headed to your room and splayed out on the bed. You scrolled through local jobs as you munched on a Snickers bar. Nothing really jumped out at you, but this wasn’t a time in your life where it was rational to be picky. If you were going to pursue becoming a singer, then you needed some cash to get you started. 

Nothing really piqued your interest around Dallas, so you decided to span your search further. After an hour of sifting through different job opportunities, you finally came across one that caught your eye. 

Full-Time Nanny in Avery Ranch Start Date: Mid-January 2020 Children ages: 5 and 2 months Hours/Rate: M-F 7:30am-5pm - $18/hr Serious Inquiries Only: (512)586-2463

Other than singing, babysitting your sister’s kids was something else you thoroughly enjoyed. Her husband had cheated on her, and they divorced soon after so you became a constant in their lives. Not that you weren’t before, but since you were a full-time student at the time you often watched them during your off time. 

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you called the number and waited. By the third ring, you were starting to get discouraged but then a woman’s cheerful voice answered. 

“Hello?” 

Talking on the phone was never a strong suit of yours. Especially not knowing who was on the other end, it always gave you anxiety. Taking a deep breath, you stammered out a response. 

“Um, h-hi. My name’s Y/N and I saw your add about the Nanny position. I’d like to apply if it’s still available.” 

You heard the woman clear her throat and some rustling before she came back on the line. 

“Hi, Y/N! My name's Megan. Yes, the position is still available! Can you come over tomorrow at noon? My husband and I would like to meet over coffee to get to know you a bit better before we introduce you to the children.” 

Well, you weren’t expecting that, but the desperate situation you were in won over the butterflies fluttering against your abdomen. 

“Y-Yeah! I can do that!” 

The warmth in the woman’s response was evident and it eased any doubts you had bouncing around in your head. 

“Great! We’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. I’ll text you the address and feel free to wear something comfortable. Lord knows with two kids I won't be wearing my best dress."

You bid her goodbye and sighed into your pillow. Despite uprooting your life merely a day ago, things were starting to come together, and for once, you couldn't be happier. 

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

Jared sighed as he walked through the airport. Another season of Supernatural wrapped and he was finally on his home turf again. The familiarity of the Texas air nipped his bare skin as he headed for the awaiting taxi. Tonight, he'd rest up and then tomorrow he'd go and see his siblings. 

The ride to his studio apartment was short, but it allowed him to send a few texts and emails anyway. He tipped the cab driver generously and took the elevator up to his floor. 

His apartment wasn't much, but it was enough for him. The entry area was small, bearing a hook on the wall to hang his keys, a closet for his coat and shoes, and a couple of light switches. Just off to the left was the living room. He had a black leather sectional and a nice entertainment center where he could watch the latest Cowboys game comfortably. The kitchen wasn't enormous, but he didn't need it to be. It had everything he needed and all the appliances were new enough. His bedroom was just the way he left it, his king-size bed unmade and his laundry in the basket by the bathroom door. 

Jared tossed his suitcase on the bed and padded to the kitchen for a beer. He'd start laundry tomorrow. It wasn't like he had anyone to impress or anything. Ever since Supernatural gained its popularity, he'd shied away from serious relationships because he barely had time for himself let alone a significant other. Settling into the couch, he flipped through the channels before stopping on the movie Die Hard, one of his favorite Christmas movies. Before he knew it, he'd dozed off, his hard work and jet lag finally catching up to him.

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

You groaned and shut off your alarm. How was it already 6 AM? Forcing yourself to emerge from your warm blanket cocoon, you padded to the bathroom praying a hot shower would wake you up. Mornings were far from your favorite thing, and if you were going to meet with your potential employer then you needed to be somewhat presentable. 

Once you were dressed and had some sustenance, you wore a simple pair of jeans and a comfortable top. Your hair fell neatly at your shoulders and once you applied a small amount of makeup, you looked less like a zombie than you imagined. Remembering to grab your card key, you slid on your flats and headed to the address that Megan had texted you. 

The drive was nearly three hours, but you didn't mind. It allowed you to decompress and listen to your favorite Spotify playlist. Luckily, the rental car you managed to get had Bluetooth, otherwise you'd have to deal with the local stations. 

Finally, you pulled into the driveway and allowed yourself to take a few deep breaths. The house was pretty big, two-story with a two-car garage. The yard was well kept and you could see the faint outlines of playground equipment down the street. Overall, it looked to be a nice, quiet neighborhood. 

Crisp air fanned your face as you walked to the front door. A couple knocks later you were face to face with a sweet-looking young woman. She smiled warmly at you before inviting you inside. 

"Hi! You must be Y/N. It's so good to meet you." 

Smiling back at her, you shook her hand and then noticed a taller figure walk up behind her. He nodded at you and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist. 

“I’m her husband, Trent. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”

You followed them inside and gasped as they led you into what had to be their living room. Your eyes wandered and marveled at how cozy and elegant everything looked. Not that it mattered to you, but you couldn’t help but think this couple had a lot of money. 

“You have a beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. …” 

It only just hit you that you didn’t know their last name. Megan brought you a cup of some wonderful smelling coffee and sat down on the love seat across from you. 

“Stevenson. Our last name is Stevenson. Thank you for your kind words. We moved here a little over a year ago so I could be closer to my niece.” 

You nodded and moaned happily at the taste of the coffee. This was one of the many things you enjoyed in life, a nice hot cup of coffee.

“Oh, does your family live close? That’s always nice, having family that lives close by. I used to watch my older sister’s kids all the time while she worked. They’re in school full-time now, so that’s why I decided to move here to hopefully pursue my dream.” 

It amazed you that you felt this comfortable around the Stevenson’s so quickly. Normally, your anxiety would get the better of you and it’d be like pulling teeth to get you to share personal things about your life. Megan nodded and scooted over to allow room for Trent to sit by her. 

“Yes, one of my older brother’s lives about fifteen minutes from here. He’s not home often though due to his job. He’s an actor and really only gets time off during the summer and the holidays. My other older brother lives about forty-five minutes from here. He’s an Orthopedic surgeon.” 

“Wow.” You breathed. “That’s really awesome! I have always wanted to be a singer, but my love of kids made me want to wait a little longer to try and become successful at it. I probably would have had kids of my own by now if I was fortunate in the relationship department. I seem to always find the ones who are either already married or live in their Mom’s basement.” The three of you shared a laugh and you watched as Trent scrolled through his phone. 

“This is our son, Max. He just turned five about a month ago, and in his lap is our two-month-old daughter Macee.”

You looked at them both in awe. “They’re beautiful! Max sure looks like he loves Macee a lot.” Just as you handed Trent his phone back, a small voice sounded from the foot of the stairs. 

“Mommy? I can’t sweep…”

The three of you looked to see little Max standing with his teddy bear and rubbing his eyes. Megan opened her arms and set him on her lap, pressing her lips to his forehead. 

“Hey, baby. You can sit with Mommy while we talk to miss Y/N.”

Your ears perked up at her words. Was she giving you the job? Both her and Trent shared a look and you could tell they were having a wordless conversation. Finally, Megan turned and gave you an excited smile. 

“Y/N, if you’re up for it, Trent and I would love to have you as our Nanny. You seem very attentive and dependable. We have a spare room that you can stay in for the time being, and you’ll have your own bathroom.” 

“Thank you both so much! I can’t wait to work with you and get to know your adorable children. When would you like me to start?”

Megan gave you a folder with a few papers in it to go over. 

“These are just a few more things about us and the kids that I want you to know. You can bring your things over tomorrow night and then on Monday you can start.”

You bid Trent and Megan goodbye and headed back to your hotel. It was as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You’d only been here a short time and you had a place to stay and a job. Now all you needed to get was a car and you’d better off than you were before you started your journey. 

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

The sound of his phone’s text tone woke Jared from his slumber. He typed a quick response to his sister and stretched his tired muscles. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed he grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out the door. 

His sister said to be at her house in a couple of hours, but he didn’t see the harm in getting there early. It would give him time to play with Max and Macee for a little while. The drive there wasn’t very long, and soon he was walking up the sidewalk to their front door. 

He let himself in and could saw his sister in the back yard playing with the kids. Before he could head through the house out the back door, something caught his attention. A sweet melodic voice flowed through the upstairs hallway that made his heartbeat quicken. He moved so he could see better and caught sight of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She had long brown hair that waved a bit at the ends, was probably about five foot one, and her voice was mesmerizing. 

He watched as she cleaned the kids’ playroom, her hips shimmying to the music she was listening to. It was then that he recognized the song she was singing. It was one of the songs from Jensen’s new album! Standing in the foyer, he let himself listen to you a bit longer.

Oh, and how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

You can only stay awake so long

While deciding what is true

I lean in for a kiss upon your shoulder

Realize it wouldn’t do, not with you

So, how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

Unbeknownst to him, his sister was watching him watch her, the biggest smirk on her face knowing that you had caught her brother’s eye. 

“Her name’s Y/N, and she’s Trent and I’s nanny.”

Jared whirled around to meet his sister’s knowing gaze. He knew he’d been caught staring and was sure he was blushing furiously. 

“That’s ah… I’m uh… glad you found someone suitable for the kids, Meg. I bet she’s great.”

“Uh-huh… I haven’t seen you look at someone like that since… well, since ever really. You like her.”

“What?! That’s… I mean… I don’t even know her. I just… her singing was um… really good!”

By now, you had finished cleaning the playroom and was prepared to relieve Megan so she could go out with her family. You heard her talking to someone and you assumed it was Trent. 

“Hey, Megan! I finished cleaning the pla-” 

Your words were caught in your throat as you looked down into the foyer. There, standing mere feet from you was your celebrity crush since you saw him on Gilmore Girls. Jared Padalecki. It took only a moment for things to click in your brain and you deduced that he and Megan were siblings. 

“Y/N, this is one of my older brother’s Jared, Jared this is Y/N.” 

“H-Hi…” You squeaked. He gave you a boyish grin and you forgot how to breathe. “I’m uh… just going to get a few things from my room…” 

Once you were behind the closed door, you let out a shaky breath. How in the fuck did you manage to get a job at Jared Padalecki’s sister’s house?! Taking a deep breath you grabbed the Tonka set you bought Max and headed downstairs to the great room to play with him and Macee. Jared was in the kitchen with Megan, and you were lucky enough to be immensely distracted by Max to hear what they were saying. 

“I’m telling you Jare, you should ask her out! I give her weekends off, and I don’t think she knows anyone here but us. I think it would be nice to show her around.”

Jared rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t know Megan… I just met he-”

“Oh cut the crap, Jared. You can make all the excuses you want, but you and I both know you like her. C’mon! Take a chance! She’s cute and you’re single. If you keep waiting around for the right person, then who knows how long you’ll be waiting?”

Jared contemplated his sister’s words as he eyed you through the kitchen. Who was he kidding? Megan was right. He sighed and swallowed thickly as he headed into the Great room. 

“Here goes nothing…”

[feotakahari]

The Void and the Shadow: The Prophecy

Setting up the plot.

It didn’t take long to gather up the rest of the Church. We were isolated, but we did have Internet. Many of us had already seen the accounts of towns and districts cut off from the world, visible but somehow unreachable, while half-rotting figures killed everyone inside. We were all desperate for an explanation.

The Void is our mother, Tuwotahl began. She is nothing. She birthed almost everything. She loves all that is not her.

The Shadow is strange. The Void didn’t birth it. It appeared. It hates complexity. It prefers identical people to people who are different. It prefers no life at all to identical people. In the end it wants no worlds. No stars. No Void. Nothing at all but Shadow.

We fought it with this. She held up the shard. We trapped it. The Seventh Legion had a prophecy that said it would escape. A Savior would come and destroy it forever.

“What if I’m not your Savior?” Allie interrupted.

Then your world will die.

Images flashed through my mind, brief glimpses of blue-haired women fighting blue-haired zombies.

The Seventh Legion had several candidates. They were ready to fight the Shadow. They died. We looked for Saviors on other worlds. Those Saviors died. Our world died with them.

They said I was too young to fight or search. I stayed until the Shadow tore down our shelter. I followed its army through a portal here. I may be the last one who knows the prophecy.

Maybe the Savior won’t know the prophecy. Maybe she’s on a world I’ve never seen. But I’m alive. I’ll fight the shadow. Whether I win or die is up to fate. What’s your fate?

“Fuck, I’ll do it,” Allie said. “I don’t care about your prophecy, but those things were hurting people. When I stopped them, it felt good, like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing my whole life. Just give me a real weapon and tell me who to hit with it.”

Tuwotahl opened up a portal with the shard. Follow.

“Not alone,” I said before I could stop myself.

Tuwotahl made a wordless exclamation of confusion, and the portal vanished.

“Not alone,” I repeated, forging ahead as if I knew what I was doing. “You’re fighting the literal Devil and his army of zombies, and you’re doing it with two people? Why not three? Or four, or five, or all of us? I’m not your Savior, but I’m here to help. Who’s with me?”

The first to step up was Nina, another girl from the Church. We didn’t have much in common, but I knew her casually just from proximity. “I--I’ll go,” she said. “I want to do this.”

The next was Mr. Pritchard, one of the history teachers from the school. “You need some adults on this.”

“I don’t think I can fight,” Father Hayes said, gesturing with his cane. “But if there’s anything else you need me for, I’ll do my best. If nothing else, I can offer you food and a spare room whenever you come back.”

More and more people volunteered, and Tuwotahl just smiled at us. I understand. Perhaps this is your fate too.

If I’d thought harder then, I might have realized what the Savior really was.

The Armory

On the other side of Tuwotahl’s portal, there was a windowless concrete room filled wall-to-wall with weapons. The floor was dusty, but the weapons themselves looked recently polished.

“Huh,” Allie commented. “Not a lot of guns.”

The Shadow won’t run from a gunshot, Tuwotahl explained. The noise draws more and more. Save your shots for an emergency. Then run for your life.

“Fair enough,” Allie said. She wandered off to the side, investigating a staff with blades at either end.

I took more of an interest in what wasn’t there. Over here, an empty space among a set of absurdly large swords. Over there, a missing warhammer, one of the smaller ones. (Tuwotahl’s? It did look small compared to these massive hunks of metal.) Which of these spaces were empty by design, and which had been claimed by failed Saviors? 

The Savior candidates’ weapons are on display in the shelter, Tuwotahl told me. A memorial for the fallen. It’s very far from here. The Shadow already found it.

“Did you just read my mind?” I asked.

She chuckled. Have no fear. I can’t receive unless you send. I followed where your eyes looked. She hefted her warhammer one-handed, like it was just a tiny stick rather than a massive metal implement. I took this from the display when the Shadow attacked. I knew the woman who used it. She was kind. She deserved better. All of them did.

“I’m sorry,” I said. I couldn’t think of what else to say.

It was fate, she said simply. I try not to get angry about it. Sometimes I fail.

In the background, I could hear Allie and Nina arguing over who would get the bladed staff. It sounded like Nina was winning. To avoid both the noise and the uncomfortable discussion, I wandered over to the projectile weapons, and Tuwotahl followed. Past the guns and the longbows, just before some kind of throwing blades, I found the other love of my life: an incredibly tiny crossbow.

“How would you even kill a zombie with this?” I asked out loud.

Poison, Tuwotahl said. Fast-acting. One shot makes them unable to move. Two or three may stop a heart.

“You can poison a zombie?” I asked.

They’re alive in a sense. Their hearts still beat. But it’s simpler to crush their skulls.

Mr. Pritchard was nearby, carefully examining a long-barreled rifle. Tuwotahl turned to say something to him, but I interrupted. “What kind of poison is it? Is it a painkiller, or something more like curare, where you’re immobile but you still feel pain? And how do you make it?”

I’ve seen the plant it’s made from, Tuwotahl told me. I could show it to you. But why would you want this tiny toy?

“It’s quiet, it’s ranged, it’s lightweight, and you said one shot can stop a zombie,” I told her. “The bolts look simple enough to make, too. I just need a ready supply of poison to make it practical. And maybe a dosage guide. Though if the goal is to kill zombies, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a high dosage . . .”

Tuwotahl was staring at me. So were Allie and Mr. Pritchard. The Church members weren’t bothered, though. They were used to me by now.

You have to understand the way I worshiped. The way to understand Rembrandt is to look at Rembrandt’s paintings. The way to understand God is to look at the world. But the world’s awfully big, and you’d have to be God yourself to understand everything in it. So I focused in on the biological and chemical actions that make living things function. And in biochemistry, I particularly loved to learn about medicine, and what substances could make you sick or repair your injuries.

This was why I wasn’t homeschooled like everyone else in the church. Father Hayes decided early on that I needed better instruction than they could provide.

You keep surprising me, Tuwotahl finally said. I’ll bring you a book of herbology. I’ll need to translate it for you.

“Thank you, Miss Tuwotahl,” I told her. I held up the crossbow. “In the meantime, is there anywhere I can practice firing this thing?”

The First Mission

We couldn’t delay long to learn how to use our weapons. Many of the school survivors had family or friends in one of the areas under attack by the zombies. One called his family, but couldn’t get an answer. Another refused to call--“What if the zombies hear it ring?” Tuwotahl was worried for our safety, of course, but Allie was determined to help, and in the early days, Tuwotahl rarely overruled her.

We chose one girl at random. I didn’t know her well, and I’ve forgotten her name. Tuwotahl let her use the shard to make a portal to her home.

Stay nearby, Tuwotahl reminded us. I can portal us out. Then she led us through the portal, and we followed.

We exited into a suburban dining room, split almost down the middle. The side we were on was torn and ransacked. There was a chair split on the floor, stained with thick black blood across the back. But the far side of the room was untouched. Whoever had fought here, there was a line they’d avoided crossing.

Allie tried to walk across the line. I didn’t understand what happened, but somehow she was turned around, walking back towards us. She turned and tried to cross again, and was turned back again. She paused for a few seconds, then slowly, slowly backstepped towards the line, and suddenly she was backstepping away from it.

No one can leave without a portal, Tuwotahl told her. Not until we kill the Shadowtouched.

Allie started to say something, but she was interrupted by a sound I’d never heard before, a sort of panting screech, like someone was trying to scream at the same time they were sobbing.

I followed it into the living room. It came from the girl who lived in the house. She was staring at the blood on the floor. Some black, most red, all dried. There was an awful lot of it. How much blood had been lost here? I didn’t think a single person could bleed this much and still live. But if there were two people, maybe both . . . no, maybe one . . . No, I was lying to myself. The girl already knew what had happened here. That’s why she was making that sound.

Most of the time, I’m good at not caring. I can remember the blood and the pain like it wasn’t real or didn’t matter. But on the bad nights, sometimes I hear that sound.

Someone else heard it, too, because through the living room window, I heard a voice begin to sing. It was low and rich, and I couldn’t understand the words. It seemed to harmonize with the girl’s sobbing.

Then it turned into a shriek of undiluted rage, and my knees buckled.

Portal! Now! Tuwotahl called.

The voice from outside was still shrieking, and the girl was shrieking with it. She’d fallen just like me, but unlike me, she wasn’t getting up. Somehow, I knew she wasn’t going to. The voice had found a pain as great as its own. It was never going to let her go.

I stumbled to the window and forced it open. There were innumerable figures standing on the grass and in the street. Most of them were rotting, bloody, or both. But my blurring vision and pounding ears could still tell there was one they were centered around, leading this demented composition.

I aimed the pocket crossbow, and I took the shot.

I meant to hit it in the chest, but I aimed too high. The bolt pierced through its throat and silenced it forever.

Tuwotahl had to carry me back to the portal. Allie carried the other girl. I wasn’t unconscious. I couldn’t process what I’d just seen and done.

The other girl stayed at the church from then on. She never went out to hunt zombies again. As for me, I was out hunting again two days later. The creatures--the people--that had done this had to be fought. Not fear nor sorrow nor the Sixth Commandment would stand in my way.

[nate-santos]

O, Death || Nate & Morgan

@mor-beck-more-problems

Nate gets his tarot read! Nothing bad happens!

Nate had never had any sort of psychic reading done before, and while most might think the whole practice was fake or silly, he wasn’t so sure. At this point, Nate had seen enough to know that pretty much anything was possible, even the ability for someone to read his future with a few pieces of cardboard. He was overwhelmed with nerves all evening as he ran around his house making sure it didn’t look like it was entirely in disrepair. Sure, he’d just gone through some flooding and he’d never really made the interior feel like home aside from towers of take out boxes, but Morgan didn’t need to know that he lived such a sad life. Not that she wouldn’t be able to tell just by reading his future...god, was all this stuff really real? He paced the familiar path next to his front door as he waited for Morgan to arrive, jumping into action probably quicker than he really should when her knock finally came. “Hi! Hey! Welcome! Sorry- I’m uh...a little nervous...Would you like to come in?”

Morgan felt bad for how easily Nate fell off her radar. He’d admitted he was a zombie to her, over the internet, and he was always on the town social media checking in on things or saying nice things about other people. And somehow he was willing to pay her twenty bucks to hang out and give him a tarot reading despite knowing divination wasn’t her magic department. If she hadn’t needed the money so bad, she would’ve taken back the idea of compensation to get some good energy going in her favor. “Hey!” She said brightly. “Love to!” She stepped inside and--wow. Maybe the reason Nate was so nice for the same reason she tried to be: his existence away from the rest of the world was so...sad. “This is...great! Did you build the whole place yourself? It’s enormous.” She asked, tiptoeing around the takeout. It was nice, or it could be nice, if he knew how to give it a little love. She wandered to the back of the main room and looked out the windows. Trees on all sides and the brightest view of the night sky and the waxing moon. Nate would have made a good warlock, she decided.

Nate ran a hand through his hair, nervously looking for something to occupy his antsy fingers as Morgan looked around his sparse living space. He had been so proud of the design, and looking over the space now, he felt an overwhelming surge of guilt at how he was treating his “dream” home. This was supposed to be he and Mari’s forever house and he had only decorated it with take out boxes and safety proofing equipment. It was so pathetic when he looked at it through the lens of someone else. “Y-yeah! I designed it myself...I wanted to have a nice view and stuff...it was uh...planned for a while. Didn’t think I’d build it in this town but- well…” He trailed off, his eyes falling to his feet. “So uh...where are we supposed to do this? Do you need candles or something? ‘Cause I don’t think I have any...fire hazard and all that.”

“Well you definitely got the view down with these windows. And this deck!” Morgan exclaimed. She swiveled back over to him. “I brought the atmospheric candles, don’t worry. And your homeopath-tastic cleanser of choice. You seem like you might be a cedar and juniper kind of guy, but I also have lavender if you want to have a softer mood. And we can do it anywhere!” Immediately after she said this, however, she had a distinct feeling that no amount of magic, real or otherwise, would make this living room the kind of space where you would feel cozy hashing out your feelings. “But, since you’re asking, I would love to spend some time on your porch! It’s so nice out, it’d be a shame not to, right?”

Nate smiled lightly at Morgan’s positivity. The whole experience made him nervous, but then again, most things made him nervous. But she had an optimism to her that made Nate remember what it was like to feel happy, even if his nerves were overtaking him. “Oh uh...I’m not sure? I don’t really know what any of those smells...do? But I think uh...softer might be...ideal?” Nate kicked at the toes of his shoes, unsure what to do with himself. “Outside? Uh- yeah, sure!” Nate glanced out the window, noting the bright sky, the nearly full moon reflecting on the river. It did look peaceful, almost like it wasn’t the back yard of a man who would become a monster once he died. Nate grabbed a few blankets and led the way out to the porch, plugging in the few strands of twinkle lights he’d installed and rarely ever used. “Is this ok? Or should I turn them off? I’m- I’m sorry, I’m a little nervous…”

Morgan beamed at Nate, nervous about everything, even a little aromatherapy. But, yep, in spite of his lumberjack figure, Nate was as soft as a flower petal inside. If she’d met him in person before, she probably wouldn’t have bothered with the cedar in the first place. “Lavender is perfect,” she said. 

Somehow she ended up leading the way to the porch and setting out space for them. Blanket, candles, lavender. “Are you kidding? The lights are perfect! You need to have people over more often, you could throw some amazing parties!” But, that was probably not going to happen anytime soon, if they were being realistic. Morgan took her seat on one end and gestured for Nate to take the spot opposite. When he was ready, she passed him the deck, “So, what do you want to know about your life right now, Nate?”

Nate chuckled. As if he even knew enough people to have a party at his place. Even though he’d originally designed it for entertaining, without Mari around, it just felt...empty. All the time. And that was fine. Sometimes Nate thought maybe he liked the sadness it brought. It was like a penance for not being there to save her. As if being bitten by a zombie wasn’t bad enough. “I uh- yeah...maybe when it gets warmer out,” he hedged. The view overlooking the river would be the perfect backdrop for a backyard BBQ, complete with neighborhood kids running around and his friends laughing over a beer. Nate shooks the thought out of his head. He settled in, focusing back to the present. “I-” he paused, wringing his hands in his lap. “Will I die soon?”

“Nate! Your whole future isn’t written in stone! And there’s nothing in you that could have the answer for that besides your own fear. Ask something that acknowledges that you have some agency over yourself. Fate--” Morgan hesitated. Fate, as far as she could tell from Deirdre, was a real and terrifying bitch. Fate wanted you for life, sometimes. But Fate couldn’t possibly have her hands in everything. There was too much universe and too much magic for her to steal Nate’s potential on the mortal plane or her fucked up family curse. Right? “Fate doesn’t have every card in the deck. You have some power, right now, to choose how your life takes shape. Doesn’t it matter how? Isn’t there anything you want to make sure happens before the end?”

Nate stared at his hands, falling silent for a long while. He wasn’t sure that he did have agency over when he was going to die. He liked to think he did, and he sure did try hard to make sure it wasn’t any time soon, but at the end of the day, he would still become a monster when it happened. For all his research and all his attempts, there was still nothing he could do to change that. He racked his brain trying to think of an easier question, perhaps something that might even ease his mind, if only for a moment. “Ok...ok…” Nate crossed his legs and sucked in a long breath. “Will I...find peace? Before the end?”

“There you go,” Morgan said. “How will you? What do you need, right now, in order to find peace at the end? She took the cards up and gave them a shuffle, thinking of Nate all the while, and laid them out in an arc facing him. The fireflies buzzed gently in the air, looping their peaceful infinities. They buzzed near Morgan’s neck and dipped across Nate’s vision. She hoped, for his sake, the pull of life to him was a good sign. Okay, thinking about what you need, right now, to find your peace, draw a card.”

Truly, Nate wasn’t sure what it was that would bring him peace. Seeing Mari one last time? A guarantee than once he died, he wouldn’t wake up and murder the first person he saw, consuming their brains? Knowledge that there was a real cure to what he was? He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself as much as possible. He resisted the urge to swat at the fireflies, knowing they weren’t poisonous, before reaching out to pull his first card. Flipping it over, his stomach knotted, unsure what it meant. “Is that...good?”

The card was Death. Poor Nate, Morgan thought with a sigh. It was good, insofar as anything was good, but it sure would’ve been helpful if the cards had been less...aggressive. “So, you may not believe it, but yes. This isn’t about literal dying, it’s about letting go. Letting something that’s tired, broken, and no longer helping you...die. And out of that passing, finding space for something new to take shape.” She gave Nate the most encouraging smile she could muster. “Sometimes death is something that is, something that fits into the balance of everything. This Death, it only comes for you when it’s really time. When the bones your dragging are ready to be laid to rest. Especially when those bones are old stories you’re used to telling yourself that just don’t do what they’re supposed to anymore. Am I making any sense?”

Nate wasn’t familiar with tarot cards or their meanings, but a card that literally reads DEATH couldn’t be good. He could feel the familiar wave of panic cresting over him and his hands gripped his chair. “Y-you sure? It’s- literally...it’s death!” Nate rocked slowly, trying to calm himself. Death and rebirth. Death of things he’s been carrying around. Death of his fear of dying? Did that even make sense? Nate wrapped his arms around himself and looked up at Morgan. “Is- there another...would the next card maybe...be better?”

“Nate, please don’t freak out,” Morgan urged gently. “Death can be--” She hesitated, wondering for a moment if there wasn’t something in the cardstock after all that knew she was here and taking a two-way jab. “--Even real death doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can just be. Or be a gift. I don’t know how exactly, I just heard it from someone who’d seen a lot of it and that’s not what this is about anyway, I want to emphasize that--but it’s possible. And if even real death can be a gift, then letting go of this something in you can be a gift too. It just wants you to let go. As gently as you can. And it’ll be caught, and so will the rest of you. You won’t fall when you let go. This Death will catch you and the whole world will open up.” She smiled sadly at him, and decided not to question who she was more sorry for in that moment. “But, you should definitely draw another card!” She said, straightening herself up with cheer. “Three card pulls are nice and easy.”

Nate drew.

“Ooh! Look how strong he is, right? This is what you’re really aiming for, what’s waiting for you after you’re caught! The Hierophant is a master teacher. He’s got all the rules, the knowledge, usually in some kind of organized structure? And, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, you could actually move closer to finding that kind of firm, organized knowledge if you let go. Or maybe there’s someone you know like this already, and they want to help you! It doesn’t have to be a man, I should probably mention that. All these energies are around and in us. It’s what they’re offering you that’s important. Is that--does that--make you feel any better?”

Nate struggled to calm his breathing, squeezing his eyes shut before managing to suck in a few deeper breaths, forcing serenity into his body. He was afraid to open them, to see the next card that could destroy his future. But what was he gonna do? Chicken out? Pretend like any of this wasn’t real? Maybe...maybe he would get caught. Maybe Morgan was right. Maybe death wasn’t the death he thought. Nate slowly opened his eyes and stared down at the cards, flipping the next. Morgan’s reaction was all he needed to feel the smallest bit better. “Y-yeah,” he started, feeling one of the zillions of stress knots in his stomach start to loosen. But as was always the way with Nate’s luck, a shadowy figure sent him straight into another panic. “But...uh, M-Morgan? Were you uh...expecting anyone else?” His eyes were locked on the figure behind Morgan, making its slow approach towards the house. “C-cause my...neighbors are...out of town….”

Morgan was preparing to explain the next card, the Hanged Man, making a full set of major arcana cards, no suits, just big, demanding energy, when she noticed Nate go still with alarm. “Someone else?” She asked, confused. She looked over her shoulder and-- 

No. 

No, this was bullshit. She was not seeing him right now. This was some evil, cursed, supernatural bullshit. Morgan felt sick. She sank onto her hands, her chest tightening. His face had been all wrong, sagging to one side, swollen on the other from the impact of hitting that tree, like on that last day. Morgan fixed her eyes on the deck, waiting to see his staggering footsteps. She waited. Nothing. Morgan risked a look up and-- nothing still. “Fuck this,” she hissed, and scrambled to her feet towards the door.

Nate scrambled backwards, feeling the sense of unease rolling off of Morgan in waves. Whoever this was was not welcome here. “W-where are you going? What’s happening??” He rushed after her pulling them both into the house and locking the door out of reflex. “Do you know that person?” His brows furrowed, not understanding why she might have invited someone else to their reading, but honestly hoping she did. It was better than the alternative which of course was that some shambling stranger was wandering around his yard in the pitch black darkness. As if he wasn’t already horrified of his future.

Morgan pressed her back to the door. “Person?” Morgan hissed through her teeth, voice shrill. “What kind of person disappears as soon as you stop looking at them!” Was this some kind of hex? More White Crest bullshit? Morgan’s brain was firing too fast for her to think, and she didn’t even know half the critters that lived in the cursed place. But whatever was making her see her Dad, mangled and estranged from his real self as he’d been on the day she lost him, after the time she’d had with the treasure chest coins, was on her list. “That is a thing,” she growled. “Some stupid curse, some ghost out of a stick or I don’t even know! But I am not putting up with this!” She went to her bag and started rummaging. Nothing stood out, nothing seemed right, she was running too fast from this to think. “What do you know about the weird things here?”

Nate shrank back at Morgan’s change in demeanor. She’d been so calming before the  appearance of the man, though Nate couldn’t fault her. He was straight up terrified now. “I don’t know!! But it- it looked like a person!!” Nate eyed the door, knowing his locks were more than secure, but if that...thing wasn’t a person after all, would all the locks in the world even work? “I know...there’s a lot of it? Everything’s weird?” He wasn’t sure what Morgan had in her bag that could help them right now, but he prayed she knew more than he did about this sort of thing.

Peeking through the door’s window, Nate’s stomach dropped to his knees. No longer did he see the figure of a man, but a lumbering woman, limping along with one arm barely hanging onto her shoulder. In the pale moonlight, there was no mistaking her. Mari. Nate crashed to his knees, his head slamming hard against the door as sobs raked through him. “N-no no no no….she’s- she can’t be-” Somewhere in the back of his mind, Nate wanted to try to help Morgan, but it was all he could do to breathe. His love had come back after all. It only took nine years, but she’d finally found him. He wondered if she were able to eat normally she might have some sort of chance at a real life, like Remmy had. Crawling over to the front window, he saw Mari’s intestines trailing behind her, muscle and raw sinew draped across her shoulders like some sick shawl from beyond the grave. “M-Morgan-” Nate croaked, pointing out the window.

Morgan screwed her eyes shut and tried to remember breathing. In. Hold. Out. She was doing it too quicky, and under her lids she saw the palm tree lunging towards them, the way his body bounced against the steering wheel on impact, how still he was. She opened them. What had Nate said? She? “‘She’ who? What are you talking about?” Morgan turned and staggered back. The figure was pulverised, bloody and draped in gore. “Do you--do you know her?” Distracted, Morgan found her iron and salt. If this thing wasn’t a ghost, it was at least ghost adjacent. That had to mean something. “Nate, get back from the window. She’s not--whoever you think she is. If this turns out to be another bullshit curse thing...” she added through her teeth. There was nothing to say after.

Nate shuffled himself backwards away from the window, clenching his eyes shut. Whoever - whatever Morgan had seen had to have been awful if it had snapped her into such a frenzy. If it was anything like Nate’s ghost from the past, he wondered how she could still make complete sentences. Then again, Morgan seemed a good deal stronger than Nate in a lot of ways. He backed himself up against his weathered couch and wrapped his arms around his knees, waiting for the next instruction. “W-what kind of curse?” He stammered through sobs. “She’s- it’s not really- please tell me it’s not really-” another round of sobs choked him off.

Morgan had to bend over to keep from looking at the broken girl in the window. Her stomach was trying to spiral its way up to her throat and having the iron and the salt didn’t really solve the problem of ‘now you have to get outside and touch it with those things.’ And Morgan knew just like she knew that she’d had it too nice, too balanced, too cozy, that if she went out to take a swing at that thing, it would turn back into her dad. Or maybe her mom. Or maybe her college roommate, freshly lacerated with glass from her fall. And she wasn’t ready for that. She couldn’t stomach this punch from the universe. Even if it meant another one would find her later, she’d handle it over this. “No,” she snapped, breath hollow in her throat, “No it’s not really her! I don’t know what it really is but it’s mean and it’s awful and if I made this happen with my stupid danger zone, I’m sorry!” She straightened up and looked around the house. Suddenly it seemed like there were too many windows, too many places for it to find her, and her Subaru was too far away for comfort. “Where’s your toolbox? You’re gonna need salt and iron and to stop looking at whatever that asshole is! Just stop, stop looking at it, it’s just being cruel!” Her voice was growing shrill as she spoke, the more she fought herself for control, the more it seemed to run away from her. She went for the kitchen and started pulling open drawers and cabinets, pulling out anything that looked close enough to what she needed that it would transmute easily and shoving it onto her pop socket, til there was a steady pile of each. The knives she left alone. Maybe Nate would be able to use it in a pinch. “I’m sorry,” she said again, arming herself with one of the extras. It made her feel safer, having a spare.

Nate peered up at Morgan with tears in his eyes. He didn’t take it personally, but her biting tone cut through him like a knife with his nerves as raw as they were. Shrinking into himself he muttered a response. “T-tools are- the shed-” Sobs continued to crash through him, along with every image of Mari’s mangled corpse from the woods so many years ago compiled with these new fresh horrors. His hands slapped to his head, fingers curling his locks into knots. Morgan flitted around him in a frenzy, ripping open drawers and pulling out random knick knacks. It was clear out of the two of them who would be useful when the apocalypse came and who would immediately turn into a blubbering mess, incapable of doing any real help. Whatever magical strength had come over him when he saved Taylor and her boat was beyond his reach now. Sucking in as much air as he could between sobs, Nate tried to pull himself together, just in time to see Morgan preparing to flee. Oh no….no no no no no. She couldn’t leave him here with- her. “W-where are you going?!”

Morgan had her jaw set and her resolve doubled down. She could take a lot from her curse. She had, in fact, already taken a lot. More than a lot of people she knew. But this was too soon, too much, and the curse magic could call her up another time to yell about it. Throw something different. Mulligan on the misery. She marched to the door, thinking about how much she needed to see, what she really needed to focus on to get out of here alive. “I just can’t do this right now Nate!” she said. “But whatever that thing is, it’s not your friend, so don’t look at it!” And before her conscience or her fear could reach up to pull her back, she was out the door, gunning for the safety of her Subaru. It fluttered comfortingly to life and in the dim, she leveled her gaze to only the barest, closest strip of the road. Behind her she heard something like buzzing, but for all she knew it was the thrum of her own brain trying to shut away what she’d seen.

[cornfields-and-bad-dreams]

SOWC19, Day 12: Heights.

@blackirisposts

Fandom: Achievement Hunter, Minecraft au.

Pairing: Mavin

Word count: 1,550

Warnings: non-lethal injuries.

Synopsys: Gavin gets hurt while making his way through a forest and finds himself saved by a stranger.

Gavin had grown up with creepers, for whatever reason the green creatures had taken a liking to him and allowed him to live among them.  Gavin mostly kept to the creepers, staying away from other people as much as possible, he'd even taken to wearing clothes that resembled the creeper's appearance.  But as he got older not only did Gavin start to feel the urge to meet others like him, but the creepers seemed to push for him to leave as well.  After heading off the green beings still remained friendly with him of course.

Gavin wandered from village to village, city to city, and eventually found himself deep in a thick forest.  During his travels, Gavin had acquired a bow and arrows, though he was still learning to use it.  Making his way through the woods Gavin felt something whiz past his head, turning to see what it was he found an arrow lodged in the tree beside him.  Jumping as another nearly struck him Gavin whirled around to find a Skeleton aiming at him for the third time.  Giving out a squawk Gavin took off down the trail, pulling out his bow he slowed now and then to take a shot at the skeleton.  More arrows seemed to fly at him from every direction as he headed deeper, the sound of zombies reached his ears as well.  Pain erupted in Gavin's side, at first he thought it was just his muscles aching but his arm suddenly hit something solid causing more pain.  Gavin had been hit, stumbling a moment Gavin was hit again in the back.  Gavin jumped over the roots of a large tree he pressed himself up against them as best he could, waiting he heard the sounds of mobs passing by.  Despite knowing he should get moving again, Gavin stayed put attempting to catch his breath.  Slowly Gavin started to feel tired, eventually, his eyes closed as he drifted into a peaceful dreamland.

Waking up Gavin found that he was now lying in a bed, sitting up he also discovered that his wounds had been bandaged.  Looking around Gavin took in the room.  It wasn't too big, but it fit a bed, a large chest, a side table, a chair, and a desk.  Standing up Gavin moved to the door, peering out into the rest of the house he noticed a man tending to a fire.  Stepping into the larger room Gavin cleared his throat.  The man jumped, turning around he clutched his chest but gave Gavin a soft smile.

"You're awake, that's good.  Though you should rest a bit longer, you took some pretty nasty hits."  The man made his way towards Gavin, ushering him back into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"  Gavin realized after he spoke that he might have come off a bit rude.

"I'm Michael, but you can call me Mogar if you want.  That's what most people here call me."

"Where is here?"  Gavin sat back down on the bed, pulling the sheets over his legs.

"Timber summit."

"I know that name, where have I heard it before?"  The last part was said more to himself.

"We're a village in the trees, a lot of folks like to talk about us."  Michael chuckled as he moved to the large chest at the end of the bed.

Micheal pulled out Gavins bow and arrows along with his bag.

"I didn't know how long you'd be out, didn't want your things just laying around."  Michael set the stuff on top of the chest once he'd closed it.

"Excuse me, but can you go back a moment?  Did you say a village in the trees?"

"Yeah.  We live in houses high up in the trees connected by rope bridges."

"How'd I get here?"

"I found you while I was hunting, brought you back here to patch you up."

"Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome.  Now that you're awake you should probably eat something, I just finished dinner so you're in luck."  Micheal returned to the other room, soon returning with a bowl of stew, bread, and water.

Gavin remained in bed for the next couple of days until Micheal felt he was ready to be up.  Gavin was mesmerized by the tree village once he stepped outside, Micheal hadn't done it justice with his description.  Gavin had expected small tree houses like the one he'd been staying in but he'd found that the majority of the village was large multi-level buildings.

Micheal showed Gavin around, introducing him to others.  Gavin found that Micheal was a warrior among his people and that was where the name Mogar had come from.  The people of Micheals village grew interested in Gavin, beginning with curiosity in his clothing choice, the people enjoyed Gavin's stories of childhood and travel.  Gavin continued saying with Micheal, helping out around the house and accompanying him on his hunting trips.  In return Micheal agreed to teach Gavin how to properly use his bow, he also decided Gavin needed to learn to use a sword.

It had been several months since Micheal rescued Gavin and still, the man was staying with him, though neither of them seemed to mind.  The two had grown close in the short time they'd known each other and the thought of leaving hadn't crossed either of their minds.  That is until winter began to approach, food was getting more sparse and the meals the two shared had diminished in quantity.  Gavin began to feel guilty for staying, winter would be there soon and with Gavin around food, supplies would need to be stretched.  Micheal, of course, hadn't said anything but Gavin was sure he was refraining from being rude.

"I think I should be leaving soon," Gavin announced one morning, surprising Michael.

"Really?"  Micheal looked up from his breakfast.

"Yeah, I've stayed long enough.  I can't hang around here forever."  Gavin stared down at his food, poking it around the plate.

"Of course, where do you think you'll go?"

"I was heading for a town on the other side of the forest before, I figured I'd head that way again."

"Sounds like a plan."  Micheal gave Gavin a sad smile, though Gavin wasn't really paying enough attention to notice, the man just didn't seem to be able to look Micheal in the eyes.

Two days later Gavin had gathered enough supplies and headed out.  Saying goodbye to Micheal and the other villagers he descended to the forest floor and set off in the direction of the town.

It was a few hours later when Gavin found himself surrounded by hostile mobs.  Gavin fought his way through them as best he could, Micheals training had done him good, but Gavin was heavily outnumbered.  Gavin was on the verge of defeat when a yell erupted from the trees, suddenly Micheal came swinging in on a vine.  Micheal lobed off the heads of a few assailants before landing beside Gavin.

"Looks like you need a little help."  Swinging his sword Micheal cut through another couple mobs.

With Micheal's help, the two were able to run off the vicious creatures.  Gavin leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

"You're timing couldn't have been any better.  What are you doing here anyway?"

Micheal turned away from Gavin slightly, red spreading across his cheeks.

"I was trying to catch up to you."  Michael rubbed at the back of his neck.  "I wanted to stop you from leaving."  Micheal's eyes met Gavins at last, an embarrassed but hopefull look held in them.

"You don't want me to leave?"  Gavin felt butterflies in his stomach, and a tingle run up his spine.

"I realize you have a lot more of the world to see, and I'd never try to keep you from that, but watching you leave hurt and I thought maybe you'd like to stay after all."  Micheal turned completely to Gavin, taking a small step toward him.

"Micheal, I'd love to stay but."  Gavin pulled at the hem of his shirt and bit his lip, his eyes drifting away from Micheal.

"But what?  Is something wrong, did I do something?"

"You didn't do anything.  I just, winters coming up and I know food supplies will be limited, so I didn't want to be another mouth to feed."

"Gavin, food won't be an issue.  I can find more food and others would be happy to help as well.  What made you think you needed to leave?"

"I just didn't want to be a burden.  You were already so nice to me, fixing me up, letting me stay, teaching me to use my bow and a sword.  I didn't want to make you do more for me."

"Gavin."  Micheal stepped up to Gavin, taking his arms into his grasp and looking him directly in the eyes.  "I did all that because I wanted to, if I didn't want you around I would have kicked you out long ago.  I wanted you around and I want you to stay."

"I want to stay too."  Gavin began to tear up, pulling Micheal into a hug he cried into his shoulder.

Micheal held Gavin close and let him cry for a moment before pulling away.

"Come on now, let's head home before your crying attracts more monsters."

[eggoreviews]

Top 10 Coolest Game Protagonists

There’s a lot of games out there, and with them, a lot of people you gotta play as. And I know the word ‘cool’ is kind of relative, but here’s the 10 I reckon get the T-shirts for the kickarse club. Oh, and one character per franchise. Hope u agree with my picks!

Spoilers ahead!

10. Ren Amamiya (Persona 5)

The general rule of life that I’ve learned is, no one is as cool as this guy is when they’re like 17. Joker, or Ren Amamiya as he’s known in the P5 anime, gets himself arrested and put on probation for basically nothing at the beginning of the game and spends the rest of it slowly building a lovable group of friends, dating someone way out of his league (or, you know, age range if you went with the teacher) and becoming the leader of an internationally recognised group of thieves who change the hearts of the wicked. Ren pretty much has his shit together from day 1, and I think we were all a bit jealous. Plus, look how cool he looks in that persona costume.

9. Asher Forrester (Game of Thrones)

This may seem like an extremely odd choice, but those who’ve played the Telltale Game of Thrones will know exactly what I’m talking about. In a game that revolves entirely around the disgraced Forrester family, Asher is arguably the most disgraced of the lot. Asher is exiled from his hometown of Ironrath after his dad catches him trying to have a cheeky affair with Gwyn Whitehill, the daughter of a rival house, and instead now spends his days wandering about Westeros being a mercenary with his equally awesome also mercenary friend Beskha at his side. During his stint in Game of Thrones, Asher kicks the arses of a group of bandits, negotiates with Daenerys and rides back to his besieged hometown with a bloodthirsty band of freed slaves in tow. He’s funny, he’s a bit reckless, but he definitely stands out as the coolest member of the Forrester family.

8. Kratos (God of War series)

Kratos is pretty much iconic at this point. He’s stoic, strong, has a much more in depth character since the reboot came out and then managed to run away with Game of the Year against the likes of Red Dead 2. Kratos, the bald angry axe guy turned quiet, collected father figure (but he still has an axe), Kratos doesn’t tend to be too subtle about how cool he is, but that’s because he doesn’t need to be.

7. Emily Kaldwin (Dishonored series)

I debated giving this spot to Corvo, but I think Emily just about beats him out mostly because of the huge development you see in her throughout the games. After witnessing her mother’s death and being kidnapped by aristocrats for their own personal gain in the first game, she’s rescued by Corvo (oh, and then she’s kidnapped again. And rescued again) and eventually becomes empress. Then she gets dethroned anyway, and immediately jumps into kicking the behinds of everyone involved with the coup in excellent fashion, with the aid of her flashy new Outsider powers. So yeah, Corvo is undeniably brilliant, but I thought Emily wielded that folding sword just a little better.

6. Leon Kennedy / Claire Redfield (Resident Evil 2)

And here they are, the first day cop and the college student who really aren’t having a good day, but still tackle the apocalypse head on with the aid of lots of guns and a motorbike. I couldn’t decide which of these guys to give the spot tom, so they get to share. Considering the sheer amount of zombies, horrible mutants and crazed scientists they have to sift through during their unwanted journey, I’d say it would be a little insulting to leave them out after everything they go through. Plus, I think it’s pretty much bi culture at this point to want both of them to step on you, so Leon and Claire were mandatory picks.

5. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider series)

The mother of all adventure game protagonists has come a long way since polygonal temples and triangular boobs, and nowhere is this more clear than in the reboot trilogy, which has given as a brilliantly gritty rendition of Lara Croft that makes her much more badass than she ever was beforehand. Now that her character has been much more fleshed out, the iconic status really feels like it has some important character depth to back it up, and no list like this would be the same without her.

4. Joel / Ellie (The Last of Us)

Oh, look I’ve broken the rules again! But I really couldn’t pick one or the other, so both of the trauma bonded duo that made us all cry back in 2013 get a spot on my list. They both went through pure, bleak hell and maintained most of themselves throughout it all. Joel, who lost his daughter within the first hour of the spore outbreak, has been living in Understandable Man Pain mode ever since, but then Ellie comes along, and the two basically becoming an unstoppable, bandit killing team. And nowhere does both of their pure cool factor come out better than during the stint of the game’s only proper antagonist, David, where both Joel and Ellie get some shining character moments that make you truly see how awesome they are for making it through. Looking forward to seeing them both again in the sequel!

3. Samus Aran (Metroid series)

More than anything, I feel just a bit sorry for Samus. I can’t imagine fighting the same purple dragon pirate who killed your parents for over 30 years is doing much good for her mental health at this point. But it’s fairly clear that she can handle it. Samus has been shooting the hell out of anything that opposes her since 1984, whether that be a huge brain in a tank or literally the Wii Fit Trainer, she’ll gun it down without a thought. And as one of the very first female protagonists in gaming, along with having a sick ass power suit, she has to be here.

2. Bayonetta (Bayonetta series)

She can summon demon limbs basically at will. She has guns on her feet. She can slow time and kick your arse, and then speed it up again and continue to kick your arse. She’s one of the last surviving umbra witches and still somehow pulls off librarian glasses with the witch motif. When Bayonetta graced our screens, I think Morrigan from Dragon Age knew when to relinquish her Best Witch crown.

Before I unveil my pick for objectively the coolest game protagonist since Pac Man, here’s a few that didn’t quite make the cut:

Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)

Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid series)

Booker DeWitt (Bioshock Infinite)

Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)

Link (The Legend of Zelda series)

Clementine (Telltale’s The Walking Dead series)

Sam (Until Dawn)

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect series)

Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption II)

1. Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher series)

My number one pick is the only game character I’ve seen who pulls off the ‘gruff, stoic dude’ so extremely well that he doesn’t lose any of his complex, interesting character in the process. Geralt earns most of his kickarse points from being a no-nonsense monster hunter, who always keeps his head and know he has the upper hand in pretty much every encounter without flaunting it. But on top of that, he’s light, funny, sarcastic and has a great level of emotional depth. Oh, and he’s pretty much immortal. This guy defines cool.

So there’s my picks! Drop in at some point in the near future for a countdown of my personal top 10 LAMEST game protagonists, so we can see the flipside and take a look at the considerably less badass side of playable characters. See you then!

[missing-marvel]

The Real Spider-Man

Pairing: Peter Parker/Reader

Tags: fluff, Halloween nonsense

A/N: I know it’s a bit late now but here’s my Halloween fic anyway 

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There was nothing quite like hearing the Ghostbusters theme from halfway down the block. The party was already in full swing. Flash really knew how to put on a show. He may not be your favorite guy at school, but he wasn’t the worst. Besides, he invited both you and Peter to the party, so who were you to say no?

You glanced over at Peter in the passenger seat. He’d tried to offer to drive but you weren’t going to let him anywhere near the wheel. You knew how his driving test had gone. It was a mystery how he’d passed.

He was checking his makeup in the visor mirror. He’d dressed up as a zombie, with your help of course. You had to help him with the makeup. When he’d done it himself he looked less like a zombie and more like a sad clown.

You were going dressed as a vampire, complete with a heavy old-fashioned cloak you’d somehow found at the thrift store and fake blood around the corner of your mouth.

You’d tried to convince Peter to wear his Spider-Man suit but he refused, saying something about how it “wasn’t a toy” and wearing it to the party would be “irresponsible.” You were pretty sure he was just afraid Tony would find out.

Since the party had already started, parking was slim and you had to park multiple houses away. You were grateful for the cloak as it was surprisingly cold outside. Peter saw you shiver slightly and took the opportunity to take your hand in his and move closer to you.

“I don’t remember the last time Halloween was this cold,” he said, his breath just barely visible in the night air.

“Yeah well lucky the party’s indoors, you dork.” You laughed and pushed him away playfully, though still holding onto his hand. You didn’t let go until you’d reached the front door of Flash’s house.

“Look at you two! You’re like the undead duo over here.” Ned was the first person to greet you as walked in, dressed in an extremely detailed Luke Skywalker pilot costume that definitely couldn’t have been cheap.

“Nice costume, Ned! You make that yourself?” You inquired, genuinely impressed by the work he’d put in.

Peter laughed before Ned could answer, “If by ‘make’ you mean ‘show up on my doorstep a week before the party and beg to me to help him make a full Luke Skywalker costume from scratch’ then yeah, he made it.”

Ned looked taken aback, pretending to be offended, “I’ll have you know I did plenty of work on this suit myself.”

“Oh sure,” Peter retorted. “I just did the sewing. So, you know, only 80% of the work.”

“Hey man, you know how I am with needles. Remember how close I was to failing Home Ec?” The two friends’ banter never failed to put a smile on your face.

Just then, you heard the familiar sound of your favorite Halloween song playing over the speakers and you nearly pushed Peter over on your way to the living room.

“Keep up boys!” You shouted over your shoulder as you sprinted past Peter and Ned.

The living room was packed full of costumed classmates dancing like their lives depended on it. You quickly threw yourself into the middle of the crowd, too excited to wait for your boyfriend.

You found yourself falling into rhythm with the crowd, your body moving with the beat without you even having to think about it. At one point, you spun around and smacked right into a familiar undead face.

“Found you!” Peter laughed and you continued dancing, grabbing his hands and pulling him further into the crowd with you. You knew he liked dancing, though he rarely would dance in front of you. He claimed he looked dumb when he danced. You thought he looked cute though, all arms and no rhythm.

“Come on, Pete. Dance with me!” Whenever you called him by his nickname, he was like putty in your hands and both of you knew it. He tried to look annoyed but there was a smile on his face he just couldn’t hide.

The two of you danced for what felt like hours. You watched Peter as he slowly loosened up, letting himself really have fun for once. It was as if when the two of you were together, he could let loose and just be himself. You could’ve stayed like this the rest of the night if a certain figure hadn’t caught your attention.

At the front of the room, someone had climbed on top of a table and started dancing. Peter’s back was to the person, meaning you were facing them. Even under the flashing colored lights, you would recognize that costume anywhere.

Someone had dressed up as Spider-Man.

Granted, it wasn’t a completely accurate costume. It looked a bit rough around the edges, a couple seams visible here and there and whatnot. Overall, though, it was still impressive.

“Oh my god.” You stopped dancing and covered your mouth with a hand to stifle your laughter. Peter noticed you looking over his shoulder and turned around.

“Is that—?” He looked dumbfounded. You couldn’t tell if he was flattered or freaked by the turn of events.

Suddenly, ‘Spider-Man’ picked up a microphone and lifted his mask up over his mouth.

“Is everybody having a good time tonight!?” His voice rang out over the speakers and even over the roar of the crowd, you immediately recognized it.

It was none other than Flash Thompson.

Yeah, he did invite you and Peter to the party, but he also invited literally everyone in your grade. You wouldn’t exactly call him and Peter friends. More like... rivals. You wondered what Peter thought about seeing him in the Spidey-suit.

Peter let out a long exhale through slightly pursed lips, like he couldn’t think of what to say. He had one hand on the back of his neck, the other on his hip.

“Hey, come on.” You grabbed Peter’s hands again, turning him to face you instead of Flash. “He’s got nothing on the real Spider-Man.” You gave Peter a smile and he did the same.

“Oh it’s not that,” he said, pulling you closer again. “Just weird, you know? Never thought I’d see other people dressing up like m— like Spider-Man.”

“Well, he is a hero, after all.” Peter’s cheeks flushed red as you spoke. “People look up to Spider-Man.” You leaned in close, not caring about the crowd around you. Peter hesitated, glancing around at your classmates before you brought his attention back to you and only you by planting your lips firmly on his.

“Ow!” He jumped back and held up a hand to his lip while you just laughed.

“Sorry. Fangs.” You removed the cheap plastic vampire fangs from your mouth and stuffed them in your pocket. They were started to bug you anyway.

“Oh real funny,” Peter tried to sound disapproving, but it didn’t work so well when he was also laughing. He tried pulling you in for another kiss— without the fangs this time— but was interrupted when a plastic cup flew out of nowhere and hit the back of his head.

“Get a room you two!” Michelle stood nearby, Ned at her side. She flipped the two of you off with a smirk on her face. You waved at her and returned the gesture. It was all in good fun, of course. You got along perfectly well with Michelle. In fact, you often enjoyed her... unique sense of humor.

You and Peter made your way over to their side of the dance floor, no longer in the crowded center of the room. Now that the four of you were in one place, you all returned to dancing as he music switched over to another of your favorite songs.

———————

By the end of the night, a handful of partygoers had made their way to the front yard, including you and Peter. Ned and Michelle had wandered off again. It had gotten awfully warm inside, so people had started going outside to enjoy the chilly night air. The party was winding down, and the music wasn’t so loud now.

You and Peter sat on the front steps, your cloak wrapped around the two of you as you rested your head on Peter’s shoulder. You wouldn’t admit it, but you were barely staying awake. You feared Peter might have to drive you home.

You looked up at him, his makeup smudged and wearing off and his hair a tousled mess. You never wanted to stop looking at him.

“Peter,” you whispered and he turned to face you. Before he could even respond, you swiftly closed the gap between you, pressing your lips to his, more gently this time. There was no one around, no one to interrupt you. After a moment, Peter’s lips moved in time with yours and you let out a faint hum.

The cold air felt even colder when you pulled apart, missing the warmth of your boyfriend’s touch.

“It’s getting late,” Peter whispered, still only inches away from you.

“Yeah. I guess we should—“ You were cut off by a faint sound getting progressively louder. You turned to look down the street where it was coming from to see flashing red and blue lights. The sound was a police siren, and it was headed your way.

“The cops? There wasn’t anything illegal going on during the party. You think we should run—?” You tenses up, ready to dart out of there until Peter put a hand on your shoulder reassuringly.

“Wait hold on,” he narrowed his eyes, watching intently as the police cars approached at a rapid speed with no sign of slowing. As they got closer, you realized there was another the car in front of them. This one was swerving across the road, clearly ignoring all traffic laws.

By the time the chase had passed by the house, Peter was already on his feet. You knew what he was going to ask before he even said anything.

“Here,” you tossed him the car keys. “Your suit’s in the trunk. Go get ‘em.”

“You sure you’re okay here?” Ever the gentleman. He couldn’t go ‘superheroing’ without checking on you first.

“I’ll be fine. I can hitch a ride home with Ned or Michelle if I don’t think I can drive. Now go!” You smiled and waved him off.

“You’re the best!” With that, Peter darted toward your car up the street as the police sirens faded in the distance.

[zombie-party-novel]

Zombie Party Chapter 3

Cassiel sifted through the clothes hanging limply on the metal rack. A well-known brand name was emblazoned across the front, or back, of every piece. He grimaced and turned away, coming face to face with Brittany, his short, brunette girlfriend. “Where are you going?” she asked him.

He cut sideways between two more racks and walked around her, finally escaping into the mall from the awful store. She followed out behind him, her face flushed with fury. “You promised, Cas! You said you’d let me pick out one outfit for you if I wore this!” She pointed accusingly at herself, clothed in a black leather corset-style top and a black leather skirt. She wore black lace gloves and stockings, topped off with large, clunky black boots.

Cassiel admired her for a moment before speaking. “I specifically said ‘I’ll wear something you like’. I didn’t say I’d buy a new outfit.”

“But I bought a new outfit!” she exclaimed.

“I bought a new outfit. For you. And it looks great on you.”

“I look ridiculous! People are staring! I’m willing to suffer through this humiliation for you, but you won’t even look at the clothes I like!”

Cassiel sighed and took her hand, walking with her back into the store. It was a painful process for him, trying on trendy plaid pants and sweater vests, but Brittany finally decided on something and paid for it at the counter. Happy to be safely back in his black jeans and elaborately designed black lace-up shirt, Cassiel smiled faintly as the two of them made their way across the mall, bags in hand.

“Let’s go in here,” Brittany said, pointing to yet another store specializing in fruity-smelling beauty products.

Cassiel didn’t complain as she dragged him inside. It was a full hour of smelling the various fragrances before Brittany decided on a scent and they left the store.

They continued through the mall until a glowing neon sign caught Cassiel’s eye. “Hey, look, a game store,” he said, walking into “Leon’s Game Shop”. Brittany followed silently, not sharing his enthusiasm but doing nothing to stop him.

Cassiel had no sooner picked up a new copy of “Walking Death 3" before a teenage boy came running into the store, looking incredibly frightened. He panted for a full minute before he looked up at the man behind the counter. “Dude, there’s a zombie in the mall!”

Cassiel walked closer to the counter to get a better view of what was going on, and the man behind the counter leaned forward, a look of amusement on his face. “A zombie? Really?”

The boy nodded vigorously. “I swear! This dude came limping in, right? And he grabbed some chick and bit a chunk out of her arm! And his eyes, man… oh my God, his eyes!”

Brittany looked quickly at Cassiel. “What’s going on?”

Cassiel shrugged. “A practical joke?”

At that moment silence fell over the store as the distant sound of screaming rang out through the mall. For several moments, no one spoke or even looked at each other, as the screaming began to get louder and closer. Then the man behind the counter, a large, gruff man with gray hair and beard, reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a cell phone, the look of amusement entirely gone. His fingers were visibly shaking as he punched in a number and held the phone to his ear.

“Uh, yeah,. this is Leon at the West Center Mall. There’s something going on here but I’m not sure what. I’m on the first floor, near the eastern entrance. People are screaming in the mall and a customer reported witnessing an attack. Uh huh. Alright. Yes, thank you.”

Leon sat his phone down on the counter and exhaled. “The police are on the way.”

Brittany was looking toward the doorway to the store. “Don’t you have a metal gate you can pull down or something?” Cassiel noticed immediately that her voice was cracking, and he put his arm around her.

“Yeah, I do,” Leon said, rushing to the doorway and grabbing a slender metal rod. He latched it to a hook near the ceiling and pulled quickly but calmly until a metal shutter that resembled a large chain-link fence had dropped down to completely block off the entrance to the store. Outside, a few people were still wandering around, looking somewhat confused as they began to notice the screams. And in an instant, it appeared as if everyone realized something bad was happening at the same time, and the people scattered in all directions. Most of them flocked into nearby stores but a few of them seemed to be heading for the eastern mall entrance, which was still several shops away.

And all the while, the screams grew louder. Suddenly, a veritable herd of people could be seen dashing through the mall from the direction of the south entrance, the obvious source of all the noise. They collided with each other, even trampled each other, as they ran like animals toward the eastern entrance. But one by one they tripped, stumbled, or fell over each other until every last person was on the floor, scrambling to get back up. It was like a massive train wreck, one huge tangled mess. If not for the look of horror on their faces, it would almost be funny.

Cassiel and Brittany watched from their side of the metal shutter, Cassiel’s arms tightly wrapped around her shoulders. Leon stepped out from behind the counter to stand near the shutter and the boy who had ran into the store only minutes before backed up against the wall, panting. “I’m telling you guys, it was a zombie!”

Cassiel looked at the boy and then back to the mall, as a very peculiar sound began to rise up above the screams and curses coming from the people on the floor. It seemed to be happening in slow-motion, as if several minutes were passing by. But in reality, it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. Around the corner came another group of people, this one distinctly different from the first. They were limping, their feet dragging the floor and their limbs hanging loosely from their bodies, or not there at all. Several of them were missing arms, a few even missing legs. But still they walked, slowly at first and then more quickly when they saw the pile of trampled, panicking people before them.

Soon they were running, so quickly that Cassiel’s eyes could barely keep up with their speed. They lunged at the screaming people, like wild beasts in the jungle pouncing on a small animal. A couple of people managed to pull themselves free of the pile and tried to run away, but they were quickly knocked down by the inhumanly fast attackers.

Cassiel looked to Leon, who was completely frozen in shock. “Hey, isn’t there a back door in this store?”

Leon was still in a daze as he turned to look blankly at Cassiel. “What?”

“A back door! Look how strong and fast they are! Do you really think a few thin pieces of metal are gonna keep those things out?!”

Leon shook his head. “I just leads out to the northern section of the mall, and it’s a lot farther from an exit than we are now.”

“But it’s farther from them too,” Cassiel said, motioning toward the small army of creatures that were slowly beginning to stand up after having torn the people on the floor apart, “How long do you think it’ll be before they notice us?”

Brittany pulled away from Cassiel. “He’s right! If we stay here we die for sure, but if we run, we have a chance!”

Cassiel blinked. Brittany usually didn’t respond to fear in a very calm or rational way. He recalled a time when he had taken her to a haunted house on Halloween, and she had shrieked like a child as she clung to his arm. Were you faking, Brittany? Maybe you just wanted to hold onto me.

Leon looked at the couple, then to the boy who was now shaking uncontrollably and crouched in the corner. “You’re right. Let’s go for it.”

He ran around behind the counter and pulled something from a shelf that wasn’t visible to them. It was a baseball bat. “It might be useless, but it’s all I’ve got.”

Cassiel walked over and grabbed the metal rod Leon had used to pull down the shutter. He smiled faintly. “Well, I’m ready.”

Brittany nodded, then glanced over at the cowering boy. “What about him?”

Leon kneeled down in front of the boy and looked him in the eyes. “Hey, little man, you ever played a survival horror game?”

The boy stared at him for a moment before nodding.

Leon smiled. “Then pretend you’re in the game. You’re out of ammo and you have to make it out of the building without losing any health. Think you’re up to it?”

The boy shook his head, but stood up anyway. “Guess I have to,” he said shakily.

The four of them walked through the small door behind the counter, closing and locking it behind them. It led to a narrow, dimly lit hallway with many glass doors. Must be offices, Cassiel figured.

“Even if they saw us in the store,” Cassiel said encouragingly, “it’ll take them a while to get past the shutter, and then at least a few minutes to get through the door. We should be alright.”

“Should be?” the boy asked.

“We will be,” said Cassiel. Brittany held his hand and followed close behind, bringing up the rear.

Sure enough, after only a few minutes and a couple of turned corners, they emerged on the northern side of the mall, which was completely empty. The people who were once shopping there must have hidden in the stores or made it to the exit. In the distance, they could still hear some faint screaming. Cassiel almost winced. Block it out. Don’t think about it. We can’t help those people.

Leon pointed to the left. “The exit is this way.”

“But that’s the south direction!” Brittany cried.

Leon nodded. “I know. If we go right, we go to a dead end.”

“What about an emergency exit?” Cassiel asked.

Leon shook his head. “That end of the mall is under construction. The doors are sealed off.“

Cassiel sighed and began heading south. “Alright, let’s just hurry. With any luck, we’ll get there before the zombies do.”

The others followed after him, and the young boy spoke up. “What if they cut us off?”

Cassiel didn’t answer the boy, as he was busy running as fast as he could while dragging Brittany along side him. We’ll fight if they cut us off. I’ll fight.

They ran for several minutes, not bothering to stop and catch their breath. They didn’t have a choice. Cassiel’s legs were throbbing. He had always viewed himself as relatively healthy, but now he painfully realized that he was perhaps too skinny, and maybe he should’ve put more effort into physical education in high school. He chanced a glance back at Brittany, wondering if she was suffering as he was, but was surprised to see her face fixed with determination, and not the slightest hint of fatigue. That’s right, she was a cheerleader, wasn’t she? She probably ran laps and stuff for practice.

Leon called to them from behind, “We’re getting close to the exit!”

“And closer to the zombies,” Brittany said.

Suddenly Cassiel came to a complete stop, and Brittany ran into his back. Leon and the boy stopped too. “What is it?” Leon asked, stepping around Cassiel.

His jaw dropped. The zombies had not only successfully came between them and the exit, but had seemingly multiplied a hundred times over. “Oh… no…”

Cassiel took a deep breath, tightened his grip on both Brittany’s hand and the metal rod he was carrying, and took off into the crowd of zombies. He knocked down at least a dozen as he made his way through them, swinging in wild but powerful strokes. Behind him, he could hear the sound of skulls cracking and Leon cursing loudly. Go, Leon! That baseball bat isn’t useless after all!

The boy who had been running with them screamed, and both Cassiel and Brittany stopped long enough to look back. A group of four zombies had pulled him to the ground and more were diving in. The boy’s screams only became louder as red liquid began to spray from the center of the pile, though Cassiel couldn’t make out exactly what was happening to him. God, he couldn’t have been older than fourteen. I didn’t even know his name.

“Cas, look!” Brittany yelled, pointing at Leon who was punching at zombies with his bear hands as they closed in around him. The baseball bat was on the floor, several feet away from him. “We should…”

Cassiel whirled around to face the exit and jerked Brittany on. I’m sorry, Leon. I’m really sorry. But I have to at least save Brittany. At least her.

He knocked down a few more zombies with the metal rod before one particularly large zombie stepped into his path. It growled at him, and lunged forward. Cassiel jerked to the left by reflex, ducking out of the zombie’s grasp. He ran around behind it, released Brittany’s hand for a moment, and used both hands to swing the metal rod with enough force slice through the zombie’s rapidly decaying torso, leaving half of him squirming on the floor and the other half stumbling aimlessly away.

Cassiel almost allowed himself to smirk, being surprised by his own strength. But he reached out for Brittany’s hand and began pulling her toward the exit again. It took a few seconds to realize that she wasn’t moving on her own at all and he was literally dragging her. She was on her knees, shaking. She looked up at him, and though his immediate reaction was to let go of her hand and run away, he clung to it even more tightly. On the left side of her face was a hideous gash that ran the length of her jaw. It was so deep and wide that he could see her teeth and even her tongue through the opening. “Oh, God, Brittany!”

“Cas…” she said, though her speech was slurred and clumsy, like that of someone who had just had major dental work and one side of their face was completely numb, “I… I think… they got me…”

Cassiel looked behind her, where over a hundred zombies were approaching with increasing speed. Without really thinking, he jerked her to her feet. “Come on! I’ll get you out! We’ll go to a hospital, they can fix you!”

Brittany followed after him this time, though she was no where near as fast as she had been before. Blood was pouring from her face and down the front of her top. It was dripping down between her breasts, into the black leather corset.

Up ahead was the exit, but to Cassiel’s dismay, there was also a large group of zombies. There’s no way I can make it through. No way in hell.

Brittany tugged at his arm. “Hide!” she screamed, and blood squirted from her mouth. It was clearly taking great effort to speak. “In… a store!”

Cassiel looked back at her. “No, Brittany, I have to get you to a hospital right now! If I don’t, you’ll bleed to death!”

Brittany said nothing, but veered off to the left so suddenly that Cassiel found himself being pulled by her. There was a small candy shop right next to them, and Brittany shoved him inside. Before he could even say a word in protest, she tore the metal rod from his hands and latched it to the metal shutter, jerking it down between them so swiftly that Cassiel had to jump back to avoid having his feet crushed under its weight. Before he could get back to his feet, Brittany had secured the padlock around the latch on the floor, just as she had watched Leon do it in the game store. She slid the metal rod back into the store through the shutter and collapsed to her knees outside the store.

“Brittany! What the hell are you doing?! You locked it from the outside! I can’t get it open!”

Brittany held her head low, as if ashamed of how terrible her face looked. “Might… hold a little… while,” she said, or rather tried to say. She then looked up at him, “I’m… dead… anyway.”

“No, Brittany… wait!”

But before another word could be said, Brittany’s hand slipped from the shutter and her body fell ungracefully to the floor. “Brittany!” Cassiel screamed, hot tears burning his eyes, “Brittany, please! Get up! PLEASE!”

A million thoughts raced through his brain. Things like You died in an outfit you hate. You’ll never forgive me for that! and You didn’t even get to wear your new fruity body spray! Pointless and useless things popped into his head. Regrets about giving her such a hard time over their differing wardrobes. Regrets about suggesting going to the new mall in the first place. How gross her face looked, and how horrified her parents would be that they’d have to have a closed-casket funeral.

Finally it hit him, that he wasn’t much safer in the store than he was out there. He watched as the zombies began tearing through the metal shutters leading into some of the other stores. It only took them a few minutes, if enough of them were working on it. He could hear more people screaming, people who had probably hid behind shelves and counters. Hiding is useless I guess.

He clutched the metal rod in his hands, waiting for the time when they would begin tearing down the shutter that separated him from them. At least ten minutes passed as he watched them move from store to store, sometimes dragging people out and sometimes just killing them inside. Then something caught his eye. Movement on the other side of the shutter. He moved forward and looked down. Brittany’s corpse was twitching, and Cassiel dropped immediately to his knees. She’s still alive! She just passed out!

“Brittany! Oh, thank God! Hurry and open the shutter!” He looked toward the exit, where a large number of zombies appeared to guarding it. “We still can’t get out, but we could hide together! The police were on their way, remember? Maybe they’ll get here in time!”

Brittany slowly stood up, and looked down at Cassiel. Her eyes were wide and pale blue, a stark difference from the brown eyes she had before. But there was something else wrong. They were completely empty, without the faintest evidence of life or thought. She suddenly began clawing at the shutter, trying to tear it apart.

Cassiel backed away from the store entrance until he hit a shelf. That’s right, you turn into a zombie when you get bitten. I’m so stupid.

Gradually the other zombies began to take notice of the commotion Brittany was causing, and started wandering over. Soon there were more than a dozen, all clawing at the shutter. Cassiel had seen this before, had watched them do it several times. He walked over to the shutter and jabbed the metal rod through it, piercing the head of the closest zombie. He repeated this action on three more, until the only zombie left in close enough range to kill was Brittany. He stared at her for a moment, watching her desperation in her struggle to get through the shutter. “I’m sorry, Brittany. I… I really loved you.” He lifted the rod to be level with her head, readying himself to impale her on it. But at that moment several more zombies rushed forward and the shutter finally gave way, knocking Cassiel back.

Brittany was the first through the entrance, stepping over the crumpled remains of the shutter. She lunged at him, and he dodged her, positioned himself behind her, and shoved the rod through the back of her head. It must be painful, to walk around like that. Maybe now it won’t hurt anymore.

Before he could pull the rod out of her skull, five zombies had cornered him. He looked at her corpse, then looked at the zombies. I guess that’s it. This is as far as I go. And I thought I was good at survival horror games.

His back was against the wall, and zombies were coming from every direction. There was no escape. He sighed and looked down. “Game over.”

[musicprincess655]

“Today, we’ll be moving on from our discussion of using your surroundings to boost the power of your spells to putting it into practice,” Kataoka said. Jun tried not to groan. He understood the theory perfectly, had worked through it in his spare time, and knew it inside and out.

That didn’t mean he could actually do it, though.

It was halfway through the second semester, well into autumn, and Jun was no closer to finding a solution to his problem than he’d been at the beginning of the year. It was hard to even still feel the same sense of urgency anymore. The problem was starting to become an old one.

One he would never solve, that voice in the back of his head whispered.

Maybe he really should take Takashima up on her offer to join her research group. It couldn’t be worse than this, right? And he could apply for a stipend as a researcher, so it would mean extra money for him. Which was a positive.

But he’d been trying to find a way to use magic, to really fit into the magical world he lived in, since he was young. Could he really quit that now, when he’d come so far? Was that really okay?

“Isashiki.” Jun jumped out of his musing at the sight of Kataoka standing in front of him. “You understand participation is fifty percent of the grade in my class, right?”

“Uh, yes,” Jun said, jumping to his feet. “Um, I can’t…”

“I really can’t give you credit for participation if you can’t complete the activity,” Kataoka told him bluntly. “I understand your situation, but it’s not fair to all the other students if you get credit when you haven’t done the same work as them.”

“I understand, sir.” Kataoka considered him.

“Whatever it is you need to figure out, figure it out,” Kataoka told him. “I’d rather have you on the team than not, and I don’t want you cut because of your grades.”

Jun bit his lip. Objectively, he knew all his professors had been more than fair to him when it came to actually doing magic. He was only really doing well in classes where he didn’t have to use magic, but he also wasn’t failing yet, and he wasn’t dumb enough to think it was because of his own skills.

***

“I promise, it’s just school stuff. But I will get offended if you don’t start taking this seriously.” Jun bowled another ball down the ramp, pumping his fist as it went into the 10,000 slot. He really had that one dialed in now. “It’s no fun beating someone that’s not trying.”

“Can I help with the school stuff?” Yuuki asked, bowling another shot directly into the 500 hoop, which really just existed to comfort people who didn’t know how to play skee-ball.

“Do you know how to incorporate the surrounding elements into a combat spell?” Jun asked, more to be a dick than anything else. Yuuki looked at him blankly. “Yeah, thought not.”

“I was hoping you just needed help studying or something,” Yuuki said. “I was going to offer to quiz you.”

“I appreciate the offer, I do, but studying is actually the only thing I’m good at,” Jun told him. “It’s all the practical stuff I’m bad at.”

“Isn’t your major practical magic?”

“You know, I’d actually managed to forget that for a while. Thanks for reminding me.”

Yuuki looked distressed enough that Jun felt bad for being such a dick. He was taking all his frustrations out on Yuuki, and that wasn’t fair. The whole reason he’d even suggested going to the arcade was so he could take his aggression out on helpless video games.

“So are you gonna keep letting me walk all over you?” Jun asked, giving Yuuki a grin to try and break the tension. “Because so far I’m kicking your ass from here to Sunday.”

“It’s been a while since I played this,” Yuuki admitted, managing to tip his ball into the 2,500 ring.

“Shouldn’t you have better hand eye coordination than me, Mr. Baseball Hotshot?” Jun asked. “By the way, you never told me how your coach took the sign. Tell me you have a picture of his face.”

Yuuki shook his head regretfully.

“I have to leave my phone in the locker room when I’m playing,” he said. “There’s no way for me to carry it. But trust me, your sign was worth it. I’ll be laughing at the look on his face until I graduate.”

“You better have someone ready to take a picture next year,” Jun said.

“Next year?”

“I mean, yeah, obviously I’ll have to come up with something better next year,” Jun said. “I have to keep them on their toes, or else they’ll get complacent.”

“They?”

“They.”

Jun threw his last ball and waited for Yuuki to throw his. Yuuki tried valiantly for the 10,000 slot, misjudged the throw and bounced off the rim for a sad addition of 500 instead.

“So that’s…two hundred twenty-five thousand on my end to your twelve thousand five hundred,” Jun said. “This round goes to me.”

It barely took Yuuki any time to gather his tickets, but Jun had to wait for his pile to print out. He stuffed them into the paper cup he was carrying around, just barely able to shove them all in.

“So do you think you could actually be good at any of these games?” Jun asked, looking around. “Wack-a-mole, maybe?”

“Cute.”

“Oh, how about this?” Jun asked, pointing to a shooter.

“Can you even win tickets on this?” Yuuki asked, eyeing the machine warily.

“Getting to shoot stuff is the prize,” Jun told him. “Come on, kill zombies with me.”

“Those are supposed to be zombies?”

“We’re not exactly playing this for the top of the line graphics, dude.”

Yuuki shrugged and picked up the gun on the left. Jun grinned, grabbing for the leftover gun and dropping some tokens in the machine.

The game started up, and Yuuki shot to select multiplayer. Huh. It looked like he was actually okay at this particular game.

“Take this, ya bastards!” Jun yelled, moving into kill mode. He thought he heard Yuuki chuckle next to him.

He was more than just okay, Jun discovered as the game started up. All of the skill he’d lacked in skee-ball was apparently just being saved for shooter games. Jun wasn’t doing bad on his own, but Yuuki was absolutely mowing his way through zombies. Jun would’ve been a little terrified if he wasn’t so attracted to Yuuki in that moment.

So he had a weakness for strong men who could slaughter zombies. Sue him.

Yuuki absolutely obliterated Jun’s score, and Jun couldn’t even be mad. It was clear who the winner had been here.

“Want to go another round?” Yuuki asked.

“I’m out of tokens,” Jun groaned. “You?”

“I only have one left.”

“Not enough for another round.”

They considered each other.

“Ready to cash out our tickets?” Jun asked.

“Yes, I’ll treasure my eraser for all eternity,” Yuuki deadpanned.

“Hey, look on the bright side,” Jun said. “Maybe you can afford a bouncy ball.”

“Luxury.”

It turned out that Yuuki could not, in fact, afford a bouncy ball. He took his eraser like a man. Jun looked over his options, trying to find something worthy of how badly he’d kicked Yuuki’s ass at skee-ball. He felt his face twist into a sharp grin when he saw the perfect item, pointing it out to the bored looking high schooler manning the counter.

“Here,” he said, grabbing Yuuki’s wrist and slipping something on. Yuuki looked down at his wrist, then back up at Jun.

“What.”

“Look, it says ‘best friends forever’ right here,” Jun said, turning the beads so they faced up. “Very manly. The greatest expression of male friendship.”

“This is what you spent your tickets on?”

“Well, there was some candy too, which I might be persuaded to share if you’re nice to me.”

“Friendship bracelets.”

“Hey man, don’t knock bonds formed in friendship bracelets.” Jun tried desperately to keep a straight face. He wasn’t as good at it as Yuuki. “You’ve been declared my best friend forever. You can never get rid of me now.”

“Bold of you to assume I was trying.”

“Oh man, it got late,” Jun said, pushing out the door. It was already dark. As if on cue, his stomach growled.

“Want to get dinner?”

“I could eat.”

They wandered into a family restaurant nearby. The warm lights and cheap food were the savior of broke university students everywhere.

“I know it’s still a little away, but what are you doing over winter break?” Yuuki asked.

“Going back to my parents’ house,” Jun told him. “We’re getting everyone together for the new year. You’re just staying here, right?”

“Yeah, it’s too much trouble to travel,” Yuuki said. “Especially since Masashi has practice during the break.”

“Must be nice to have everyone here,” Jun said. “It’s easier to have me travel back, even if I like it here.”

“You’re originally from Kanagawa prefecture, right?”

“Yeah. Maybe I’ll see you over spring vacation, though.”

“Probably not. It’s a longer break for me, so I’m going to visit some friends up north.”

“We could’ve planned this better.”

“It’s not my fault you never tell me things.” Yuuki did the closest thing Jun had ever seen to a pout on his face. “We’re supposed to be best friends forever.”

“I am already regretting the bracelets.” Jun rolled his eyes. “That’s it, give it back.”

“No, I’m keeping it forever.”

They lapsed into silence, finishing up the rest of their food.

“Are you sure I can’t help you with the school stuff?” Yuuki asked. “You seemed pretty upset about it earlier.”

“Yeah, it’s just…” Jun sighed. “Something I have to fix on my own. It’s a personal problem.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Will do.”

After a brief fight about the bill – that ended with Yuuki shoving cash into Jun’s hands for his half of the meal – they left. Saying their goodbyes, Jun headed in the direction of his apartment.

That hadn’t been a date, right? It was normal for two guys to hang out at an arcade together, and it was far from the first time they’d gotten food together. It was just their friendship.

But it kind of felt like a date. I kind of wanted it to be a date, Jun corrected himself.

He’d already known he was starting to fall for Yuuki. But he knew better than to get his hopes up about something unless he knew for sure it was a date. He’d been burned by that before.

But still. He wanted this to be a date.

Maybe it could be, if he worked up the courage to ask Yuuki. If he could figure out his school problems, he’d be free to pursue Yuuki all he wanted.

Which was even more reason to fix his magic shit.

He should get working.

[akatsukibandhscenarios]

41. When You Get Lost and They Find You

You had gone out on a mission with your boyfriend and got separated from him. You had no idea where you were or how to get to your boyfriend. You managed to get yourself lost in possibly dangerous territory. Updates Pein You had been on a mission in the Rain Village. You knew it was the area Pein was from, and you also knew that it was normally a war zone between the villages on either side of it. Of course, another war thing was going on and you and Pein walked into it. You found a way to get separated from Pein in the middle of the war. “Pein?!” You yelled out as you crawled away from the fighting. Pein was somewhere but you had no idea where. It was starting to scare you. You made it away from the fighting and hid under a tree. It was less wet there. You waited for a few minutes before it hit you how cold you were. You began to shiver so you got to the ground and huddled with yourself. You ended up falling asleep. “_____ wake up.” You heard as someone shook you awake. You opened your eyes and saw Pein. He had his cloak wrapped around you and you were in his arms. “Pein?” “Why’d you disappear _____?” “I couldn’t find you. I was lost and cold so I came here.” “Don’t do that again. I thought you got killed or taken by one of those men.” “I’m sorry Pein. I won’t get lost again.” You snuggled up to him. “Good.” Zetsu You and Zetsu went on a spying mission. You didn’t really want to go, but he made you go. He didn’t trust you around the other guys when he wasn’t there. He thought a guy would try something with you. So there you were wandering around an empty ghost town wondering where the hell Zetsu was. He had told you to stay put while he checked something out. Of course you didn’t listen. You saw a child walking into the ghost town, so you followed him. No one was there, at all. It was scary. Once you reached the town center, people started coming out of their houses. They were like zombie people. “Zetsu!” You screamed as you ran from the people. They kept following you. You couldn’t remember how to get out of the town. You kept yelling for Zetsu. Finally he came out of the ground and took you with him. He took you to safety and set you down. “I told you to stay there.” Zetsu said calmly. “I got curious!” You snapped. “Don’t get lost again. I was worried.” White Zetsu said. “I’ll leave you behind next time.” Black Zetsu said harshly. You glared at Zetsu. “I won’t get lost again.” You began walking away. “Wrong way _____.” “I knew that!” “Sure you did.” Sasori Sasori had to go meet with one of his spies. He brought you along because Deidara was too much of a loud mouth. He told you to wait in the bushes and watch, because he didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. While he talked to his spy, you saw a bunny and decided to go after it. What could possibly go wrong with chasing a bunny? You got lost, that’s what went wrong. You followed the bunny so far and didn’t pay any attention to how you got anywhere. You had the bunny though, so at least you had company while being lost. “Where am I little bunny?” You asked the cute white fur ball in your arms. Suddenly it bit you, made you drop it and ran off, leaving you all alone. “That wasn’t very nice.” You mumbled. You walked around some more. “Sasori?” You called out, hoping someone would hear you. “I’m lost!” You yelled out again. After a few more minutes you felt something wrap around your waist. You closed your eyes and screamed as you were dragged into something. When you opened your eyes you saw Sasori’s face. You were inside Hiruko. “Why did you run off?” Sasori asked. “I saw a bunny?” “Where is that bunny now?” Sasori clearly didn’t believe you. You held up your hand to show where the bunny bit. Sasori sighed and hugged you tightly to him. “Don’t do that again. You get lost far too easily. If you want a bunny so bad I’ll get you one.” “Really?” “No, you made me think you were gone forever. You get no bunny as a reward for that.” You pouted to Sasori but he turned away and focused on the puppet. You could tell he was just happy that you were back and safe now. ~ Itachi “Where the hell am I?” You asked yourself as you walked. You were in the forest and it was starting to get dark. You weren’t sure where you were. You fell down a hill and just went from there. You had hoped Itachi would find you quickly, but you guessed it’s already been an hour since you got lost. “Itachi!” You yelled, even though that was a bad idea. You got a few birds and squirrels yapping at you in response. You sighed and sat down on a log. You figured you might as well stay in one place. About five minutes of sitting later, you began to hear noises behind you. “Itachi?” You got up and turned around, hopeful. It wasn’t Itachi. It was a huge bear and it looked like it was hungry; hungry for you. You let out a scream and ran. You could hear it chasing you so you ran faster. “_____?” You heard Itachi call out. He had heard your scream and found your general location. “’tachi, there’s a bear trying to kill me!” You yelled back. After you said that, Itachi appeared in front of you. You nearly knocked him over. As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared with you in his arms. “Don’t get lost again.” His voice was harsh, but then he kissed you. “I was worried I’d lost you forever.” Kisame You were at a waterfall. That’s all you knew. You and Kisame were going over a river when the two of you got separated. You hoped he was okay and would try to find you. You also hoped you didn’t have a head injury from falling into a river and down the waterfall. Other than the pain and fear you were feeling, you were happy. You could have gotten lost in a much worse place. There could be some waterfall monster in the water. You laughed at that thought. What could possibly hurt you here? It was a beautiful and peaceful place. Flowers of all colors were all around, the water was mostly a sparkling blue color and there was a decapitated head floating next to you. “Wait what?!” You shrieked and swam away from the head. That wasn’t there a few moments ago. You began to swim towards the shore when something under you grabbed you. You screamed as you were dragged under the water. You weren’t too good with seeing under water and fighting, so you were having a bad time now. You were able to thrash around and hope for the best. Just as you were going to pass out, you felt yourself being pulled to the surface. “_____, are you alright?” In response, you choked and coughed up some water before you opened your eyes. “Kisame?” You were so glad to see him. “I saved you from the waterfall monster.” Your blue boyfriend informed you. “I didn’t realize such a thing existed.” You sighed. “I’m never getting lost again.” Hidan You weren’t lost yet, as much as Hidan was. He told you he was going ahead, but left without the map. You remained on the path marked on the map, but could have taken a wrong turn. You honestly weren’t sure at this point. So maybe you were lost. You were sure that Hidan was going to come back for you, but he hadn’t yet. You were casually walking along, and you didn’t notice that you were being followed.  You only noticed because there were extremely faint extra footsteps behind you. You pretended to ignore the other people. You hoped you’d run into Hidan before you were attacked. But of course, your hopes were wrong. Once you reached a meadow, the people made their move. You swung around with your spear like thing, trying to fight but there was too many and they were too strong. You were overpowered. “We got the girlfriend of an Akatsuki member. She’ll be worth a lot.” One man said. “Hey, give me back my bitch!” You heard Hidan yell. “It’s about time you found me!” You yelled at your boyfriend. After Hidan murdered all the guys he went over to you. He helped you stand and then hugged you. “I’m not sure if it was you or me, but there is no more getting fucking lose. Got it?” Hidan said, very harshly. “It was both of us, but I get it.” You hugged Hidan. This was a rare moment of love and kindness from him. You weren’t going to waist it. “Next time, I’m leaving you lost, stupid bitch.” Rare moment was now over, great… Kakuzu Kakuzu and you went to a new collection office. You waited outside like usual, but decided to walk around. Which was a bad idea on your part. You got yourself lost. You were sure that you’d be able to find your way back, but you were wrong. You were wandering around and all you could see were trees. You assumed you were in a forest, but you really had no clue. You were walking, and walking, until you tripped. There was a root of a tree sticking up and you fell over it. That wasn’t the problem though. The problem was that you heard a snap, which wasn’t the root. You looked down at your left leg and sure enough, the bone was broken. “Damn, it wasn’t bad enough that I’m lost, I had to break a bone too? What else could go wrong?” You yelled the last part, frustrated. You were answered by a loud clap of thunder. Rain began to pour from the sly. The trees helped shield you but it didn’t help much. “Son of a bitch!” You yelled, furious with the situation now. “_____, are you alright?” You looked up to see Kakuzu standing over you. “Kuzu…” You whined. “I’m hurt and soaking wet.” “I see that.” He bent down and picked you up. You clung to him as he began to walk. He had his money in his hand as he carried you. “Thanks for finding me.” You whispered. “It was no trouble, you were easy to find.” You could hear a hint of worry in his voice, but you knew not to mention it. Tobi You and Tobi went to find a special lake to have a picnic at. Somehow, Tobi went one way and you went another. Neither of you realized t until you weren’t even sure how to get back to each other. “Tobi, where are you?!” You called out. You were on a path, leading you to an unknown place. You heard noises all around you and it was starting to scare you. “Tobi!” You yelled, louder. You were hit in the back of the head with a little stone. You swung around to see a squirrel. “Did you throw that rock at me?” You smiled, you thought it was cute. And it was cute, until more squirrels began to gather and throw rocks at you. You screamed and began to run. The army of squirrels chased after you. “Tobi!” You screamed as you ran. You were able to see a clearing up ahead where the lake was. You hoped Tobi was there. “Tobi!” You yelled louder. The squirrels were still chasing you. Once you reached the clearing, you saw Tobi. “Tobi!” You yelled. He looked up at you. He saw the squirrels and grabbed a stick. You ran to him and hid behind him. “Stay away from _____ you evil creatures!” Tobi yelled as he swung the stick around. It was enough to scare the animals off thankfully. “Oh thank you Tobi!” You hugged him from behind. You were so happy to see him. “I’m glad _____ found Tobi. Tobi was worried.” “I was worried too Tobi.” You two stood there with each other. You were happy now, but you were sure you now had a fear of squirrels. Deidara The craft store Deidara and you would normally go to stopped selling the clay that Deidara uses. The two of you had to find a new place. It had taken you a few days but you finally found a mall that sold the clay. It was a huge place and it was easy to get lost in. Still, you told Deidara that you wanted to explore. You found out you were great at going places and checking things out, but was bad at finding your way back. “Oh no, I’m lost…” You had to admit after trying and failing to find Deidara a few times. You were really walking around in circles now. You tried to stop and ask someone how to get somewhere but no one would listen to you. You finally gave up and went to the food court. You at least could find that. You were just sitting and eating now. You didn’t really care where Deidara was at the moment. You just wanted to eat. “_____, what are you doing, hm?” You turned to see Deidara. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, hm.” He actually looked worried and relieved. “I was looking for you too, but I was lost and hungry.” You simply explained. “So you chose to deal with hunger first, hm?” He sat next to you. You smiled and nodded. “Here, I’ll share.” The two of you began to eat. “Next time, we’ll stay together, hm.” “I agree.” You were happy Deidara found you. You had been sure he’d just leave you, but you were happily wrong.        

Madara

Madara went out with you on a mission since you didn’t want to leave him at home. Tiberius stayed at home to watch over the house while you two were gone. Madara had stuck close to you as you navigated your way through the mist. Your mission was to find a rouge Mist ninja and eliminate them. you were an hour into your search when you caught his trail.

“This way Madara.” You told your boyfriend. When he didn’t answer, you turned to see him not there. “What?” You questioned yourself. You looked around but could not see him or sense him. So you decided to head towards where you sensed the criminal (not your boyfriend) and then suddenly lost him as the mist thickened. You were a bit confused and now disoriented so you began to wander around aimlessly for a few moments before a voice scared you.

“____? Where are you going?” You swung around to see Madara and the rouge ninja, which was dead.

“Where did you go? Did you get lost or something?” You demanded, making your way to him.

“He was tricking you into a trap so I went and took care of him. When I returned you were no longer there.”

“So you got lost and made me get lost too.”

“I wasn’t lost at all. I always knew where I was. It was only you who had gotten lost. Next time you should stay by my side.”

“God dammit Madara.” You grumbled. You had a feeling if you brought him with you again that you’d need a rope to tie the two of you together so he didn’t run of again.

[irisfarms]

Wrote a fanfic Vel’s hitchhiking AU. Had this awesome backstory all written up and then tumblr deleted it... so enjoy a messy and shitty rewrite. 

Mentions of suicidal thoughts, homophobia, and violence. 

Iris had spent 2 days trying to hitchhike by the side of this highway before a tall, handsome stranger had stopped on his motorcycle.  This was his last resort to get out of this small town and escape his homophobic family and dead-end dishwasher job. Maybe this man would try to pimp him out (like his ex-Jerry did) or murder him, but this was his only way out.  

The man introduced himself as Lillium and immediately tried to shake his hand. When he asked Iris where he was headed, Iris responded simply with "anywhere away from here". Real sympathy shone in his eyes and he extended his helmet to Iris, stating that he could get one for himself in the next town. Iris figured that someone who just planned on killing him later wouldn't offer him the only helmet. He took a moment to reflect on how shitty his life had been so far just because he liked dudes and not chicks. He was beat up by his peers, kicked out by his parents, emotionally abused by his religious aunt so that he could get his high school diploma, and then groomed and betrayed by a man who he thought he loved. It would be hard for life to get worse in another town.  

Lillium explained that he was headed to Oregon. "It's a super tolerant state unlike Alabama here". Iris gave him a questioning look and Lillium pointed to the gay pride flag on his backpack. "Plus, it's got way more to do than this middle of fucking nowhere town... It's a few days ride away, but it's worth it."  

"Whatever. As long as it isn't here, I'm sure it's great." Iris climbed on the back of Lillium's bike and put on the helmet Lillium was making him wear. He had never been on a motorcycle before and the thought of being so exposed to the elements and venerable in a crash terrified him.  

"There should be a shop somewhere not too far from here where I can get another helmet. Oh, and you'll want my jacket to protect you from sun and wind burn... I'm used to both by now."  

Lillium flashed a dashing smile at him, taking off his jacket off and handing it to Iris before he turned around and started the hog. He made it clear that Iris would have to hold onto him really tight so he wouldn't go flying off the bike. Iris wrapped his arms around him and noticed this man was more muscular than he looked slouched on the bike. If he was going to be murdered later, at least it was by a beautiful man.

They drove for around an hour, before he pulled into a large gas station. Lillium explained that he really needed a helmet before the cops pulled him over. Iris wandered around the store and felt his stomach rumble at the food he saw. He was debating his chances of getting caught stealing a candy bar or two before Lillium put a hand on his shoulder. He had found another helmet and assured Iris that they would stop later for real food.  

They were back on the road for another two hours when Lillium pulled up to a Waffle house. Iris was starving so he only gave a mild complaint of "A Waffle House, really?" Lillium's response was that Oregon didn't have any, and he'd been craving it forever. Once they were seated, Lillium made up for all of the talking that they couldn't do on the ride. He talked about the weather in Oregon, dogs, and how happy he was that Iris joined him. Why on earth would anyone be happy to have a hitch hiker? I'm just bumming a ride. Iris pondered while drinking his water and eating his omelet as Lillium inhaled his coffee, OJ, bacon, eggs, and two waffles while still talking.

When they were almost finished with their meal, a methed out man briskly walked into the restaurant and screamed that he was going to rob the place while waving a gun around. The cashier pulled out her own gun, and suddenly they were in a standoff. Lillium looked right at Iris and put his finger over his lips warning him to be quiet. He drew a gun out of a holster on the side of his belt. How had he not noticed that this dude had a gun on him before now?! Am I the only one in this fucking Waffle House without a gun? Lillium snuck up behind him and put the gun to the back of the robber's head and the man froze and tried to see who had the gun behind him. Meth man made a move to try and turn around so that his gun was facing Lillium. Lillium kicked his knee, which caused him to crumple onto the ground. The cashier shot the man on the floor, then calmly called 911.  

Iris was trembling when the cops interviewed him later that evening. He told them what happened, and then they told him that he was free to go. He hadn't been able to look at Lillium since the incident and was seriously considering trying to catch a ride with someone else. He felt a hand on his shoulder.  

"Hey, Iris. I'm sorry all of this happened. Didn't know that my craving for waffles would risk our lives." He gave a humorless laugh while looking at Iris. "I've had self-defense from an early age and have a conceal and carry. My dad was a paranoid. He thought the zombie apocalypse was coming soon and wanted me to be prepared."  

Iris had no idea of what to say, so he just nodded. He didn't know what to think of this guy. But clearly, he had a gun and hadn't threatened him with it or killed him yet. He could have ignored the gunman and cowered, but he didn't.  

"It's late and I'm very tired. Let's just say in the hotel over there for the night."

The man at the desk only had one room left and that next closest hotel was around 70 miles away. They accepted the room since they didn't feel like driving another hour after the shit that went down at the waffle house. The room had one queen sized bed and a tv with a chair. There were mysterious stains on the carpet and hair on the shower walls. Lillium immediately began tearing apart the bed.  

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Checking for bed bugs! You can't be too careful! Plus, even the nice hotels have them now. They could be anywhere in the bed, even around the headboard!"

"Okay, while you're doing that, I'm going to take a shower."

Iris tried to enjoy the shower, but it was hard when he just kept replaying the day's events in his mind. Day one of being out of his little town and already saw a man try to rob someone and get shot. Life is just too much. Maybe I'd be better off dead. I can ditch Lillium tomorrow and tell him I'm going to catch a ride somewhere else. He won't ever know that I'm dead.

Iris dried off and walked out to try to find a shirt that wasn't super dirty in his bag. Lillium was casually laying on the bed writing in a journal, or maybe doodling? He was clearly absorbed in whatever he was doing and didn't notice Iris digging through his clothes. He figured he would just sleep in his boxers since he was going to end up curled up on the chair anyway.  

He slipped his underwear on under his towel and threw a blanket that was folded on the foot of the bed over himself. Lillium stopped writing and looked up. "Dude, do I really smell that bad?"

"What are you talking about? I've been wearing your jacket since I met you."

"You're gonna try to sleep in that tiny, scratchy chair?"

"Yeah. There's only one bed."

"Iris, you just spent hours holding on to my waist on the bike. It's too late for me to play coy." He patted the bed. "I'm not gonna get weird or try to grab your junk in your sleep. It's dumb for you to be miserable and cramped when we can share."

Iris walked down and sat on the bed. "Guess that makes sense. Need to warn you that I drool though."

Lillium grinned. "Who doesn't? You wanna be big spoon or little spoon?"

"What."

"I'm kidding man. 'Night."

"Goodnight."

As he turned off the light, Lillium thought about how happy he was to see Iris again. Maybe he should have told him that they had met before. Too late for that. Just be content that he is safe and here with you now.